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Sweet potato and lentil curry

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Sweet potato and lentil curry

A vibrant, low-calorie and vegan dinner idea, made with sweet potatoes, red split lentils, coconut milk and plenty of spices
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4
Calories 314 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large red onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • a thumb-sized piece ginger finely grated
  • 6 curry leaves fresh or dried (optional)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 medium (about 500g) sweet potatoes cut into chunks
  • 75 g red split lentils
  • 400 ml tin low-fat coconut milk
  • 400 ml vegetable stock
  • a handful of leaves coriander
  • 1 lime wedged

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook three-quarters of the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves, if using, and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the spices and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the sweet potato and lentils, then add the coconut milk and stock. Stir well, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding a splash of water if it’s getting dry, until the potatoes and lentils are cooked through. Season.
  • Serve in bowls with coriander and the remaining onion on top, with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Hot paprika chicken kebabs with grilled pineapple

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Hot paprika chicken kebabs with grilled pineapple

This kebab recipe has it all: spicy chicken, sweet caramelised pineapple and plenty of refreshing mint. The kebabs are great on their own as a starter, or with some rice or noodles as a main dish
Print Recipe
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 6
Calories 353 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp hot-smoked paprika
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into 3 cm chunks
  • a large handful mint leaves chopped
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
  • 1 or 2 red chillies sliced
  • cooked basmati rice to serve

GRILLED PINEAPPLE

  • 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 ripe pineapple peeled and cut into thick round slices

Instructions
 

  • Light the barbecue. Combine the paprika, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil with some salt. Mix to a paste and combine with the diced chicken, mixing well. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour.
  • Combine the sugar and lime juice in a large bowl. Add the pineapple slices and mix well, making sure every slice is coated.
  • Barbecue the pineapple slices until lightly charred on both sides. Once cool enough to handle, dice the flesh, discarding the tough cores
  • Put the chicken meat onto six skewers and cook over direct heat for 20-25 minutes, turning regularly, or until cooked through and lightly charred at the edges.
  • Top the pineapple with the mint, sesame seeds and red chillies. Serve with the chicken and rice.

Grilled hake with smoky chickpeas, preserved lemon and kale

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Grilled hake with smoky chickpeas, preserved lemon and kale

Simply grilled hake, with a side of lemony paprika chickpeas. Ready in 30 minutes, it's a low-calorie, gluten-free midweek winner
Print Recipe
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 2
Calories 371 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 preserved lemon pith and flesh discarded, and rind finely chopped
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • 400 g tin chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • a large handful kale chopped
  • 2 fillets hake or other white fish

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes until soft, adding a splash of water if it starts to catch. Add the garlic, chilli and preserved lemon, and cook for 1 minute. Add half the paprika, all the chickpeas and 200ml of water, and season. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until the chickpeas are soft and the mixture is saucy. Stir the kale into the chickpeas, cook for a few minutes, then keep warm.
  • Heat the grill to high. Season the hake fillets and toss in the remaining paprika. Put onto a baking tray and grill for 3-4 minutes or until caramelised and cooked through.

Mushroom bhaji

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Mushroom bhaji

The perfect midweek vegan dinner, this bhaji comes packed with chestnut mushrooms, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Serve with warm, fluffy naans for mopping all those juices up
Print Recipe
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4
Calories 91 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 500 g chestnut mushrooms quartered
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • a thumb-size piece ginger finely grated
  • a small bunch fresh coriander stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1/2 lemon juices
  • cooked basmati rice to serve
  • naans to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan and fry the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes over a medium-high heat until all the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are starting to caramelise. Scoop out of the pan. Turn the heat to low, add another drizzle of oil to the pan and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, ginger and coriander stalks, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Tip in the spices and tomato purée, and cook for a few minutes before adding 100ml of water and the mushrooms back to the pan. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then season and stir in the lemon juice and coriander leaves. Serve with basmati rice and naans.

Quinoa chicken salad

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Quinoa chicken salad

A healthy, low-calorie (and gluten-free) chicken salad recipe, made filling with quinoa and colourful with red onion, mint and lemon zest
Print Recipe
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 2
Calories 431 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 75 g quinoa
  • 2 small chicken breasts
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 1/2 cucumber chopped
  • 2 plum tomatoes finely chopped
  • a handful of mint leaves shredded, plus a few leaves to serve
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp sumac

Instructions
 

  • Cook the quinoa in a pan of lightly salted boiling water following pack instructions, then drain really well.
  • Put the chicken breasts between two pieces of baking paper and use a rolling pin to gently tap out until less than 1cm thick. Drizzle over the oil, season well and dust with the cumin and coriander, turning to coat.
  • Heat a large non-stick frying pan until medium-hot then cook the chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes on each side or until golden, charred and cooked through. Move onto a plate to rest for 2-3 minutes, then slice.
  • Mix the onion, cucumber, tomatoes and mint with the olive oil, 1 tsp of sumac, the lemon juice and some seasoning, and mix really well, then fold in the sliced chicken, any juices and the cooked quinoa.
  • Pile onto plates and top with the remaining sumac and more mint leaves, if you like.

