£4 or less

5 key ingredients

3 of our 5-a-day

2 portions

1 nourished you

Eat well, live well.

Bracknell Forest Council invited me to run a series of workshops with local residents to share their ideas for healthy meals on a budget; I was delighted with their enthusiastic response. In this booklet you will find the recipes we created together, working with the support of the Public Health team.

At each workshop, I set my 5-4-3-2-1 Challenge:

• Create a recipe using five foods

• costing £4 or less

• providing three of our five-a-day fruit and veg

• producing two portions, and

• nourishing Number One!

Everyone was given a list of key ingredients and allowed to add items they would expect to find in their store cupboard. They also added a dash of creativity – and the results are delicious.

I hope this handy guide will earn its place in your kitchen as a great source of ideas.

Foreword

Councillor Dale Birch

Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing

Deputy Leader of the Council

Sharon Mobbs

Registered Nutritional Therapist, Harmony Nutrition, Bracknell

Bracknell Forest Council is committed to enabling its residents to be healthy and happy. Health and wellbeing is a holistic concept that affects every one of us and reaches into everything we do. Healthy eating, a key part of this concept, made affordable and interesting, gives us one of the building blocks for a healthier, longer life.

Our health can be profoundly influenced by our diet. Even small changes can make a big difference, and the 5-4-3-2-1 recipes are an easy way to start. I am sure you‘ll come up with your own variations.

Diet & Nutrition was one of the themes in a series of workshops held by Bracknell Forest Council to help people understand more about looking after themselves, as part of the council’s investment in health and wellbeing.

2

Eat well for life 4

Workshop recipes

Age Concern

Herby Chicken & Couscous 6

One Pot Chicken & Couscous 7

Roast Chicken & Couscous 7

Ascot Retirement Fair

Spaghetti Bracknellese 8

Spicy Lamb Koftas 9

Lamb & Raisin Meatballs 9

Owlsmoor

Egg & Potato Curry 10

Easy Baked Frittata 11

Warm Poached Egg Salad 11

Priestwood

Chunky Cod Soup 12

Roasted Cod & Vegetables 13

Slow-cooked Red Thai Fish Curry

13

Winkfield

Pesto Salmon 14

Salmon Fishcake 15

Honey & Soy Salmon 15

Crowthorne

Turkey Curry 16

Turkey Casserole 17

Stuffed Aubergine & Turkey 17

Other info

More information 18

Feedback 19

Contents

Workshop photos taken from the Age Concern Get Together, by Emma Cottage Photography.

Commissioned by Bracknell Forest Council. Produced by Harmony Nutrition. Copyright 2014.

KeyFreezer friendly up to a month

Prices correct at time of the workshops

Total preparation and cooking time

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3

Everything we do takes place because of the nutrients we give our bodies. A well-balanced diet provides the right vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to keep the body and mind strong and healthy.

The opposite is also true: poor diet can lead to poor health. People who eat an unbalanced diet with high levels of sugar and fat may increase their risk of developing serious conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The plate below shows the different types of food that make up our diet, and the rough proportions in which they should be eaten.

The hand shapes also guide us as to the approximate amount of each food we should be eating at each meal – handy! This tool should be suitable for most adults. If you have special dietary or medical needs, you should check with your GP that this is right for you.

The recipes in this booklet give guideline weights for the ingredients, but you can use your hand to check that the resulting portions are a suitable size.

We are what we eat Foods and portion sizes: a handy kitchen tool

Eat well for life

Your

han

dy portion guide

Protein

Fat

Simple carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates

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Palm of protein

Flat hand of simple carbohydrates

Fist of starchy carbohydrates

Circle of fat

5

Store cupboard: Olive oil, chicken stock cube, dried thyme, dried rosemary

Herby Chicken & Couscous

Age Concern Get Together

Finely chop the red onion and fry in a teaspoon of olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cut the chicken into one-inch pieces and add to the frying pan. Continue to stir until the chicken pieces are cooked on the outside.

Add the peas and chopped pepper and stir for another 2 minutes. Then add the crumbled stock cube, 1 teaspoon each of thyme and rosemary, and ½ pint boiling water.

