Category Archives: Recipes

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.
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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.
Does this look wrong?
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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Dairy Free, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Vegetarian Moussaka and going meat free for a week.

4 Comments

This week we went Vegetarian for National Vegetarian Week. As a family we always have at least 3 meat free meals a week, so this was a good chance to unleash some new recipe ideas. To be honest I don’t think the family really noticed the lack of meat, though they would do if carried this on for a few weeks. I love vegetarian meals and would probably be one if I wasn’t cooking for the whole family. Eating more plant based meals is better for the environment, a more sustainable way of eating and has some fabulous health benefits too.

Our week of vegetarian meals:

Vegetarian Moussaka, Leek and Stilton Risotto, Courgette and Lentil Lasagne, Vegetable egg Stir fry rice, Quorn Bolognaise and Roasted Veggie Pasta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The moussaka is something I’d seen a variation on in a gluten free recipe book that I’ve had hanging around for ages. I used soya milk to make it lactose free for my boy – omit the cheese to make it dairy free. A few adaptations made this a super simple meal that is going to stay on our meal list.

 

Vegetarian Moussaka
Serves 4
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
494 calories
81 g
19 g
12 g
15 g
4 g
509 g
124 g
13 g
0 g
7 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
509g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 494
Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g
19%
Saturated Fat 4g
21%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 19mg
6%
Sodium 124mg
5%
Total Carbohydrates 81g
27%
Dietary Fiber 7g
29%
Sugars 13g
Protein 15g
Vitamin A
30%
Vitamin C
35%
Calcium
24%
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. 2 tsp olive oil
  2. 1 large aubergine
  3. 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  4. 1 medium onion, chopped
  5. 2 tbsp white wine
  6. 150g mushrooms, chopped
  7. 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  8. 1 tbsp tomato puree
  9. 1 tbsp chopped chives
  10. 1 tsp paprika
  11. 1 1/2 cups of uncooked rice
Sauce
  1. 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  2. 1 tbsp cornflour
  3. 400ml soya milk
  4. 40g grated cheese
Instructions
  1. Slice the aubergine, onion and garlic.
  2. Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil on a medium heat.
  3. Add 2 tbsp white wine and the mushrooms, cook for a few minutes to soften.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes, puree, chives, paprika and rice.
  5. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes whilst you make the sauce.
  6. Heat the oil, add cornflour and turn the heat low.
  7. Add 1/3 soya milk and stir well, add the rest of the milk and increase the heat to medium, carry on stirring as the sauce thickens.
  8. Layer the rice mix with the aubergine, then the rice and the aubergine.
  9. Top with the sauce and sprinkle the cheese.
  10. Cook in the oven at Gas Mark 5 for 30 minutes.
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calories
494
fat
12g
protein
15g
carbs
81g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
Baking, Cooking with Kids, Family Meals, Recipes, Special Diets, Wheat Free

Chocolate Granola Baked Apples

1 Comment

Granola is one of those foods that I could easily eat quite a lot of, though I tend to not eat it as a cereal but add it to dishes. I love the crunchiness and the variety it gives to transform your simple fruit and yoghurt into something more exciting. However granola is usually high in sugars and the amount of fruit, nuts and seeds is surprisingly low. If you have the time you could of course make your own, but you have to watch it carefully when it bakes. With my current tribe of small people I would be sure to burn it! 

So I was most delighted to be sent a pack of granola to try out, especially when it was chocolate granola. Such a hard life. 

Lizi’s granola is something I’ve recommended to some clients in the past due to it’s low sugar content and low glycaemic load (GL). The GL is a measure of how much a portion of a food affects your blood sugars. The GL for this granola is 6.6 for a 50g serving. Generally a low GL foods is one under 10 and you want to keep your GL to under 100 per day. So this granola is definitely a good option if you want a not too sweet, crunchy hit with a chocolately taste. It uses dark chocolate (which I love), some may say there is the added benefit of polyphenols and antioxidants but at only 5% dark belgium chocolate you won’t be getting much per 50g serving.

