Summer Spaghetti with Anchovies & Capers

I was shocked to read that in the UK, adult obesity levels have almost quadrupled in the last twenty five years. One excuse we've heard time and time again is that healthy foods are much more expensive than unhealthy foods. This excuse is completely wrong. You can make healthy meals as cheap as you want them to be! This summer spaghetti is a fantastic example of how you can eat healthy for less. I calculated that this delicious and nutritious meal pictured above costs £1.16 to make and if you have a very large appetite, £2.32. A singular Big Mac from McDonalds would set you back £2.59, not to mention the 24g of fat and 2.1g of salt. I know what I would rather have. I believe the real reason people would opt for the Big Mac is because of it's convenience. If you want to be healthy, it's as simple as having a positive attitude about healthy food and not being lazy. Meals like this take no more then 15 minutes to make and are a million times better for our waistlines. Now I know that my opinion is never going to solve the UK's obesity problems, but I'm just trying to put across my point that healthy eating is not expensive, just requires a tiny little bit more time and effort. 

Anchovies have many nutritional benefits. They're bursting full of vitamin A, which is essential for bone growth, reproduction and cell division. They're also a rich source of vitamin C, that vitamin we're all told about when we're younger that's important for the development of strong bones and teeth. 

Capers are also a great low calorie addition to a meal or dish. They're bursting with flavour and also give this dish a modest nutritional boost with no added fat. 

Serves 2

1 tin chopped tomatoes 

10 anchovy fillets

2 dessert spoons of drained capers

pepper to taste

150g wholeweat spaghetti

Method

- Put the spaghetti into a pan of boiling water and leave the pasta to simmer for 8-10 minutes. 

- Put the chopped tomatoes, pepper, anchovies and capers into a separate pan. Leave to simmer over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

- Drain the pasta and stir into the tomato sauce. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Banana & Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie

Smoothies are one of the best ways to start the day for 3 main reasons: 

1) Fantastically fulfilling being packed with vitamins, minerals & fibre

2) Quick & easy to make with limited washing up

3) Absolutely delicious

I've realised that I've been making a lot of smoothies with strawberries and raspberries in and not one banana based recipe - such a crime! . Bananas are one of my favourite fruits as they're rich in nutrients, fibre and vitamins. One banana contains 3g of fibre, which is 12% of your daily dietary requirement that will help to improve bowel movement and prevent constipation. Although low in protein, they contain 30g of carbohydrate so therefore perfect of that quick morning energy boost. Their high potassium content also makes them the ideal fruit for athletes as they improve muscle functioning and prevent cramp. Just one medium banana contains almost 10% of your daily intake of potassium. 

I would say the ultimate breakfast smoothie will simply have to contain a banana in it. I have decided that I will be experimenting and sharing with you with many new smoothie recipes, to then eventually culminate in the ultimate breakfast smoothie which I hope you will enjoy. However, let's start with this beautiful banana, oat & cinnamon smoothie. It's thick, quick and extremely energising to keep you satisfied throughout the morning. 

Serves 2 

1 banana 

2 table spoons natural yoghurt

2 table spoons organic rolled oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1 - 2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 large cup milk

Method

Put all the ingredients together and blend until smooth. Job done.

Top tip: Add the maple syrup accordingly - start with 1 teaspoon and if you prefer a sweeter taste, then add another teaspoon.

Enjoy!

Mum's Cod & Chorizo Stew

This is a quick and extremely easy recipe to make and I would highly recommend it to all you uni students out there as it's inexpensive too! 

Serves 4

4 fillets of fresh cod 

2 tins of chopped tomatoes 

6 spring onions 

Handful of torn fresh basil 

4 mini cooking chorizo 

Salt & pepper 

16 new potatoes 

2 handfuls of green beans

1 dessert spoon of capers (optional)

Method

- Preheat oven to 200Celsius / gas mark 6. Halve and par boil new potatoes until just cooked. Whilst the potatoes are cooking, steam the green beans for about 5 minutes (or until just cooked).

- Empty the tomatoes into an oven proof dish and place the cod fillets on top. 

- Chop the spring onions into small pieces. Then cut the cooking chorizo into small chunks. Season the cod with salt and pepper and add the chorizo, spring onions, torn basil and capers. Cover with foil and put into the oven for 30 minutes.

- Once the green beans and potatoes are done, take out the cod dish, remove foil and add them to the cod. Put back into the oven for about 10-15 minutes. The fish should be translucent and flaky. 

Serve and enjoy!