Vegan risotto

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Vegan risotto

Fennel, courgette, peas and parsley make for a wonderfully green risotto, flavoured with a little nutritional yeast in place of parmesan
Print Recipe
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4
Calories 324 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 bulb fennel finely chopped
  • 1 courgette halved lengthways and thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
  • 200 g risotto rice
  • 1 small glass vegan white wine (optional)
  • 800 ml vegetable stock hot
  • 200 g frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • a small bunch flat-leaf parsley finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan, add the onion, fennel and courgette, and fry for 10 minutes until softened, adding a splash of water if it starts to catch. Add the garlic and fennel seeds, and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice and stir until every grain is lightly coated in oil. Pour in the wine, if using, and bubble away until reduced by half.
  • Keep the vegetable stock in a pan over a very low heat to keep warm. Add a ladleful at a time to the risotto, only adding more once the last spoonful has been completely absorbed, stirring all the time. Once the rice is cooked but still has a little bite, add the frozen peas and cook for another few minutes until just cooked. Stir in the nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice, and some seasoning, divide between shallow bowls and top with the parsley.

Cook's notes

  • Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast that adds a savoury, umami flavour to vegan dishes – it is available from health-food shops and large supermarkets.

Thai-style broccoli fried rice

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Thai-style broccoli fried rice

Packed with protein and low in calories, this speedy broccoli rice dish is full of exciting texture and flavour, with punchy chilli, zingy lime, crunchy veg and peanuts
Print Recipe
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 2
Calories 415 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • a large head broccoli stalk chopped and cut into florets
  • 2 long shallots chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic shallots
  • a thumb-sized piece ginger chopped
  • 1 stick lemongrass thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 red chilli finely sliced
  • 1 red pepper finely sliced
  • a handful mangetout halved
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 lime quartered to serve
  • 2 eggs fried (we used Clarence Court Burford Browns)
  • a handful roasted peanuts chopped

Instructions
 

  • Put the chopped broccoli stalk into a food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped like grains of rice. Tip out into a bowl and then repeat with the broccoli florets.
  • Put the shallots, garlic, ginger and lemongrass in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  • Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the shallot mixture until lightly golden. Tip in the broccoli rice with 2 tbsp of water, ¾ of the chilli and all of the pepper, and fry for 5 minutes until the broccoli is cooked through and beginning to caramelise. Add in the carrot and mangetout.
  • Mix together the soy, tamarind, sugar and the juice of two of the lime quarters, then tip this into the pan with a little seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is coating everything. Divide between two plates and top with the fried eggs, chopped peanuts, remaining chilli and the extra lime wedges for squeezing over.

Steak burritos

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Steak burritos

Skirt steak, black beans, pickled jalapeños, feta, avocado and a little cayenne pepper makes for a fantastic burrito filling
Print Recipe
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 2
Calories 462 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 40 g long-grain or basmati rice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 clove garlic crushed
  • 1/2 lime juiced
  • 200 g skirt steak fat trimmed
  • oil for frying

BURRITOS

  • 2 large wraps or flatbreads warmed
  • 100 g cooked black beans warmed
  • 30 g feta crumbled
  • 1 small avocado mashed
  • 1/2 spring onion sliced
  • a few pickled jalapeños sliced
  • 4 cherry tomatoes finely chopped
  • a handful coriander leaves chopped
  • Tabasco to taste

Instructions
 

  • Put the rice in a small pan of salted boiling water and cook following pack instructions until tender. Drain, then keep warm.
  • Meanwhile, mix together the cumin, oregano, cayenne, garlic, lime juice and some salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  • Season the steak all over. Pour a little oil into a frying pan set over a high heat. Once it’s really hot, cook the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until deep brown but still a little rare. Remove from the pan and put in a bowl. Pour over the lime juice mixture and leave to rest.
  • When ready to assemble the burritos, slice the steak into 1 ½cm-thick strips. Arrange the rice in lines on each wrap, leaving space at the bottom to fold up and enclose the fillings later. Divide the black beans, feta, steak strips and avocado, if using, between the wraps. Arrange all the remaining fillings and coriander leaves on top. Douse everything generously with hot sauce, then tightly wrap up each burrito, tucking up the wrap at the bottom before rolling from the side, so that the filling doesn’t fall out or drip.

Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

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Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

Try this vibrant, nutritious bowl for a well-balanced vegan meal that has less than 200 calories
Print Recipe
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 2
Calories 174 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • olive oil
  • 1 or 2 small red peppers seeded and sliced
  • 1 red onion sliced
  • 1 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 200 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 small cauliflower chopped
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt or granules
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 small avocado stoned and sliced to serve
  • coriander a few leaves chopped to serve
  • lime wedges to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tsp oil and fry the peppers and onions for 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the chipotle paste, tomatoes and a splash of water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
  • For the spiced cauliflower rice, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it looks like grains. Toast the cumin in a non-stick frying pan in 1 tsp olive oil, add the garlic salt, paprika, oregano and chilli flakes, and fry for a minute before adding the cauliflower rice. Stir-fry for 4-6 minutes until the cauliflower is tender, and smells a little toasted. Season well with black pepper (and only a little salt if using garlic salt). Divide between bowls. Add the peppers on top, the avocado, and coriander leaves. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.