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Cajun chicken wraps with zingy slaw

Cajun chicken wraps with zingy slaw

Shop-bought cajun seasoning transforms chicken breasts in this fiery, high-protein wrap recipe. Add soured cream, coriander and red cabbage for colour and texture
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 2
Calories 549 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tsp sunflower oil
  • 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
  • 1/4 red cabbage shredded
  • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 red chilli thinly sliced (de-seeded if you don’t like it too spicy)
  • a small bunch coriander roughly chopped
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 4 tbsp half-fat soured cream
  • 4 tortilla wraps
  • hot sauce to serve

Instructions
 

  • Put the chicken pieces into a bowl and add the oil, cajun seasoning and lots of salt and pepper. Leave to marinate for a few minutes while you make the slaw.
  • Tip the cabbage, onion, chili and coriander into a bowl with a little seasoning, and squeeze over the lime juice. Toss well.
  • Heat a non-stick frying pan until hot then cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes, tossing regularly, until charred and cooked through.
  • Spread 1 tbsp of soured cream onto each wrap, pile on some of the slaw, then top with the chicken pieces. Splash on some hot sauce and serve.

Mexican elotes

Mexican elotes

This is a classic way to eat corn in Mexico, and is usually bought from street vendors. Mexican crema is similar to soured cream, but saltier and creamier – perfect for cooling the fiery chilli powder in this recipe
Prep Time 3 hrs
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 50 g butter
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • cayenne pepper
  • 6 ears corn on the cob husks removed
  • 50 g cotija or feta cheese
  • a small bunch coriander chopped
  • lime wedges to serve
  • 100 g soured cream
  • 50 g double cream

Instructions
 

  • To make the crema, mix the soured cream and double cream with 1/4 tsp salt. Cover, and leave at room temperature for 3 hours. Keep out if using straight away, or chill and keep for up to 3 days.
  • Light the barbecue, and wait until the coals are grey and the flames have died down. Meanwhile heat the butter with the garlic and a pinch of cayenne in a small pan until melted, and season. Char the cobs for 10-15 minutes, continually turning, until the kernels are tender and lightly charred all over.
  • Brush the cobs with the melted butter, then spread the crema over evenly. Crumble over the cotija and sprinkle with a good pinch of cayenne pepper. Scatter with coriander and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.

Pan-fried salmon with watercress sauce

Pan-fried salmon with watercress sauce

Serve your summery fried salmon with a vibrant (and nutritious) watercress sauce, made all the more interesting with dill, lemon, crème fraîche and capers
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 2
Calories 707 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 90 g watercress
  • a handful dill
  • 100 g crème fraîche
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns ground
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • sunflower oil
  • 2 salmon skin-on fillets
  • a knob unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp capers drained
  • boiled new potatoes to serve
  • steamed green veg (such as long-stemmed broccoli) to serve

Instructions
 

  • Put the watercress, most of the dill, all the crème fraîche, lemon juice and zest, black pepper, olive oil and a pinch of salt into a blender and whizz until a saucy, pourable consistency – add a tbsp of water if seems too thick. Chill while you cook the salmon.
  • Heat a non-stick frying pan over a mediumhigh heat. Coat the salmon fillets with a little sunflower oil and season generously. Put into the pan, skin-side down, for 2-3 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp. Carefully turn, then cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the butter and basting for another minute, adding the capers and removing from the heat to rest for a minute.
  • Put the salmon and capers onto two plates, spoon over the watercress sauce and serve with new potatoes and green veg, if you like.

Green bean salad with mustardy dressing

Green bean salad with mustardy dressing

Green beans taste delicious simply steamed, but they taste even better charred on a griddle pan and mixed with a mustardy dressing!
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g fine green beans trimmed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 echalion shallot finely chopped
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • a pinch caster sugar
  • to serve mint, parsley or dill

Instructions
 

  • Heat a frying or griddle pan over a very high heat. Toss the green beans with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season generously. Tip into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning every now and again, until blistered and cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining tbsp of oil, shallot, mustard, vinegar, sugar and 1 tbsp of water with some seasoning.
  • Tip the charred beans onto a serving platter and drizzle over the mustardy dressing. Scatter over the herbs.

Vegan overnight oats

Vegan overnight oats

All it takes is 10 minutes and four ingredients to make these vegan overnight oats. Finish with grated apple, coconut yogurt and maple syrup
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 125 g porridge oats
  • 300 ml apple juice plus a splash (optional)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp flame raisins or golden sultanas
  • 2 apples grated
  • 100 g dairy-free coconut yogurt

Instructions
 

  • Mix together the oats, apple juice, maple syrup and raisins. Leave to soak overnight or for at least 1-2 hours.
  • To finish, stir through the grated apple and another splash of apple juice if you want it a bit looser. Divide between bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Morning smoothie

Morning smoothie

Enjoy this refreshing smoothie made with mango and banana. Ready in a matter of minutes, this smoothie is perfect whether you're enjoying breakfast on the go or leisurely at home on the weekend.
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 mangoes
  • 2 bananas
  • 600 ml chilled orange juice
  • 4 tsp honey

Instructions
 

  • Peel and cut the mangoes and bananas into chunks, then put them in a blender with the orange juice and honey. Whizz until smooth.

Asparagus and salmon parcels

Asparagus and salmon parcels

Wrap salmon in parcels with asparagus, dill and capers to create plenty of buttery juices to go with this nutritious, protein-packed meal
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 2
Calories 516 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g asparagus trimmed
  • 2 x 120 g salmon fillets skin removed
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 lemon zested and juice, plus wedges to serve
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • a handful dill chopped
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 300 g new potatoes halved, large ones quartered
  • 75 g frozen peas

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut two 20cm x 20cm squares of baking paper and put each on top of a large piece of foil. Divide the asparagus between the squares of baking paper with the salmon fillets on top and season generously. Divide the garlic, lemon zest and juice, butter, dill and capers, then gather up the sides of the parcels to seal completely. Lift onto a baking tray and put into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, cook the new potatoes in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes until tender to the point of a knife, adding the peas to the water for the final minute of cooking, then drain well.
  • Serve the potatoes and peas with the salmon, asparagus, all of the buttery juices and more lemon wedges, if you like.

Thai watermelon salad

Thai watermelon salad

Watermelon is this year’s trendy ingredient and stands in for green papaya in this update of a Thai classic. It’s best to buy a whole watermelon and use the flesh closest to the skin as this tends to be a bit firmer
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4
Calories 131 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
  • 5 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 3 bird’s eye chilli
  • 500 g watermelon seeds removed and cut into chunks
  • 1 tbsp roasted peanuts roughly chopped
  • a handful of leaves mint shredded
  • a handful of leaves Thai basil shredded

Instructions
 

  • Mix the sugar into the fish sauce. In a mortar, pound the garlic with a pestle, then add the chillies and pound again, leaving the chillies bruised but intact. Add the lime juice and fish sauce and pound again. Tip into a bowl with the watermelon and toss everything together. Sprinkle with peanuts and the herbs to serve. Avoid eating the whole chillies unless you are a heat fanatic; they’ll be incredibly hot!

Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

Vegan fajita bowl with cauli rice

Try this vibrant, nutritious bowl for a well-balanced vegan meal that has less than 200 calories
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.