Category Archives: Recipes

Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Weaning, Wheat Free

Family friendly “not a chicken curry”

2 Comments

Usually my children are not so keen on curry, however being half Sri-lankan this is not an option for me! My oldest girl used to eat a lot of spice, in fact at 22 months in Sri-Lanka she was eating curry off my plate. She went off spice and is now age 7 working back onto it. My boy has never been into anything spicy and so he is definitely a work in progress.

So this time I went at it from another angle. A fragrant but mild curry served with rice and optional naan on the side. However I sold it as “it’s not a curry, it’s chicken with naan”.  It worked. WIN.

The beauty of this meal is it can either be made in the slow cooker/crock pot or on the hob.

Here is the recipe:

Family Friendly Chicken and Naan
Serves 4
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504 calories
39 g
115 g
17 g
48 g
7 g
454 g
363 g
14 g
0 g
9 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
454g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 504
Calories from Fat 147
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17g
26%
Saturated Fat 7g
33%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 115mg
38%
Sodium 363mg
15%
Total Carbohydrates 39g
13%
Dietary Fiber 12g
49%
Sugars 14g
Protein 48g
Vitamin A
192%
Vitamin C
141%
Calcium
7%
Iron
25%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  2. 500g chicken on the bone, skinless
  3. 2 onions
  4. 2 cloves garlic
  5. 2 peppers
  6. 3 carrots
  7. 500ml chicken stock (mine was homemade)
  8. 50g sachet creamed coconut
  9. 1 tsp tumeric
  10. 1 tsp cumin
  11. 1 tsp coriander
  12. 1/4 inch fresh/frozen ginger, grated
  13. 1/2 cup dried lentils
Instructions
  1. Brown the chicken in a pan. Add the onions and garlic to soften them.
  2. Then either place all ingredients in a slow cooker/crock pot and place on high for 8 hrs.
  3. Or cook in a large pan on a medium heat for 40 minutes.
  4. Serve with rice and naan if wanted.
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calories
504
fat
17g
protein
48g
carbs
39g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
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Baking, Cooking with Kids, Dairy Free, Recipes, Snacks, Special Diets, Wheat Free

Peanut Butter Cookies and Smart Snacking.

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Snacking sensibly for me is a must. I need bucket loads of reliable energy to get me through my day. An average day for me involves 3 kids, much pilates and 1-2-1 dietetic clients. I don’t sit still for long, so crashing mid afternoon is not an option, especially as that’s the school run and my hungry time of day. So one thing I teach my clients and work on myself is balancing my snacks.

Yes fruit is fabulous, however it doesn’t keep me full for long or sustain my energy. So I pair it with protein or a wholegrain, higher fibre carb. Or if I’m feeling outrageous, I mix all three.  For me it is not about the calories or the macro’s but the balance. 

Satiety is the feeling of fullness that persists after eating. It affects the length of time between eating events and possibly the amount of energy consumed at the next. Protein  is filling and can help stabilise blood sugars. Fibre rich foods require more chewing so psychologically take longer to eat, they can displace other energy rich food and slow gastric emptying. 

Some of my favs:
Apple, cheese and oatcakes
Dried apricots, almonds and 25g dark chocolate
Oatcakes with nut butter and banana

Then there are these peanut butter cookies. Perfect with fruit and they take just 10 mins to bake. These make me feel like the perfect mum on those days I manage to whip the mix up before the school run and have them ready 10 mins after the kids walk in the door! Better still the kids can make them – I haven’t let them loose on this recipe yet.

