I have been asked by various people to provide recipes for the nice healthy meals that Petula creates for me. Under duress, Petula has agreed to write-up some of those recipes but has asked me to point out that they mostly came from various magazines or books at some time in the past but have been amended and generally messed around with over the years! Here’s some to get us started.
All recipes serve 2 people – unless otherwise stated (click on the recipe)
- Lentil Cottage Pie
- Quorn and Mushroom Stroganoff
- Jacket Potato with Leeks and Smoked Mackerel
- Healthy Hearty Bean and Vegetable Hotpot
- Warm Salad with Potatoes, Eggs and Olives
- Roast Vegetables with Tofu
- Teriyaki-Style Salmon
- Fasta Pasta with broad beans
- Red lentil Curry
- Braised Vegetables with Flageolet Beans
- individual Fruit Crumble – Low in Fat and Sugar
- Chestnut and Mushroom Casserole
- Spinach Omelette with Pine Nuts
- Tuna and Tomato Rice with Chilli
- Easy Guacamole
- Lentil Bake with Cranberry Sauce
- Chinese Noodle Broth, 5 spice Coley (white fish)
Luscious Lentil Cottage Pie
Lentil Cottage Pie
- 1 onion, chopped.
- 1 large carrot, diced.
- Green vegetables e.g. peas, shredded cabbage etc.
- 100g red lentils.
- Tomato puree or tomato ketchup, to taste.
- 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs.
- 10 floz vegetable stock.
- Enough potatoes to make a mashed potato topping.
- Grated cheese e.g. cheddar.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°c.
- Cook the potatoes, mash with a little milk, and season with a little freshly ground black pepper.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, fry the onion and carrot in a little oil for 5 minutes.
- Add the red lentils, green vegetables, mixed herbs and stock and bring to the boil.
- Cover and simmer until tender, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- When cooked, stir in some tomato purée or tomato ketchup to taste, plus some freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Put the lentil mixture into 2 individual or 1 larger oven proof dish and top with the mashed potatoes, fluffing up with a fork.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese onto the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven.
Quorn and Mushroom Stroganoff
Quorn and Mushroom Stroganoff
- 150g Quorn chunks.
- 1 onion, thinly sliced.
- 1 red pepper, sliced.
- 100g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped.
- 1 courgette, diced.
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed.
- 1 tbsp tomato purée.
- 1 tbsp peanut butter.
- 6 fluid oz vegetable stock.
- 100g low fat natural yoghurt.
- 1 tsp cornflour.
Method:
- Heat a little oil in a large non stick frying pan or wok and fry the onion and red pepper over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the Quorn, mushrooms, courgette and garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato purée and peanut butter.
- Add the stock and continue simmering gently for 5 minutes.
- Mix the cornflour with a little water until smooth and stir into the yoghurt (this should stop the yoghurt curdling when heated).
- Add the yoghurt to the pan, season with a little freshly ground black pepper and gently simmer for a few minutes.
- Serve with rice or mashed potato.
Jacket Potato with Leeks and Smoked Mackerel
Leek and Mackerel Jacket Potato
Jacket Potato with Leeks and Smoked Mackerel
- 2 baking potatoes.
- 1 large leek, thinly sliced.
- 2 smoked mackeral fillets, skinned and flaked.
- A squeeze of lemon juice.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 220°c.
- Wash the potatoes, prick with a fork and bake in a hot oven for 1 – 1½hours.
- 10 minutes before the potatoes are cooked, heat a knob of butter in a pan and cook the leeks for 6 minutes on a low heat until softened, stirring regularly.
- Add the fish, lemon juice and some freshly ground black pepper to the pan and heat through.
- Halve the potatoes and fluff up the flesh with a fork.
- Pile the leek and fish mixture on top of the potatoes and serve hot.
Healthy Hearty Bean and Vegetable Hotpot
Healthy Hearty Bean and Vegetable Hotpot
Healthy Hearty Bean and Vegetable Hotpot
- Thickly sliced potatoes, parboiled for 5 minutes.
