Category: Recipes

Sicilian Caper Focaccia

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Makes 1 large focaccia which will serve 8 minimum

Ingredients

  • 150g levain, refreshed 8-12 hours earlier
  • 15ml extra virgin olive oil plus extra for later
  • 150g wholemeal bread flour
  • 600g white bread flour
  • 12g salt
  • Salted caper
  • A few sprigs of rosemary

Method

  • Mix the levain, 500ml water and 15ml olive oil together before adding the flours and mixing to make a shaggy dough. Leave for 30 minutes covered.
  • Mix 12g of salt with 75ml water till dissolved, and pour over the dough, scrunching the dough with your hand to mix it in. The dough should look very rough and almost broken into small pieces. Cover and leave for 45 minutes.
  • Over the next few hours complete 4 sets of coil folds, allowing the dough to rest for 45-60 minutes between each fold.
  • Line and grease a large baking tray with olive oil. Gently transfer the dough to the baking tray and push the dough over the surface so it reaches the corners as best you can – there will be some resistance so don’t force it.
  • Cover the dough and leave in the fridge to slowly rise overnight – anywhere between 8-24 hours depending on your schedule
  • The next day preheat your oven to maximum temperature, add a small empty tray to the bottom of the oven for steam later, and remove the focaccia from the fridge.
  • Once the oven is up to temperature, uncover the dough and drizzle with a little olive oil. Using wet fingers, press your fingertips through the surface of the dough to create plenty of dimples before adding capers (with a little of their salt) and rosemary to the dimples.
  • Place the focaccia in the oven, adding water into the hot tray to create steam, closing the door as quickly as possible to trap the steam in, and reduce the oven temperature to 225°C fan/ 245°C convection for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the tray with water and bake for another 5 minutes* till the crust is golden.
  • Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Sicilian Caper Sourdough Focaccia

Bulgar Wheat Salad with Chickpeas

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Did you know that the average Brit spends £1000 buying lunch at work over the course of the year? This cost, coupled with the single-use packaging and missed opportunity for added nutrition is why I’ve teamed up with MyNutriWeb as part of Sustainable September to help you be more sustainable when it comes to lunch. It is estimated that 28% of people look to social media to influence their lunch choices, so let me influence you with my sustainable bulgar wheat salad with chickpeas which costs less than a meal deal, is packed full of fibre, and provides 20g of plant-based protein. You can read the full blog on MyNutriWeb’s webpage.

Serves 2 but can easily be doubled up to make more lunches

  • 100g bulgar wheat
  • 20g chives, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 6 sundried tomatoes, chopped, with
  • 200g cucumber, diced
  • 100g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained (look for those with no added salt)

Method

  1. Add the bulgar wheat and chives to a large mixing bowl and pour 120ml boiling water over the top. Cover and leave to steam for 10 minutes till all the water has been absorbed.
  2. Once cooked, fluff the bulgar wheat and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Substitutions:

  • Bulgar wheat for couscous, quinoa, or orzo
  • Chives for spring onions or finely diced red onion
  • Sun-dried tomatoes for fresh, or roasted peppers, or artichokes
  • Cucumber for courgettes, or leftover roast vegetables
  • Flat leaf parsley for lettuce, rocket, watercress, spinach or any other leafy green
  • Chickpeas for any other beans e.g. butter beans, kidney beans, haricot beans
Bulgar Wheat Salad with Chickpeas

Per serving: 448kcal/ 8g fat/ 1.1g saturated fat/ 65g carbohydrates/ 18g fibre/ 20g protein

Gut Loving Chickpea Caesar Salad

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My Gut Loving Crispy Chickpea Caesar Salad is a delicious way to increase diversity as well as pack in pre- and probiotics whilst delivering 13g of fibre and 30g of protein per serving!

Did you know that the bacteria found in Parmigiano Reggiano can survive and help to colonise our gut making it a delicious probiotic if eaten raw? And this paired with the live bacteria in the yoghurt (more probiotics) and plenty of prebiotics (chickpeas, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, rocket, spinach and watercress all being sources) and fibre diversity and quantity make this the perfect salad for both your tastebuds and gut microbiota.

