Healthy Recipes for a healthy body

Healthy recipes for starters, main course and desserts

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Fast Food - what you should not be eating

Fruity pork steaks

  Health Recipes 1

• 4    boneless pork loin steaks, trimmed of any fat
• 2    tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1    tbsp sunflower oil
• 1    large red onion, cut into thin wedges through the root

• 4    red apples, cored and cut into eighths
• 2    tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 1    tbsp red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 200ml/lfl oz chicken stock

Dust the pork steaks with the Chinese five-spice powder. Heat half the oil in a frying pan and fry the pork for about 3 mins on each side until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.  Add the remaining oil to the frying pan, reduce the heat slightly, then fry the onion wedges for 2 mins. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 mins.  Add the redcurrant jelly to the pan, followed by the vinegar and then the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer rapidly, uncovered, for 8-10 mins until the sauce is slightly syrupy and the apples are tender. Gently reheat the pork in the sauce, turning to glaze each side.

PER SERVING 304 kcals, protein 33g. carbs 25g.  fat 9g. sat fat 2g. fibre 3g. sugar 24g. salt 0.79g.  Healthy Recipes for WW points = 6
        
MAKE IT CHINESE.  Sticky pineapple pork.  Fry the spice-dusted pork as above, then after you’ve added the onions, replace the apples with 140g pineapple chunks. Stir in the vinegar with 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, then return the pork to the pan to re-heat and glaze.

Feelgood fish cakes

 Healthy Recipes 2

• 600g /1lb 5oz potatoes, cut into chunks
• 2    x 120g cans sardines in spring water, drained
• 4    tbsp chopped parsley
• zest and juice 1 small lemon
• 3    tbsp light mayonnaise
• 4    tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1    tbsp seasoned plain flour
• 4    tsp sunflower oil
• green salad and lemon wedges, to serve

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 15-20 mins. Meanwhile, coarsely mash the sardines in a bowl (there’s no need to remove the calcium-rich bones as they are soft enough to eat). Mix in 3 tbsp chopped parsley and half the lemon zest and juice. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise and yogurt with the remaining parsley, lemon zest and juice and some seasoning.  Drain the potatoes, then mash until smooth. Gently mix into the sardine mixture and season. Shape into 8 fat fish cakes using floured hands, then dust lightly with the seasoned flour.  Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry half the fish cakes for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and crisp. Keep warm; repeat with remaining oil and fish cakes. Serve with the lemony mayonnaise, salad and lemon wedges.

PER SERVING 287 kcals, protein 16g. carbs 29g. fat 13g. sat fat 2g. fibre 2g. sugar 2g. salt 0.67g. Healthy Recipes for WW points = 6

SUPERHEALTHY SARDINES. Canned fish is often seen as the poor relative of fresh, but canned sardines are high in nutrients. The canning process makes the bones easier to eat and digest, increasing the calcium content of your meal. Choose fish in spring water or in a healthier oil such as olive, rather than in salty brine, as fish already has a high sodium content.

Chicken, lentil & sweetcorn  chowder

 Healthy Recipes 3       

• 4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 850ml/l½pts chicken stock
• 250g19oz potatoes, diced
• 300m1/1/2pt skimmed milk
• 250g/9oz skinless, boneless chicken
• breast, cut into small pieces
• 140g/5oz frozen or canned sweetcorn
• 410g can Puy lentils or green lentils, rinsed and drained
• chopped chives, to serve (optional)

Place the spring onions in a large pan with 6 tbsp stock and seasoning. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins until softened.  Add the potatoes, the rest of the stock and the milk. Bring to the boil and simmer gently, partially covered, for10 mins or until the potatoes are just tender. Ladle out about a quarter of the mixture into a blender and whizz until smooth. Stir back into the pan. Add the chicken, sweet corn and lentils to the pan and cook for 5-7 mins more or until the chicken is cooked. Check the seasoning and serve in warm bowls, scattered with chopped chives (if using).

