easy sweet potato rosti

These are so tasty that even my husband who has decided he doesn’t like sweet potatoes loves them! And for him to go back for seconds on a veggie dish is high praise indeed! They could be served for breakfast with a poached egg on top or alongside a green salad for lunch. For most people 3-4 rosti would be enough for lunch – although my husband did eat 6 the first time I cooked these for him!!

Banana and date crumble bars

These snacks came about due to a brown banana and some dates that needed eating. I usually make our very popular banana bread with these. However I was looking for a snack to make that my daughter could take into her nut-free school. The banana bread contains almond flour so is a no-go. These crumble bars are the result. My daughter has declared them even better than the banana bread, which is popular with her and her friends! The banana and dates are combined into a consistency that resembles caramel. Seriously delicious!

chickpea, aubergine and courgette easy curry

This is NOT just another vegetarian curry option. It is one of those really satisfyingly easy dish to pull together for a mid week meal or a Friday night with friends. Packed full of flavours, purple and green vegetables, good amounts of protein and fibre. What’s not to like? I have previously served it as a main or side dish, with brown rice or quinoa or simply flatbreads. Chicken or lamb are the perfect meat to accompany.

chicken and spinach tikka masala

We all love a curry in our house and Saturday nights have become a curry night ritual. Pleasing different palates is not always easy - some like a hot curry and others not so much. However this tikka masala seems to please everyone! I know it’s not traditional to add spinach to a tikka masala, but i like to add another vegetable whenever I can! I use 6 chicken breasts to feed my brood of 5 as my two teenagers are permanently hungry. However, unless you too have growing teenagers then adjust portions by using 1 chicken breast per person.

6 quick and easy breakfasts on the go

With busy lives and early starts breakfast can sometimes fall by the way side. We are great fans of breakfast - as we feel that if you start your day with a decent meal - then you are more likely to keep on track. If you skip breakfast and then reach for a sugary snack mid morning - then this makes it much harder to eat healthily for the rest of the day as your blood sugars start to become unbalanced. However we understand that not everyone wants to eat breakfast as soon as they wake up. So here are some solutions for breakfast on the go. Ideas that you can take with you into the office or work that can be eaten at leisure.

lemon, ginger and pistachio cake

I have been wanting to make a lemon cake using a whole lemon for a while. The important phytonutrients in lemons are found in the peel - the part we normally throw away (see tip below). This cake remedies this! Since the whole lemon is used this is quite a grown up taste and not massively sweet. I love this lemony, nutty hit – but if you love your cakes very sweet this might not be for you! Be sure to choose organic lemons to avoid wax and pesticide residues.

Rose harissa chicken and spinach curry

I almost didn’t write this up as a recipe - after all it’s nothing complicated and fancy. Just 6 ingredients thrown together. However it’s been a winner in my house with all the family and so I thought I would share with you - after all we all need those quick and simple recipes to keep us going day in day out! To serve 4 or even 6 then just alter the amount of chicken breasts. My two teenagers seem to be going through a growth spurt at the moment so I often cook 6 chicken breasts for the 5 of us!

roasted beetroot & chickpeas recipe

Beetroot and chickpeas are one of my favourite combo in a summer salad but this time I decided to team them up in a winter warmer with a taste of Morocco! This is a lovely balanced meal option for vegetarians, or an ideal side paired with slow cooked lamb. It is packed full of good dietary fibres and prebiotic goodness for help naturally improve and support your whole family’s gut health.

Simple braised French Puy lentils

In an effort to simplify good home cooked family food without compromising on taste or essential nutrients, having a few recipes for versatile delicious sides is key. This is a dish I used to make with my grand mother as a child in France. She used to serve it with Toulouse sausages, or roast chicken. Should you have leftovers( I doubt it unless you save yourself a portion) I have found that cold the next day it makes a delicious salad, topped with crumbled feta.