Here is how we enjoyed the granola – baked apples with chocolate granola. Instantly renamed big gruffalo crumble by the toddler boy. He calls any fruit crumble a gruffalo crumble, completely my fault for starting that one. 

“Now my tummy’s beginning to rumble, my favourite food is gruffalo crumble”

Chocolate Granola Baked Apples
Serves 4
A quick, simple dessert that is great to perk up your midweek meals.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
166 calories
32 g
8 g
5 g
2 g
2 g
196 g
4 g
22 g
0 g
2 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
196g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 166
Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g
8%
Saturated Fat 2g
11%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 8mg
3%
Sodium 4mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 32g
11%
Dietary Fiber 5g
21%
Sugars 22g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A
4%
Vitamin C
14%
Calcium
2%
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.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. 4 apples
  2. 4 tsp raisins
  3. 4 tbsp granola
  4. 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5
  2. Cut the apples in half and cut out the core, this will leave a hole you can now fill.
  3. Fill the apples with the raisins, dot with a little butter and press the granola over the top.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes.
  5. Serve with Greek yoghurt if wanted.
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calories
166
fat
5g
protein
2g
carbs
32g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
 Disclaimer: This granola was sent to me to review, this is not a dietetic endorsment but simply my own views on it. 

 

 

Baking, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Carrot and Parsnip Cake

4 Comments

I’ve had a hankering for carrot cake for a few weeks after a conversation on social media about a bumper crop of carrots leading to recipes for carrot cake being posted. So when carrots were on offer and hubby came back with 3 bags of them plus 2 bags of parsnips it was suddenly my opportunity. Seriously, there are only so many things you can do with parsnips, so I thought why not try them in a cake. In that moment it felt like probable madness, however actually, you know what? The parsnips add a real kick to this cake. A warm earthiness and nuttiness that really adds to the sweetness of the carrots.

My main critic will always be my husband. He isn’t fobbed off as easily as the children, he has a sweet tooth and isn’t pulled in by any of the latest health trends or superfoods. So I tried him on one. He gave me the “what is it” quizzical expression which I interpret as “What the heck is the crazy woman now trying to give me”. To be fair, you can’t blame him, I am experimental in my approach and a fair few of these experiments just don’t work out. Upon trying it his response was “Actually that’s not bad”. Now for hubby that is a compliment. He isn’t overflowing with expression and excitement like me, thankfully or our house would be even more crazy! So this “Not bad” really meant “I wasn’t expecting it to taste nice but it is pretty good and I like it”. He agreed it was actually the parsnip that made it.

This cake is moist, light and a little to easy to eat. With 250g vegetables in it, it may feel pretty nutritious but you would have to eat a lot of cake to get a portion of veggie in! Having said that these will contain some vitamin A, some calcium and iron, so as cake goes, it is a good option. 

 

Carrot and Parsnip Cake
Yields 24
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121 calories
13 g
23 g
7 g
2 g
1 g
38 g
173 g
3 g
0 g
6 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
38g
Yields
24
Amount Per Serving
Calories 121
Calories from Fat 59
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7g
10%
Saturated Fat 1g
3%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 23mg
8%
Sodium 173mg
7%
Total Carbohydrates 13g
4%
Dietary Fiber 1g
3%
Sugars 3g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A
22%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
5%
Iron
4%
* 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. 150ml Rapeseed Oil
  2. 60g Brown Sugar
  3. 3 Eggs
  4. 150g Carrots (2 large)
  5. 100g Parsnips (1 large)
  6. 300g Doves Farm Self Raising Flour
  7. 1 tsp Mixed Spice
  8. 1 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Peel and grate the carrots and parsnip.
  2. Mix the oil and sugar together. Add the eggs and mix.
  3. Next add the grated vegetables and slowly add the flour and spices in.
  4. Pour into a greased and lined loaf tin.
  5. Bake at Gas Mark 5 for 30-40 minutes.
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calories
121
fat
7g
protein
2g
carbs
13g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
Cooking with Kids, Family Meals, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Weaning, Wheat Free

Courgette and mushroom patties

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I’m always after ways to get more veggies into the children and myself. Hubby likes to do his own thing at lunch, so I made these as a preparation for the toddler, baby and my lunches. They were fast to make and went well warmed up with a salad for lunch. Make a batch, freeze a batch and feel smug all week.

