No Can Opener Required

I’ve always loved spaghetti hoops, I developed a strong dislike for baked beans during my primary school days, where eating everything served to you each lunch time was not a choice, neither was packed lunch. The force-feeding put me off them entirely and so the hoops in a can became my go-to toast topper. Served mouth scalding hot with black pepper and lots of grated cheese the humble tin of hoops has got me through many a hangover or broken heart. I’d sometimes go for alphabetti instead, just to mix things up a bit, in fact there’s probably a can or two in my cupboards now. When I saw alphabet pasta on a recent trip to Sainsbury I just couldn’t walk on by. Memories of my childhood, teens and later hungover university days rushed before my eyes and I grabbed a bag with glee. There’s something about that heady combination of carbs on carbs that I long for when having a bad day and hoops on toast was perfect for scratching that itch. It could also be on the table in less than 10 minutes, another point in its favour.

I definitely wanted to have a go at a homemade version of the classic Heinz alphabetti. A quick read through the ingredients was reassuring, the main ingredients were in fact pasta and tomatoes – this was promising. I think my version is pretty damn good, they even smelt like the real thing as I was simmering the sauce. The colour was good and from start to finish they were done in less than 15 minutes, plus no can opener required! They’d make a great packed lunch for kids (or adults) in thermos flask. Give them a try.

My second foray into the world of alphabetical food was an adaption of something I make regularly. I’m really fond of making a big batch of soup at the start of the week to keep me in lunches and the odd dinner through the week. It really takes the pressure out of meal prep and means I eat healthily even when I’m really busy. The soup uses up all my odds and ends from the fridge plus I’d buy some protein to add, usually from chicken or turkey, with stock and some small pasta shapes too. This way I was getting a good balance of veg, protein, fat and carbs in my meal, covering all bases. I decided to give my soup an alphabetical twist this week and here is the recipe for you to try. It’s as easy as A, B, C…Sorry I couldn’t resist.

It’s such a convenient way to consume most of your vegetables each day and a lot tastier than chewing through piles of plain veg. Adding the pasta is great for eating post training and thickens the broth a bit too. You could add rice, barley or quinoa as well to vary the flavours or make it gluten free. I've calculated the macros for you so you can make it fit your daily needs. 

Homemade tinned alphabetti

Makes 4-6 small servings

Prep 5 mins Cook 10 mins

2 tsp butter

1 tsp onion powder

3/4’s tsp paprika (sweet if you have it)

500g tomato passata

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp agave, soft brown sugar or Sukrin gold

150g alphabet pasta shapes

1 Heat the butter in a small pan, once foaming add the onion powder, paprika, sugar or agave and some sea salt (if not giving to children about 1 tsp). Stir until the mixture resembles a paste and tip in the pasatta, milk and Parmesan. Simmer for 5 minutes.

2 Heat a pan of salted water and once boiling cook the pasta for 5-6 minutes until tender, drain in a sieve or colander with small holes. Add to the sauce and serve.

Mega Macro Soup

Makes 6-8 portions  (Macros based on 6)

282 Kcals, 5.8g Fat, 27.8g Carbs, 24.7g Protein

Can be frozen

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

½ bag diced frozen onions (I always use these now instead of chopping my own, why? I’m lazy, my mascara stays in tact, there cheap and convenient and the water means they don’t stick to the pan as they cook)

3 sticks celery, diced

2 large carrots, no need to peel, diced

1 large leek, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 courgettes, diced

150g mushrooms, diced

2 tsp garlic puree (again, this is due to laziness, I hate crushing garlic plus it’s so hard to get rid of the smell)

1 heaped tbsp. tomato puree & basil pesto

splash white wine

400g can chopped tomatoes

2 chicken (or veg) stock pots

a few bay leaves

450g chicken breasts or use a mixture of thighs and legs if you like the meat on the bone more, NB the broth will be a bit more fatty if you do this.

150g baby spinach

150g alphabet pasta or small pasta shapes

Parmesan rind (if you have one in the fridge) plus grated Parmesan or mozzarella to serve

1 tsp grated nutmeg

fresh basil, to serve

1 Heat the oil and a good pinch of salt in your biggest saucepan and add the onions, carrots, celery and leeks. Cook gently on a low heat until really soft, adding a splash of the wine or some water if they start to stick. This will take about 20 minutes.

2 Add the mushrooms, courgettes, garlic, pesto and tomato puree with some black pepper and cook for a few minutes more. Tip In the wine and simmer until almost evaporated then add the stock pots, bay, Parmesan rind if using, tinned tomatoes and 1200ml of water. Bring to a simmer then carefully add the chicken, use tongs to help you. Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes, depending on how big the breasts are, then remove them with the tongs and leave until cool enough to handle. Keep the soup simmering gently while you do this.

3 Tip the pasta into the soup and simmer for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir and add the spinach, basil the nutmeg. Taste and adjust the seasoning now. Shred or slice the chicken and stir through the soup. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving with the fresh basil and grated Parmesan or mozzarella on top.

