The Secret Ingredient: Family Cookbook. Sally Bee

      Mexican Butter Bean Hash

      This is a very simple, fun and filling weekend brunch dish – with a bit of a kick!

      Serves 4

      2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

      1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

      4 lean rashers of bacon, all visible fat cut off and chopped

      2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

      2 x 400g (14oz) tins chopped tomatoes

      1 x 400g (14oz) tin butter beans, drained

      freshly ground black pepper

      4 preserved jalapeños, chopped

      slurp of Tabasco sauce, to taste

      4 fresh eggs

      1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

      2 Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry for 4–5 minutes.

      3 Next, add the bacon, garlic, chopped tomatoes and butter beans. Season with freshly ground black pepper, the chopped jalapeños and Tabasco sauce and stir together to combine. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes.

      4 Now transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish and pop in the oven for 20 minutes until bubbling and all the flavours have fused together. Take out of the oven and make 4 scooped holes in the mixture.

      5 Break in the eggs and pop back into the oven for a further 6–7 minutes or until the eggs are cooked. Serve for breakfast with a big chunk of nutty bread. Delicious!

      Chunky Salmon Chowder

      I am such a huge fan of soups. They are an easy way to boost your vegetable intake and it’s so easy to get children to try different flavours if they are dunking a lovely chunk of nutty bread into a bowl of soup… usually mine!

      This is a delicious warming soup that is full of flavour yet very light. Salmon provides the protein, while the potato gives you a ready source of vitamin C, and the lentils make this heart-healthy and filling.

      I really like adding lentils to soup, not only because of the health properties but also because it makes them much more filling – crucial when feeding hungry teenagers!

      Serves 4

      2 skinless salmon fillets

      500ml (18fl oz) low-salt vegetable stock

      700ml (1¼ pints) skimmed milk

      2 sprigs of thyme

      1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

      2 leeks, sliced

      2 tbsp plain flour

      1 large white potato, peeled and diced

      75g (3oz) red lentils

      80g (3oz) bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

      freshly ground black pepper

      1 Place the salmon in a large saucepan and pour over the stock and milk, drop in the sprigs of thyme, and bring the liquid to the boil. Cook for 2–4 minutes.

      2 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan, add the leeks and cook until softened. Stir them occasionally and don’t let them brown, as this is a pale-coloured chowder. Stir in the plain flour.

      3 Remove the salmon from the stock and set aside. Add the stock and milk mixture to the leeks and stir in to blend in the liquid, then add the potato and lentils. Leave to cook for 30 minutes or until the potato is tender and the lentils are soft. Remove the thyme sprigs.

      4 Finally, flake the salmon into meaty chunks and gently stir into the chowder, not letting them break up, along with the parsley and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

      Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

      Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are roasted with a blend of delicious spices. This is a superfood superhuman soup with a high-octane flavour. Healthy eating has never tasted so good.

      Serves 6

      1 tbsp fennel seeds

      2 tsp cumin seeds

      2 tsp coriander seeds

      2 tsp dried oregano

      ½ tsp dried crushed chillies

      ½ tsp whole black peppercorns

      1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

      2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

      4 sweet potatoes

      1 medium butternut squash, washed

      1 large onion, peeled and chopped

      1.5 litres (2½ pints) low-salt chicken stock

      1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

      2 Put the fennel, cumin, coriander, oregano, chillies and black peppercorns into a mortar and with the pestle crush the flavourings to a coarse powder. Add the crushed garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil and blend everything to a paste.

      3 Peel the potatoes and chop into 2cm (¾in) chunks, and do the same with the butternut squash (there’s no need to peel it). Now tip the squash and potatoes into a shallow baking dish and, using your hands, smear the spice paste over the vegetables to evenly coat. Cook in the oven for 30–40 minutes until nice and tender and just beginning to colour.

      4 While the vegetables are roasting, in a large saucepan set over a medium heat, heat the remaining oil and sauté the onion for 3–4 minutes until softened and translucent. Do not allow to colour.

      5 Once the butternut squash and potatoes are done, put them into a blender or food processor along with half of the chicken stock and whiz until smooth. Put the remaining stock in the baking dish and use it to de-glaze the tin. Pour these juices and the stock into the soup to ensure you have every last scrap of flavour. Stir well and serve.

       A Note on Spices

      Because healthy eating means we can’t rely on fat, salt and sugar to flavour our food, spices are hugely important. Take a look at your spice rack and throw away any that are out of date. Replace them with delicious aromatic new ones and never be afraid to be experimental!

      Pale Courgette and Mint Soup

      The onions and ginger along with the watercress add an extra layer of nutrition with their antioxidant properties. The watercress also gives a peppery flavour that makes this soup one of my favourites.

      If you can get hold of courgette flowers, float one on top of each bowl of soup – it looks wonderful as a dinner party starter!

      Serves 2–4