- 1 onion, chopped.
- 1 clove garlic, crushed.
- 2 carrots, sliced.
- Swede or Parsnip, chopped.
- Green veg e.g. shredded cabbage, broccoli florets etc.
- 1 tbsp pearl barley, rinsed.
- 400g tin baked beans.
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme.
- 3/4 pint veg stock.
- Balsamic vinegar.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- Grated cheese e.g. Parmesan, cheddar etc.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°c.
- Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and cook onion until softened.
- Add garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Add the root vegetables and pearl barley and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the stock, herbs, beans, green vegetables and season with a little balsamic vinegar and pepper.
- Bring to the boil and pour into a baking dish or casserole.
- Top with the potato slices and sprinkle some grated cheese over the top.
- Bake in the oven for about 3/4 – 1 hour.
Healthy Hearty Bean and Vegetable Hotpot
Healthy Hearty Bean and Vegetable Hotpot
Healthy Hearty Bean and Vegetable Hotpot
- Thickly sliced potatoes, parboiled for 5 minutes.
- 1 onion, chopped.
- 1 clove garlic, crushed.
- 2 carrots, sliced.
- Swede or Parsnip, chopped.
- Green veg e.g. shredded cabbage, broccoli florets etc.
- 1 tbsp pearl barley, rinsed.
- 400g tin baked beans.
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme.
- 3/4 pint veg stock.
- Balsamic vinegar.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- Grated cheese e.g. Parmesan, cheddar etc.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°c.
- Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and cook onion until softened.
- Add garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Add the root vegetables and pearl barley and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the stock, herbs, beans, green vegetables and season with a little balsamic vinegar and pepper.
- Bring to the boil and pour into a baking dish or casserole.
- Top with the potato slices and sprinkle some grated cheese over the top.
- Bake in the oven for about 3/4 – 1 hour.
Warm Salad with Potatoes, Eggs and Olives
Warm Salad with Potatoes, Eggs and Olives
Warm Salad with Potatoes, Eggs and Olives
- New potatoes, cut in half lengthways.
- 3 eggs.
- Fine green beans.
- Sweetcorn or cherry tomatoes, halved.
- 25g olives, halved.
- 1 dessert spoonful olive oil.
Method:
- Boil the potatoes until tender, adding the green beans and sweetcorn towards the end of the cooking time.
- Meanwhile boil the eggs.
- Put the potatoes, beans, sweetcorn or tomatoes and olives in a large bowl, stirring in the oil and some freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve on plates and top with the boiled eggs, halved.
Roasted Vegetables with Tofu
Roast Vegetables with Tofu
- 160g Marinated Tofu pieces (we use Cauldron Organic).
- 1 large onion, cut into wedges.
- 1 large courgette, thickly sliced.
- 1 aubergine, cut into large chunks.
- 1 red pepper, cut into large chunks.
- 8 cherry or baby plum tomatoes.
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced.
- 1tbsp chopped fresh rosemary.
- Balsamic vinegar.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 220°c.
- Put all the vegetables into a large roasting tin, sprinkle with oil (preferably rapeseed), season with freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the rosemary and toss until all lightly coated with oil.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes turning once or twice, adding the tofu pieces for the last 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over and serve with noodles, rice, roast potatoes or pitta bread.
Teriyaki-style Salmon
Teriyaki-Style Salmon
- 125g of frozen soya beans.
- 100g baby pak choi, halved lengthways (or ordinary Pak Choi sliced as you like).
- 2 salmon fillets.
- 1/2 lemon.
- 100ml vegetable stock.
- 1tsp soy sauce.
- 1/2 red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced.
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°c.
- Place the soya beans and pak choi in a heatproof oven dish and lay the salmon fillets on top.
- Cut 2 thin slices from the lemon and place 1 on top of each salmon fillet.
