Ingredients

To serve 2

• 130g spaghetti
• a few generous pinches of salt
• 1 very fat clove of garlic
• 40g cheese
• 1 slice of white or wholemeal bread
• a few sprigs of fresh parsley
• a generous pinch of crushed chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp light cooking oil
• plenty of coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp/30g butter or spread, or 2 more tbsp light cooking oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice, bottled is fine

Ingredients 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 large onion (chopped)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 sticks of celery (chopped)
• 2 carrots (sliced and peeled)
• 2 cups pre-chopped mixed vegetables (e.g. cauliflower, courgette, or green beans)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 8 cups (1.5 litres) vegetable stock

Method

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic and cook for 2 3 minutes, until soft.

2. Add salt and vegetables and heat for 1 - 2 minutes more. Do not let them brown.

3. Add vegetable stock and can of chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender - 8 to 12 minutes. 

4. Serve with a wholegrain bread roll. 

Ingredients 

• 300g penne (tubes)
• 1 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups of diced ham 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method 

1. Bring two pans (1 small and 1 large) of salted water to the boil
2. Put frozen peas in the small pan and cook until defrosted and hot (approx. 2 minutes)
3. Cut the ham into 1cm cubes
4. When the peas are cooked refresh in ice cold water to ensure the colour is locked in
5. By now the water for the pasta should be boiling, add the pasta and cook as per the instructions, this should take no longer than 12 minutes.
6. Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and gently cook off the ham.
7. As the pasta is ready, add the cooked ham and peas to the pasta and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Ingredients

• 4 fish fingers
• Spread of your choice 
• 2 slices wholemeal or seeded bread, or 1 roll
• 1 tomato
• Mixed salad 

Method:

1. Remove 4 fish fingers from the freezer and grill them on each side until crispy and golden.
2. Add  spread to 2 bits of seeded or wholemeal bread or a roll.
3. When the fish fingers are done, remove them from the grill and place them on the bread with mixed salad and tomato.
4. Put the other bit of bread on top and push down on your sandwich or roll and it is ready to eat.
5. To give it extra flavour you can add tomato sauce if you desire.

Ingredients 

• 4 sweet potatoes 
• olive oil
• 2 avocados, mashed
• 50 g rocket
• Sun-dried tomatoes 
• Salt and pepper

Method 

• Preheat oven 180 degrees 
• Wash and dry the sweet potato, pierce with a fork 2 - 3 times then rub with a little olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• Roast on a baking tray for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through
• Let cool, then split the tops open with a knife
• Serve mashed avocado, rocket, sun-dried tomatoes and season with salt and pepper

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black peppet 

2-3 hearts of cos or romaine lettuce shredded 

8 flour tortilla wraps

Methods

Flatten the chicken breasts slightly with a meat mallet.

Brush with olive oil and season.

Preheat a grill pan until hot and cook chicken for 10-15 minutes, turning once. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest.

Cut the warm chicken into chunky strips and tip into the bowl with the lettuce.

Place a good handful of the mixture onto each of the flour tortilla wraps and fold over one end before rolling up. Serve immediately.

Ingredients 

4 Thick slices wholemeal or mixed grain bread
1/4 cup (110g) reduced fat hummus
1/2 small ripe avocado (peeled and chopped)
1 teaspoon lime juice
Pinch sea salt
60g fat-free semi-dried tomatoes, (finely chopped)
30g wild rocket leaves
Olive oil cooking spray

Method

Spread 2 slices bread with hummus.

Roughly mash the avocado, lime juice and sea salt in a bowl.

Spoon avocado mixture over hummus.

Top with tomatoes and rocket.

Cover with remaining bread.
Lightly spray sandwiches on both sides with oil.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over low heat.

Add sandwiches and lightly press down with a spatula.

Cook for 2-3 minutes each side until golden and crisp.

Cut in half and serve. 

