VEGETARIAN PENNE BOLOGNESE

You may have heard of the Meat-Free Monday movement by now – an initiative to encourage everyone to eat less meat and eat more plant-based meals throughout the week. There are many benefits to a plant-rich diet, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and improved gut health.

Recently, some studies showed that reducing red meat intake in particular reduced risk of heart disease compared to other types of meat.

Whether you’ve been doing Meat-Free Monday’s already, or you’re already fully vegetarian or vegan, or you’re still eating meat but just want some ideas to have more plant-based meals, this recipe is simple, tasty and nutritious!

This bolognese uses textured vegetable protein (TVP) as a substitute for regular minced meat. TVP is essentially soybean meal – it’s packed with almost as much protein as regular meat, but with little to no saturated fat!

Ingredients:

  • 250g wholemeal penne pasta
  • 1 can (425g) lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP), rehydrated in 1/2 cup hot water
  • 4 small carrots, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 1/2 brown onion, diced
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add pasta. Cook until al Dante (Note: wholemeal pasta may take a bit longer to cook).
  2. Heat oil in saucepan, sautée garlic and onions until brown.
  3. Add carrots, textured vegetable protein and diced tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until carrots are cooked through.
  4. Add cooked pasta and mix through.
  5. Sprinkle parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast flakes (for vegan option) to serve.

Should I take fish oil supplements? How much fish should I be eating each week?

LET’S GET FISHY! A little Q&A with some frequently asked questions about how to include more fish/fish oils into your diet.

SHOULD I TAKE FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS?⁣

A: To put it simply – if you’re eating enough fish throughout the week, then no. There are so many fish oil supplements on the market these days it can be hard to know which types to take, how much to take etc. That’s another conversation for another day… What you need to know here is that fish oil supplements typically contain EPA and DHA, two types of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are typically extracted from fish or seafood, particularly oily fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. If you’re eating enough of these types of fish, then there’s no need to supplement (think of the money you could save!).⁣

SO HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?⁣

A: Eating 2-3 meals of fish (about 100-120g per uncooked portion) per week has been shown to benefit heart and mental health! ⁣

BUT I CAN’T ALWAYS BUY FRESH FISH⁣…

A: Frozen, canned and fresh fish are all great sources of omega-3! Frozen and canned options are convenient, readily available and generally a bit cheaper than fresh too!⁣

I DON’T KNOW HOW TO COOK FISH OR INCLUDE IT IN MY MEALS⁣…

A: Canned and smoked fish are great in salads, sandwiches, scrambled eggs or as a snack on its own. Frozen and fresh fillets can easily be steamed, baked, grilled or crumbed (yay to homemade fish and chips) – you’re only limited by your imagination! You could even have it for breakfast…

Here, I added some smoked salmon on sourdough, topped it with avocado and cheese, then baked it until the cheese was melted 🤤 ⁣

What are some of your own favourite fish recipes? 😋⁣

經常會有人資訊很多關於魚和魚油的問題，今天就分享一個問答環節，解答大家的疑問 🤓⁣

問：我應該吃魚油保健品嗎?⁣

答：簡單說如果你平常有吃足夠的魚或海鮮其實不需要再吃魚油保健品。現在市面上有很多魚油類的保健產品，花多眼亂，都不知道該吃哪一種(這個話題我改天再解釋)，但其實大部分的魚油產品都是含有EPA和DHA。這兩種奧米加3脂肪酸最主要從魚類產品提取，特別是多油的魚，譬如三文魚、吞拿魚和鯖魚。如果你每星期吃得夠魚，就已經能攝取足夠的奧米加3脂肪酸，不需要另外吃魚油產品(可以省下不少錢)! ⁣

問：每星期應該吃多少?⁣

答：每星期吃2-3餐魚(煮前份量大概100-120克/份)就已經足夠減少心血管疾病的風險及改善精神健康!⁣

問：新鮮魚很貴也很難買到…⁣

答：除了新鮮魚，罐頭或冰鮮的魚肉也含有奧米加3脂肪酸！罐頭和冰鮮除了方便和容易買得到還會比新鮮魚便宜!⁣

問：我不會用魚做菜…⁣

答：罐頭和煙燻魚可以用在沙拉、三文治、炒蛋或單獨吃。冰鮮跟新鮮魚肉一樣可以蒸、焗、煎、炸，只受你的想像力限制！我前幾天的早餐就是煙燻三文魚在一片sourdough麵包，再加牛油果和芝士，烤一烤讓芝士剛剛融化… 🤤⁣

還有其他關於魚或魚油的疑問嗎? 留言或到我的Instagram詢問吧👇🏻

ROASTED KALE, PUMPKIN & WALNUT SALAD

Whoever says that salads are boring simply isn’t doing it right… (Confession: I used to be one of those people!) This salad ticks all the boxes with crunchy textures, satiating grains and high fibre seeds!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch kale, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 – 1 small Kent pumpkin, chopped into large chunks
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Parsley flakes
  • 1 cup walnuts, roasted
  • 1/4 cup quinoa, boiled
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds

Method:

  1. Add kale to lined baking tray. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle chopped garlic cloves over the top. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or until slightly crispy. (Note: kale burns very easily, so be sure to check regularly!)
  2. In separate baking tray, add pumpkin chunks, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle parsley flakes over the top. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
  3. In separate pot, cook quinoa according to packet instructions (typically boiled in approximately 1 cup water).
  4. Once kale, pumpkin and quinoa are cooked, mix together in salad bowl. Stir in walnuts and sprinkle hemp seeds to serve.

This salad is high in protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, omega-3, omega-6 and dietary fibre, and can be served on the side or as its own meal. To make it a main dish, simply add an extra source of protein like tuna, chicken breast or tofu!

