Let's face it - after a hard day at work, a gruelling session at the gym, running around after your kids and being jostled all the way home on public transport, few of us spring into full Nigella mode, ready to rustle up a delicious dinner. No, when you're fed up and hungry, quick-fixes are usually our go-to - which might explain why we get through so many fish fingers.
Add into the mix that DIY attempts at healthy dishes can often result in bland, watery offerings, and cooking at home doesn't really seem so appealing. Oh, and that we don't know about you, but our fridge contents is usually a block of cheese and maybe a sad-looking lettuce. But there's a new kid on the block, and they're determined to get us cooking up a storm - meet Mindful Chef.
A genius delivery service with affordable prices and zero wastage, Mindful Chef allows you to sign up to have 2, 3 or 4 dishes delivered to you each week. You simply head to their website, peruse the week's offerings, drool profusely and then once you've ordered, await a delivery of organic ingredients and recipes, bundled together.
Mindful Chef will literally send you everything you need - including mini tubs of hard-to-find condiments where needed - and all the dishes are free from refined carbs but high in fibre and protein, with plenty of vegan, gluten free and vegetarian options. Our Grazia Daily testers said their meals were a doddle to make and more importantly - really, really filling.
Mindful Chef have shared a couple of delicious recipes with us to whet your appetite...
Chipotle black bean burger with parsnip & sweet potato fries
Ingredients:
2 spring onions
1⁄2 avocado
1⁄4 lime
Handful cherry tomatoes
Handful of coriander
100g sweet potato
100g parsnip
1⁄2 tin black beans
1 tsp chipotle paste
1⁄2 tsp paprika
Sea salt & black pepper
Coconut oil / olive oil
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and boil a kettle.
- Peel and cut the sweet potato & parsnip into fries. Mix in a bowl with the paprika and 1 tsp oil, and season with black pepper and sea salt. Place on a baking sheet in the oven for 20 mins.
- Meanwhile, preheat a frying pan with 1 tsp oil and finely slice the spring onions, discarding the root at the end. Add the spring onions to the pan and fry for 2 mins.
- Drain the black beans. Add these and the chipotle paste to the pan with the spring onions and cook for 3 mins. Season and roughly mash the beans with the back of a spoon.
- Transfer the black bean mixture to a bowl and let cool for 5 mins. Then shape into a burger and place on a baking sheet in the oven for 10-15 mins.
- Meanwhile, peel and de-stone the avocado then roughly chop. Quarter the cherry tomatoes and roughly chop the coriander leaves. Mix together in a bowl with the juice from the lime and season.
- Serve the black bean burger alongside the parsnip and sweet potato fries, and the avocado salsa.
Veggie lasagne with aubergine, cannellini bean ragu & pesto
Ingredients:
200g cannellini beans
1⁄2 red onion
80g chestnut mushrooms
1 aubergine
1 garlic clove
50g tomato passata
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Handful of basil
15g pine nuts
Handful of rocket
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C .
- Finely chop the garlic and onion and finely slice the mushrooms. To make the aubergine lasagne layers, remove the stalk and thinly slice the aubergine lengthways.
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a medium sized pan and fry the onion and garlic for 3 mins, then add the mushrooms for 5 mins.
- Meanwhile, place six aubergine slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tsp oil and a pinch of sea salt. Place in the oven for 10-15 mins, turning halfway through.
- Drain the cannellini beans and add these to the pan with the onion and mushrooms, along with the passata and 1 tsp of the balsamic vinegar. Season and simmer for 10 mins.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto by finely chopping the basil and half of the pine nuts. Mix in a bowl with 1 tsp olive oil and season with sea salt & black pepper.
- When the aubergine is cooked, construct your lasagne by placing two pieces of aubergine parallel on the plate as the base, a generous spoonful of the bean sauce and a thin layer of pesto and repeat. Top the lasagne with another layer of aubergine slices. Serve alongside the rocket and sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts and balsamic vinegar.