 

Peanut Butter Cookies
Yields 8
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
175 calories
13 g
23 g
11 g
7 g
2 g
38 g
75 g
5 g
0 g
9 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
38g
Yields
8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 175
Calories from Fat 98
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11g
17%
Saturated Fat 2g
10%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 23mg
8%
Sodium 75mg
3%
Total Carbohydrates 13g
4%
Dietary Fiber 3g
11%
Sugars 5g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A
1%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
4%
Iron
6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Ingredients
  1. 100g peanut butter
  2. 150g granola
  3. 1 egg
  4. 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
  1. Mix all the ingredients together.
  2. Bake at Gas Mark 5 for 10 minutes.
  3. Store in an airtight tin, they are best eaten on the day.
Notes
  1. I used my own homemade granola (recipe on the blog) which is wheat free and gluten free if you tolerate oats or use gluten free oats.
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calories
175
fat
11g
protein
7g
carbs
13g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/

Baking, Dairy Free, Recipes

Nutty Granola – a lower sugar version.

5 Comments

My children love granola as a topping for their yoghurt, but often the shop bought versions are super sweet and the lower sugar options are pricey. In my mind making my own sounded like a faff, hence it’s not something I’ve investigated… until I started making a new flapjack recipe and didn’t get the consistency quite right. You know when you know it isn’t right but you keep going regardless. Silly me. As an experienced flapjack maker (and eater) I should have know better. Flapjack intuition.

So when Miss K tried to pick up and eat said flapjack and it crumbled to smithereens we needed a quick rescue as I’m not one to throw away food. Turns out it makes an amazing granola. Sweet enough but not super sweet. I’ve worked  out the nutritional info as about a 30g serving. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutty Granola, a lower sugar version.
Serves 20
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226 calories
19 g
0 g
15 g
7 g
2 g
45 g
22 g
4 g
0 g
12 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
45g
Servings
20
Amount Per Serving
Calories 226
Calories from Fat 127
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g
23%
Saturated Fat 2g
11%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 22mg
1%
Total Carbohydrates 19g
6%
Dietary Fiber 3g
12%
Sugars 4g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A
9%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
4%
Iron
10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Ingredients
  1. 250g oats
  2. 150g almonds and cashews chopped
  3. 75g sunflower seeds
  4. 50g dried apricots, chopped
  5. 75g honey
  6. 75g margarine
  7. 75g peanut butter
Instructions
  1. Grease and line a baking tray.
  2. Heat the honey, margarine and peanut butter (I used the microwave) until it is melted.
  3. Mix in the oats, nuts and sunflower seeds.
  4. Press into the tin and bake at Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes.
  5. Stir and break it up, bake for another 5 minutes.
  6. Cool and store in an airtight container such as a kilner jar.
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calories
226
fat
15g
protein
7g
carbs
19g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
This is one of those foods to watch your portions and to eat with enjoyment. I’m a huge believer in having some sweetness if you fancy  and not depriving yourself. I’m trying to model this and teach the children. My boy has a sweet tooth so this granola enables him to have the sweetness but also get a good balance of nutrition in.

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Family Meals, Recipes, Wheat Free

Simple Chicken and Butternut Curry.

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Comfort food for me is curry. Being half Sri-lankan it’s in my roots that curry is delicious, nutritious and part of life. For me a good curry must include fragrant spice, vegetables and lentils. Or at least have those as side dishes. I’m not about the greasy, ultra spiced up meals with lots of sauce and no veg. Curry can be a great way to be creative with vegetables and give them a twist. It doesn’t have to be time consuming or complicated but it does have to be tasty.