Ingredients 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp of olive oil

1 small cauliflower (500g) Cut into chunks. (I like to use the leaves and most of the stalk too)

1 stock cube

1 can of butter or cannellini beans drained

Chives or spring onions (I like to use the green tops of spring onions)

Method

Heat the oil and add the cauliflower chunks, fry gently until the cauliflower softens slightly (5-10mins).

Add 900mls of boiling water to the stock cube and add to the pan then simmer until the cauliflower is soft (20-30mins).

Remove from heat and add half the beans (or all of them if you want a less chunky soup).

Use a stick blender or food processor to blend and add more water if needed.

Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on the chives/spring onion tops.

Ingredients

• 4 baking potato
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 60g pack sliced pepperoni, torn
• 400g can chopped tomato
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 100g grated cheese

Method:

• Heat oven to 190. Clean the potatoes, then prick several times with a fork and bake 1-1½ hours
• While the potatoes cook, heat the oil in a small pan and fry the onion for 5 mins to soften.
• Stir in the garlic and pepperoni, and cook for 1-2 mins, then add the chopped tomatoes.
• Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Season and stir in half the italian seasoning.
• Spoon over the split potatoes and top each one cheese and bake for another 5 minutes to melt

Ingredients 

• 1 onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 pinch of paprika
• 1½ teaspoons cumin
• 500 g quality minced beef
• 250 ml organic beef stock
• 12 corn taco shells
• SALSA
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 spring onion
• 3 sprigs of fresh coriander
• ½ a lime
• GUACAMOLE
• 2 ripe avocados
• ½ lime
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche

Method 

• Peel and dice the onion, then de-seed and dice the peppers. Soften in 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan over a low heat.
• Peel, finely slice and add the garlic, along with the paprika and cumin, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beef and stir until it has browned.
• Pour in the stock, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, or until reduced and delicious.
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• For the salsa, roughly chop the tomatoes, trim and finely slice the spring onion, then pick and roughly chop the coriander leaves. Combine with the lime juice, then season carefully to taste.
• For the guacamole, halve and destone the avocados, then mash the flesh with a fork. Squeeze in the lime juice, add the crème fraîche, season, and gently mix it all up.
• Spread the taco shells out on a baking tray and place in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp.
• Fill the shells with the meat, salsa and guacamole or lay everything out and let everyone help themselves.

Ingredients

• 300g white fish
• 2 medium onions
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 tbsp light cooking oil
• A generous pinch of salt
• 200g mixed frozen vegetables
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
• 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
• 600ml milk
• Plenty of black pepper
• 80g cheese
• 120g powdered instant mash
• 50g butter or soft spread

Method

1. First pop your fish out of the freezer the night before and place it in a food safe bag, container or covered bowl in the fridge to defrost. 
2. When the fish is defrosted and it’s dinner time, take it out of the fridge and set it to one side.
3. Peel your onions and dice or finely slice them, and slice your celery. Pop them in a large non-stick pan, and add the oil and a generous pinch of salt.
4. Place the pan on the highest heat on the largest hob ring, and fry your veg for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to disturb them so they cook evenly and don’t stick and burn at the bottom of the pan.
5. Add your mixed frozen veg, and cook for 2 minutes more.
6. Sprinkle over your flour, crumble over your stock cube, and add your herbs, and stir these in well, so the veg is all very lightly coated, or as much as you’re able to.
7. Pour over a little of the milk and stir in briskly and well so that it forms a thick paste along with the flour and oil that are already in the pan. Add a splash more, stirring continuously, until half of the milk – 300ml – is incorporated into the pan.
8. Add your fish and fold in carefully so it doesn’t break up and flake too much, making sure it is covered by the liquid sauce.
9. Cover your pan with a lid, or if you don’t have a lid, a larger pan upturned to make a Dutch oven type thing, a baking tray laid flat across the top, a sturdy dinner plate that will withstand some heat, or some cooking foil will do the same job. Reduce the heat very slightly so it’s not absolutely boiling, and cook so the fish poaches through, which should take around 8 minutes. Stir in the cheese at the end to melt it into the sauce – you can reserve some for the mash if you’d like to.
10. Towards the end of the cooking time, pour the remaining 300ml milk into a microwave safe jug. Add 300ml cold water, then add the butter or spread, and the instant mash, and stir well to combine. Microwave on full power for 1 minute, remove and mix well with a fork to break up any lumps, and return to the microwave for another minute on full power. Remove and stir again.
11. Serve the mash in bowls and spoon the fish ‘pie’ filling generously over the top. Season with plenty of black pepper, and serve.
12. TO KEEP: Store any leftovers in a food safe jar, container or bag in fridge or freezer. Use within three days if stored in the fridge, or use within three months if stored in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat to piping hot to serve.