- Mix together the juice from the remaining lemon, vegetable stock and soy sauce and pour into the dish.
- Scatter the fish with the chilli, then cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- We had this served on a bed of wholewheat egg noodles.
Fasta Pasta with broad beans
- 150g of short pasta shapes e.g. Penne.
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
- 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes.
- 1 small onion, finely chopped.
- 100g of mushrooms, sliced.
- 250g of fresh or frozen broad beans, thawed if frozen.
- 1tbsp of finely chopped parsley.
- 1tbsp of freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve.
Method:
- Cook the pasta until tender.
- At the same time, heat some oil in a large frying pan. Fry the garlic, onion and chilli flakes over a medium to high heat for a couple of minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and fry until softened.
- Add the broad beans with a couple of tablespoons of water and cook for 3-5 minutes until the beans are tender and the water has evaporated.
- Drain the pasta and tip into the broad beans with the parsley and the Parmesan, toss well and season.
- Serve sprinkled with additional grated Parmesan.
Red Lentil Curry
- 1 medium onion, cut into chunks.
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed.
- 1 tbsp of curry paste.
- 350ml of vegetable stock.
- Mixed vegetables e.g. carrots, corn, broccoli etc.
- 100g of red lentils.
- 90g of wholemeal long grain rice.
- Some fresh coriander roughly chopped.
- Turmeric.
- Lemon juice.
Method:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onions and cook for 5 minutes until golden.
- Stir in the curry paste and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually add the stock and then stir in the vegetables, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the lentils and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile cook the rice, adding some turmeric to the cooking water.
- Stir most of the coriander into the curry and heat for a couple of minutes then season with some lemon juice.
- Serve with rice, sprinkling the rest of the coriander over the curry and accompany with natural yoghurt and mango chutney, if desired.
Braised vegetables with Flageolet Beans
Braised Vegetables with Flageolet Beans
- 1 sweet potato cut into bite size pieces.
- 1 leek, sliced.
- 1 courgette, thinly sliced.
- 1/4 pint of veg stock.
- 1/2 x 400g can of flageolet beans.
- 100g of cherry tomatoes.
- 25g pitted olives.
- lemon juice and zest.
Method:
- Heat oven to 200°c.
- Put the sweet potatoes, leeks and courgettes into an oven roasting tin. Pour the vegetable stock over, season with freshly ground black pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, olives and beans, squeeze lemon juice over, and roast for a further 10 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften.
- Add the lemon zest and serve.
Individual Fruit Crumble – Low in Fat and Sugar
Individual Fruit Crumble - Low in Fat and Sugar
- Fruit cut up into small pieces e.g. apples, pears, plums or berries etc with added sultanas or raisins to sweeten if necessary.
- 30g butter, softened.
- 30g oats.
- 50g plain flour.
- 10g of brown sugar.
- Flaked almonds.
Method:
- Divide the fruit among 4 ramekins adding a little water to moisten if necessary (depending on the fruit used).
- In a bowl, rub the butter into the flour and the oats then stir in the sugar.
- Sprinkle crumble mixture on top of the fruit and press down gently.
- Put in an oven heated to 190°c and cook for 25-30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with flaked almonds for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
Chestnut and Mushroom Casserole
Chestnut and Mushroom Casserole
- 2 stems of celery, chopped.
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 1 large leek, sliced.
- 1 onion, chopped.
- 125g mushrooms, sliced.
- Green veg e.g. peas, cabbage etc.
- 125g whole chestnuts.
- 3 fl oz red wine.
- 1 garlic clove, crushed.
- 1 tbsp plain flour.
- Good sprig of thyme or 1 tsp of dried thyme.
- 10 fl oz of veg stock.
- 1 tbsp of soy sauce.
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional).
Method:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry onion for 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and fry for 1 minute.
- Add celery, leeks, carrots and chestnuts and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add stock and simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened.