Chicken and Butternut Curry
Serves 4
Family friendly curry
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
40 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
40 min
504 calories
64 g
55 g
7 g
46 g
1 g
233 g
87 g
5 g
0 g
6 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
233g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 504
Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7g
11%
Saturated Fat 1g
5%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 55mg
18%
Sodium 87mg
4%
Total Carbohydrates 64g
21%
Dietary Fiber 31g
124%
Sugars 5g
Protein 46g
Vitamin A
154%
Vitamin C
13%
Calcium
8%
Iron
47%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 large butternut squash
  2. 3 medium carrots
  3. 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  4. 3 chicken breasts
  5. 1/2 tin coconut milk
  6. 2 cups lentils
  7. 1 tsp tumeric, coriander, cumin
  8. 1/4 inch grated ginger
  9. 2 cloves garlic
  10. 80g mushrooms
Instructions
  1. Peel and chop the butternut squash (or use frozen chunks) and the carrots.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the butternut and carrots for 3 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile chop the chicken into bite sized chunks and set aside.
  4. Add the tumeric, coriander and cumin, it will smell fragrant and delicious. Stir around to coat everything. Next add the chicken and stir to coat.
  5. Pour in the coconut milk and add lentils. Top tip: if you use the smallest lentils they cook extra fast.
  6. Whilst this comes up to a simmer prepare the garlic cloves, I like to smash and chop mine. Grate the ginger and add the ginger and garlic to the pan.
  7. Finally add the chunks of mushrooms and simmer for a couple of minutes.
  8. Serve with rice and a sprinkle of coriander if you have it and your family will eat it (mine moan at the green stuff).
Notes
  1. I use frozen ginger and grate it with the skin still on, you could also use it fresh and peel it first.
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calories
504
fat
7g
protein
46g
carbs
64g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
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Cooking with Kids, Family Meals, Recipes

When your 4 year old cooks dinner…

2 Comments

One of the best things about having kids is knowing that one day they will cook you dinner… well tonight it kinda felt like that happened. The J-boy just got stuck in and took me by surprise. I’m pretty sure this boy is going to be a great cook.

So if you need some encouragement to get your littlies in the kitchen helping you cook, here it is. He has been helping me cook since he was able to stand from his cooking “tower” and he seems to have picked up some tips along the way! My children have all loved helping me cook, at times I’ve certainly wished they didn’t want to help me – it can take twice as long, be noisy and messy, but it teaches them a great life skill and a love of good food. I’ve also found it a good way to get them trying foods too.

Fish fingers are one of the ways my family do not just eat, but really enjoy oily fish. I like to get a portion a week into our meals. Oily fish are good sources of the omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) as well as providing vitamin A, Vitamin D,  iodine, selenium, protein and calcium.  If you don’t like salmon other oily fish includes:  mackerel, pilchards, fresh or frozen tuna, trout, crab, whitebait, herring, sardines.

 

Omega 3’s benefits include:

  • Reduction in the risk of heart disease. May protect the heart and blood vessels from disease.
  • Supports healthy development of  baby during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  • Brain function – may help  maintain good memory and also for the prevention and treatment of depression.
     

     

 

Cooking with Kids, Dairy Free, Recipes, Snacks, Special Diets, Wheat Free

Apple and Pecan Energy Balls (no bake)

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My kids seem to need a 3 course meal to eat after school/pre-school,  so my snack tin needs to be topped up with nutritious and filling foods. These apple energy balls are something I saw another dietitian friend making on Instagram and we adapted it slightly, using different nuts to suit our tastes.

My 4 year old boy literally loved making and eating these. He raved about them and each day after preschool has been asking for them. It has been lovely to see him proudly showing them off to his older sister:

“I made these and they are yummy”.

I’ve not managed to do a vlog for ages… 3 children and work has meant a kitchen that is rarely tidy enough for filming in and few of those moments where we have the right moment with all children quiet and happy to join in. However I’m hoping to get back into it now.  I’d love to know your idea and thoughts for future videos.

Apple and Pecan Energy Balls
Serves 12
Super simple, tasty, nutritious and filling energy balls.
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
153 calories
20 g
0 g
7 g
4 g
1 g
56 g
17 g
6 g
0 g
6 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
56g
Servings
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 153
Calories from Fat 59
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7g
11%
Saturated Fat 1g
4%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 17mg
1%
Total Carbohydrates 20g
7%
Dietary Fiber 3g
14%
Sugars 6g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A
0%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
2%
Iron
6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 300g apple
  2. 200g oats
  3. 70g pecans
  4. 60g raisins
  5. 40g peanut butter
Instructions
  1. Put the apple in the food processor first and use a grater attachement or you could grate by harns. Add a dash of hot water to make a rough purée.
  2. Now add the oats, pecans, raisins and nut butter and combine.
  3. Roll into balls using your hands.
  4. Pop in the fridge to chill.
Adapted from Catherine Lippe, Lippe Nutrition
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calories
153
fat
7g
protein
4g
carbs
20g
more
Adapted from Catherine Lippe, Lippe Nutrition
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
Dietitian Advice, Nutrition Education, Recipes

Beef and Red Pepper Noodle Soup.

