10-a-day the easy way: Gizzi Erskine and Rosemary Ferguson show how

"Everyone’s going to hate me for saying this, but ‘10-a-day’ is more than possible,” insists Gizzi Erskine. The chef and her new business partner, nutritionist Rosemary Ferguson, are determined to prove that packing many more portions of fruit and veg into your diet is achievable, and – importantly – filling and full of flavour, too. “This is not rabbit food,” says Erskine.

Rosemary Ferguson

Guidelines regarding what we’re supposed to eat and avoid can be complex, counter-intuitive and ever-changing. One week fat is our friend; the next, butter is back on the blacklist. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, first it was five a day, then it suddenly shot up to 10, and then we were told three would do, at a pinch. But for anyone even a little concerned about their health (and that of the environment), cutting back on processed food and red meat, and replacing them with fresh fruit and vegetables, makes sense.

And this is what Erskine and Ferguson have made their mission. They have teamed up to create what Ferguson describes as “nutritious fast food” under the name Pure Filth. “It’s angelic food that people will want to eat.”

The pair met at The Big Feastival last year and “got on instantly”, says Ferguson. “I think we were destined to be mates,” adds Erskine. “We have a lot of friends in common… within minutes we were yapping about food and pals.” A plan to work together was swiftly cooked up, making the most of their individual strengths: Ferguson, a model turned nutritionist and naturopath, looks after juices and, of course, nutrition, and Erskine, the author of four cookbooks, handles the recipes. 

For Erskine, who “lives for her next meal”, it’s all about taste: “Aromatics. Ginger. Turmeric. Garlic. Herbs. In abundance. For flavour over health. Health is just an added bonus.” 

And while they might evangelise about the power of vegetables, they are far from preachy. Alcohol is not the enemy; nor is toast and Marmite or a burger and fries. Saying that, they say their meat-free black-bean burger topped with beer cheese and ghee-fried onions (with its five portions of vegetables) is a “mindblower”. 

“I eat meat every now and then,” says Ferguson, “but I would order this over a beef burger any day – even if I had a searing hangover.” Both see hearty, flavour-and-veg-packed food like this as the antidote to the occasional evening of over-indulgence. “Knowing what to eat to heal your liver and fix your brain has been much discussed,” says Erskine. 

“We both feel that health food has become too extreme, and elitist – ­leaving out food groups for reasons that are really not understood by the consumer and often not necessary,” says Ferguson. “For us, nothing is out of bounds.”

How do they feel about the much-discussed and recently maligned “clean eating” trend? “I can’t even talk about the term any more,” says Erskine with a shudder. “It’s horrible – it makes food sound clinical, which is a shame because, truly, it was originally about eating fresh, unprocessed foods, but lots of silly people ruined it.” 

So, cheese, meat and fish are on their menu, in moderation, and used for depth of flavour. “The ragu in our lasagne is made with ethical veal and high-welfare pork mince, chicken livers and pancetta – but in small doses,” says Erskine. “The pancetta makes it savoury and the livers thicken the sauce and make a little bit of meat go a long way.” Vegetables are at the heart of the recipes: “Say we want to do a fish pie. Let’s pack in the nutrients: more herbs; more leeks; our house mash, which has almost every root vegetable in; pea purée.” 

The pair have big plans: “Pure Filth will pop up in a variety of different guises – a burger joint, all-day dining, events, cookery writing, food products, nutritional advice, cooking lessons...” says Erskine. 

For now, we bring you a selection of their recipes – breakfast, lunch and supper for two days, with each day totting up to that not-so-elusive 10 portions – with more to come in their new online column (telegraph.co.uk/food), all designed to help you supercharge your nutrient intake without sacrificing an ounce of flavour.

The recipes

Breakfast

Sunny Bircher muesli with yogurt, berries and passion fruit
Immune Sharpener
September bounce (energy juice)

Lunch

Purple carrot and black dal with roasted butternut squash 
Gooey cheesy-middle sweetcorn cakes with avocado, eggs and salsa

Dinner

Lamb and ­root-vegetable stew with anchovy salsa verde
Lentil shepherd’s pie with root-mash
Moroccan chicken couscous

BREAKFAST

Sunny Bircher muesli with yogurt, berries and passion fruit

We’re “activating” the oats in juice, milk and yogurt here. Within a few hours they begin to ferment, which not only makes the muesli super-delicious but good for the gut, too. You’ll need 12 hours’ minimum soaking time.