Courgette Patties 2

Courgette and Mushroom Patties
Yields 12
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
43 calories
6 g
17 g
1 g
2 g
0 g
53 g
34 g
1 g
0 g
0 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
53g
Yields
12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 43
Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g
2%
Saturated Fat 0g
2%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 17mg
6%
Sodium 34mg
1%
Total Carbohydrates 6g
2%
Dietary Fiber 1g
3%
Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A
3%
Vitamin C
11%
Calcium
3%
Iron
2%
* 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. Spray olive oil x 5 squirts
  2. 2 courgettes, grated
  3. 5 mushrooms, grated
  4. 1 garlic clove, crushed
  5. 1 beaten egg
  6. 2 tbsp parmesan
  7. 1/2 ball mozzerella
  8. 75g cornmeal
  9. 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6.
  2. Saute the courgettes and mushrooms in a pan for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
  4. Leave to cool a little and then mix in the other ingredients. It will make a thick batter.
  5. Drop large spoonfuls onto a greased and lined baking tray. It will make about 12.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes.
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calories
43
fat
1g
protein
2g
carbs
6g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/

Courgette patties 1 

Family Meals, Recipes

Chicken Satay Stir Fry

1 Comment

This week I’ve had a sudden creative burst and have been playing around with new recipe ideas. Typically not the best week for it as Miss K has had earache and tummyache, the boy is tired and the baby teething, but cooking and creating is one of my outlets.

I saw a recipe for chicken satay and it got my brain ticking. I wanted the satay taste with plenty of veggies and no skewers (imagine a 3 year old knight enthuisiast of a boy trying to sword fight across the table with his sister, I’d prefer not to visit A&E thanks). Initially I was thinking of cooking it on skewers and then removing them before serving, but that felt like an unnecessary step, plus someone was bound to want to help me with the skewer preparation part. I decided the 3 year old needed both his eyes, so went back to my roots and turned to my trusty wok.

The chicken was marinaded for a couple of hours (mixed up pre-school run) and I prepped the veggies at the same time, then popped them in a ziplock bag in the fridge, which meant this took minutes to cook. You could do this prep the night before and cook dinner in 10-15 minutes.

Dietitian UK: Satay chicken stirfry 1

I totally loved this meal, the rest of the family were all feeling a bit meh, so not feedback from them, except clean plates. This hit my peanut craving right on the head and the leftovers were great the next day with added avocado for lunch. I would add in actual chopped peanuts and have a serving of satay sauce on the side to drizzle over for extra finesse next time. Fresh coriander would also be a winner.

Dietitian UK: Satay chicken stirfry 2

 