Serves 2 as a main

  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and dried
  • 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 180g stale sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized chunks
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 100g live yoghurt (I used a 0% fat variety)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 3 anchovies in oil (12g)
  • 60g Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 2 baby gem lettuce heads
  • 100g mixed rocket, spinach and watercress

Method

  • Mix the chickpeas with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and cook in an air fryer set to 200°C for 20 minutes
  • Mix the sourdough chunks with 1 tbsp olive oil and add to the chickpeas after 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the lemon juice, yoghurt, garlic and anchovies together and blending till smooth. Add half the parmesan.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the leaves and the dressing and mix well before adding most of the crispy chickpeas and croutons.
  • Serve in a large bowl and top with any leftover chickpeas and croutons, and the remaining parmesan. Eat straight away.
Gut Loving Chickpea Caesar Salad

Per serving: 663kcal/ 28g fat/ 4.1g saturated fat/ 65g carbohydrates/ 13g fibre/ 30g protein

Blackberry & Brie Sourdough Toastie

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A really easy toastie recipe with the added nutrition from chia seeds to make the quickest jam ever! The chia seeds soak up any liquid from the crushed blackberries, helping to thicken the juices so it works as a spread for the toastie, whilst adding a little extra fibre and healthy polyunsaturated fats. The sweet sharpness of the seasonal blackberries contrasts perfectly with the creamy brie, and the crunch of the sourdough.

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 100g blackberries
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 60g brie
  • 2 slices of seeded sourdough
  • 1 tsp honey (optional if the berries are too tart)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  • Mash the blackberries and chia seed together and leave for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
  • Once the jam is “set” spread it onto slices of sourdough, and top with slices of brie and honey if needed. Sandwich the second piece of bread over the top.
  • Heat a skillet over a low-medium heat and add 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Cook the toastie on one side for 3-5 minutes till golden brown. Brush the second side of bread with the remaining oil before flipping and cooking.
  • Serve immediately.
Blackberry & Brie Toastie

Per serving: 764kcal/ 41g fat/ 14g saturated fat/ 66g carbohydrates/ 9.3g fibre/ 27g protein

One Pan Chipotle Chicken Rice

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It’s back to school time, so you’re looking for a super simple recipe which doesn’t take any time, but delivers on flavour and nutrition. Here’s my one-pan chipotle chicken rice dish, with minimal fuss and washing up leaving you with more time to do your other tasks. We’re using onion, peppers and tomatoes for fibre and micronutrients, wholegrain rice for energy, beans and chicken for protein, extra virgin olive oil and avocado for healthy fats, plenty of herbs, spices and lime for flavour, and something to make the food fun which could be tortilla chips or grated cheese, but for me it’s soured cream, because nutrition is about inclusion, rather than exclusion. And, bonus fact about this dish, all this gives you a total of 9 plant points towards your weekly target of 30 which helps to feed the diversity of your gut microbiome. 

Ingredients

  • 3 peppers (300g), sliced
  • 3 red onions (300g), cut into wedges
  • 3 large tomatoes (250g), diced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 packets of cooked wholegrain rice
  • 1 tin of black beans, drained
  • 400g boneless chicken thighs (option to use tofu to make plant-based)
  • 2 tbsp chipotle flakes (option to reduce if you don’t like spice)
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt (option to leave out if cooking for young babies)

To serve

  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 2 limes, one juiced and one cut into quarters
  • Fresh coriander
  • Soured cream
  • Grated cheese
  • Tortilla chips

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 225°C fan/ 250°C convection.
  • Mix the peppers, onion and tomatoes in a large bowl with the olive oil.
  • In a large shallow ovenproof dish, add the rice and beans and mix to evenly distribute. Layer the pepper mix over the top and bake for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, marinate the chicken thighs in the dry herbs and spices. Once the veg is partially cooked, make slight indentations in the veg and nestle the chicken in. Bake for a further 20 minutes.
  • While the chicken cooks, mix the avocado and lime juice together.
  • Once cooked layer the avocado, coriander and soured cream over the top and serve hot with optional extras to make the meal more satifsying.

Per serving: 618kcal/ 24g fat/ 5.1g saturated fat/ 55g carbohydrates/ 16g fibre/ 35g protein

Courgette Pasta Bake 3 Ways

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I was asked for a recipe that could be batch-cooked and frozen down for a baby as part of weaning using a courgette. So here is my Courgette Pasta Bake which can be used 3 different ways: either cook and eat straight away, as meal prep either in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for a few months, or as mini individual pasta muffins which are great for weaning and can be frozen down as individual portions.

