Poached egg, pea & bacon spaghetti

Inspired by a Sainsbury's recipe card, I whipped up the most delicious spaghetti.

So simple - smoked bacon, peas & spinach mixed with spaghetti just with a little olive oil and some cheddar

 The best part is the oozing yolk of the poached egg 

And the garlic with the smoked bacon, ooof.

Serves 2

- 200g spaghetti

- 4 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped (I used the Sainsbury's be good to yourself smoked medallions)

- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

- 125g frozen peas

- olive oil

- generous handful of extra mature cheddar cheese, grated

- 100g fresh spinach leaves

- 2 eggs

- black pepper

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions.

2. Meanwhile, fry the smoked bacon and garlic until cooked then keep warm.

3. When the spaghetti is 5 minutes from being cooked, add the peas to the same pan. When both the pasta and peas are cooked, drain and return to the pan.

4. Add the bacon and garlic to the pasta and peas, drizzle with some olive oil, and add the grated cheddar and the spinach. Over a low heat, stir until combined and heated through. Serve onto some pre-heated plates to keep warm.

5. Bring a pan of water to the boil and gently crack in both eggs - poach for two minutes then remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place on some kitchen paper to drain before carefully placing on top of the pasta. Finish with some black pepper, and voila!

Enjoy :)

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

Cottage pie is the perfect way to feed all the family - it contains 5 different vegetables, and is delicious and very filling - it will go a long way so is great value for money. You can prepare it in advance, and is a great way to get in some veggies without really noticing. Also perfect as a meal for one or two as you will be left with portions for the rest of the week or to freeze and re-heat at a later date.

Just look at that cheesy goodness making it the ultimate 'healthy' comfort food!

Sweet potato is a great alternative to normal potatoes as not only do they have a great flavour, but they are also higher in vitamins and have a lower GI, so they transform the traditional cottage pie to a more tasty and healthy meal for the family!

Serves 4

- 2 medium-large sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped

- olive oil

- 500g pack of extra lean beef mince

- 2 onions, chopped

- 2 carrots, chopped

- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

- 5 large mushrooms, sliced

- few generous glugs of Worcester sauce

- tomato ketchup (or tomato purée, if you have it)

- dried mixed herbs

- small handful of plain flour

- 500ml beef stock

- 200g frozen peas

- dash of milk

- knob of butter

- salt & pepper

- 75g extra strong cheddar cheese

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the sweet potato until soft (about 20 minutes), and pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil into a large saucepan and brown the mince. Add in the onion and carrot and cook for a few more minutes.

3. When softened, add the cloves of garlic, mushrooms, Worcester sauce, tomato ketchup, dried herbs and flour, and mix together until combined.

4. Pour in the prepared beef stock and bring to the boil, then add the frozen peas. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until reduced and thickened.

5. Drain the sweet potato when cooked and return to the pan. Pour in some milk, butter and season, then mash until smooth.

6. Pour the mince mixture into a large oven-proof dish, then smooth the sweet potato mash on top using a spoon. Grate the cheddar on top and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, or until piping hot in the middle and golden on top.

7. Serve hot from the oven with green veg of your choice (I had long-stemmed broccoli!)

Enjoy :)

Chicken, bacon and pesto pasta bake

Beat the January blues with this deliciously, comforting pasta bake - a great weekend treat as part of your nutritious, healthy start to 2014.

I love the combination of peas and pesto, it works really well and is a perfect way to incorporate vegetables for those who don't like to eat them on their own, and to make a naughty pasta bake a bit more healthy! You can use chicken breasts for this but I prefer chicken thighs as they are so moist and tender.

Serves 2

- 200-250g pasta (I used bows and penne)

- 2 chicken thighs, chopped

- 4 rashers of bacon, chopped

- 1 large red onion, chopped

- 160g frozen peas

- 1/2 jar of basil pesto

- 150ml double cream

- parmesan

- cheddar

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

3. Meanwhile, in some olive oil, fry the chicken thighs until browned, then add the bacon and cook for a few minute before you add the onion. Cook until the onions are softened.