Chicken Satay Stir Fry
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
358 calories
15 g
106 g
13 g
45 g
3 g
324 g
443 g
8 g
0 g
8 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
324g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 358
Calories from Fat 110
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13g
19%
Saturated Fat 3g
14%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 106mg
35%
Sodium 443mg
18%
Total Carbohydrates 15g
5%
Dietary Fiber 5g
20%
Sugars 8g
Protein 45g
Vitamin A
73%
Vitamin C
250%
Calcium
7%
Iron
19%
* 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 Chicken Breasts
  2. 3 tbsp peanut butter
  3. 1 tbsp soy sauce
  4. 1 tbsp sweet thai chilli sauce
  5. 1 tsp sesame oil
  6. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  7. 2 tbsp water
  8. 1/2 tsp coconut oil
  9. 1 tbsp water
  10. 3 red peppers thinly sliced
  11. 200g sugar snap peas sliced lengthways
  12. Spring onions (optional I have onion dislikers in my family)
Instructions
  1. Mix the satay sauce, whisking the peanut butter, soy, thai sauce, sesame oil, garlic and water together.
  2. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and coat with the marinade.
  3. Cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
  4. Slice the vegetables and place in a Ziploc bag in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
  5. Heat a wok with the coconut oil or you could use a spray oil.
  6. Add the chicken and cook on a medium heat for five minutes, stirring regularly. Add 1tbsp water to prevent it sticking.
  7. Now add the sliced vegetables. Continue to cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.
  8. Serve with rice or noodles and extra satay sauce on the side.
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calories
358
fat
13g
protein
45g
carbs
15g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
Family Meals, Recipes, Vegetarian

Healthy Butternut and spinach lasagne

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Vegetable lasagne is one of my all time fav dishes. Super comfort food, I was looking for a way to make it healthier, not too long in the making and pack it full of veggies. I may have done it 🙂 Cooking around a baby, a toddler and a chatty, needing attention school girl means cooking needs to be simple and quick for school night meals, I managed to do this one in stages. Butternut squash was prepped at lunchtime and left. Tomato sauce was prepped after school. It was all assembled during the afterschool ballet class then popped in the oven. WIN.

Butternut squash and bean lasagne 2

Plates were literally licked clean (mental note to work on table manners in our house) and everyone had seconds. There were, of course, fights over the cheese topping. It was one of those meals for me that I just wanted to keep eating. However I listened to my stomach. Sigh. Sometimes intuitive eating is not that much fun 😉

A great meal for upping the veggie content of your meals for the week, a meat free feast. 

Butternut squash and bean lasagne 1

Butternut and spinach lasagne
Serves 4
A not-so-complicated, delicious vegetable lasagne recipe
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
764 calories
137 g
19 g
9 g
38 g
4 g
868 g
519 g
19 g
0 g
3 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
868g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 764
Calories from Fat 76
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g
14%
Saturated Fat 4g
19%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 19mg
6%
Sodium 519mg
22%
Total Carbohydrates 137g
46%
Dietary Fiber 21g
86%
Sugars 19g
Protein 38g
Vitamin A
59%
Vitamin C
50%
Calcium
33%
Iron
33%
* 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 medium butternut squash
  2. 1 medium onion
  3. 2 cloves garlic
  4. 1/2 aubergine, chopped
  5. handful of chopped chives
  6. 400g chopped tomatoes
  7. 1 tbsp tomato puree
  8. black pepper
  9. 2 large handfuls of greens or spinach
  10. 400g tinned beans
  11. 8 lasagne sheets
  12. 100g half fat creme fraiche
  13. 150g cottage cheese
  14. 50g cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Peel, chop and boil/steam the squash until it is soft. Now blend in a food processor and set aside.
  2. Chop the onion and saute in a pan. Add the crushed garlic. Add the aubergine and cook for a few minutes.
  3. Stir in chopped tomatoes and herbs, tomato puree and black pepper.
  4. Now slice the greens/spinach and add those to the sauce.
  5. Add the beans and stir well.
  6. Simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  7. Mix creme fraiche with cottage cheese.
Now layer it all up
  1. Butternut squash
  2. Tomato sauce
  3. Lasagne sheets
  4. Butternut squash
  5. Tomato sauce
  6. Lasagne sheets
  7. Creme fraiche and cottage cheese topping
  8. Top with grated cheese.
  9. Cook at Gas Mark 5 for 40 minutes.
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calories
764
fat
9g
protein
38g
carbs
137g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/
Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian, Wheat Free

Salmon Ravioli

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I’ve had a hankering to make fresh pasta again for a while. There is something completely different about fresh pasta that I love, seeing as I can’t eat the shop bought versions as they contain wheat, I have to make my own. Which takes a bit more time and mine never looks as beautiful as it should, but you end up with a meal made with love.

