This may seem like a weird post but I’m doing it mainly for myself so that all my favourite recipes are in one place and I can access them quickly. If they’re useful for anyone else then that’s great! Plus, I know some people are nosy (I know I am!) so may just read this out of pure curiosity…
To be a veggie or not to be a veggie…
So, I’m definitely not a vegetarian. BUT, I hardly eat any meat, and only eat fish once a week or so. I eat a veggie diet as much as possible, but not exclusively. I do this mainly because it’s super healthy and is better for the environment than eating meat. I don’t eat much processed food and try and make everything from scratch if I can.
Also, in these cost-cutting days, a tin of chickpeas or beans is loads cheaper than meat. Most of my dinner recipes can be frozen too, so I’m a huge fan of batch cooking huge portions. This again is great for saving money and means you have some easy meals ready to go without any effort.
The easy-access list
Stuffed sweet potato with chickpeas
Lemon Miso Butter Beans (by Helen Ridgeway, lovely comforting recipe which I make with just 2 tins to reduce leftovers)
Easy nut roast
Garlic butter baked salmon – an easy traybake
Garlic spinach stuffed spaghetti squash
Spinach falafel
Spinach mushroom quinoa
Vegetarian meatballs
What do I eat for lunch?
Most of my lunches include hummus, and I prefer homemade to shop-bought these days! It’s so quick and easy to make, and the texture is better than a sloppy shop one. I have it on crackers, either with smashed avo or egg mayo. Or in a wrap, with a salad, or my new favourite thing in the world which is with salad in a toasted pitta.
My go-to recipe is on Inspired Taste, their easy hummus method.
Another lunch favourite, especially if I’m not working at home, is a chickpea salad wrap. The recipe for the 5 minute chickpea salad is from Pinch Of Yum and I have it in a wholemeal wrap with salad leaves and grated carrot. You just whizz up chickpeas and add lemon juice, sriracha and mayo. The sriracha gives it a spicy kick which my husband really loves too.
What are my favourite dinners?
My current favourite dinner is the Salmon and Bean Pesto Gratins from BBC Food. I have it most weeks and serve it to my Mum too. It’s quick to prepare and can be frozen raw, and then either cooked from frozen or thawed and cooked. I do slightly change the BBC recipe though – I add chopped mushrooms instead of tomatoes (I don’t like cooked tomatoes) and often don’t bother with the pesto. I make breadcrumbs just from a slice of bread in my blender. And because of my hummus obsession I’ve always got lemons ready to juice!
I’ve really got into homemade pizza too, and Delia’s recipe is my go-to for the base. I make the tomato sauce using passata with garlic, which I simmer until it reduces. Then just put it all together with mozzarella and cheddar on top – it goes down a treat with all the family!
Next are a few recipes which I’ve previously shared on here, all of which freeze beautifully and can also be kept in the fridge and reheated:
I don’t make this as often but they’re tried and tested and really nice:
- Easy nut roast
- Garlic butter baked salmon – an easy traybake
- Garlic spinach stuffed spaghetti squash
- Spinach falafel
And finally, these are on my list to try because they look absolutely delicious!
What milk do I drink?
Since the days of Gillian McKeith over 20 years ago, I’ve switched over to non-dairy milk. I hardly ever use milk to be honest, just occasionally on cereal (which is rare). I used to drink rice milk as I liked the taste but then supermarkets stopped selling it, so I switched to oat milk.
The problem with any milk for me is that it sits in the fridge for too long, because I use it so infrequently. However, recently I found Overherd milk which is a powdered version you can mix with water (chilled or room temperature) to make instant oat milk! And it’s delicious! It contains calcium, fibre and the best thing is that it’s good for the environment as it saves vans carrying around massive cartons of milk which are 90% water!
You can read more about Overherd, including an honest review on this website and get a discount code too!
Healthy protein bars
Most commercial protein bars are full of ultra processed food (UPF) but Sophie Morris’s ones are delicious. She demonstrates the recipe on Instagram – and her website – and it’s so easy! I did a version where I swapped out the peanut butter for tahini and it worked just as well. They’re really yummy and everyone I’ve given them too has loved them too.
What a rock star! You find the best healthy recipes 😎