MAKES

six to eight portions

INGREDIENTS

For the Bircher muesli

• 100g oats

• 2 tbsp mixed dried tropical fruit (such as pineapple, mango and banana), roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp flax seeds

• Handful Brazil nuts, roughly chopped

• 350ml milk, dairy or nut

• 250ml apple juice, ideally freshly juiced

• 1 apple, cored and grated

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• Dash of vanilla extract

To serve, per two portions

• 4-6 tbsp Bircher muesli

• 2-3 tbsp thick yogurt (dairy or coconut)

• Splash or two of milk

• 6 tbsp mixed berries

• 1 passion fruit, halved

METHOD

1. Mix all the muesli ingredients together in a large bowl. It will be too wet at this stage but the liquid will be soaked up. Cover with cling film or transfer to a sealable container and place in the fridge overnight. This will keep for four to five days and will continue to ferment, making it even healthier and great for the gut.

2. Serve topped with yogurt, a splash of milk and the fruit, squeezing over the passion fruit.

Rosemary says: This dish will give you three to four of your 10 a day thanks to the oats, berries, passion fruit, apple, nuts and seeds. It is a good blood-sugar balancer for the morning, and will keep you full until lunch.

Immune Sharpener

SERVES

1

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ pears, well washed

• 5 handfuls spinach

• 5cm piece root ginger, no need to peel

• Juice of 1 lemon

METHOD

1. Pass the pears, spinach and ginger through a high-powered juicer, then stir in the lemon juice before serving.

Rosemary says: Pears are full of vitamins C and A, which are great at fighting free radicals in the body. Spinach is full of iron, which aids energy production and the function of your red blood cells. Lemon has loads of vitamin C and pectin fibre, which acts as a powerful anti-bacterial. Gingerol, the active substance in fresh ginger, is an anti-inflammatory and is great for warding off infections.

September bounce (energy juice)

SERVES

1

• 1½ apples, well washed

• 1 beetroot, scrubbed

• 4 cavolo nero leaves

• 2 handfuls parsley, stalks and all

• Juice of 1 lemon

• ½-1 tsp ground cinnamon

METHOD

1. Pass everything except the lemon juice and cinnamon through a high-powered juicer, then stir in the lemon and cinnamon to serve.

Rosemary says: Beetroot gives your liver a helping hand and is well known for its iron content: iron helps with the absorption of oxygen, which means more energy. Cavolo nero is rich in minerals such as iron, calcium and copper, lutein and vitamins K, A and C, as well as a good amount of B vitamins. Parsley is a wonderful herb for getting rid of fatigue.

LUNCH

Purple carrot and black dal with roasted butternut squash 

Mild, creamy and addictive. we’ve grated in purple carrots but raw beetroot would also work.

SERVES

6

INGREDIENTS

For the dal base

• 225g urad dal (black lentils), soaked overnight 

• 2-3 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

• 3 onions, chopped

• 1 head garlic, cloves peeled and grated

• ½ thumb-sized piece fresh turmeric, grated, or 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 thumb-sized piece fresh root ginger, grated

• 4 large purple carrots, grated

• 2 tsp paprika

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground

• ½ tsp chilli powder

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 300g passata

• 1.5ml fresh vegetable stock

• 50g butter

• 150ml single cream 

• Handful fresh coriander leaves per person, to serve

For the squash

• 2 red onions, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges

• 1kg butternut squash, peeled if you like, deseeded and cut into different-shaped wedges

• 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• ½ tsp chilli flakes

For the cauliflower rice

• 1 x 250-300g cauliflower, trimmed

• 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

• 50ml fresh chicken or veg stock

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. 

2. Drain the lentils, place in a pan and cover with cold water. Simmer for 30 minutes. 

3. To make a paste for the dal, heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onions and fry very slowly for about 20 minutes, or until softened and starting to turn golden brown. 

4. Add the garlic, turmeric, ginger and carrot and fry for two minutes, then add the spices and fry for a further 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and blitz to a paste. Return to the pan, add the tomato purée and cook for five minutes.

5. Drain the cooked lentils, add them to the pan and stir to coat. Cover with stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the butter and cream 10 minutes before the end, reserving a little cream to swirl in at the end. Season.

6. Meanwhile, place the squash and onions in a baking dish. 

7. Mix the coconut oil with the cumin, chilli and plenty of salt and pepper, then rub over the squash and onion. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through.

8. Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice. Heat the fat in frying pan with a lid then throw in the cauliflower. Cook over a high heat for a minute to sear the outside (keep it moving; you are not looking for any colour on it). Pour over the stock, add a pinch of salt and cook, covered, for five minutes then remove the lid and cook until the stock has been absorbed – five to 10 minutes more. 

9. Serve the dal in bowls topped with squash and onion, a swirl of single cream and coriander, alongside the cauliflower.

Rosemary says: This contains five of your 10 a day. All the orange and purple vegetables mean there are lots of antioxidants and betacarotene at work too.

Gooey cheesy-middle sweetcorn cakes with avocado, eggs and salsa

Somewhere between an arepa (a Colombian stuffed corn cake) and a fluffy pancake. Teamed with fried eggs, tomato salsa and braised black beans, this makes a mighty brunch. 

SERVES

2

INGREDIENTS

For the black beans 

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 1 bulb garlic, cut in half horizontally

• 1 tbsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 x 400g tins black beans, brining liquid reserved

• 1 bay leaf

• Few sprigs thyme, leaves picked

• Small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

• 800g fresh chicken or vegetable stock

For the sweetcorn cakes

• 100g fresh or frozen sweetcorn kernels

• 100g fine polenta meal 

• 100ml milk

• 1 free-range egg

• 1 tsp baking powder

• Vegetable or rapeseed oil, for frying

• 1 small ball mozzarella, finely chopped

For the salsa

• 3-4 tomatoes, deseeded, very finely chopped

• 1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

• Dash of chilli sauce, to taste

• 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated

• Juice of 1 really juicy lime

• ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To serve

• 2-4 eggs (depending on how hungry you are)

• Oil, for frying

• 1 ripe, firm avocado, peeled, sliced and tossed with lemon juice and salt

• 70g feta cheese, crumbled

• Fresh coriander, for scattering

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the garlic halves, cut-side down, to caramelise for a minute or two. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

2. Add the onions to the pan and soften over a low-medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, adding the garlic in for the last couple of minutes. Add the spices and fry for a further two minutes, then add the beans including their liquid, the stock, bay and thyme. Season. Cook for 30 minutes. It should be really stewy, almost soupy.

3. To make the pancakes, blitz the corn, polenta, milk, egg, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a food processor until the corn has broken up but still has some texture.

4. Meanwhile, mix all of salsa ingredients together. Set aside for 10 minutes.

5. Heat a frying-pan over a low-medium heat. Wipe the base of the pan with oil. Grease a ring/crumpet mould with oil and place it in the pan. Spoon one to two tablespoons of the sweetcorn mixture into the mould, sprinkle with a quarter of the mozzarella and top with another one to two tablespoons of the sweetcorn mixture. 

6. Cook for three to four minutes, then ease the cake out of the mould and flip it over to cook the other side for two to three minutes. They should be golden on each side, cooked through but gooey with cheese in the middle. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to make four cakes. You can keep them in a 120C/Gas ½ oven for up to 10 minutes.

7. Fry the eggs and serve the cakes with the eggs, avocado, feta, salsa, coriander, and black beans.

Rosemary says: This is comfort food that’s full of protein and fibre. The avocado, corn, chilli, tomatoes, coriander and limes should supply three of your 10 a day. 

DINNER

Lamb and ­root-vegetable stew with anchovy salsa verde

Serve with potato mash, adding sweet potatoes, celeriac or cauliflower, and a good helping of greens.

SERVES

4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 800g lamb neck, each neck cut into 4 large chunks

• 2 onions, peeled and cut into wedges

• 3 carrots, as above

• ½ swede, as above

• 1 parsnip, as above

• 2 celery stalks, cut into wedges

• 2 leeks, sliced

• 1 tsp tomato purée

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• 800ml lamb or chicken stock

• 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked

• Few sprigs thyme, leaves picked

• 2 bay leaves

• 80g pearl barley

For the salsa verde

• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled

• Small handful capers

• Small handful pickled gherkins or cornichons

• 6 anchovy fillets

• 2 large handfuls parsley leaves

• Leaves from a bunch of basil

• Handful fresh mint leaves

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 3 tbsp sherry vinegar

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 150ml best-quality olive oil

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3½.

2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a heavy-based ovenproof pan. Season the meat, then brown in batches, colouring thoroughly all over. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon on to a plate.

3. Add the rest of the oil to the pan along with the vegetables. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the tomato purée and flour and cook for a minute, until the vegetables have caramelised. 

4. Pour in the stock. Return the meat to the pan along with the herbs, then cover with a lid and place in the oven for two hours, or until the meat is falling apart and the sauce has thickened slightly. 