This meal is inspired by Mediterranean flavours. There has been a lot of chatter about the Med diet lately. The scientific research shows us that eating his style  diet hold benefits for heart health, type 2 diabetes, Parkinsons disease, Alzhiemers, high blood pressure, some cancers and obesity.  The Med diet has an emphasis plant based foods -so plenty of fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. Including olive oil instead of butter, eating less red meat, processed foods and saturated fats. Plus moderate amounts of red wine. I like that bit.

Fish is eaten regularly in he Med, including oily fish and this is something I’m always looking to include more often in my families mealtimes. So thinking Italy and salmon led to me Salmon Ravioli. How hard could it be? It turns out my pasta skills need a little improving, wheat free flour is an art form to work with at time! I could so do with going on a pasta course.

 

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Homemade ravioli before cooking
Dietitian UK: Salmon Ravioli 1
And after cooking with the sauce on top

 

I completely enjoyed making these and my children loved the fresh pasta. They joined in and made their own pasta creations with some left over dough too. Another Mediterranean touch – get the whole family involved in creating the meal and make it an event!

Dietitian UK: Salmon Ravioli 3
Salmon Ravioli ready to dive into.

 

Dietitian UK: Salmon Ravioli 4
Inside the ravioli you can see the lovely pink of the fish.
Salmon Ravioli
Serves 4
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Save Recipe
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
20 min
648 calories
27 g
243 g
26 g
68 g
5 g
505 g
419 g
4 g
0 g
15 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
505g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 648
Calories from Fat 237
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26g
41%
Saturated Fat 5g
23%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Cholesterol 243mg
81%
Sodium 419mg
17%
Total Carbohydrates 27g
9%
Dietary Fiber 3g
11%
Sugars 4g
Protein 68g
Vitamin A
16%
Vitamin C
40%
Calcium
10%
Iron
15%
* 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?
For the pasta
  1. 1 egg, room temperature
  2. 100g wheat free flour - I used dietary specials (or normal plain flour)
  3. Water to bind
For the filling
  1. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  2. 1/2 onion finely diced
  3. 3 salmon, fillets skin removed and cut into cubes
  4. 3 tablespoons dry white wine
  5. 1 tablespoon chopped chives
  6. 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano cheese
  7. 1 egg
  8. salt and pepper
  9. 1 tablespoons lemon zest
For the sauce
  1. 1 courgette, grated
  2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  3. 1/2 glass white wine
  4. juice of 1 lemon
  5. 150g finely chopped mushrooms
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil, sauté the onion. Now add the salmon and cook for a few minutes.
  2. Add the white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Now cool and place in a food processor. Add the chives, egg, cheese, lemon zest and seasoning.
  4. Set aside and make the dough.
  5. Mix up the pasta dough. Add enough water to bind it together. Knead gently and keep it covered with a damp tea towel.
  6. Now roll out 1/2 of the dough using plenty of flour on the work surface and rolling pin. You can use a pasta machine but I had an argument with mine so I preferred the rolling pin.
  7. Roll it out into a long thin rectangle.
  8. Place 1/2 tsps of salmon filling about 5cms apart down the long side of the dough rectangle.
  9. Fold the other half of the dough over to cover the filling.
  10. Press down around the filling on each section. Then cut into ravioli and use a fork to press the edges together.
  11. Place onto a baking tray and cover with a damp tea towel.
  12. Make the sauce by cooking the mushrooms in the oil, add the courgette, wine and lemon juice. Simmer.
  13. Heat a pan of water to the boil. Cook about 10 ravioli at a time, by bringing the water back to a simmer and cooking for 3-4 minutes. You know they are cooked when they float to the surface.
  14. Serve with the sauce on top and garnish with parmigiana cheese.
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calories
648
fat
26g
protein
68g
carbs
27g
more
Dietitian UK https://www.dietitianuk.co.uk/

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