New year, new recipes! Right now we are still on holiday mode, so these recipes are quick and easy to prepare, while making the most of the amazing fresh produce in season. And after a particularly festive holiday season, these are all quite light options with loads of flavour and lots of nourishing ingredients. Enjoy!

Broccoli, Almond and Feta Salad

This is such an easy salad to make, and it takes all of five minutes to prepare. Plus, it is a very healthy, low-carb option which is still filling and delicious. 

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets, stem removed
1/2 C roasted unsalted almonds
2 t basil pesto
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
sea salt and black pepper to taste
50g feta, crumbled
pomegranate seeds

Method:
Throw the broccoli, almonds, pesto, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil into the food processor and process to a fine crumb. Don’t include the broccoli stem as it won’t process finely. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Tip out into a bowl and add the feta and pomegranate seeds. This serves two for lunch or four as a side dish - double the mixture if needing a larger quantity (you may need to process it in two batches, depending on the size of your food processor). 

Panko-crusted Fish with Lemon Zoodles

I’ve become a fan of the zucchini noodle (or ‘zoodle’) as they take just a few minutes to prepare and don’t need to be cooked. They are also very versatile. The crumb topping used here on the fish is also great with chicken. 

Ingredients:
2 courgettes
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper
1 T olive oil
300g white fish fillets (we used gurnard)
25g butter, softened
1/2 C panko crumbs
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 t lemon zest
1 t parsley, chopped
1 fresh chilli, sliced thinly (optional)
Parmesan (optional)

Method:
Prepare the zoodles - use a spiraliser to create long ribbons. Place into a bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. In a bowl. mix the soft butter, panko crumbs, garlic, parsley and lemon zest until combined well. Season with salt and pepper. Place the fish in a lined baking dish and press the crumb mixture on top of the fillets - this doesn’t have to be neat, just cover each fillet with a layer of the crumb. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees C, or until the crumb is golden and the fish cooked through. To serve, place a fillet of fish on top of a layer of zoodles and sprinkle with fresh chilli slices and/or grated Parmesan, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 2.

Apricot, blueberry, almond and yoghurt pudding

This is a nice light dessert which is very easy to prepare. We used Piako Vanilla Bean yoghurt - it’s delicious!

Ingredients:
10 ripe apricots, halved and stoned
1/2 C water
2 T maple syrup
500g Greek yoghurt
1/4 C sliced almonds
1/2 C blueberries

Method:
Put the apricots, water and maple syrup in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a moderate heat, stirring regularly. Once apricots are soft and sort of falling apart, turn off the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, process in a food processor, then chill for a couple of hours. In four individual glasses, layer some yoghurt at the bottom of the glass, then a layer of the apricots, some blueberries, then another layer of yoghurt. Garnish with almonds and blueberries. Alternatively, make one large dessert and spoon into bowls. Serves 4. Remaining apricots can be used as a cereal topping or served over ice-cream - they will keep for up to one week in the fridge, and can also be frozen.