4. When the pasta is five minutes from being done, add the peas to the same pan of boiling water and cook with the pasta. When ready, drain and set aside.

5. Add the pesto and cream to the chicken and bacon mixture and stir until combined. Then add the pasta and peas, a grating of parmesan, and mix together well.

6. Transfer to an oven proof dish then grate some cheddar and a generous amount of parmesan on top.

7. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, removing the foil if you prefer it crispy on top.

Enjoy :)

3 simple pasta dishes

Spaghetti bolognese, carbonara, macaroni cheese, and even pasta and pesto can get boring (can't believe I just said that!) so I have come up with 3 really easy pasta meals that taste delicious. They may not be the lowest in fat but they are still fairly nutritious with chicken or tuna, and a variety of different veg. Give them a try - they will not disappoint!

1. Chicken and bacon pasta with garlic and herb cream cheese

This is so delicious, I had this tonight and the flavour is amazing from the smoked bacon and garlic. It was really filling as well and contains a variety of different vegetables. 

Serves 2

- olive oil

- 1 chicken breast, sliced

- 3 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped

- 175g pasta

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 clove of garlic, crushed

- handful of mushrooms, sliced

- green beans, cut in half

- 1/3 200g pack of garlic and herb Philadelphia cream cheese

- handful of fresh spinach leaves

- sprinkling of cheddar cheese

1. Fry the chicken breast in olive oil until browned, add the bacon and stir for a few minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

3. Add the garlic and onion to the bacon and chicken - cook until softened, then add the mushrooms.

4. Add the green beans to the pasta water about 5 minutes till the end of cooking time. Then drain and add to the chicken and bacon pan.

5. Stir in the garlic and herb cream cheese until all coated, and serve on a bed of fresh spinach leaves (or stir them in if you prefer them more wilted) with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Voila!

2. Cheesy, tuna pasta

This was a really thrown together meal when I couldn't decide what to have. I had some leftover tuna and mayo that I had in a sandwich the previous day and decided to have this with pasta. This was such a delicious meal but fairly naughty with butter and lots of cheese. Thinking about it, I should have added peas or sweetcorn, or both, to make it a bit more exciting and nutritious. I really love tuna and mushrooms together but for those of you who don't like mushrooms, you don't have to add them!

*This is an instagram photo so sorry for quality - follow me on instagram for photos of food, fashion etc. my user name is 'lottierainbow'*

Serves 1

- 100g pasta

- olive oil

- 1 clove of garlic, crushed

- handful of mushrooms, sliced

- 1/2 tin of tuna mixed with little bit of mayo

- knob of butter

- big handful of cheddar, grated

1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

2. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil and fry the garlic and mushrooms until softened.

3. Stir in the tuna and mayo. Drain the pasta and add to the pan.

4. Stir in the butter and cheese and serve!

3. Creamy pesto pasta

The basis for this recipe came off the campbells condensed, creamy chicken soup tin! It is just a more interesting way to enjoy pesto, since it's really creamy and comforting. I decided to add peas and onion as well, and I used turkey instead of chicken.

Serves 2
- 175g pasta
- 1 chicken/turkey breast, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tin of campbells condensed cream of chicken soup
- 120ml milk
- 1/2 jar of green pesto
- peas
- cheddar cheese, grated

1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
2. Fry the chicken and onion in some olive oil then add the soup and milk, stirring. Bring to the boil then simmer.
3. Add the peas to the pasta about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
4. Stir the pesto in with the chicken and soup mix and simmer for around 5 minutes.
5. Drain the pasta and peas and add to the sauce, stirring until all mixed together.
6. Serve with grated cheese on top!