PER SERVING 252 kcals, protein 31g. carbs 29g. fat 2g. sat fat 1g. fibre 6g. sugar 5g. salt 0.75g. Healthy Recipes for WW points = 5

LOVE YOUR LENTILS.  For healthy recipes, lentils are a great vegetarian source of essential animo acids and the minerals folate and iron. As iron from non-animal sources needs vitamin C to be absorbed most effectively by the body, it’s best to combine them with green leafy vitamin C-rich veg. Lentils are also high in fibre.

Mango Chicken with Spiced Pilau

Healthy Recipes 4

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 4 tbsp chunky mango chutney
• 1 tbsp medium curry powder
• 4 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 tsp sunflower oil
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 200g/8oz basmati rice
• 4 tbsp chopped coriander
• lime wedges, to serve (optional)        
  

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with foil. Cut a horizontal pocket in each chicken breast, taking care not to cut all the way through to the other side. Stuff with the mango chutney, then seal the pocket closed around the chutney with a cocktail stick.  Mix the curry powder and 2 tsp cumin seeds with 3 tsp oil, then brush all over the chicken. Place on the baking tray and roast for 25-30 mins until cooked through.  Meanwhile, heat remaining oil and fry the onions for 6-8 mins until golden. Add remaining cumin, bay and cinnamon then cook, stirring, for 1 mm. Stir in the rice.   Pour over 450m1 boiling water, add a inch of salt, bring to the boil, stir and cover. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 mins.  Remove bay and cinnamon, stir in coriander and serve with the chicken.

PER SERVING 414 kcals, protein 39g. carbs 52g. fat 7g. sat fat 1g. fibre 2g. sugar 9g. salt 0.77g. Healthy Recipes for WW points = 8

Salmon with warm chickpea, pepper & spinach salad     

Healthy Recipes 4   

• 1 large red pepper, quartered and deseeded
• zest and juice ½ small lemon
• pinch smoked paprika (we used
• sweet smoked paprika)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100g bag young leaf spinach
• 2 x 140g/5oz skinless salmon fillets
• 400g can chickpeas

Heat the grill. Squash the pepper quarters flat and grill for 5 mins or until well blackened. Leave the grill on, then transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to cool slightly before peeling off the skins and cutting the flesh into strips.  Make the dressing by whisking together the lemon zest, juice, smoked paprika, olive oil and seasoning. Toss half the dressing with the spinach leaves and divide between 2 bowls.  Season the salmon and grill for 5 mins or until just cooked through. Meanwhile, heat the chickpeas in their canning liquid in a saucepan for 3-4 mins. Drain well, then mix with the remaining dressing and strips of pepper. Spoon over the spinach and top with the salmon to serve.

PER SERVING 481 kcals, protein 39g, carbs 26g. fat 25g. sat fat 4g, fibre 7g, sugar 7g, salt 1.02g. Healthy Recipes for WW points = 11

FABULOUS FISH.   Salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3, a polyunsaturated fat which has many health benefits, including reducing blood pressure and inflammation. Ocean-farmed or sustainably sourced wild salmon are more likely to have higher levels of omega-3 than the cheaper, massed farmed fish.

Better Healthy Recipes: You can use lentils or beans instead of chickpeas, if you like.

Mumbai potato wraps with minted yogurt relish

Healthy Recipes 5        

• 2   tsp sunflower oil
• 1   onion, sliced
• 2   tbsp medium curry powder
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 750g/1lb l0oz potatoes, diced
• 2   tbsp spiced mango chutney, plus extra to serve
• 100g/4oz low-fat natural yogurt
• 1    tsp mint sauce from a jar
• 8  plain chapattis
• coriander sprigs, to serve

Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 6-8 mins until golden and soft. Stir in 11/2 tbsp curry powder, cook for 30 secs, then add the tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins.  Meanwhile, add the potatoes and ½ tbsp curry powder to a pan of boiling salted water. Cook for 6-8 mins until just tender. Drain, reserving l00ml of the liquid. Add the drained potatoes and reserved liquid to the tomato sauce along with the mango chutney. Heat through.   Meanwhile, mix together the yogurt and mint sauce, and warm the chapattis following pack instructions. To serve, spoon some of the potatoes onto a chapatti and top with a few sprigs of coriander. Drizzle with the minted yogurt relish, adding extra mango chutney if you wish, then roll up and eat.

