Remember when indulging your sweet tooth, if you have one (as I do), that it is easy to compensate for fat with sugar. But sugar must be kept to a minimum in the gallstone-friendly diet (as in all eating plans). This includes fructose (fruit sugar) which is turned straight into fat in the liver, and which can contribute to gallstones. So beware, and be aware.

Also, remember to stay away from cream, butter and nuts because of their high fat levels.

Fruit kebabs

Ingredients/equipment

• Selection of fruit of your choice: works well with pineapple, berries, melon, blueberries, grapes, kiwi, raspberries.

• Skewers

Method

Slice your fruit into bite-size chunks.

Thread onto skewers.

Dust with a little sugar if required.

Top tip: Serve with fat-free yoghurt for dipping – scrumptious!

Baked apple

Ingredients

• 4 cooking apples, cored but left whole

• 2 ginger stems, finely chopped

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 4 prunes, chopped

• 50 grams (¼ cup) light muscovado sugar

• 2 tbsp honey

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F.

Using a sharp knife, score a line around the equator of each apple.

Put the scored apples into a baking dish with a small splash of water in the bottom.

In a bowl, combine the ginger, cinnamon, prunes and sugar.

Stuff this mixture into the apples so that they are well packed.

Cook for 30 minutes until soft and then remove from the oven.

Drizzle a little honey onto the apples and then return them to the oven for 5-10 minutes.

To test, pierce with a sharp knife – it should slide straight through.

Remove from the oven and baste the apples with the liquid left in the dish.

Serve hot with low-fat custard (see recipe opposite).

Low-fat custard

Ingredients

• 600 ml (2 cups) skimmed milk

• 2 egg whites

• 2 tbsp cornflour

• 100 grams (½ cup) caster sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 banana (optional for serving)

Method

Heat the milk on the stove in a saucepan, until it is almost boiling.

Whilst the milk is warming, whisk up the 2 egg whites with the cornflour and sugar until lump free.

When the milk is almost boiling, add it to the bowl of egg mixture and stir.

Pour it all back into the saucepan and heat gently for a couple of minutes whilst stirring all the time, until it thickens (depending on how thick you like your custard).

Once it is the desired consistency, just add the vanilla extract and stir in.

Serve with sliced bananas.

Nearly no-fat banana bread

Ingredients

• coconut or olive oil cooking spray

• 200 grams (1½ cups) gluten-free, whole-wheat flour

• 140 grams (¾ cup) caster sugar

• 1¼ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 egg whites

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

• 4 tbsp apple sauce

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

Lightly grease a 20x10 cm (8x4 in) loaf tin with a few pumps of the cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and cinnamon.

Add the egg whites, bananas and apple purée and stir just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool before slicing.

Top tip: If your bananas are already black but you can’t make a cake right away, simply pop them in the freezer. Defrost the bananas whenever you’re ready to bake

Chocolate brownies

Ingredients
Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

Lightly coat a 20x10 cm (8x4 in) baking pan with cooking spray and then set it aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, unsweetened cocoa, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and cinnamon until well mixed, then set the bowl aside.

In a medium bowl, beat together the sugar, fat-free dry milk powder, egg white, applesauce and vanilla extract with a spoon until well combined.

Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture, mixing just until the ingredients are well moistened. Do not over mix – once they are moist, stop mixing.

Spread the brownie batter evenly in the prepared baking pan and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack and give the brownies a light dusting with powdered sugar, if desired.

Fruit sorbet

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg (4 cups) prepared fruit (see below) cut into pieces

• 2-4 tbsp sugar

• 1⁄2 small lemon, juice of

• 1⁄2 small lime, juice of

 

Suggested combinations:

• mango and strawberries

• bananas and strawberries

• pineapple and bananas

• pineapple and mango

Method

Prepare the fruit by peeling, if necessary, and cutting it into chunks.

Place the chunks on a plate or tray covered with plastic wrap or equivalent, making sure everything is as spread out as possible.

Freeze overnight.

The next morning, take the fruit from the freezer and whizz it through a food processor until very finely chopped.

Add the sugar and lemon juice, adjusting either according to the sweetness and acidity levels of the fruit you are working with and your preferences; if you use pineapple, use orange juice or water instead of lemon or lime juice and add a little vanilla extract if necessary.

Taste the mixture in case it needs adjusting.

Blend thoroughly until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor regularly; this may take up to five minutes.

Spoon into serving dishes or a covered storage tub and return to the freezer until it is time to serve the sorbet.

Put in the fridge to temper 15 minutes before serving.

Other dessert ideas

Banana custard (page 114)

 

Fat-free yoghurt with honey

 

Fat-free yoghurt with fruit

 

Fruit salad

 

Shop-bought sorbet, but this can be very sweet (so watch sugar content)

 

Alpro soya desserts

 

Shop-bought fruit bars

 

Low-fat popcorn