Simmer for a further 10 minutes without a lid, stirring occasionally.

While the chicken is simmering, put the couscous in a bowl and add 6 fl oz boiling water. Cover and allow the couscous to absorb the liquid for 5 minutes. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and serve with the chicken and vegetables.

Skinless chicken thighs2 thighs£2.00

Couscous4oz (uncooked)21p

Red onionSingle18p

Frozen peas 6oz26p

Orange pepperSingle60p

Your key ingredients

Totalaround

£3.25Cooking for one? Why not share one portion with a friend or neighbour?

Top tips

40 mins

6

Chicken

Store cupboard: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried mint

One Pot Chicken & Couscous

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Quarter the pepper (trimming off the stalk and seeds), and halve the onion. Mix together and add to a roasting tin with the chicken thighs. Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle this mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Put in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

While the chicken is roasting, bring the peas to the boil in ½ pint water. Simmer for 2 minutes then remove from the heat and add the couscous and mint. Leave the couscous to absorb the water for 5 minutes, then fluff and serve with the roast chicken and vegetables.

Store cupboard: Olive oil, garlic clove, chicken stock cube, dried parsley, lemon juice

Roast Chicken & Couscous

Using a large frying pan with a lid, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and fry the chicken thighs for 6 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil and fry the chopped onion, garlic and pepper. Cook for about 7 minutes or until the onion is soft, stirring frequently. Then add the peas and parsley, together with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Add the crumbled stock cube and ½ pint boiling water.

Place the chicken on top of these ingredients. Simmer gently with the lid on for 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Take the pan off the heat and remove the chicken. Stir the couscous into the pan, adding a little boiling water if necessary to cover it. Put the lid back on and leave for 5 minutes to allow the couscous to absorb the water. Stir, season and serve with the chicken.

1 hour 10 mins 50 mins

7

Lamb mince6oz£2

Store cupboard: Olive oil, garlic clove, tomato puree, dried oregano, beef stock cube. Optional: parmesan cheese for serving.

Wholegrain spelt spaghetti6oz51p

Tinned chopped tomatoes 1 tin39p

OnionSingle16p

Sliced greens10oz65p

Your key ingredients Spaghetti Bracknellese

Ascot Retirement Fair

Finely chop the onion and garlic, add to a large frying pan (with a lid) and fry in a tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lamb mince and continue to stir until the mince is cooked. Drain most of the liquid from the pan.

Prepare the greens by removing big stalks and washing the greens under the tap. Roughly chop into two inch lengths. Add these to the pan together with the tinned tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, dried oregano, the crumbled stock cube and ¼ pint boiling water. Bring to the boil.

Simmer gently for 1hour 30mins, stirring occasionally or pour into a slow cooker and leave to cook for 4–6 hours.

15 minutes before serving, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of water with a little olive oil. Drain and serve with the sauce, sprinkling over parmesan cheese, if using.

2 hours

Totalaround

£3.71

8

Lamb

Store cupboard: Olive oil, garlic cloves, tomato puree, vegetable stock cube, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried mint

Spicy Lamb Koftas

Make the tomato sauce, as follows. Finely chop the onion and 2 garlic cloves, add to a large frying pan and fry in a tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tinned tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, the crumbled stock cube, and a teaspoon each of cumin and cinnamon. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1hour 30mins, stirring occasionally. Then mix with a hand blender to make a thick sauce.

While the sauce is cooking, make the koftas. Mix together the lamb mince, 1 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander, and 2 teaspoons of dried mint. Form the mixture into 4 sausage shapes and thread onto 2 metal skewers. Brush with olive oil and cook on a griddle pan for 3–4 minutes on each side. Do not lift the skewer until the meat is cooked, or else the koftas will collapse!

Make the spaghetti-and-greens, using the recipe for Lamb & Raisin Meatballs (Step 3). Serve with the koftas.

Store cupboard: Olive oil, garlic clove, tomato puree, vegetable stock cube, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, raisins, Moroccan spice blend, porridge oats

Lamb & Raisin Meatballs

Make the tomato sauce, using the recipe for Spicy Lamb Koftas (Step 1).

