Wellbeing wonder Madeleine Shaw reveals how to make a healthy meal in 30 minutes flat, plus the simple ingredients she swears by for glowing skin.

Madeleine Shaw started her healthy eating journey seven years ago after suffering from poor digestion and low energy. Despite eating what she had considered a healthy diet for years, it turned out that all those rice cakes and low fat products weren't doing her body any favours. Instead she found that when she eliminated refined sugar and increased her vegetable and protein intake, she had more energy, a clearer complexion and best of all – her digestion improved.
<img src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/madeleine-shaw_GL?scl=1" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
Wanting to share her recovery with others, Madeleline started <a href="http://madeleineshaw.com/" target="_blank">a blog</a> and began posting her nutritious recipes for all of us to enjoy. Next came her first book, Get The Glow, full of wellness tips and nourishing recipes to help look and feel better inside and out. After the first book's success, Madeleine is now ready to publish her second book Ready, Steady, Glow which focuses on getting healthy, good-for-you meals on the table in under 30 minutes - we're sold already! We chatted to her about her top healthy eating tips for busy people, plus her secrets for getting that gorgeous glow.
What are your favourite dishes to make at the weekend to prepare ahead for a busy week?
A whole roast chicken always goes down well throughout the week. Cold roast chicken is great for salads and perfect for making a quick lunch. I also love making soups on the weekend – really nice, wholesome soups that you can freeze and that will last for the rest of the week. Another great dish for the weekend is a big batch of grains, like quinoa or wild rice. It will last really well and you can mix and match the grains with meat and vegetables throughout the week.
What are three of your kitchen staples for getting dinner on the table in under 30 minutes?
I always have some courgettes lying around – I love julienning them or spiralising them into noodles because then they basically go with everything. And I always have to have coconut milk because I think it makes every curry, stew and soup so delicious. My trusty food processor is always to hand for blending things like smoothies or juices and is also really good for breaking down foods like cauliflower to make into 'rice'. And finally, eggs! If you haven't had enough time to get some fresh meat or fish and you need a bit of extra protein, then just throwing in a fried egg is a great option.What would you make if you're having friends round?
When I have friends round I love to make this really nice recipe that I have in the book called the shredded Thai chicken salad. It just looks really beautiful, and is made with chicken, fresh chilli, and lots of greens. It's something that people can pick at all night and always goes down a treat. And it only takes 15 minutes!
If you've got a bit more time, like on a Saturday, then I often make my whole apricot roasted chicken. It has lots of really yummy flavours in it like dried apricots, Dijon mustard, and herbs and everyone always really enjoys it. I always love a dessert, so I would probably whip up my gluten-free raspberry pistachio brownies. They're so delicious!

<img src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/coconut-macaroons__hero_GL?scl=1" alt="coconut-macaroons__hero" style="height: ;width: "/>
Get Madeleine's <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/coconut-macaroons" target="_blank">coconut macaroons with chocolate dipping sauce recipe</a> (seen above). 
Can you name a couple of your favourite 30-minute meals?
My go-to dish would have to be my courgette and halloumi mini fritattas. They're really quick to make and a bit like a savoury muffin, so you can take them to work, eat them as a savoury breakfast or take them with you to go!
Finally, the red thai salmon curry is one recipe I always come back to. It's just so comforting and so easy to make.
What are the secret ingredients for making a simple meal a bit more exciting?
I think it's got to start with spices, which are so essential. My favourite two spices to use are cumin and smoked paprika. They just really bring dishes alive. I also love good quality salt like sea salt to perk up your dishes. And I use a lot of high quality fats in my cooking. I'll cook with coconut oil or avocado oil and use extra virgin olive oil on salads. That makes everything really flavourful and delicious.
What would be your three desert island ingredients?
Definitely everything coconut! Then probably mangoes. They're just so lush and I think I'd be happy with that on a desert island! And avocados as well.

<img src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/grilled-halloumi__hero_GL?scl=1" alt="grilled-halloumi__hero" style="height: ;width: "/>
Get Madeleine's <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/grilled-halloumi-recipe" target="_blank">grilled halloumi and mango slaw with coconut tahini dressing recipe</a> (seen above). 
What ingredients do you genuinely think help your skin?
For me, I think it's definitely been healthy fats. I really focus on eating lots of omega 3 rich foods, like hemp seeds, salmon, mackerel, and chia seeds – that has made a huge difference. I also think doing lots of yoga is great. You spend so much time upside down in yoga which gets blood flowing to your face which is very rejuvenating! Also, just really taking care of my skin. I never sleep in make-up and use lots of quality oils on my skin. I love using rosehip oil on my skin, which makes it really supple. Plus, drinking lots of water - often we don't hydrate our skin enough and it makes such a difference.
Do you have any tips for drinking more water? 
I think adding things like fresh mint leaves, lemon, and lime really helps. I'm a real herbal tea person – mostly because it's so cold here and I always want to be drinking something warm! I love peppermint and liquorice tea which is really sweet and kind of tastes like a dessert. I know that sounds ridiculous, that a tea tastes like dessert but it really is lovely!
What are your favourite beauty products to make your skin glow?
I love Origins skincare and I use their Perfect World cleanser. Then I normally use pure rosehip oil by Trilogy for moisturising. I often put on some SPF in the day and in the evening I'll do the same ritual, but I've got an Origins serum that I'll put on after I've cleansed and then put my oil on. I think that people always think that oils will make them break out, but actually I think they're really nice for your skin.
What are your top tips for keeping skin glowing? Really pack skin full of lots of vitamin rich foods. Vegetables are the best for getting that in. Red peppers contain the highest amount of vitamin C and that's going to help produce collagen to keep your skin looking youthful. Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc and that's really helpful if you get breakouts and will help reduce acne. Vitamin E rich foods like almonds are really good for keeping skin glowing. So really, just getting lots of fresh vegetables and nuts and good-for-you foods will make such a difference.
Madeleine Shaw's book Ready, Steady, Glow! is published by Orion Books in hardback &amp; eBook and is available to buy at selected Asda stores.

How To Make A Healthy Meal In 30 Minutes

By Asda Good Living,7th April 2016

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