Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche Baguette

There are certain days, of course, when the simple sandwich is all that we either have time to prepare for lunch or simply that which we desire. What we should try to do, however, is try to avoid comprising our sandwich of such as processed meats or cheeses. We should attempt to make our sandwich as healthy as well as tasty as possible and what better way to do so than by making it with delicious smoked salmon.

Ingredients

1 French baguette or equivalent
2oz of smoked salmon
Generous handful of fresh rocket leaves
2 tbsp low fat creme fraiche
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Slice the baguette in half horizontally as shown and arrange the rocket leaves on the bottom half. Add the smoked salmon, creme fraiche and black pepper in that order. Place the top on and slice.

How simple is this? I promise, however, that it is also both incredibly tasty and a very healthy choice for lunch today or any day.

Healthy Beef and Tomato Penne Pasta

There are not many of us who have the luxury of spending as much time cooking lunch as we do dinner. This may of course be different at weekends. The beef part of this recipe can therefore be prepared in advance and refrigerated or even frozen, to be thawed and reheated when required.

This recipe is for two people.

Ingredients

1/2lb ground or minced beef
1 small onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed or very finely chopped)
1 large can (approx. 14oz) of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
2 cups of penne pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley (or herb of your choice) for garnishing

Method

Brown the beef in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally.

Bring a large pan of boiling water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook per the instructions on the packet. Remember that adding such as olive oil to pasta while cooking to prevent it sticking is a myth. Oil and water do not mix and the oil will simply float on top of the water in the form of a greasy film. This is essentially therefore nothing more than a waste of good olive oil and the money you paid for it.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it well and add it to the pot with the beef and tomato sauce. Stir carefully and well for a couple of minutes to ensure even coating then serve the dish, garnished with the parsley or equivalent.