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Red meat is often seen as something to cut down on, but these messages are actually leading to an epidemic of iron deficiency, confusion over how much to eat and how often to eat it.  New research has shown that 51% of people did not know how much red meat you  can safely eat and 85% of people are likely to underestimate the amount of red meat that can be consumed.(1)

This “eat less red meat” message is leading to some of our population not eating enough iron rich foods. 27% of women aged 19-64yrs and 48% of girls aged 11-18yrs are not meeting their iron needs.(2) Why is this a concern? Lack of iron can result in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations and pallor. It can be quite debilitating for some people. Red meat is also a fabulous source of protein, providing the body with all the amino acids that it needs. Other notable nutrients include the B vitamin complex including B12, zinc, selenium and phosphorus.

What is a portion?

A portion of red meat is 70g of cooked meat. This quite simply is a palm sized portion. I love using hands as a way of measure portions as our hands grow with us, so a child’s portion of red meat is their palm size.

For example (adults portion sizes):

  • A palm size chop or steak 
  • 3 slices of back bacon 
  • 5 or 6 cubes of meat in casserole
  • 6 thin slices of beef, pork or ham 
  • 1 and a half standard sausages 
  • 4 to 5 meat balls

How often can I eat red meat?

If you are sticking to the portion guide above then 70g of red meat can be eaten 5 times a week. This includes red meat at breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it shows how red meat really isn’t something to be avoiding. The Meat Advisory Panel are running a “5 A WEEK” campaign and I think this is a really invaluable and important message to be highlighting.

So to get on board with the campaign here is a super tasty recipe that makes a wonderful lunch time soup:

If you would like to make this recipe at home (and I highly recommend it) then here are the step by step instructions:

Marianade 450g beef strips in 2 tsp chinese 5 spice, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 chilli
Place 2 pints of beef stock in a pan, add 2 cm grated ginger, 2 garlic cloves  and simmer for 5 mins.  Then add 7oz of chopped greens and simmer 1-2 mins.
Add the beef, 1 sliced red pepper and175g  noodles in, simmer for 3 minutes. Stir through some spring onions and coriander and serve.

Beef and Red Pepper Noodle Soup
Serves 4
A quick and delicious spicy beef noodle soup that is perfect for a lunch or light supper.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
394 calories
38 g
123 g
8 g
41 g
3 g
265 g
221 g
2 g
0 g
4 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
265g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 394
Calories from Fat 70
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g
12%
Saturated Fat 3g
14%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 123mg
41%
Sodium 221mg
9%
Total Carbohydrates 38g
13%
Dietary Fiber 4g
16%
Sugars 2g
Protein 41g
Vitamin A
26%
Vitamin C
91%
Calcium
9%
Iron
21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 450g/1lb lean beef stir-fry strips
  2. 10ml/2tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  3. 15-30ml/1-2tbsp soy sauce
  4. 15ml/1tbsp prepared chilli or Schezuan sauce
  5. 1.2L/2pint good, hot beef or vegetable stock
  6. 2.5cm/1inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  7. 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  8. 175g/6oz fresh or dried fine egg/rice noodles
  9. 200g/7oz pak choi or green cabbage, shredded
  10. 1 small red pepper, cored, deseeded and finely sliced
  11. Small bunch spring onions, finely chopped
  12. Large bunch freshly chopped coriander
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl dust the stir-fry strips in the Chinese five-spice powder. Add the soy sauce and chilli or schezuan sauce. Cover and set aside.
  2. In a large pan add the stock, ginger and garlic. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the noodles and pak choi or cabbage. Simmer for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the beef with the marinade mixture and the red pepper. Simmer for a further 2-3 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Remove from the heat, season if required and stir through half the spring onions and coriander.
  4. Divide the broth between four bowls and garnish with the remaining, spring onions and coriander.
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calories
394
fat
8g
protein
41g
carbs
38g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
To find out more about the “5 A WEEK” Campaign you can pop to Simply Beef and Lamb on Facebook or to Love Pork.  Twitter: @lovepork.UK @simplybeefandlamb.

