A delicious meal-free ragu alternative that won’t make you wonder where the meat is!
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the ragu
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
2 carrots, scrubbed and diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
250g mushrooms, diced
60g skin-on almonds, chopped
100g red lentils
100g puy lentils
1 stock cube
200ml red wine (option to replace with water)
400g tinned tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
20g dried porcini mushrooms, roughly broken
3 bay leaves
10 spring of thyme
3 sprigs of rosemary
10 sage leaves, finely chopped
10 sprigs of fresh basil, stems chopped (option to save some leaves for garnish)
To serve
450g spaghetti
Nutritional yeast (vegan) or parmesan (vegetarian)
Fresh basil leaves
Method
In a large saucepan, add the oil, onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes without browning.
Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute before adding the fresh mushrooms in. Cook for 5 minutes till the mushrooms have released and reabsorbed their liquid.
Add all the remaining sauce ingredients along with 600ml water. Bring to the boil and then gently simmer for 45 minutes.
In a separate pan boil water. Cook the pasts for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pan, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
Add the ragu to the pasta and stir through, adding pasta water to loosen the ragu if needed. Cook for 1 minute over a low heat.
Serve immediately with nutritional yeast or parmesan and fresh basil leaves over the top.
Per serving: 599kcal/ 13g fat/ 1.6g saturated fat/ 81g carbohydrates/ 13g fibre/ 26g protein
This is the perfect way to use up any pumpkin scraps you may have from Halloween carving! I’ve paired it with some carrot for an extra golden beta carotene boost, making the whole dish a gorgeous golden hue.
It is estimated that 14.5 million pumpkins will be wasted in the UK this year. Carving pumpkins are edible, from the skin to the flesh and even the seeds, so why not try to make use of some of the pumpkin scraps once you have carved your jack-o’-lantern. Reducing food waste helps reduce CO2 emissions, which in turn helps our planet.
It’s suitable for a gluten-free diet, just check you’re using suitable stock, or even for baby-led weaning if using a no-added salt stock (for very young babies you may need to blend/mash the rice). Optional to use homemade stock or some herbs and spices to make your own. If you want to make this dish vegan, substitute the butter for a little more oil, and the parmesan for some nutritional yeast.
Serves 4
Ingredients
700ml stock
100g pumpkin scraps such as inners or carving off-cuts
100g carrots, roughly diced
200g pumpkin, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 sprigs of sage, leaves removed
1 large onion, finely diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
20g butter (use extra oil if making vegan)
200g risotto rice
150ml white wine (option to use extra stock)
40g parmesan, grated
Method
Start by making the pumpkin stock by adding the pumpkin scraps, carrot and stock to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes till the pumpkin and carrots are cooked through. Blend till smooth and keep on a low heat.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection. Add the pumpkin cubes to a baking tray and mix with 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through. Add the sage leaves and bake for a further 5 minutes.
While the pumpkin is roasting, take a large pan and gently cook the onions in the remaining oil till soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding the butter.
Add the rice and toast for 2-3 minutes till fragrant. Add the white wine and stir.
Slowly add the stock, stirring the risotto continuously. As the stock is absorbed add more. If you run out of stock use boiled water to allow the rice to cook through so it has a little bite in the centre.
Remove the risotto from the heat and add the parmesan and 1/2 the toasted sage leaves. Season with pepper to taste.
Serve with the roasted pumpkin and remaining sage leaves over the top.
Per serving: 417kcal/ 15.0g fat/ 5.9g saturated fat/ 52g carbohydrates/ 5.3g fibre/ 9.2g protein
This easy soup also doubles up as an easy pasta sauce – win win! It’s naturally vegan if using a suitable stock powder, and if you use a no added salt stock cube it is suitable for babies and toddlers.
Serves 6
Ingredients
600g pumpkin, skin on and cubed
2 large onions, cut into 8ths
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 tin of cannellini beans
4 garlic cloves, skin left on
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
700ml no added salt stock
100ml boiling water
20g pumpkin seeds, finely chopped if serving to young babies
Method
Add the pumpkin, onion, celery, beans, garlic and olive oil to a large roasting tray.
Mix well before roasting in a preheated oven set to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection, stirring halfway through.
Once cooked, remove the garlic from its skin.
Bring the stock up to the boil and add the roasted vegetables, deglazing the roasting tin with 100ml boiling water.
Bring the mixture back up to a boil before blending till smooth.
