We confess: we wish we could add more fruit and veg to our plates. Making that effort is more than worth it – eating just one apple a day cuts your risk of heart disease by 40 per cent, while peppers can slash your risk of lung cancer by a quarter.
But if you’re finding it hard to squeeze in the time, you’re not alone. According to the British Dietetic Association, only 15 per cent of adults meet the five-a-day government recommendation. But thanks to Rachel De Thample, the author of Five: 150 Effortless Ways To Eat Your 5+ Fruit and Veg A Day (Ebury, £14.99), who’s also had stints in the Michelin-starred kitchens of Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal, it’s never been easier to top up your day’s intake. These pain-free recipes offer at least two portions (and in some cases, four) per dish – we’ll raise a fork to that!
Honeyed Parsnip Quinoa with Chilli, Cardamom and Orange
This hearty winter dish with exotic, warm flavours works just as well in the summer
Serves 4
4 portions of your 5-a-day
Ingredients
1kg parsnips, peeled and cut into 4cm-long batons
1 large onion, thinly sliced
A pinch of chilli powder
A few glosses of olive or rapeseed oil, plus 4 tbsp for the dressing
200g quinoa
500ml water
3 oranges
1 tbsp runny honey
4 cardamom pods, seeds finely ground
A large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
A large handful almonds, toasted
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7. Place a large roasting or baking tray on the top shelf of the oven to warm up.
2. Toss the parsnips and onion in a bowl with a little salt, pepper and chilli powder. Gloss with just enough oil to lightly coat. Tumble onto the warmed tray and roast for about 25–30 minutes, or until golden and tender.
3. Meanwhile, rinse your quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve. Heat a lidded pan and toast the rinsed grains for a moment. Swirl in a pinch of salt and a drop of oil. Pour in the water, pop lid on, lower the heat and let it cook for 20 minutes or until all the water is fully absorbed. Remove from the heat, lid still on, and leave to steam for a further 5 minutes. Drain any excess water.
4. Halve one of the oranges. Squeeze out 8 tablespoons of juice into a clean, lidded jam jar. Mix with the 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt, the honey and ground cardamom. Shake or whisk until fully emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning and the orange/oil/honey ratio to your liking.
5. Once the parsnips are nearly done, pour a little dressing over them, just enough to lightly coat, and pop them back in the oven for a couple of minutes, allowing the dressing to turn to a sticky glaze.
6. Cut the remaining oranges into 1cm-thick rounds – whip the peel off the rounds. Mix them through the quinoa, along with the chopped parsley and the remaining dressing. Tuck the roasted parsnips in to the mix, once cooked. Scatter the toasted almonds over the top. Serve warm or cold.
Plum and Liquorice Jelly
Satisfying our sweet tooth finally comes guilt-free! You’re so, so welcome.
Serves 4
2 portions of your 5-a-day
Ingredients
4 ripe plums, halved and stones removed
500ml apple juice (freshly squeezed, if possible)
2 liquorice sticks (the real thing, not the sweet), or 75g natural liquorice (the sweet), plus extra to serve
2 tbsp agar agar flakes
2–4 tbsp runny honey (if using the sticks)
Method
1. Place the halved plums in a blender or food processor with the juice and whizz until smooth.
2. Pour into a saucepan with the liquorice sticks (or if using natural liquorice sweets, thinly slice them first before adding 50g) and agar agar and warm over a medium heat until the agar agar dissolves. Whisk vigorously a few times to help mix everything together.
3. Press through a sieve to strain out any lumpy bits of agar (scrape the bottom of the sieve to reclaim as much as you can) and whisk again.
4. Taste, and stir through enough honey or sweetener to suit (if using liquorice sweets, add more of these, if needed). Reheat gently, if needed, to help the agar dissolve further. Pour into glasses and pop into the fridge for about 1 hour to set. Top with some small chunks of natural liquorice to serve.
Souk Salad with Spiced Aubergines and Pistachio Yoghurt
Rustle up a show-stopping dinner-party main to impress your guests or better still, be the envy of your colleagues with this stunning packed lunch! (Just remember to pack the dressing in a lidded jam jar and dress before serving).
Serves 4
4 portions of your 5-a-day
Ingredients
4 handfuls of mixed salad leaves
2 handfuls of fresh herbs (use 2–3 of mint, parsley, dill, coriander, chives, basil, tarragon, sorrel)
2 large handfuls of mixed seasonal veg
A gloss of olive oil
2 pomegranates
A handful of edible flowers (optional)
Sea salt and ground pepper
Spiced aubergines
2 aubergines
1 garlic clove, chopped
A good gloss of olive oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of chilli powder
Pistachio Yoghurt
6 tbsp shelled pistachios
A large handful of fresh mint
250g natural yoghurt
1–2 tsp olive oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7. Place a baking tray on the top shelf to heat up.
2. First, make the aubergines. Halve the aubergines lengthways. Make 1cm deep cuts on the diagonal, about 2cm apart. Repeat in the opposite direction, creating a criss-cross pattern. Rub the chopped garlic over the top. Dust with salt and pepper. Gloss with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Roast on the heated tray for 40 minutes until tender.
3. Mix up the aubergine spices. Dust over the cooked aubergine. Roast for another 5 minutes.
4. For the pistachio yoghurt, whizz the pistachios with the mint and yoghurt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Alternatively, grind the pistachios in a pestle and mortar, add the mint, pound it to a paste and whisk into the yoghurt. Season, to taste. Trickle in a little olive oil, as needed.
5. Clean your salad leaves. Mix in a large bowl with your herbs and seasonal veg. Sprinkle over a pinch of salt and pepper, gloss with a drop of olive oil and mix well.
6. Roll the pomegranates on a firm surface to loosen the seeds. Place a sieve over a bowl. Cut the pomegranates over the sieve so the juices are caught in the bowl. Pluck the seeds from the pomegranates: I do this by inverting the pomegranate halves; gently tease any stuck seeds out with your fingers. Remove any white pith from your pile of seeds.
7. Drizzle the pomegranate juice over the salad. Divide between plates. Dollop with some pistachio yoghurt. Plonk a spiced aubergine half on each salad. Finish with the pomegranate seeds and the edible flowers, if using. Serve the remaining yoghurt on the side.
Will you be giving Rachel’s recipes a try? Tweet us @healthymag, tell us on Facebook or don’t forget to tag us @healthymagdaily in your Instagram snaps if you do!
For more tips, turn to Rachel’s book Five: 150 Effortless Ways To Eat Your 5+ Fruit and Veg A Day (Ebury, £14.99). Follow Rachel on Twitter @dethample
Photography: Nassima Rothacker