PER SERVING 230 kcals, protein 8g. carbs 45g. fat 4g. sat fat 1g. fibre 6g. sugar log, salt 0.57g. Healthy Recipes for WW points = 4

Honey & sesame beef noodles

Healthy Recipes 6

• 100g/4oz wholewheat noodles
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• 125g pack purple sprouting broccoli (or Tenderstem), cut into short lengths
• 100g/4oz sugar snap peas, halved
• 4 spring onions, cut into short lengths
• 2 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
• 75g/6oz lean rump steak, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp clear honey

        
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until just tender, then drain and rinse in cold water. Heat half the oil in a non-stick wok. Add the broccoli, peas and 2 tbsp water, then cover and steam- fry for 3 mins. Remove the lid, add the spring onions and stir-fry for 2 mins, adding a splash more water if needed to cook the veg. Add the noodles and half the soy sauce and toss with the veg.   Divide between 2 bowls and keep warm. Wipe out the wok and heat the remaining oil until smoking. Tip in the beef and stir-fry for 2 mins over a high heat, but don’t move it around too much initially or it will release liquid and stew rather than fry. Tip in the sesame seeds, cook for 1 mm more, then add the honey.  Toss to coat the beef well, then add the remaining soy and bubble briefly. Spoon over the vegetables and noodles and serve immediately.

PER SERVING 420 kCaI5, protein 32g. carbs 50g. fat 12g. sat fat 3g. fibre 8g. sugar 18g. salt l.45g. Healthy Recipes for WW points = 9

Friday night fish pie

Healthy Recipes 8

FOR THE TOPPING

• 1.5kg/31b 5oz potatoes, chopped into chunks
• 50g/2oz butter

FOR THE FILLING

• 1.5  litres/23/4 pints full-fat milk
• 800g/1lb 2oz skinless white fish
• 600g/1lb 5oz skinless smoked haddock fillet
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• 140g/5oz butter
• 140g/5oz plain flour
• nutmeg, to season
• small bunch parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
• 200g/8oz cooked, peeled prawns
• 6 eggs, hard-boiled and quartered (just3 eggs if you are freezing one of the pies, as the eggs can’t be frozen)

Simmer the potatoes for about 20 mins until tender, then drain and mash with most of the butter, plenty of seasoning and a little milk. Season and set aside.Meanwhile, cut the fish into 2cm cubes.   Bring the milk just to a simmer in a large frying pan - when you see a few small bubbles, add the fish, onion and bay leaves, then cover and cook for 6-8 mins.  Lift the fish out onto a plate and strain the milk into a jug.  Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 mm over a medium heat.  Take off the heat, pour in a little poaching milk, then stir until blended. Continue to add the milk gradually, mixing well until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins, stirring continuously, until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then mix in the parsley. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.  Divide the fish between 2 ovenproof dishes, about 1.3 litres each and strain any juices into the sauce. Scatter over the prawns, then add the eggs to both dishes if eating straightaway, or to just one dish if freezing the other. Pour the sauce over both. Spoon half of the mash over one dish so it covers everything, making sure it reaches the sides. Rough up the top with a fork and dot with remaining butter. Bake for 30 mins until the top is golden. Freeze the remaining fish and mash (see tips, right).

