Another New Year is upon us, and sticking to resolutions to eat healthily and exercise more can be really tough... After all, who on earth actually likes kale or eating nothing but vegetable juice?
Luckily, eating healthily doesn't have to be all doom and gloom; here's a list of six great recipes that are really healthy, will give you tonnes of energy, and taste great.
After all, eating well doesn't have to be a chore!
Asda: Potato, Squash, Beetroot and Orange Bake
(serves six)
Ingredients
500g of baby potatoes
One small butternut squash, deseeded, peeled and cut into chunks
300g pack of cooked beetroot, cut into chunks
Two tablespoons of olive oil
Two teaspoons of chopped thyme leaves
One teaspoon of mixed dried herbs
Two oranges, peeled and each cut into six pieces
Method
1) Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for five minutes. Drain well.
2) Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the drained potatoes in a roasting tray with the squash and beetroot. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle on the herbs. Toss to coat well. Add the orange pieces and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
3) Remove from the oven, toss the veg, then use a fork to crush the potatoes. Return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes until golden.
Tesco: Dairy-Free Banana and Berry Smoothie (serves four)
Ingredients
Four very ripe bananas, peeled, broken into chunks and frozen
200g of frozen berries
450ml of rice, soya or nut milk
One teaspoon of vanilla extract
Method
1) In a blender or food processor, blitz a quarter of the frozen bananas and berries with half the rice milk until smooth.
2) Gradually add in the remaining banana chunks, berries, rice milk and vanilla extract until everything is smooth and very well combined, this may take a few minutes.
3) This recipe makes a thick smoothie. Simply add more rice milk for a lighter version. Serve immediately.
Aldi: Feta Vegetable and Rice Bake (serves six to eight)
Ingredients
400g of basmati rice
Two large eggs
45g of grated parmesan cheese
One red onion
One courgette
One pepper
200g of cherry tomatoes
One teaspoon of dried basil
45g of pitted black olives
200g pack of feta cheese
50ml of olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Method
1) Pre-heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.
2) Cook the rice as per instructions on the pack; drain and allow to cool a little. Meanwhile, peel the red onion and chop into medium size chunks. Chop the courgette into the same size pieces. Chop the pepper, discarding any pith and seeds, the same size as the onions and courgette. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Chop the feta into chunks the same size as the vegetables.
3) Mix all the above along with the olives in a bowl with the olive oil and the basil, season with some black pepper and mix well. Beat the eggs, add the grated Parmesan cheese and mix with the rice.
4) Grease the dish with some olive oil, spread the rice mixture over the base and up the sides of the dish. Pour the vegetable mix in the centre.
5) Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, until the rice on the sides is crisp and the vegetables browned. Cut into slices or quarters and serve.
Vegan Salad Bowl (serves one)
Ingredients
50g of brown rice
200g of kidney beans
Three spring onions
Four or five cherry tomatoes
Half a red pepper
A few tablespoons of sweetcorn
Quarter of a teaspoon each of paprika and cayenne pepper
A little oil to fry
One fresh lime
One tablespoon of guacamole
Method
1) Cook the rice in boiling water for 10 minutes until tender.
2) Meanwhile, fry the chopped spring onions, chopped pepper, chopped tomatoes, kidney beans and spices together until golden brown and cooked through.
3) To assemble, put the rice in the bowl, squeeze lime over it and mix the lime juice in. Put the bean mixture on, as well as the sweetcorn. dollop with guacamole and decorate with the limes.
Tesco: Roasted Provençal Fish (serves four)
Ingredients
One red onion, thickly sliced
Two courgettes, halved lengthways and cut into 2.5cm pieces
One red pepper, seeded and cut into 2.5cm pieces
One orange pepper, seeded and cut into 2.5cm pieces
One large aubergine, cut into 2.5cm pieces
For the dressing
Three tablespoons of olive oil
One tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Four white fish fillets (such as haddock, cod or river cobbler)
One lemon, thinly sliced
Two tablespoons of capers, drained and rinsed
200g of cherry tomatoes
One handful of fresh basil, leaves picked
300g of couscous, cooked
Method
1) Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Put the onion, courgettes, peppers and aubergine in a shallow roasting tin. Drizzle with two tablespoons of the oil, season, and roast for 20 minutes.
2) Remove the tin from the oven and drizzle over the red wine vinegar. Top with the fish fillets and lemon slices, then scatter over the capers. Nestle in the tomatoes and drizzle with the remaining oil; season well. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
3) To serve, divide the couscous between four plates and top with the roasted veg and fish. Scatter over the basil.
Asda: Barbecued Nectarines (serves four)
Ingredients
25g of brown sugar
15g of unsalted butter, softened
Four nectarines (or peaches), halved and de-stoned
Sunflower oil, for brushing
Method
1) In a bowl, mix the brown sugar with the butter.
2) Lightly brush the cut sides of the fruit halves with the oil. Barbecue, or cook in a griddle pan, cut-side down, for five minutes.
3) Turn over, top with the butter mixture, then cook for another four minutes, until it melts into a rich sauce. (If using a barbecue, cook the butter mixture in a pan over the hob then drizzle over the nectarines).
Given up on New Year's Resolutions? Here are a few delicious cake recipes to try instead!