While the sauce is cooking, make the meatballs. Mix together the lamb, 2 tablespoons of raisins, Moroccan spice blend, 2 tablespoons of porridge oats and a teaspoon of olive oil. Shape into 6 meatballs. Bake in a preheated oven at 170˚C for 20 minutes or until the lamb is cooked. 10 minutes before serving time, add the cooked meatballs to the sauce pan and stir gently.

Make the spaghetti-and-greens. Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling water with a little olive oil. 5 minutes before the spaghetti is ready, trim the stalks off the greens and add the greens to the spaghetti pan. After 5 minutes, drain and serve with the meatballs and tomato sauce.

1 hour 1 hour

9

Boil the eggs until hard (approximately 10 minutes).

Slice the potatoes width-ways then parboil until they are starting to soften.

Chop the onion and fry it in a tablespoon of olive oil. After 3 minutes add a crushed clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon each of ginger, turmeric, curry powder and dried chilli, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and 4 tablespoons of water. Continue to cook until the onions are soft.

Chop the mushrooms and salad tomatoes, add to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Combine all ingredients (leaving the eggs whole) and serve.

Eggs4 medium83p

Store cupboard: Olive oil, garlic, ginger, turmeric, tomato puree, curry powder, dried chilli

Potatoes6oz36p

Chestnut mushrooms1 punnet95p

Salad tomatoes6 medium67p

OnionSingle14p

Your key ingredients Egg & Potato Curry

Owlsmoor

45 mins

Totalaround

£2.95

10

Preheat the oven to 180˚C and wipe olive oil around the inside of a pie dish or flan dish.

Slice the potatoes width-ways and part-cook in a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.

While the potatoes are part-cooking, beat the eggs, chop the mushrooms and onions, and slice the tomatoes. Mix these ingredients in a large bowl, adding the potatoes, a teaspoon of dried parsley and a twist of ground pepper. Transfer to the greased dish.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggs have set and the frittata is golden brown.

Delicious served hot or cold.

Dice the potatoes and bring to the boil in a pan of water. Cook until soft then drain and set aside.

Fry the onion and the mushrooms until soft (no need to add oil, as the mushrooms will release water as they are cooked).

Using the freshest eggs available, gently crack the eggs into a mug, whilst ensuring each yolk remains intact. Bring a pan of water to the boil, adding a little vinegar. When the water is at a rolling boil, lower the mug into the pan, releasing the eggs. Cooking the eggs will take 2–4 minutes to cook, depending on how firm you like your eggs – make sure they are not undercooked.

While the eggs are cooking, slice the tomatoes horizontally and lightly grill them for 2 minutes on each side. Arrange them on a plate with the potatoes, onions and mushrooms.

Place the cooked eggs on top and serve.

Store cupboard: Olive oil, dried parsley, black pepper

Store cupboard: Vinegar. Optional – chopped coriander for serving.

Warm Poached Egg Salad

Easy Baked Frittata

Eggs

You can tell whether an egg is fresh by cracking it onto a saucer. If the yolk stands proud and the white isn’t watery, your egg is fresh.

Top tips

45 mins 25 mins

11

35 mins

Cod2 fillets£1.62

Store cupboard: Stock cube, tomato puree, herbs of your choice such as parsley, black pepper

Potatoes 7oz30p

BroccoliHalf a head40p

Yellow pepperSingle25p

Carrots3 medium24p

Your key ingredients Chunky Cod Soup

Priestwood

Chop the carrots, pepper, potatoes and half the broccoli into inch-sized cubes.

Add to a pan and cover with fresh water together with a stock cube, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, some herbs and black pepper. Bring to the boil.

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Put half the soup in a blender (or use a hand blender) and blend until smooth.

Put all the soup back into the pan and stir. Add inch-sized chunks of the cod and the remainder of the broccoli (cubed) then simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Totalaround

£2.81

Our recipe testers loved the recipes for roasts, “What I really liked…was that I could walk in from work, chuck it in the oven whilst I fed the kids and put them to bed, then the grown ups could eat before my husband leaves for work, and there was no real effort involved.”

