Recipes: Superhealthy salmon burgers

If you're after something a bit lighter than potato-packed fishcakes, try these simple oriental-style burgers

Difficulty and servings

Serves 4

• 4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets , about 550g/1lb 4oz in total, cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• thumb-size piece fresh root ginger , grated
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 bunch coriander , half chopped, half leaves picked
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• lemon wedges, to serve

FOR THE SALAD

• 2 carrots
• half large or 1 small cucumber
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp golden caster sugar

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 20 mins
Cook 10 mins

Super healthy, Heart healthy

1. Tip the salmon into a food processor with the paste, ginger, soy and chopped coriander. Pulse until roughly minced. Tip out the mix and shape into 4 burgers. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then fry the burgers for 4-5 mins on each side, turning until crisp and cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, use a swivel peeler to peel strips of carrot and cucumber into a bowl. Toss with the vinegar and sugar until the sugar has dissolved, then toss through the coriander leaves. Divide the salad between 4 plates. Serve with the burgers and rice.

Tip

Oily fish makes a heart-healthy alternative to red meat burgers. This recipe would also be delicious with tuna steaks.

Thai salmon skewers

Mix the curry paste, ginger, soy and oil with 1 tsp honey and seasoning. Marinate the salmon chunks in the curry mixture for 10 mins. Cut 1 red pepper and 1 courgette into chunks, then thread onto skewers with the salmon. Griddle for 8 mins, turning, until the salmon is cooked through.

PER SERVING

292 kcalories, protein 29g, carbohydrate 7g, fat 17 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 0g, sugar 6g, salt 0.83 g

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Recipes: Broccoli & stilton soup

A smooth blended vegetable soup with blue cheese that's as good for a comforting meal as it is for a dinner party starter

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 stick celery , sliced
• 1 leek , sliced
• 1 medium potato , diced
• 1 knob butter
• 1l low salt or homemade chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 head broccoli , roughly chopped
• 140g Stilton , or other blue cheese, crumbled

Difficulty and servings

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 10 mins
Cook 35 mins

1. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan and then add the onions. Cook on a medium heat until soft. Add a splash of water if the onions start to catch.
2. Add the celery, leek, potato and a knob of butter. Stir until melted, then cover with a lid. Allow to sweat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid.
3. Pour in the stock and add any chunky bits of broccoli stalk. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.
4. Add the rest of the broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Stir in the stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain. Season with black pepper and serve.
   

DINNER PARTY TIP

Reserve an uncooked broccoli floret, cut it into small pieces and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Also reserve a small handful of crumbled cheese. Serve the soup in bowls, then scatter with crumbled cheese and broccoli for a stylish garnish.

PER SERVING

340 kcalories, protein 24.3g, carbohydrate 13.8g, fat 21 g, saturated fat 9.6g, fibre 6.9g, sugar 5g, salt 1.4 g

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Recipes: Spicy root & lentil casserole

The potatoes in this recipe take on the spicy flavours beautifully - our idea of the perfect veggie supper

• 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 700.0g potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 carrots , thickly sliced
• 2 parsnips , thickly sliced
• 2 tbsp curry paste or powder
• 1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock
• 100.0g red lentils
• a small bunch of fresh coriander , roughly chopped
• low-fat yogurt and naan bread, to serve

Difficulty and servings

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 10 mins
Cook 35 mins

Vegetarian, Super healthy

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Tip in the potatoes, carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are golden.
2. Stir in the curry paste or powder, pour in the stock and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.
3. Stir in most of the coriander, season and heat for a minute or so.Top with yogurt and the rest of the coriander. Serve with naan bread.

