fresh

detox and recharge with easy recipes for everyday vitality

Most people seem to think healthy eating entails boredom and deprivation. I beg to differ! Besides providing fuel for energy, food should taste good, and every mealtime should be a celebration. Making little adjustments to your diet as you go along will mean more in the long run than trying to stick to radical regimes, and you’re more likely to stick to the changes if you enjoy your food. Try to lessen your dependency on animal protein and cut back on saturated fats, refined sugars and salt. I use lavish amounts of fresh and dried herbs and spices to flavour my cooking, plenty of olive oil, ginger, chilli and garlic, and try to make the most of colours and textures to add plate appeal. Grains are good for you, as are fibre-rich beans, juicy fruits and vegetables, served with plenty of leafy greens, nuts and seeds for their essential mineral content. Alcohol and caffeine give false energy, so you’re better off without them. Pretty soon you’ll discover that without artificial additives, colourants and preservatives your food will taste fresher and lighter, and you will positively sparkle with vitality. It’s worth the expense to invest in a juice extractor and food processor, some non-stick pans and natural, organic produce where at all possible. The time saved leaves you free to use your new-found energy elsewhere!

Citrus zinger salad with mint and pomegranate

A sparkling citrus treat to brighten up winter-dulled palates.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Roughly chop the fruit into a serving bowl and tear in the mint leaves.
  2. Add the reserved juices and pomegranate kernels and serve cold. Seedless green grapes make a good addition.

Serves 4

Rosy C-soother

A refreshing tonic against summer blazes – chill the fruit and semi-freeze the juice for a slushy effect.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and liquidise until smooth.
  2. Pour into glasses and serve chilled.

Serves 2–4

Toasted oat and berry breakfast trifle with vanilla yoghurt

Oats are a wonder food for anyone prone to energy crashes. This is a super-fast shortcut to muesli and good with any fruit you have at hand, especially stewed dried apricots and peaches.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Mix the almonds, sesame seeds, coconut and oat bran together and toast in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  2. Stir the vanilla essence and honey into the yoghurt.
  3. Spoon the berries into serving glasses or bowls, top with the yoghurt and some toasted slivered almonds and serve.

Serves 3–4

Thai-chilli beef and noodle salad with cucumber, spring onion and peanuts

Use fillet if you can afford it, otherwise a nicely matured rump will do.

Ingredients

Dressing

Method

  1. Dissolve the soft brown sugar and cayenne pepper in the Thai fish sauce and brush over the steak. Leave for 15 minutes.
  2. For the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a jug and set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and grill the marinated steak to how you would like it done (for best results the steak should still be pink in the middle). Leave for 10 minutes and slice thinly.
  4. Place the steak slices in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, except the peanuts. Add the dressing and toss to coat.
  5. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with the peanuts and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Marina’s minty lemon and chilli-grilled halloumi

My Greek friend Marina loves grilled halloumi as much as I do and this is her delicious take on the classic saganaki. Serve straight up for a snack or on dressed leaves for a classy starter.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Place the sliced halloumi on a tray. In a small jug, combine the chillies, lemon zest and olive oil and drizzle over the halloumi. Make sure each piece is properly coated on both sides.
  2. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. When ready to cook, drain the halloumi but reserve the leftover marinade for later.
  3. Heat a cast-iron pan over a high heat and fry the halloumi slices until golden brown on each side, 1–2 minutes (no extra oil is necessary). When cooked, remove the slices and set aside.
  4. In a bowl, whisk the mint sauce and extra-virgin olive oil with 1 T (15 ml) of the leftover marinade and season well with salt and pepper.
  5. Arrange the rocket leaves on individual plates and place the halloumi slices on top. Drizzle with the dressing and serve straightaway.

