Sophie Michell’s nutritious, quick easy family recipes

The ‘Glamorous Gourmet’ and star of Channel 4’s Cook Yourself Thin, Sophie Michell has revealed how to create speedy, inexpensive and healthy dinners that all the family will love, using Uncle Ben’s range of cooking sauces which are free from artificial colourings, flavourings and preservatives and contain high quality, wholesome ingredients, including fragrant and aromatic spices.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA WITH MINT YOGHURT & RICE

Sophie says, “Using Uncle Ben’s Tikka Masala sauce can be a much healthier alternative to a takeaway curry. Pack with vegetables or healthy meats such as turkey or chicken.”

Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Calories per serving: 497

Ingredients
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
500g diced chicken breast
1 jar of Uncle Ben’s Tikka Masala sauce
Small handful of dried or fresh chopped coriander
200ml low fat yoghurt
Small handful of fresh mint
Squeeze of lemon
Sea salt and black pepper
250g Uncle Ben’s long grain rice

1. Firstly to make the mint yoghurt, finely chop the mint and mix in with the yoghurt, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Set to one side.

2. Halve and finely slice the onion and then finely chop the garlic. Take a medium saucepan and fry the onion and garlic in a little oil until clear in colour (about 2 minutes)

3. Stir in the chicken meat and fry for a further 3 minutes

4. Add the Uncle Ben’s Tikka Masala sauce, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the coriander and then take off the heat. Add extra water if required.

5. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions

6. When the rice is cooked, reheat the Tikka Masala and serve with the yoghurt on the side.

PEPPER AND COURGETTE BURRITOS WITH SALSA AND GUACAMOLE

Sophie’s top tip; “Any leftover mixture from this recipe can be used as a really tasty and healthy jacket potato filling. Top with low fat sour cream,”

Serves: 4
Cooking Sauce: 30 minutes
Calories per serving: 503

Ingredients
1tsp olive oil
2 red onions
2 courgettes
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 jar of Uncle Ben’s Chilli con carne sauce
4 soft flour tortillas
100g reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 tomatoes
1 red onion
1 red chilli
Small handful of fresh coriander
2 ripe avocadoes
1 garlic clove
2 limes
Salt and pepper
150ml fat free Greek yoghurt

1. Roughly chop vegetables. Then heat up a splash of olive oil and gently fry all the vegetables in a saucepan for about 10 minutes, until starting to colour. Then add the Uncle Ben’s chilli con carne sauce and continue cooking for 20 minutes on a low heat

2. Meanwhile you can make the salsa and guacamole. To make the salsa chop the tomatoes into small cubes then mix with the chilli and the coriander, season and rest. Then for the guacamole, scoop the avocados into a bowl with the finely chopped garlic and lime juice and crush with a fork, and season

3. Divide the veggie chilli mixture between the four tortillas and roll up in a baking dish, any extra can come out at the ends, or be added to the tray. Then sprinkle with the yoghurt and cheddar cheese and grill until melted and golden

4. Serve with a big spoon of the salsa, guacamole and Greek yoghurt

SOY AND HONEY PORK WITH SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

Sophie says, “Long grain and wild rice together is a great complex carbohydrate, plus Uncle Ben’s Boil in Bag variety is ready in just 20 minutes,”

Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Calories: 529

Ingredients
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1” piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
4 pork chops of pork loin steaks
1 jar of Uncle Ben’s sweet and sour sauce
6 spring onions
150g mange tout
250g of Uncle Ben’s long grain and wild rice (or two of the boil in bag packets)

1. Firstly mix all of the marinade ingredients together, add the pork and leave for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the meal.

2. Heat up a pan of water and cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

3. Heat a frying pan up until very hot, then cook the pork for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through out (this depends on thickness)

4. Meanwhile roughly chop the spring onion and briefly stir fry with the mange tout. Add the Uncle Ben’s sweet and sour sauce and heat to a simmer.

5. Spoon sauce over the pork and serve with rice.