 

 

 

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Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Weaning, Wheat Free

Lentil Lasagne and Lasagne made easy

3 Comments

Lasagne is one of those meals that is loved the whole family. Let’s face it, if you don’t love lasagne then you are very usual! Often seen as hard to make, time consuming and more comfort food than “healthy” I want to share my top tips for making it a standard weeknight family meal.

  1. Pack in the veggies. Lasagne does not have to include meat! I rarely use mince to make lasagne these days. Instead I use lasagne as a way to pack in the veg. You can use lentils, beans or tofu or quorn to get protein in. There is nothing wrong with using the normal beef mince but  if you are looking for more variety with meals or like us, are wanting to eat a greater range of plant based protein sources then it’s time to expand your lasagne repertoire.
  2. Making your own sauce doesn’t have to be complicated. As much as I love a white sauce, if I’m in a rush it always goes lumpy or I burn the bottom of the pan. One of my hacks is to use cottage cheese. Add a little natural yoghurt to thin it down and pour it on the top of the lasagne, top with grated cheese and the jobs done. I wasn’t convinced this sauce would pass the lasagne police in my house  but it did. Phew. The other easy alternative is to use a half fat creme fraiche, simple. 
  3. Embrace your freezer. I totally love my freezer, it saves me on a regular basis. Oh, and it needs defrosting, in case anyone fancies helping me with that. You can either make a double batch of the main filling and freeze it for another meal, or I like to make a whole lasagne and freeze it, makes me feel like a proper domestic goddess. Minus the tidy kitchen, mine is never tidy.
  4. Make ahead. I often make lasagne in stages. so I will either get the main filling out of the freezer and leave to defrost, or make the filling up and leave it. Then later I get a child to help me put it together, layering the filling, pasta and sauce. 
  5. Use pre-bought lasagne sheets. I know most people don’t make their own fresh lasagne sheets, but I sometimes do, it makes the lasagne SO good, literally the best lasagne. But it takes more time that I just don’t have that often. 
So why not transform your lasagne into sometime more inventive. It’s a forgiving dish. Here is a recipe for a wheat free, dairy free version I made this week:
 
 
 
Lentil Lasagne
Serves 4
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Cook Time
45 min
Cook Time
45 min
585 calories
89 g
13 g
11 g
35 g
3 g
533 g
221 g
14 g
0 g
7 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
533g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 585
Calories from Fat 94
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11g
16%
Saturated Fat 3g
16%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 13mg
4%
Sodium 221mg
9%
Total Carbohydrates 89g
30%
Dietary Fiber 34g
136%
Sugars 14g
Protein 35g
Vitamin A
203%
Vitamin C
165%
Calcium
24%
Iron
49%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 1 onion
  2. 2 garlic cloves
  3. 3 carrots
  4. 2 peppers
  5. 1 medium courgette
  6. 1 tsp olive oil
  7. 2 cups of dried lentils
  8. 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  9. 1 tbsp tomato puree
  10. 250ml stock (I used homemade chicken stock but you could use a stock cube and water)
  11. 1 bay leaf
  12. Dried mixed herbs
  13. 1 small glug of balsamic vinegar
  14. Lasagne sheets (wheat free if required)
White sauce
  1. 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  2. 2 tbsp wheat free flour
  3. Soya milk as needed, approx 250ml
  4. 250ml water (you may not need it)
  5. Soya cheese or normal cheese
Instructions
  1. Chop all the vegetables in a food processor (this saves time!) or chop finely by hand.
  2. Saute in the oil for a few minutes, then add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, bay leaf, dried herbs, balsamic, stock and simmer for 20 minutes. This is your basic lasagne filling, You can now freeze this, keep it in the fridge for making up later, or use straight away.
  3. Make up the lasagne with 1 layer of lentil mix, lasagne sheets, lentil mix and lasagne sheets.
White sauce
  1. Pour the oil into a sauce pan and mix in the flour with a wooden spoon, it will make a thick paste. Mix in a little milk and stir to make a batter, now add in the rest of the milk place on a gentle heat and keep stirring to incorporate it all. The sauce will thicken, if it is too thick add some water. Keep stirring! Let it gently bubble but not too much. I like to let it cool a little and then pour on top of the lasagne.
  2. Top with cheese and bake at gas mark 5 for 45 minutes.
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calories
585
fat
11g
protein
35g
carbs
89g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
 
