Category: Recipes

Recipes

Roasted Chickpeas

Jen Dietitian

I’ve been making these for a while, but not got round to posting a recipe. These are great for those people who like to nibble, they have the crunch of crisps, but less saturated fat. Chickpeas are also a great source of protein and soluble fibre, which helps keep you fuller for longer.
They’re super easy to make and you can change the flavour so you don’t get bored. They are slightly addictive though, and (unless you’re okay putting up with the repercussions of bean-overload)…I’d recommend only having a handful at a time!

Ingredients:roasted chickpeas
1 tin of chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt & pepper to season

  • Alternatives:
    – S    wap the paprika for pretty much any spice you like (curry, chili powder, you could even try mustard!)
    – Swap the olive oil for coconut oil and have with cinnamon and honey for a sweeter alternative (omit the pepper).

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200’c.
2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water.
3. Tip the chickpeas onto some kitchen roll and rub dry. This will remove some of the husks (that’s okay!)
4. Add the chickpeas into a bowl along with the oil and your choice of spices. Season as desired and mix well, ensuring every chickpea is coated.
5. Place onto a baking tray and into the oven.
6. Roast for about 30-40 minutes until the chickpeas are crispy. The longer you leave them, the crispier they’ll get – just don’t let them burn!
7. Allow to cool, and serve. Store in an airtight container and they keep well.

The nutritional information below is per 45g portion:
CALORIES: 90kcal
TOTAL FAT: 3.5g
SATURATED FAT: 0.5g
PROTEIN: 4g

Recipes

One-pot chicken saag

Jen Dietitian

I love curry! Be it lamb, chicken, prawn, spicy, mild…I just love how diverse they are. I enjoy making curries from scratch, but what I don’t enjoy is the amount of time and effort that it takes to make the paste (and the extra things you have to wash up afterwards!)

But, fear not!

I’m a one-pot dinner kinda girl, and this recipe can be made in one (or rather two!) pots as you can add the spices straight to the pan. No paste making = less washing up. AND it tastes amazing. It’s also up to 150 calories less than you would consume in a takeaway version of the same curry.

WIN WIN WIN!

Serves 4

curry1Ingredients

Chicken – (I used 4 breasts, but have also made this using leftover meat from a roast chicken)
Spinach – 300g
Onions x 2 large
Garlic x 5 cloves
Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
Fresh diced ginger – 1-2 teaspoons
1 tin of tomatoes
Splash of milk
1 fresh chili
Ground coriander – 2 teaspoons
Cayenne pepper – 2 teaspoons
Ground turmeric – 1 tablespoon
Garam masala – 1 tablespoon
Cardamom pods x 4
Cloves x 4
Bay leaf x 2
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Add the oil to a large pan big enough to hold all of the ingredients. Finely chop the onions and the garlic, add to the pan and fry on a medium heat.
2. Slice the chicken into bitesized chunks, add into the same pan as the onions. While the chicken is cooking, place the spinach in a separate saucepan half full with water, boil for 5 minutes then remove from heat.
3. Once the outside of the chicken is browned off, add the ginger, chili, tinned tomatoes, coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaves and seasoning (told you you’d need a big pan!) If there’s not enough liquid in the pan to cover the chicken, add a dash of water.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the curry is piping hot. Meanwhile, drain the water from the spinach and roughly chop it.
5. Add the spinach and milk along with the garam masala and stir into the curry.
6. Cook on a low heat for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Serve with brown rice or baked potato! Yum!

The nutritional data below is based on the above curry ingredients yielding 4 portions:
CALORIES: 300kcal
TOTAL FAT: 12g
SATURATED FAT: 2g
PROTEIN: 33g

Recipes

Apple & Walnut Flapjacks

Jen Dietitian

I love walnuts! They taste great in salads, yoghurts, cakes and on their own! They are a rich source of many minerals, while also providing protein, healthy fats and vitamin E. It’s very easy to add them into your diet, either as a snack or as an extra ingredient.

These flapjacks are lovely, and the apple/walnut combo is a match made in heaven!

20150205_182603Ingredients:
200g oats
40g dried apple
130g pureed apple
90g sultanas
40g chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons honey
50g low fat natural yoghurt

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220’c and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, chop up the dried apple into small chunks.
3. Mix together the oats, chopped dried apple, sultanas and chopped walnuts in a large bowl.
4. Stir in the pureed apple.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the yoghurt and the honey, and then add that to the oats.
6. Make 20150204_102412sure all of the ingredients are well-combined, add them into the pre-lined tray and press them down slightly.
7. Pop in the oven for around an hour, or until the edges begin to crisp.
8. Slice into 12 pieces and store in an airtight container.

