Skills and More

 

Make the perfect jacket potato – crispy on the outside and meltingly soft in the middle!

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• STEP 1

Heat the oven to 180C fan/gas 7.

 

• STEP 2

 

Microwave the potato for 5 minutes on full power.

 

• STEP 3

Bake the potato in the oven for 90minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh soft.

 

• STEP 4

Cut a cross on top of each potato, squeeze the sides, add some butter and your favourite toppings.

 

 

Healthy Jacket Potato Fillings

 

 

• Tuna

• Low fat cheese and no salt and sugar baked beans

• Chili

• Low fat coleslaw

 

 

Did You Know?

 

The fibre in baked potatoes aids with digestion and vitamin B6 helps break down carbohydrates and improves metabolism. This winning combination can be great for weight loss and weight management.

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Tasty Veggie Chilli

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Ingredients 

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•    2 tsp vegetable oil
•    2 garlic cloves, crushed
•    1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
•    300g vegetarian mince
•    1 tin red kidney beans, in water (420g)
•    1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
•    200g rice (easy-cook long grain brown rice, if possible)

Swappable or optional

•    1 medium onion, chopped
•    1 carrot, finely chopped
•    2 peppers, any colour, deseeded and chopped
•    2 tsp tomato purée (optional)
•    100ml reduced-salt vegetable or chicken stock (optional)
•    1 pinch ground black pepper (optional)

Swap tip
If you don't have all the ingredients, you can still just use the basics for a great family meal.

 

 

Method

 

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Fry gently for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the carrot, garlic, red chilli and peppers and fry for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring often.

 

• Add the frozen mince, beans, tomatoes, tomato purée and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 to 30 minutes. At the same time, put the rice on to cook in plenty of gently boiling water – it will take 25 to 30 minutes.

 

•  Season the chilli with pepper, then serve in warm bowls with the cooked, drained rice.

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Did you Know?

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This hot and spicy dish is easy to make in big batches and freezes brilliantly!

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Pasta & Meatballs Sauce

 

Ingredients

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• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 200g any type of mince (lean if possible)

• 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)

• 200g any type of dried pasta, like fusilli

Swappable or optional

• 200g mushrooms, sliced

• 1 pepper, any colour, chopped

• 2 tsp dried mixed herbs

• 2 tbsp tomato purée (optional)

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Swap tip! - Don't worry if you don't have all of the ingredients: you can swap some for whatever you do have, or leave them out completely. The recipe will still be yummy!

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Method

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• Mix some of the chopped onion and garlic with the mince. Shape the mince into small balls about half the size of a golf ball. Try using turkey mince as a lower-fat alternative to lamb.

 

• Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove and put on to a plate.

 

 

• Add the remaining onion to the frying pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Add the remaining garlic and cook for another minute.

 

• Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, herbs, mushrooms and peppers to the pan with 150ml water. Bring to the boil, then add the meatballs. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.

 

 

• About 10 minutes before serving, put the pasta on to cook in plenty of boiling water. Serve with the meatballs and tomato sauce.

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Did you know?

You could serve with wholegrain brown rice as an alternative to pasta, but remember that it takes 25-30 minutes to cook.

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Low Fat Spanish Omelette

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Ingredients 

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•    180g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
•    5ml olive oil
•    55g onion, sliced
•    140g red pepper ,diced
•    140g tomatoes
•    4 eggs (1 whole egg and 3 egg whites)
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Method

STEP 1

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the sweet potato chunks in the microwave for 3 mins, leave to rest for 2 mins, then heat again for a further 2 mins, by which time they should be cooked through and soft.

 

STEP 2

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a nonstick ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, tomato’s and cook for 2-3 mins. When the potatoes are ready, add them to the pan as well.

 

STEP 3

Beat the egg and egg whites together, then pour into the frying pan. Use a spatula to move the eggs around, scraping it up from the base, for 1-2 mins or until there is a good proportion of cooked egg in the pan and the ingredients are well mixed. Put the pan in the oven and heat until the egg is cooked through. Slide the omelette from the pan and enjoy. 

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Did you know?
Sweet potatoes are a rich source of fibre as well as containing an array of vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, selenium, and they're a good source of most of our B vitamins and vitamin C.

 

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Tuna Pasta Bake

 

Ingredients

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• 1tbsp oil

• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 5 medium-sized mushrooms, chopped

• 150g sweetcorn, canned or frozen

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 3tbsp tomato purée

• 300g penne pasta

• 185g can of tuna fish in sunflower oil, drained

• 25g pack of ready salted crisps

• 100g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

• 900ml flameproof dish

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Method

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• Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat, then add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the sweetcorn, tomatoes and tomato purée and simmer for a few minutes.

 

• Meanwhile, stir the pasta into a pan of boiling salted water and cook according to pack instructions, until just tender. Drain, then put it back in the pan. Set the grill to hot.

 

• Stir the pasta into the sauce, then break the tuna into large flakes and gently mix in. Spoon into the dish. Crush the crisps in the bag and sprinkle them over the top, with the cheese.

 

• Put the dish on a baking tray and grill for about 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown. Serve hot with salad or greens.

 

Top tip for making tuna pasta bake

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Out of sweetcorn? Try mixing in beans or peas instead.

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Did you know?

This recipe serves four, but if you're cooking for fewer people, leftovers will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Just pop each portion in the microwave to heat through.

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Fresh Fruit Ice Lollies

 

Ingredients

 

• Any fruit of your choice

 

 

 

Method

 

Place in a food processor or blender then blitz until smooth.

Pour into ice lolly moulds and freeze for at least 4 hours. To remove lollies from moulds, dip them briefly into hot water to loosen the lollies.

 

Did you know?

 

This is one of the easiest ways to ask your child to eat some fruit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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