Today I have two nourishing and healthy recipes. The first is a healthier take on fish and chips and it is baked in the oven. I recommend Maris Piper potatoes as they make very good chips. Hake is plentiful and good value, but you could also use haddock or cod. The olive oil spray, which is now available in all supermarkets, is a very clever way of using just a tiny amount of oil so that the breadcrumbs don’t dry out but still turn a nice golden colour. This tartare sauce recipe will keep for a week in the fridge. It really is worth the effort to make it yourself. You could also add some smoked paprika or chilli to vary the taste. We all love burgers and chips and this recipe is as good for your summer barbecue as it is in the cold of winter. Do try to buy your mince as lean as possible though. You could also use pork. To finish off your burgers, there is a very good Simply Better relish made by Folláin that I like. Happy cooking.

Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook, with 300 life-saving recipes for super busy parents, is published by Gill Books.

Peppered Beef Burgers with Sweet Potato Wedges

Serves four

500g (1lb 2oz) lean minced beef

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp cracked black peppercorns

4 wholemeal bread rolls, split in half

about 4 tbsp tomato relish

25g (1oz) mixed baby salad leaves

4 small tomatoes, sliced

Handful of thinly sliced red onion

Sweet potato wedges:

500g (1lb 2oz) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

1 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark six).

2. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a shallow baking tin and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss until evenly coated, then season with salt and roast for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly golden.

3. Meanwhile, place the minced beef in a bowl with the garlic, tomato purée, parsley and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix until well combined. Divide the mixture into four and shape into patties. Put the cracked black peppercorns on a plate and press into the burgers.

4. Preheat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and cook the burgers for about four minutes on each side for medium, or until they are done to your liking.

5. Toast the burger buns on a hot griddle pan. Put a spoonful of the tomato relish on the bottom halves, then add a small pile of salad leaves to each one. Top with a burger and then arrange a mound of the tomatoes and red onion on top. Cover with the burger bun tops and arrange on plates with the sweet potato wedges.

Baked Fish and Chips

Serves four

4 x 150g (5oz) hake fillets, pin-boned and skin removed

Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

900g (2lb) Maris Piper potatoes

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

25g (1oz) plain flour

1 egg

25g (1oz) panko (toasted dried breadcrumbs)

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp sesame seeds

About 1 tsp olive oil spray

Lightly dressed green salad, to serve

Tartare sauce:

2 gherkins, finely chopped

3 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp chopped rinsed capers

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp lemon juice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the hake in a shallow dish, then sprinkle over the lemon juice and leave to marinate for 30 minutes covered with cling film in the fridge.

2. To make the tartare sauce, mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Place in a small bowl and cover with cling film, then chill until needed.

3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark six).

4. Cut the potatoes into thick chips. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the chips for five minutes. Drain and dry well on kitchen paper. Place the chips on to two baking sheets and toss in the rapeseed oil, then arrange in a single layer and season with a little salt.

5. Put the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Lightly beat the egg and place in a shallow dish. Mix together the breadcrumbs, lemon rind, parsley and sesame seeds in a shallow dish. Dip each hake fillet into the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the egg mixture. Finally, coat each fillet evenly in the flavoured breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet. Lightly spray with the olive oil.

6. Put the chips into the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Place the coated fish fillets in the oven and cook for another 15–20 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and golden brown and the chips are nicely golden.

7. Divide the fish and chips between four plates and add a small dish of the tartare sauce to each one along with some of the green salad. CL