Spicy Tuna Cakes

I love crab cakes, fish cakes, any kind of seafood-related food in patty form, really. They can be such an easy pop-in-the-oven weeknight meal, served up with salad, that we used to always have them on hand in the freezer or fridge. Until I tried to make my own, that is! These are so yummy, have a bit of an Asian flare if you serve them up with sweet chili sauce, like I did this time, and take all of 5 minutes to make. Pop them in the oven, and dinner is done! The grated and finely chopped veggies added into this recipe help to pack extra goodness into every bite, making this a really easy meal that you can feel good about.

For the dressing on the spinach, I combined 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce with 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp rice vinegar (you can substitute white wine vinegar). If you want some real spice, sriracha or wasabi mayo would probably be great with these, too! Actually, now that I mention it, I'm dreaming up a spicy tuna burger with wasabi mayo...

Butternut Squash Mac and "Cheat"

Meatless Monday meets a healthy, dairy-free "mac and cheese" in this yummy butternut squash pasta dish. I definitely recommend reaching for whole wheat pasta in this instance; this recipe just won't be the same without it!

When my daughter was born, we found that she had a reaction any time that I ate dairy, so I had to get a bit creative with my cooking and find dairy-free alternatives to meals that I loved until she grew out of her sensitivity. This isn't mac and cheese, per se, but the creamy pureed squash won't have you missing cheddar at all. I added some warming spices, like nutmeg and cumin, and the wholewheat pasta stands up to these flavors perfectly.

If you're staying completely dairy free, omit the Parmesan from your breadcrumbs and add a pinch of sea salt.

Leftover Rescue: BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

We love a Sunday roast dinner in our house, but the leftovers can get a little monotonous. This week, I completely transformed some leftover roast chicken into a flavorful barbecue dish that is sure to please the whole family.

My husband and I both love dark meat, so we usually eat the legs/thighs when I roast a chicken. So, for this recipe, I used the leftover breast meat. If you have leftover leg or thigh meat, it works just as well, and you might even be able to trick chicken breast lovers into eating some dark leg meat for once!

I whipped up a batch of quick homemade coleslaw to go on the side - 1/2 head of shredded cabbage, 2 tbsp free range mayo, 1/2 tsp organic honey, 2 tbsp white vinegar (I used rice vinegar, but that's just my personal preference), and a dash of white pepper. If you're whipping some coleslaw up to go along with your meal, I recommend doing it before you begin cooking the potatoes, so that it has plenty of time to sit, marinate & mingle in the fridge.

So there you have it! An easy Monday recipe that mixes up some leftover chicken. Enjoy!

Huevos Rancheros

I am usually not a breakfast person, but this week the little one has had me up at the a**crack of dawn each day, so by breakfast time my body thinks it's time for lunch. Mexican food and I have a long history of breakfast dates, and this is my take on easy homemade huevos rancheros. If you're a bit hungover on the weekend, or just want to mix up your brunch game a bit, sink your teeth into this colorful dish. Just a little disclaimer: this is by no means an "authentic" dish. It's just one of my favorite Mexican-inspired breakfast concoctions - so if you're a diehard authentic Mexican fan, please forgive me! Wink wink :) 

To skip a few steps in the cooking process, you can opt for canned organic black beans. If you're using dried. you'll want to soak them overnight (or, if you make this for dinner, start soaking them in the morning). I soaked 1/2 cup dried beans with 1/2 tsp baking soda in 2 cups of boiled water. Then, before cooking them, I drained the water and rinsed the starchy black water off. The beans were then boiled until fully cooked, drained again, and then finally cooked according to the recipe below. A long process, I know, but if you love black beans (I certainly do), then you can make a bigger batch and use them for all sorts of things: quesadillas, nachos, burritos, etc. Or, like I mentioned, skip it and go for the can.

If you're a spice lover, like me, then a good splash of Cholula hot sauce on top is just what the doctor ordered - especially if you're nursing a hangover. Too spicy for ya? A dollop of natural yogurt can take the edge off. Or just pile it all on and hope for the best. Yum!

Grilled Summer Vegetable Parmigiana

I am a big junkie for the Italian classics, and my love for eggplant parm is no secret. In this summer heat though, those comfort foods I love seem sort of impossible to enjoy. I mean, we want to spend every sunny day grilling in the garden, not stirring a pot of red sauce. That being said, I figured out the perfect compromise of flavor between summer grilling and comfort food!

