Category: Nutrition

Everyone needs a good roast chicken recipe up their sleeve and this one is a real winner! The trick is to firstly cook the chicken covered in foil to help keep the flesh incredibly moist and succulent, before uncovering and blasting with heat for that irresistible colour and crispy skin.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 medium free range chicken

1 lemon

1 hard stock cube (chicken)

4 bay leaves

1 bulb garlic

750g new potatoes

250g carrots, peeled, cut into thirds

250g parsnips, peeled cut in half lengthways

2 red onions

Dried oregano

Salt and pepper

½ cup white wine

2 tbsp cornflour

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven the 180cFAN.
2. Place the stock cube in a small bowl with 50ml of olive oil and microwave for 30 seconds. Mash together to create a paste and reserve.
3. Thickly slice one red onion and scatter in the middle of a roasting tray. Drizzle a little olive oil over the onions and season.
4. Place the chicken on top of the sliced onions and then stuff the chicken with the bay leaves and half a dozen cloves of garlic (left whole). Halve the lemon, squeeze the juice over the top of the chicken and place the used lemon pieces inside the chicken.
5. Scatter the carrots, potatoes and parsnips around the edge of the chicken and pour over the wine. Season with the dried oregano and a little olive oil.
6. For the chicken itself, drizzle a little olive oil over the top and season generously with salt, pepper and oregano. Cover tightly with foil and place into the preheated oven for 1 hour.
7. After the hour is up, remove the foil and brush the stock cube and olive oil paste all over the chicken and place back in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.
8. Remove from the oven, pour the juices into a saucepan and leave the chicken to rest for while you make the gravy (you can loosely cover the chicken with foil if you want.)
9. Mix together the cornflour and a couple of tablespoons of water to make a slurry then whisk this into the juices in the saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until thickened, and then pour into a serving jug.
10. Serve the chicken!

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories 919

Total Fat 47.5g

Total Carbohydrate 60.3g

Protein 56g

This recipe is the perfect filling and healthy brunch. Vibrant and fresh, the punchy blackened chili salsa will kickstart your day and metabolism!

Ingredients (serves 2):

8 asparagus stalks

2 red jalapeño chillies

1 ripe tomato, halved

½ cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp honey

1 tsp vinegar

2 eggs

Two thick slices of sourdough

Dozen parmesan shavings

Handful fresh rocket

2 tbsp chopped coriander

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Method:

1. Drizzle a little olive oil over the sourdough slices, season with salt and pepper and place onto a hot griddle for a few minutes each side until toasted. Place on a large chopping board. Place a small layer of rocket over the top of the toasted sourdough.
2. Cook the asparagus, chilis and tomato halves on the griddle. The asparagus will take about five minutes. Just before it finishes cooking, pour over a tablespoon or two of water to help steam the asparagus. Remove and place on top of the rocket and sourdough slices.
3. Continue cooking the chilli and tomatoes until blackened, around 10 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and chillies and place in a pestle and mortar or in a food processor along with the garlic and a pinch of salt. Mash to a pulp, Once you have a good pulp texture, pour in about 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the honey and vinegar and combine well.
4. Poach the eggs in salted simmering water with a splash of vinegar for a few minutes until cooked through. Place on top of the asparagus. Finish by spooning over the chilli salsa.
5. Scatter the remaining rocket, coriander and parmesan shavings on the board and serve.

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories 582

Total Fat 37.2g

Total Carbohydrate 45.9g

Protein 20.1g

This tasty and easy dish is perfect for a quick, healthy mid-week dinner. Tender, grilled garlic-lemon marinated chicken breast sits on a bed of fluffy couscous and brilliantly colourful and sweet honey glazed rainbow carrots. Delicious and perfectly balanced, it provides a healthy balance of veggies, carbs and protein.

Ingredients (serves 1):

1 large chicken breast cut in half lengthways

Bunch of rainbow carrots

1 lemon

1 clove garlic

Few pinches dried oregano

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp honey

Drizzle of olive oil

1 cup couscous

Method:

1. Place the couscous into a bowl and pour over boiling water until the couscous rests about 1 cm below the surface of the water. Cover with cling film and leave.
2. Crush the garlic and mix with the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.
3. Wash the carrots and slice in half lengthways leaving a little of the stalk on if possible (leave the skin on). Mix the carrots with a drizzle of honey, olive oil, cider vinegar, seasoning and cumin seeds. Roast in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes at 200C FAN.
4. While the carrots are cooking, shake off the excess liquid from the chicken breasts and cook in a hot griddle for four to five minutes each side or until cooked through.
5. Place the carrots on a serving dish. Remove the cling film from the couscous and pour it into the tray the carrots cooked in. Swirl the couscous around in the tray to soak up any leftover juices and cumin seeds before tipping into a serving dish next to the carrots.
6. Finally, slice the chicken breast into three. Place on top of the couscous and serve.

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories 674

Total Fat 18.14g

Total Carbohydrate 89.85g

Protein 69.84g

An omelette is a great recipe to have in your repertoire – quick, easy and healthy, you can add any fillings you want! This combination of earthy shitake mushrooms with sharp feta and spinach is not only delicious but packs a healthy punch of protein, vitamin D and iron. While the recipe serves two, it’s best to make the omelettes individually.