Top tips

12

40 mins 3 hours 40 mins

Store cupboard: 2 garlic cloves, olive oil, pepper Store cupboard: Coconut milk, red Thai curry paste. Optional: lemongrass, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves

Slow-cooked Red Thai Fish Curry

Roasted Cod & Vegetables

Cod

Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Peel and chop the carrots and chop the potatoes into one-inch chunks. Roughly chop the broccoli and yellow pepper. Peel the garlic.

Place these ingredients a bowl and toss in a tablespoon of olive oil to cover evenly. Transfer to a large shallow roasting pan and season with pepper.

Place the cod fillets on top and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the cod is golden and the vegetables are crispy. Serve.

Chop the carrots, pepper and broccoli into half an inch-sized cubes, place in a pan of boiling water then simmer for 3 minutes to heat through.

Drain and put the mixture in the slow cooker, adding half a tin of coconut milk and some red Thai curry paste (follow the suggestions on the label as a guide to quantities). Add a stick of lemongrass, a tablespoon of fish sauce and a few kaffir lime leaves (if you are using these optional ingredients).

Stir the mixture and place the cod on top. Cook in slow cooker for at least 3 hours. When ingredients are soft, stir through to break up the cod.

Approximately 15 minutes before serving, slice the potatoes lengthways, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked through. Drain and serve with the curry.

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Top tips

1 hour

Salmon2 fillets£2.66

Store cupboard: Garlic clove, soy sauce, honey, olive oil

Wholewheat pasta (penne)6oz24p

Cooked beetroot2 medium40p

Yellow pepperSingle25p

Baby spinachQuarter of a bag 37p

Your key ingredients Honey & Soy Salmon

Winkfield

Make a marinade by mixing a chopped clove of garlic with one tablespoon each of soy sauce, honey and olive oil. Pour the marinade over the salmon fillets, cover and chill for 30–60 minutes.

Cook the salmon in the oven at 180°C for approximately 20 minutes. Spoon on marinade as it cooks, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Transfer to serving plates.

While the salmon is cooking, stir fry the chopped beetroot, yellow pepper and spinach in a little olive oil for a few minutes, then mix in the cooked pasta and serve with the salmon.

All the recipes involve cooking the pasta in the same way: bring a large pan of fresh water to the boil. Add the pasta and simmer until it is just soft, then drain.

Totalaround

£3.92

14

The beautiful beetroot might remind us of odorous kitchens in our childhood, but it has long been used for therapeutic purposes. These days we can avoid the smell by buying prepared roots, but they are also delicious raw. Try grating them, mix with a grated eating apple and add a few drops of lemon juice – beetiful!

Top tips

20 mins 30 mins

Store cupboard: PestoStore cupboard: Black pepper, parsley, chives, olive oil

Pesto Salmon

Salmon Fishcake

Salmon

Smear the salmon with pesto, place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven at 180˚C until the fish is cooked through (around 20 minutes).

Once baked, flake the fish and combine with the cooked pasta, chopped pepper and spinach, adding another teaspoon of pesto.

Serve with the beetroot as a side dish.

Put the salmon and a quarter of the cooked pasta into a food processor. Finely chop a handful of the spinach and add this too. Add a twist of ground black pepper, some parsley and chives, and a teaspoon of olive oil. Blend until combined.

Form the mixture into patties (just use your hands), then grill under a medium heat on both sides (for 4 minutes per side).

Serve with a salad made by combining the remaining pasta with the spinach, yellow pepper and beetroot.

15

40 mins

Diced turkey breast6oz£1.75

Store cupboard: Olive oil, coconut milk, honey

Wholegrain rice5oz30p

Broccoli1 head50p

Red pepperSingle80p

AubergineSingle42p

Your key ingredients Turkey Curry

Crowthorne

Chop up the turkey breast and fry in a little olive oil.

Add half a can of coconut milk and a tablespoon of honey to the pan and cook until the meat is cooked through.

Chop the red pepper and broccoli, and rinse the prepared aubergine (see Top tips).

