3 recipes that taste good and look good

My Instagram feed is always full of flavoursome looking food, I can almost smell the spices or taste the sugar from a single picture. Feeling inspired (and hungry) to rustle up something adventurous, I search for new recipes to try out. But so often when scrolling through one culinary creation after another on Pinterest,  I get half way through the ingredients list and think, “It would never turn out like that if I made it. I won't waste my time and money”.

3 recipes that taste good and look good

If you're like me, someone who finds cooking a necessity to eat rather than a joy, the key to maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is mixing up your weekly menu with recipes that won't break the bank or your mood when trying it out for the first time.

So here are three pixel perfect recipes that are guaranteed to get mouths watering on and offline. Having made these recipes myself, I can testify that they really taste as good as they look.

Crust-less Spinach, Cheese and Tomato Quiche

Whether you are avoiding pastry due to dietary requirements or choosing to eat a cleaner, non processed diet, this dish delivers. Thanks to a blend of fromage blanc and milk, it is so much more than an oversized omelette. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, the light but utterly satisfying texture holds up really well, so you can proudly slice and serve it to guests with roasted sweet potatoes, a salad or on its own.

Ingredients

1 tsp of olive oil

2 small garlic cloves minced

1 medium onion

2 large tomatoes

200g of fresh spinach

4 medium eggs

200ml of milk

5 tablespoons of 0% natural fromage blanc

75g grated parmesan

100g of mixed grated cheese. I used a shop blend of Edam, Gouda and Maasdam but any medium to strong mix, that's not too overpowering will go well with the spinach.

salt and pepper.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220c.
• Heat the oil in a pan, add onions, garlic and spinach and cook until slightly wilted then remove from the heat.
• In a large jug beat together 4 eggs, then add the fromage blanc and milk. It will be quite thick but whisk until smooth and lump free.
• Add grated cheese mix and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the jug.
• Combine spinach from the pan to the egg and cheese mixture, stirring gently.
• Grease a pie dish with non-stick spray, a rub of butter or olive oil.
• Evenly pour the mixture into the dish. Place thinly sliced tomato on the top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
• Place the pie dish on a baking tray in the middle of the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and centre is not runny, around 35- 45 minutes.

Carrot, Apple and Ginger Soup

Equally as vibrant in flavour as it is in colour (unless you for get to add the carrots) this spiced soup will be visible in the dark ;) Soup also takes longer to digest than other food, filling you with satisfaction for longer. This recipe makes around 6-8 portions so you might want to check you have space in the freezer first, or half the amount of ingredients first. Serve with sesame seed crackers and a shaving of parmesan cheese as a starter or with warm bread for a light lunch.

Ingredients

500g of peeled and chopped carrots
1.5l of vegetable stock (mix 1 and 1/2 vegetable stock cubes with 1.5l of water)
1/2 of a large onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper

Method

• Gently heat the oil in a large pot on a low setting.
• Add onions and cook lightly until translucent.
• Add grated ginger and minced garlic to the pot for around 2 minutes.
• Pour in vegetable stock and carrots, bring to the boil.
• Turn down the heat, add honey, salt and pepper.
• Simmer until vegetables are tender – roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
• Leave to cool and blitz with a hand blender.

Mexican Quinoa Bowl

A snap of this dish, with the star ingredient on everyone’s lips, is sure to get plenty of likes from your followers. This recipe will convince you of the beauty of quinoa as a staple in your diet if you haven't already been impressed. Cooking quinoa in the same pan as spices and other ingredients also ensures that the protein powerhouse is by no means superficial in appearance. Plus it means you will have fewer dishes to clean up at the end!

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion
1 cup quinoa, uncooked and rinsed
2 cups of water
250g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small tin of sweet corn
1 container of grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 lime
1 avocado
Seasoning mix
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Method

• Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion stirring frequently for about 1 minute.
• Add black beans, quinoa, water and seasoning mix.
• Bring to a boil, cover and leave to simmer for around 20 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked.
• Stir in sweetcorn, the juice of the lime and halved cherry tomatoes.
• Serve with natural corn tortilla chips, sliced avocado, and top with a little sour cream or natural yoghurt to really show off.

Impress your friends and followers by trying any of these pretty and practical dishes which can be frozen and thawed and reheated in a matter of hours. Post a picture with the tag #FITGIRLCODE or @fitgirlcode and make us all drool!