I’ve used semi-skimmed milk and a 30% less fat cheddar-style cheese to help keep the saturated fats down, but if you are making food for babies aged 2 and under use full-fat varieties.

I’ve also used a higher-fibre white pasta for extra fibre to help me reach my 30g recommendation for the day.

Makes 6 adult portions

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 60g plain flour
  • 1l milk
  • 1.5tsp English mustard
  • 300g cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 courgettes (550g total), grated
  • 450g pasta of choice – I used an added fibre variety
  • 2-3 large tomatoes (optional), sliced

Method

  • Set the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection.
  • Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute before adding the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly till thick. Add the mustard and half the cheddar cheese and season with pepper to taste.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions.
  • Off the heat add the courgette to the sauce and mix in, and once the pasta is cooked, drain, and add to the courgette sauce and mix.
  • Option 1: Pour everything into an ovenproof dish, top with the tomato slices and remaining cheese and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes till the top is golden brown and bubbling.
  • Option 2: Pour into an ovenproof dish, allow to cool and top with cheese when you are ready to cook. This can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Option 3: Divide the mixture into muffin cases, top with the remaining cheese and bake 15-20 minutes till the top is golden brown and bubbling. You can freeze these as individual portions for a baby – make sure they are piping hot in the middle when reheating in either the oven, air fryer or microwave.

Per serving: 478kcal/ 22g fat/ 13g saturated fat/ 42g carbohydrates/ 4.7g fibre/ 26g protein

Courgette Flower Arancini

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This is a rough recipe, as it’s dependent on several factors:

  • How much risotto you have left over
  • How many courgette flowers you have
  • How much time you want to spend making these!!

In all honesty, these weren’t the easiest recipe I’ve ever made, but I did think they were worth all the extra effort.

Your gut microbes will also love this recipe due to the resistant starch formation in the risotto when it’s left overnight in the fridge.

Ingredients

  • Leftover courgette risotto, stored in the fridge for 24 hours
  • Courgette flowers, male and female
  • Mozzarella (optional, but highly recommended!)
  • Plain flour
  • Eggs
  • Breadcrumbs – I used some stale sourdough focaccia

Method

  • Remove the stamen from the inside of the courgette flowers to make more space inside.
  • Stuff each flower with leftover risotto and optional mozzarella, twisting the ends of the petals to close the end.
  • Dust each flower in flour, egg and breadcrumbs before baking on a lined baking sheet in a preheated oven set to 225°C fan/ 250°C convection.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes till crispy and golden brown.
Courgette Flower Arancini

Courgette Risotto

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Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 courgettes, 2 sliced and 2 grated
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 red onions, finely diced
  • 5 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 20g butter
  • 250g risotto rice
  • 250ml dry white wine (optional)
  • 1 vegetable stock cube made up in 600ml boiling water
  • 60g parmesan

Method

  • Fry the sliced courgettes in the olive oil for around 10 minutes, till soft and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • In the same pan add the onions with a splash of water and cook over a low heat till soft and translucent. Add the garlic in and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  • Add the butter and rice and toast for a few minutes till fragrant before adding the wine and stirring continuously.
  • Add hot stock a few ladles at a time, stirring till the liquid is absorbed before adding more stock in.
  • When the rice is almost cooked al dente, add the grated courgettes in and allow to soften as the risotto finishes cooking.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan, and serve topped with the fried courgettes.
Courgette Risotto

Per serving: 486kcal/ 20g fat/ 7.2g saturated fat/ 61g carbohydrates/ 2.9g fibre/ 14g protein

Chocolate Courgette Cake

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Chocolate Courgette Cake

This cake secretly hides 2 courgettes in it, and you almost can’t tell bar the few flecks of green and yellow here and there. The courgette helps the cake stay moist, and it is in ways close to the texture of a brownie, but it also happens to be egg and dairy-free, meaning it’s suitable for those following a full plant-based diet.

