Cheesy Kale & Walnut Pasta

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We love pasta in this house and this comforting cheesy dish is a favourite family meal in the colder months. I have used delicious garden fresh kale, runner beans and spelt spinach pasta. Its a comforting but healthy dish!

The recipe can also be made dairy free by using olive oil and dairy free cheese.

You could also use spinach instead of kale and mix up the green vegetables a bit to create a variety of different meals. The walnuts add additional healthy fats and crunch but pine nuts would work well too.

I have used oat cream for the sauce because it is my fave cream but you can also use plain single cream for this recipe too.

I hope you enjoy experimenting with this dish!

Ingredients

2 tbsp of butter or olive oil

2 handfuls of chopped fresh kale

2 cloves of chopped garlic

2 small cartons of Oatly oat cream (about 2 cups) or single dairy cream

Grated cheddar cheese (about 2 handfuls)

Nutmeg (about 1tsp)

S & P

Pasta

Green beans or other green vegetables

Gently heat the butter or oil in a large pan and add the chopped garlic. Stir in the chopped kale and cook lightly for around 5-10 minutes.

Add the pasta to boiling water with the chopped green vegetables, I used runner beans because that’s what was in season at the time but use whatever you fancy here, green beans or broccoli also work well.

Add the oat cream to the sauce and heat gently. Add in the grated cheddar, around two handfuls, but please use more or less if you prefer. It really does depend how cheesy you like it. My kids like a cheesy pasta and if it means they will eat more green vegetables then I am happy with that.

Heat the cheesy creamy sauce until all the cheese has melted. Add the walnuts and season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.

Drain the pasta and vegetables and add to the cheesy sauce, mix through and serve.

My kids like to add extra Parmesan to the top but I prefer it without. A green salad on the side goes really well too with some cucumber, tomatoes and other salad items.

Enjoy! x

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Apricot Chicken & Spinach Pilaf

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This delicious one pot slow cooker wonder is so easy and quick to throw together. The chicken and rice go really well with the fragrant spices, sweet apricots and velvety super green spinach. I dolloped a tablespoon of fresh live yoghurt on the top and it worked really well. Plates were empty so I’m guessing it was a hit with the kids!

I like to use chicken thigh meat because I think it has better flavour, especially from an organic chicken. You could also use chicken breast if you prefer but the breast does create a slightly drier texture. I also like to use the unsulphured dried apricots which are darker in colour and sometimes brown rice for this recipe.

You will need the following ingredients:

    Ingredients

    1 tbsp of coconut oil or ghee

    1 finely chopped onion

    4 chopped garlic cloves

    2tsp of cumin seeds

    2 tsp of ground coriander

    2 tsp of tumeric

    1 cinnamon stick

    A small handful of chopped dried apricots

    1 1/4 cups of basmati

    3 chopped up chicken breasts or 6 chopped up thighs

    700ml of vegetable stock

    3 cubes of frozen spinach

    Live yoghurt to serve

    Set the slow cooker to high (2 -3hrs cooking time) or low (4-5 hrs cooking time) depending on the length of time you have to cook the meal. I like to prep my meals late morning or around lunchtime so that everything is ready for dinner around 5pm.

    Add the coconut oil or ghee to the slow cooker and let it melt. Add in the onion, garlic, spices and chopped apricots and give it a stir around to coat everything evenly.

    Add the chopped up chicken meat into the rice mixture and stir evenly to coat in the spices, apricots and rice. Add in the hot stock, frozen spinach cubes and stir once more.

    Pop the lid on and leave to cook for the required time as above – high setting (2 -3hrs) or low setting (4-5hrs).

    Serve with fresh greens or other seasonal vegetables and add a dollop of live yoghurt on top to serve.

    Two week meal plan

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    Another easy and affordable meal plan for two weeks!

    The kids are back at school this week so I made this meal plan with that in mind…hearty meals for hungry tummies, easy and quick to make with my new baby in the background and really affordable!

    I’ve also included a small tour around the larder cupboard (because its clean for once) and a peek at our bulk snacks order for school lunches and break snacks!

    Check out the food haul in the video below and the meal plan is at the bottom of the page! 🙂

    Meal Plan

    Below is our two week meal plan, I hope it gives you some ideas for new family recipes to make.

