These hearty winter staples are at their best right now Maple-bacon Chicken with Potato, Parsnip & Apple Potato & Pea Samosas with Cucumber Yoghurt Serves 4 Prep 20 minutes Cook 40 minutes Cost $3.50 a serve ·         4 bacon rashers, rind removed, halved lengthwise ·         600g pink-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into bite-size pieces ·         2 … Read more

Potato & Pea Samosas with Cucumber Yoghurt   Potato & Pea Samosas with Cucumber Yoghurt Makes 18 Prep 25 minutes Cook 35 minutes + 15 minutes to cool Cost 70¢ each ·         2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil ·         1 onion, finely chopped ·         1 clove garlic, crushed ·         2 potatoes, peeled, finely chopped ·         … Read more

Potato, Spinach & Chorizo Soup Potato, Spinach & Chorizo Soup Serves 6 Prep 15 minutes Cook 45 minutes Cost $2.80 a serve ·         30g butter ·         1 leek, pale section only, thinly sliced ·         2 cloves garlic, crushed ·         750g potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped ·         1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock ·         60g baby spinach … Read more

Potato & Anchovy Pizza Potato & Anchovy Pizza Serves 4 Prep 25 minutes + 1 hour to prove Cook 15 minutes Cost $3.40 a serve ·         2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons extra ·         7g sachet (2 teaspoons) dried yeast ·         3 ½ cups plain flour ·         1 teaspoon salt ·         3 small potatoes, … Read more

Summer is the ideal time to get more adventurous with fish and seafood Mussel mouclade pasta The slight spice of mild curry powder enhances rather than overpowers the mussels and – although it may sound weird – pasta and spicy, creamy liquor just go so well when they mingle in the pan. My new favourite … Read more

Buying and preparing mussels I like to choose mid-size mussels – so not too big or too small – and without too many barnacles, as they all need scraping off. They tend to smell of seaweed – or, in my mind, rock pools – but anything more than that, steer clear. Keep mussels at the … Read more

Whole stuffed roast fish with fennel This is inspired by the cooking of Sicily, where the aromatic spices and dried fruit of Arabian cuisine meet with the fresh fish and vegetables of the Med. ·         Serves 4  ·         Prep 15 mins  ·         Cook 50 mins Ingredient ·         2 fennel bulbs, halved and finely sliced ·         … Read more

Sticky pork ribs A lot of sugar or syrup is usually needed to get that lip-smackingly sticky rib favor, but we’ve cut out all the extra sugar and they are just as tasty. ·         Preparation and cooking time: 35 minutes, plus marinating ·         Serves 2 as a main meal Ingredient ·         1 rack of free-range … Read more

Not-so-sweet and sour chicken The standard takeaway sweet and sour is full of refined unhealthy sugar. We’ve used vitamin C-rich pineapple to add the sweetness – it’s also high in the compound bromelain, which has anti-infammatory properties and aids digestion. ·         Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes ·         Serves 4 Ingredient ·         2 tbsp tomato … Read more

Low-sugar strawberry ice cream Using the ripest seasonal strawberries and concentrated freeze-dried strawberries will give a naturally sweet and delicious favour, so the added sweetener is minimal here, but for those with a sweet tooth, just adjust the stevia to taste. ·         Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus chilling and freezing ·         Serves 8 to 10 … Read more

Chocolate torte Who knew chocolate cake could be good for you? Rapeseed oil provides healthy omega oils 3, 6 and 9, while coconut milk is a great source of vitamins E and B, and high in antioxidants and anti-viral lauric acid. Prunes add sweetness – they are rich in fiber, antioxidants and vitamin K, which … Read more

One of these muffins makes a high-fiber, healthier sweet treat, with potassiumrich bananas, vitamin C-loaded raspberries, vitamin E-packed almonds and wholemeal four to help slow down the absorption of sugar. Banana, raspberry and almond muffins ·         Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes ·         Makes 12 Ingredient ·         150g (5oz) plain flour ·         150g (5oz) wholemeal … Read more

Lemon cheesecake The sugar has been dramatically reduced in this cheesecake, using low-GI agave and natural zerocalorie sweetener stevia. ·         Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling ·         Serves 8 Ingredient For the cheesecake ·         800g (1lb 12oz) low-fat cream cheese ·         150ml (¼pt) soured cream ·         3 tbsp agave syrup ·         … Read more

Fiber-rich fruit loaf Fiber-rich dried fruit make this afternoon tea bread deliciously sweet, and the oats are a great source of magnesium, which is key to enzyme function. ·         Preparation and cooking time: 55 minutes ·         Serves 10 Ingredient ·         325g (11oz) plain flour ·         100g (4oz) rolled oats or porridge oats ·         100g (4oz) … Read more

Grilled mackerel with escalivada & toasts ·         Serves 4 (easily doubled) ·         Prep 15 mins plus marinating ·         Cook 30 mins Ingredient For the escalivada ·         3 very large or 4 medium peppers, a mix of colours ·         1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced ·         3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ·         2 medium … Read more

Korean-style prawn & spring onion pancake ·         Serves 1  ·         Prep 10 mins  ·         Cook 10 mins Ingredient ·         75g/2½oz plain flour ·         pinch of chilli powder ·         1 egg ·         1 garlic clove, crushed ·         1 tbsp oil ·         4 spring onions, trimmed and shredded lengthways ·         100g/4oz small cooked prawns For the dipping … Read more

Fish pie tart with minted pea salad ·         Serves 4-6  ·         Prep 30 mins  ·         Cook 1 hr Ingredient For the tart ·         500g pack shortcrust pastry (or make your own, see below) ·         1 egg yolk and 3 whole eggs 250g/9oz piece undyed sustainably sourced smoked haddock ·         250g/9oz chunky unsmoked fish (I used … Read more

Man’s greatest loves: food and sex. Put ’em together and you’ve got magic. Sushi Ever heard of nyotaimori? It’s the Japanese term for sushi/sashimi served on a woman’s naked body. Those clever Japs have thought of everything. Ask her to set herself up, or grab a selection and set the table together. Bed note: make … Read more

Sweet Potato And Beetroot Chips Sweet potato and beetroot chips   Serve 4 | Preparation time: 30 minutes | Total cooking time: 40 minutes Ingredients ·         1 large sweet potato, peeled ·         2 tbsp olive oil ·         1 tsp salt ·         1 bunch beetroot, peeled ·         2 tbsp olive oil ·         1 tsp salt Recipe … Read more

Eye Fillet Steak With Salsa Verde Serves 4 | Preparation time: 30 minutes | Total cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredients ·         4 eye fillet steaks ·         1 garlic clove, roughly chopped ·         1 bunch thyme ·         2 sprigs rosemary ·         1 tsp salt ·         1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved   … Read more