Serve with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.
Option to serve as a pasta sauce by stirring through freshly cooked pasta. Delicious with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast which is a great source of B vitamins and zinc.
Serve as soup, pasta or baby-led weaning pasta finger food
Per serving of soup: 175kcal/ 8.5g fat/ 1.3g saturated fat/ 17.0g carbohydrates/ 6.0g fibre/ 4.8g protein
I love fish pie, and it’s often something I would order when eating out. I have always thought of fish pie as a difficult dish that requires a lot of food prep.
While this isn’t my easiest recipe to make, it is not challenging at all. In fact, the most challenging part is the washing up afterwards as the full recipe requires the use of 3 pans. And I have just 3 pans at home! So for myself, it does use all the pans. You could skip poaching the fish in the milk to save washing an extra pan, and this won’t impact on the flavour too much, but it is such a simple step it really is worth doing it.
Don’t have vermouth? You can swap it out for some white wine, sherry, or replace it with an extra 50ml of milk to keep it friendly for the kids.
My Fish Pie recipe is also reasonably healthy. It contains a portion of calcium from the milk and cheese, a portion of fish (half oily too for omega 3 fatty acids), contains a mixture of vegetables and herbs for plant diversity, and doesn’t use any cream to make the sauce. Additionally, each portion of the pie, without the peas, provides over 9g of fibre thanks to leaving the skins on the potatoes.
I’m serving my fish pie with peas. You can add the peas into the sauce and bake them in the pie, but I found they got overcooked and lost their gorgeous vibrant green colour. Additionally, you could opt to serve with any other vegetable of your choice, for example, seasonal Spring asparagus, Winter Broccoli or even a salad in the summer months.
If you make this pie in advance and bake it from cold, be sure to add on an extra 5-10 minutes to ensure it gets cooked all the way through, especially if you are using raw prawns. The layer of smashed potatoes on the top are fantastic at insulating the middle section of the pie so it just needs a little extra time in the oven to ensure it is piping hot throughout.
Serve 4 adults
Ingredients
900g potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 fillets of salmon, skinned and boned
2 fillets of smoked haddock, skinned and boned
400ml semi-skimmed milk
50ml Vermouth
1 onion, cut in half through the root
6 cloves
3 bay leaves
1 large or two small leeks, approximately 300g, sliced
65g butter
50g plain flour
10g dill, chopped
15g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
100g raw prawns, deveined
15g chives, chopped
60g cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
To serve
Peas
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C convection
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes till almost cooked through.
Meanwhile, poach the fish in the milk with the bay leaves and half an onion studded with the cloves. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat off. Cover with a lid and allow to poach for 5 minutes.
In a separate plan gently cook the remaining half of onion, finely sliced, and leeks with 40g of the butter over a low heat till soft.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Remove the fish from the pan and break into large chunks in an ovenproof dish, reserving the milk.
Pour a quarter of the milk into the leeks and stir till thick. Keep adding the milk to make the sauce.
Add the parsley and dill to the sauce before pouring over the fish. Top with the prawns.
Drain the potatoes, and lightly smash with the remaining butter. Add the chives and then top the pie.
Top the pie with cheese and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes till golden brown on the top and bubbling.
Serve with the peas on the side.
Per portion of pie: 569kcal/ 33.1g fat/ 14.5g saturated fat/ 64.8g carbohydrates/ 9.1g fibre/ 48.3g protein
The perfect side to go with your barbecue – delicious with all meats, fish or halloumi, or serve with a tin of chickpeas for a non-barbecue option should it be raining. Again.
Serve 4
Ingredients
200g bulgar wheat
1 aubergine
1 pepper
1 courgette
1 large onion
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 bunch chives
1/2 bunch mint
2 lemons
150g feta cheese
80g pomegranate seeds
Method
Cook the bulgar wheat by adding to a large dish and pouring 220ml boiling water over the top. Cover and leave to steam for 5-10 minutes before fluffing with a form.
Meanwhile, chop all aubergine, pepper, courgette and onion into large chunks and coat with 1 tbsp olive oil.
Heat a griddle pan, and once hot cook the vegetable in batched till deeply marked with dark lines.
Chop the herbs, juice the lemon and mix into the bulgar wheat.
Once cooked, add the vegetables, crumble the feta in.
Serve in a large bowl with pomegranate seeds scattered over the top.