    Week 1

    (vegetarian) Monday – Broccoli & Cauliflower bake with Pasta

    (Fish) Tuesday – Fish Tacos

    (Vegetarian) Wednesday – Vegetable Stir Fry & Tofu

    (Meat) Thursday – Spicy Chicken

    (Vegetarian) Friday – Baked Potatoes – Tuna & Cheese, Chicken Mayo

    Saturday – Free

    (Meat) Sunday – Beef Brisket in BBQ Sauce

    Week 2

    (Vegetarian) Monday – Vegetarian Lasagne

    (Fish) Tuesday – Fish & Spinach

    (Vegetarian) Wednesday – Pad Thai Meal Kits

    (Meat) Thursday – Venison Stew

    (Vegetarian) Friday – Dhal, rice & naan breads

    Saturday – Free

    (Meat) Sunday – Lamb Stew

    With Love

    Cheesy Sweet Potato & Bean Quesadilla

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    In an attempt to hide some extra vegetables in my kids meals I made these super delicious sweet potato and bean quesadillas with lots of melted cheese. I added jalapenos and chopped chilli for the adults and they also work well with dairy free cheese.

    They literally take a few minutes to prepare and are great served up with a healthy side salad including all the family faves, tomato, cucumber, lettuce and dressing.

    Once all the ingredients are packed into the slow cooker these are so quick to put together quickly at meal times and are great for busy families.

    Ingredients

    3 chopped cloves of garlic

    1 finely chopped onion

    A bag of frozen sweet potato or two large diced up small

    1 can of pinto beans

    Cumin seeds

    Salt & pepper

    Cheddar cheese or dairy free cheese

    Coriander, chilli, jalepenos etc. for toppings

    Tortilla Wraps

    Add the garlic, onion, sweet potato, beans, cumin and S&P to the slow cooker, cook on low for several hours or until sweet potato is soft enough to mash.

    Heat up a large flat frying pan or I personally use my electric pancake maker. It’s so easy to use. Place one tortilla wrap in the pan or pancake maker, sprinkle with cheese and add a few spoons of the cooked sweet potato mix.

    Mash the sweet potato and beans onto the tortilla, add grated cheese and another tortilla on top like a giant tortilla sandwich and leave to cook for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Flip over for a quick browning on the other side.

    Serve and slice with a pizza cutter into quarters. Serve with salad.

    Malaysian Prawn Soup

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    I love this recipe its one of my absolute faves! It is so super easy to make, you can follow the recipe below or click on the video link below to view it in video. The instructions are really simple and easy to follow.

    Click the image for the full recipe video. 🙂

    Ingredients

    1 medium bowl of small prawns (about 300-400g) Tofu for a vegetarian substitute

    4 noodle nests

    1 can of coconut milk

    1 liter of vegetable stock

    2tbsp of coconut oil

    small bowl of garnishings (chopped cucumber, spring onions, fresh chilli)

    salt & pepper

    1tsp of paprika

    1tsp of ground cumin

    1/2tsp of ground coriander

    1/2tsp of tumeric

    1tbsp of lemongrass puree

    1 small piece of ginger

    5 peeled shallots

    5 cloves of garlic

    5 fresh chillies of choice

    1 red pepper chopped

    1 head of broccoli chopped

    Blend the chillies, garlic, shallots, ginger lemongrass and all spices in a small blender with a little water. Heat the coconut oil in a non stick pan and add the blended spice mix, brown lightly. Add the stock and vegetables and cook the vegetables on a medium simmer. Add in your prawns or tofu and stir through and cook through for a few minutes.

    Add the coconut milk and cook through until dissolved. Serve on top of the cooked noodles and garnish with the chopped cucumber, spring onions and chillies.



    Melanzane alla Parmigiana

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    Vegan friendly if you use dairy free cheese!

    I love grilled aubergines, my kids are not big fans though I’m afraid but they usually manage a little of this dish due to the creamy cheesy texture. They also love a classic Italian tomato sauce so it tends to go down pretty well because of the flavours. You could also add in some sliced courgettes and perhaps roasted red peppers but I like it simple.

