Two Healthy Recipes for the Whole Family in Autumn

We all know how busy life can be and how sometimes finding the balance everyday can seem like a bit of a juggle. I strongly believe that eating well is a really good place to start, I also know that hours spent in the kitchen is more often than not unrealistic so I’ve created these quick and easy recipes for Rescue Remedy. These are recipes for the whole family, that are nourishing but also delicious and won’t take hours to prepare. I’ve included a few of my favourite star ingredients as well as a whole host of seasonal fruit and vegetables that you can mix up depending on what’s in your fridge.

One Pan Feta, Tomato & Spinach Pasta

This is one of the most cooked things in our household for a number of reasons, the main one being that everyone loves pasta.This is also made entirely in one pan (no washing up multiple pans and colanders!), so that the starch from the pasta to create a delicious, silky sauce with the tomatoes. I add frozen spinach here for ease and veg boost, but any greens will work.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 400g linguine
• 500g cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Frozen spinach to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 anchovies, chopped
• 1 lemon, zest & juice
• 200g feta, crumbled
• Pinch of chilli flakes, optional (leave out if cooking for tiny ones)
• 1 litre of boiling water

METHOD

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large shallow pan (one that has a lid) over a medium heat. Add the chopped anchovies and garlic and fry gently for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, stirring regularly to ensure the garlic doesn’t catch.

With the pan still on the heat, add the linguine, tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, chilli flakes (if using), the remaining olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Pour the boiling water into the pan, turn up the heat put the lid on the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 7 minutes; stirring regularly to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick.

Meanwhile, put the frozen spinach in a bowl and cover with boiling water, leave to defrost whilst the pasta cooks.Drain the spinach and add it to the pan for the remaining few minutes, stirring everything together. The water will have mostly evaporated by now and you will be left with a delicious, silky sauce. Taste the pasta and add a splash more water if it needs a little more cooking. To serve, crumble the feta over the pasta and divide between bowls.

Tip: I always keep frozen spinach in our freezer, it comes in frozen rounds so that you can just defrost or pop straight into stews or sauces. Ideal for those moments when the fridge is empty and you want to get some greens in! 

Fridge forage miso noodle soup

Miso paste is a wonderful ingredient and available in most supermarkets now. It adds a really good depth of flavour to dishes very quickly so is great for making quick soups, marinades, stir fries and dressings. Miso paste is packed with nutrients and also great for gut health. I always have a jar in my fridge for speedy suppers.

This soup is a go-to in our household; warming, healthy and filling. It’s also very versatile, you can swap the veg for any you have in your fridge. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 

• Drizzle of sunflower oil
• 2 litre chicken or vegetable stock 
• 1 thumb of ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 200g dried rice noodles (you can use any dry noodles here)
• 250g mushrooms, sliced 
• 150g green vegetables, chopped (use what’s in your fridge or freezer, broccoli, spinach, kale, beans all work well here)
• 4 heaped tbsp miso paste
• Squeeze of honey
• 1 lime, zest & juice
• 4 eggs
• Chopped coriander to serve 

METHOD

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and boil the eggs for 7 minutes. Rinse under cold water, peel and set aside. 

Next, heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low heat, gently cook the garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Pour the stock into the pan, add the mushrooms and bring it to a gentle simmer. 

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to packet instructions, drain, rinse under cold water and set aside. 

Add the green veg to the pan with the stock, simmer for a further 2 minutes. Finally, add the cooked noodles, miso paste, honey, lime juice and zest to the pan, give everything a quick stir until the miso paste is fully combined.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, and top with a halved egg and chopped coriander. This is also delicious served with toasted sesame seeds and chilli.  

Tip: To make this toddler friendly, when serving this up I just load up my daughter’s plate up with the noodles, veg and egg and just a little bit of the liquid, chop it all up and she’s good to go. To make this fun for older children, I like to put “toppings” (the chopped egg, herbs, sesame seeds, extra grated raw veg) in little bowls at the table for them to add themselves.