This bright and refreshing salsa can be loaded onto a stack of nachos, or used as a dip. It’s really easy to make but definitely best eaten on the same day as it is made. You can increase the spice level to your own taste, and keep it mild by leaving the fresh chilli out and just using a few jalapeños instead.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1/2 a red onion, finely diced
1/2 a chilli (or to taste), finely sliced
2 large tomatoes, deseeded
5-6 pickled jalapenos (or to taste)
1/2 a bunch of coriander
1 lime
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
In a large pestle and mortar, add the onion, chilli and a pinch of salt. Pound till the onions and chilli are half turned into a paste.
Dice the tomatoes and roughly chop the jalapenos and coriander. Add to the onion mix with the olive oil and juice of half a lime.
Mix together and check the seasoning, adding more lime juice or coriander to your taste.
Super simple to make, and the best crowd-pleaser. You can simply serve it as a dip for your tortilla chips, or try adding this to your next burrito to take it to the next levels!
Serves 4
Ingredients
1/2 a red onion, finely diced
1/2 a chilli (or to taste), finely sliced
2 medium avocados, or 3 small
1-2 limes
1 large tomato, deseeded
1/2 a bunch of coriander
Method
In a large pestle and mortar, add the onion, chilli and a pinch of salt. Pound till the onions and chilli are half turned into a paste.
Peel and roughly dice the avocado, and add to the onion mix with the juice of 1 lime. Lightly pound till you have the desired texture; I like my guacamole with large chunks of avocado.
Dice the tomato and roughly chop the coriander. Add to the avocado and mix together. Taste and add more lime juice if needed.
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
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
The easiest (and quickest) way to use up some brown Fairtrade bananas from the bottom of your fruit bowl. These little cakes make the perfect pudding in a hurry. There’s also no added sugar thanks to the natural sweetness of the extra ripe bananas, and the addition of a date.
Each cake provides you with 4 different plant points for your weekly tally. If you can resist eating it straight out of the ramekin (be careful as it’s super hot!!) you can turn it out onto a plate and serve it with your choice of toppings. It’s the perfect brunch served with plain yoghurt and berries, but you could always opt for something more indulgent such as custard or ice cream if eating it for dessert.
Sourcing both Fairtrade bananas and cocoa means that those working in the food chain will get a fair wage; from the farmers who grow the produce, to those who process it into the final product so they can have a better standard of living. Fairtrade Fortnight 2021 runs from 22nd February to 7th March. Look out for the Fairtrade logo on popular items such as bananas, chocolate, coffee, tea, flowers and clothing.
Serves 2
Ingredients
60g butter
2 very ripe Fairtrade bananas (total weight 175-200g)
1 egg
1 Medjool date, finely chopped or 20g chopped dates
60g self-raising flour
15g Fairtrade cocoa powder
To serve (optional)
Yoghurt
Defrosted frozen berries
Method
Melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds till very soft. Add the bananas and mash into a lumpy paste.
Mix in the egg and chopped date.
Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix till just combined.
Pour into 2 large ramekins. Cook each cake for 90-100 seconds in the microwave (900 W) till puffed up and cooked. If you still have raw batter keep microwaving 10 seconds at a time till cooked.
Leave to cool for 30 seconds before turning out onto a plate and serving with yoghurt and berries.
Per serving: 499kcal/ 29.1g fat/ 18.0g saturated fat/ 31.9g carbohydrates/ 6.3g fibre/ 9.2g protein
An easy tray bake recipe I wrote for Charlotte Stirling-Reed which is suitable for the whole family. Make a large batch and have leftovers for your lunch the next day.
If you are short on time you could use frozen chopped peppers and onion to save a bit of preparation time. And if you don’t have fresh tomatoes you could substitute in 200g of chopped tinned tomatoes.
For young children the salt allowance is very low. Using a home made chicken marinade means that there are no hidden sugars or added salt. This means you may needed to add seasoning when you dish this up for adults.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2-3 onions, each cut into 8 wedges
2 large peppers, cut into 1cm slices
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tin of unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained
To serve
Rice or tortilla wraps
Avocado
Soured cream or yoghurt
Fresh coriander
Lime juice
Fresh sliced chilli (optional for adults and older children)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/ 220°C convection
Mix the onion, pepper and tomatoes with the oil in a large baking tray. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the dried spices together and coat the chicken thighs and allow to marinade.
After 5 minutes of cooking, add the beans and chicken to the tray and cook for a further 18-20 minutes till the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
Serve in a fajita rice bowl, or in wraps with your choice of toppings.
Serve as loaded fajitas or a fajita rice bowl
Per serving of fajita tray bake: 307kcal/ 14.5g fat/ 3.4g saturated fat/ 17.1g carbohydrates/ 6.9g fibre/ 24.3g protein
These cookies taste like a cross between a Hobnob and a spiced Ginger Nuts biscuit. Super easy to make, the hardest part is waiting between each of the different stages!
These are also perfect for little hands which will want to get involved. They can help with pouring the ingredients into the food processors, rolling, cutting and decorating. The use of oats and wholemeal flour means that although they are still a biscuit, they will still be contributing towards fibre intake.
These make the perfect little gift, or can be hung on the Christmas tree as decorations. To do this, poke a hole at the top before baking to allow you to use string to hang from the tree.
Makes around 30 small cookies
Ingredients
75g oats
100g wholemeal flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g butter
70g soft light brown sugar
30g golden syrup
1/2 a beaten egg
Plain flour for dusting
Method
In a food processor, blitz the oats till they resemble flour. Add the wholemeal flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and butter. Blitz together till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and briefly mix together before adding the golden syrup and egg. Mix till the dough forms large clumps before turning out onto the work surface. The mixture should feel a little sticky. If it is dry add a little more egg.