Per serving: 289kcal/ 11g fat/ 7.0g saturated fat/ 31.2g carbohydrates/ 7.8g fibre/ 13.8g protein
Delicious quesadillas packed full of plant-based protein from the black beans. Leave the skins on the sweet potatoes to maximise fibre content (over 17g per portion of quesadillas even before you’ve added the sides!) and reduce food waste.
Serves 3
Ingredients
2-3 sweet potatoes (total 300g), cut into 1/2 inch cubes with the skin on
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 handful of coriander, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground white pepper
100g cheese such as Cheddar cheese (I have used a lighter cheddar to keep saturated fats lower), garted
3 wholemeal tortilla wraps
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To serve
Pickled onions
Soured cream
Jalapeños
Avocado
Tomato salsa
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
Toss the sweet potato in the smoked paprika. Roast on a large baking tray for 15-20 minutes till soft. Once removed set the oven temperature to 200°C fan.
Meanwhile, gently fry the onion in 1tsp olive oil for 10 minutes till soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, half mash the black beans before adding the onion mixture, sweet potatoes, oregano, white pepper and coriander. Mix together, lightly mashing the potatoes.
Take 1 tortilla wrap and brush with olive oil. Flip the tortilla wrap over and fill with 1/3 of the sweet potato mixture over one half of the wrap. Top with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining wraps and mixture.
Place the filled wraps onto the baking sheet used to cook the potatoes, and top with a second baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes till golden brown.
Serve cut into triangles with your choice of toppings.
Per quesadilla : 539kcal/ 18.1g fat/ 7.4g saturated fat/ 61.6g carbohydrates/ 17.5g fibre/ 24.5g protein
Kids back to school? Looking for an easy recipe? Here’s my easy Beef & Tomato Sauce which will make enough to feed a family of four twice over. Plus it’s super easy to adapt into a second meal, or alternatively freeze any leftover sauce for an night off cooking at a later date.
Perfect of young children too – for those aged under 7 months you may need to blend the sauce as the mince could be tough for those without teeth, and then serve it with large pasta as finger food.
If you don’t eat beef you can always substitute for turkey mince, or if you’re vegetarian use Quorn mince, or if you are vegan try using 125g red lentils and 125g green lentils with an addition 200-300ml water.
Serves 8 adults
Easy Beef & Tomato Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
2 large onions
3 sticks of celery
4 cloves of garlic
1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150g mushrooms
500g minced beef
2 tbsp tomato puree
800g tinned tomatoes – option to use peeled tomatoes or passata if serving to young babies
Method
Blend the onions, celery and garlic together in a food processor.
Add the blended vegetables to a large saucepan and cook with the oil for 5 minutes.
Chop or blend the mushrooms and add to the pan. Cook together till dry.
Push the mixture to the edge of the pan and add the minced beef in the centre so it sears. Flip to sear the second side before mixing into the vegetables.
Add the tomato puree and tinned tomatoes. Mix well.
Simmer for 30 minutes till cooked through.
Delicious served with cooked pasta and peas. Option to serve with cheese on the top.
Leftovers? Why not try turning this sauce into one of the following for a bit of diversity:
Spaghetti Bolognese: add mixed herbs, a grated carrot and a grated courgette. Serve with spaghetti and parmesan over the top.
Chilli Con Carne: add smoked paprika, oregano, chilli, mixed peppers and a tin of kidney beans. Serve with a roasted sweet potato or steamed rice.
Cottage Pie: add carrots and peas. Top with mash in an oven proof dish and bake.
Per portion of sauce: 172kcal/ 7.0g fat/ 1.8g saturated fat/ 7.0g carbohydrates/ 2.3g fibre/ 18.8g protein
When cauliflower cheese and macaroni cheese collide.
I made this recipe for child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed. She loved the idea of these muffins for baby led weaning. For more information on this topic head to her website.
Makes approximately 15 muffins
Ingredients
180g macaroni – I have used a high fibre variety
150g broccoli, cut into small florets
150g cauliflower, cut into small florets
40g butter
45g plain flour
600ml milk*
1 tsp English mustard (optional)
120g reduced fat cheddar cheese*, grated
Pepper to taste
1 egg
Oil for greasing OR muffin cases
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
Bring a large pan of water to boil. Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions, and steam the cauliflower and broccoli over the top of the pasta as it cooks.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour.
Slowly add in the milk a quarter at a time, stirring to prevent any lumps.