Ingredients

• 1onion
• 1 pepper
• 1-2tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 450g lean minced beef, or meat free alternative
• 1 beef or vegetable stock cube
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1tbsp tomato puree
• 1tsp dried mixed herbs
• Salt and ground black pepper

For the white sauce

• 15g butter
• 15g plain flour
• 300ml milk
• A pinch of grated nutmeg (optional)
• 175g easy-cook dried lasagne sheets
• 25g parmesan cheese, or cheddar

Method

1. Chop the onion, then put it into a large saucepan with olive oil. Crush the garlic and add it into the pan. Heat everything for 2
   minutes, stirring occasionally. Chop the pepper and add it into the pan. Add beef and cook for a further 10 minutes.
2. Put the stock cube into a jug and add 300ml of boiling water, stir until dissolved. Add to the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, puree, herbs, salt and pepper, heat until it boils, and then turn down the heat. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 40minutes, occasionally stirring.
3. Heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4
4. To make white sauce, put butter into a pan and heat on low. Take it off the heat and stir in the flour, add the nutmeg (if using) and the
   milk, stir until smooth. Heat over the pan until it becomes thick and then boils.
5. Spoon half of the Bolognese and spread it into an oven proof dish. Place one layer of lasagne sheets onto it. Add the rest of the sauce and another layer of sheets. Add the white sauce and then add grated cheese on top.
6. Place in the oven until golden brown, serve and enjoy!

TIP 1
By making your own Bolognese and white sauce, you can be sure of what goes in it, many store brought sauces contain
added sugar, with added price tag too!

TIP 2
You can add extra vegetables, such as, courgette, aubergine, spinach, mushrooms, carrot and even pumpkin to help you get your 5 a day! Getting 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day is recommended by WHO.

TIP 3
Lean mince in comparison to regular mince has less fat and fewer calories but more protein and other essential nutrients per gram.

Ingredients 

• 1/2 tablespoon oil 
• ½ red onion (diced)
• 1 red or yellow pepper (deseeded and thinly sliced)
• ½ courgette (diced)
• 300g ready-made turkey meatballs
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• Optional ½ bunch of parsley leaves (chopped) 
• 50g couscous
• 50ml kettle-hot water or boiling vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

Meatballs

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. 
2. Add the onion, courgette and pepper, and stir fry for 2 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
3. Increase the heat to high and add the meatballs to the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes – moving them around frequently to brown all over.
4. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through (check by cutting the largest in half ensuring the meat is white throughout).
6. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Couscous

1. Tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water or stock.
2. Cover with cling film or a lid and leave for 5-10 mins until the couscous is soft.
3. Fluff the couscous up with a fork, drizzling with the oil and season for taste.

