Veggie and Tuna Mornay

Veggie and Tuna Mornay

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter  

1 small onion, finely chopped 

1 clove garlic, crushed  

2 tablespoons wholemeal flour

2 cups milk

1 cup of frozen peas, carrots  and corn mix

1 cup chopped cauliflower florets 

425g can tuna in spring water, drained 

1/2 cup cheddar cheese  

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard  

¼ cup Parmesan cheese 

Method

Microwave or steam cauliflower until tender and drain excess water. Set aside.

Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. 

Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer until slightly thickened (3–5 minutes). 

Stir in Dijon mustard, cheese, frozen vegetables, and cooked cauliflower.

Fold in tuna, carefully. 

Pour mixture into a baking dish.  

Sprinkle with Parmesan on top.  

Bake at 180°C for 15–20 minutes until golden.  

Recipe Stars

The nutrient content of frozen peas, carrots and corn is comparable to that of fresh peas, carrots and corn.

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that helps build bones and prevent disease. It also has antioxidants, vitamins and fibre.

Quote of The Day

Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. Epictetus

Microwave Brown Rice, Canned Tuna, and Seaweed

Microwave Brown Rice, Canned Tuna, and Seaweed

Ingredients

1 packet of microwaveable brown rice
1 can tuna (packed in olive oil)
Roasted seaweed flakes for topping
Sliced cucumbers
Sliced avocado, edamame (optional)

Method

1. Microwave the brown rice according to the package instructions.
2. Drain tuna of excess liquid. Mix tuna with a little mayonnaise or soy sauce for added flavour if desired.
3. In a bowl, combine the warm brown rice and tuna.
4. Add sliced cucumber, avocado and edamame (optional).
5. Top with seaweed flakes.

Use soy sauce, sesame oil, or sriracha for extra flavour. Or sprinkle with chopped spring onions or sesame seeds.

Recipe Stars

Brown rice contains antioxidants, including flavonoids, anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, which can reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Cucumbers contain cucurbitacins, which are plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 

Quote of The Day

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies … The man who never reads lives only one.  George R.R. Martin.

Really Simple Lasagne For Picky Kids

Really Simple Lasagne For Picky Kids

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 packet lasagne sheets

1/2 kilo beef mince, cooked

1 jar pasta sauce

2 small zucchinis

2 small carrots

1 cup of grated cheese

White sauce

1 tablespoon of olive oil,

1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour

2 cups of milk

Method

1. Blend together the 2 zucchinis and 2 carrots with the pasta sauce.

2. Place a spoonful of mince onto the bottom of an oven proof dish, then top with a pasta sheet.

3. Laddle layers of  vegetable sauce, then the mince and then top with a pasta sheet.

Continue until you use all mince and sauce, topping with pasta sheet

4 Make white sauce by Heating the olive oil, whisking in the flour to form a roux, then gradually add the milk while stirring until the sauce thickens. 

5. Spoon white sauce on top of lasagne.

6. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in the oven on 180C for around 20-25 mins.

Recipe Stars

Cooked tomato products can decrease oxidative stress biomarkers and help prevent disease.

Zucchini has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antimicrobial properties.

Quote of The Day

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.― Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Spaghetti With Capers and Olives in Tomato

Spaghetti With Capers and Olives in Tomato

Ingredients

Spaghetti, 12 oz (about 340.1 g)

¼ cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 chopped, anchovy fillets

1 tsp, red pepper flakes

½ cup, Kalamata (or green) olives, pitted and halved

¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley

3 tbsp, drained, capers

 28 oz ( 794 grams), canned crushed tomatoes

Method

1. Add the spaghetti to boiling water and cook for 9–11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente.

2. As the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a pan and add the minced garlic and chopped anchovies. Cook for 2–3 minutes.

3. Stir in the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Then, add the olives and drained capers to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

4. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

5. Simmer the sauce uncovered for 10–12 minutes, until it thickens slightly.

6. Drain the cooked spaghetti, but reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.

7. Add the drained spaghetti directly to the pan with the sauce.

8. Over low heat, combine spaghetti and sauce for 1–2 minutes. If sauce is too thick add a tablespoon or more of the reserved pasta water.

9. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped fresh parsley.

10. Divide the pasta among four bowls and serve immediately.

Recipe Stars

Capers are one of the highest sources of quercetin which modulates potassium ion channels in the KCNQ gene family. These channels are linked to several common human diseases, including diabetes, cardiac arrhythmia, and epilepsy.

Anthocyanins, from in dark olives, are plant pigments linked to improved brain function through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. A 2026 review found that dietary intake of anthocyanin-rich foods (more than 50 mg per day) for six months or longer in healthy people reduced biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Quote of The Day

What is joy without sorrow? what is success without failure? what is a win without a loss? what is health without illness? you have to experience each if you are to appreciate the other. there is always going to be suffering. it’s how you look at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you.

Mark Twain

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients 

2 cups of all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg

1 cup of pumpkin puree (see below)

1/4 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1 cup of milk

1/4 cup of melted butter

Method

Whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in one bowl. 

In another bowl, mix pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, milk, and melted butter, then combine the wet and dry ingredients. Cook in a griddle pan.

Note: 

To make homemade pumpkin puree, roast pumpkins in oven until tender, let them cool, remove the skins, then blend the cooked pumpkin flesh until smooth. Homemade puree keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Stars

Pumpkins contain many nutrients, including carbohydrates, fibre, amino acids, MUFA, PUFA, tocopherol, and carotenoids.

Eggs are nutrient-dense, providing high-quality protein, essential vitamins like D and B12, and antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin.

Quote of The Day

There is nothing permanent except change. — Heraclitus

Mince and Tomato Bean Hotpot

Mince and Tomato Bean Hotpot

Ingredients

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

400 g canned cannellini beans  (drained, rinsed)

500 g Low fat lamb mince

1 red onion chopped fine

1 garlic clove (crushed)

750 ml pasta sauce

1 cup tomato (chopped)

1/4 cup parsley (finely chopped)

1/4 cup feta (crumbled)

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, brown mince and set aside.

2. Heat remaining oil and cook red onion, garlic and paprika. Cook until tender.

3. Add pasta sauce, mince, tomatoes, beans and parsley. Stir well.

4. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer until meat is cooked through. 

5. Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle with feta cheese. 

Optional

Put into preheated oven/grill for 10-15 minutes until cheese has melted and is starting to lightly brown.

Cool for 5-10 minutes and serve with seeded bread or toast.

Recipe Stars

Cannellini beans are rich in fiber, containing both soluble and insoluble fibre, which can help promote digestive health.

Parsley contains a compound called apiol, which can increase the body's thermogenic activity, helping to burn excess fat.

Rice and Nutmeg Pudding

Rice and Nutmeg Pudding

Ingredients

800ml (1 pint) milk

40g (1 oz) basmati Rice

45ml (3 tablespoons) unrefined caster sugar

2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. Grease an ovenproof dish and pour in the milk. Add the rice, 30ml (2 tablespoons) of the sugar and the nutmeg. Then, bake in a preheated moderate oven, 160 °C (325 °F, Ga Mark 3) for 2 hours.

2. Allow to cool, then sprinkle with remaining sugar, and place under grill to melt sugar until it turns golden.

Serve chilled.

Recipe Stars

Cow's milk contains high-quality protein, calcium, potassium, and B vitamins.

Nutmeg provides antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds when used in small amounts.

Quote of The Day

When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger. Epictetus