How to get healthy food on the table in less time, with less faff and fewer ingredients

Wellness isn’t about blood transfusions and biohacking, Ella Mills writes in her new book. It’s about focusing on the easy wins, such as these recipes that get healthy food on the table in less time, with less work and with fewer ingredients. By Prudence Wade

(Clare Winfield/PA)

“The best thing about batch cooking is that the flavours of the dish tend to get better the longer they marinate, so the leftovers are always a real treat, and this is certainly the case in this recipe,” says Ella Mills, the brains behind Deliciously Ella.

“It’s hearty and cosy, with lovely spices from the harissa, sweetness from the coconut and maple syrup, and a delicious nutty flavour from the almonds. The aubergine gives it great texture, while the beans ensure it really fills you up. It’s great on its own for a light supper, or for something a bit more substantial serve it with jasmine rice, jacket potatoes or crispy roast cauliflower.”

Creamy black bean, harissa and almond butter stew

This is the perfect meal to batch cook on a Sunday night and eat throughout the week (Clare Winfield/PA)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, halved and finely sliced

1 aubergine, finely diced into 1cm cubes

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 × 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed

3 tbsp harissa, plus extra to serve

1 × 400ml tin of coconut milk

400ml hot vegetable stock

2 heaped tbsp smooth almond butter

2 tsp maple syrup

Grated zest and juice of 2 juicy limes

Sea salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Put the olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the shallot and aubergine and a pinch of salt and fry for five minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, black beans and harissa and fry for two minutes, until fragrant.

2. Pour in the coconut milk, stock, almond butter and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

3. Stir in the lime zest and juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Swirl an extra tablespoon of harissa through the stew to serve (if you’d like a little extra spice).

Note: To make crispy roast cauliflower, simply chop your cauliflower into small florets, place them on a baking tray with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and roast in an oven preheated to 200ºC fan for about 20–25 minutes, until golden and crispy.

“My girls love this recipe too, so when I’m cooking it for the family I hold off on the harissa and stir it into the adult portions once I’ve served the little ones.”

Crispy potato and paprika tray bake

With minimal prep, this dish delivers max flavour (Clare Winfield/PA)

“Crispy, crunchy, hearty and super-simple, this tray bake is the ideal recipe when you want something satisfying without lots of prep, mess or brain space!” says Mills.

“The zesty harissa yoghurt is really versatile too; it makes for a great dip or dressing with any veg.”

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

3 floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper (about 350g), with their skin

½ tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, halved and finely sliced

2 tsp paprika

1 punnet of cherry tomatoes (about 200g)

1 × 400g tin of butter beans, drained

½ bunch of coriander (about 10-15g), roughly chopped

Sea salt

For the harissa yoghurt:

4 tbsp coconut yoghurt

2 tbsp harissa

Grated zest and juice of 2 limes, plus wedges to serve

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C fan and bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.

2. Cut the potatoes into one-centimetre cubes then add them to the boiling water. Meanwhile, put the olive oil into a large flat baking tray and place in the oven to heat up. Simmer the potatoes for five minutes, until softened slightly and a knife pierces them easily, then drain well and add them to the preheated tray along with the onion, paprika and a pinch of sea salt. Toss to combine, then bake for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally so that the potatoes cook evenly.

3. Add the cherry tomatoes and butter beans to the tray and cook for a further five minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the potatoes are crisp.

4. Meanwhile make the harissa yoghurt by mixing the coconut yoghurt, harissa, lime zest and juice together in a small bowl, seasoning with salt to taste, then transfer to a small serving bowl.

5. Once the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven, sprinkle over the coriander and serve with the harissa yoghurt on the side.

Lemony pea and broccoli pasta

You can get this speedy midweek dinner on the table in 15 minutes (Clare Winfield/PA)

“I make a variation of this for my kids a lot, using whatever greens I have in the fridge – green beans, asparagus, spinach etc. It’s exceptionally simple yet super-satisfying,” says Mills.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 servings of pasta; I like orecchiette in this dish (about 75g per person)

1 small head broccoli (about 300g) cut into small florets

100g frozen peas

Large handful of cashews (about 50g, see note below)

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 × 400g tin of butter beans, drained and rinsed

Sea salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the instructions on the pack, adding the broccoli and frozen peas for the last three minutes of the cooking time. Cook until the pasta is al dente, the broccoli is tender, and the peas are defrosted, then drain and return to the pan.

2. Meanwhile, put the cashews and stock cube into a bowl with 100 millilitres boiling water, let the stock cube dissolve and the cashews soak for five minutes.

3. Put the mustard, nutritional yeast, the juice of both lemons and half the zest, and half the tin of butter beans into a high-speed blender along with the cashews and their soaking liquid. Blend until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pour the sauce over the drained pasta and veg, adding the last half of the butter beans. Stir to combine and top with a little extra lemon zest.

Note: To make this nut-free, swap the cashews for sunflower seeds.

‘Deliciously Ella: Healthy Made Simple’ by Ella Mills (Yellow Kite, £22).