Ingredients

Base

• Ready made pizza base 

Topping

• 200g can chopped tomato (drained)
• 1 cup grated cheese 
• Handful cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 large courgette (thinly sliced using a peeler)
• 25g mozzarella, torn into pieces
• 8 green olives (chopped)
• Tinned sweet corn
• 1 courgette 
• 1 garlic clove (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method 

1. Spread the canned tomatoes over the dough to within 2cm of the edges.
2. Scatter with cheese, then start making the faces.
3. Courgette rounds make great eyes or cheeks, halved courgette rounds can be used for ears and spiralised courgette for hair. Strips of pepper are good for eyebrows and mouths while olives and halved cherry tomatoes make great eyes or earrings. Sweetcorn can be used for teeth or freckles. This is a fun recipe for the kids!
4. Cook for around 10-15 mins until crisp. You’ll want to swap the pizzas to a lower shelf halfway through the cooking time.

Ingredients 

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 3 spring onions (sliced)
• 250g reduced-fat (about 5%) lean beef mince
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder (mild or hot to preference)
• 2 teaspoons tomato puree
• 175g can of kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
• 100ml beef stock
• 75g rice
• 150ml water
• 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

Method 

Chilli

• Melt the oil in a large frying pan
• Add the spring onions and beef. Stir-fry for about 4 mins until the meat has browed, breaking up the mince as you cook
• When the meat has browned off, add the cumin, paprika and chill and cook out for 30 seconds before adding tomato puree
• Continue to cook for another 30 seconds
• Add the kidney beans and beef stock, bring to a simmer and cook for a further 1-2 mins

Rice

• Rinse the rice thoroughly in cold water
• Pour the rice into a pan over a low heat
• Add the water (double the water to rice in ml i.e. 75g of rice – 150ml water)
• Bring to a boil - Swirl the rice in the pan (or stir once) to make sure it’s well distributed. 
• Put a lid on and turn the heat down to as low as possible.
• Cook for 10 mins and do not take the lid off. Check the rice is cooked at the end by trying a grain.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve it straightaway

Ingredients 

• 1 kilogram of lean ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 4 green onions thinly sliced 
• 3 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoon of lower-sodium soy sauce
• 12 cos lettuce leaves
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots 

Method 

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey and garlic to the pan and cook for about 6 minutes or until turkey is browned. Stir to crumble.
• Combine the turkey mixture, garlic and onions stirring well, and set aside.
• Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together hoisin and soy sauce and and drizzle over the turkey mixture. Toss to coat completely.
• Add about ¼ cup turkey mixture to each lettuce leaf, serve and enjoy.

Ingredients 

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

600 g baking potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

Methods

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. 

Wash 4 large sweet potatoes under cold running water, scrubbing well with a scrubber to get rid of any dirt (no need to peel them)

Cut each sweet potato in fries, by cutting the sweet potato in half and then into smaller fries
Add to a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle over a tiny pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and ½ a teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then toss everything together to coat
Spread out into a single layer in a large baking tray, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden and cooked through
Leave to sit for a couple of minutes, to make it easier to remove them, then use a fish slice to transfer them to a serving dish

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 200g of peas
• 500g beef mince, or meat-free alternative
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 kg (2lb) potatoes
• 50g butter, cubed (cut this down for an even healthier meal)

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil
2. Using a large frying pan, heat the olive oil
3. Add the onion and carrot to the oil and sauté on a medium heat until softened
4. Add the beef mince to the oil, onion and carrot and turn up the heat for 4-5 minutes frying until the mince is browned.
5. Meanwhile, peel, halve and boil the potatoes for 20 minutes or until soft.
6. Drain the potatoes and allow to steam for 10 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, 160°C
8. Add the tinned tomatoes, peas, stock cube and salt and pepper to the mince mixture.
9. Fill the tomato tin with water and add that as well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce.
10. Once the potatoes have steamed, mash them well with some salt and butter until the butter is melted and mixed through.
11. Pour the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with the mash. Use a fork to rough up the top to help it colour.
12. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until piping hot and golden. Serve immediately.

