Winter Risotto with Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is super-rich in beta-carotene, which has powerful antioxidant properties, and can be converted into vitamin A in the body. This dish also provides good amounts of vitamins C and E and folate.
Ingredients
3 tablespoon (45ml) extra virgin olive oil,
1 large onion, chopped,
1 teaspoon (5ml) ground cumin,
1 teaspoon (5ml) ground coriander,
300g Arborio (risotto) rice,
1 litre hot vegetable stock,
350g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 12mm pieces,
1 medium courgette, diced,
125g fresh or frozen peas,
1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh chopped parsley,
sea salt and black pepper,
30g flaked toasted almonds
Cooking Instructions
1 Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for two minutes until translucent. Stir in the spices and continue cooking for a further minute.
2 Stir the rice in until the grains are coated with oil. Slowly stir the hot vegetable stock and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3 Add the butternut squash and courgette and continue cooking for a further five minutes.
4 Add the peas and cook for a further five minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender but firm in the centre. Perfect risotto is creamy but not solid, and the rice should still have a little bite.
5 Stir in the parsley and season to taste. Spoon the risotto into a serving dish, scatter over the almonds and serve immediately.
Cheesy Stuffed Peppers
This main course provides plenty of protein from the chickpeas, as well as complex carbohydrates and energy-releasing B-vitamins. The roasted peppers are a great source of vitamin C and butternut squash is one of the richest sources of beta-carotene.
Serves four.
Ingredients
4 large red peppers,
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,
1 onion, chopped,
1 garlic clove, crushed,
small butternut squash, peeled and diced,
200g tinned tomatoes,
400g can chickpeas, drained,
a little low-sodium salt and freshly ground black pepper,
125g goat's cheese, roughly sliced,
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Cooking Instructions
1 Heat the oven to 190ºC.
2 Cut the peppers in half lengthways. Brush the outsides with a little oil then place skin-side down in a roasting tin.
3 Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic until soft. Add the squash and cook for five minutes.
4 Add the tomatoes and chickpeas. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender.
5 Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the goat's cheese and coriander.
6 Spoon the mixture into the peppers and drizzle the olive oil over. Cover the tin tightly with foil and bake for one hour until the peppers are tender.
Macaroni Cheese
This classic dish provides a great carbohydrate boost, but this healthy version is even better for you, is easy to make and it tastes great too. Serves four.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil,
1 large onion, sliced,
250g sliced vegetables of your choice, e.g. tomatoes, broccoli florets,
30g olive oil spread,
2 tablespoon (30 ml) cornflour,
600ml skimmed milk,
60g mature Cheddar cheese,
350g macaroni
Cooking Instructions
1 Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan, add the onion and cook over a moderate heat for about two minutes until transparent. Add the prepared vegetables and continue cooking for a few minutes.
2 Whisk together the olive oil spread, cornflour and milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until thickened. Remove from the heat, then stir in the cheese.
3 Meanwhile boil the macaroni for about 10 minutes or according to the instructions on the packet. Remove from the heat and drain.
4 In a large baking dish, layer half the macaroni, vegetables and sauce, and repeat, finishing with a layer of sauce.
5 Bake at 180ºC/ 350ºF/ Gas mark 4 for about 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Asparagus And Pea Risotto
The asparagus in this dish is a good source of folic acid and vitamin E, both of which are essential in the manufacture of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. It also contains fructo-oligosaccharides, a type of fibre that helps maintain healthy gut flora and lower cholesterol levels. Peas are a good source of protein and carbohydrate, which is released slowly for sustained energy.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,
4 shallots, chopped (or 1 onion),
300g arborio (risotto) rice,
1 litre hot vegetable stock,
350g asparagus, cut into 4cm lengths,
125g fresh or frozen peas,
finely grated zest of 1 lemon,
handful of fresh basil leaves, torn,
sea salt and black pepper
Cooking Instructions
1 Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the shallots and cook for two minutes until translucent.
2 Add the rice and stir it with a wooden spoon until the grains are coated with the oil. Gradually add the hot vegetable stock one ladle at a time, stirring it continuously, then allow it to gently simmer for about 10 minutes.
3 Add the asparagus, peas and lemon zest. Continue cooking for a further 10 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender but firm in the centre.
4 Stir in the basil leaves and season to taste. Serve immediately.
Cakes & Desserts
Christmas muffins
These festive muffins are a tasty excuse for eating antioxidant-packed cranberries, a great source of anthocyanins (good for strengthening blood vessels). As if that weren't enough, the dark chocolate provides antioxidant flavonols. The wholemeal flour and mincemeat are a great source of fibre and they're lower in sugar and fat than shop-bought muffins. Makes 12.
Ingredients
100g self-raising flour,100g wholemeal flour,
85g caster sugar,
100ml sunflower oil,
75ml milk,
1 large egg,
50g dark chocolate, chopped,
1 heaped tablespoon,
mincemeat,
85g fresh cranberries (or 50g dried cranberries)
Cooking Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 190ºC and line 12 muffin tins with paper muffin cases.
2 Mix the flours and sugar in a bowl, and then make a well in the centre.
3 In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, milk and egg.
4 Add to the flour mixture, stirring gently. Gently stir in the dark chocolate, mincemeat and cranberries.
5 Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and risen.
6 Remove the muffins from the tin and place on a wire rack. Serve warm.
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Warm vanilla cheesecake
This cheesecake is the perfect dessert for cool autumn evenings. It contains less fat than traditional cheesecakes and provides plenty of protein and calcium.
