Putting vegetables on skewers is certainly not a new idea, but one that many people fail to realize the advantages of. By making skewers of vegetables you will be ensuring that your family is getting the vitamins and minerals that they need, most of which can only be found in fresh vegetables.

You can serve this dish with your choice of side, either salad or potato is usually best. If you want to try something new, serve it with cracked wheat and tomato and olive relish!

The best part of all is that your kids will love it because of the rich colors but at the same time you know that it is completely healthy, and parents always love that.

Ingredients (Makes 8 )

• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 large orange bell pepper
• 1 large courgette (zucchini)
• 4 baby aubergines (eggplant)
• 2 medium red onions
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped, fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried rosemary
• salt and pepper
• cooked cracked wheat, tomato and olive relish, to serve

1. Halve and deseed the bell peppers and cut into even sized pieces. Trim the courgettes, cut in half lengthwise and slice into 2.5 cm pieces. Place the bell peppers and courgettes into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Trim the aubergines and quarter them lengthwise. Peel the onions, then cut each one into 8 even sized wedges. Add the aubergines and onions to the bowl containing the bell peppers and courgettes.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary and seasoning. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and stir to coat.



4. Preheat the grill to medium. Thread the vegetables on to 8 skewers. Arrange the kebabs on the rack and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning frequently until the vegetables are lightly charred and just softened.
5. Drain the vegetable kebabs and serve on a bed of cracked wheat accompanied with a tomato and olive relish, if wished.

Pancakes are delicious in the morning, but if you want to add some nutritional value to your everyday run of the mill pancake recipe, then consider trying the healthy soft pancakes with stir fried vegetables and tofu recipe. Vegetables and tofu are two of the healthiest foods in the world, so the combination is fantastic.

Most people would never consider combining these two foods with their pancakes, but the result is actually explosive. Add on a glass of orange juice and you have the perfect morning meal for the whole family.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2.5 cm fresh ginger root, grated
• 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and shredded
• 100 g mangetout (snow peas), topped, tailed and shredded
• 225 g tofu (bean curd), drained and cut into 1 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, plus extra to serve
• 2 tbsp hoi sin sauce, plus extra to serve
• 60 g canned bamboo shoots, drained
• 60 g canned water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• 100 g bean sprouts
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded and sliced thinly
• 1 small bunch fresh chives
• 12 soft Chinese pancakes
• shredded Chinese cabbage, sliced cucumber and chilli strips, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan and stir fry the garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add the spring onions, mangetout, tofu, soy and hoi sin sauces. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
2. Add the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, bean sprouts and red chilli to the pan. Stir fry for 2 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still have bite. Snip the chives into 2.5 cm lengths and stir them into the mixture in the pan.
3. Heat the pancakes according to the instructions on the packet and keep warm.
4. Divide the vegetables and tofu among the pancakes. Roll up the pancakes and serve with Chinese cabbage, sliced cucumber and red chili strips.

Sure anything with the name caramelized in it may not sound healthy, but this one definitely is. As stated in the name, the healthy briyani with caramelized onions recipe is one that is incredibly quick and simple to make.

The name briyani is typically used to describe a rice casserole that often contains meat, poultry, seafood or vegetables and which is usually served with a separate sauce. The entire dish is nutritious and simple to make and the caramelized onions is particularly tasty.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 175 g Basmati rice, rinsed
• 60 g red lentils, rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cardamom pods, split
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 6 cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken
• 1 onion, chopped
• 225 g cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 100 g frozen peas
• 60 g sultanas (golden raisins)
• 600 ml fresh vegetable stock
• salt and pepper
• naan bread, to serve

Caramelized Inions

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium red onion, shredded
• 1 medium onion, shredded
• 2 tsp caster sugar

1. Place the rice, lentils, bay leaf, spices, onion, cauliflower, carrot, peas and sultanas in a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
2. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 10 minutes to allow the stock to be absorbed. Discard the bay leaf, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick.
3. Meanwhile, make the caramelized onions. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until just softened. Add the caster sugar, raise the heat and cook, stirring for a further 2 to 3 minutes until the onions are golden.
4. Gently mix the rice and vegetables and transfer to warm serving plates. Spoon over the caramelized onions and serve with plain, warmed naan bread.