Enjoy :)

Egg fried rice

My mum bought some 'sticky pork belly slices' from Sainsbury's the other week which you just bake in the oven, so I decided to whip up some egg fried rice to go with it. Usually I would add peas but I felt like using carrots and green beans for a change. This is super easy to make - probably not the best egg fried rice ever because if you make it properly you should let the rice cool down etc etc but who has time for that.... this is fine if you just want some yummy rice very quickly!

Serves 2

- 185g wholegrain rice

- 1 carrot, sliced

- large handful of green beans, chopped

- sesame oil (or olive)

- 1 egg, beaten

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructions in salted water, with the green beans and carrot. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the rice, stirring until coated. Gradually pour in the egg, stirring and frying until the egg is set. Voila!

Enjoy :)

Shepherd's pie

This is a really good shepherd's pie recipe - it has the usual comfort food textures and richness, as well as being packed with tons of flavour from the fresh rosemary. A potato pie like this is a brilliant way to get some veggies in as well without it being daunting (I know that it's always not great to have a pile of veg on the side of your plate, it can be the last thing you want to eat). As a student, when I'm at uni and have less time and space, I tend to buy the Collman's or Schwartz (or Tesco or Sainsbury's equivalents) dried packet mixes where you just add water (as well as the mince, veg, potato etc) - these are also great too for flavour; I will be doing a post soon on a sausage casserole I made using one of these, as well as a post more focussed on meals to cook as a student - a sort of week dinner plan. A typical recipe will make about 3 or 4 good-sized portions so it's great to freeze portions and have them in a few days or weeks, or even months! Having said that about the packet mixes, you cannot beat a hearty home-made shepherd's pie so if you've got the time, I would highly recommend this for a family treat.

Serves 4-6 (I halved this)

- oil, for frying

- 2 medium red onions, chopped

- 3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes

- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

- 700-750g lamb mince (you can use beef if you prefer - technically this would make it a cottage pie)

- 2 large squidges of tomato puree

- 3-4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

- 200ml of lamb or beef stock

- splash of red wine (optional)

- salt & pepper

- 1 bay leaf

- 250g frozen peas

- 1kg mashing potatoes, cut into chunks

- knob of butter

- splash of milk

- large handful of grated cheddar and breadcrumbs, for sprinkling

1. Heat the oil and add the onions, cooking until soft. Add the balsamic and cook until evaporated. Add the carrots and rosemary and stir together. Add the mince, breaking up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4.

3. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, stock, salt & pepper, and the bay leaf, and simmer. Add the peas.

4. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a large an of salted water for around 20 minutes, or until soft.

5. Drain them, and return to the an, adding the butter and milk, mashing until smooth.Season according to taste.

6. Tip the meat mixture into a large casserole dish and dollop on the mash, spreading it and forking to make a pattern. Sprinkle on the cheese and the breadcrumbs for a crunchy texture - perfect with the smooth mash.

7. Cook the pie for 20-30 minutes , or until golden on top and hot all the way through.

Enjoy :)

Simple sweet and sour chicken

I've been having a lot of Chinese-style food recently, and although this is nothing particularly clever or special, I thought I would post the recipe I used anyway, because it was delicious! This dish is best served with rice; any style you like.

Serves 3
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large, or 3 medium chicken breasts, sliced
- 2 small red onions, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, sliced
- 1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
- 1 large jar of sweet and sour sauce e.g. sharwood's, chicken tonight, uncle ben's. (we used Sharwood's with pineapple and pepper pieces)
- frozen peas (as many as you like)
- 1 small tin of pineapple rings (usually has 4 rings), chopped


1. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan, and add the chicken, cooking until brown all over.
2. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, then add the pepper.
3. Once the chicken is cooked through, and the onion and pepper is soft, add the sweet and sour sauce. (TIP:  instead of scraping round the jar with a spoon to get the remains of the sauce, add a splash of water to the jar, screw on the lid and shake. Then pour into the pan!)
4. Add the peas and pineapple and cook until the sauce is bubbling and the peas are cooked.
5. Serve with rice and a side of prawn crackers!

Enjoy :)