Mushroom Pâté

A vegetarian alternative to meat Pâté, packed full of flavour. Enjoy spread on oat cakes or with cheese. 

To make the Pâté: 

200g of sliced mushrooms 

1 heaped tsp of truffle paste 

1 large crushed garlic clove

Fry the mushrooms and garlic in 2 tblsp of olive oil until completely soft. Mix the mushrooms with the truffle paste. Blend for a few minutes until completely smooth. Season to taste. 

Kidney Bean and Smoked Paprika Hummus

A great alternative to traditional hummus. This recipe can be adapted by adding sweet chilli instead of smoke paprika. 

To make the hummus: 

1 tin of drained and washed red kidney beans

1 heaped tsp of smoked paprika 

3 tblsp of lemon juice 

Simply blend all the ingredients and season to taste. Serve with more smoked paprika and olive oil. 

Banana and Coconut Ice Cream

A delicious creamy and sweet summer desert. Completely clean and nasty free. 

To make the ice cream: serves 1

1 very ripe roughly chopped frozen banana. 

1 square inch cube of fresh coconut 

1 tsp of honey (optional) 

Simply blend all the ingredients until really smooth. 

Fish and Chips

No ordinary fish and chips. This dish is made up of crispy sweet parsnip chips, succulent salmon and mushy mint peas. 

To make the parsnip chips: serves 1

2 tblsp of olive oil

One large or two medium parsnips

Chop the parsnip into long chips with the skin on. Steam until soft. Toss in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes at 180oc. Turn the parsnips so they roast evenly. 

To make the salmon: serves 1 

1 fillet of salmon

Add the seasoned salmon to roast with the parsnips. Roast both for a further 15 minutes until the salmon is cooked through. 

To make the mushy mint peas: serves 1 

1 cup of frozen peas

3 sprigs of fresh mint 

While the parsnips and salmon are roasting prepare the peas. Boil the peas for a few minutes and drain. Blend the peas with the fresh mint and season to taste. 

Once the salmon and parsnips are both cooked, heat the peas through in a pan. Assemble the dish and serve. 

Chilli Mint and Cashew Nut Noodles

Sweet, spicy and fragrant. This is a fresh noodle dish bursting with flavour. 

To make the noodles: serves 1

1 nest of rice noodles

1/2 a cup of plain cashew nuts 

1 spring onion finely sliced

1 carrot sliced finely 

1/4 cup of sweetcorn

1/4 of an iceberg lettuce finely sliced

1 whole deseeded chilli finely sliced

1 handful of roughly chopped fresh mint 

2 tblsp of soy sauce

1/2 tblsp of sesame oil 

Cover the noodles with boiling water in a bowl and leave for 5 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside. 

Toast the cashew nuts until golden in a dry pan and set aside. 

Fry the onion and carrots in a little oil until soft the add the sweetcorn and lettuce. Add all the other ingredients including the noodles and cashew nuts. Stir for a few minutes until throughly combined and top with some more fresh mint. 

Pea and Mint Soup

A fresh spring soup. Naturally sweet and delicious. 

To makes the soup: serves 3-4

1 cooked potatoe 

2 cups of frozen peas

1 cup of broad beans 

1 large bunch of fresh mint roughly chopped

1 vegetable stock cube 

Put the peas, broad beans, mint and stock cube in a large pan and cover with boiling water. Bring to the boil for a few minutes until cooked through. Add the potatoe and blend until smooth. Season to taste. 

Flapjack Crumbles

These flapjacks have a lovely moist and crumbly texture from the ground almonds. Unfortunately they went too quickly to take a photo of the whole batch! Very yummy.

To make the flapjacks: makes 16 flapjacks 

225g of coconut oil or butter 

100g of set honey 

350g of jumbo rolled oats 

50g of ground almonds 

100g of dried fruit (i used cranberries, currents and apricots)

6 whole dates

Melt the butter/ coconut oil and honey together in a pan until completely melted. Take off the heat and add all the other ingredients. Meanwhile line a dish with greaseproof paper. Poor the mixture into the lined dish and bake at 180oc for 20 minutes of until golden brown. Let the flapjacks cool completely and ideally refrigerate before cutting. They are very crumbly so this is quite hard. 

Weatabix Banana Breakfast Loaf

A great breakfast if you need something quick and easy. Alternatively this makes a great nutritious snack. Delicious served with peanut butter. 