The nutritional information below is per portion:
CALORIES: 130kcal
TOTAL FAT: 3g
SATURATED FAT: 0.3g
PROTEIN: 4g

Recipes

Apple & Cinnamon Flapjacks

Jen Dietitian

These flapjacks are delicious! I’ve added golden syrup which makes them chewy and sweet. They use yoghurt in place of butter so they’re lower in saturated fat than conventional flapjack recipes. They are a filling, healthier option for when you want something sweet.
I just love how you know exactly what’s in them, if you’d prefer them less sweet, then add less syrup! Although I must say, the gooey, chewy sweetness combined with the cinnamon flavour makes this recipe one of my personal favourites.

Ingredients20150127_145014
200g oats (use gluten-free oats if required)
130g sultanas
40g seeds (I used pumpkin)
5 tablespooons pureed apple
70g low fat natural yoghurt (should be gluten free, but double check!)
1 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220’c and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Mix together the oats, sultanas, seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix together the golden syrup, yoghurt and apple.
4. Add the liquids to the oats mix and stir the mixture until all the oats are covered and sticky.
5. Tip the mixture into the lined baking tray and flatten it down slightly.
6.  Pop into the oven and cook for around 30 minutes until the top appears golden.
7. Slice into 12 pieces and store in an airtight container.

The nutritional data below is per portion based on the above yielding 12 flapjacks.
CALORIES: 130kcal
TOTAL FAT: 2.8g
SATURATED FAT: 0.5g
PROTEIN: 4g

If you like these, try my Apricot and Pistachio Flapjacks.

Recipes

Almond & cranberry rock cakes

Jen Dietitian

Sometimes you just need SOMETHING to go with that cup of tea, and SOMETIMES a piece of fruit just isn’t going to cut it 😉

These cute little rock cakes are perfect for those moment. They’re made with ground almonds which makes them high in protein and they don’t contain any butter which means they’re lower in saturated fat than your standard rock cake recipe.

If you fancy doing some baking today, give these a go!

Ingredients20150122_200353

100g ground almonds
80g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
50g dried cranberries
30g sugar
2 eggs
Honey (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220’c.
2. Sieve the flour, and add it into a bowl containing the ground almonds, baking powder and ginger.
3. Add in the cranberries and the sugar and give it a good ol’ mix!
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the 2 eggs.
5. Add the eggs to the other ingredients and stir well until you have a sticky consistency.
6. Plop little dollops of the mixture onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper (mixture should make 12).
7. If desired, you can add a little drizzle of honey to the top of each cake. It adds a little sweetness and helps the cake crisp up a bit.
8.  Pop into the oven and cook for around 30 minutes until the cakes are golden in colour.

The nutritional data below is per portion based on the above yielding 12 rock cakes.
CALORIES: 100kcal
TOTAL FAT: 5g
SATURATED FAT: 0.5g
PROTEIN: 3.5g

Recipes

Leek and potato soup

Jen Dietitian

20150122_131523I had a couple of ingredients that needed using up so adapted my usual leek and potato soup recipe a little. It tasted delicious so I deemed it blog-worthy 🙂

As usual with my soups, I make on bulk and freeze what we don’t eat. The ingredients below make 6 generous servings.

Ingredients
1 leek
4 carrots
1 head of broccoli
2 onions
3 potatoes
100g red lentils
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon reduced fat creme fraiche
500mls of stock + water as needed
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel the carrots and chop them up along with the leek, broccoli and the onions.
2. Cube the potatoes into small squares (no need to peel).
3. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and place on a low heat.
4. Add the carrots, leek, broccoli, onions, potato and garlic into the saucepan and give them a good stir. Leave them soften for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the lentils, the oregano, thyme and other seasoning and stir into the vegetables.
6. Pour over the stock and enough water to just reach the top of the vegetables. Leave simmering on a low-medium heat until the vegetables have cooked.
7. This soup tastes great blended, but it’s best to leave it cool a little before you do this (trust me!) Once it’s cooled, use a hand blender or a food processor to blend. If it’s too thick for your preference, add some more water.
8. Once blended, heat back up and stir in the creme fraiche before serving.
Mmm…Creamy deliciousness 🙂

The nutritional data below is based on the above yielding 6 portions.
Per Portion:
CALORIES: 160kcal
TOTAL FAT: 2.5g
SATURATED FAT: 0.3g
PROTEIN: 5g

Recipes

Hummus

Jen Dietitian

Hummus is a healthy and handy food that’s packed with protein, high in soluble fibre and a good source of healthy fats. It’s so versatile too, it can accompany a meal, works great as a dressing or sauce, in sandwiches or even on its own.

Shop-bought hummus can vary hugely in terms of nutritional content. You can often be left wondering if it’s a healthy or less healthy choice (particularly in Belgium where the shop-bought hummus I’ve tried actually doesn’t have a nutritional information on the label!).

Making your own means you know exactly what’s in it and saves you money too!