    I’m afraid after slicing it up and serving it didn’t look as photogenic as I had hoped for ha ha ha but I can assure you it was delicious! 🙂

    I made this dish as part of my monthly shopping meal plan which seems to be working pretty well to keep us well fed and organised. Check out my video in the video section or click the YouTube header at the top of the page. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

    Ingredients

    2 aubergines sliced length ways

    Olive oil

    1 Tin of chopped tomatoes

    3 cloves of garlic

    2 balls of fresh mozzarella or dairy free equivalent

    Parmesan or dairy free equivalent (roughly 100g)

    Grated breadcrumbs

    Chopped basil (optional)

    Salt & pepper

    Instructions

    1. Start by slicing and grilling the aubergine under the grill or in a George Foreman type grill with a little olive oil and seasonings. I love my Foreman I use it for so many things. Once all the aubergines are grilled set aside on a plate.
    2. Next you want to prepare the Italian tomato sauce. I would usually cook up my tomatoes and garlic etc. in a pan for this type of sauce but for super time saving prep I’m using my blender (Vitamix). Put the tinned tomatoes, garlic, a dash of olive oil and salt and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside in a jug.
    3. Slice up the mozzerella or dairy free equivalent and set aside on a plate.
    4. That’s all the ingredients prepped now its time to assemble together lasagna style.
    5. Using a small lasagne dish pour a little tomato sauce into the bottom of the dish and place a layer of aubergine slices on top. Cover with a layer of mozzerella slices and a layer of tomato sauce. Repeat with the aubergine, mozzerella and tomato sauce until finished and top off with grated parmesan or dairy free equivalent and grated breadcrumbs. You can add some fresh chopped basil on the top here if you have to hand.
    6. Cook in a medium oven about 140-160 for 35 minutes or until completely browned and golden on the top. Serve up with some fresh salad or greens on the side. Enjoy and love!

    If you enjoyed this recipe please pop over to my YouTube channel for more recipes and holistic health ideas for you and the family.


    Sunflower Mince Chilli

    I loved this chili recipe made with the Sunflower Mince by ‘Just Whole Foods’ it was super delicious!  You can serve it up with a little cheese, rice and a side salad for a healthy meat free family meal.

    To make the recipe you will need the following –

    Ingredients

    1 Packet of Just Whole Foods sunflower mince

    Coconut oil

    1 large onion chopped

    1 red pepper chopped (optional)

    4-5 cloves of garlic chopped

    1 chilli seeds removed and chopped

    1 tin of chopped tomatoes

    1 tin of kidney beans

    2 tbsp of tomato puree

    2 tsp of ground cumin

    2 tsp of paprika

    1 tsp of chilli powder

    3 tsp of dried chopped coriander

    Cheese or dairy free cheese grated for the topping (optional)

    Re hydrate the mince as per the packet instructions.  Add a little coconut oil to a large pan and fry the onion and red pepper (if using) on a medium heat for five minutes.  Add in the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 3-5 minutes.  Add in the re hydrated mince and cook lightly for 5 minutes.  Add in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, ground cumin, paprika, chilli powder, dried coriander and season with salt and pepper.  You can add more dried chilli if you like it spicy! Cook on a low heat for 20 minutes until all the spices have infused well.

    You can serve up at this point with some rice and side salad but if using cheese or dairy free cheese, pour the chilli into a suitable oven container and top with the grated cheese, bake in the oven for 15-20mins on a medium heat until all the cheese is melted.

    Serve and enjoy!

    You can purchase the sunflower mince from their website at https://www.justwholefoods.co.uk/

    or directly from amazon by clicking on the product image below.

    If you enjoyed this recipe check out my YouTube Channel for further healthy living, healthy home videos.

    Take Care

    Love and Healthy Foods!

    Angie Milne

    Natural Living You Tube Channel

    Scotch Broth Soup

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    Delicious and warming Scotch Broth soup made with organic beef brisket and fresh organic vegetables!  I also used the beef brisket from this recipe to make slow cooked Mexican beef fajita wraps with guacamole and salsa.  This gave me two nutritious meals out of one piece of meat and was such a time and money saver.

    Just what a family budget and busy mum needs!