To make the loaf: makes 5 slices 

6 weatabix 

1 cup of water 

1/2 cup of milk

1 mashed ripe banana 

50g dark chocolate chips 

1 tsp of baking powder 

1 egg or (1 tbsp of chia seeds soaked in 3 tblsp of hot water until thick) 

1 tblsp of honey 

Blend the weatabix until a flour consistency. Add the baking powder, mashed banana, egg, water, milk and honey. Blend until smooth. Mix in the chocolate chips and pour into a greased loaf tin. Top with banana slices for decoration and bake at 180oc for 30 minutes. It is important to let the cake cool completely before eating.

Green Spinach and Chicken Curry

A dark vibrant green curry full of iron and vitamins. A lovely change from using tomatoes. 

To make the curry: serves 2 

1 chicken breast diced 

1/2 a finely chopped onion 

1 tsp of fennel seeds 

1/2 a cup of broccoli 

1 heaped tblsp of Indian curry paste

6 frozen cubes of spinach 

1-2 cups of water

Fry the onion, broccoli and chicken in a little coconut oil until golden and cooked through. Add the curry paste and fennel seeds. Fry for a few minutes. Meanwhile defrost the spinach and blend with the water until smooth. Add to the frying pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

Serve with wild basmati rice and homemade red onion chutney. 

Pea and Prosciutto Ham Soup

A delicious spring soup made with prosciutto ham for more flavour. Serve with fresh bread and butter. 

To make the soup: serves 1-2 

2-3 slices of prosciutto ham 

1 small tin of marrow fat peas (mushy peas) 

1/2 a vegetable stock cube

1 cup of water 

Roughly chop the ham and fry in a dry nonstick pan to release the flavours. Add the peas, water and stock cube. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir, season with just black pepper and add more water if needed. 

Moroccan Chilli Tagine

A warming, filling and fragrant tagine. Served with a homemade tomatoe chutney, chopped almonds and cous cous. 

To make the tagine: serves 2-3 

1/2 a finely chopped onion 

2 cloves of crushed garlic

A handful of finely chopped coriander 

1 drained tin of chickpeas

1 drained tin of kidney beans

2 tblsp of raisins

1/2 a sliced red chilli

1 tblsp of honey

1 tblsp of chopped almonds 

2 tblsp of tomatoe paste 

2 tsp of cinnamon 

2 tsp of curry powder 

1-2 cups of water 

Fry the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Add the chickpeas, kidney beans, chilli, raisins,  honey, garlic and spices. Fry for a few minutes. Add the water and tomatoe paste. Add the coriander, almonds and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until a rich consistency is achieved. 

Peach and Summer Fruit Bircher

A delicious summer alternative to warm porridge. This recipie can be adjusted with different fruits, flavours and toppings. Using dried fruit is great in this recipie as it rehydrates overnight becoming juicy. Experiment with raisins, natural yoghurt and honey. 

To make the Bircher: serves 2

Half a cup of oats 

1 tblsp of sun flour seeds 

1 tblsp of pumpkin seeds 

1 tin of chopped peaches in juice 

1/2 cup of frozen berrys

1 tsp of cinnamon 

Make a simple porridge using the oats and 1 cup of liquid (the drained juice from the peaches plus water). This can be done in the microwave or on the stove for a few minutes. Simply add all the other ingredients and leave over night in the fridge. 

Easy Lentil Dahl

So so easy, this Dahl tastes great the next day on baked sweet potatoes, with meat and fish or simply on its own. I served mine with spicy mango chutney, fresh coriander and pitta bread. 

To make the Dahl: serves 2 

1 tin of plum tomatoes 

1 cup of water

1 heaped tblsp of Indian curry paste 

1 cup of red split lentils 

Mix all the ingredients in a large casserole dish and break up the tomatoes throughly. Bring to the boil for 10 minutes. Cook for 10-15 more minutes at 160oc with the lid on in a preheated oven. 

Anchovy Spaghetti

When travelling in Verona, Italy I tried this dish with fresh homemade Italian pasta! Bellissima! Serve with fresh cracked pepper, Parmesan cheese and a side salad. 

To make the pasta: serves 1 

100g of dried wholemeal spaghetti 

A 50g tin of anchovies in olive oil 

Simply boil the spaghetti until cooked throughly. Chop the anchovies and throughly combine with the warm pasta, adding all the olive oil. 

Make sure you add no extra salt and go easy on the parmesan, the anchovies can be very salty. 

Coconut Cream and Poached Pear Chia Seed Pudding

Packed full of nutrition this is a creamy and sweet pudding. Try Pina Colada Chia Seed Pudding - just add pineapple instead of pear. Serve cold.