Per serving

378 kcalories, protein 14.0g, carbohydrate 64.0g, fat 9.0 g, saturated fat 1.0g, fibre 10.0g, salt 1.24 g

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Recipes: Light as a feather cake

There's no such thing as a calorie-free cake, but this at least is fat-free and it looks stunning

Difficulty and servings

Serves 8 - 10

Preparation and cooking times

Ready in 1 hr 20 mins plus cooling

Low-fat

1. Heat the oven to 180C/ fan 160C/gas 4. Sift the flour, bicarb and icing sugar. Whisk the egg whites until they reach medium-firm peaks then whisk in the sugar and cream of tartar to make a meringue. Whisk in the vanilla. Sift over the flour mix and fold it in with a large metal spoon, taking care not to squash all the air out. Spoon into a 25cm bundt tin (do not butter or oil it). Bake for 35 minutes or until the cake is risen, golden and springy. Run a knife carefully around the tin to loosen the cake and invert it onto a plate. Cool.
2. To make the frosting, put the sugar and liquid glucose in a pan with 125ml water. Bring to the boil and cook just until you have a clear sugar syrup. Take off the heat. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff, then continue beating, gradually pouring in the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream until the mixture is fluffy. Keep beating until the mix cools and is thick enough to spread. Beat in the icing sugar and 1 tbsp of the passion fruit juice. Spread with frosting and drizzle with the passion fruit (sieve out the seeds first if you prefer).

PER SERVING

297 kcalories, protein 4.4g, carbohydrate 68.2g, fat 0.2 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 0.7g, salt 0.3 g

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Recipes: Spicy chicken salad with broccoli

Perfect with a fluffy jacket potato or some egg noodles and low-fat too

Difficulty and servings

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 15 mins
Cook 10 mins

Low-fat

1. Steam the broccoli for 4 mins until just tender, tip into a large bowl, then season. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, then fry the shallots for 2 mins. Add the chillies and garlic, then cook for a further 4 mins until softened.
2. Remove the shallots, chilli and garlic with a slotted spoon, then mix with the broccoli, olives and chicken. Add the soy sauce to the pan, warm over a medium heat, then pour over the salad. Eat warm or cold.
   

Tip

If you want to make this salad more substantial, add a pack of egg noodles, cooked according to pack instructions, then cooled under running water.

Per serving

291 kcalories, protein 42g, carbohydrate 4g, fat 12 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 3g, sugar 3g, salt 3.05 g

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Recipes: Chicken, fennel & tomato ragout

This chunky ragout can be teamed with anything you like, couscous, pasta, rice or a nice jacket, or just a nice chunk of bread

Difficulty and servings

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 10 mins
Cook 25 mins

Low-fat

Counts as 4 of 5-a-day, good source of vitamin C

1. Trim the green tops off the fennel and reserve. Halve, then quarter the fennel, cut out the core, then cut lengthways into slices. Heat the oil in a pan, add the chicken, then fry quickly until lightly coloured. Add the fennel and garlic, then stir briefly until the fennel is glistening.
2. Tip in the potatoes, tomatoes, stock and a little seasoning, and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20 mins until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the peppers and heat through. Roughly chop the reserved fennel fronds, then sprinkle over the ragout. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the juices.

Per serving

351 kcalories, protein 42g, carbohydrate 28g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 6g, sugar 10g, salt 1.43 g

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Recipes: Salmon & spinach with tartare cream

Ever-versatile salmon is as popular on our shopping lists as chicken. Make the most of it with this impressive recipe

Difficulty and servings

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 5 mins
Cook 10 mins

Heart healthy

1. Heat the oil in a pan, season the salmon on both sides, then fry for 4 mins each side until golden and the flesh flakes easily. Leave to rest on a plate while you cook the spinach.
2. Tip the leaves into the hot pan, season well, then cover and leave to wilt for 1 min, stirring once or twice. Spoon the spinach onto plates, then top with the salmon. Gently heat the crème fraîche in the pan with a squeeze of the lemon juice, the capers and parsley, then season to taste. Be careful not to let it boil. Spoon the sauce over the fish, then serve with lemon wedges.

Which salmon?

So versatile - the possibilities for cooking it are endless. For a more environmentally friendly and often leaner fish, choose salmon farmed in open sea conditions (or even better, wild).

Know how - quick sauce

Folding lemon juice, capers and chopped parsley through crème fraîche makes a quick sauce for salmon, trout and white fish.

Per serving

321 kcalories, protein 32.0g, carbohydrate 3.0g, fat 20.0 g, saturated fat 5.0g, fibre 3.0g, sugar 3.0g, salt 0.77 g

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