Add the vegetables to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, put the rice into a separate pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked.

Totalaround

£3.77

Preparing aubergines - Sometimes aubergines can taste a little bitter. To remove this (for the curry and casserole dishes), peel and cube the aubergine, then sprinkle it with salt and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse in cold water and use as per the recipes.

Top tips

16

2 hours 15 mins 50 mins

Chop up the turkey, broccoli and red pepper into one-inch chunks.

Put the turkey chunks and the prepared aubergine in a casserole dish (use a dish with a lid), along with half a pint of hot vegetable stock and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

Put the lid on and cook in oven at 160°C for 2 hours.

Another way of cooking is to add all the ingredients (except the rice) to a pan on the hob, bring to the boil then put the mixture into a slow cooker and cook for 4–6 hours.

Serve with cooked rice.

Store cupboard: Vegetable stock, Worcestershire sauce

Store cupboard: olive oil, chicken stock cube, dried mixed herbs, garlic, black pepper, tomato puree, porridge oats

Stuffed Aubergine & Turkey

Turkey Casserole

Turkey

Heat oven to 220˚C. Slice the aubergine in half lengthways, leaving the stem on. Cut a border inside each aubergine about ½ inch thick. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the aubergine flesh, leaving two shells. Brush the shells all over with a little olive oil and place in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Chop the scooped-out aubergine flesh.

To cook the rice, cover it in cold water with a stock cube and a teaspoon of mixed herbs. When the rice has been cooking for 10 minutes, add the chopped aubergine flesh to this pan.

Separately, fry chunks of turkey in a little olive oil and add some garlic, chopped red pepper and broccoli, and a twist of ground black pepper.

Mix 3 tablespoons of tomato puree with ¼ pint of boiling water then add to the pan. Simmer until the meat and vegetables are cooked through. Once both pans are ready mix together and use to stuff the aubergine shells. Sprinkle with porridge oats. Reduce the oven temperature to 200˚C and bake for 15–20 minutes.

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Additonal infoMore information

Your GP or nurse practitioner can help support you with any health concerns. You can also contact these local organisations directly:

Weight Management

The Bracknell Forest Public Health team can provide support if you have concerns about your weight. You might be eligible for a free 12-week Community Weight Management Programme. For further materials please contact Bracknell Forest Public Health Team on 01344 355218 or Public.Health@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

Mental Health

Problems such as anxiety, depression, stress and phobias are very common. Talking Therapies is a friendly and approachable service that helps people with these problems. You can refer yourself by calling 0300 365 2000, or emailing talkingtherapies@berkshire.nhs.uk.

Nutritional Therapy

If you would like to find out more about how good nutrition can support your health and wellbeing, you can find a local registered nutritional therapist for a consultation by contacting the British Association of Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy via 0870 606 1284 or go to www.bant.org.uk and click on Find a Nutritional Therapist.

Drug and Alcohol Action

The Drug and Alcohol Action Team provides services for adults and young people who live in Bracknell Forest. They are responsible for making sure that local agencies work together to help people recover from drug or alcohol addiction and you can contact them on 01344 312360.

Smoking

SmokefreelifeBerkshire is a local service offering free one-to-one or group sessions over 12 weeks, as well as a free weekly supply of Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Appointments can be pre-booked or you can come to a drop-in clinic. For more information or simply an informal chat about stopping smoking, call 0800 622 6360 or send text QUIT to 66777.

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Strong disagree

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Agree Strongly agree

This booklet has increased my knowledge of balanced food choices 1 2 3 4 5

This booklet has inspired me to:

(a) cook from fresh 1 2 3 4 5

(b) use the key ingredients in the recipes 1 2 3 4 5

(c) shop differently (for example, buy new types of food, shop more frequently or buy from new sources)

1 2 3 4 5

The recipes were easy to follow 1 2 3 4 5

The booklet design was interesting and vibrant 1 2 3 4 5

I will recommend this booklet to my friends/relatives 1 2 3 4 5

We would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to share your thoughts about this booklet on the form below. Your feedback is very important in helping us develop our future healthy eating information.

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