All tagged quick and easy

rhubarb, apple & ginger breakfast

I want to call this a good friend in the kitchen, a real multi-tasker to make ahead. Rhubarb and ginger are amazing together. This is such an easy simple sample to make in winter, especially with the ginger coming through. It stores really well in a mason jar in the fridge. Everyone loves it in my house. It’s delicious with a warm porridge, perfect with greek yoghurt and nuts and makes the ideal base for a crumble. A keeper for sure.

carrot, orange & ginger kefir baked oats

Baked oats with greek yoghurt are a winning combo for a balanced, nourishing breakfast. The beauty of it is the endless flavour combinations and making it on a Sunday for the week ahead. They are very easy to transport to the office or studio and are great for kids and grown-ups alike. This recipe is made with kefir instead of milk for the added bonus of supporting your gut health.

Mango lassi and raspberry ice lollies

Mango and raspberries are always in my freezer. Fab ingredients for smoothies, but in the summer we make ice lollies and iced desserts! Based on a classic mango lassi recipe, the cardamom brings these flavours together beautifully. This recipe is made using Greek yoghurt but also works with non-dairy alternatives such as coconut milk/cream or almond milk. Once the ice moulds are full, enjoy the leftover as a smoothie.

super easy breakfast egg in a pepper cup

These bell pepper egg cups are one of the easiest nutritious option to kick start your day. Breakfast is important but it doesn’t have to be the first thing you do in the morning. What is key to a successful first meal of the day though is that is has to be quick, easy, delicious and balanced. Protein content is key to fuel the day ahead and keep you full until the next meal. If you can also include your first portions of fruit and veggies it’s an absolute winner. Give them a go! They make a fab Sunday brunch item too! Just add a sliced half avocado.

salmon fishcakes with a raw slaw

This is a great way to get children to eat salmon if they tend to be a fussy. Using tinned salmon means it’s milder in taste and then combining with the sweetness of the sweet potato and peas it’s a winner. If serving to children you can swop the raw slaw for some cut up crudities such as carrots, cucumber, tomatoes or peppers.

Perfectly balanced breakfast bowl

Possibly my 3 favourite Bs: Balance, Breakfast and Bowl. Building a balanced breakfast bowl is so much fun and far easier and quicker than it looks. This is how I built this pretty and colourful bowl of yumminess. Most ingredients can be swapped for similar items you will have in your fridge or cupboards, fruits can be changed based on seasonal availabilities and yoghurt can be replaced with your dairy-free option if necessary.

French healthy 5 minute sardine pâté

If you want a tasty, budget friendly 5 minute recipe which is also brain boosting, look no further. This is perfect for children who love the taste of tinned sardines. This quick sardine pâté recipe is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and the ideal savoury healthy snack or delicious as part of a summer lunch spread, served with toasted bread, carrot sticks or oat crackers.

raspberry and pistachio frozen yoghurt bark

Can you resist these? Really simple to make, but also, amazingly healthy and nutritious. What’s not to like? Children will love to get involved and they can customise with their favourites. You can substitute with blueberries or blackberries - or any of your favourite berries. You can use frozen berries too. A colourful snack or healthy treat perfect to share (or not!).

mild curried vegetarian chickpeas

I came up with this recipe during Lockdown. My daughter was getting fed up with the amount of meat her brothers were demanding at mealtimes and was begging for some vegetarian meals. Although the title states curried, this is a very mild flavour as my daughter doesn’t like super heat - she’s more of a masala girl! It’s super quick to make and so can easily be rustled up alongside other meals. You can eat this on its own, or add some brown rice for a slightly more substantial meal.

Easy French moules marinieres

Mussels are usually something I don’t prepare at home. I tend to have them as a foodie treat when I go back home to France. But as I write, we are in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic and the restaurant trade has collapsed. So local fishmongers normally selling to pubs and restaurant are selling direct and have an amazing selection of seafood, including mussels. Please don’t be scared by them as they are the easiest to prepare. I hope you have a go!

raspberry and coconut flapjacks

Most flapjack recipes are packed with sugar - but if you include some sweet fruit, such as raspberries then you can really cut down on the sugar content. We have used honey as well as the berries to sweeten these flapjacks. The first time I cooked these I left them on the side and when I came back to them my daughter and husband had helped themselves to quite a few squares. So these were definitely a hit and as they are super easy and nut free make a great school snack!

