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Soy steamed sea bream with ginger and spring onions

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Soy steamed sea bream with ginger and spring onions

Give your sea bream a fragrant lift with fresh ginger, soy sauce, red chilli and spring onions. This recipe is best made in a steamer, but is still easy to cook without one
Print Recipe
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 2
Calories 331 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 thumb-sized pieces ginger ½ sliced, ½ shredded
  • a small bunch coriander stalks and leaves reserved
  • 2 large skinless sea bream fillets
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 3 spring onions cut into 5 cm pieces, then shredded
  • 1/2 red chilli deseeded and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • cooked long-grain, basmati or jasmine rice to serve
  • steamed green vegetables to serve

Instructions
 

  • Put two lines of ginger slices with coriander stalks on top onto a small heatproof plate. Put the plate into a stove-top bamboo steamer (see cook’s notes below for an alternative cooking method). Lay the fish fillets on top and season. Mix together the soy sauce, wine and sugar, then pour over, and scatter over the shredded ginger, spring onions, red chilli and garlic. Put the steamer over a pan of simmering water, cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan until shimmering. Once the fish is cooked, remove the lid and carefully pour the hot oil over the spring onions, ginger and fish. Serve with steamed white rice and green vegetables.

Cook's notes

  • To make this without a steamer, heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut two 20cm x 30cm sheets of baking paper and put them onto a large baking tray. In the middle of each put a line of ginger slices and coriander stalks, lay the fish fillets on top and season. Sprinkle over the shredded ginger, spring onion and chilli. Gather up the paper around the fish, scrunching to seal but leaving a little opening at one end. Mix together the soy, wine and sugar, then carefully pour into the parcel before sealing tightly. Bake for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Shaoxing wine is a Chinese spirit made from rice that adds depth when cooked – it is available from large supermarkets.

Tuna pasta bake

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Tuna pasta bake

An absolute classic, made even more wonderful with the addition of dried chili flakes and rosemary. It's a real crowd pleaser!
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 3
Calories 474 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g fusilli
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • a good pinch dried chilli flakes
  • 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 200 g tin of tuna in olive oil drained
  • 1 tsp rosemary needles chopped (optional)
  • 75 g mature cheddar grated

Instructions
 

  • Cook the fusilli following pack instructions, then drain well.
  • Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion for 10 minutes until softened a little. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and half a tin of water, then simmer for 10 minutes. Season.
  • Stir the tuna into the sauce with the rosemary (if using) and drained pasta, and tip into a 26cm x 18cm baking dish. Scatter over the cheese then bake for 20-25 minutes or until piping hot and bubbling. Serve with a green salad, if you like.

White chocolate, tahini and pretzel cookies

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White chocolate, tahini and pretzel cookies

Tahini gives a lovely sweet and salty kick to these crisp, grown-up cookies, while pretzels add extra crunch
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Calories 217 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 225 g unsalted butter
  • 50 g tahini
  • 225 g good-quality white chocolate
  • 300 g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds plus a few seeds to decorate
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 pinches ground cinnamon
  • 220 g soft light brown sugar
  • 100 g golden caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 85 g pretzels roughly broken into shards

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter and tahini in a pan over a low heat, stirring until melted. Cool for 5 minutes. Keep 25g of the white chocolate for finishing off the cookies, then chop the rest into small chunks.
  • Mix together the flour, sesame seeds, bicarb and cinnamon with 1 tsp of salt.
  • Put the sugars in a big mixing bowl, pour in the melted butter and beat together with an electric whisk to combine. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and continue to whisk until the mixture pales and starts to thicken. Tip in the dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon until just incorporated, then scatter over 3/4 of both the white chocolate chunks and pretzels, and briefly mix in. Cover the dough and chill for 30-45 minutes until firm enough to spoon with an ice-cream scoop.
  • Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and line 2-3 baking sheets with baking paper (see cook’s notes). Use a small-medium ice cream scoop or a tablespooon to spoon out cookie dough balls and space about 10cm apart on the baking sheets. Scatter over the remaining chocolate chunks and pretzels and gently push in, then sprinkle over a few pinches more of the sesame seeds.
  • Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are brown but the centres soft still. Finely grate the reserved 25g white chocolate over the cookies as they come out of the oven. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  • NOTE: For cookies that are even in size, shape and texture it’s best to bake one tray at a time on the middle shelf –stacking trays means the cookies at the top and bottom of the oven may be overdone and underdone.

Cottage cheese alfredo

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Cottage cheese alfredo

Make a low-calorie, smooth and creamy pasta sauce in 15 minutes using just cottage cheese, milk, garlic granules and a little cornflour... magic!
Print Recipe
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 2
Calories 460 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g Cottage cheese
  • 250 ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 150 g wholewheat spaghetti
  • 25 g parmesan (or veggie alternative) finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp ground black peppercorns
  • a small bunch flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Tip the cottage cheese, milk, cornflour, garlic granules and a little seasoning into a high-powered blender or food processor, and whizz until completely smooth. Pour into a frying pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce until the consistency of pouring cream.
  • Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water following pack instructions, drain well, reserving some of the cooking water, then tip into the sauce in the frying pan with the parmesan and black pepper. Toss well, adding some of the reserved pasta water if it’s a little claggy. Divide between two plates and finish with the parsley.

