There’s a time and a place for fancy food, but when you’re at home, cooking on a budget or without much time, it’s always handy to have a few quick and simple recipes up your sleeve. That doesn’t mean you have to scrimp on flavour though; we’ve hand-picked these ten fantastic dishes for you which include delicious and healthy ingredients, and best of all, there are only three in each recipe! Although tasty when cooked as described below, all ten are designed to provide a good base for those times you’re feeling a little more creative in the kitchen too. Bon appetit!
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coconut squash soup
Boil the cubes of butternut squash in water until they are tender to touch with a fork. Drain and place in a blender. Add a tablespoon of both coconut oil and curry paste to the cubes and blend until smooth. Reheat in a pan if necessary.
Coconut is such a versatile flavour in Asian cooking, so your soup can be transformed either to a Thai or Indian dish, depending on which curry paste you choose to use (this also means you can be in charge of the spiciness of the soup too).
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summer salad
In a bowl, place the fresh spinach leaves and crumble over the goats cheese. Cut the nectarines into thick slices and either cook them on a hot skillet pan until they are slightly scorched. Add to the salad, mix, and serve.
Fruit and cheese is a great combination. With a soft goat’s cheese, the salad will be creamy enough that you won’t need a thick dressing. If you want a kick of extra sourness to counteract the sweet nectarines, add a splash of balsamic vinegar or a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
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zingy green smoothie
Core an apple, leaving the skin on, and place in a blender. Add in a handful of frozen spinach and a piece of peeled fresh ginger. Whizz together until smooth to make a refreshing green smoothie.
This fresh smoothie takes seconds to make. Adjust the amount of each ingredient to suit your tastes. If you fancy something a bit creamier, add in some avocado too.
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easy energy bars
Not only do these energy bars only have three ingredients, but there’s also no cooking involved either. Simply throw equal measures of almonds, dates and raisins in a food processor and blitz until the ingredients are combined in small bits and is sticky (you may need to stir in-between processing stages).
Turn the mixture out onto cling film, and press out into a flat, square piece around 1-2cm thick. Cover with another layer of cling film and leave in the fridge for at least a few hours or better still, overnight. Once chilled and hard, cut with a sharp knife into rectangles and store with grease proof paper separating each piece.
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egg and posh soldiers
Boil an egg for around four minutes to give it a runny yolk. Wrap asparagus spears with slices of parma ham, either one slice per spear for thick asparagus, or wrap a bundle of thinner asparagus in a slice of ham. Place them under the grill until the asparagus is tender and the ham crispy.
This is an upgrade from your usual egg and toast soldiers. If you’re coeliac and avoiding wheat, this is the perfect brunch dish for you.
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banana ice cream
Freeze the bananas, removing the skins before you do! Add them to a food blender with a tablespoon of good quality peanut butter and 100ml of almond milk. Blend until the ingredients are fully combined. This will probably have a slushy texture. Pour it back into a container and place it back in the freezer, removing it when needed.
That’s it! The creaminess and sweetness of these simple ingredients mean you don’t need to add anything else to make a fantastic sweet treat. If you do want to jazz it up a bit, try diced dried fruit or even a few dark chocolate chips.
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pizza bread
Such a simple snack, light lunch, or side to an Italian dinner. Place the wraps on a baking tray and spread over enough tomato puree to cover the entire surface. Top with a few slices of mozzarella – it can be buffalo, pre-sliced or even a lower-fat option. Put the wraps under the grill but watch them closely! They’ll crisp up in no time.
These pizza breads can be personalised to suit everyone’s tastes. Fresh herbs are always a winner, but you can also add sliced meat, or raw or cooked vegetables too.
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egg fried rice
Cook the jasmine rice as per the packet instructions, with a shake of salt in the boiling water and allow to go cold. Scramble one egg in a bowl and season. In a frying pan, cook through the frozen peas, making sure they brown. Pour over the egg to make a pea omelette and once the egg has fully cooked, add in the cold rice. Mix it all together in the pan with a splash of soy sauce.
A take-away favourite that doesn’t have to be bad for you. A quick tip, let the rice catch slightly in the pan to give the an extra crunch.
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sweet potato cakes
Grate the sweet potato and thinly dice a white onion. Combine the two in a bowl with a cracked egg. Roll the mixture into small balls (the smaller, the easier to manage and quicker to cook). Heat a non-stick frying pan and place the balls in the pan, pressing down into flattened cakes. Keep flipping until both sides are browned and the cakes are cooked through.
These cakes are great for a healthy alternative to hash browns at breakfast, or add some curry powder to the mix, leave the onions in slices not cubes and you have onion bhajis!
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chicken filler
Shred your left over chicken breast or leg, discarding any skin. Scoop out the avocado from the skin and mix in a bowl with the juice of one lemon. Add in the shredded meat and mix until all is combined.
The softer the avocado the better, as it’ll turn into more of a creamy sauce, like an all-natural mayonnaise. Keep this mix in a tupperware in the fridge; it’ll be useful in sandwiches, wraps, or as a topping to salads or rice.