Top tips for getting ahead with meal prep

Making life easier in the kitchen is what we are all about. There are several items that we make on a regular basis so that we always have something tasty to snack on or reach for to pull a meal together. They are a bit like the backbone to our cooking. Helping us to speed things up in the kitchen when we are busy. You could set aside some time each week to make these, say a Sunday afternoon when things are less busy. Or make them throughout the week, whatever suits you. If you want to make sure you always have a well stocked kitchen to assist with getting ahead then do check out our blog post stocking a healthy kitchen.

Tips to stocking your healthy kitchen

Changing your habits can be hard and making healthy choices when your kitchen isn’t stocked can be very hard. If your kitchen is well stocked with healthy ingredients then you will find is much easier to rustle up healthy dishes. Our tips below will make sure that your kitchen is stocked with all you need.

stuffed vegetarian butternut squash

This is a perfect dish when you want a vegetarian meal that looks a bit special. Can easily be doubled to provide a meal for four if needed. It’s very easy to make, but still looks impressive. I am always looking for ways to include more mushrooms in my diet as they are so highly nutritious for us. See the tip below for all the benefits.

Chai, cherry & almond cookies

Cookies are part of life as a foodie…They are also most kids favourites so let’s enjoy them for what they are… a fab treat. They sometimes get a bad reputation but it doesn’t have to be that way. Dried fruits also get a bad rep but as long as they are used in moderation and are just that, fruits, no additives, no added sugar, just fruit, they are delicious and count towards your portions. These oat cookies went down a storm in my house.

squash and cauliflower korma masala

More and more foodies show an interest in vegetarian options, so as big advocates of including lots of vegetables in our daily diets we like to ensure that we always add lots of recipes to our offering. A veggie curry is so versatile. Served on its own, this squash and cauliflower curry is heartwarmingly delicious. For a more filling meal, add chicken or serve with brown rice or your choice of whole grains.

Smokey winter one-pot

This recipe is for all of you out there with foodie families and those who enjoy entertaining! We all need those One-Pot recipes in our repertoire. Simple, yet delicious heart warming, ideal to prep in advance and…packed full of vegetables and all round goodness. Leave the chorizo out for a vegetarian option, serve with roast chicken or slow roast lamb for a winter’s cosy Sunday lunch.

sweet potato & lentil soup

This chunky soup is really hearty and could probably fall into the stew category! If you need warming up then this will work. Despite the spices it’s kid-friendly too - my daughter enjoys it although as she prefers a smooth soup I blitz all of hers up rather than leaving half chunky. The cooking of this soup is very hands off and easy to rustle up for a quick lunch. I sometimes like to add a dark green leafy veg such as chard, kale or spinach to the soup and I just stir this in at the end to wilt.

carrot, parsnip & ginger soup

Soups are perfect for warming you up during the Autumn and Winter months. They are also a great way of boosting vegetable intake into any reluctant vegetable eater! This soup is very child-friendly with naturally sweet root vegetables. This soup is ideal if you are suffering from a cold or want to boost your immunity. The garlic and ginger are both anti-inflammatory and immune boosting.

6 real everyday superfoods

As the health industry continues to boom, there are more and more products claiming to make you healthier and it’s easy to be seduced into thinking that taking a daily ‘superfood’ will help to make you healthier. However if you are sedentary and consume a typical Western diet that is high in saturated fat and low in fibre and phytonutrients then a glass of wheatgrass a day will not protect you from cancer or cardiovascular problems. 

Are you riding the blood sugar rollercoaster?

We all know that sugar is bad for us and does us no favours in our quest to being healthy. However it’s not just sugar in tea and coffee or fizzy drinks that is affecting our blood sugar levels. White bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits and fruit juice all convert to sugar within a few minutes of being eaten. Now you might think this is not a problem and you exercise loads so you’ll burn it off right? Unfortunately it’s not as easy as this. If you suffer from mood swings or find yourself becoming ‘hangry’, have low energy or weight that gathers around your belly then you might feel much better by cutting back on the sugar and white refined carbohydrates.