Cookery
The right food can help beat the winter blues. Go for seasonal fruit and veg, plus plenty of protein, and lift your spirits
Sticky beef-noodle stir-fry
£2.26 COST PER SERVING
Serves: 4 Takes: 25min
■ 200g pad Thai rice noodles
■ 150g plum sauce
■ 1tbsp lemon juice
■ 1tbsp soy sauce
■ ¼ tsp five-spice
■ 2tbsp vegetable oil
■ 500g steak, thinly sliced
■ 1 bunch long stem or Chinese broccoli, sliced, or pak choi, shredded
■ 1 carrot, sliced into ribbons using a peeler
■ 150g sugar snap peas
■ 3 spring onions, sliced diagonally
■ 2tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
1 Prepare the noodles according to the pack instructions. Rinse under cold water and drain.
2 Meanwhile, combine the plum sauce, lemon juice, soy sauce and five-spice in a bowl.
3 Heat a wok or frying pan over a high heat. Add half the oil. Stir-fry half of the beef for 1-2min until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef.
4 Add the remaining oil to the wok or pan. Stir-fry the broccoli or pak choi, carrot and sugar snap peas for 2min, or until almost tender and wilted. Return the beef to the pan or wok along with the sauce mixture, noodles and spring onion, and toss well until heated through. Serve sprinkled with the almonds.
Frying pan beef & spinach lasagne
£1.44 COST PER SERVING
Serves: 6 Takes: 30min (plus standing)
■ 1tbsp olive oil
■ 1 onion, finely chopped
■ 2 garlic cloves, crushed
■ 2 x 350g tub beef Bolognese sauce, or use 700g homemade Bolognese
■ 60g spinach
■ 5 fresh lasagne sheets, sliced or torn lengthways into strips
■ 125g goat’s cheese, crumbled
■ 250g ready-grated mozzarella
■ Small handful of fresh small basil leaves, to garnish (optional)
1 Heat the oil in a large, deep, ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 4-5min, stirring, until the onion has softened.
2 Add the Bolognese sauce and 250ml just-boiled water to the pan and mix gently to combine. Stir in the spinach.
3 Add the pasta strips, standing upright on the long sides, into the mixture. Sprinkle with both cheeses. Bring the pan to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low, then simmer for 2-4min or until the pasta is tender.
4 Preheat the grill to high. Grill the lasagne for 5min or until browned and bubbling. (Cover the handle of the pan with foil if not ovenproof.) Cover, then leave to stand for 5min. Garnish with basil, if using, and serve.
