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Orzo, bean and tuna salad

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Orzo, bean and tuna salad

Turn storecupboard staples into this vibrant, nutritious orzo pasta salad with roasted red peppers and black olives
Print Recipe
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

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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
Print Recipe
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

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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
Print 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

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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.

Seeded bran muffins

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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.
Print 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

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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
Print Recipe
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.

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.

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.

Red pepper soup

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Red pepper soup

A brilliant bright red soup recipe, perfect for sunny days. You'll need plenty of red pepper, garlic and dried chilli flakes for this one
Print Recipe
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 4
Calories 101 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 red peppers
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • a pinch dried chilli flakes plus extra to serve
  • 400 g tin plum tomatoes
  • 300 ml vegetable stock
  • double cream to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat the grill to high. Put the whole peppers onto a baking tray and grill for 15-20 minutes, turning every now and again, until charred on all sides. Tip into a bowl, cover and leave for 15 minutes to steam – this will help the skins come off easier.
  • Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion with some seasoning over a low heat for 15 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chilli flakes, tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the skins from the peppers, as well as the tops, and seeds and pith from the insides, and discard. Roughly chop the pepper flesh and add to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Use a stick-blender to whizz the soup until completely smooth, then season. Spoon into bowls and top with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of chilli flakes, if you like.