To make the pudding: serves 2 

2 tblsp of chia seeds 

1/4 cup of coconut cream 

1 tblsp of algarve syrup 

1 large poached pear or 2 tinned pear halves chopped roughly 

1/4 cup of filtered water 

Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hour. Sir throughly. Leave for another 2 hours or ideally over night until a pudding consistency forms. 

Pear, Walnut and Stilton Salad

A salty and sweet salad that's delicious enjoyed in the sunshine! 

To make the dressing: serves 1

1 tblsp of olive oil 

1 tsp of algarve syrup 

1 tsp of finely diced red onion 

1 tblsp of finely chopped parsley 

1 tblsp of pear juice 

Salt and pepper to taste 

To make the salad: serves 1

1/4 of a small iceberg lettuce finely chopped

2 inches of cucumber sliced

2 tblsp of toasted walnuts

50g of Stilton cheese crumbled 

3 tinned or very soft fresh pear halves pealed 

Dress the lettuce, cucumber and walnuts. Pour into a plate, assemble the pear halves and scatter with the Stilton. 

Spinach Falafels

These crispy falafels are yummy served with red pepper hummus as a side dish or starter. Alternatively they make a great main in pitta breads or wraps! 

To make the falafels: 

1/2 a cup of gram flour (chickpea flour) 

4 frozen cubes of spinach defrosted

100 ml of water

1/4 tsp each of smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric and ground fennel seeds 

Mix all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Leave to soak for at least 30 minutes. Fry in a little olive oil for a few minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Cherry, Apple and Almond Crumble

A yummy crumble, great for family Sunday lunchs. 

For the fruit filling: 

2 large roughly chopped cooking apples 

1 tin of drained cherrys or 2 cups of fresh destoned cherrys 

About 1 cup of sugar 

Heat all the ingredients in a pan on a low heat until soft. Add more or less sugar depending on the sweetness of your fruit. 

Put into a deep serving dish ready to top with your crumble. 

For the crumble topping: 

120g of plain flour

85g of butter, cut into cubes

4 tbsp of caster sugar

5 tbsp of ground almonds 

3 tbsp cold water

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or by hand and then flake over the top of the fruit filling. Cook at 180oc for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with lashings of custard or cream. 

Vegetable and Lentil Stew

A lovely warming stew that is perfect served with fresh wholemeal bread. 

To make the stew: serves 2 

1 small onion roughly chopped 

1 1/2 carrots roughly chopped

1 corgette roughly chopped 

4 broccoli stems 

1 clove of garlic 

1 chicken or vegetable stock cube 

1 tsp of corn flour 

4 tbsp of red split lentils

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary  

In a large casserole dish fry the onion, carrots and courgette in a little olive oil. When golden add the corn flour, broccoli and garlic. Fry for a few more minutes. Add the stock cube, rosemary and lentils. Deglaze the pan with a little water then continue to cover the vegetables. Cook at 180oc for 30 minutes. 

Worcestershire Mushrooms and Poached Eggs

An easy breakfast, which is best with really good quality eggs and Worcestershire sauce. 

To make the breakfast: serves 1

6 slices mushrooms

A handful or watercress (tomatoes or corgettes or aubergine work great too) 

2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce 

2 eggs 

Fry the mushrooms and watercress until soft in a little olive oil and seasoning. Meanwhile poach the eggs. Add the Worcestershire sauce in the last few minutes deglazing the pan. Serve with the eggs on top. Delicious. 

Indian Coconut Cream Curry

A warming and filling dish full of fibre and nutrition. I served mine with mixed black and wild rices, fresh socca bread, chutney and pickle. 

To make the curry: serves 2 

Half a finely chopped onion 

A small roughly chopped sweet potatoe 

Half a head of roughly chopped broccoli 

A sliced garlic clove 

1 heaped tblsp of Indian curry paste

2 inches of a stick of coconut cream

Fry the onion and sweet potatoe I a little coconut oil until golden. Add the broccoli, garlic and curry paste. After a few minutes melt the coconut cream and cover with water slightly below the vegetables. Cook for 30minutes at 180oc. Season to taste. 

Chilli Stew

A nourishing warm dish. I served mine with homemade socca bread (see socca pizza for recipie). 

To make the stew: serves 3 to 4

Half a finely chopped onion 

6 sliced mushrooms 

1 clove of sliced garlic 

1 can of drained sweet corn 

1/2 a courgette roughly chopped 

1 heaped tsp of smoked paprika 

1 vegetable stock cube 

5 slices of red chopped jalapeños 

500ml of passata tomatoes 

Fry the onion, mushrooms, corgette and garlic on a low heat until soft in a little olive oil. Add all other ingredients and simmer until cooked and flavourful. Season to taste. 

