Tag Archives: family recipes

Review – The Berry Company

I am always on the lookout for something new and nutritious for the family and I love these drinks by The Berry Company. They are one of our favourite UK brands at the moment and they use such a huge variety of nutritious berries in their juice blends.

They went down well with the kids, especially at breakfast time and its great to know they are getting something with such awesome ingredients to drink at this time of day.

These are a selection of my faves above! I love the Superberries one, it tasted so good in a smoothie. You can find the ingredients at https://theberrycompany.co.uk/flavours/superberries-purple

I tried a few different recipes with these drinks but to be honest they work best served straight in a glass with ice or diluted with water. They do work well in smoothies though and are really nice gently warmed with a few spices for a cold winters night drink.

They also have a delicious selection of their own cocktail recipes which do work well with alcohol free gin too! https://theberrycompany.co.uk/our-recipes

You can find them at Holland and Barrett, Ocado, Waitrose and most of these places even deliver from their online stores.

“Our delicious juice blends our now all made from natural ingredients, without added sugar or any added sweeteners. We continue to pride ourselves on sourcing the best and most exotic ingredients and botanicals from around the world that deliver light and balanced flavours, full of taste and goodness. ” The Berry Company Website

https://theberrycompany.co.uk/

They also have no added sugar, are suitable for vegans and are free from any additional artificial ingredients.

These products were gifted and these are my own personal opinions.

Spicy Bean & Vegetable Curry

This is my fave spicy curry recipe and it’s so quick and easy to make. I love the blend of freshly grated tomatoes, spices and chillies to make the sauce and the fluffy basmati base soaking up all of the delicious flavours. I have made this recipe spicy as I like hot food but you can adjust it to your tastes by adjusting the chilli quantity.

http://www.lovingfoods.co.uk

I love to serve my curry up with some fermented foods, pickles, sauces etc. These are great for dipping any additional elements like poppadoms and naan bread in. In this recipe I have used the fermented ‘Tumeric and Black Pepper Kimchi’. It’s the perfect addition to this dish for taste and of course for the numerous health benefits that fermented foods may have.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients

4 tbsp of Coconut Oil

1tsp of mustard seeds

1 tsp of cumin seeds

a pinch of asafetida

6 medium tomatoes grated (or blend in a small blender)

1/2 tsp of tumeric powder

1 tsp of ground coriander

1 tsp of ground cumin

3 fresh sliced hot green chillies (adjust for more or less heat!)

2 finely chopped cloves of garlic

1 tsp of grated fresh ginger

1 tsp of sugar

1 tsp of salt

2 tsp of coconut oil

A selection of sliced fresh vegetables

A tin of beans of choice, kidney beans work really well!

Heat the coconut oil on a medium heat in a large flat pan, I use my large flat cast iron casserole pan. Once the oil has melted add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafetida. When the mustard seeds start popping add in the fresh tomatoes. Stir, then add in the tumeric powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, chillies, garlic, ginger, sugar and salt. Leave simmering on a low heat.

Heat up the coconut oil in another pan and add in the sliced vegetables, beans and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Season and then add into the simmering curry sauce. Cook gently for 20 minutes and serve with freshly cooked basmati rice. I use my pressure cooker settings for fluffy white basmati rice, a rice cooker works well too.

Serve up with pickles, sauces, breads and poppadom. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this recipe you can add your email below to be kept up to date with the release of future delicious recipes!

Love Angie x

Moroccan Chickpea and Spinach Stew

I love the textures of this Moroccan spiced dish! The silky spinach, chunky butternut squash and chickpeas cooked in a delicious spicy tomato based sauce. It’s absolutely divine and works well with the cous cous and additional peas to soak up the flavours.

Ingredients

8 tomatoes

Olive oil

2 tbsp of coconut oil

2 chopped onions

3 chopped cloves of garlic

1 stick of celery finely chopped

1tsp of tumeric or freshly grated

1tsp of cinnamon

1tsp of chilli

2 handfuls of chopped butternut squash (I used frozen)

8 cubes of frozen spinach

A handful of red lentils

1 tin of chickpeas (400g)

A bunch of coriander

1lt of vegetable stock

2 cups of cous cous

1 cup of peas

Salt & pepper

Start with the tomatoes, cut in half and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a medium heat for 30mins until soft. Blend into a puree and set aside for the sauce.

Heat the coconut oil in a large pan, I like to use my medium cast iron oven proof pot. Add the onions, garlic and celery and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and cook gently stirring through the flavours.

Add the vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, vegetable stock and tomato sauce (made previously). Season with salt and pepper and the coriander and slow cook on a low heat for at least 30mins. I like to finish it off in the oven for 20mins.

Boil 3 cups of water in a separate pan and add the frozen peas, cook for a few minutes. Add in the cous cous, season with salt, take off the heat and add a lid to the pan. Leave for 10mins to finish the cooking process.

Serve the stew over the top of the cous cous and sprinkle with some additional coriander.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Kale & Walnut Pasta

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

Apricot Chicken & Spinach Pilaf

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.

    Autumn Fall Cookbooks My Faves!

    I love cook books! I love the photographs, the graphics and even the smell of a good book, lol! I thought I would share my fave family cook books that I bring out in the Autumn Fall season to stay warm and to keep the family nourished! I hope you find some inspiration here in this video for your own family.

    There are links at the bottom of the page where you can buy the books from Amazon, (they are affiliated links and I should probably notify you that I might earn 10p or so if you click it lol!!!!) If you have an independent book shop, order them in there and support small local business instead!

    With love x


    Two week meal plan

    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

    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.

    Melanzane alla Parmigiana

    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

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