Pesto Basa Fillet and Greens

Whenever I want a healthy meal I always aim to include some greens onto my plate, some frozen or fresh vegetables are great for steaming as a side to ensure you are meeting your 5 a day. Courgettes are also great vegetables they are super low on calories and 100grams of courgettes only holds 17 calories! Although white fish has not got such high levels of omega 3 like salmon it is still low in calories and beneficial to include into your diet.  Swapping red meat for white fish is a great way to start off your journey to a healthy lifestyle.  Use any white fish of your choice and any green vegetables of your choice.

Cooking time: 15-25 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Basa fish fillet

·         Courgette

·         Peas

·         Green beans

·         Pesto

·         Black pepper

·         Lemon

Cooking:

1. Heat your pan with some olive oil, once heated add some washed and sliced courgettes to your pan and fry for about 6-10 minutes, once cooked set aside.
2. At this point you may need to add a little more olive oil to your pan before frying your fish fillet.
3. Ensure your pan is hot, once hot add your fish fillet to the pan and sprinkle some black pepper.
4. Cook your fish fillet for 6-8 minutes of each side. Once your fish is cooked drizzle some pesto sauce on top.
5. In an additional pot with a little bit of water steam some green vegetables, once steamed serve these with your fish and courgettes.
6. Add a slice of lemon to your plate and sprinkle with parsley to finish.
7. Optional: if you prefer not to fry your fish and want to cook your fillet from frozen; place your fillet in the oven with some foil wrapped around and cook this with your oven on 200c for about 20-25 minutes. 

Prawn and courgette pesto pasta

I have never really known what to do with pesto sauce and have always been curious to include it into one of my evening meals. You can make your own pesto from scratch by blending; pine nuts, basil, garlic, virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, black pepper and salt. If making pesto sauce from scratch is not you, supermarkets do sell equally good pesto sauce so shop around. Courgettes are a great vegetable to include into your diet; they are high in magnesium and zinc so they are a good selection for normalising blood pressure. Plus Courgettes are a great source of dietary fiber.  This mid- week meal is quick, easy changes up your regular pasta dish.

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Cooked and peeled prawns

·         Tagliatelle

·         Courgette

·         Pesto

·         Onion

·         Black pepper

·         Salt

·         Parsley

Cooking:

1. Start by boiling your tagliatelle/pasta in a pot with some water and salt. Follow the instructions on the back of your packet for cooking time. 
2. Tip: In a rush? Boil your kettle before and pour this into your pot with your tagliatelle to speed up the cooking time.
3. Wash and slice your courgettes into thin slices along with your onion.
4. Add a little olive oil to a pan on a medium heat, once your pan is hot add the courgettes and onions to your pan and sprinkle a little black pepper over them.
5. Allow this fry for about 5-8 minutes, then add your prawns  and cook for a further 5 minutes.
6. Once the Pasta/ Tagliatelle is cooked, drain and add this to your frying pan.
7. You will then need to add 3-4 scoops of pesto to your pan, stir this well and cook for a further 3-6 minutes.
8. Finish by topping with parsley and black pepper. 

Asparagus Spears and Salmon

Salmon is one of my favourite fish dishes to cook its easy, quick and works well in most meals. Roast some asparagus as a side and get your daily source of fiber. Along with your avocado and kale asparagus is a great vegetable for detoxifying and helps your body breakdown harmful compounds. For pregnant women asparagus is great as it contains a large amount of folate which is proven to decrease the risk of neural defects within the foetus, so get plenty of asparagus mothers to be!

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Salmon fillet

·         Asparagus spears

·         Lemon

·         Olive oil

·         Black pepper

·         1 spring onion

·         Thyme

·         1 garlic glove

·         Dill

·         Butter

·         Baby Potatoes

·         Parsley

Cooking:

1. Start by washing your baby potatoes, once washed place them into a pot with some water and salt and boil for approximately 20 minutes till partially soft.
2. Once your potatoes are cooked drain the water then add some butter and parsley to the pot and cook on a low heat for 2 minutes. Set aside and be prepared to add this to your meal.
3. Wash your asparagus spears and place them on a baking dish with some olive oil.
4. Season your salmon with; black pepper, thyme, diced spring onion and a garlic glove.
5. Once seasoned place this on top of your asparagus spears, slice some lemon and place this in your baking tray drizzling the remaining part of the lemon over your salmon.
6. Cook your salmon in the oven at 200c for 20 minutes.
7. Optional serve your salmon with some diced dill. 

Bangers and Mash

Bangers and mash is a classic evening meal, spend a bit extra on your meat and buy some Cumberland or pork and herb sausages. Swap your normal white potatoes for sweet potatoes, not only do they contain less carbohydrates and starch they also contain a good amount of iron and taste much sweeter!