PER SERVING 562 Kcals, protein 45g. carbs 45g. fat 24g. sat fat 13g. fibre 3g. sugar 9g. sat 2 25g. Healthy Recipes for WW points = 13

TO MAKE EVEN BETTER HEALTHY RECIPES:  Use 3 sheets of scrunched-up filo pastry as a topping rather than the mash and use semi-skimmed milk instead of tub-fat. If you want to cut the salt content, replace the smoked haddock with some salmon fillet.

Pear and Walnut Salad with Roquette and Parmesan

This is a contemporary salad which has actually been around for quite a while now and we regularly prepare it as part of our cooking holiday in France. I think it has achieved classic status.

The only thing that needs any preparation to speak of is the dressing, but the pears do need to be ripe and juicy – comice are perfect for this – and the parmesan needs to be shaved from a fresh block (if you haven’t got any to hand, a good strong cheese like stilton or feta will do very nicely indeed, but completely forget about using that dirty sock-flavoured sawdust sold in pots, laughingly labelled ‘Freshly Grated Parmesan’).

If you want to turn this from a starter into a main course just add some strips of dry-cured ham, smoked duck breast, or sautéed chicken livers.

Serves four

Ingredients:

Method:

Peel and core the pears, then smear with a little lemon juice to prevent them turning brown.

Put the vinegar and a good pinch of salt in a screw-top jar and shake until the salt has dissolved. Add the mustard and walnut oil, then shake again to emulsify – the emulsion will hold for ten minutes or so, but give it another jiggle just before you use it to dress the salad.

Assemble the salad: slice the pears lengthwise into thin segments and place them rustically on four serving plates along with the roquette, then scatter over the bruised walnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Using a potato peeler, shave the parmesan over the salad, then ‘dust’ with a little ground black pepper.

Normandy fish stew        

• 500g/llb 2oz mussels, cleaned and de-bearded (discard any that don’t close when tapped on the sink)
• 300m1/1/2pt cider or white wine
• large knob of butter
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 100g/4oz baby button mushrooms halved
• 150m1/1/4pt crème fra?che
• 4    fillets skin-on sustainable white fish (plaice would be perfect)
• small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Place mussels and cider or wine in a wide, shallow pan. Cover and place on a high heat for 3-4 mins, shaking pan a few times until mussels have opened. Tip into a colander over a bowl to catch the juices. Discard any that have not opened.  Place the pan back on the heat with a large knob of butter.  Sizzle the leeks for 8 mins until soft, then add the mushrooms.   Add the mussel cooking liquid and crème fraiche and bubble down for 5 mins to reduce by half. Turn down the heat and add the fish. Cover and gently poach for 10 mins until cooked, then carefully lift out. Stir through the mussels and parsley and heat through. If you want, place the fish back in the pan to serve from the table or place a piece of fish in each serving bowl and spoon everything else around it. Delicious served with boiled waxy potatoes, such as Pink Fir Apple.

PER SERVING 359 kcals, protein 32g, carbs 5g.fat 22g. sat fat 13g. fibre 1g. sugar 4g. salt O.63g. Healthy Recipes for WW points = 8

Potato scones

 Serve these with crisp bacon and grated mature cheddar or if you are feeling a bit more adventurous, blue cheese and a drizzle of honey

• 250g/9oz potatoes, cut into cubes
• 200g/8oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50g/2oz butter, melted, plus extra for frying
• 3 tbsp milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp oil, for frying

Cook the potatoes in plenty of salted simmering water until tender. Drain well and mash. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the butter, milk eggs, mash and plenty of seasoning and mix to a sticky dough.  Heat some butter and a little oil in a large frying pan. Fry dollops of the mixture as you would Scotch pancakes for 3 mins on each side until browned.  You may need to do this in 2 batches so keep the fried ones warm in the oven. Serve with one of the toppings suggested above as a hearty brunch for friends.

PER SERVING 426 kcals, protein l0g, carbs 51g. fat 22g. sat fat 11g. fibre 2g. sugar 2g. salt O.7g. WW points = 9

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