5. Meanwhile, blitz the salsa verde ingredients in a food processor (purists claim you should hand-chop everything, but this way saves a whole heap of mess and time).

6. Season the stew to taste before serving hot with mash.

Rosemary says: Great for the immune system, thanks to the anti-bacterial herbs, and enough vegetables to provide four of your 10 a day.  

Lentil shepherd’s pie with root-mash

SERVES

6

INGREDIENTS

• 30g dried porcini mushrooms

• 300ml boiling water 

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 5 field mushrooms and 4 shiitake mushrooms, pulsed in a food processor until finely ground like mince

• 2 onions, finely chopped

• 3 small carrots, finely chopped

• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped

• 2 leeks, finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 tsp tomato purée

• 350g dried puy lentils

• 300ml red wine

• 100ml port (optional)

• 750ml vegetable stock (or use real chicken or beef stock as the gelatin is useful in this dish)

• 1 bay leaf

• Sprig rosemary  

• Pinch of ground cloves

For the root-vegetable mash

• ½ small celeriac, peeled 

• 1 parsnip, peeled 

• 2 medium carrots, peeled

• 1 medium swede

• 2-3 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp milk or cream

• Grating of nutmeg

• 35g cheddar, grated

• 35g Parmesan, grated

METHOD

1. Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Set aside for at least 20 minutes to rehydrate. 

2. Heat half the oil in a large casserole dish over a high heat. Add the minced mushrooms and fry for about five minutes or until the water has disappeared and they have browned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. 

3. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and cook the onions, carrots, celery and leeks slowly for 10 minutes, or until they have softened and started to turn golden. 

4. Add the garlic and cook out for a couple of minutes, then stir in the tomato purée and ramp up the heat. Caramelise the vegetables in the purée for about one to two minutes.

5. Add the lentils and wine/port and cook down for five minutes before adding the mushrooms back in, along with the stock, herbs and a small pinch of cloves. 

6. Lift the mushrooms out of their soaking water and finely chop. Add to the pan along with the water (you may wish to sieve it to remove any sediment). 

7. Cook over a low heat for one hour or until the sauce has reduced and the lentils have cooked and plumped up. Season and place into a pie dish (discarding any whole herbs). Allow to cool, overnight if you can.

8. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. 

9. For the mash, chop the vegetables into small cubes and place in a pan of cold water. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until completely cooked through. Drain, allowing the vegetables to steam in the colander for five minutes, then mash with the butter, milk, nutmeg and some seasoning. 

10. Level out the lentils in the pie dish, then top with the mash. Scatter over the cheeses and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and piping hot. Serve with Worcestershire sauce, ketchup or mango chutney.

Rosemary says: This hearty meal delivers four of your 10 a day, as well as fibre and lovely vegetable protein, plus a variety of minerals and vitamins. Almond milk and coconut oil could be used in the mash instead of milk and butter.

Moroccan chicken couscous

The chicken goes a long way here, bolstered by vegetables and couscous.

SERVES

4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces, or 8 chicken thighs, skinned

• 2 large onions, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 green chillies, finely chopped

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 bay leaves

• Few sprigs thyme

• 850ml chicken stock (ideally fresh)

• 2 turnips, peeled and quartered

• 4 carrots, peeled and each one cut into thirds

• 2 large courgette, halved lengthways, then cut into thirds

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For the couscous

• 300g couscous

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• juice of ½ lemon

• Small bunch coriander, chopped

• Small bunch parsley, chopped

• Harissa, to serve

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the chicken pieces and cook until brown all over. You may need to do this in batches. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the onions to the pan and cook (scraping away at any chickeny residue to dislodge it), for five minutes, or until the onions have softened and started to turn golden. Add the garlic and chillies for the last minute. 

3. Add the salt, spices, bay and thyme and cook for a further minute. Pour over the stock, then return the chicken to the pan along with the vegetables. 

4. Cook for 40 minutes – the meat should be coming off the bones. Add the chickpeas for the last 10 minutes of cooking. 

5. Meanwhile, put the couscous in a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Pour over enough boiling water to cover it by 8mm. Cover with cling film and leave to soak for 10 mins, then fluff up with a fork. Dress with oil and lemon juice, stir in the herbs.

6. Serve the stew on top of the couscous, with a good dollop of harissa.

Rosemary says: This counts for four of your 10 portions a day. It is a great post-workout meal due to its lean protein and complex carbohydrate content.