THE RIGHT STUFF

Food writer Olivia Andrews shows that you don’t need to give up meat entirely to benefit your health and the planet – just make vegetables the main event. Photographs by Phu Tang

FOR ALL OUR LIVES, most of us have been told that red meat is the source of iron, dairy is the source of calcium, and we must eat meat, meat and more meat to satisfy our bodies’ desperate need for protein. But health experts are now saying that many of us consume an overabundance of animal-based products, that instead our diets should be made up of 70 per cent plant-based foods, and that vegetables should fill up 50 per cent of every plate of food we eat.

There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that eating plenty of vegetables can help us maintain a healthy body weight, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and protect us against chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and wholegrains can also reduce the risk of depression and improve overall mood and wellbeing, as well as memory and learning.

These recipes are designed to flip the balance of our meals, pushing the meat to one side of the plate and making vegetables the star – ramping up all the nutritional benefits of eating plenty of vegetables, without compromising on flavour, taste and texture.

The best ‘diet’ in life is a sustainable one. For me, becoming vegetarian or vegan, or abstaining from certain food groups for an extended period of time, always backfires, and I tend to overcompensate for any ‘sacrifices’ by bingeing – making up for lost time. And sometimes, if you crave a certain food, chances are your body needs it.

By putting more vegetables on our plates, we are doing so much better by our health, while also contributing to a more sustainable way of life.

Three Veg and Meat, by Olivia Andrews, is out now (Murdoch Books, £17.99). Order yours for £15 at books.telegraph.co.uk

egg yolk with the olive oil. Lightly and evenly brush the mixture all over the sausage rolls. Lightly sprinkle poppy seeds along the centre of each.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Enjoy warm, with ketchup.

Spaghetti ’n’ more with vegballs

(Pictured previous page) Serves 4

This version serves up a bit less pasta, adding in courgette noodles for a healthy boost. The vegballs are softer than your average meatballs, but once in the pan they set and firm up. They won’t end up as perfectlooking balls, but no one will mind as they’re so tasty, not to mention nutritious.

For the vegballs

— 1 x 400g tin beans, such as borlotti or cannellini, drained well

— 100g walnuts, finely chopped

— 100g chickpea or

buckwheat flour

— 100g fresh firm ricotta

— 150g mushrooms,

finely chopped

— 1 egg white

— 30g basil or parsley leaves,

coarsely chopped

— 2 garlic cloves, crushed or

finely chopped

— ½ tsp sea salt

For the spaghetti

— 250g wholemeal or glutenfree spaghetti

— 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

— 2 large courgettes — 400ml roasted-tomato passata (see recipe, right), or shop-bought passata — basil leaves, to garnish — Parmesan, finely grated, to serve (optional) To make the vegballs, lightly mash the beans in a large bowl using a fork or masher. Add the remaining ingredients. Season with freshly ground black pepper, mixing well with your hands to combine. Using damp hands, roll the mixture into 4cm balls.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving 125ml of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Working in batches, cook the vegballs for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Remove to a bowl.

Slice each courgette lengthways, leaving the seeds in the centre, then cut the seedy bits into 1cm chunks. Cut the slices into courgette noodles. (Alternatively, use a julienne peeler or spiraliser, if you have one.)

Heat the remaining oil in the pan over a medium heat. Cook the courgette chunks for one minute, then add the noodles and pasta and cook, stirring, for another minute.

Stir in the passata and reserved pasta water, along with the vegballs, and cook for a further two minutes, or until heated through.

Drizzle with a little more olive oil, garnish with basil, and serve scattered with grated Parmesan, if desired.

Baked beans

Serves 4

I’ve tweaked the old classic into something you can feel good about serving to your family. This recipe is so easy to prepare that it seems criminal to revert to the tinned stuff. It also has fewer calories, half the carbs and is higher in healthy fats, which means you’ll feel fuller for longer. The paprika and cayenne pepper add a lovely smokiness. — 2 x 400g tins cannellini or borlotti beans (or a combination), drained well, reserving 3 tbsp of the liquid

— 1 roasted red pepper,

chopped (optional)

— 400ml roasted- tomato passata (see recipe, right) or shop-bought passata

— 2 tsp smoked paprika

— a large pinch of cayenne

pepper (optional)

— 2 tsp Dijon mustard

— 1-2 tbsp maple syrup, to taste

— toasted gluten-free bread,

to serve

— chopped parsley, to garnish Place the drained beans in a saucepan with the roasted pepper (if using), passata, spices, mustard and one tablespoon of the maple syrup. Stir until wellcombined, then bring to a simmer over a medium heat.

Cook for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse, adding the reserved bean liquid for a thinner consistency, if desired.

Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more maple syrup for extra sweetness if desired.

Serve hot, with toasted crusty bread, garnished with chopped parsley.

Roasted tomato risotto

Serves 4

Risottos can be rather demanding of your time and attention, with all that constant stirring and hovering over the pan. But not this one. I throw it into the oven and go and do more pressing things. — 1 tbsp olive oil

— 2 small carrots, scrubbed or peeled, thinly sliced on an angle

— 300g arborio rice — 400ml roasted-tomato passata (see recipe, below), or a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

— 750ml hot chicken or vegetable stock — 150g roasted red pepper, finely chopped

— 250g cherry tomatoes — 30g Parmesan, finely grated — coarsely chopped basil or parsley, to serve Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Cook the carrots for one minute, then stir in the rice and cook for one minute, or until the rice is well coated with the oil.

Stir in the passata or tomatoes, stock, red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring to a simmer.

Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the rice is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in half the Parmesan. Cover and set aside to rest for five minutes.

Serve scattered with the herbs and remaining Parmesan.

Apple and berry bircher muffins

Makes 12 standard muffins Most of the energy in these muffins comes from healthy fats, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, instead of setting you up for a sugar crash. And kids will love them, too.

— 75g rolled oats

— 2 tbsp chia seeds

— 270ml coconut milk

— 2 eggs

— 3 tbsp honey, preferably raw

— 1 small ripe banana, peeled

and coarsely chopped

— 2 green apples, about 300g

— 60g fresh or frozen raspberries or blueberries (or a combination)

— 3 tbsp shredded coconut

— 1 tsp ground cinnamon

— 150g spelt or wholemeal

plain flour

— 2 tsp baking powder

— a large pinch of sea salt

Combine the oats, chia seeds and coconut milk in a bowl and set aside for 30 minutes for the oats to soften.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin, then line each hole with a scrunchedup piece of baking paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and honey until combined, using a hand whisk. Add the banana and mash with a fork. Coarsely grate the unpeeled apples into the bowl, discarding the cores.

Fold in the oat mixture, berries, shredded coconut and cinnamon to combine, then gently fold in the flour, baking powder and sea salt until just combined. Evenly divide the mixture in the tin.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a skewer inserted into a muffin comes out almost clean.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes, before turning out of the tin to serve warm. Alternatively, you can let the muffins cool completely, then store in an airtight container. They’ll keep for up to five days.