很多人不喜歡吃沙拉是因為覺得好像吃草一樣，坦白說我以前也是! 但其實如果配搭得好，沙拉也可以很好吃的！譬如這個烤南瓜核桃沙拉，不僅營養價值高 (含有蛋白質、維生素A、維生素C、奧米加3、奧米加6、纖維素等等)，還很有口感和飽肚感，不妨試試!

LEMON & SEED CAKE

I have a history of making terrible baked goods, especially when I try to make recipes healthier or put a ‘creative spin’ on them… Apparently dietitians have a higher tolerance of mediocre-tasting but ‘healthy’ food, which is why I always test things on my family (haha!).

It’s gotten to the point now where my family always look at new creations with trepidation and low expectations…

This lemon cake I made a couple weeks back was met by this same dubiousness, but… the verdict was that it was good!

Ingredients:

  • 2 small lemons, skin washed and left on
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 4 flaxseed eggs (4 tablespoons flaxseeds + 2 tablespoons water, let sit for 5 minutes until set into gel)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 3 tablespoons slivered almonds/almond flakes
  • 3 tablespoons pepita seeds
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, roasted
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method:

  1. In a pot, boil lemons in a bit of water for 1 hour or until soft (be sure to check there’s adequate water in the pot and the lemon skin doesn’t burn).
  2. In a separate bowl, add all other ingredients and mix until well combined.
  3. Once lemons are soft, puree in blender or food processor.
  4. Add pureed lemons to mixing bowl with other ingredients and mix until well combined.
  5. Add mixture to lined baking tray. Bake for 40 – 60 minutes or until cooked through.

This cake does take a bit of time to make (approximately 1 hour prep and 1 hour cook time). The end product though is a moist and dense loaf that’s super high fibre and high in vitamin C! The seeds give a crunchy texture and are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fibre for gut health! Best served with vanilla ice cream or plain yoghurt to balance the acidity of the lemons.

Be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram (@rikkyso) if you try it!

AVOCADO & CHICKPEA DIP

Lately I’ve been experimenting with sneaking in chickpeas into my cooking to increase my family’s and my own intake of legumes and fibre. So far there’s been chickpea cookies, roasted chickpea snacks, chickpeas on rice, and chickpeas in salad… Last week I tried chickpeas in dip and you could barely tell they were there.

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 small avocados
  • 1 can (420g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
  • 1/4 lemon juice
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Blend chickpeas with a bit of water until smooth. Add all other ingredients and blend or mix by hand.

This recipe makes a large enough batch for a few days – use it as a dip or spread in sandwich or as a creamy salad sauce! If the creamy texture and high fibre content isn’t enough to convince you, this dip is also high in protein due to the yoghurt and chickpeas.


扁嘴豆是一個既便宜又營養價值高的食品，含有豐富纖維素和蛋白質。最近在嘗試不同方法把扁嘴豆無聲無色地加到食物裡，目前試過曲奇餅、烤扁嘴豆、還有加到沙拉和米飯裡. 上個禮拜還成功地融入了牛油果醬裡，配上紅蘿蔔和小黃瓜，是一個很健康的零食!

EASTER EGG MUFFIN COOKIES

If you like the soft but slightly firm texture on the top of muffins, you’re going to like this recipe! I made these a couple weeks ago purely because I was craving choc chip cookies. They turned out well so I thought I’d share the recipe just in time for your Easter weekend.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups plain flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar (I used brown)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil OR 4 tbs olive oil spread (melted)
  • 1/2 cup milk of choice
  • 8-10 Easter eggs OR 1/2 cup other chocolate (roughly melted)

Method:

  1. Mix all ingredients together, place into a muffin top baking tin OR roll into regular/large balls and press gently with spoon.
  2. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees or until cooked through. 

No matter what Easter means to you and your family, hope you spend this weekend safe and sound! 💕

CHICKPEA & CHIA COOKIES

Adapted from The Authentic Spoon’s recipe, these chickpea cookies are a great high fibre savoury snack option 🍪 

Containing only 4 main ingredients I topped them with hemp seeds, chia seeds and sesame seeds for an extra nutty flavour and even more fibre!

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (420g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Dash of almond milk
  • Hemp, chia and sesame seeds to taste

Method:

Mix all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius until golden and cooked through.

Would you try this recipe? Let me know your thoughts!

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (420g) black beans, drained
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup raw sugar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1/2 teaspoon bi-carb soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used a 200g Lindt chocolate bunny 😛 )

Method:

  1. Add all ingredients except eggs and chocolate into a blender or food processor and mix until smooth
  2. Add 2 large eggs and mix again until smooth
  3. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  4. Add mixture into greased or lined baking tray
  5. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips onto top of mixture
  6. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius or until cooked through
  7. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe is:

  • High in fibre
  • A great source of plant protein

OVERNIGHT OAT & CHIA CUPS

If you’re not a morning person like me, you probably try to delay getting out of bed for every minute possible… An extra 5 minutes in bed beats getting up and making a hot breakfast (or is that just me?).

These Overnight Oat & Chia Cups are my new favourite breakfast. They’re quick, easy, convenient AND healthy – perfect for lazy but health-conscious people like myself!

Method:

  1. Add 3 tablespoons rolled oats + 1 tablespoon chia seeds to a cup
  2. Add your milk of choice (I used soy) until the oats and chia seeds are completely covered and soaked
  3. Refrigerate overnight
  4. In the morning, top up with more milk
  5. Add your favourite toppings!

I added banana, sultanas, peanut butter, sunflower seeds and more chia seeds!

This recipe is:

  • High in fibre and a great source of protein
  • Super quick and easy to make
  • Perfect for on-the-go (try making it in a Keep Cup or takeaway container!)
  • Suitable for breakfast or as a snack

Be sure to tag me or let me know if you try this!