Our recipes are specially created to be healthy, nutritious and family friendly. Tuck in!
All in Soups and salads
In August we are always looking for ways to use up a glut of courgette from the veg patch! This salad recipe is perfect. It's a good mixture of carbohydrates, green vegetables and fat from the avocado and dressing. This stores well in the fridge (without the avocado and dressing) and so can be taken into work for a healthy packed lunch.
I eat a salad nearly every day for lunch and so am always trying to come up with different varieties. This one has been a favourite for a couple of weeks now. The lentils and feta provide a good source of protein and the feta and dressing some healthy fats - meaning that this salad keeps you full for the rest of the afternoon. It can be made in advance and taken into work as a packed lunch. This can be made with any type of lentil - but I particularly love the nutty flavour and firm texture of the dark speckled lentils.
A cold soup on a hot summer's day is exceptionally refreshing, but sometimes not that filling. With the addition of avocado, cashew nuts and coconut milk, this soup is creamy and will keep you full until the next meal! You won't need to serve this with bread. We have added mint and basil, but do substitute with other herbs that you have to hand.
This soup is best served in April and May when the nettles are young and sweet, but the days still have a chill and warrant a soup. If you've never cooked with nettles before do give this a try - no sting we promise! Pick the top shoots from young nettles with thick protective gloves and wash thoroughly before using in this dish.
As much as we keep going on about green vegetables, a large helping of warm coloured soup makes everyone happy! Packed with great fibres, vitamins and health boosting spices this heart warming soup makes a great starter or one pot supper . Soups are one of the best "batch cooking" meal to make ahead and freeze. Great healthy option for busy family lives.
I enjoyed my very first falafel on a family trip to Israel as a teenager. Served very spicy with mixed salad, in a flat bread. As a chickpea fan, I naturally love them and I enjoy playing around with ingredients, flavours and colours. This beetroot falafel is not just pretty, it's quick and easy to make, healthy, packed with whole ingredients, ideal to make ahead and really filling. If you've never tried them, have a go!
I'm not sure I can claim any credit for this soup. My daughter was chatting about her love of carrot, apple and ginger juice and saying she wished it was hot since she didn't like drinking a cold juice in winter. So I suggested that I make it into a soup and she was very excited. It was her idea to include turmeric as our local cafe serve a carrot and turmeric juice which she loves.
It is very much soup season all year round as far as I am concerned! Why? Soups, whether hot or cold, are a fantastic way to easily include lots of daily veggie portions. This soup is packed full of real food pre-biotics, very light and works really well as a warming starter. Soups are a great make ahead and freeze healthy option for busy lives.
Many people don't eat soup for lunch as they say it doesn't fill you up. The key is to add some protein. This could either be a sprinkle of nuts or seeds on the top, or some coconut milk swirled through – or in the case of this soup some delicious butterbeans. Despite the fact that this soup has beans it is still light and smooth. With all the winter colds and flu around at the moment this is perfect if you are feeling below par.
I love nothing more than a roast chicken on a Sunday! Even more so when I know that nothing will go to waste as I will be making broth with the leftovers. If you are ever feeling like you are coming down with a cold then this is the option for you. We have lost the tradition of making stock every week like our grandmothers and great-grandmothers – but I think we are missing a trick.
After all the excess of Christmas sometimes you just crave a salad. This salad screams healthy with the raw sprouts and kale. You could add some raw red cabbage as well which would also work. This is perfect for a lunch in the lead up to Christmas when you want something light, but still festive, or post Christmas when you feel you’ve just had enough to eat and want something simple!
This was one of those meals that I threw together and was a delicious pairing. So good that I've made it several times and am sharing with you guys. In the autumn and winter I switch from salads at lunch to warming and nourishing foods that will leave me comforted. This hits the spot perfectly. It serves three leaving plenty for leftovers!
During the autumn and winter we turn from refreshing salads to warming soups for lunch. Soups are also ideal for children as you can disguise plenty of vegetables that they might otherwise refuse. This soup is very child-friendly with lots of naturally sweet root vegetables. We have served this with a cashew nut cream and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. These boost protein to keep you fuller for longer.
I guess you have possibly realised by now that we love our greens! First thing in the morning for breakfast in the form of leafy greens with eggs or spinach added to a smoothie... Well, let us introduce you to a delicious green soup for a healthy immune boosting natural solution to swerving those winter colds, sniffles and coughs. Give it a go!
A colourful vibrant salad that's packed full of antioxidants. It's great served at a barbecue or as part of a buffet of salads. I like to serve this for a Saturday lunch with some good quality butcher's sausages.
This colourful salad is perfect for lunch on a summer's day. It's ideal to serve on its own, but can also be served alongside a BBQ on a summer's day. It's very quick and easy to prepare leaving you more time to spend outside. I'm not usually that keen on adding fruit to a salad, but trust me – this really works!
Did you say green salad? Why stop at green? Although green is THE compulsory colour on our plates at all times, we love a rainbow. With mixed elements of raw and roasted vegetables, it will accompany your summer barbecues perfectly and provide a useful nutrient dense and balanced option for your vegetarian friends.
These French Puy Lentils are a staple in my house just as they were in my Grand mother's kitchen in Burgundy growing up. Quick and easy to prepare, they don't need to soak and cook in just 20 minutes. They are a great protein packed alternative to meat, rice or potatoes and are incredibly versatile, enjoyed hot or cold as a base for a salad. Chorizo and Dijon mustard is our favourite way to cook them, but get creative with them and enjoy!
Wild rice makes a gorgeous looking salad, perfect for a weekend lunch or part of a buffet or barbecue spread. If eating on its own then try adding some feta cheese, sardines or wild salmon for some added protein. It's also a great salad to take into work or as part of a picnic.
This salad uses cauliflower rather than a grain or rice to create a substantial salad that can be eaten on its own or added to a buffet table of other salads. It's best not made the night before as cauliflower when cut and left produces a sulphur smell. If you do store in the fridge make sure it's got a lid on!