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

·         3 sausages

·         1 sweet potato

·         Butter

·         Milk

·         Black pepper

·         Gravy granules

·         2 spring onions

·         Red peppers

·         Hot pepper sauce

·         Thyme

·         Salt

Cooking

1. Place your sausages in the oven for 25-30 minutes and 200c (follow the instructions at the back of the packet of sausages.)
2. Wash, peel and slice your sweet potato and place in a pot of water allow this to boil for 25 minutes.
3. To make the gravy; In a pot with some butter, sliced red pepper and spring onion, sprinkle black pepper into the pot along with some thyme.
4. After 2-3 minutes add boiling water and 3 tea spoons of gravy granules. Optional: add some hot pepper and stir well. Cook your gravy until your sweet potato is nearly cooked.
5. Once your sweet potato is soft drain the water, add milk butter and mash together till soft.
6. Place your sweet potato and sausages on your plate and drizzle your gravy on top.
7. Boil some peas in a pot and serve to the side. 

Salmon Fish cakes

If you love salmon you should try making these delicious fishcakes, you will have to test your patty making skills however I found it quite fun spending time prepping these fish cakes. I also love this meal for dinner as it means I can indulge in some tasty tartar sauce with my fishcakes. You also gain the much needed omega 3 from salmon which is vital for your body's growth and development. 

Cooking time 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Smoked Salmon fillet

·         Breadcrumbs

·         Plain flour

·         Baby potatoes

·         Butter

·         1 egg

·         Spring onion

·         Red chilli

·         Black pepper

·         Olive oil

·         Spinach

·         Wild rocket 

·         Cherry tomatoes

Cooking:

Fishcakes:

1. Start by washing and peeling your baby potatoes, you will then need to boil these for 20 minutes until they are soft.
2. Once your potatoes are soft mash them in to a bowl and set aside. (Use butter to help soften your potatoes)
3. In a pan with a little bit of olive oil fry your salmon fillet on a medium heat for about 10 minutes until you see your salmon fillet starting to brown.
4. Once browned brake your salmon fillet into small pieces and set aside.
5. Dice your spring onion and red chilli and add to a bowl with black pepper and 1 cup of flour.
6. Once your potato and salmon has cooled add this to your bowl and stir.
7. Create a patty shape with your mixture then dip it into a bowl with one well whisked egg.
8. You will then need to dip your fishcake patty into bread crumbs. Place these onto a pan with some olive oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden.

Spinach bed salad:

1. In a pot with a tiny amount of water add your spinach to the pot and cook for less than a minute.
2. Once you see the spinach is starting to shrink in size; drain and remove it from the pot then serve with some wild rocket and chopped cherry tomatoes.
3. To finish your meal top with some parsley and some tartar sauce.

Fiery Prawn Tagliatelle

Now for all those who love spicy food this is a dish you should try. In less than 20 minutes this dish full of flavour is perfect for a mid-week meal. Since this dish is so spicy I thought I would share some tips on what to do after experiencing a hot pepper meal. 

• I’m not a fan myself of milk but they say it works and is better than drinking water. Milk contains Casein that takes away the heat in your mouth making your mouth feel cooler.
• Since I have a constant sweet tooth I was not at all hesitant to try this remedy; take a teaspoon of sugar to neutralise the heat from the spicy peppers used.
• Chew on a slice of bread; the bread can soak up the oil capsaicin that makes your mouth hot.
• Finally try to eat milk chocolate. Even if that doesn't work the chocolate will be worth it!

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Prawns

·         1 scotch bonnet pepper or 1 red hot chilli

·         Bajan pepper sauce (optional)

·         3 garlic gloves

·         1 spring onion

·         Black pepper

·         Parsley

·         Olive oil

·         Tagliatelle

·         Salt

·         Plum tomatoes

Cooking:

1. Start by boiling a pot of water with some salt. Once boiled add your Tagliatelle pasta and cook (for the cooking time follow the instructions on the back of the packet)
2. Once cooked drain and set aside
3. Heat your pan on a medium heat and add some olive oil.
4. Add to your pan your crushed garlic, chopped spring onion and scotch bonnet pepper. Allow this to cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add your prawns to your pan and sprinkle with black pepper. Cook for a further 10 minutes, till your prawns start to brown.
6. Optional: add one spoonful of Bajan hot pepper sauce to your pan and stir well.
7. Add some plum tomatoes chopped in half and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
8. Once this is done add your tagliatelle to your pan and stir in all your ingredients. Allow this to cook for less than 5 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with some parsley to finish, or add a lemon wedge to the side of your dish.