Serves 4–6

Red onion, black olive, orange and rocket salad

This classic Middle Eastern salad is ideal for mid-winter when fresh vegetables and leaves are hard to find. The rocket is not essential but adds a nice peppery bite. This is fantastic served with barbecued meat or fish.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Chop the orange slices into chunks and place in a large bowl.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, toss and leave for 15 minutes (no longer) for the flavours to marry. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Serves 4–6

French potato salad with olives, anchovies and tuna

Potatoes are greedy oil guzzlers, a problem this classic recipe neatly circumvents by using a stock-based dressing. The spuds are tasty enough alone without the combined ingredients, which add up to a classic Salade Niçoise.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of well-salted water until just tender. Drain and halve.
  2. Mix the stock, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper with the herbs and pour over the hot potatoes. Leave to soften for 20 minutes, then stir through the oil.
  3. To serve, place the potatoes on a bed of salad leaves and scatter over the remaining ingredients. Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Serves 4–6

Beetroot, avocado, pea and feta salad on baby spinach with honey-mustard dressing

Using shop-bought cooked beetroot makes this salad a speedy treat, lovely as a side with any grilled meat or fish.

Ingredients

Honey-mustard dressing

Method

  1. Place the frozen peas in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Drain and repeat, this time leaving the peas in the water for 15 minutes before draining again.
  2. Place the leaves on four plates and arrange the beetroot, avocado, feta and peas on top.
  3. In a jug, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until emulsified, then drizzle over the individual salads. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Spa salad with red peppers, broccoli and asparagus

This is a gorgeous crunchy, munchy salad – add prawns or grilled chicken strips instead of cottage cheese for a more substantial meal. Use juicy sugarsnap peas, green beans or a cup of cooked sweetcorn instead of asparagus.

Ingredients

Dressing

Method

  1. Steam the broccoli and asparagus in a sieve over a saucepan of rapidly boiling water until just tender – about 4 minutes. They must be bright green and still crunchy. Remove and allow to cool.
  2. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese with the herbs and spring onions.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
  4. Arrange the salad leaves on four plates, place a large scoop of the cottage cheese mixture on top of each and scatter over the broccoli, asparagus, red pepper, tomatoes, carrots and seeds. Drizzle with the dressing and serve straightaway.

Serves 4

Tomato soup with basil oil

A really good homemade tomato soup is a beautiful thing to eat. Perfectly balanced between tantalising tartness and mellow sweetness, rounded to a glossy crimson by slow simmering, it needs little besides a slick of basil oil or some grated Cheddar stirred in at the last minute. Mince the vegetables and herbs in a food processor to save time.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat.
  2. Add the onion, leek, celery, carrot, garlic and herbs and sweat with the lid on for about 15 minutes. Stir frequently until softened, but not browned.
  3. Now add the remaining ingredients, except the salt, pepper and cheese, stir briskly and bring to a rolling boil. Stir again and lower the heat to a very gentle simmer.
  4. Leaving the lid off, let the soup quietly bubble away for about 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent the vegetables scorching on the bottom of the pan.
  5. Remove from the heat when everything is meltingly soft and leave to cool for 5 minutes before processing until smooth. (Using a stick blender makes this infinitely easier.)
  6. Season to taste and serve with grated Cheddar on the side or add a dash of basil oil at the last minute. Grated Gruyère cheese, rosemary or coriander pesto, fresh herbs and croutons all make equally good accompaniments to this soup.

Serves 8–10

Basil oil

Method

  1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Plunge a large fistful of basil leaves into the boiling water for 30 seconds and remove quickly. Rinse under cold water and pat very dry with absorbent paper. Blend the basil in a liquidiser with 112 cups (375 ml) extra-virgin olive oil until very smooth. Pour into a sterilised screw-top glass jar and refrigerate until needed. (It will keep a week, no longer.)
  2. Replace the basil with parsley, coriander or mint, or combine all four for a heady herbal condiment. Blended with lemon juice, minced garlic and seasoning, this green ‘unguent’ makes a zippy salad dressing or marinade for char-grilled vegetables too.

Chef’s tip

The acidity of canned tomatoes varies from season to season, in which case you will have to adjust the amounts of salt, sugar and tomato concentrate to get that perfect ‘tomato-ey’ intensity. Just stir directly into the soup, simmer for a few minutes and taste as you go along. You can freeze individual soup portions for up to three months.

