Ingredients

Serves 4 People

• 400g pangasius filets or white fish
• 500g potatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 11/2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150g white Panco bread crumbs
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Vegetable butter for frying

For Serving

• Lemon wedges
• Green salad
• Mayonnaise

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them in disks. Place them in a dish, suitable for a microgolfoven plus some water and cook for 12 min on 700W, or until tender. Remove the excess water and let them cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease two large pieces of foil with a little butter. Sit both fish filets on the foil, season with salt and ground black pepper, then wrap to make a parcel.

3. Place the foil parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Set aside and let the fish cool.

4. Tip the potatoes into a bowl. Mash them and stir the parsley, chives, lemon zest, mayonnaise, mustard and season with salt and ground black pepper. Break the fish into large pieces and gently stir into the mash without breaking the pieces up too much.

5. Shape into fishcakes. Dip each fishcake in the beaten eggs on both sides so it is well covered, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Pat to reshape. Chill for about 30 minutes.

6. Melt some vegetable butter in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the fishcakes on a medium heat for 5 minutes on each side. Serve with green salad, mayonnaise and lemon wedges.

Ingredients

Serves 2 people

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 225g traditional halloumi
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 handful of mixed green salad
• 2 tsp Mango-Ginger Vinaigrette
• 2 tsp mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a grill pan.

2. Slice the halloumi in 10 slices. Place on the hot grill for 2-6 minutes and turn once until grill marks appear on both sides.

3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and grill in the hot pan, face down for a couple of minutes.

4. Plate, by serving mixed salad leaves seasoned with mango-ginger vinaigrette, topped with the grilled halloumi, cherry tomatoes and seeds.

Ingredients

HASSELBACK POTATOES

• 600 g skin-on medium-sized new potatoes
• 50 ml tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, picked
• 25 g tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• sea salt

HERB CRUST

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 50 g finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 50 g dried Panco breadcrumbs
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil

PORK LOIN

• 2–3 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour
• large knob of butter and olive oil for frying
• 1 pork loin fillet (around 500 g)
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. First, prepare the hasselback potatoes. Using a small sharp knife, make small slices widthways across the top of each potato, reaching two thirds down, to create a fan effect. Place in a large roasting tray.

3. Mix the oil and herbs together and coat all the potatoes, ensuring the sliced sides face upwards. Roast in the preheated oven for around 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, mix together all the ingredients for the herb crust and put them on a large plate. Put the flour on a separate large plate.

5. Heat the butter and some oil in a large frying pan. Sear the pork loin over a high heat until just brown on all sides, then roll lightly in the plate of flour and brush all over with the Dijon mustard. Finally, roll the pork in the herb crust mixture until fully covered.

6. Remove the tray of potatoes from the oven (leaving it on) and brush them with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the garlic, lemon zest and sea salt. Add the herb-crusted pork loin to the tray, nestled among the potatoes and return to the hot oven for around another 30 minutes until the pork is just cooked through and the herb crust is golden. Leave it to rest under a foil cover for 10 minutes before slicing.

7. Depending on their size, the potatoes might need a final 5 minutes to crisp up and become fully soft in the middle, but you can leave these in the oven while the pork is resting. Serve the sliced pork and potatoes with gravy as a roast with a selection of salads.

I prefer frying over baking the falafels. Frying results in a superior texture, crispy outside and moist/soft inside, something you can’t get with baking. I recommend you only fry them before serving, they tend to lose some moisture as they cool down.

Served with hummus, goat cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and green salad these falafels are my favourite meal on a summer day.

Don’t hesitate to check out two of my favourite hummus recipes here!

Ingredients

• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp dry parsley
• 1 tsp dry mint
• 1 tsp dry dill
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dry oregano
• 1/4 tsp of each: ground cinnamon, anise, cardamom, ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup rice flour (or chickpea flour)
• oil for frying

Method

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them in a food processor and all the other ingredients: celery, onion, dry herbs, salt, spices, baking soda and rice flour.

2. Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped and a coarse meal forms. Scrape down the sides and pulse again until the texture looks like a fine meal, like couscous. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.

3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Using your hands, form small balls, or thick discs and place them on a place lined with parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1h or even better overnight.

4. Fill a large skillet with vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. When the oil is hot, fry the falafels for 3 minutes per side.

5. Once the falafels are ready, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate covered with paper towels.

6. Serve immediately and enjoy with hummus, green salad, tomatoes, cucumbers and goat cheese.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 500g minced meat beef and pork
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 small egg
• Handful of parsley, thinly chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the veggies

• ½ aubergine
• ½ courgette
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot
• Salt
• Black pepper

For the Sweet Chili Sauce

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons cane sugar
• Or diabetic alternative: use granular sweetener of choice (e.g. erythritol)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine (can substitute dry sherry)
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• Or 1-2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes (these are very hot, start with less and add more if desired)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce (use tamari for gluten free)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water (the sauce will thicken more once cooled)
• 1-2 drops natural red food coloring (optional)

To serve

• White rice
• Coriander leaves
• Mint leaves

Method

1. For the meatballs: Mix the minced meat, egg, shallot, parsley, salt and ground black pepper in a large bawl until well combined. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-sticky pan. Form bite-size balls and place in the pan. Cook over medium heat for around 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and become golden brown.

2. For the veggies: Peel and wash the carrot. Wash the courgette and the aubergine. Guillen all the vegetables. Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-10 minutes over high heat.

3. For the sauce: Place all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring regularly. Once the sugar is dissolved stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring continually until thickened, about 1 minute. Let the sauce cool completely, pour into an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator. Will keep for up to a week. Makes about 1 cup.

4. To serve: Mix the vegetables, the meatballs and a few tablespoons of the sweet chili sauce (add more if desired to taste). Serve with boiled white rice and decorate with coriander and mint leaves.

Ingredients

For the chicken nuggets

• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons pickle juice
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, garlic powder and parsley mixture
• extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

To serve

• Mayonnaise
• Sweet-sour sauce
• Lettuce salad

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 225C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and pickle juice. Add the chicken cubes and toss to coat. Combine the Panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, garlic and parsley mixture, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl.

3. Dredge the chicken cubes through the crumbs, pressing to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the chicken nuggets around and bake for 10-15 minute more or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.

4. Serve with sweet-sour sauce, mayonnaise and green lettuce salad.