By As the winter nights draw in, there are few things as enjoyable as a homemade cottage pie to warm the cockles. And it’s increasingly hard to resist a sweet pup to round of your meal and give you the fuel to keep cosy all evening.
We’re a bit partial to a little culinary TLC so we asked Morrisons’ NuMe Executive Chef and Head of Innovation, Neil Nugent to give us his top tips for taking the sin out of the nation’s favourite eats.
Cottage pie
1. Dry fry lean minced beef. Add oil if absolutely necessary but there should be enough moisture in the mince
2. Fill to the brim with delicious seasonal vegetables. Swede, celery, parsnip and green lentils will all send you well on your way towards your 5 a day.
3. Use sweet potatoes instead of standard mash to create a healthier version of the British classic
4. Add crème fraîche to give your mash an indulgent quality, without resorting to butter and cream. NuMe crème fraîche has 50% reduced fat.
5. Top with the wholemeal breadcrumbs for that extra fibre and an unbeatable crunch
Skip the ketchup, add some saladBacon butty
1. Ditch the white bread and switch to whole grain. Most of us need to eat more fibre, it’s an easy way to do it
2. Grill your bacon instead of frying, it’ll cut down hugely on those dangerous saturated fats
3. Try a lower fat bacon. Morrisons NuMe bacon has 70% less fat than standard bacon, and 40% less salt too
4. Go for reduced fat spread, you won’t notice the taste difference to butter anyway
5. Leave the ketchup well alone and go for grilled tomatoes instead. It’ll count towards your 5 a day, plus ketchup has added sugar and salt
Try rice pudding with soya milkRice pudding
1. Cook your rice in soya milk, it’s ideal for those with lactose intolerance, or those looking for an alternative to full fat milk
2. Add sweetener instead of sugar, it won’t affect the taste and will give that much needed sweet hit
3. Experiment with flavours, I lace this with vanilla extract to keep the tastes fresh and interesting
4. If you need to add a little extra indulgence, top with crème fraîche to taste
5. Jam is fine for cold winter evenings, but you can enjoy your pudding cold the next day too. Serve with fresh fruits for a completely different taste, Morrisons NuMe range includes a juicy fruit pack for puddings on the go, with melon, mango & berries to provide 2 of your 5 a day