Option to add 1 teaspoon of English mustard.
Add half the grated cheese to the mix and allow to melt. Season with pepper to taste
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and stir into the sauce with the cauliflower and broccoli.
Add the egg and mix.
Line a muffin tray with cases, or lightly grease a non-stick tray. Fill each hole with mixture (2-3 spoonful’s).
Top with the reaming half of cheese.
Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes till golden brown.
Allow to cool completely in trays before removing unless in muffin cases, in which case you can remove after 5 minutes.
Suitable for freezing as easy grab and go options. Can be served cold, microwaved or oven heated.
*For children aged 2 and under use full fat dairy products including cheeses.
If you need an egg-free option you can omit the egg, but you will need to completely cool the bites in the tray and the chill them in the fridge before removing them so they can set in shape.
If you’re more of a traditionalist, you can make standard macaroni cheese by leaving the egg out and placing the mixture in an ovenproof dish. Simply top with the remaining half of cheese and bake in an oven set to 180°C fan for 25 minutes till golden brown and bubbling. You could also prep this dish ahead of time, pop it in the fridge and then bake for an easy mid-week meal for the family.
Per bite: 126kcal/ 5.2g fat/ 3.1g saturated fat/ 12.7g carbohydrates/ 2.2g fibre/ 6.2g protein
Could wild garlic be a low FODMAP alternative to garlic?
A 2019 paper investigated the fructan content of wild garlic and other herbs commonly used in Bulgaria. From their analysis, the authors found that the total fructans (FODMAPs) were lower in wild garlic in comparison to chives (2.2g vs 5.7g per 100g dried weight). Interestingly, people following low FODMAP diets tolerate chives and are encouraged to use chives in place of onions in recipes. While this research hasn’t been validated by Monash University, the leading site for low FODMAP food analysis, the finding suggest it may be worth self-challenging yourself! If you happen to know that garlic is one of your trigger foods and are able (and willing) to try this herb, please do get in touch to let me know how you got on.
Serve 4-5 people
Ingredients
100g wild garlic, roughly chopped
30g basil, leaves and stalks roughly chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
40g toasted pine nuts
45g parmesan, grated
Method
Blend the wild garlic, basil, olive oil and lemon juice together.
Add the pine nuts and parmesan and blend to the consistency of your choice – I prefer to keep mine with some texture in it.
Delicious served with my egg pasta recipe. If you want a double hit of wild garlic, try adding in a handful of wild garlic to make it vibrant green.
Wild Garlic Egg Pasta
Any leftover pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days – layer a little oil over the top to help reduce any oxidation. Alternatively, you can freeze your pesto in containers, or in ice cube trays for future use.
NOTE: Wild garlic looks very similar to the poisonous Lily of the Valley. If you aren’t sure, do not pick. Alternatively, it is available to buy for supermarkets, farmer’s markets, and to grow at home from garden centres.
So there’s the TikTok trending baked feta and tomato pasta, and you thought it couldn’t possibly get any easier, and yet here it is. 5 minutes of food prep, bang it in the oven and 45 minutes later you simply stir and serve. It’s perfect for busy mums juggling young children thanks to swapping out the feta for ricotta cheese.
Ricotta cheese is naturally much lower in salt in comparison to feta, containing around 0.3g salt per 100g. In comparison, feta can have up to ten times that amount. Swapping the feta our for ricotta in the recipe reduces the salt per portion from 1.5g to 0.24g. The recommendation for adults is a maximum of 6g per day, and that is an upper limit rather than a target to hit (our bodies actually need less than 1g per day to survive). Too much salt can lead to diseases such a heart disease and high blood pressure, so watching your salt intake is important. For children and babies this recommendation is much lower. The table below, taken from the British Nutrition Foundation shows the maximum salt levels for children at different ages.
I developed this recipe for baby and child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Read which is suitable for young babies (peel the skins off the cooked cherry tomatoes if serving to young babies without teeth), toddlers and adults, making it the perfect mid-week family dinner when you’re rushed off your feet.
Serves 3 adults, or a family of 4
Ingredients
250g pasta with a 10-12 minute cooking time
1/2 tsp dried oregano
400g cherry tomatoes
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tub (250g) ricotta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp basil, fresh or frozen
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
In a large oven-proof dish (minimum 1.8l capacity) combine the pasta, oregano and 550ml boiling water. Mix to disperse the oregano evenly.
