Crispy baked code with sweet potato chips
Fish and chips is one of the nation’s fast food favourites and the good news is it’s easy to make this dish less ‘naughty’ and more nutritious by using sweet potatoes and coating fish goujons in my secret ingredient – cornflakes!
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Makes: 2 portions
Ingredients
4 tbsp plain flour
1 egg, beaten
40g cornflakes, crushed
2 skinless cod fillets (about 150g)
Salt and pepper
Sweet Potato Chips
3 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
2. Put the flour in a bowl, the beaten egg in another bowl and the crushed cornflakes in a third bowl.
3. Season the cod with a little salt and pepper and coat each fillet in the flour, then the egg, then the crushed cornflakes. Arrange the coated fillets on one of the lined baking sheets.
4. Toss the sweet potato wedges with the oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and spread them out on the second lined baking sheet. Put the sweet potato chips in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, turning the chips halfway through the cooking time. When you turn the chips, add the fish to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden and cooked through.
5. Remove the chips and baked cod from the oven and serve straight away, with the cod wrapped in paper cones if you wish.
Chicken with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil
Tender chicken breasts topped with a fresh homemade tomato sauce, melted mini mozzarella balls, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes - this dish is sure to be a hit with the whole family.
Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 35-40 minutes Makes: 4–6 portions
Ingredients
2 skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 3 pieces
50g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
75g panko or dried breadcrumbs
2 tbsp sunflower oil
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
10 mini mozzarella balls
Salt and pepper
Roasted Herb Potatoes
350g peeled potatoes, cut into small dice
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
Pinch of sugar
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
2. Put the potatoes and oil in a small roasting tin. Toss together and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until golden and crispy, adding the thyme and tossing them after 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and fry for 3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Put the chicken pieces on a chopping board, cover with clingfilm then bash with a meat mallet or other heavy object until thin. Remove the clingfilm and season lightly with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a bowl, the beaten eggs in another bowl and the breadcrumbs in a third bowl. Coat each chicken strip in flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the coated chicken pieces and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden and nearly cooked through. Preheat the grill to high.
5. Stir the basil into the tomato sauce and spread it out in a shallow ovenproof dish. Put the chicken pieces on top and scatter over the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls. Grill for 5–8 minutes until bubbling and serve.
My favourite vegan burgers
Got a fussy tot on your hands? For those who squirm at the sheer sight of a vegetable then these hidden veggie burgers might just be the answer, helping to sneak in carrots, courgettes and mushrooms. I promise that even your most committed hidden veggie detective will be none the wiser!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 5-6 minutes
Makes: 8 burgers
Suitable for freezing
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium courgette, grated
50g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
½ tbsp soy sauce
150g fresh brown breadcrumbs
1 tbsp chia seeds or 1 tsp egg substitute powder
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt and pepper
Soup or salad, to serve
Method
1. Put the grated carrot and courgette in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl and add the mushrooms, oregano, parsley, cayenne pepper, ketchup, soy sauce and 100g of the breadcrumbs. Mix well and season with a little salt and pepper.
2. Put the chia seeds (if using) in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of cold water and leave for 5 minutes until thickened. Add the mixture to the vegetables in the bowl or, if using egg substitute, mix the powder with 2 tablespoons of cold water then add it to the mixture.
3. Shape the mixture into 8 burgers and coat each burger in the remaining breadcrumbs.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the burgers in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. Serve with soup or salad.
5. The cooked burgers can be frozen (once cooled) for up to 2 months. Defrost, then reheat in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.