I would have grilled these outside to give the vegetables even more flavor, but I simply couldn't keep running in and out of the house that day because I had a particularly needy baby on my hands. You win some, you lose some.

Don't reach for store-bought red sauce - please! Red sauce is SO easy to make. All you need is a few cloves of garlic, some tomato paste, a jar (or carton) of good quality passata, and patience. Make a huge batch and freeze it - trust me, you'll never go back to the jarred stuff again! I did debate posting my own recipe for red sauce - I even took photos while making it this time - but I can't bear to part with the "secret family recipe". I mean, if I post my most guarded recipe on here, what is going to keep my family coming to visit me when I'm old? I need to keep something in my arsenal that I can take to my grave. Sorry, dear readers! You'll just have to come to my house for dinner sometime.

Spiced Lamb Burgers & Greek Veggies

I always look forward to our local farmers' market at the end of the month, because we have a fantastic local lamb farm that I buy meat from. Ground lamb is one of those things that you usually associate with the classic heavy meals; ie, shepherd's pie, moussaka, and other heavy wintry dishes. I think it's just as versatile as beef, though, and these lightly spiced lamb burgers are the perfect example of how good it can be on the grill!

Now, when I say "spiced," I don't mean spicy, I mean spiced. Cumin and coriander both pair fantastically with lamb, and a cool yogurt mint sauce on top can whisk your palate away to the Mediterranean. I didn't put mine on buns simply because it's hot out and I didn't feel like eating heavy bread, but by all means pop yours on a whole grain roll - the flavor of this burger can really stand up to whole wheat buns.

The veggie skewers are another flavorful summer side dish that kicks your basic sides to the curb; I recommend fresh oregano, but if you don't have any in the garden, dried will work just fine. Actually, after making this recipe, I went and planted some oregano so I can have the fresh stuff next time!

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl

No, this isn't a copycat recipe from a popular chain restaurant, so don't get your panties in a twist. It's literally a chipotle pepper rubbed chicken breast, grilled and turned into a minimal-fuss dinner. It would be perfect one a day like today when it's too hot to do much cooking at all (and I apologize for complaining about the heat even though it's not that bad, but hey this is England and I'm not used to it).

I found a chipotle paste at Waitrose, but if you can find actual chipotle peppers in adobo, whizz them up in a food processor for a second and you've got the same thing. Butterfly your chicken breast (or pound it out so it's equal thickness) and rub the paste into all the nooks and crannies. You might want to wear gloves for that part, to avoid some unpleasant sensations if you should happen to rub your eye later.

Simultaneously, you'll want to get a pot of basmati rice going. You don't need much for this recipe, so for 4 servings I'd say cook 2/3 cups of rice. The secret is the seasoning: a few dashes of turmeric for color and flavor (and anti-inflammatory properties - yay!), a dash of chili powder, and a bay leaf. Trust me on the bay leaf; it's one of those secrets that will step your home cooking game up a notch in a really simple way.

While the chicken is marinating and your rice is bubbling away, you'll need to whip up a quick salsa. The secret to a really good salsa is starting with fantastic tomatoes - none of those orangey, mealy refrigerated supermarket ones - you want these to be soft, on the vine, and smell like tomatoes. If you can grow them yourself, you know how much better they are than anything you can buy in a store. Add to them 1/2 of a diced jalapeno or chili (adjust the heat to your taste), one clove of garlic minced super finely, the juice of 1/2 lemon or one lime, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and your favorite green herb (traditionally I'd say go with cilantro/coriander, but my hubby isn't a fan so I use fresh parsley from the garden). Wash and tear up some crisp lettuce leaves to line your bowl, but not too far in advance so that they don't get wilted and sad.

I cooked up some diced bell peppers and onions with smoked rapeseed oil until they were beginning to brown, because I think they're peppers & onions are totally necessary on a burrito bowl. Cook your chicken for 3 minutes on each side on a hot pan with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, OR pop it on a hot grill and add even more flavor. Dice it up and get ready to assemble greatness!

You can top off your burrito bowl with a few dollops of good natural yogurt to cool the heat a bit, or shake on more hot sauce if you like to live dangerously.