Honey sesame chicken with long-stemmed broccoli

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Honey sesame chicken with long-stemmed broccoli

Slather hunks of tender chicken breast in a sweet, sharp sauce and pair with leafy greens for a protein-rich meal
Print Recipe
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 2
Calories 379 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 chicken breasts cut into pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 4 spring onions cut into 3cm pieces
  • 300 g long-stemmed broccoli trimmed
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds toasted

SAUCE

  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 tbsp tomato ketchup

Instructions
 

  • Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and fry the chicken breast pieces with lots of seasoning for 5 minutes or until starting to turn golden, then add the garlic and cook for a minute.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the cornflour and rice vinegar, then add the remaining sauce ingredients along with 100ml of water. Tip this into the pan along with the spring onion pieces and simmer for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
  • Cook the broccoli in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through, then drain well. Divide the broccoli between two plates then pile on the chicken and sauce, and scatter over the sesame seeds.

Breakfast smoothie bowl

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Breakfast smoothie bowl

Breakfast smoothie bowls are a big trend and it's all about how you arrange your toppings. Experiment with different fruits and veg and any superfood toppings you can get your hands on
Print Recipe
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4
Calories 157 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g frozen red berries or smoothie mix
  • 1 ripe banana peeled
  • 4 tbsp coconut yogurt or greek yogurt
  • 300-400 ml almond milk
  • 3 tbsp acai berry powder
  • 2 dates pitted and chopped (optional)

TOPPING (1 tbsp of each per bowl)

  • blueberries or raspberries
  • chia, pumpkin or hemp seeds
  • goji berries
  • oats or granola
  • dessicated coconut
  • bee pollen

Instructions
 

  • Blend the frozen berries, banana, yogurt, half the milk and the acai berry powder in a liquidiser or blender until smooth. Try it, and if it’s not sweet enough, add the dates and blend again. It should be thicker than a regular smoothie but runny enough to pour.Add more almond milk a bit at a time to get a pourable smoothie, and divide between small bowls. Top with as many toppings as you like, and serve straight away.

Quick quinoa and black bean vegan chilli

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Quick quinoa and black bean vegan chilli

Try our quick and easy vegan chilli. This quinoa and black bean chilli recipe is high in protein, low calorie and vegan – but still tastes impossibly creamy
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4
Calories 343 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 red chilli chopped
  • olive oil spray
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
  • 200 g quinoa rinsed and drained
  • 600 ml vegetable stock
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400 g tin black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 small avocado sliced
  • coriander leaves to serve

Instructions
 

  • Fry the onion, garlic and red chilli in a spray of olive oil until soft, then add the spices, including chilli powder if you like it spicy. Tip in the quinoa, stock, tomatoes and black beans, and season well. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the quinoa is tender and the sauce has thickened. Top with a few avocado slices and coriander leaves to serve.

Spicy lentil burgers

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Spicy lentil burgers

Check out this quick and easy vegan burger recipe with spicy lentils. Ready in just 30 minutes, these punchy patties make a super simple summer recipe for four
Print Recipe
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4
Calories 496 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp vegetable oil plus a little extra for frying
  • 2 red onions 1½, finely chopped; ½, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 tsp ginger paste
  • 2 tbsp hot curry powder
  • 2 400 g tins brown lentils drained, rinsed, then drained again
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 4 seeded burger buns halved and toasted
  • 4 tsp mango chutney
  • 4 lettuce leaves
  • 4 tomato slices
  • coriander leaves (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and gently cook the finely chopped red onions with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes or until really soft. Add the garlic and ginger pastes and curry powder, and continue to cook gently for 2 minutes. Tip out into a bowl.
  • Put the lentils into a food processor and pulse until roughly blended but not too smooth. Tip out into the onion bowl, add some seasoning and mix well. Add the flour and stir well to combine. Using slightly wet hands, form the mix into 4 equal-sized patties. Put into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, put the sliced red onion into a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 5 minutes then drain well and add the vinegar and some seasoning.
  • Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the lentil burgers for 4 minutes on each side or until caramelised. Put onto the bases of each bun, top with some mango chutney, lettuce leaves, a tomato slice, a pile of the pickled onions, a few coriander leaves and the bun top.

New potato salad with aïoli

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New potato salad with aïoli

Crisp, golden potatoes are paired with fresh radish and zingy aïoli in this summery dish (a great side for your next barbecue)
Print Recipe
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 8 as a side
Calories 490 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg baby new potatoes
  • 80 g salted butter
  • 1 onion large, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds lightly crushed
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 200 g radishes thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch dill roughly torn

AIOLI

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 large cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 250 ml olive oil plus extra for frying

Instructions
 

  • Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.
  • Cook the butter and onion in a large frying pan for 5 minutes or until turning translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and coriander seeds, and fry until starting to smell fragrant. Add the dijon mustard and juice of 1 lemon and mix. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Tip the cooled potatoes onto a clean worksurface and use the flat side of a knife to lightly squash each one. Fry the potatoes in a little more oil in a large non-stick frying pan for 10-15 minutes or until starting to crisp up. Tip onto kitchen paper to drain.
  • In the meantime, make the aïoli. Put the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice and plenty of seasoning in a small blender, and whizz until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while still blending on a low speed, until it emulsifies, thickens and is smooth.
  • Put the crispy smashed potatoes into a bowl and mix in most of the onion butter and sliced radishes.
  • Spread the aïoli across a platter and pile the potatoes on top. Finish with a drizzle of the remaining butter and lots of fresh dill.