Tasty recipes from Pinch of Nom you can prep, freeze & cook in minutes – they’re good for you and family will love them

BRITAIN’S bestselling cookbook series is back, with the most practical one yet – a food-prep guide that will save you hours in the kitchen. Pinch of Nom: Meal Prep, by Kate and Kay Allinson, is full of easy recipes that you can cook once and serve in various guises, and batch-cook freezer-friendly meal bags you can always rely on. Pinch of Nom: Meal Prep, by Kate and Kay Allinson is full of easy recipes Credit: Pinch Of Nom Each recipe has been tested time and time again, so you won’t come unstuck Credit: Pinch Of Nom With breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts and snacks all covered, the book is about making life more efficient. One of the great new ideas is the Power Hour, where Kate and Kim guide you in whipping up four meals within 60 minutes. Plus, there are two weekly meal plans to make your food shop work harder and streamline your cooking. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Each recipe has been tested time and time again, so you won’t come unstuck. Plus the ingredients are all easy to find in your local supermarket. Here, we share dishes from the new book Caramelised Onion Mac and Cheese Give your usual mac and cheese an upgrade with this French onion-inspired version Credit: Pinch Of Nom GIVE your usual mac and cheese an upgrade with this French onion-inspired version. Sweet onions are slowly caramelised until soft and golden, with a sprinkle of fresh thyme adding even more depth to the rich flavour. Serves: 6. Prep time: 15 mins. Cooking time: 1 hr 10 mins. Kcals: 479. Carbs: 76g Most read in Fabulous YOU NEED: Low-calorie cooking spray 3 onions, peeled and finely sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme 1tbsp Henderson’s relish 1tbsp granulated sweetener 500g macaroni 2tbsp plain flour 500ml skimmed milk 120g reduced-fat cheddar, finely grated 60g reduced-fat spreadable cheese 2tsp dijon mustard ¼tsp sriracha sauce 1 slice wholemeal bread, approximately 37g, made into breadcrumbs METHOD: Spray a 28cm casserole dish with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a low heat. Add the onions and season to taste with salt. Fry for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a few splashes of water to stop them catching. Add the thyme, Henderson’s relish and sweetener and fry for 20 minutes, stirring and adding water if needed. The onions should be glossy, softened and turning golden brown. Add the macaroni to a large saucepan of boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. We cooked ours for 8 minutes.Scrape the onions into a large bowl. Add the flour and a little milk to the onion pan and whisk until smooth and combined. Add the remaining milk, then place over a medium heat and whisk occasionally until thickened. Add 100g of the grated cheese, the spreadable cheese, mustard and sriracha and whisk until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and half the onions to the cheese sauce. Mix until combined and the pasta is coated in the sauce. Transfer to the ovenproof dish (if using). Spread the remaining onions on top of the macaroni. Preheat the grill on the medium setting. In a medium bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining cheese and scatter over the top of the macaroni. Place the dish under the hot grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Serve or leave to cool and freeze for up to 3 months. The dish will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 3 minutes, or until piping hot. Ploughman’s Sausage Roll These oven-baked sausage rolls are ideal for lunchboxes, snacks or picnics Credit: Pinch Of Nom THESE sausage rolls are packed with everything that we love about a Ploughman’s lunch! Tangy pickle, melty cheese and herby pork, all wrapped in a soft tortilla. Oven-baked until golden, they’re perfect warm or cold, and they freeze beautifully too. Ideal for lunchboxes, snacks or picnics! Serves: 8. Prep time: 15 mins. Cooking time: 30 mins. Kcals: 179. Carbs: 19g YOU NEED: Low-calorie cooking spray 300g 5% fat minced pork 1tsp dried sage 1tsp garlic granules 1tsp onion granules Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 wheat and white tortilla wraps, approximately 60g per wrap 80g small-chunk pickle 40g reduced-fat cheddar, finely grated 1 medium egg, beaten METHOD: Preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas mark 6 and spray a large baking tray with some low-calorie cooking spray. Place the minced pork in a large bowl and add the sage, garlic and onion granules. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. Divide the mixture into four equal portions, then make into four sausage shapes approximately 20cm (8in) long and arrange on the lined baking tray. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and leave until they are cool enough to handle. (Leave the oven on as you’ll be using it again in a moment.) Lay the wraps flat on the work surface. Spread the pickle on to the lower half of each wrap and sprinkle over the cheese. Place a sausage close to the edge of the first wrap on top of the pickle and cheese and roll tightly. Brush a little beaten egg onto the last section of the wrap and place seam side down on the work surface while you repeat with the remaining wraps. Cut the wraps in half. You can cut the ends off the wrap just to tidy them up a little if you wish. Arrange the sausage rolls on the baking tray and brush each one with the remaining egg. Bake in the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crisp. At this stage, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The sausage rolls will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Korean-style Butter Beans Top it with a fresh fried egg for a creamy golden yolk that brings the whole dish together Credit: Pinch Of Nom WE can’t get enough of naturally creamy butter beans, and we’ve given them a Korean-inspired twist in this spicy, flavourful dish. The beans are cooked in a rich gochujang and tomato broth that’s full of depth, with just the right amount of kick Serve it over rice noodles (or egg noodles, it’s entirely up to you!) for a slurp-worthy bowl that’ll have you watching the clock until dinnertime. And if you just can’t get enough, you can chill the beans in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch. Top it with a fresh fried egg for a creamy golden yolk that brings the whole dish together. Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 mins.Cooking time: 30 mins. Kcals: 438. Carbs: 68g YOU NEED: 1tsp sesame oil 1 onion, peeled and sliced 2tsp garlic granules 2-3tsp gochujang paste 2tbsp tomato puree 750ml vegetable stock (1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 750ml boiling water) 1tbsp soy sauce 1tbsp honey 2 x 400g tins butter beans, approximately 480g, drained and rinsed 80g frozen spinach 1tsp rice vinegar 4 x 50g nests of rice noodles 4 medium eggs Low-calorie cooking spray METHOD: Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the sesame oil. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the garlic granules, gochujang paste and tomato puree and cook for a minute. Add the stock, soy sauce and honey and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Add the butter beans and frozen spinach to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the beans are thoroughly heated and the spinach is defrosted and cooked through. Stir in the rice vinegar. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions (usually 4 minutes in a pan of boiling salted water) and fry the eggs to your liking in low-calorie cooking spray. Assemble the noodles in four bowls, pour the beans over and top each bowl with a fried egg. Serve. The beans will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. ’Nduja Chicken Orzo The star of this is a melty, garlicky tomato sauce, complemented by a sneaky kick from ’nduja paste Credit: Pinch Of Nom GET ready for a cosy, flavour-packed pot you won’t be able to get enough of. The star of this is a melty, garlicky tomato sauce, complemented by a sneaky kick from ’nduja paste. You’re packing in your veg, without even thinking about it. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the delicious aroma until dinner time. Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 mins. Cooking time: 1 hr. Kcals: 487. Carbs: 47g YOU NEED: Low-cal cooking spray 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (visible fat removed), approximately 600g in total, cut in half 1 onion, peeled and diced 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1 medium red pepper, halved, deseeded and sliced 200g mushrooms, diced 150g passata 2tbsp tomato puree 50g ’nduja paste 300ml chicken stock (1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 300ml boiling water) 200g dried orzo 100g spinach leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. We browned our chicken thighs before adding them to a 28cm casserole dish, but this isn’t an essential step and they can be added without browning. Spray a large casserole dish with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown for 5 minutes, turning halfway through. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, passata, tomato puree and ’nduja paste to the dish. Pour the stock into the casserole dish, cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Add the orzo and spinach, then return to the oven and cook for a further 20-30 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through, show no sign of pinkness and the orzo should be tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. The casserole will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 3-4 minutes until piping hot. Chocolate Orange Mousse This is the perfect make-ahead pudding to keep chilled for when your sweet tooth strikes Credit: Pinch of Nom LOOKING for an easy chocolate fix? This rich yet airy mousse blends zesty orange with velvety dark chocolate and creamy Greek yoghurt for a lighter take on a classic dessert. With no baking needed, it’s the perfect make-ahead pudding to keep chilled for when your sweet tooth strikes. Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 mins, plus 3 hrs or overnight chilling. Kcals: 274. Carbs: 20g YOU NEED: 150g 70% dark chocolate, broken into small pieces Finely grated zest and juice 1 orange 150g fat-free Greek yoghurt 1tsp vanilla extract Pinch salt 3 egg whites 1tbsp caster sugar METHOD: Place the chocolate pieces in a heatproof glass bowl. Pour around 500ml water into a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Bring the water to the boil, then lower the heat so it is simmering. Sit the bowl with the chocolate over the simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the simmering water, and stir until the chocolate has melted and is glossy and smooth. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat, add the orange zest and stir well. Make sure the zest of the orange is fine so as not to change the texture of the mousse too much. Set aside. In a large bowl, add the Greek yoghurt, vanilla extract, salt and orange juice. Stir well to combine and set aside. Place the egg whites and caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use an electric whisk if possible or whisk by hand. Whisk the egg whites for a minute or two until they have reached stiff peaks. Slowly pour the yoghurt mix into the melted chocolate and stir until you get a creamy chocolate mixture. Take one spoonful of the whisked egg white and beat into the creamy chocolate. This will help to loosen the mix and make it easier to incorporate the rest of the egg whites. Take another spoonful of egg white and gently fold into the mixture, trying not to lose too much air. Repeat this until all the egg white has been used and you have a light and airy chocolate mixture. Spoon the mousse equally into four glasses or jars. Cover with cling film or a lid and leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. The mousse will keep in the fridge for 2–3 days. You can also freeze the chocolate mousse. Once set, remove from the fridge and serve straight from the glasses. If frozen, defrost thoroughly before eating. Note that the texture of the mousse may change after freezing. Extracted from Pinch of Nom: Meal Prep by Kate and Kay Allinson (£25, Bluebird) – out Thursday. Photography: Mike English. Comment now