- Add thyme, wine, soy sauce and freshly ground black pepper.
- Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes or so (but up to 45 minutes to improve the flavour), adding any green vegetables towards the end of the cooking time.
- Serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley, if using, and with some bread to mop up the juices or with mashed potatoes.
Spinach Omelette with pine Nuts
Spinach Omelette with Pine Nuts
- 225g of leaf spinach.
- 25g of raisins.
- 25g of pine nuts.
- 4 eggs, beaten.
- Grated Parmesan.
Method:
- Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan, add spinach and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until just wilted.
- Heat the grill.
- Add the raisins and the pine nuts to the pan, season with a little freshly ground black pepper, then spread the mixture evenly over the base of the pan.
- Season the beaten eggs and pour into the pan, moving the spinach around so that the eggs can run down to the bottom. Cook gently for a few minutes until the base of the omelette is set and lightly browned.
- Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the omelette then put the pan under the grill and leave for a minute or two to set and brown on the top.
- Serve at once, cut in half or thick wedges.
Tuna and Tomato with Rice
Tuna and Tomato Rice with Chilli
- 100g of wholemeal long grain rice.
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped.
- 1 small red chilli finely chopped, seeds removed.
- 1 onion finely chopped.
- Briefly cooked vegetables e.g. peas, corn, broccoli, cabbage etc.
- Fresh plum or cherry tomatoes halved.
- 200g can of Tuna steak in spring water, drained.
Method:
- Cook the rice.
- Heat a little oil in a large pan and fry the onion, garlic and chilli for 5 minutes, stirring often (sliced mushrooms fried for 2 to 3 minutes are a nice addition if you have them).
- Stir in the tomatoes, tuna and vegetables and heat through for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the rice, season with freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice.
- Serve and enjoy!
Easy Guacamole
Easy Guacamole
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1/2 small onion or spring onions very finely diced
- 1 finely chopped tomato
- Lemon juice to taste
- Tabasco to taste
Method:
- Halve the avocado, scoop out and mash the flesh in a bowl with a fork.
- Stir in the onion and tomato.
- Add lemon and Tabasco to taste.
All done – easy peasy!
Lentil Bake with cranberry Sauce
Lentil Bake with cranberry Sauce
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 125g of split red lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- 225 ml of vegetable stock
- 1 heaped tsp of dried mixed herbs
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- Breadcrumbs for topping
- 125g of cranberries
- Caster sugar to taste
Method:
- Put the lentils, onion, bay leaf, stock and herbs into a saucepan and simmer for approx 20 minutes until soft and all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the lemon juice.
- Put the mixture into a small greased oven-proof dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Dot with a little butter.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°c for 30 minutes until heated through and golden brown on top.
- Meanwhile, place the cranberries into a small pan with 1 tbsp of water plus sugar to taste. Cook gently until the cranberries pop and look glossy. Add a slurp of sherry or port – if available!
- Serve the bake with the cranberry sauce on the side.
Chinese Noodle Broth, 5 spice Coley (White Fish)
Chinese Noodle Broth, 5 spice Coley (white fish)
- Approximately 275g of frozen coley (a nice white fish)
- 1 tsp of Chinese 5 spice seasoning
- 1 pint of vegetable stock (made from a low salt stock cube/powder)
- 1 nest medium egg noodles
- 1 red pepper – sliced
- 1 carrot cut into thin half moons (optional)
- Shredded Savoy cabbage
- 1.5 tbsp Soy sauce
Method:
- Place the coley on a baking tray and sprinkle both sides with 5 spice seasoning and bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 200°c
- Meanwhile place the stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the noodles, pepper, carrots (if using) and cabbage then simmer in a covered saucepan for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the Soy sauce and serve topped with the Coley.
My Healthy Diet - A Husbands View 
These look delicious and so easy to make. Will give the tuna and tomato rice a go this week. Thanks Petula.
I can definitely recommend the tuna and tomato rice, it was yummy!