Ingredients (serves 2):

Handful fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced

100g feta cheese

50g baby leaf spinach

6 eggs

Sriracha hot sauce

Fresh coriander

Nob of butter

Method:

1. Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Add half the mushrooms and a nob of butter to a non-stick frying pan. Fry for a couple of minutes on medium high heat, but don’t let the butter burn.
3. Pour in half the whisked eggs and gyrate the pan to ensure the entire base is covered in eggs.
4. As the edges of the eggs start to solidify, gently pull the edge of the eggs towards the centre of the pan and then tilt the pan to fill the void with more of the uncooked whisked eggs. Continue until the eggs are almost cooked.
5. Roughly slice the spinach and lay a strip of spinach along one side of the eggs, follow this with half the feta crumbled along with the spinach.
6. Gently fold the edges of the cooked eggs over the filling, before finally lifting the pan over a serving plate and rolling out the omelette onto the plate.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander and crumbled feta along the top of the omelette. Finally drizzle with sriracha sauce.

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories 392

Total Fat 29.7g

Total Carbohydrate 7.8g

Protein 25.3g

This barbecued squid recipe with a ginger dressing and Asian-style salad is beautifully aromatic, light and delicious. It only takes ten minutes to make and you can always use a griddle pan if you’ve forgotten to light the BBQ!

Ingredients (serves 2):

400g whole squid

200g fine beans

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp honey

½ tsp vinegar

2 inches ginger, grated

200g baby leaf spinach

Small handful fresh coriander

1 red chilli

Drizzle of olive oil

Method:

1. Turn your BBQ on.
2. Place the spinach leaves and coarsely chopped coriander in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl, grate two inches of ginger and whisk in the soy sauce, honey, vinegar and a tablespoon of olive oil. Reserve.
4. Wash the squid and prepare by placing the handle of a spoon inside the squid tube and then slice along the top with a knife – the spoon handle will stop you cutting all the way through. Drizzle a little olive oil over the squid and season with a pinch of salt.
5. Trim the stalk ends off the fine beans and place them onto the BBQ alongside the squid. Leave the squid to cook for a minute or two until you see charred lines form, then turn over to cook the other side. It should only take a few minutes in total. Leave the beans on for a few more minutes. They will char but still be nice and crunchy.
6. Add the beans to the salad bowl along with two-thirds of the ginger dressing and mix together. Decant this onto a serving plate, place the barbecued squid on top and spoon over the remaining dressing.
7. Finally, slice the red chilli into small strips and scatter over the top along with a pinch of salt.

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories 441

Total Fat 8.19g

Total Carbohydrate 23.1g

Protein 38.74g

This recipe is perfect for those occasions when you have friends or family coming over and want to serve a delicious and impressive meal…that won’t require hours of slaving away in the kitchen! This tender, crisp pork belly, served with sweet apple sauce, buttery new potatoes and freshly dressed salad leaves, ticks all the boxes. Family friendly and extremely easy to pull together, it’s the ideal dinner dish.

Ingredients (serves 4):

800g pork belly

6 apples

750g baby new potatoes

1 lemon

1 clove garlic

Bunch rosemary

Bunch thyme

6 Bay leaves

2 cups water (or white wine)

1 bag of salad leaves

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Pre-heated oven to 160c FAN.
2. Slice the apples in half (no need to core them), and place in a roasting tray cut side down along with the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme.
3. Place the pork belly on top ensuring the skin of the meat is very dry. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the skin and season heavily with salt and a little pepper.
4. Pour the water or wine into the bottom of the tray. Try not to get the skin wet. Place in the oven and roast for two hours. Just before the time is up, turn the temperature up to 220c FAN for the last 10 minutes to get the crackling nice and crisp.
5. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.
6. Remove the apples from the tray. Some may be burnt- don’t worry about it. Mash all the apples thoroughly. Place the mixture in a sieve and use the back of a spoon push the flesh through. Set aside your apple sauce.
7. Meanwhile, crush the garlic and mix with the chopped rosemary, the juice of half a lemon and an equal amount of olive oil. Season.
8. Simmer the new potatoes until cooked and drain. Let them steam dry for a few moments before pouring over the lemon garlic dressing and mixing. Reserve until you are ready to serve.
9. Place the pork on a serving board along with the apple ketchup, either in a small bowl or straight on the chopping board. Pile the potatoes onto the board, pouring over any remaining dressing and a pinch of salt.
10. Finally, open the bag of salad leaves and pour the remaining olive oil and balsamic straight into the bag, mix with your hands and dot around the board. Serve.

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories 1490

Total Fat 120.7g

Total Carbohydrate 81.1g

Protein 23.7g

This light and delicious Mediterranean orzo salad topped with crispy harissa tofu is the ideal summer dinner dish. The orzo salad is full of flavour from the tangy olives, sweet sun-dried tomato and fresh basil, while the deep fried harissa tofu adds the perfect touch of crunch and heat. Ready and on the table in less than 20 minutes, enjoy as a quick mid-week meal or packed lunch.

