With the darker days and colder temperatures that winter brings, food that can make you feel good can go a long way.
That’s why Discover Great Veg has created five new recipes to bring cheery moments to mealtimes and beyond.
From tasty, nutritious lunches to give your afternoon a boost, to colourful suppers that bring sunshine to your dinner plate, these recipes will simply make you feel good.
Featuring a range of cuisines including Italian, Greek and a taste of the Mediterranean, these flavoursome dishes are loaded with goodness and leafy green vegetables including spinach, cavolo nero and kale. They are also ideal for serving up after a busy day at work, at the weekend shared with friends and family or simply for taking some timeout to enjoy a feel-good lunch.
Soup lovers can enjoy a ‘hug in a bowl’ with the Mediterranean Fish Soup or Tofu Spinach and Bean Soup.
For comforting suppers, the Kale & Walnut Pasta Primavera is a dish for the whole family to enjoy, or choose from Greece’s answer to lasagne, Beef Pastitsio. While the Chicken and Lentil Madras offers a takeaway classic with a healthy twist – there is something to suit every taste and craving!
Expert Nutritionist and Dietitian for Discover Great Veg, Jo Travers, has also shared her insights on these key ingredients and how they can help support our wellbeing.
Jo comments, “Spinach, cavolo nero and kale are all good sources of fibres and phytonutrients. This means they are great for overall health as part of a balanced diet, good for your gut and help to protect against disease[i].
“Spinach is rich in folate and is a source of vitamin A, which promotes healthy, clear skin and supports vision. It also has vitamin C which aids the growth of healthy connective tissue to support the organs and wound healing.
“Cavolo nero is a good source of lutein which can help with eye health, as well as vitamin K, which plays a role in maintaining normal bones, and A and C, which help the immune system to function normally. Cavolo nero is a significant source of the B vitamins like folic acid, which is important during pregnancy and is a source of fibre and calcium, as well as containing manganese, copper and iron.
“Kale is an excellent source of vitamins K, A and C, and contains useful amounts of manganese, copper and phytochemicals. It is also rich in lutein, an antioxidant that can help support eye health.”
Recipes follow below.
BEEF PASTITSIO
Expert Nutritionist and Dietitian for Discover Great Veg, Jo Travers, comments: “B vitamins play a really important role in so many cellular functions affecting mood, energy levels, behaviour and nerve function. They also act as catalysts and co-factors in the synthesis of hormones and neurotransmitters, which allows the body to communicate with itself[ii]. Making sure you get enough of these vitamins is really important for mental wellbeing and cognition. This Beef Pastitsio recipe contains B2, B3, B5 and B6 vitamins from the wholegrain pasta and beef, and folate from the cavolo nero, all of which can contribute towards simply, feeling good.”
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Serves 4
- 200g wholewheat pasta shapes
- 500g minced beef
- 1 leek, diced 200g
- 1 aubergine, diced 200g
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 200g pack Cavolo Nero
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 250g Greek yoghurt
- 25g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
Preheat the oven to 200oc, gas mark 6.
Cook the pasta in simmering water for 12 minutes, drain.
Meanwhile, fry the beef, leek and aubergine in a large saucepan for 5 minutes until browned. Stir in the cinnamon and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes plus ½ the can filled with water and the Cavolo Nero, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, season to taste.
Mix together the egg, yoghurt and half the parmesan.
Place half the mince in a 2-litre serving dish, top with the pasta and then the remaining mince.
Spoon over the yoghurt mixture and spread over evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Cooks tip
Try using minced lamb or turkey instead of beef.
CHICKEN & LENTIL MADRAS
Expert Nutritionist and Dietitian for Discover Great Veg, Jo Travers, comments: “There are two categories of fibre, soluble which dissolves in water and insoluble which absorbs water and bulks out the food as it moves through the digestive tract. We need both for good gut health. This recipe is a really good source of both types.[iii] Insoluble fibre reduces transit time of food through the gut, keeping us regular, and soluble fibre strengthens the gut barrier[iv]. The addition of kale helps you get your vitamins K, A and C, as well as other key nutrients to help you simply, feel good!”