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    This recipe is so easy to make, put it into the slow cooker or rice cooker in the morning and its ready by lunch.  Then you can transfer the cooked beef from the soup into your slow cooker for another meal at night time.  So the beef brisket is used for the soup flavour first off and a little meat for the soup and then slow cooked into a spicy Mexican fajita filling.  Click here for the secondary recipe!  You could also used the stewed brisket for a variety of other meals instead of the Mexican fajitas!

    ingredients

    You are going to need the following for the Scotch Broth soup recipe:

    1 large piece of Beef Brisket (family size)

    2 Carrots

    2 Parsnips

    2 Large Potatoes

    Beef Stock

    1 large Leek or 2 small

    Broth Mix (optional)

    Salt & pepper or any other seasonings (herb salt)

    Remove the string from the beef brisket if necessary and place into the slow cooker (rice cooker with slow cooking function is also an option). You can chop it up into smaller pieces if necessary but I put it in whole to save time and it works better for the evening recipe.

    Chop up all of the carrots, parsnips and potatoes into small cubes and add to the slow cooker.  You can also use turnip or other vegetables or greens you have to hand. This is a great way to use up vegetables from your cupboards or fridge.

    Slice up the onions and leeks and add those to the soup, top up with enough water to cover the beef and vegetables, about 2-3 cm above.  You can also add a handful of dried broth mix here but I had ran out – oops!  Set the slow cooker to a medium heat for 3-4 hrs.  Cook until all vegetables are tender and the brisket is cooked through.

    Remove the brisket and slice a quarter of it off.  Place the remaining brisket aside for the dinner recipe.  I’ve made Mexican fajitas but you could use it for a variety of other meals.  Shred the small brisket piece and add to the soup, stir through, and add in some chopped herbs and additional seasonings if required.

    Enjoy and stay warm this Autumn! 🙂

    Angie Milne

     

     

    Slow Cooker Weekly Meal Plan

    Check out my awesome Autumn weekly meal plan for some nourishing slow cooker family meals!  5 Days of warming meals for a busy week!  Pop your ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning and relax knowing that a healthy family meal will be ready by family dinner time.

     

    I love taking advantage of kitchen gadgets to take the pressure off now and again!  I would recommend the Morphy Richards Accents Sear and Stew Slow Cooker 6.5L 48705 Brushed Stainless Steel Slowcooker it has worked so well for us and one of my favourite slow cooker recipes books is the Superfood Slow Cooker: Healthy wholefood meals from your slow cooker there are some amazingly healthy recipes in this book and it is one of my faves for slow cooker family recipes.  Check them out if you need inspiration!

    Pinterest is also worth a search for ideas and I also love the BBC website search facility too.

    I hope you find some inspiration here in this video for your family slow cooking experiments!

    Enjoy my video below by clicking on the play button, if you have any questions or need any help drop me a line in the comments below.  What are your favourite slow cooker recipes I would love to know 🙂

    Love Angie x

    Cannellini Bean Curry

    I love this curry its so simple to make but so delicious!  You can mix the curry ingredients up a little bit to your liking but this is the basic recipe that I use for this recipe.

    Ingredients:

    Coconut Oil (1-2tsp) use additional water if recipe is sticking

    1-2 sticks of cinnamon

    5 cardamon pods

    3-4 sliced small onions

    4 chopped garlic cloves

    1-2tsp of chopped ginger

    A mix of chopped vegetables like carrots, courgette, peppers etc.

    1tsp of tumeric powder or freshly grated tumeric

    4-5tsp of chilli powder

    4tsp of ground cumin seeds

    2 tsp of coriander seeds

    4 Large tomatoes grated

    Tin of carton of cannellini beans or other beans of choice

    Additional chopped greens of choice

    1-2tsp of Garam Masala

    Salt & Pepper

    Bulghar Wheat

    Melt the coconut oil in a large pan, add in the cinnamon sticks and cook lightly for a minute or two.  Add in the cardamon pods for a few minutes and then the onions, garlic cloves, chopped ginger and chopped vegetables.  Add a small amount of water to the pan with the tumeric powder, chilli powder, ground cumin seeds, coriander seeds and grated tomatoes then simmer lightly for around ten minutes until the vegetables are tender.

    Add in the beans and some additional greens like spinach or kale and simmer lightly for a few minutes, add the garam masala and season with salt and pepper.

    I cook my bulghar wheat in my rice cooker on the white rice setting with a little vegetable stock and sometimes some extra greens.  You can also cook it in a pan of water similar to how you would cook white rice.

    Enjoy

    Love & Bulghar Wheat

    x Angie x

    cannellinibeancurry

    Please check out my YouTube channel where you will find more recipe videos and other holistic health ideas.

    Natural Living You Tube Channel