5 Healthy-in-a-Hurry Dishes

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what you can cook that’s quick and nutritious for you and your family, here are 5 healthy-in-a-hurry recipes. These meals are:

– quick to prepare (under 15 minutes)
– quick to cook (under 30 minutes)
– nutritious (as well as being full of nutrients, they will help you feel satisfied, support your blood sugar, energy levels and weight loss)

Most of the ingredients you may have in your cupboard at home but if not, you can keep the recipes on your phone etc and buy the ingredients on your way home. These are main course recipes and you may want to buy accompaniments e.g. salad, vegetables or sweet potatoes (see sweet potato chips recipe below).

Turkey or chicken with avocado cream
Serves 2
15 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook chicken or turkey

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
Juice of one large lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
Pinch of coarse sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
3-4 tbsp water
Salad leaves, enough for two people
2-3 chicken or turkey breasts
1 tbsp butter or coconut fat, melted
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
10 green olives, pitted and chopped

Heat a grill or grill pan over a medium heat. Rub each chicken or turkey breast on both sides with a bit of the oil and grill for about 8 minutes on the first side and another 4 minutes on the second, or until they are firm to the touch. Remove from the pan and leave on the side.

In the meantime, make the avocado cream
Place the avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a food processor and process until very smooth, 1–2 minutes.

Slowly add the water and continue processing until the dressing is thick and creamy.

Assembling the salad
Divide the greens between two serving plates. Top with the sliced chicken or turkey, red onion, cucumber, and green olives. Drizzle over the avocado dressing and serve.

Stored separately, the salad and dressing will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
Can be served with new potatoes or paprika sweet potatoes (see recipe below).

Thai chicken burgers
Serves 4
10 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook

450g minced chicken (can be minced in a food processor)
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
Good handful of coriander, finely chopped
2 shallots or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp of chilli powder or a fresh red chilli, chopped finely
2 tsp fish sauce
Half tsp coarse sea salt
Half tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp of melted coconut fat, ghee or rapeseed oil

Thoroughly mix the chicken with the garlic, coriander, shallots or onion, chilli, fish sauce, salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 burgers.

Heat a grill or grill pan over a medium heat. Rub each burger on both sides with a bit of the oil and grill for about 8 minutes on the first side and another 4 minutes on the second, or until they are firm to the touch.

Serve with a salad or steamed vegetables e.g. Bok Choy and some of our paprika sweet potato chips (see recipe).

Quinoa-crusted quiche
Serves 8 (I like to make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for lunch or lunch boxes)
Preparation time 15 minutes and cooking time 25 minutes.

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil or coconut fat
1 small onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 red pepper, diced
40g quinoa, rinsed
1 broccoli, cut into florets
10 eggs, beaten
300 ml almond milk
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Pinch of coarse sea salt
Pinch of black pepper

Preheat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil or coconut fat on medium heat and add the onions, carrots, and peppers. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and the onions start to brown. Remove from heat and cool a few minutes.

In a large bowl combine the cooked vegetables with the remaining ingredients. Lightly oil a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and pour in the mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Serve with a salad (see reciple below) or steamed vegetables.

Grilled salmon with spiced carrot mash
Serves 2
Preparation time 15 minutes, cooking time 15 minutes

5 large carrots, sliced
2 large salmon fillets
2 large handfuls spinach
Small knob of butter
½ tsp mixed spiced
2 springs fresh parsley, finely chopped
Lemon wedges to serve
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Put the carrots in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Even better to steam them to retain more nutrients.

Preheat the grill to high. Put the salmon fillets on a baking tray and cook under the grill for 8-10 minutes, or until beginning to turn golden brown, turning them during cooking.

Whilst the salmon and carrots are cooking put the spinach in a pan with a few tablespoons water, place over a high heat and cook, covered for 3-4 minutes, or until wilted. Drain well.

Drain the cooked carrots and place them in a bowl. Mash them with a potato masher. Add the butter and mixed spice season with salt and pepper and mash again until the texture is smooth. Stir through the chopped parsley. To assemble, put the spinach in the centre of a plate, place the grilled salmon on top and add the mash next to it. Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad.

Italian Tuna and Chickpea salad
This is for those days where you just don’t have time to cook at all. You only need to assemble.
Serves 4
15 minutes to prepare and no cooking!

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Zest of ½ lemon
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tins of tuna steak packed in olive oil, drained
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
Handful of rocket
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and red wine vinegar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Sweet potato chips
Serves 4
10 minutes preparation time and 20-25 minutes cooking time

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into medium chips (the thicker you make them, the longer they will take to cook)
2 tbsp olive oil or melted coconut fat
Paprika to sprinkle

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato chips with oil and paprika. Transfer to a shallow roasting tin and season with black pepper and and salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crisp.

Variation: you can add gluten free soya sauce or tamari to the oil or some nutmeg as seasoning if you don’t have any paprika.

Simple and tasty salad
Serves 4
Prepartion 15 minutes

1 bag of salad leaves, Romaine or Little Gem lettuce
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cucumber, peeled and sliced
½ red onion, very thinly sliced

Serve with either the yoghurt-tahini dressing or apple cider vinaigrette below.

Yoghurt-Tahini Dressing
2 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp boiling water
½ clove garlic, finely minced
½ cup plain sheep, goat or cow’s yoghurt
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp coarse seal salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the tahini and water together until completely smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. That’s it!

Keeps well in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp good quality maple syrup or raw honey
Coarse sea salt
Black pepper

Whisk together the mustard, vinegar and maple syrup or honey in a mixing bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.

Keeps well in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.