FAMILY FAVOURITES
Flavour-packed, easy and nutritious, these dinners tick all the boxes
Melissa Thompson’s nutritious dinners
In our home, it’s a balancing act cooking food that everyone – adults and children – want to eat. These dishes are ideal for that: flavourful without being overpowering and nutritious but not so wholesome that they put younger ones off. The chicken meatballs (p44) are an absolute delight – ricotta makes them light and the lemon zing is a real treat. Pepper steak (p48) is a regular for us – it’s quick and tasty. I love the crunch of the vegetables, too. I’m really proud of the harissa fish pie (p48), a take on a classic. The smokiness of the harissa and creaminess of the sauce goes brilliantly with the sweet potato mash on top.
SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins plus marinating COOK 40 mins EASY
6-8 chicken thighs, skin on
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
2 garlic cloves, grated thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated 200ml coconut milk
1 onion, finely sliced
250g spring greens or spinach,
roughly chopped
1 tsp maple syrup or honey 400g cooked rice, to serve 1 Put the chicken thighs in a bowl and add the turmeric, cumin, garlic, ginger and 3 tbsp of the coconut milk. Rub the marinade in and leave for at least 15 mins, or longer if you have time.
2 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Scatter the onion and spring greens in a baking tray, add the rest of the coconut milk, the maple syrup and 150ml water. Cook in the oven for 10 mins, stirring regularly to wilt the greens. Place the chicken thighs on top, then return to oven for 20 mins, stirring the greens underneath occasionally. 3 Heat the grill and cook for a further 8-10 mins until the skin is crispy. Serve with rice.
GOOD TO KNOW folate • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day •
gluten free
PER SERVING 427 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 7g •
carbs 36g • sugars 6g • fibre 5g • protein 28g •
salt 0.4g