Home-style pork curry with cauliflower rice

Lighten up curry night with this healthy recipe - pulse cauliflower in a food processor for a rice-like texture that's much lower GI.

Ingredients

For the curry

• 425g lean pork fillet (tenderloin), cubed
• 2 tbsp Madras curry powder
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely shredded ginger
• 1 tsp fennel, toasted in a pan then crushed
• 1 tsp cumin, toasted in a pan then crushed
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp red lentils
• 350g pack baby aubergines, quartered
• 1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube

For the cauliflower rice

• 1 medium cauliflower
• good handful coriander, chopped
• cumin seeds, toasted (optional)

Method

1. Tip the pork into a bowl and stir in the curry powder and vinegar. Set aside. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and fry the onion and ginger for 10 mins, stirring frequently, until golden. Tip in the pork mixture and fry for a few mins more. Remove the pork and set aside. Stir in the toasted spices, then tip in the tomatoes, lentils and aubergine, and crumble in the stock cube. Cover and leave to simmer for 40 mins, stirring frequently, until the aubergine is almost cooked. If it starts to look dry, add a splash of water. Return the pork to the pan and cook for a further 10-20 mins until the pork is cooked and tender.
2. Just before serving, cut the hard core and stalks from the cauliflower and pulse the rest in a food processor to make grains the size of rice. Tip into a heatproof bowl, cover with cling film, then pierce and microwave for 7 mins on High – there is no need to add any water. Stir in the coriander and serve with the curry. For spicier rice, add some toasted cumin seeds.

source bbcgoodfood

Citrus & ginger steamed fish with stir-fry veg

Ingredients

• zest and juice 1 orange
• 1 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
• 300g pack of 2 white fish fillets or loins
• 1 tbsp very finely shredded ginger
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 10 spring onions, halved and sliced lengthways
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 140g beansprouts
• 1-2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Method

1. Mix together the orange zest and juice, soy and vinegar. Line the top of a steamer with baking parchment and heat water in the base. Top the fish with a little of the ginger, add to the steamer and spoon over 2 tbsp of the dressing. Cover and steam for 5-6 mins until the fish flakes easily.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick wok and stir-fry the spring onions, garlic, pepper and remaining ginger for 2 mins. Add the beansprouts and cook for 2 mins more. Pour any juices from the fish into the veg. Stir through the dressing, then divide between bowls, top with the fish and scatter over the sesame seeds.

source bbcgoodfood

The ultimate makeover: Spaghetti carbonara

Italian comfort food without the calories, this recipe is rich and creamy, yet just one third of the fat.

Ingredients

• 85g parmesan
• 2 eggs, preferably organic
• 200g frozen peas
• 350g spaghetti (we used De Cecco)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g lean back bacon, fat removed, bacon chopped into small pieces
• 2 plump garlic cloves, finely chopped
• handful snipped chives

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Then get everything ready. Grate the cheese and beat the eggs in a bowl with a little pepper. Cook the peas in boiling water for 2-3 mins, drain and set aside.
2. Cook the spaghetti to al dente following pack instructions. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a large, deep frying or sauté pan. Fry the bacon for several mins until it starts to go crisp. Stir in the garlic and cook briefly until pale brown. Tip in the peas and if the spaghetti isn’t quite ready, keep warm over a very low heat.
3. When the pasta is done, take the pan with the bacon in off the heat. Lift the spaghetti out of its pan with a pair of tongs and drop it into the frying pan with the garlic, bacon and peas. Mix most of the cheese into the eggs, keeping back a handful of cheese for sprinkling over each serving. Quickly pour in the eggs and cheese, lifting and stirring with the tongs so everything mixes well and the spaghetti gets coated. Ladle in some more of the pasta water, enough to coat the spaghetti and create a bit of sauce in the pan.
4. Spoon or twirl the pasta into shallow serving bowls using a long pronged fork. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of the reserved cheese, some snipped chives and a grating of black pepper.

source bbcgoodfood

Stuffed jacket potatoes

A simple baked potato recipe to get kids in the kitchen - this is easy to follow and great for teaching.

