A hearty, colourful base of brown rice and spiced vegetables topped with grilled mackerel.

Ingredients

The Grain Base

• 1 bag Ben’s Original Boil-in-the-Bag Brown Rice (Any brown rice is fine😀)

The Spiced Vegetable Mix

• 1 Red onion

• 2 Medium carrots

• ½ Large sweet potato

• 2-3 cloves Fresh garlic

• 1 small knob Fresh ginger

• ½ tin Chickpeas (drained)

• To taste Coconut and beetroot curry powder

• A splash Water (to help soften the vegetables)

The Greens & Toppings

• 1-2 handfuls Fresh baby spinach

• 1-2 handfuls Mixed salad leaves

• 1-2 tbsp Four-seed mix (e.g., pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and flax)

• 2-3 tbsp Fresh pomegranate seeds

The Protein

• 2 Fresh mackerel fillets

• Garnish: A minty Yogurt Sauce which was in the fridge

Instructions

1. Prep and Sauté

Finely dice the red onion, carrots, and sweet potato. Mince the garlic and ginger. In a large pan, sauté the onion in a little oil until softened, then add the carrots, sweet potato, garlic, and ginger. Add 2 teaspoons of the coconut and beetroot curry powder (regular curry powder is fine)

2. Spice and Simmer

Add the chickpeas to the vegetable pan.. Pour in a small splash of water, cover, and let it cook over a gentle heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

3. Prepare the Rice

While the vegetables are simmering, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the bag of brown rice and cook according to the package instructions.

4. Grill the Fish

Season your mackerel fillets. Place them under a preheated grill (skin-side up for a crisp finish) for about 3–5 minutes per side, or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.

5. The "Healthy Base" Assembly

Once the rice is done, drain it and fold it directly into the spiced vegetable pan. Toss in the spinach and mixed salad leaves—the residual heat will wilt them perfectly.

6. Plating

Mound the rice and vegetable mix onto a plate. Sprinkle generously with the 4-seed mix and pomegranate seeds for crunch and sweetness. Top the dish with your grilled mackerel fillets and dress with the minted yogurt dressing serve immediately.

A rich, comforting spiced lentil stew with sweet butternut squash and creamy coconut.

Ingredients

• 200g Chana dal lentils

• 1 Vegetable stock cube

• Water (as needed for simmering)

• 1 Large onion (finely chopped)

• 1 stick Celery (finely chopped)

• 1 Butternut squash (peeled and cubed)

• 1 tsp Garlic paste

• 1 tsp Ginger paste

• 1 tbsp Curry masala spice powder

• 1 tsp Cumin seeds

• 1 tsp Nigella seeds

• 75g Creamed coconut block (grated)

• Sea salt, to taste

• 1 generous handful Baby spinach leaves

• 1-2 tbsp Pomegranate seeds

• Whole grain brown rice (to serve)

• Minted yogurt (to serve)

Instructions

1. Sauté and Spice

Add the finely chopped onion and celery to a pan with a little bit of oil over low heat. Add the cubed butternut squash, curry masala, cumin seeds, and nigella seeds. Stir to bind everything together and cook gently until the spices become really fragrant.

2. Add Aromatics

Add the garlic paste and ginger paste to the pan. Combine thoroughly and keep stirring to ensure the pastes do not stick or burn.

3. Simmer

Cover the ingredients with water and add the vegetable stock cube. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for approximately 35–40 minutes.

[!NOTE]

Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to add splashes of water intermittently if the daal starts to dry out before the lentils are cooked.

4. Enrich with Coconut

Once the lentils are tender and the butternut squash is soft, fold in the grated creamed coconut. Stir well to let it melt through and create a creamy texture. Adjust the consistency with a little extra water if it's too thick.

5. Season and Wilt

Taste the daal and correct the seasoning with a little bit of salt if required. Fold in the generous handful of baby spinach leaves, letting the residual heat wilt them into the stew.

6. Plating

Serve the rich daal alongside cooked whole grain brown rice. Top with a dollop of minted yogurt and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds for a burst of color and sweetness.