Happy Meals
These seven feel-good recipes will ease your stress and lift your mood in the magical way only delicious food can
PRESERVED LEMON CHICKEN
SERVES 6 Think breast is best? The darker parts of the meat – legs and thighs – tend to be richer in nutrients. Chicken is packed with zinc and iron, which are essential for healthy brain function. 611 kcals | 39g carbs | 41g protein | 29g fat
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1kg pack of chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on
500ml hot chicken stock
2 leeks, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100ml white wine
300g orzo pasta
4 preserved lemons, washed, pips removed, chopped
75g pitted green olives, halved 75g feta cheese, crumbled
• Small handful of dill, chopped • Pinch of saffron
• Salt and pepper
Method
1 / Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large, deep frying pan (with a lid) over a medium heat and brown the chicken all over (do it in batches if you need to). Add the saffron to the hot stock and set aside. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
2 / Reduce the heat under the pan, add the remaining oil and fry the leeks until soft – 8-10 mins – making sure to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and fry for 1 min, then add the wine and let it bubble for a few mins. Add the orzo, lemons, olives and infused stock.
3 / Lay the chicken pieces (skinside up) on top of the orzo, season and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked. Scatter over the feta and dill, and serve with a salad.
PRAWN LAKSA
SERVES 4 A midweek meal to nourish your run-weary body and life-weary mind: the prawns are rich in energising vitamin B12 534 kcals | 50g carbs | 23g protein | 26g fat
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric 400g tin of coconut milk 1 litre fish stock
185g jar of laksa paste (Waitrose Cook’s Ingredients Laksa Paste, £2.19 for 185g, waitrose.com)
1 lemongrass stalk, bashed
1-2 tbsp fish sauce, to taste 200g rice noodles
100g mangetout
100g green beans, roughly chopped
300g raw peeled king prawns
2 spring onions, finely sliced
• Small handful of coriander, roughly chopped
• Lime wedges, to serve
• Salt and pepper
Method
1 / Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic, ginger and chilli for 1-2 minutes. Add the laksa paste and turmeric. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the coconut milk, stock, lemongrass, fish sauce and rice noodles.
2 / Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
3 / Add the mangetout and beans and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the prawns and cook for another 3-4 minutes until they’re pink (be careful you don’t overcook them) and the noodles are tender. Check the seasoning and adjust with a little more stock if you like your laksa thinner.
4 / Take the lemongrass out and divide the laksa between 4 bowls. Top with the spring onions and coriander, and serve with lime wedges. •
SMOKED MACKEREL AND SWEET POTATO FRITTATA
SERVES 4 The high levels of omega-3 in mackerel are good news for your stress levels: the fatty acid reduces the adrenaline your body pumps out. 496 kcals | 16g carbs | 28g protein | 32g fat
Ingredients
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
8 large eggs
2 tbsp chopped chives
4 tbsp crème fraîche
200g smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and flaked
1 large courgette, peeled into ribbons
• Salt and pepper
Method
1 / Heat the oven to 160C. Next, cook the sweet potatoes with 100ml water in a 23cm (roughly) ovenproof frying pan, lid on, over a medium heat for 15 mins, until softened. Discard any remaining water and add the oil to the pan.
2 / Whisk together the eggs, chives, crème fraîche and plenty of seasoning. Pour this over the sweet potatoes and top with the mackerel and courgette ribbons. Cook for 5 mins, or until the base starts to set. Finish off in the oven for 10-15 mins, or until just set. Serve in slices with a salad.
PEARL BARLEY, BEETROOT AND GOAT’S CHEESE RISOTTO
SERVES 4 A high-fibre diet may reduce stress levels, so swapping risotto rice for fibrous barley is a smart move 529 kcals | 6g carbs | 18g protein | 18g fat
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped 250g pearl barley
2 beetroots, peeled and grated 100ml dry white wine
1.4 litres vegetable stock
100g frozen peas
150g soft goat’s cheese
• Handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper
Method
1 / Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 5 mins, until softened. Stir in the pearl barley and beetroot, add the wine and let it bubble away for a few mins.
2 / Add the stock a couple of ladlefuls at a time, stirring well after each addition. Only add the next ladle of stock when the previous one has been mostly absorbed. Continue cooking like this until the barley is tender – it should take around 35-40 mins.
3 / Stir in the peas, check the seasoning and crumble over the goat’s cheese. Top with the basil and serve. •