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes
• 100g strong cheddar, grated, plus extra for topping
• 100g sweetcorn
• 100g mixed peppers, diced
• small handful fresh herbs, such as oregano, basil, coriander, dill or thyme

Method

1. Equipment you will need: medium mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, dessertspoon, fork, baking tray, grater, oven gloves.
2. Get an adult to heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake the potatoes for about 1 hr until cooked and the skins are crispy. Leave to cool completely. This can be done up to 2 days ahead.
3. To stuff the jacket potatoes, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Ask an adult to cut the potatoes in half. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the middle of the potato, leaving the skin unbroken (like a boat). Place the scooped potato into a mixing bowl.
4. Using the fork, mash the potato until there are no lumps. Add the cheese, sweetcorn and peppers and mix well. Gently pick the leaves from the herbs. You can rip the larger leaves into smaller pieces. Stir the herbs into the cheesy potato mixture.
5. Using the spoon, carefully scoop the mixture back into the potato boats. Make sure that you use all the mixture up. Sprinkle with a little extra grated cheese and place on a baking tray. Using oven gloves, place the tray in the oven and bake for 10-15 mins until golden.

source bbcgoodfood

Healthier beef Wellington

Angela Nilsen's all-time dinner party classic has just one-third of the fat of the traditional recipe.

Ingredients

• 1kg thick, lean fillet of beef
• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
• good handful dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 140g chestnut mushrooms, very finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
• 100g mix of watercress, baby spinach and rocket (or use just watercress or spinach)
• 6 filo pastry sheets, each about 38 x 30cm
• 1 tsp plain flour
• 5 tbsp red wine
• 350ml chicken stock
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Unless the butcher has already done so, tie the meat around with string at even intervals to hold it together. Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Lay the beef in the pan and fry over a high heat for 5 mins to seal, turning often (step 1). Transfer it to a roasting tin, season with pepper and a pinch of salt, then roast for 17-18 mins (this roasts to medium-rare).
2. Meanwhile, put the porcini in a small heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 20-30 mins to soak. Pour 1 tbsp of the remaining oil into the same frying pan (don’t wash it) that the meat was cooked in. Tip in the shallots, garlic and chestnut mushrooms and fry for 4-5 mins, stirring often, over a high-ish heat, so all the liquid is first released from the mushrooms then evaporated, and all are softened. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and tarragon (step 2), season with pepper and a pinch of salt, and leave to cool.
3. Put the mix of leaves in a large heatproof bowl, pour over boiling water, leave for 30 secs, then tip into a colander, rinse under the cold tap and drain. Squeeze out all the moisture with your hands and pat dry with kitchen paper. Chop and set aside. Drain the porcini, reserving 5 tbsp of the soaking liquid. Chop the porcini finely and stir into the mushroom mix. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
4. When the beef is done, remove from the oven and let it sit in the tin for 10 mins for any juices to be released. Lower the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lift the beef from the tin (keep all the juices in the tin for the gravy) and lay it on kitchen paper. Leave until dry and cool enough to wrap in the filo.
5. Lay 1 of the filo sheets on the work surface with the short end facing you. Brush all over with a little of the remaining oil (you will have 1 tbsp and 1 tsp left). Layer up and oil 4 more filo sheets in the same way. Remove the string from the cooled beef. Spread the chopped leaves down the middle of the pastry, so it is the same length and width as the fillet. Top with the mushroom mix and lightly press down (step 3). Lay the beef over this, with the top of the beef facing down. Bring the long sides of the filo over the beef to enclose it (step 4), then turn it over so the join is underneath. Tuck both ends of the pastry under (trim first if necessary to reduce any excess) and place on the lined baking sheet so all the joins are on the bottom. Brush with more oil.
6. Lay the last sheet of filo on the work surface in front of you, with one of the longest sides towards you, then cut across its width into 5 strips. Lay these one by one, slightly overlapping, over the wrapped beef, scrunching up an edge of each strip slightly as you go to give a bit of height (step 5). Carefully brush with the last of the oil, then bake for 30 mins until golden. If the pastry starts to brown too quickly, loosely lay a piece of foil over the top. Remove the meat and let sit for 5-10 mins before slicing.
7. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Heat the saved roasting juices in the roasting tin, stirring to deglaze. Stir in the flour. Gradually pour in the wine, stirring all the time to blend in the flour. Stir in the stock and reserved porcini liquid and bubble for about 8-10 mins to reduce a little. It should have body, but be thinner like a ‘jus’. Stir in the mustard and season with pepper. Transfer the beef to a platter, then slice thickly with a sharp knife and serve with a spoonful or two of the gravy.
8. source bbcgoodfood