Chicken dumpling soup with peas, lime and coriander

This is real kitchen medicine for when you’re feeling low. To make life easier, mince the chicken in a food processor; alternatively, mince very finely by hand.

Dumplings

Soup

Method

  1. Mix the lemongrass, chicken, ginger, coriander and seasoning very well in a food processor or by hand. When the mixture begins to clump together, roll into walnut-sized balls. Set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat the chicken stock, chilli (if using), ginger, garlic and lime or lemon juice to boiling point and drop in some of the chicken dumplings. As they float to the top, remove with a slotted spoon and add the rest, removing them as they too float to the top.
  3. Add the spaghetti and carrot, and cook for 15 minutes until soft.
  4. Return all the dumplings to the soup, add the peas and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve straightaway.

Serves 4

Moroccan spicy lentils

Brown lentils need no soaking prior to cooking. Adding a little stock powder with some bay leaves and garlic to the cooking liquid dramatically improves the flavour. This salad keeps well for several days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Place the lentils in a saucepan and cover with the water. Add the stock powder, bay leaves and garlic. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Drain and discard the leaves and garlic.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion, coriander seeds and chilli until just soft and translucent. Stir in the lentils and lemon juice and season well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before stirring in the chopped coriander. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle over some more olive oil if desired.

Serves 4–6

Butter beans baked with onions, tomato, parsley and Parmesan

Having some canned pulses in the store cupboard makes rustling up a filling dish as easy as pie. This is great with grilled meat, chicken or fish, but I have been known to eat it as is with some crusty bread, a leafy salad and a wedge of good mature Cheddar.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the garlic, onion and celery until soft and aromatic. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, parsley, origanum and seasoning and cook for a further 15 minutes until thickened.
  3. Add the beans and stir through. Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish and scatter over the Parmesan and breadcrumbs.
  4. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and crusty on top.

Serves 4–6

Burghul with roast butternut, chickpeas, peppers and spinach

The smoked paprika adds a wonderful depth to this dish. Keep for up to three days in the refrigerator and serve as a side dish or stuffed in pitas with tzatziki and tomato relish.

Ingredients

Dressing

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place the butternut and red peppers on a baking tray and season with the smoked paprika, harissa or chilli paste, oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 25–35 minutes, until soft and slightly charred.
  2. Meanwhile, mix the stock powder, lemon juice and olive oil with the boiling water and pour over the burghul in a bowl. Cover with a plate and leave for about 20 minutes to swell and soften.
  3. In a jug, combine the dressing ingredients, stir well and set aside.
  4. Add the chickpeas, roast vegetables, spinach or rocket leaves and herbs to the burghul and mix well. To serve, arrange on plates and drizzle over the dressing.

Serves 6

Chef’s tip

Save time by leaving out the roast vegetables and replacing with 1 cup (250 ml) each of diced celery and halved rosa tomatoes.

Sticky cashew chicken

My children love this tasty low-fat treat so much that there is usually a dish of sticky chicken somewhere in our refrigerator – you can leave the chicken to marinate for anywhere between 30 minutes and three days. Use any cut of chicken you like, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Thighs take the longest to cook, while fillets or diced breasts are the quickest. Turkey or pork work well too. This dish couldn’t be easier or yummier!

Ingredients

Sauce

Method

  1. Line a shallow ovenproof dish with the chicken pieces.
  2. To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a jug and pour over the chicken. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for anywhere between 30 minutes and three days. Allow the dish to return to room temperature before cooking.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  4. Scatter the cashew nuts over the chicken and stir into the sauce.
  5. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is just cooked and still succulent. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and coriander, season with black pepper and serve with a salad of shredded vegetables and greens and some steamed rice.