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Serves 4
- 250g brown basmati rice
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 chicken breast fillets, diced 250g
- 1 red onion, diced 150g
- 1 red pepper, diced 180g
- 3 tbsp Madras curry paste 60g
- 500ml chicken stock
- 400g can lentils
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 180g bag Kale
- 25g coriander, chopped
- Natural yoghurt to serve
Cook the rice according to pack instructions until tender, drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the chicken, onion and pepper for 5 minutes until golden. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add in the stock, lentils plus the juices and tomatoes and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Stir in the kale and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. Add ¾ coriander and season to taste.
Serve with the rice, sprinkled with remaining coriander and a dollop of natural yoghurt.
Cooks tip
Try swapping the lentils with a can of chickpeas.
KALE & WALNUT PASTA PRIMAVERA
Expert Nutritionist and Dietitian for Discover Great Veg, Jo Travers, comments: “Children need 15-25g of fibre a day depending on their age, but evidence shows that less than 14% of children reach this target[v]. For adults, the recommended amount it 30g a day[vi]. When we eat fibre the bacteria in the gut ferment it into beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids, this is known to reduce the risk of some cancers[vii]. This recipe contains at least half of the fibre a child needs for the day. And as a bonus, kale has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties[viii]”
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Serves 4
- 250g wholewheat penne pasta
- 100g frozen broad beans
- 100g frozen peas
- 180g bag Kale
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, thinly sliced 200g
- 75g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- 165g tub light cream cheese
- 25g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
Cook the pasta in boiling water for 12-13 minutes until just tender, remove with a slotted spoon and add the beans, peas and kale to the water, simmer for 4-5 minutes. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the leek and walnuts for 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the chives, cream cheese and the Parmesan, heat gently to melt, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water. Stir in the pasta and vegetables to evenly coat.
Serve sprinkled with extra Parmesan.
Cooks tip
Try any vegetables you may have in the freezer. This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover cooked vegetables.
MEDITERRANEAN FISH SOUP
Expert Nutritionist and Dietitian for Discover Great Veg, Jo Travers, comments: “There are two broad types of fat, unsaturated and saturated. Although we need both types, too much saturated fat from meat and butter can cause inflammation. This is the body’s stress response and over time is a risk factor for lots of conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer[ix] and even depression[x]. Unsaturated fats, like olive oil and deeply coloured vegetables like red peppers and dark green cavolo nero, however, have a protective affect against these diseases.”
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Serves 4
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 leek, diced 200g
350g baby new potatoes, thickly sliced
1 red pepper, diced 160g
1 litre fish stock
2 tbsp tomato puree 40g
200g pack Cavolo Nero
240g sustainable white fish, fresh or frozen, such as cod or haddock, cut into small chunks
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the leek, potatoes and pepper for 5 minutes.
Add in the stock and tomato puree and bring to a simmer, stir in the Cavolo Nero and fish and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes until potatoes are tender. Season to taste.
Serve with a drizzle of oil.
Cooks tip
Try using salmon or prawns instead of cod.
TOFU, SPINACH & BEAN SOUP
Expert Nutritionist and Dietitian for Discover Great Veg, Jo Travers, comments: “The bacteria in our gut use phytonutrients from green veg like spinach and other highly coloured foods like yellow sweetcorn and red pesto. Phytonutrients, along with fibre, provide fuel for the bacteria and allow them to make beneficial compounds which we can then absorb and put to good use[xi]. Eating a range of different colours of fruits and vegetables, like in this recipe, gives a range of different phytonutrients.”
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Serves 2
- 1 corn on the cob 150g
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, sliced 200g
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 280g pack extra firm tofu, diced
- 400g haricot beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ x 250g bag Spinach
- 1 tbsp red pesto 20g
- Juice half lemon
Cut the kernels of corn off the core with a sharp knife.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the corn and leeks for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in the stock, tofu and beans and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, add the Spinach until wilted.
Add a spoonful of pesto and a drizzle of lemon juice to serve.
Cooks tip
Try using smoked tofu and vegan pesto as an option.
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