Makes eight servings.
Ingredients
1 sponge flan base,
225g cottage cheese,
150g plain yoghurt,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract,
2 eggs, separated,
25g cornflour,
85g caster sugar,
300g cherry compote
Cooking Instructions
1 Pre-heat the oven to 130ºC.
2 Trim the flan base to fit a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
3 Mix the cottage cheese, yoghurt, vanilla, egg yolks and cornflour together.
4 Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. While whisking at a low speed, slowly add the sugar. Fold the whites into the cottage cheese mixture.
5 Spoon carefully onto the sponge flan base and bake for 45 minutes, or until the middle of the cake is set.
6 Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Warm the cherry compote and serve spooned over individual slices of the warm cheesecake.
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Walnut and blueberry muffins
This recipe is a delicious way of adding antioxidant-rich blueberries to your diet. The muffins are lower in fat than ordinary muffins - providing mostly healthy monounsaturated fats higher in fibre and rich in vitamins.
Makes six muffins.
Ingredients
125g white self-raising flour,
125g wholemeal self-raising flour,
60g sugar,
3 tablespoons sunflower oil,
1 large egg,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract,
200ml skimmed milk,
125g fresh blueberries or 85g dried blueberries,
60g walnut pieces
Cooking Instructions
1 Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.
2 Line six large muffin tins with paper cases. In a bowl, mix together the flour and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together the sunflower oil, egg, vanilla and milk then pour into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
3 Gently fold in the blueberries and walnuts.
4 Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins - about two-thirds full - and bake for about 20 minutes until the muffins rise and turn golden.
Low-fat Christmas pudding
This has no added sugar and virtually no fat. Fruits provide sweetness (as well as lots of fibre and anti oxidants), and mashed bananas and dates replace traditional suet. Substituting oats for some of the flour lowers the GI.
Ingredients
225g dates.
150ml apple or orange juice,
125g raisins,
125g sultanas,
60g oats,
60g wholemeal flour,
1 large carrot, finely grated,
1 banana, mashed,
1 teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon,
2 tablespoons brandy,
150ml skimmed milk
Cooking Instructions
1 Place half the dates and the fruit juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and leave for 30 minutes. Mash with a fork.
2 Place the remaining ingredients with the date puree in a large bowl and mix well. Add a little extra milk if necessary until you have a soft mixture that falls heavily from the spoon.
3 Line a 900ml pudding basin with greaseproof paper. Spoon in the mixture then cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper and a piece of foil. Tie down securely with string. Place the basin in a large saucepan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan and steam for four hours. Check the water level regularly and top up with boiling water when necessary.
4 Remove the pudding from the pan and allow it to cool before storing in a cool dry place.
5 Steam the pudding for an hour before serving, then remove the paper and foil and turn it out on a warmed plate.
Apple Spice Cake
Tasty enough to serve to non-athletic guests for tea, this cake will help to refuel your muscles between runs, and is a great way to sneak extra fruit into your diet. It is lower in fat and sugar than most conventional cakes and the grated apple and oil make its texture deliciously moist. Makes 12 slices
Ingredients
300g self-raising flour (half wholemeal, half white),
125g brown sugar,
1 teaspoon cinnamon,
2 cooking apples, peeled and grated,
4 tablespoons sunflower or rapeseed oil,
2 large eggs,
125ml milk
Cooking Instructions
1 Preheat the oven to 17ºC.
2 Combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
3 Add the grated apple, oil, eggs and milk and mix well. Spoon the mixture into a lightly oiled loaf tin and bake for about an hour to 75 minutes. Check the cake is cooked through by inserting a skewer or knife into the centre. If it comes out clean the cake is ready.
Soups
Spring Bean Minestrone Soup
This hearty winter soup is a modern twist on the classic minestrone. The pasta provides carbohydrate to replenish muscle glycogen stores, while vitamin C in the soya and French beans is a powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system and counters free radical damage. Serves four.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil,
1 onion, finely chopped,
1 garlic clove, crushed,
1.5 litres vegetable stock,
100g macaroni,
125g French beans,
200g Birds Eye Soya Beans,
55g petit pois,
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped,
2 tablespoons pesto
Cooking Instructions
1 Fry the onion in the oil for five minutes. Add the garlic, cook for two more minutes.
2 Add the stock and bring to the boil. Tip in the macaroni and cook for six minutes.
3 Stir in the French beans and simmer for three minutes, then add the soya beans and simmer for two minutes. Add the petit pois and simmer for a further minute.
4 Add the tomatoes and heat through for one minute. Season to taste. Ladle the minestrone into four warm bowls and drizzle each with a little pesto. Serve with crusty bread.
Drinks
Hangover Smoothie
This energising drink is ideal for the morning after when you've overindulged the night before. It will rehydrate you, replenish depleted vitamin stores and set you on the road to recovery. Blueberries are a terrific source of immunity-boosting vitamin C and antioxidants called anthocyanins. The yoghurt provides body-building protein, calcium and B vitamins. Peaches are low on the glycaemic index, to give you lasting energy, and contain a healthy hit of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which is thought to be a powerful anti-ageing agent. Makes two drinks.
Ingredients
125g blueberries,
1 peach, stone removed and chopped,
120ml apple juice,
85ml natural yoghurt,
5-6 ice cubes,
2 strawberries
Cooking Instructions
Place the ingredients in a smoothie maker, blender or food processor and blend until smooth and frothy. Add a strawberry to garnish. Serve immediately.
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