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Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Gastrique

Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Gastrique

The gastrique, a tangy-sweet glaze, is Thanksgiving worthy but also simple enough to pull off on a weekday.
Total Time 1 hr
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/3-inch rounds
  • 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt divided
  • 6 tbsp maple syrup
  • 6 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 3/8 tsp black pepper
  • cooking spray
  • 1 tbsp fresh marjoram leaves chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Place sweet potatoes and 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Drain potatoes.
  • Combine syrup and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; simmer 4 minutes or until slightly thickened and syrupy. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and pepper.
  • Coat an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange potatoes in a shingle pattern in dish. Top with syrup mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and marjoram. Bake at 400° for 4 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove from oven. Spoon sauce over potatoes; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Vegetable omelette

Vegetable omelette

Jazz your omelette up with plenty of grated courgette, kale, peas and chilli flakes, then serve alongside cherry tomatoes dressed simply with white wine vinegar (*This recipe is gluten free according to industry standards)
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 1
Calories 307 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • a handful cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 large clove garlic sliced
  • 1 courgette grated
  • a handful kale
  • 30 g frozen peas
  • a pinch dried chilli flakes
  • 2 eggs beaten

Instructions
 

  • Tip the cherry tomatoes into a bowl with the white wine vinegar and some seasoning, and mix well.
  • Heat the olive oil in a small pan and cook the garlic for 1 minute until smelling fragrant. Add the courgette and cook for 5 minutes or until all the moisture has evaporated. Add the kale and peas, and cook for 2 minutes until the kale has wilted. Season and stir in the chilli flakes.
  • Heat a small non-stick frying pan with a drizzle of oil. Season the beaten eggs then tip into the pan, swirling and lifting the edges so you have a large, flat omelette. Once the bottom has browned and the omelette has almost cooked on top, pile the cooked veg onto one side of the omelette, then carefully fold over the other half.
  • Slide onto a plate and serve with the cherry tomatoes alongside.

Orzo, bean and tuna salad

Orzo, bean and tuna salad

Turn storecupboard staples into this vibrant, nutritious orzo pasta salad with roasted red peppers and black olives
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 2
Calories 298 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 red onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 150 g green beans cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 100 g orzo
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tin tuna drained and flaked
  • 3 roasted red peppers from a jar chopped
  • 12 dry-cured black olives halved
  • a handful dill chopped

Instructions
 

  • Put the onions and vinegar in a bowl and season.
  • Cook the beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes then scoop out with a slotted spoon. Cook the orzo in the same water until just tender then drain, rinse under cold water and drain really well again.
  • Tip the beans, orzo, olive oil, tuna, peppers, olives and dill into the bowl with the onion and season well. Toss together and serve.

Slow-roasted tomato and harissa tartine

Slow-roasted tomato and harissa tartine

Something magical happens inside the oven with this recipe – the tomato flavour intensifies ten-fold to the point where it’s almost jam-like
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 4
Calories 281 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 large & ripe plum tomatoes halved
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 2-3 sprigs thyme leaves picked, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ball burrata
  • 4 thin slices sourdough toasted
  • 2 tbsp rose harissa or regular harissa

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Put the tomato halves in a bowl with the garlic, thyme and olive oil, then season – toss to make sure the tomatoes are well coated. Scatter over the lined tray, cut-side up, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour.
  • To serve, spread the burrata on the toast, then spoon on some of the harissa. Top with the roasted tomatoes, then sprinkle over a little more thyme to serve.

Slow cooker instructions

  • Put the tomato halves in your slow cooker, along with the garlic, thyme and olive oil, then season. Toss to make sure they are well coated, then make sure they’re all cut-side up. Put on the lid and cook on the high setting for 2 hours. Then follow step 3 as above.

Moroccan-style stuffed peppers

 

Moroccan-style stuffed peppers

Peppers are incredible. Their sweet flavour and soft texture when roasted pairs beautifully with chickpeas and rose harissa in this classic recipe
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 4
Calories 494 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large, or, 4 small red peppers halved
  • 150 g couscous
  • 300 ml vegetable stock just-boiled
  • 400 g tin chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 100 g feta crumbled, plus extra to serve
  • 100 g SunBlush tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 50 g green olives chopped
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp coriander chopped; plus extra to serve
  • 1 tbsp rose harissa

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the peppers on a baking tray, cut-side up. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until starting to soften.
  • Meanwhile, put the couscous in a heatproof bowl and pour over the stock. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Use a fork to fluff up the couscous, then stir through the chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, olive oil, coriander and harissa. Season.
  • Take the peppers out of the oven and fill with the couscous mixture. Return to the oven and roast for a further 10 minutes. Serve with a little extra feta and coriander.

Sweet potato and lentil curry

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
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.

Quick beetroot chutney

Quick beetroot chutney

This is great served on burgers or with grilled salmon or mackerel to cut through the richness
Macerating 1 hr 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Servings 6
Calories 56 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 long or 2 round shallots finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp gherkins diced
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 500 g cooked beetroot cut into 1 cm dice
  • a handful dill chopped

Instructions
 

  • Put the shallots, chilli, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Stir and leave for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, apart from the dill, stir well then leave to macerate for 1 hour. Stir in the dill and serve

Seeded bran muffins

Seeded bran muffins

Ditch your normal bowl of cereal and transform All-Bran into a batch of buttermilk bran muffins to start off your day with this easy-to-follow recipe.
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 12
Calories 287 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g All-Bran cereal
  • 280 ml buttermilk
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 125 ml vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp black treacle
  • 100 g light muscovado sugar
  • 175 g plain flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 85 g raisins
  • 50 g sunflower OR pumpkin seeds

Instructions
 

  • Mix the all-bran with the buttermilk and soak for 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6. Beat the eggs, oil, treacle and sugar into the buttermilk mix.
  • Sift the flour with the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp salt, fold these in. Mix in the raisins and seeds.
  • Spoon the mix into 12 paper muffin cases and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Sweetcorn pancakes with avocado salad

 

Sweetcorn pancakes with avocado salad

This dish is simple to prepare and makes perfect finger food for a light starter or low fat dinner. Sweetcorn pancakes are topped with a salad of avocado, cherry tomatoes
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4
Calories 279 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 150 ml milk
  • 340 g tin sweetcorn (1 large tin, drained)
  • 4 spring onions chopped (use the green bits as well)
  • 1 avocado chopped (use the green bits as well)
  • 150 g cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/4 cucumber cut into small chunks
  • 2 tsp sunflower oil to fry

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, egg and milk and season well. Stir in the sweetcorn and half the spring onion. Mix the rest of the spring onions with the avocado, tomatoes and cucumber.
    Heat a non-stick pan with 2 tsp oil and cook spoonfuls of the batter until golden. Turn over and cook the other side.
    Put 3-4 pancakes on a plate and serve the avocado salad on top.