Serves 4

Tandoori chicken kebabs with fresh coriander chutney

Yoghurt or buttermilk makes a wonderful marinade for all kinds of meat, especially cuts destined for the braai, as it tenderises and lends succulence. This marinade is also suitable for lamb, pork and turkey. Marinate the meat in the sauce for no less than 30 minutes and up to three days.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a marinating dish, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for anywhere between 30 minutes and three days.
  2. About an hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator to reach room temperature and soak the satay sticks in hot water to prevent them scorching on the grill.
  3. Thread the chicken cubes onto the satay sticks and grill over coals or in the oven until cooked – about 20 minutes. Discard any remaining marinade.
  4. Serve with basmati rice, poppadoms, banana sambal (see below) and fresh coriander chutney (see below).

Serves 4

Banana sambal

Ingredients

Method

  1. Combine all the ingredients and chill until needed. Serve on the same day of making.

Fresh coriander chutney

Ingredients

Method

  1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a smooth sauce. Alternatively, chop everything very finely together by hand. Chill until needed. The chutney will last for three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 cups (500 ml)

Banana nut curry with pilaf rice

Use firm green bananas for this quick and nutritious curry. You can replace the cashews with almonds or pecans, and try baby potatoes instead of the mushrooms.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the mustard seeds until they start to pop. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chilli and turmeric and cook for 4–5 minutes until the onions are soft.
  2. Add the vegetables, bananas, nuts, coconut milk, lemon juice and curry leaves. Season well and simmer over a low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender, but not mushy. Scatter over the chopped coriander and serve with pilaf rice (see below) and sambals.

Serves 4

Pilaf rice

Ingredients

Method

  1. Place the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs perfectly clear.
  2. In a saucepan on the stove, bring the water and salt to a rolling boil. Add the rice and all the spices, stir well and bring to the boil for 10 minutes under a tight-fitting lid.
  3. Without removing the lid, reduce the heat and cook for a further 15–20 minutes until the rice is perfectly cooked – small holes will form on the surface of the rice.
  4. Remove from the heat, keeping the lid on, and let the rice steam for a further 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.

Serves 4

Brown rice kedgeree with lentils, mushrooms and hard-boiled eggs

I find it useful to cook more rice than needed per meal and store the extra in the refrigerator, ready to be whipped up into speedy meals like nasi goreng, Korean chicken soup, Chinese stir-fried rice or this hearty vegetarian kedgeree. Kedgeree without the egg is a favourite lunchbox standby.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, garlic, turmeric and mushrooms until any excess liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are tender.
  2. Add the lemon juice, rice, lentils, parsley, almonds and seasoning and stir well to combine. Allow to warm through over a low heat.
  3. Transfer to a serving dish, top with the quartered eggs and serve with some chopped tomato-onion salad, tzatziki and warm pitas.

Serves 4–6

Oven-baked ratatouille with Parmesan crust

A classic Mediterranean vegetable medley that goes with almost anything, is scrumptious hot or cold and lasts for ages in the refrigerator. This oven-baked version was devised by a cook (me) who absent-mindedly left one too many stove-top versions to cook to a gloop. Not only is this recipe fail-proof, it’s dead easy too.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
  2. Place the courgettes, aubergines and peppers in a single layer in a roasting pan.
  3. Mix the oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, and pour over the vegetables. Stir well to coat thoroughly.
  4. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until tender and slightly browned.
  5. Remove from the oven and pour over the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Mix well and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Roast for a further 30 minutes, until a crust has formed on top of the ratatouille.

Serves 4–6

Chef’s tip

If you plan to make the ratatouille to keep in the refrigerator, leave out the Parmesan.

Wholewheat fusilli with goat’s cheese, pecans, sun-dried tomato, basil and chilli

A no-cook store-cupboard sauce, packed with protein and carbohydrates for an energy boost.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Cook the pasta in a saucepan of well-salted, rapidly boiling water until just tender – about 15 minutes. Drain.
  2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and add to the pasta. Toss to coat.
  3. Let the pasta stand for about 10 minutes for the flavours to marry, then serve. This dish is also good cold and will keep for a day in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serves 4

Pizza

A perfectly decent pizza can be made in an ordinary domestic oven with no fussing about special tiles, tins, et cetera required. I use plain old baking tins and turn the heat up high. You can even braai pizzas over the coals, the instructions for which are given below. For the bases, use the focaccia recipe on page 173, but leave out the crushed garlic. After the first rising, the balls of dough are flattened and rolled out thinly to be covered with a tomato base and toppings. I use tomato concentrate straight from the jar for my base, but you can use tomato purée if you prefer a lighter taste. Bake the pizzas at 220 °C.