Skinny Pad Thai

Skinny Pad Thai

I feel I need to start by saying this recipe is by no means authentic. I probably shouldn’t even be calling it a Pad Thai but hey that’s the beauty of freedom of speech. It is a great, tasty way to pack a lot of vegetables and lean protein into your midweek meals.

In Asia Pad Thai is usually served from street-food vendors or at casual restaurants and has become a very popular British take-away.  You’ll often find it served with chicken or prawns but tofu is actually the traditional ingredient used to make Pad Thai in Thailand. The dish is a massive crowd pleaser – in fact I’ve yet to encounter anyone who isn’t a fan – I think it’s due to the balance of flavours. It feels fresh, slightly sweet with just a dash of spice. It can however, if done badly, be greasy and stodgy.

Here’s why I love my version; It’s really tasty, pretty quick, filling and you feel like you’re eating something a bit naughty, even though you’re not, it’s less than 350 kcals per portion and the portion is big, which I like! The prep is the longest part, once you have everything ready the dish can be cooked from start to finish in about 10-12 mins. You don’t have to use zero noodles, rice noodles would be much more authentic yet slightly less skinny, or you could use the ever trendy courgetti . I find zero noodles are a good method to trick my brain into thinking I’m eating carbs, when I’m not, in a way that courgetti doesn’t quite manage. I don’t have anything against carbs but I do find I become bloated if I eat too many so I tend to cut them out in the week and then enjoy them at the weekend. If using noodles choose medium rice noodles and soak them in boiling water for about 10 mins before you start cooking, then drain and use as directed below.

The trick for speedy cooking is to get everything ready before you start. So chop all your veggies and have them in bowls or piles on a plate or board. Get your sauce mixed and soak and drain your noodles. This way the cooking will be really simple and the veg will stay nice and fresh and wont overcook while you chop like a maniac.

Skinny Pad Thai

Serves 2

This makes a good next day lunch for work too so even if there’s only 1 of you eating I’d make the whole batch and pack any leftovers up in a  tuppawear. 

1 whole egg and 2 egg whites

1 lime

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tbsp ketchup (KETCHUP??! Pad thai contains quite a lot of sugar, by using ketchup you can leave out the sugar and still get the sweetness along with some flavour as well)

1 tbsp Shaoxing Rice wine, Sake or Sherry 

2 tbsp light soy sauce (or if you have fish sauce already use 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 soy sauce)

2 tsp coconut or olive oil

15g coriander leaves or chives

1 tbsp salted peanuts (optional)

1 large chicken breast or 250g tofu

200g raw peeled prawns

6 spring onions

200g beansprouts

3 baby Pak Choi

1 tbsp ginger and garlic puree

About 100ml chicken stock

Pouch zero noodles, drained and rinsed (Holland & Barrett, Morrison, Waitrose)

Fresh red chilli, to serve, optional

1 Mix together the sweet chilli sauce, ketchup, the juice from half of the lime, the tamarind paste and most of the soy sauce or fish sauce & rice wine leaving about 1/4 a tsp of each. Slice the spring onions finely on the diagonal, separating the white and the green parts. Roughly chop the coriander and peanuts. Roughly chop the stems of the pak choi leaving the leaves whole. Slice the chicken into bite size strips and drizzle with a little more soy sauce and some black pepper. Have the stock next to your pan, adding this while cooking stops the dish drying out without adding too much oil.

2 Beat the egg and egg whites with some black pepper and the reserved soy and rice wine . Brush a large non-stick frying pan with some of the oil, on a medium/high heat. Pour in the eggs and move the pan so they spread out in a thin, even layer, scatter on a few herbs. Cook for about 1 minute, until set, then tip out of the pan onto your chopping board and roll up like a pancake, then slice into strips. Set aside.

3 Use a high heat to keep the cooking quick. Wipe the pan out if you need to, if not add half the remaining oil along with half of the ginger & garlic pure, cook for 15 seconds while stirring then add chicken and a small spoon of your sauce. Fry until golden brown adding a splash of stock if you need to, then chuck in the prawns with a little more of your stock. Toss for 1-2 minutes until the prawns are firm and pink and the chicken is just cooked through. Tip into a bowl to set aside.

4 Add the last of your oil and ginger & garlic puree then tip in the white parts of the spring onions, beansprouts and cabbage with another splash of stock. Cook for 1-2 mins, until just wilted with a little crunch.

5 Add the noodles, most of the spring onions and the sauce you mixed earlier and toss so everything combined and is coated evenly. Using metal tongues will make this easier, Return the egg, prawns & chicken and mix well, add the pak choi then heat through then stir in most of the coriander and divide between bowls. Garnish with the chilli and nuts (if using) and the reserved green spring onions and herbs, with the other half of the lime cut into wedges for squeezing over. 

Approx. per serving: 344 kcals, 7.1g fat, 47g protein, 16g carbs