Baking, Cooking with Kids, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

A healthier cake – Courgette and sultana (wheat and lactose free).

4 Comments

Each year my love of growing vegetables, well grows. I had a dad who had very green fingers and grew a lot of the vegetables for the small hotel my parents ran. In the summer months our bath water was often emptied by buckets into the vegetable patch! My Sri-lankan grandmother has the greenest fingers in the family. Her windowsills were often covered in seedlings and she would disappear into the garden at mealtime to pick “greens” to make into a family favourite dish. A meal of rice and curry is not right without “greens”. 

One of my first successes was courgettes. Most years I get a good crop, apart from last hear but I blame the baby for that 😉

This year however I have 2 plants that are exploding with monster courgettes and a bountiful supply is on its way.  Follow my instagram stories for pics of the garden and how I cook them.

Personally I love courgettes. Roasted, in a stir fry, ratatouille, on pizza…. only issue is that Miss K and the J boy are not so keen. So it’s been a season of finding ways to encourage them to eat them. I don’t like to hide vegetables so I do tell them it’s in there, once they have tried some. Here are my top ways that they like and eat:

  1. Courgette cake. This has gone down so well. I’ve been making it and freezing it. Recipe below. 
  2. Courgetti. Not because we want to be on trend but because it works. Spiralising courgette, cooking with garlic and lemon juice is a winner. 
  3. Grated courgette in bolognaise, risotto or pretty much any dish!
  4. Roasted and blended with tinned tomatoes for a pasta sauce. 

Hubby and I love a courgette curry so that’s also on the menu but I have to make the children something different on those nights! 

So here is a lovely courgette cake recipe. You really won’t taste the courgette and I’ve lowered the sugar content for you too, it works out at 3g sugar per slice but some of this is the yoghurt and courgette.  Per 100g it is 3.6g sugar so a much healthier alternative to many other cakes. 

I made this for a family party recently and it went down really well! 

Courgette and Sultana Cake (Wheat and Lactose Free)
Serves 12
Easy to make, reduced sugar recipe and includes plenty of yummy courgette.
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Prep Time
15 min
Prep Time
15 min
177 calories
22 g
31 g
8 g
4 g
1 g
82 g
68 g
3 g
0 g
6 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
82g
Servings
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 177
Calories from Fat 70
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g
12%
Saturated Fat 1g
4%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 31mg
10%
Sodium 68mg
3%
Total Carbohydrates 22g
7%
Dietary Fiber 1g
5%
Sugars 3g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A
2%
Vitamin C
9%
Calcium
3%
Iron
3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Wet ingredients
  1. 350g courgette
  2. 2 eggs
  3. 85ml rapeseed oil
  4. 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
  5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
  1. 300g plain wheat free flour (I used Aldi's own brand)
  2. 1 tsp cinnamon
  3. 1 tsp mixed spice
  4. 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  5. 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  6. 1/2 tsp baking powder
  7. 140g sultanas
Instructions
  1. Grate the courgette.
  2. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4. Grease and line a loaf tin.
  3. Mix together all the wet ingredients.
  4. Add the flour and carefully mix in.
  5. Now add the remaining dry ingredients and mix.
  6. Pour into the loaf tin and put in the oven.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered and then cover the top with foil to prevent it burning.
  8. This cake takes 30-40 minutes in my oven, I recommend checking it by inserting a skewer and seeing if the bottom is cooked. You don't want to have the bottom too soft (I've made that mistake for you!).
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calories
177
fat
8g
protein
4g
carbs
22g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/

What are your favourite courgette recipes?

