Student serves up selection of recipes to suit a tight budget

Undergraduate has published her second collection

needs, is crucial to Izy’s ethos – which means no obscure ingredients, either.

Fads then, are a resounding “No”.

“It’s so enraging when you’re a nutritionist and you read these headlines,” says Izy, shooting down the coconut oil trend.

“It’s so exclusionary – it’s the whole organic vegetable thing, and superfoods.

“To be healthy, you have to have enough money to buy this thing, and buying plain tomato isn’t good enough any more; you have to have the organically grown, biodynamic thing, with spirulina and you have to have turmeric in everything you eat,” she says, incredulous. “It’s hard enough to get people to eat enough fibre and vegetables.”

Izy, who went to an all-girls school and started baking by herself aged around 10, might have written her first cookbook, Everyday Deliciousness, during her AS-levels, but that doesn’t mean she was exempt from the problems and pressures around food.

“I went through a phase of maybe three or four years in my teens, constantly dieting and overexercising,” she recalls.

“But I think, through blogging and speaking to other nutritionists, doing my course, the general backlash against clean eating, and body positivity coming out, it’s given me more confidence, so now I’m happy.

“I’m going to eat butter; I’m going to eat cake; I’m a nutritionist – I don’t care, I’m going to eat sugar, whatever.

“I know I’m eating a balanced diet and I’m happy with where I am, but I think we have to do a lot more in the future to help younger women, and show them you don’t have to be eating ‘clean’ to be happy.”

When you need a slab of something sweet, this chocolatey bake should hit the spot.

(Serves 6)

80ml olive oil, rapeseed oil or melted unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

80g oat flour, plus extra for dusting (blend 80g of any type of plain oats you have in a food processor, until it becomes a rough flour)

80g ground almonds

80g soft brown sugar

1/4tsp salt

1/2tsp baking powder

1 large egg

4tbsp milk or non-dairy milk 1/2tsp almond extract

35g plain dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids), finely chopped

100g frozen or fresh raspberries To serve:

Whipped cream or natural yoghurt

Fresh raspberries

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C/gas mark 6 and grease a 23cm cake tin with oil, then dust with flour, tipping out any excess.

2. Mix the ground almonds, oil, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, egg, milk and almond extract in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Sprinkle over the chopped chocolate and raspberries and slightly swirl them into the batter with a spoon.

3. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the middle of the cake springs back when you apply light pressure with your finger.

4. Remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool in the tin. Once completely cooled, slice and serve as is, or with whipped cream or yoghurt and fresh raspberries.

This crunchy side dish has tang from feta and heat from chilli. What more could you want?

(Serves 2)

3tbsp rapeseed oil or olive oil 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1tbsp plain flour

2 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off with a knife

1.5tsp honey

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/2-1 jalapeno chilli, finely chopped

30g feta, crumbled

Salt

1. Line a plate with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then toss the onion with the flour and fry in the oil until golden. Remove the onion from the pan with a spoon or tongs, leaving behind some of the oil and place the onions on a prepared plate. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

2. Place the pan back on the heat. Add the corn kernels and turn the heat up to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is nice and hot. Add the honey, lime juice and jalapeno chilli and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a serving platter. Adorn with some crumbled feta and the crispy onions and serve.

In a rush but need something filling and tasty? Try a bowl of this garlicky carby goodness.

(Serves 2)

125g dried pasta or 250g cooked 4tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil 1tbsp plain white flour

300ml vegetable or chicken stock

20g Parmesan, finely grated (or other hard cheese)

1 bay leaf

4 large sage leaves

100g chestnut or button mushrooms, sliced

3tbsp dried breadcrumbs 1 garlic clove, crushed or very finely chopped

Salt

1. If starting with dried pasta, place the pasta in a medium pan and cover with just-boiled water from the kettle. Bring to the boil and cook until al dente (this will generally be the shorter cooking time on the packet). Drain, reserving a small mug-full of the pasta water.

2. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir for one minute then reduce the heat to low and gradually pour in the stock, stirring well between additions, until all the stock has been added. Stir in the Parmesan and add the bay leaf. Simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally, then season with salt to taste.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan over a mediumhigh heat. Add the sage leaves and fry until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

4. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook over a medium heat for five to seven minutes until dark and soft. Pour the cooked mushrooms into the sauce and return the frying pan to the heat.

5. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic and a pinch of salt to the frying pan and toast, stirring constantly but gently, for two minutes, so the garlic cooks and the breadcrumbs are crisped.

6. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and pour it over the cooked pasta. Stir together and splash in a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen the mixture, if needed. Divide between dishes, then top with the mushrooms, breadcrumbs and crispy sage, and serve.

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