Ingredients 

• 4 chicken thigh fillets
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 2tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 300g brown rice
• 500ml veg or chicken stock
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes

Method

• Bring a pan of water to a boil, lower to med-high heat and boil chicken thighs with a lid on for 30 minutes
• In a large saucepan add oil, pepper, onion, paprika and chilli powder into a pan and fry until onion is translucent
• When chicken is cooked, shred and add to peppers and onions
• Add the rice, tinned tomatoes and stock and season with salt and pepper
• Cook on a low-medium heat until rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed and serve

Ingredients - makes 8 

• 100g unsalted butter or substitute, plus extra for greasing
• 200g plain flour, plus extra for the worktop
• 6 tablespoons cold water 
• 6–8 tablespoons jam
• 6 tablespoons icing sugar, approx. 60g
• sprinkles

Method

1. To make the pastry, cube the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips to form a fine breadcrumb consistency. 
2. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, then mix with a knife until it just forms a dough.
3. Flour your worktop and tip out the dough. Now halve it, so you have a manageable amount to work with, and roll it out very thinly, 2–3mm thick. If you don’t have a rolling pin, use a jar or bottle to roll out your pastry. 
4. When the pastry is rolled out, cut into rectangles about 10cm x 7cm each. Get as many rectangles as you can from your pastry, adding the cut-offs back to the rest and re-rolling as necessary.
5.  Spread jam thinly on half of the rectangles, leaving a generous 1–2cm space around the edges for it to spread. Place a plain rectangle on top of a jammy one, and press together lightly. Trim the edges with a sharp knife to neaten. 
6. Grease a baking sheet and place the tarts on it very carefully. Repeat these steps until all of the pastry dough is used up, making 8 in total. 
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 14–16 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for half an hour. Don’t worry if they feel slightly soft: they’ll harden as they cool. 
8. Make up the icing: mix the icing sugar with 1 tablespoon of the water in a small bowl, and spread on top of the cooled tart. Add sprinkles immediately, while the icing is still soft, and leave to set. They can be eaten cold, or warmed gently in the oven.

Top Tip:

You can of course cheat and use ready made shortcrust pastry, too. Most supermarket own brand ones are vegan and dairy free. 

Ingredients: 

500grams of strong white bread flour

2 teaspoons of salt

7 grams of yeast

300mls of lukewarm water (200 cold, 100 of boiling water)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Other:

Mixing bowl

Parchment paper

Oven tray

Tea towel

Method:

Measure out 500grams of strong white bread flour into a large mixing bowl

Add 2 teaspoons of salt and mix together

Add your 7 grams of yeast and stir until mixed together

Create a well in the middle of your mixture and add in your water and olive oil

Mix all of this together, using one hand to fold the mixture together gently in the bowl (if you have a mixer at home you can use this now for 10mins on a low setting).

Move the mixture onto your work surface and keep needing until you create a slightly sticky dough - Watch the video to see how John does this.

Create the shape you want with the dough

You now need to prove the bread by placing it in the mixing bowl, putting a tea towel over it and leaving it for an hour.

After an hour your dough will have grown a lot larger

Need the bread for a couple of minutes to push the air out

Shape the dough into its final shape

Put your parchment paper on the oven tray

Place your dough on the parchment paper

Place the tea towel over the tray and leave for another hour   

After an hour, remove the tea towel and add any design you wish such as a few cuts on the top as John demonstrated

Preheat your oven at 200 degrees

Place your oven tray in the oven for half an hour

After 30minutes take your bread out the oven and get stuck in!

Ingredients

• 500ml of a base, choose: water, milk, yoghurt or non-dairy alternatives
• a handful of your favourite fruits
• 2 tbsp of a sweetener such as sugar free jam or honey

Methods

• Take your ingredients and place them into a blender and blend until fully combined.
• If you don't like bits you can always sift the ice lolly mixture
• Place mixture into ice lolly moulds and place in the freezer until set
• If you don't have an ice lolly mould you can get creative with Big ice cube trays, clean yoghurt pots, silicone muffin cases, mini baking tins or small paper or plastic cups. Source some wooden lolly sticks, rigid straws or similar 'handles' for your lollies