Lighter Sweet & sour pork

This Chinese takeaway family favourite can be made much healthier - lower the sugar, fat and salt levels with this easy recipe.

Ingredients

• 225g pork tenderloins
• 1 carrot (140g), cut in approx 5cm long strips
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus 2 tsp
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 3 spring onions, ends trimmed, cut into long diagonal slices
• ½ red pepper, deseeded, cut into long thin strips
• 200g long-grain rice, cooked

For the batter

• 1 egg white
• ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1½ tsp self-raising flour

For the sauce

• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Chinese white rice vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 tsp golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp cornflour, blended with 1 tsp water
• 175ml vegetable bouillon, made with 1⁄2 tsp powder (we used Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon)

Method

1. Cut the pork into 2-3cm cubes. In a medium bowl, make the batter. Beat the egg white lightly with a fork until slightly frothy, then beat in the five-spice powder, cornflour, flour and a good grinding of pepper until thick and smooth. Stir in the pork so that each piece is evenly coated, then set aside.
2. Now make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, tomato purée, cornflour blended with water, and the stock. Season with pepper and set aside. Blanch the carrot in a little boiling water for about 2 mins until tender but still crisp. Drain, then put under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain again and set aside.
3. Pour the 1 tbsp rapeseed oil into a non-stick wok or large frying pan. When it’s very hot (test by dropping a piece of meat in – it should immediately sizzle), add the pork. Stir to separate all the pieces, then stir-fry for about 5 mins over a medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink inside when cut, and the outside is golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Pour the remaining 2 tsp rapeseed oil into the wok and add the garlic, ginger, spring onions and pepper. Stir-fry for about 2 mins until starting to brown (still on quite a high heat). Pour in the sauce – it should immediately start to bubble rapidly – and stir in the carrot. As soon as the sauce has thickened slightly, about 30 secs-1 min, stir in the meat to quickly coat and heat through. Remove the pan from the heat, season with a pinch of salt and serve immediately, with the rice.

source bbcgoodfood

Seared beef & papaya salad with tamarind soy dressing

Ingredients

• 300g sirloin beef steaks, fat removed
• vegetable oil, for greasing
• 100g bag baby spinach leaves
• 2 ripe but firm papayas, peeled, deseeded and sliced
• 1 small pack coriander, leaves picked
• 1 small pack mint, leaves picked
• ½ large cucumber, sliced
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp crispy onions

For the dressing

• 2 tbsp tamarind purée
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• juice 2 limes
• 3 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1½ tbsp fish sauce
• large pinch chilli flakes

Method

1. Season the steak well. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan. Sear the steaks for 2 mins each side, then remove and leave to rest for 5 mins. When rested, thinly slice.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients together with 1 tbsp water until the sugar is dissolved. Arrange the spinach, beef, papaya, herbs, cucumber, spring onions and chilli on a platter. Pour the dressing over half the salad and sprinkle with the crispy onions. Serve the remaining dressing on the side or save for making another salad.

source bbcgoodfood