Like a lot of my recipes, I make use of my freezer and make this in large batches and freeze it. Hummus freezes well, just ensure you use an airtight container and leave a little room at the top to allow it to expand. When you come to defrost it, leave it in the fridge overnight and give it a good stir before serving.

I’ve made my own hummus for a while, and I adapt the recipe to create different flavours, but this recipe produces a good base for you to use and add your own flavours to.

Ingredients20150122_131113
400g chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
200g low fat natural yoghurt
Salt & pepper to season
Paprika (optional)

Method
1. Crush the garlic and put into the food processor with the tahini and lemon juice. Blend.
2. Add the chickpeas and the yoghurt (I like to leave a handful of chickpeas out to have whole in the hummus, but you can add them all if you prefer).
3. Blend until you have a relatively smooth consistency (if it’s not runny enough you can add more natural yoghurt or a little water). Taste it and season it to your taste at this point too, you can also add paprika or other spices if desired.
4. Blend again, until desired consistency is reached.
5. Pop into an airtight container, remembering to add your whole chickpeas back in if you left some out earlier! It can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

The nutritional data below is based on the above ingredients yielding 8 portions.
CALORIES: 120kcal
TOTAL FAT: 3.5g
SATURATED FAT: 0.5g
PROTEIN: 6g

Recipes

Apricot and Pistachio Flapjacks

Jen Dietitian

Oats are the perfect food to fill us up as they release their energy slowly, team that with the protein from the nuts/seeds and some fruit for good measure, and you’re onto a winner. This recipe contains no added sugar and much less butter than conventional flapjack recipes, using honey and apricot to sweeten and yoghurt to add the moisture.

Ingredients20150120_210902
200g oats
1 banana
100g sultanas
60g apricots
30g pistachios
30g pumpkin seeds
50g butter
70g low fat plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon honey

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200’c and line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.
2. Melt the butter (30 seconds in the microwave) and add in the honey, yoghurt and banana. Mash all this up.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, sultanas, pistachios and seeds.
4. Pour the butter mixture into the oats and mix well.
6. Tip the flapjack mixture into the lined tin, sprinkle on the chopped apricots and press them slightly into the mixture.
7. Pop in the oven for 30-40 minutes. You may wish to cover it if you don’t want the apricots/sultanas to crisp up.
8. Chop into 18 square pieces and store in an airtight container.

The nutritional data below is based on the above ingredients yielding 18 portions.
CALORIES: 110kcal
TOTAL FAT: 4.5g
SATURATED FAT: 4g
PROTEIN: 3g

I love receiving photos of you trying out my recipe suggestions!

IMG-20150408-WA0001 IMG-20150408-WA0002

Recipes

Spiced cauliflower soup

Jen Dietitian

This one is a tasty, creamy warmer. An ideal autumn lunch, or perfect for a healthy meal on a cosy night in.

20141113_140023Ingredients
2 leeks
1/2 a cauliflower
80g almonds
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tablespoon of olive oil
150mls low fat milk
500mls of stock + water as needed
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Chop up the leeks and cauliflower.
2. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and place on a low heat.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and herbs to the saucepan for around 30 seconds until the seeds start to split open. You should be able to smell them!
4. Put in the leeks, cauliflower and almonds and give the saucepan a stir; coating the veggies in the spices.
5. Pour over the stock and enough water to just reach the top of the vegetables. Leave simmering on a low-medium heat until the vegetables have softened.
6. Add the milk and the lime juice to the saucepan and let the soup cool.
7. Once cooled, blend the soup using either a hand blender or a food processor. If it’s too thick for your preference, add some more water.
8. Reheat, refrigerate or freeze as desired.
9. Serve with a wholemeal roll for a healthy, filling lunch!

20141111_131132The nutritional data below is based on the above yielding 10 portions.

CALORIES: 92kcal
TOTAL FAT: 6g
SATURATED FAT: 0.7g
PROTEIN: 3.5g
CARBOHYDRATE: 8g

Recipes

Lentil Patties

Jen Dietitian

These are great for a quick lunch or dinner, low in calories and a good source of protein. They keep well in the fridge too for a ‘leftover lunch’ the following day. Team with a salad and a slice of wholemeal bread or some boiled new potatoes for a wholesome meal!

lentil pattiesINGREDIENTS:
70g lentils
2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp olive oil

METHOD:
1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add 70g of lentils and simmer until lentils have softened.
2. In a bowl, mix together the eggs and spices.
3. Drain the lentils well and stir into the egg mix. Season if desired.
4. Heat a frying pan and add a tsp of oil. Drop a serving spoon of the mix into the pan and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes. When one side is cooked, flip and cook the other side.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Calories: 116kcal
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Protein: 7g
(This recipe should make around 6 patties. Nutritional info is per serving = 2 patties)

Photos of you making my recipes makes me very happy 😀

patties