Christmas recipes from the store cupboard

Ingredients

• 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 5 tbsp light tahini paste (find one that is really runny)
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• Handful of dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Method

1. Place the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, cumin and salt into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
2. Add water to adjust the consistency of your hummus.
3. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with chopped dried cranberries and pine nuts.
4. Serve with toasted wholemeal pitta bread or sliced vegetables such as carrot, pepper and cucumber.

Ingredients

• 500g frozen smoked haddock fillets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 300g basmati rice
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 400ml milk (fresh or UHT dairy or plant-based alternative)
• 250ml vegetable stock
• 2 eggs
• 150g frozen peas

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the frozen smoked haddock fillets on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan then add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the rice to the pan and stir. Now add the curry powder, turmeric and dried chillies, stirring for another minute until the spices become fragrant.
3. Add the milk and stock then stir well to combine. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes until the rice is tender.
4. While the rice is cooking, place the eggs in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil, then cook for 6 minutes. Run the eggs under cold water and peel them, then quarter and set aside.
5. Once the rice is cooked, flake the fish and stir into the rice along with the peas and eggs, then continue to heat for another 2 minutes until warmed through. Serve in bowls.

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 large apples (such as Braeburn), peeled, cored and diced into small pieces
• 120g sultanas
• 80ml red wine vinegar
• 40g dark soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl then season with salt and pepper before stirring to combine.
2. Transfer the chutney to 2 small (or 1 large) sterilised jars, then seal and place in the fridge. Leave the chutney in the fridge for 3 days before eating and shake the contents once a day. The chutney should keep for about 1 week.

• 350ml red grape juice
• 350ml pomegranate juice
• 350ml cranberry juice
• ½ orange, sliced
• 2 cloves
• ½ cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• Runny honey to taste
• Extra cinnamon sticks to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Place all the ingredients (except the honey) into a saucepan set over a medium heat.
2. Gently heat the mulled wine for 5 minutes, but do not bring to the boil.
3. Serve in glasses with strips of orange zest and cinnamon stick to garnish.

Rob Hobson MSc RNutr is a Registered Nutritionist who has worked with some of the UK’s largest food and health companies and performs training in the public health sector (including government agencies and the NHS). Rob contributes regularly to UK press publications and has a monthly column in Women's Health magazine.

Find out more at Rob Hobson's website, or read more about Healthspan's health experts.