Top with garlic and cherry tomatoes, leaving a space in the centre for the ricotta.
Turn the ricotta out into the centre and drizzle the oil over everything.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven, top with the basil and mix everything thoroughly, crushing the tomatoes and the ricotta to make the sauce.
Per serving: 511kcal/ 17.1g fat/ 5.9g saturated fat/ 68.7g carbohydrates/ 4.8g fibre/ 18.2g protein
Making your own baked beans can be so satisfying and give you greater control over what goes into them. A quick investigation into baked beans sold in UK supermarkets shows that the average 200g portion of standard baked beans will contain 1g of salt (ranging up to a staggering 1.6g).
It’s Salt Awareness Week (8th-14th March 2021), which aims to highlight the reduction of salt intakes. The UK recommendation is a maximum of 6g salt per day. However, the National Diet & Nutrition Survey showed that the average person was eating 8.4g salt in 2018-2019.
The greatest contributors to salt in our diet comes from processed foods and includes bread, cheese, and meat products such as bacon. Around 8% of our salt intakes comes from pre-prepared vegetables such as frozen chips, mashed potatoes and tinned produce. Watch out for tinned beans, pulses and vegetable is water with added salt. Additionally, watch out for tinned tomato products which add salt in. While salt is a preservative, it is not really needed in these products.
If you are looking to reduce your salt intake, you might find things taste a little bland at first. After a few weeks your tastebuds will become more sensitive to salt. You can always add other flavours to food to help in this transition period; try adding herbs, spices, lemon/lime juice or pepper to your meal.
These homemade baked beans contain a fraction of the salt content of their tinned counterparts, containing just 0.14g per 200g serving. Not only that, but you’ll also benefit from 8.7g of fibre and 11 different plant foods for fibre diversity. In addition, my baked beans are naturally sweetened using a carrot and smoked paprika, meaning there’s no added sugar to these beans either.
Store any leftover beans in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or alternatively freeze in handy portions ready for a quick and easy meal.
Makes 7 portions
Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 large carrot (100g), grated
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500g passata
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp mixed herbs
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin of haricot beans in water
2 tins of mixed pulses in water
Method
Add the garlic, carrots and oil to a large pan and cook over a gentile heat for 5 minutes till softened.
Add the passata, herbs and spices, vinegar, tomato puree and 100ml water. Cook for a further 15-20 minutes over a low heat till the carrots become soft.
Blend to a smooth sauce and add the beans.
Cook over a low heat with the lid on for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Per 200g serving 163kcal/ 3.4g fat/ 0.6g saturated fat/ 19.9g carbohydrates/ 8.7g fibre/ 9.5g protein/ 0.14g salt
I love the combination of sage and squash. It’s one of my favourite winter flavour duo! Delicious any time of the day; serve at brunch with an egg cooked to your liking, or serve as lunch, or even dinner as a starter or main dish. These would be delicious with a soured cream sauce on the side, or make a spicy tomato and avocado salsa.
Serves 4 as a lighter meal or starter, or 2 as a main
Ingredients
350g squash in large chunks, skin left on
1 large egg
10 sage leaves, finely diced
250ml milk
1 block of halloumi, cut into four 1cm thick slices and the remaining finely shredded
150g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 nutmeg, grated
Olive oil for frying
Method
Roast the squash in a pre-heated oven set at 180°C for up 45 minutes till soft. Allow to cool slightly before peeling off the skin. You should have approximately 180-200g cooked squash.
Mash the squash in a large bowl, before adding in the sage, egg, milk and diced halloumi.
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients before combining with the wet ingredients. Mix to form a batter the consistency of thick double cream.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add 1/2 tsp olive oil.
Allowing space between each pancake, take a ladel of batter and make a round for each pancake, allowing the mixture to spread naturally. Cook in batches according to the size of your frying pan.
Cook for 2 minutes per side, flipping with a spatula once bubbles have risen to the surface and the edge starts to dull. Cook for a further 2 minutes on the second side.
Keep cooked pancakes warm in an oven set to 100°C on a tray, keeping pancakes to a single layer if possible.
Once all the pancakes are cooked, add the remaining slices of halloumi to the pan and fry till crispy and golden on both sides.
Serve the pancakes in stacks and top with crispy halloumi.
Per serving: 406kcal/ 21.4g fat/ 11.3g saturated fat/ 33.4g carbohydrates/ 5.9g fibre/ 19.0g protein
Dr Pippa 