Family Meals, Recipes, Weaning

Salmon and Spinach Fishcakes

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It’s been a hot week, needing summer food. These salmon and spinach fishcakes hit the spot. Yes you have to put the oven on to cook them but they can be prepared ahead of time and then served hot or cold. They also freeze well, I always mean to make extra for this purpose but then the kids eat them all!

I must admit to my brain needing a kick start to come up with ideas for summer food. My family aren’t huge salad lovers, so all those beautiful salads that my mind fancies have to take a step back. It is like digging up buried treasure, deep in the recesses of my dusty brain were recipes I haven’t made for well over a year. This was one of them. The hardest part about these is getting the breadcrumbs on them, which really even my toddler can do. In fact, maybe next time I should get the kids to cook these and sit down with a cuppa. 

The salmon provides a great source of omega 3’s needed for brain development and cognitive function, heart health and reduction of inflammation. They can be beneficial in rheumatoid arthritis and depression. It is recommended that we eat 2 portions of fish a week of which one should be healthy. I try to ensure my family get 1 portion a week in their evening meal and it is usually salmon that we favour. I’ve used tinned salmon for ease in these, to save extra faff and cooking.

Spinach is a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and vitamin C. It is a source of dietary fibre, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc. Using frozen spinach again saved cooking and I find it easier in dishes like this. Frozen spinach is such a versatile and great ingredient to have on standby. If you don’t have frozen spinach in your life, go and get some. 

So the iron and omega 3 content also make this recipe a great one for pregnant ladies and for toddlers. A great family meal, one where you can cook just the one meal for all. I served ours with courgetti cooked in the wok with lemon juice and garlic, plus homemade coleslaw. 

 

Salmon and Spinach Fishcakes
Serves 4
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
389 calories
23 g
105 g
13 g
42 g
3 g
293 g
232 g
1 g
0 g
5 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
293g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 389
Calories from Fat 120
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13g
21%
Saturated Fat 3g
16%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 105mg
35%
Sodium 232mg
10%
Total Carbohydrates 23g
8%
Dietary Fiber 2g
7%
Sugars 1g
Protein 42g
Vitamin A
16%
Vitamin C
17%
Calcium
4%
Iron
11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Ingredients
  1. 500g potatoes, skin on for extra fibre and for speed
  2. handful of frozen spinach (I used 4 lumps)
  3. 1 tbsp butter
  4. 2 tins salmon
  5. 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  6. 1 tbsp lemon juice
  7. 1 tbsp fresh parsley
  8. 1 tbsp fresh chives
  9. seasoning
  10. Breadcrumbs or polenta (see below)
Instructions
  1. Wash the potatoes, cut into small chunk and boil. Add the frozen spinach for the last few minutes.
  2. When soft mash the potato and spinach, leave to cool.
  3. Mix in the salmon, mustard and lemon juice, parsley, chives and seasoning.
  4. Now comes the fun part, shape into patties with your hands.
  5. Roll in the breadcrumbs.
  6. Now you can leave these to chill until you want to cook, freeze them or cook straight away.
  7. Cook at Gas Mark 6 for 10-15 minutes.
Notes
  1. I used bought breadcrumbs for the family, as they were in the cupboard and then I used cornmeal for my own fishcakes to make them wheat free. The picture above is of my wheat free fishcake with the polenta crumb.
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calories
389
fat
13g
protein
42g
carbs
23g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/

 

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