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 cups orzo pasta

¼ cup good quality olive oil

Pinch chilli flakes

1 cup sundried tomatoes

1 cup Kalamata olives

1 lemon

Handful fresh basil

1 vegetarian stock cube

For the tofu:

1 packet tofu

½ cup plain flour

2 cups vegetable oil for frying

3 tbsp harissa paste

Method:

1. Simmer the orzo in vegetable stock until cooked. Drain and drizzle over a little olive oil.
2. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and olives and rip the basil leaves. Combine with the orzo pasta. Add a sprinkle of seasoning and a pinch of chilli flakes.
3. If you want to add protein, place the tofu between two plates and leave a weight on top for about 10 minutes to help extract the excess liquid from the tofu. Once pressed, dice the tofu into 2 inch cubes, dust in flour and deep fry for a couple of minutes until the exterior is crispy and lightly golden. Remove and place on a kitchen towel to soak up any excess vegetable oil.
4. Mix the harissa paste with some olive oil and coat the tofu before serving on top of the orzo salad.

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories 942

Total Fat 41.4g

Total Carbohydrate 125.6g

Protein 29.3g

Trying to cut back on carbs or increase your veggie intake? This delicious seabass and green medley recipe is incredibly healthy – without skimping on flavour! Perfectly cooked harissa seabass (a great source of protein and healthy fats) sits on a bed of fresh green veggies including asparagus, spinach, peas and marinated courgette. Get dinner on the table in under 10 minutes with this quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 seabass fillets

2 tbsp harissa paste

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup petit pois

250g spinach

1 courgette

Half dozen asparagus

1 lemon

1 nob butter

Small handful fresh tarragon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200c FAN. Rub the harissa paste onto the flesh side of the seabass and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, use a potato peeler to peel ribbons from the courgette. Squeeze over the lemon juice and reserve.
3. Blanche the peas, asparagus and spinach in salted boiling water for a couple of minutes then drain. Add the courgette ribbons.
4. Add a nob of butter, some seasoning and the chopped tarragon to the greens.
5. Serve the seabass on top of the green medley.

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories 481

Total Fat 30.1g

Total Carbohydrate 18.2g

Protein 32.6g

This super-easy and healthy one tray salmon wonder is packed full of goodness, rich in protein, B vitamins and essential omega-3 fatty acids. Tender salmon, delicious fresh veggies, rich, earthy lentils, and a sticky, sweet honey and mustard glaze all come together for a taste explosion. Ready in under 20 minutes and using just one tray, it is the perfect quick and healthy mid-week dinner.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1 large salmon fillet

100g fine beans, trimmed

4 cherry tomatoes, halved

80g pre-cooked puy lentils

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Pinch of chilli flakes

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon English mustard

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Drizzle of olive oil

Splash of water

Method:

1. In a small baking tray mix together the fine beans, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, chilli flakes, puy lentils and a pinch of seasoning.
2. Place the salmon fillet on top of the vegetables.
3. Make the glaze by mixing together the honey and mustard and spoon over the salmon.
4. Finally add a splash of water to the baking tray and cook in a pre-heated oven at 200C for 10-15 minutes or until cooked*.
5. Remove from the oven (careful – it’s hot!) and eat!

*Cooking time will vary depending on how thick the fish is, so check regularly after 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories 662

Total Fat 15g

Total Carbohydrate 84g

Protein 48g

This Thai inspired rice noodle dish is a bowl of sunshine great for any day of the year. Packed with nutritious vegetables, plenty of fresh herbs and the delightful aromatics of ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass, it provides all the nutrients needed for a super quick and healthy dinner. Delicious on its own as a vegetarian dish, it also works well with cooked prawns or sliced steak for an extra hit of protein.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

Salad

50g flat rice noodles

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ red onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped

3 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped

6 fresh Thai basil leaves, ripped

1 stick lemongrass, finely sliced

1 clove garlic, sliced

1-inch fresh ginger, chopped

Selection of vegetables, about a handful of each: beansprouts, mangetout, baby sweetcorn (cut in half lengthways), spinach leaves, spring onions sliced

Dressing

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp brown sugar or honey

1 Bird’s eye chilli, finely sliced (optional)

1 tbsp. roasted peanuts, crushed

Method:

1. Cook the noodles – soak the rice noodles in a bowl of just boiled water and cover for 10 minutes.
2. Make the dressing – combine the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or cup and reserve.
3. Stir-fry vegetables over a high heat- add the oil to a pan followed by the ginger, garlic and lemongrass and cook for 30 seconds before adding the rest of the vegetables. Stir fry for a couple of minutes before turning off the heat.
4. Once the rice noodles have been in for 8-10 minutes, drain and add to the pan with the vegetables to combine all the ingredients.
5. Finally, pour the dressing into the pan with the herbs, fold through to fully coat and serve.

Time Required:

Prep – 5 minutes

Cook – 10 minutes

Total – 15 minutes

Nutrition

Calories 413

Total Fat 4g

Total Carbohydrate 74 g

Protein 15 g