Dinner recipes

Meatballs ‘n’ sauce

Method Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 200g any type of mince (lean if possible) 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g) 200g any type of dried pasta Swappable or optional 200g mushrooms, sliced 1 pepper 2 tsp dried mixed herbs 2 tbsp tomato puree

1. Mix some of the chopped onion and garlic with the mince. Shape the mince into small balls about half the size of a golf ball. Try using turkey mince as a lower-fat alternative to lamb. 2. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove and put on to a plate. 3. Add the remaining onion to the frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the remaining garlic and cook for another minute. 4. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, herbs, mushrooms and peppers to the pan with 150ml water. Bring to the boil, then add the meatballs. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes. 5. About 10 minutes before serving, put the pasta on to cook in plenty of boiling water. Serve with the meatballs and tomato sauce. Serve with wholegrain brown rice as an alternative to pasta, but remember that it takes 25-30 minutes to cook.

Mediterranean potato bake Ingredients

800g salad potatoes, thickly sliced 50g pine nuts, chopped 1 tsp olive oil Swappable or optional 1 courgette, sliced 1 aubergine, sliced 1 red or yellow pepper (or both), deseeded and sliced 1 tbsp red pesto

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. 2. Put the potatoes, chopped vegetables and pine nuts in a large roasting tin. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender. You can swap the fresh veg for 400g of frozen Mediterranean vegetables to speed up the prep. 3. Add the pesto, if using, and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Good old fish ‘n’ chips Ingredients

4 potatoes, scrubbed, each cut into 8 wedges 1 tbsp vegetable oil 75g dried white or wholemeal breadcrumbs 1 egg, beaten with 2 tbsp cold water 4 fillets skinless white fish, like haddock or cod 300g of mushy peas 1 pinch ground black pepper (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/gas mark 6. Lightly grease a baking sheet with a little vegetable oil. 2. Put the potato wedges into a roasting tin. Add the remaining vegetable oil and toss to coat. Season with black pepper. Transfer to the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes, turning them over after 20 minutes. Not peeling the potatoes means you get more fibre in your diet - and they’re quicker to prepare. 3. Meanwhile, sprinkle the breadcrumbs onto a large plate. Season with a little pepper. Dip each fish fillet in the beaten egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on the baking sheet, then transfer to the oven when you turn the potatoes, so that it cooks for 15-20 minutes. To check that the fish is cooked, it should flake easily when tested with a fork. Look out for dried breadcrumbs flavoured with lemon or spices to add extra flavour to the fish, or add some finely grated lemon zest or a pinch of paprika to plain dried breadcrumbs. 4. Heat the mushy peas in a saucepan and then serve with the fish and chips.

Tasty veggie chilli

Method Ingredients

2 tsp vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 300g vegetarian mince 1 tin red kidney beans, in water 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g) 200g rice (easy cook long grain brown rice if possible) Swappable or optional 1 medium onion, chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 2 peppers, deseeded and chopped 2 tsp tomato puree 100ml reduced-salt vegetable or chicken stock 1 pinch ground black pepper

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Fry gently for 2-3 minutes, then add the carrot, garlic, red chilli and peppers and fry for 2-3 more minutes, stirring often. 2. Add the frozen mince, beans, tomatoes, tomato puree and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25-30 minutes. At the same time, put the rice on to cook in plenty of gently boiling water – it will take 25-30 minutes. 3. Season the chilli with pepper, then serve in warm bowls with the cooked, drained rice.

Cheats’ pizza calzone Ingredients

4 soft flour tortillas (whole-wheat if possible) 4 tomatoes, chopped 80g hard cheese, grated (reduced fat if possible) 1 carrot, grated 2 celery sticks, chopped Swappable or optional 3 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 red or yellow pepper (or both) 150g closed-cup mushrooms, sliced 4 handfuls mixed salad leaves

Method

1. Preheat the grill. Arrange the peppers and mushrooms on a baking sheet and grill them for 4-5 minutes, turning once. Add the tomatoes and herbs, then season with black pepper. Keep warm. Add some torn-up basil leaves to the tomato mixture for extra flavour. 2. Put a tortilla into a dry frying pan and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the top. Cook over a medium heat for about 30-40 seconds until melted. You could use white flour tortillas, though they won’t provide as much fibre as whole-wheat ones. 3. Add a quarter of the vegetable mixture to one side of the tortilla, then fold it in half, over the filling.

Cook for a few moments, then slide it onto a warm serving plate. Keep warm. 4. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Serve with the salad leaves, grated carrot and celery. For a snack, just make 2 and cut them in half to serve 4 people.