This is an easy recipe and can be made from store-cupboard items, so this is a great meal to have if you’re needing to go shopping. It also makes a regular appearance in our Friday night ‘fakeaways’ that we’ve been having – pairing this alongside a chickpea or prawn bhuna, plus some spiced quinoa and spinach makes a veritable feast. Plus, this is easy to freeze, so I often make a double batch and put some in the freezer for when I’m short on time at a later date. A winner on many levels!

If you’re new to legumes and pulses, red lentils are a good place to start. They’re quick and easy to cook, and they pack a nutritional punch.  Lentils are a great source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They're also full of fibre, which supports a healthy tum and provides food for our friendly bacteria. Eating lentils regularly has been seen to improve overall gut function. Plus, they’re delicious, and even the fussiest of eaters seems to get on well with their umami flavour.

Ingredients

1 tbsp ghee or 1 tbsp coconut oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely grated

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp black mustard seeds

1 level tbsp turmeric

250g split red lentils

350ml water

1 tin whole coconut milk

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2 tsp freshly grated ginger (or frozen grated ginger)

Seasoning

Chopped coriander to garnish (optional)

Serves 6

Method

• In a large, deep pan heat the ghee or coconut oil and then gently sauté the onions until soft and golden
• Add the grated carrot, crushed garlic and the whole spices. Stir and sauté until fragrant, approximately 5 mins on a gentle heat
• Add the turmeric and stir to cover well, allowing to cook through for 1 min
• Add in the lentils and stir to combine with the onion mix. Follow this with the water, coconut milk, chopped tomatoes and ginger. Stir well to combine. Season to taste
• Bring to simmering point and then leave to cook on a gentle heat, uncovered for 30-40 mins until the lentils are soft and cooked. Note – this has a tendency to catch on the bottom, so stir frequently and add a little more water if required
• When cooked test for seasoning. Serve with brown rice or quinoa, with a garnish of chopped coriander
• Enjoy!

Rainbow Breakfast Smoothie

Following on from the newsletter this week, here’s a great way to incorporate rainbow foods into your day.

Ingredients

1 cup mixed frozen berries – raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants - Red Blue Purple

Couple handfuls of spinach - Green

1 satsuma, peeled - Orange 

1 inch ginger root, peeled and grated - Yellow 

200ml almond milk - White 

1 tbsp ground flaxseed - Tan / Brown

1 tbsp chia seeds - Black

200ml filtered water (and more, if thinner consistency desired

Method

Put all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blitz until thick and smooth.

Pour into two glasses and add extra water until it’s the consistency you desire. Serve and enjoy!

This is a real family favourite, and one we come back to time and again. It's largely made from store cupboard items and common veg that I usually have in the fridge.  This is also a good recipe to make if you have veggie or vegan friends popping over, or to add in to your repertoire if you are thinking of trying out Veganuary.

Do have a look at my article 'Six Simple Steps for a Health Veganuary' if you are thinking of taking part next month.

You can adjust the spice level to whatever you prefer. My kids are just venturing in to more spicy foods, so we've moved to adding cayenne pepper.  But you can adjust as you see fit or leave it out entirely if you're not keen on hot foods - the cumin and paprika give it a lovely flavour.

Serves 4

2 onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 stick celery, finely chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 large courgette, chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli powder, whichever heat you prefer

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 tin kidney beans, drained

1 tin black beans, drained

1 tin aduki beans, drained 

1 tbsp tomato puree

Seasoning to taste

• Heat the oil gently in a large heavy based pan. Add the onions and sauté until soft.

• Add the chopped carrots, courgette and celery. Stir to combine and cook gently.

• Add the dried spices and crushed garlic, stir to combine well and heat until fragrant.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the drained beans and tomato puree, mix well.

• Add seasoning to taste and let it simmer gently for 25-30 minutes. Keep stirring regularly so it doesn’t stick at the base.

• Serve with wholegrain rice or quinoa.

Baked Cods with Puy Lentils

This is a lovely, super-quick mid-week meal - full of good quality protein, and with cheap and easy to find ingredients.  This is great with a big side helping of green veggies.

Serves 4

6 shallots, chopped (use 2 small onions, if you don't have shallots)

2 leeks, sliced

4 med carrots, peeled and cubed

2 packets pre-cooked Puy lentils (I use Merchant Gourmet, but you can easily replace with one tin of pre-cooked green lentils)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp Herbes de Provence (or any woody, aromatic herb like rosemary or sage)

2 cloves garlic

Seasoning

4 frozen cod fillets

• Heat over to 200 degrees Celsius
• Put chopped shallots, leeks and carrots into a large oven dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the herbs, add the crushed garlic, season to taste and give it a good mix up.
• Pop in the oven for 8 minutes.
• After the 8 mins has elapsed, take out the oven and nestle the frozen cod fillets into the veg, return to the oven for a further 25 minutes. 
• (If you’re using fresh cod fillets, then leave the veg to cook for a further 15 minutes (so a total of 23 mins), and then add the fish and cook for 10 minutes).
• Serve with a healthy side of green veg, drizzled with olive oil
• Enjoy!

This a wonderful quick and easy work-night meal. It doesn’t take very long to prepare and there is minimal washing up, both of which are must-haves in the Allan household during the week. This is also a great recipe for this time of year, as both leeks and mushrooms are in season, therefore abundant and affordable, and I’m still getting good Brassicas like the Romanesco cauliflower in my weekly veg box (thank you @Riverford!).

Miso paste is fairly widely available in most supermarkets. It’s a great ingredient to keep in the fridge, as it gives a wonderful umami flavour to broths, veggie gravy, stews and dressings. The pastes tend to taste much better than the powdered variety, so do opt for those if you can. Miso means ‘fermented beans’ in Japanese and is a nice way to incorporate a fermented food into your diet. Good for you gut!

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 leeks, sliced into rings

1 head Romanesco cauliflower, broken into florets (or use broccoli or cauliflower, if not available)

250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

Olive oil

2 tbsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce, or use regular soy sauce, if that’s what you have)

4 wild or sustainable salmon fillets

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp sesame seeds (garnish)

Brown rice or quinoa to serve

Dressing

1 tbsp miso paste

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp mirin (rice wine vinegar, or can be substituted with sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar)

½ inch grated ginger or 1 tbsp frozen grated ginger

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Add the leeks, Romanesco florets and sliced mushrooms into a large roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil, 2 tbsp tamari and season with black pepper. Toss the vegetables to cover thoroughly and roast for 15 minutes. Put the rice or quinoa on to cook according to the packet instructions.
3. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a jug. Add a little warm water to loosen to pouring consistency, if necessary. When the 15 minutes are up, remove the roasting dish from the oven, give the veg a good shake, and then evenly space the salmon fillets into the dish, nestling into the veg.
4. Pour over the miso dressing, focussing on the fish fillets. Return the dish to the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked to your liking.
5. Scatter over the sesame seeds and sliced spring onions. Serve with the brown rice or quinoa.