Beetroot Rice

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

2 cups (dry) basmati or Thai rice 

1 medium fresh beetroot

1 stalk celery

1/2 cucumber

Cook the rice: (1 cup rice to 1&1/3 water) in a large pan, rinse rice, add water, bring to boil, simmer for 10-15 mins. Grate the beetroot and dice the celery and cucumber. Serve :) 

Potato Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

5 medium potatoes

1 can tomatoes or 5 fresh tomatoes

1 tsp mixed herbs eg oregano/ basil

1 handful mixed lettuce

Peel and chop potatoes into quarters and place in a pan, bring to the boil and cook until soft (about 20 minutes). In a bowl add the tomatoes and herbs and blend together with a hand blender or in a blender. Heat if desired. Drain your potatoes and add to a large bowl, allow to cool for a creamier taste and pour the tomato sauce over the top. Place on your mixed lettuce and enjoy!

Hint: to save time just chop up the potatoes in their skins, cook, allow to cool and peel the skins off. 

Carrot Paprika Risotto

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

2.5 cups (dry) thai rice or sushi rice 

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1/2 tsp paprika

1 stalk fresh parsley

1 head lettuce

To cook sushi rice: (1 cup rice to 1&1/3 water) in a large pan, rinse rice, add water, bring to boil, simmer for 15 mins. 

Or

To make sticky Thai rice: (1 cup rice to 1&1/3 water) in a large pan, rinse rice, add boiling water, bring to boil, simmer for 10 mins. Once all the water is absorbed add more boiling water and stir the rice until it becomes starchy and gooey. 

On simmer whilst the rice is still cooking add the carrots peeled and finely sliced along with the celery and paprika. Continue to stir together and cover with a lid. Cook until the veg are soft. Wash the lettuce in a salad spinner. Place the risotto into a large bowl, add the lettuce and top with parsley :)

Cereal Upgrade - Crispy Rice

Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

1 heaping cup Nature's Path Gluten Free Crispy Rice (found in Sainsbury's) 

300 ml Rice Dream Rice Milk (also found in Sainsbury's and Asda) 

This is a really tasty high carb breakfast cereal upgrade. It's even great as a snack between meals :) 

Baked Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

1 large butternut squash

1/2 head broccoli 

2.5 (dry) cups Thai jasmine rice 

Slice the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and lay skin side down on a baking sheet. In a shallow dish add some water and place at the bottom of your oven. This will keep the squash moist. Bake on 200 degrees celcius for 45 minutes checking occasionally. Near the end turn the heat down slightly. Once the squash is cooked take out the oven and mash the flesh with a fork. 

To prepare the rice: rinse in a pan, add 6 cups of water, bring to the boil and simmer until all the water is absorbed and the rice is sticky. 

Steam the broccoli in a pan with a few inches of water and a lid, until bright green. 

Then serve - create either a bed of rice and lay the squash on top or in a bowl slice up the squash and combine with the rice and broccoli. Delicious! 

Raspberry and Banana Nice Cream

Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

5 frozen spotty bananas

1/2 cup frozen raspberries 

1-2 cups water 

Place all the ingredients in a large blender. Pulse blend into a thick rich nice cream. You may need to stir to get the blades turning. Then pour into a bowl and enjoy! 

Sweet Potato Paprika Pie

Ingredients: 

(Serves 2-4) 

1.5kg sweet potatoes 

200g red split lentils

2 carrots

1 leek

1 large head kale or spring greens

4 beetroot leaves & stems 

4 broccoli stems

1 sprig parsley

Spices:

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp cumin 

Sides:

1 red bell pepper

2-4 large handfulls mixed lettuce leaves 

Mashed potato topping:

Peel all your sweet potatoes and dice into chunks. Add them to a large pan, fill with water until just covered, place on a lid and bring to the boil. Simmer until soft, drain (saving some juices), place back into the pan and mash with either a masher or a hand blender. Blend with some of the juices to make a fluffier mash. 

Filling:

Pan 1 - Rinse the lentils and add to a small pan along with 3 cups of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Pan 2 - Meanwhile, slice the leek into rounds and dice the carrots into small chunks (peel if necessary) then add to a medium pan and stir fry with a splash of water on medium heat until soft and fragrant.

Pan 3 - Rinse and chop the greens (kale, beetroot leaves, broccoli stems) into small pieces and place in a large pan with 2-3 cups of water, cover with a lid and allow to steam until bright green and tender (you may need to stir a few times).

Once that's all cooked place the lentils, leek and carrot into pan 3 with the greens. Add the turmeric, paprika and cumin and stir together to form a very thick mixture, add some sweet potato juices if necessary. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes to combine flavours. 

Grilling:

In a large dish pour in the filling, using a spatula even out then scoop the sweet potato on top of the filling forming an even layer so that no filling can be seen. Using a folk, create groves in the surface, this allows it to go crispy. Turn on your grill and allow to crisp up for about 20 minutes, checking regularly until slightly golden. Top with parsley. Then serve with fresh lettuce and red bell pepper slices. Awesome! 

Basic Spaghetti 'Bolognese'

Ingredients: 

(Serves 1-2) 

500g (dry) corn/rice Spaghetti 

1 tin tomatoes/ 5 large fresh tomatoes

1/2 cucumber/courgette 

1 handful fresh herbs eg basil/parsley

1 lemon juiced (optional)

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the spaghetti. Stir and cook for about 8-12 minutes. Meanwhile in a medium pan add the tomatoes, chopped cucumber and herbs. Using a hand blender, blend into a rich thick sauce (if it's runny you can add some spaghetti and blend). To heat, place on the hob and heat slowly. * Then strain the spaghetti and serve. Top with the sauce, a little lemon juice and voila! 

*You don't need to heat the sauce, you could just serve :) 

Grated Potato Paprika Soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

2 tins tomatoes

1 tin chickpeas

1 tsp tahini

4 carrots

5 medium potatoes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 cup frozen peas

2 large handfuls fresh homegrown lettuce

In a large pan add the tomatoes, chickpeas, 3 cups of water, tahini and the carrots roughly chopped. Bring to the boil and simmer. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and grate them either by hand or with a food processor adaptor and set aside (be careful not to leave too long or they'll oxidise). Once the carrots are soft with a hand blender blend to form a thin soup. Then add the grated potato, cumin, paprika and stir into the soup. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat until the soup becomes thick, creamy and the potato shreds have started to disintegrate (about 15 minutes). Be careful not to let it burn on the bottom. Finally add the peas, stir and let cook for about 2 minutes. Then serve with fresh lettuce. Yum! 

Keeping it Simple - Parsley Pasta

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

500g (dry) corn/ rice pasta

1 handful fresh parsley 

1 lemon 

Boil the kettle and pour into a large pan, half fill with water. Once the water is boiling pour in the pasta, stir and allow to cook on medium heat for the time specified on the label (around 8-12 mins). Meanwhile, finely dice the parsley. Taste pasta to test if it's done, then strain. Add to a large bowl, top with parsley and a big squeeze of lemon juice. Done :) yum. 

Tip: for best health eat with lettuce and a litre of water :)