Berries & coconut nice cream

That sweet taste of summer... Yes I am talking berries and ice cream combination in any way possible!! Except that this ice cream has no milk! It’s the power of the humble banana striking again. We always have bananas in my house, fresh in the fruit bowl for those quick energy refuel moments. I also usually have some sliced frozen bananas in my freezer to add to smoothies or make this nice cream. Once you’ve done this one…do experiment with your favourite flavours!

mango & coconut oat cookies

Rolled oats are THE staple ingredient I run out of the most often! I use it for everything, savoury or sweet, breakfast or dinner!. High in fibre, naturally gluten free if you chose the right brand and so so versatile. If you have oats and bananas you can always make cookies! Yes, bananas are another twice weekly must buy on the shopping list . The base recipe for these delicious cookies is just the 2 ingredients. You can add your choice of extras (seeds, nuts of choc chips) and make a thumbprint in the centre ready for a jammy filling. Mango and coconut it is today!

roast tomatoes with chorizo and red rice

This dish uses camargue red rice, which has some great health benefits and is even more nutritious than brown rice (see tip below). We have added choirzo to this dish as it goes so well, however to make this dish vegetarian simply leave it out - it will still be delicious. Look out for nitrate/nitrite free chorizo in your supermarket. This is a great dish for using up a glut of tomatoes or turning large and sometimes rather tasteless supermarket tomatoes into something delicious.

ginger prawns with coconut black rice

So incredibly easy to throw together, this bowl is such a quick, simple and delicious dinner for 2 or a crowd pleaser for a dinner party. Packed full of bright, colourful, zingy and nutty flavours, since making it for the first time I have come back to it serving it cold as a starter or warm as a main, perfect for a Friday night with friends. Despite being quite simple to prepare it wows every time with its exotic asian flavours. I have made it with prawns here but panfried salmon works brilliantly too.

buckwheat turmeric soda bread

Making bread is something I used to do a lot when living in London to relax from the stressful city job! Kids used to join in the mess! When it appeared I had become gluten intolerant I lost interest in bread all together. But here we are many years later, now living in gorgeous Kent, I have rediscovered a passion for traditionally made bread and baking. I usually enjoy my sourdough bought from a local artisan bakery but decided to have a go at soda bread. Very simple to make at it requires no proofing or waiting. Adding turmeric to the dough proved a great call. Delicious served with a poached egg and some mashed avocado.

easy sweet potato rosti

These are so tasty that even my husband who has decided he doesn’t like sweet potatoes loves them! And for him to go back for seconds on a veggie dish is high praise indeed! They could be served for breakfast with a poached egg on top or alongside a green salad for lunch. For most people 3-4 rosti would be enough for lunch – although my husband did eat 6 the first time I cooked these for him!!

chicken and spinach tikka masala

We all love a curry in our house and Saturday nights have become a curry night ritual. Pleasing different palates is not always easy - some like a hot curry and others not so much. However this tikka masala seems to please everyone! I know it’s not traditional to add spinach to a tikka masala, but i like to add another vegetable whenever I can! I use 6 chicken breasts to feed my brood of 5 as my two teenagers are permanently hungry. However, unless you too have growing teenagers then adjust portions by using 1 chicken breast per person.

Rose harissa chicken and spinach curry

I almost didn’t write this up as a recipe - after all it’s nothing complicated and fancy. Just 6 ingredients thrown together. However it’s been a winner in my house with all the family and so I thought I would share with you - after all we all need those quick and simple recipes to keep us going day in day out! To serve 4 or even 6 then just alter the amount of chicken breasts. My two teenagers seem to be going through a growth spurt at the moment so I often cook 6 chicken breasts for the 5 of us!