1. Apple Beets

      Beetroot and Apples

      Start by steaming the beets for about 5 minutes, and then add the apples, after 5 more minutes add the cabbage.

       

      When steamed to desired tenderness add the ginger and stir.  Steam the ingredients for a further minute.

       

      Drain if necessary. Allow to cool a little before adding a little linseed oil before serving.

      Chicken and Apple Parcels

      Bacon wrapped chicken

       

       

       

      1. Slice open the chicken thighs, top each with a slice of apple and sage.
      2. Cook the chicken under the grill for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through.
      3. (Optional) Wrap each chicken breast in a rasher of bacon.
      4. Secure with cocktail sticks.

      Serve with salad and tomato salsa or a bowl of steamed spinach or sweetcorn.

      017fe6a891da69ade5d5b0c8ff8608d25abf27afd4
       
       
       
        Spinach on  white
       
       
       
       
       
      (Recipe courtesy of The Cook’s Choice)

      Baked Apples with Cinnamon

      Baked apple with cinnamon

       

       

       

       

      A satisfying and tasty pudding, low in saturated fat and sugar.

      A good option for Diabetics.

       

      1. Preheat oven to 435 degrees F
      2. Wash apples and remove the cores
      3. Cut out the middle of the apple with a paring knife
      4. In a small bowl, combine the oats, almond butter and cinnamon.
      5. Stuff the mixture into the apples
      6. Place in baking over and cook at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes
      7. Leave to stand for 5 minutes
      8. Sprinkle added cinnamon over the top before serving.

       

      Recipe courtesy of
      Ethan Adeland /A Sweet Life

      Shepherd’s Pie Packed with Veg

      1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the lamb and cook over a high heat for c 5 minutes, stirring well with a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Add the onion, reduce the heat and cook for c 10 minutes whilst stirring, until the onion is browned and softened.

      2. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, dried mint and bay leaves. Stir well.

      3. Add the tomato purée, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, stock and lentils and season with salt and pepper to taste. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, still stirring frequently. Partially cover with a lid and leave to simmer for c 20 minute, stirring occasionally.

      4. Whilst the meat and mixture is cooking, preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade and prepare the potato topping. Place the sweet potato and potato chunks in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil then reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potato is very soft.

      5. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan and add the milk and knob of butter. Mash until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

      6. Remove the meat and mixture from the heat, add the chopped parsley, season again if required and transfer to an oven proof dish. Top with the mashed potato and bake for c 20 minutes until bubbling and the potato topping is partly browned.

      Serve with your favourite green vegetables.

      Note: This dish is a great way of hiding vegetables in a meal for reluctant children by chopping them very small. You can experiment with your favourites, eg swap the leeks for frozen peas or add a couple of handful of spinach.

      TOP TIP

      Make extra quantities and freeze the mixture for quick ready meals. I prefer to freeze without the potato and add that fresh as required. You can also grate cheddar cheese on top of the mash for added flavour.

       

       

      Ghoulish Kiwi Fruit, Mint and Apple Juice with Pomegranate Blood Drops.

      spooky kiwi and mint sludge drink

      Roughly chop the apples and kiwi fruit, add a handful of fresh mint leaves and blend until smooth.

      Serve in a glass and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds for the blood drops

      It’s as easy as that!

      Note: To hide green vegetables, you can also add half a small cucumber or a handful of kale or spinach.

       

      Roast Pumpkin and Sage Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

      For the soup:

      Cut the pumpkin into quarters and scrape out the seeds.

      Chop the pumpkin into chunks (leaving the skin on for now) then place the quartered pumpkin onto a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil.

      Roast at 180 degrees centigrade for c 30 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to cool. (Note: you can toast the seeds at the same time – see below).

      Whilst the pumpkin is cooking, slice the onion and then peel and crush two cloves of  garlic.

      Scrape the roasted pumpkin flesh  from its skin and add to a large pan, together with the stock, onion, garlic and a small handful of fresh sage leaves.

      Bring the ingredients to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the pumpkin flesh is soft.

      Place the contents of the pan into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to a pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, and heat through. Serve and dress with a fresh sage leaf and toasted pumpkin seeds.

      2013-10-30 17.49.10For the toasted seeds:

      Rinse the seeds and remove any remaining strands of pumpkin flesh.

      Boil a small pan of water (c 2 cups of water) and add the seeds and a pinch of salt. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain the seeds  in a colander.

      Tip the seeds onto a baking tray, spray with olive oil and add some rock salt. Toss them around to help coat the seeds. Bake at c 180 degrees for between 5 and 20 minutes; checking until they are brown but not burnt.

      When cooked, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

      The seeds can be sprinkled on the soup, or eaten as a separate snack.

       

       

       

       

      Very Green Pea and Mint Soup

      Pea and mint soup & peashoots

      1. Chop the onion whilst warming the oil in a pan.

      2. Gently fry the onion over a low to medium heat for c 10 minutes; stirring occasionally to prevent from burning.

      3. Add the stock and bring to the boil.

      4. Pour in the frozen pea and boil for 3-4 minutes until the peas are cooked (but not soggy).

      5. Add in a large handful each of pea shoots and fresh mint leaves.

      6. Blend until smooth.

      7. Return to the heat and season with black pepper to taste.

      8. Serve and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

      Pea and mint soup ingredients

       

       

      Super Nutrition in a Glass

      Simply blend the ingredients, pour into a glass and enjoy!

      Mango Madness Salad

      chicken avocado saladThe best way to keep a salad interesting is to experiment by adding different fruits, nuts and cheeses. One of my favourites this summer combines mixing a variety of salad leaves with grilled (or BBQ’d) chicken, sliced avocado, mango chunks, cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese and walnuts. Add basil or mint leaves for added flavours and dress with lime juice or a chilli garlic dressing,

       

       

       

      Delicious fat free garlic roasties

      brighton nutrition garlic roast potatoes in dish

      A delicious way to cook your roasties whilst avoiding adding fat to the meal. This recipe is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

      1. Preheat oven to 230Cº/450Fº/Gas mark 8.

      2. Put onion, garlic and vegetable stock into a shallow casserole dish large enough to hold potatoes in one layer. Place potatoes on top of onion slices.

      3. Bake for 45-60 minutes until potatoes are golden and there is no stock left, turning potatoes over after about 30 minutes. Serve at once.

      Spiced Apple Crisps

      • spiced apple crisps

       

       

       

       

       

      • Heat the oven to 160C/ 140C fan/ gas mark 3. Core the apple and slice through the equator into very thin slices 1 – 2mm thick. Dust with cinnamon and lay flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
      • Cook for 45 minutes – 1 hour, turning halfway through and removing any crisps that have turned brown. Continue cooking until the apples have dried out and are light golden. Cool, store in an airtight container and enjoy as a snack.

       

      Recipe courtesy of www.bbcgoodfood.com

      Mushroom and corn with turmeric and chilli

      Remove kernels by holding cobs upright and, with a sharp knife, cut lengthways down the cob.

      Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Cook corn kernels for 3 minutes, stirring, until tender. Remove from pan.
      Heat the remaining oil in same pan on low. Add onion, cinnamon stick, cardamom,  garlic and chilli. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and caramelised.

      Stir in turmeric, mushrooms, corn and ½ cup water. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms are tender. Season. Add coriander and lemon juice. Toss to combine and serve with mixed green salad or steamed green vegetables.