
Dinner Recipes
VEGAN MUSHROOM PASTA
Serves 2
Mushroom, hummus and wholemeal pasta make this a healthy, filling dinner.
Ingredients
To make your own hummus:
210g can chickpeas, no need to drain
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 lrg clove of garlic
1 tsp vegetable bouillon
2 tsp tahini
¼ tsp ground coriander
or use your hummus of choice
​
115g wholemeal penne or other pasta of choice
2 tsp oil
2 red onions, halved and sliced
200g closed cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
½ lemon, juiced
a good handful of chopped parsley
Method
To make the hummus, place 210g can of chickpeas with the liquid into a bowl and add 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp vegetable bouillon, 2 tsp tahini and ¼ tsp ground coriander.
Blend to a wet paste with a hand blender, retaining some chunkiness of the chickpeas.
Follow the cooking instructions for the wholemeal pasta. Retain some of the cooking water when draining.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp of oil in a non-stick wok or large frying pan and add the prepared red onions and chopped closed cup mushrooms. Stir often until softened and starting to caramelise.
Toss the cooked ingredients together, squeeze over the juice of ½ a lemon and serve, adding a dash of the pasta cooking water to loosen the mixture a little if needed. Serve topped with chopped the parsley.
OVEN-BAKED PESTO SALMON
Serves 3-4 adults
Ingredients
500g sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
1-2 tsp olive oil
2 lrg courgettes, cut into small chunks
1 red or yellow pepper, cut into small chunks
2 spring onions, finely sliced
30g pine nuts
3-4 salmon fillets
Juice ½ lemon
2 tbsp pesto
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Boil the potatoes for 5-7 mins until tender, then drain.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Toss the potatoes in the oil & place on a baking tray. Roast for 20 mins.
Push the potatoes to one side & put the courgette, pepper, spring onion & pine nuts down the middle of the tray.
Put the salmon on the other side. Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets & the vegetables (not on the potatoes).
Season everything with pepper.
Spread pesto on top of each of the salmon fillets & return the tray to the oven for 12-15 mins until everything is cooked through


CHICKEN PESTO PASTA
Serves 2
2 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon Basil pesto
1 tablespoon light cream cheese
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
100g whole wheat pasta (any shape)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
Method
Place whole wheat pasta in a pot of boiling water and cook for approximately 9-10 minutes until soft. Retain some of the cooking water when draining the cooked pasta.
Cut chicken fillets into strips.
Place tablespoon of rapeseed oil in a wok / pan and add the chicken strips. Cook until cooked through for approximately 6-8 minutes.
Add sliced peppers and stir for a few minutes until tender.
Reduce heat and add the cream cheese to the chicken and stir through. Allow cream cheese to melt making a creamy sauce.
Add the Basil pesto and stir through.
Serve pesto chicken mixture with whole wheat pasta.
SEAFOOD RISOTTO
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 tbsp ghee/olive oil or a mix of both
1 leek, thinly sliced (or 1 small onion, 1 celery stick, 2 scallions)
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (to taste)
150g arborio rice
300g mixed seafood
1-2 tbsp freshly chopped dill (keep some to sprinkle on top when serving)
500ml vegetable stock (add more water as needed after all of the stock is added)
Squeeze lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
Add freshly ground salt & pepper when cooked to taste
Freshly grated parmesan (or yeast flakes for dairy free dish) to serve
Method
Boil water & make vegetable stock.
Melt the ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leek & garlic & cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the Arborio rice and cook, stirring often, until the ends of the grains turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, add 1 cup of the stock & cook, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has absorbed & the bottom of the pan is almost dry.
Add another 1/2 cup of stock & continue cooking & stirring often, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed again. Be careful not to let the bottom of the pan go dry. Continue adding 1/2 cup of stock each time & continue stirring until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, until the rice is completely cooked & creamy. This will take about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how soft you want your rice to be. Depending on how long you cook your rice for, you may or may not use all the stock. You can use plain boiling water if more liquid is needed.
Add the fish approximately half way through cooking.
Taste & add salt & pepper, if desired.
Add the squeeze of lemon & dill (& yeast flakes, if using) before removing from heat.
Serve topped with dill, grated parmesan & ground pepper, if desired.
Suggestion: For a vegan dish substitute mushrooms of choice or a mixture of varieties and use yeast flakes in place of parmesan cheese.
