Rachel Khoo: Super Suppers

I don’t profess to be the abstemious type. For me, there’s little point in eating low-fat yoghurt or half-fat crème fraîche. But after a long run in my local park in Paris, sometimes an entrecôte frites or a croque madame muffin isn’t quite what my body is demanding. All too often healthy food compromises in flavour by making mediocre substitutions. My version of eating healthily does none of that. It revolves around wholesome grains, my favourite seasonal vegetables, and a few little additions, such as dried fruits and nuts, which elevate it from the everyday into an energy boost bursting with flavour. For all those lamenting the end of the Olympics, this one goes out to you.

Spelt Salad with roasted carrot, avocado and hazelnuts

Serves four

16 baby carrots (left unpeeled)

1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tbsp honey

175g pearled spelt

50g toasted hazelnuts, chopped

6 spring onions, chopped

A handful of herbs, chopped

Zest of ½ orange

1 avocado

For the vinaigrette:

2 tbsp walnut oil

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking tray with foil. Toss the carrots with the fennel seeds, oil, honey and some sea salt. Roast for 40 minutes until the carrots are tender and crinkly. In the meantime, boil the spelt in water for about 18 minutes, keeping a little bit of bite. While the spelt is cooking, mix all the vinaigrette ingredients together and season. Drain the spelt, season and dress with the vinaigrette. When cool, add the hazelnuts (keep a few for sprinkling on top), spring onions, herbs, orange zest and slices of avocado. Serve with the carrots scattered over the spelt, sprinkle with the remaining nuts and add some extra chopped herbs.