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredients

  • 2 courgettes grated (approximately 325-360g)
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 120g vegetable oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
  • 60g plant-based milk (I used unsweetened soya)
  • Juice of half a lemon (15ml)
  • 200g wholemeal plain flour
  • 60 cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 150g dark chocolate chips

Method

  • Mix the courgettes, caster sugar, vegetable oil, plant-based milk and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarb together to evenly distribute.
  • Combine the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing well with the addition of 2/3 of the chocolate chips.
  • Spread out into a lined baking time approximately 25cmx25cm, top with the remaining chocolate chops, and bake for 25-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 160°C fan/ 180°C convection.
  • Allow to cool on a rack before slicing.

If you are feeling more decadent, this cake is delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Chocolate Courgette Cake with Ice Cream

Per serving: 220kcal/ 13g fat/ 4.0g saturated fat/ 21g carbohydrates/ 3.6g fibre/ 3.6g protein

Whipped Lemon Ricotta and Basil Courgettes

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This is a great dish to have as a sharing starter in the middle of the table with people dipping chunks of sourdough bread in, scooping up a delicious bite-sized piece of summer.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 3 courgettes, around 600g, sliced into rounds about the thickness of a pound coin
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 250g ricotta
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • 15g chives, finely sliced
  • 30g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 15g basil

To serve

Method

  • In a large pan, cook the courgettes in the olive oil, seasoned with a little salt, till slightly soft and golden brown.
  • Meanwhile, whip the ricotta with the chives, parsley and lemon zest.
  • Once the courgettes are cooked, remove from the heat and add the lemon juice along with the basil. Stir to combine.
  • Plate up with the herby ricotta on the bottom of the plate, and courgettes piled up high on top, with slices of bread to dip in.
Lemon Basil Courgettes on Whipped Ricotta

Per serving of dip: 330kcal/ 24g fat/ 12g saturated fat/ 5.4g carbohydrates/ 1.9g fibre/ 22g protein

Courgette Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Courgettes in a cookie? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

These cookies are made with spelt flour, mostly because I didn’t have any plain flour. However, using alternative grains to wheat is a great way to improve the biodiversity of the foods we grow, and not only help look after our planet, but also out gut microbiota which love different sources of fibre.

Makes 18 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 medium courgette, around 220g, grated and the water squeezed out leaving you with around 150g “dry” courgette
  • 1 egg
  • 125g soft light brown sugar
  • 100g extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 120g spelt flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
  • 130g jumbo rolled oats
  • 175g dark chocolate chips

Method

  • Add the courgette, egg, sugar, olive oil and vanilla to a large bowl and stir to combine.
  • In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon together.
  • Add the dry mix to the wet along with the oats and chocolate chip and mix together.
  • Measure out 50g per cookie onto a lined baking sheet, leaving a little gap between each cookie to allow for spreading when baking. You should get 18 cookies from this mixture.
  • Bake in an oven set to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection for 10-12 minutes, or till golden brown on the edges.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Courgette Chocolate Chip Cookies

Per cookie: 191kcal/ 11g fat/ 3.5g saturated fat/ 19g carbohydrates/ 2.4g fibre/ 3.3g protein

One Pan Courgette Pasta

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Minimal washing up whilst creating a really delicious and balanced meal in 15 minutes! It’s using courgettes, kale, basil and nasturtium all from the allotment. If you haven’t tried nasturtium before, it has a slightly peppery taste that reminds me of rocket – both the flowers and leaves are edible, plus they act as a pollinator for bees which attracts them into the allotments to pollinate my fruits and veggies!

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 300g pasta
  • 150g kale, roughly chopped, stems separate to the leaves
  • 2 medium-sized courgettes
  • 1 tub of garlic and herb cream cheese (135g) – I used Paysan & Breton
  • 1 tin of butterbeans
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 10g basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Nasturtium (optional)

Method

  • Cook the pasta for 4 minutes less than the packet instructions, adding the kale stems in too. Meanwhile, grate the courgettes.
  • Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a mug of pasta water and add the kale leaves in before draining.
  • Return to a low heat and add the grated courgettes, cream cheese, butterbeans, lemon zest and juice, basil leaves and olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes, adding extra pasta water if needed.
  • Season to taste with pepper before serving up and topping with extra basil and optional nasturtium.
One Pan Courgette Pasta

Per serving: 464kcal/ 14g fat/ 6.2g saturated fat/ 62g carbohydrates/ 11g fibre/ 17g protein