Here’s some fun ideas for a healthy dinner

You don’t have to be a master chef to make a tasty and healthy dinner. With a little bit of creativity, you can whip up something that’s both delicious and nutritious. Here are some fun ideas for a healthy dinner for the whole family. From roasted veggies to homemade pizzas, there’s something for everyone. And the best part is these recipes are all relatively easy to make. So get cooking!

Delicious Recipes For Healthy Meals

Spinach, Sweet Potato And Lentil Dal

If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious dinner option, look no further than this spinach, sweet potato and lentil dal. This dish is packed with nutrients and flavour and is easy to make. Simply cook the lentils and sweet potatoes in a spice-infused tomato sauce, then add the spinach and let everything simmer until it’s tender. Serve over rice or quinoa for a complete meal.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 sweet potatoes (about 400g/14oz), cut into even chunks
• 250g red split lentils
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 80g bag of spinach
• 4 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal, to serve
• ½ small pack of Thai basil, leaves torn, to serve

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a wide-based pan with a tight-fitting lid. I usually use Wonderchef’s Caesar Non-Stick Fry Pan, a classy, elegant plan with German beechwood handles and made from 99.9% pure-grade aluminium. The best part? Wonderchef uses healthy PFOA and heavy metal-free, Greblon coating on Caesar pans. This ensures years of usage without any harm that may come from cheap coatings that peel off easily.
2. Add 1 finely chopped red onion and cook over low heat for 10 mins, occasionally stirring, until softened.
3. Add 1 crushed garlic clove, a finely chopped thumb-sized piece of ginger and 1 finely chopped red chilli; cook for 1 min, then add 1½ tsp ground turmeric and 1½ tsp ground cumin and cook for 1 min more.
4. Turn up the heat to medium, add 2 sweet potatoes, cut into even chunks, and stir everything together, so the potato is coated in the spice mixture.
5. Tip in 250g red split lentils, 600ml vegetable stock and some seasoning.
6. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 mins until the lentils are tender and the potato is just holding its shape.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then gently stir in the 80g spinach. Once wilted, top with the 4 diagonally sliced spring onions and ½ a small pack of torn basil leaves to serve.
8. Alternatively, allow it to cool completely, then serve it with the garnish of your choice.

Chicken And Lemon Skewer

These chicken skewers in flatbreads taste great as well as being healthy and an easy-to-make dinner for hectic weeknights.

Ingredients

• 1 small pack mint, leaves picked
• 150g natural yoghurt, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 2cm piece ginger, grated
• 4 skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 6 pieces
• 4 wholemeal flatbreads or pittas
• 2 Little Gem lettuces, sliced
• 1 small red onion, sliced, to serve
• pickled red cabbage, chili sauce and hummus to serve (all optional)

You will need

4 metal or wooden skewers

Method

1. Chop half the mint and put it in a bowl with the yoghurt, half the lemon juice, all the lemon zest, spices and ginger. Mix well and season with lots of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Add the chicken pieces, mix well and put in the fridge for 20-30 mins. Meanwhile, soak 4 large wooden skewers in water for at least 20 mins (or use metal ones).
2. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat your pan to medium. I use the Forza Cast Iron Fry Pan by Wonderchef. Food prepared in Forza cast-iron pre-seasoned fry pan will give the authentic traditional taste to your cooking. Indian cooking is always packed with flavours, and cast iron helps to enhance those flavours. It is most suitable for Indian old-style slow cooking and seals all the moisture for tender and aromatic food. I also used Wonderchef’s Ultima 4 Burner Glass Gas Cooktop, which is affordable & reliable. It’s also the only gas top that offers a one-year warranty on toughened glass!
3. Warm the flatbreads under the grill for a couple of seconds, then serve them topped with the lettuce, chicken, red onion, remaining lemon juice and mint, and any optional extras such as extra yoghurt or pickled cabbage, chilli sauce and hummus.

Hope you enjoy this yummy dish as much as I did!

Fenner Roasted Cauliflower With Quinoa

This healthy roasted cauliflower and quinoa dish is perfect for a light dinner or as a side dish. Quinoa and cauliflower are both packed with many nutrients and fibres. Pile this colourful vegetable quinoa salad onto a plate, top it with roasted cauliflower and drizzle over the garlic yoghurt for a healthy, gluten-free dinner. 

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, or 2 small ones, separated into florets
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 peppers (mix of red, yellow or orange), chopped
• 1 courgette, halved lengthways, cored and chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 4 tbsp yoghurt
• 250g quinoa, cooked

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the cauliflower for 5 mins. Drain and spread out on a surface, so any excess water evaporates. 
2. Crush the fennel and coriander seeds using a pestle and mortar and mix with the paprika and a pinch of seasoning. Put the cauliflower in a large bowl, drizzle with half the olive oil and sprinkle over the spice mix. Toss the florets to fully coat them.
3. Tip the florets onto a baking tray and space them apart. Put the red onions, peppers and courgettes on a separate baking tray, drizzle with the remaining oil, and cook both for 30-35 mins, turning halfway through so they brown all over and turn slightly crisp in places. I use Wonderchef’s 28L OTG, with its high-efficiency stainless steel heating elements to evenly toast, bake, brown and reheat to perfection, and a high-temperature control range of up to 250 degrees makes it easy to cook any dish to perfection.
4. Mix the garlic with lemon juice and stir through the yoghurt, adding a little extra water to loosen it if needed. Stir the roasted onions, peppers and courgettes into the cooked quinoa, along with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt.
5. Pile the quinoa salad onto a plate, then top it with the cauliflower florets. Drizzle over the garlic yoghurt.

Conclusion 

With a little creativity, you can turn any dinner into a healthy one. Using simple tips and tricks, you can make your meals healthier without sacrificing taste or flavour. So next time you’re stuck for dinner ideas, remember to think outside the box and try something new. Your body will thank you for it.