Lemon Curd Loaf

A delicious rich moist loaf served cold or hot. I served mine hot with lemon sauce (icing sugar and lemon juice heated up) and creme fresh. 

To make the loaf: serves 8

100g of coconut oil or margarine

75g of caster sugar 

2 eggs 

175g self-raising flour

1 jar of good quality lemon curd 

1 level teaspoon of baking powder 

Preheat the oven to 160oc and grease a 2lb loaf tin.  Put all the ingredients into a blender and pour into the tin. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown. 

Quinoa and Beef Stew

A warming nourishing beef stew packed full of flavour. 

To make the stew: makes 2 portions 150g of chopped beef 

1/2 a diced onion 

1 roughly chopped carrot 

2 inches of sliced courgette 

1 tin of plum tomatoes

1 clove of garlic sliced 

1 beef stock cube 

1 tbsp of dried herbs 

1/3 of a cup of quinoa

1 heaped tbsp of tomatoe paste

Add a little olive oil to a caserole dish and fry the beef, onion, carrot and courgette until golden and slightly cooked. Add the tomatoes, garlic, beef stock cube, dried herbs, tomatoe paste and quinoa. Add a cup of water and bring to the boil. Put the lid on and cook at 180oc for 40 minutes. Add a cup of cold water and season to taste. 

Pesto and Pumpkin Seed Salad

A delicious crunchy salad with lots of different textures. Serve with rice cakes or fresh bread. 

To make the pesto: makes 250ml

50g of pine nuts 

A large bunch of basil

50g of Parmesan 

150ml of olive oil

2 garlic cloves 

Simply blend all of the above. 

For something different - the pine nuts can be replaced with other seeds or nuts of your choice. The same goes for the basil, as long as it's a leafy herb. Try pumpkin seed pesto or parsley and walnut pesto.  

To make the salad: serves 1

1/4 of a finely chopped iceberg lettuce

2 tomatoes roughly chopped 

1/4 of a finely sliced red onion 

2 inces of roughly chopped cucumber

1 tbsp of toasted pumpkin seeds 

1 tbsp of pesto 

Stir all of the above together and season to taste. I served mine with some fresh parsley on top. 

Bee Pollen Porridge with Toasted Walnuts

A yummy breakfast! Packed full of natural goodness.

A handy tip is to toast your nuts in advance. This can be done easily in a dry pan over a mid to low heat. They keep for ages and make breakfast that little but quicker. 

To make the porridge: serves 1

50g of oats

1 heaped teaspoon of bee pollen

1 cup of milk 

1 heaped tablespoon of chopped toasted walnuts

Over a low heat cook the oats, milk and pollen until thick and smooth. This should take about 4 minutes. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with the toasted nuts. Simple. 

Celery and Lentil Soup

This is my favourite soup which I make in a big batch and freeze. It is lovely with pumpkin seeds scattered on top.

To make the soup: makes 3 portions 

1 cup of red split lentils

1 large clove of garlic

1 bay leaf

6 sticks of celery roughly chopped

1 vegetable stock cube 

Put all the ingredients in a caserole dish and only just cover with water slightly below the celery. Cook for 45 minutes at 180oc or until the lentils and celery are thoughroughly cooked. Remove the bay leaf. Blend until smooth and season to taste. 

Ramen Soup

A warming fresh dinner, full of vitamins and nutrients. 

To make the broth: 

Bring to the boil the left over bones from a roast chicken, just covered in water. Simmer on a low heat for half an hour and crush for more flavour. Drain the bones saving the broth in a bowl. Season with fish sauce, pepper and soy sauce.

To make the noodles: 

Add a portion of rice noodles to the hot bone broth and leave until cooked. This only takes about 5 minutes.

To make the topping:

1/4 of a finely chopped onion 

1/2 garlic clove crushed 

1/2 inch of ginger grater 

3 slices of red chilli

3 stems of broccoli 

1/2 a tin of Chinese style vegetables 

4 large king prawns 

Fry the onion, garlic and broccoli in a little oil until soft. Add all other incredients and fry until cooked. Add the topping to the noodles and broth. Serve with chilli oil, sesame seeds and fresh coriander. 

Banana Pancakes

A healthy desert which can be served with many delicious toppings. I served mine with honey and berrys. Happy pancake day! 