Lightly knead the dough till it just comes together.
Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Preheat the over to 160°C fan/ 180°C convection.
Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment.
Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5mm using a little plain flour to stop it from sticking, and cut out your desired shapes using a lightly dusted cookie cutter.
Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet, leaving a 1cm gap between the cookies to allow them to expand slightly.
Bake for 12 minutes for smaller shapes (or those with several holes in them like my snowflakes) and up to 15 minutes for larger shapes till just turning slightly darker on the edges.
Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Per 10g cookie: 48kcal/ 1.7 fat/ 0.9g saturated fat/ 7.0g carbohydrates/ 0.6g fibre/ 0.9g protein
Super simple, seasonal, and takes just 15 minutes to cook. Kale is a great source of vitamin K, as well as beta-carotene which the body can convert into vitamin A.
I see loads of recipes using kale where they strip the leafy part off the central stem. I love the contrast of textures, with the stem staying crunchy as the leaves become soft. It also helps reduce food wastage by eating the whole of the produce.
Kale is a plant-based source of dietary iron. Being from a plant, it is in the form of non-haem iron which means it is harder for the body to absorb. Using the lemon juice at the end of cooking adds vitamin C to the dish which can help increase the uptake of plant-based iron.
Serves 2
Ingredients
150g dried pasta of choice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g kale, roughly chopped
60g sundried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
Method
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions.
Separately, in a frying pan cook the kale with the oil for a few minutes till slightly soft.
Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook for a further few minutes till fragrant. If needed, add a little pasta water to stop the garlic from burning.
Add the pasta with a tablespoon of pasta water and add the lemon zest and juice.
Stir to combine and serve immediately.
Per serving: 441kcal/ 11.8g fat/ 1.6g saturated fat/ 64.9g carbohydrates/ 9.0g fibre/ 13.8g protein
Sourdough crackers which use up all the left over sourdough discard, meaning that between each preparation of the leaven for baking, the discarded sourdough starter can be turned into their own item and reduce food waste. Simply store all the unused starter in a clean container in the fridge, topping it up as you make more starter. You can keep adding starter for around 2 weeks to save up enough to make these crackers.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it’s so forgiving, you can use whatever flours you happen to have in your cupboard. This way you can increase the fibre diversity for your weekly tally by using different grains such as spelt, rye or wholegrain flours. Some flours absorb more water than others, and depending on how wet your starter discard is will determine exactly how much flour is needed for the dough.
Mix up the cracker flavours by adding in different ingredients. The below recipe is a simple seeded recipe, but the addition of nigella seeds will give a savoury flavour, or top with a little grated cheese over the top before cutting a baking to make a cheese topped cracker.
I keep my crackers very rustic looking. I simply roll out the dough and then run a pizza cutter through to make rough squares. You could of course jazz up their appearance by using a biscuit cutter to make specific shapes, or perhaps make them more seasonal with those cookie cutters you bought but never seem to get around to using…..!
If you want to ensure you have flat crackers without air bubbles in them, prick them with a fork before baking. This will allow any trapped air to be released rather than bubbling up and creating a pillow shaped cracker.
Makes around 40 crackers
Ingredients
175g sourdough discard
125g flour of choice (I have used equal portions of spelt, rye and khorasan)
30ml extra virgin olive oil
30 mixed seeds of choice (I have used poppy, linseed and sesame)
Method
Add the starter, flour and oil in a bowl and mix together to combine. The mixture should be firm but pliable and not stick to your hands – add more flour or water depending on how it feels.
Mix the seeds in and knead the dough lightly for a few minutes till smooth. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection.
Divide the ball into 2 and roll out to around 2mm thickness, using a little extra flour to stop the dough from sticking.
Cut into the desired cracker shape and size and place onto a baking sheet.
Bake for 10-15 minutes till golden brown and crispy.
Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Got some leftover risotto from my Beetroot and Goat Cheese Risotto recipe? Here’s how to turn it into a delicious alternative dish which will give you an excuse to make extra risotto next time! Alternatively, you could make these beetroot and goat cheese risotto cakes from the get-go, but it’s best to cool the mixture in the fridge overnight. This is also a handy way of increasing resistant starch, something our bodies are unable to digest, but the microbes in our guts love them and it makes them happy!
When you’re growing so many courgettes you simply don’t know how best to eat them! This seems to be my 2020 courgette staple dish, I find myself making them on a weekly basis, and they make the most amazing starter or side to a lunch or dinner.
I usually favour the traditional chip or wedge shape, but they also do well in a circular crisp style, perfect for dunking into a dip of your choice
There are also so many different ways to flavour them. You could go spicy with chilli and chipotle, or garlic and herb, or do as I do with herbs and parmesan.
The dipping sauce is also yours to own too. If you don’t want soured cream you could make a spicy mayonnaise, or serve with a little tomato chilli relish. Fancy ketchup? No problem there either. Your chips and you dip them in whatever you wish.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 medium courgette, cut into wedges
1 small egg, beaten
30g plain flour
10g parmesan, finely grated
Dried herbs of choice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To serve
75g sour cream
Juice of half a lime
Fresh herbs, such as coriander and chives
Method
Preheat the oven to 225°C fan, 240°C convection
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.
Mix the flour, parmesan, herbs, and some pepper together in a shallow bowl.
Keeping one hand for dry dusting, and one hand for the egg, roll each courgette wedge in the flour mix, followed by the egg, and back into the flour mix, ensure all edges have been covered at each stage. Place on a baking sheet.
Repeat till all the courgette chips have been used.
Drizzle with the olive oil and bake in the oven for 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the herbs and mix with the soured cream and lime juice.
Once the courgette chips are cooked, transfer to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce.
Dr Pippa 