To make the pancake mixture: serves 1

1 mashed ripe banana 

1 egg 

Optional 1/2 tsp of cinnimon 

Beat all ingredients together in a bowl. Heat a tblsp of coconut oil in a frying pan. Spoon the mixture into the small pancakes and flip when golden. They should take about 4 minutes on each side. 

Pumpkin and Walnut Tart

A delicious desert. Best served with creme fresh to balance the sweetness. Lovely served hot or cold. This one went down very well!

To make the sweet pastry:

225g of plain flour 

80g of icing sugar

110g of butter

Blend all above ingredients into a ball with a little water if necessary. Roll out thinly and line a greased tart tin with the pastry (if not using a metal dish - bake blind for 10 minutes until opaque). 

To make the pumpkin filling:

200g pureed pumpkin

90g of golden caster sugar

75ml double cream

75ml milk

3 eggs 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 1/2 tsp of mixed spice

1 tsp of vanilla extract 

Blend all above ingredients and spread into the pastry case evenly. Bake at 180oc (fan 160oc) for 20-25 minutes or until set and slightly golden. Let the tart completely cool. 

To make the walnut crumble: 

200g of walnuts (toasted and chopped)

85g of muscovado sugar 

3 tbsp of melted butter  

Mix all ingredients together and spread evenly on the tart. Grill or blow torch until golden. 

Avocado and Egg Mexican Wraps

A flavourful and delicious meal.

To make the wraps: makes 2 small or 1 large

125g wholemeal flour

70ml water

1/2 tbsp of olive oil

Combine all ingredients. Roll out as thin as possible in a circle. Cook in a dry pan for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp. 

To make the fillings: serves 1

1/4 sliced red pepper and 1/4 sliced yellow pepper lightly fried

1 small avocado mashed with a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning 

Sliced lettuce

1 fried egg

A few sliced red chilli's  

A few sprigs of coriander 

A few slices of red onion

A dash of smoked paprika 

Prepare all the fillings and add to taste. 

Banana and Berry Breakfast Muffins

Great for an easy breakfast or snack! 

To make the muffins: makes 8

140g of wholemeal flour

100g of self raising flour

1tsp of bicarbonate of soda

300g of mashed ripe bananas 

4tbsp of honey 

3 large beaten eggs 

150ml of natural yoghurt 

A handful of frozen berrys 

Mash the bananas. Add the honey, eggs and natural yoghurt. Fold in the flours and bicarbonate of soda until combined.fold in the berrys and spoon into muffin cases. I topped mine with bee pollen but you could add nuts also. Bake at 160oc or 140oc fan for 1hour or until golden brown. 

French Salami and Goats Cheese Pasta

A delicious dinner that is best made with the best quality French goats cheese and salami.

To make the pasta: Serves 1

90g of dry wholemeal pasta 

2 large tomatoes chopped roughly

Half a small diced onion

2inches of sliced salami 

30g of goats cheese 

A handful of basil 

A heaped tblsp of tomatoe paste 

Boil the pasta until soft. Meanwhile on a low heat cook the salami, tomatoes and onions until soft. Add seasoning, the basil, tomatoe paste and goats cheese. Add some of the pastas starchy water to de-glase the pan. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir. Top with a slice of goats cheese and some more fresh basil.

Baked Trout

The most simple and quick dish to assemble but so tasty. 

To make the trout: serves 1 

1 whole trout

1 bay leaf

Half a lemons zest 

Half a garlic clove sliced 

A slice of lemon 

Put all ingredients inside the trout and season the outside with salt and pepper. Bake at 180oc for 20 minutes. 

I have served mine with a simple salad made with red pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and sliced olives. I also like to serve the trout with a slice of lemon. 

Vietnamese King Prawn Noodle Salad

A fresh healthy supper with interesting textures. 

To make the salad: serves 1

6 large king prawns

1 portion of soaked glass noodles

2 inches of sliced cucumber

2 inches of sliced red pepper

Half a carrot in slithers (use a potatoe peeler) 

A handful of finely sliced iceberg lettuce 

A bunch of chopped coriander 

8 cashew nuts

To make the dressing: serves 1

A heaped tsp of peanut butter

A tblsp of fish sauce 

A tblsp of soy sauce 

A tsp of honey 

Half a finely sliced red chilli 

A tblsp of lemon juice 

Assemble the salad and dressing seperatly making sure all ingredients are throughly combined. Then toss the salad through the dressing and mix again. Season to taste if required and serve with extra coriander.