Some topping suggestions

Braai pizzas

  1. Position the grill about 10 cm above the coals. Test the temperature by holding your outstretched hand about 13 cm above the coals. Once you can hold your hand there for 3–4 seconds, the temperature is right.
  2. Make pizza bases as above. Lay one base on the grill – not over the hottest coals – and grill for about 1 minute, until the dough puffs up.
  3. Using tongs, flip the pizza base over and drag it to a cooler part of the grill. Brush lightly with olive oil and proceed with your desired toppings, putting the cheese on first.
  4. Drizzle over 1 T (15 ml) or so of olive oil, season well and grill over the hotter coals for 6–8 minutes. You may have to move the pizza about on the grill to prevent scorching.

Sesame-marinated crispy tofu with broccoli and noodles

Tofu is a pretty tasteless yet high-protein substance that promiscuously soaks up the flavour of whatever it’s marinating in. Grilling shaves the fat content to practically zero.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Cut the tofu into 1 cm-thick slices. In a bowl, mix the sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce and sesame seeds and add the tofu. Toss to make sure they’re coated on all sides, then lay the slices on a baking tray and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli in a sieve over a saucepan of boiling water for 3–4 minutes, until just tender. Drain well.
  3. Heat the remaining sesame oil in a frying pan and sauté the broccoli, chilli and garlic for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and set aside.
  5. In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, boiling water and soy sauce until smooth. Place the broccoli and noodles in a serving dish and pour over the peanut sauce. Toss to coat thoroughly.
  6. Heat the oven’s grill and grill the tofu on both sides for 10–15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the baking tray with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of the broccoli and noodles. Drizzle over any remaining marinade, scatter with coriander and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Mediterranean fish baked with aubergine, origanum and peppers

If you’re so inclined, prawns or crayfish instead of fish would take this dish to a whole new level. This is sublime served hot or cold, and perfect as part of a summer buffet.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Cut the fish into 5 cm-thick chunks and toss in the seasoned flour. Shake off and discard the excess flour.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish for about 2 minutes each side, until light golden brown, but not completely cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. To the same pan, add the onions, garlic, aubergine and peppers and cook over a high heat for about 12 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and any excess liquid has evaporated.
  4. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, tomato concentrate and red wine or stock. Season well with salt and pepper and simmer gently until thickened.
  5. Add the fish, herbs and lemon zest and cook in the sauce for 10–15 minutes until just done. Serve with boiled baby potatoes, crusty bread and a green salad.

Serves 4

Baked whole fish in olive oil, white wine, bay leaves, vine tomatoes, black olives and onion

Any firm white fish will benefit from this simple treatment, with freshly caught the undisputed champion of course. If frozen hake or some such is your only option, make sure it’s properly defrosted before going into the marinade.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Place the fish in a large ovenproof dish and season well with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion rings and garlic until just soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and arrange over the fish.
  3. Mix the wine, olive oil, lemon juice and flesh and pour over the fish.
  4. Scatter over the olives, tomatoes, herbs and bay leaves and leave to marinate for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 200 °C.
  5. Bake the fish for 10 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 180 °C and bake for a further 35–40 minutes, until just done. While cooking, baste the fish with the surrounding wine and olive oil sauce.
  6. The fish is done when it flakes easily with the tip of a knife inserted next to the backbone.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature with rice or boiled baby potatoes and salad.

Serves 4–6

Apple and blueberry crumble

I prefer to use canned pie apples for this, as raw apples often cook into an unappetising mush. Replace the blueberries with 12 cup (125 ml) seedless raisins plumped in some hot water (or brandy, if you’re feasting!). Another heavenly base for a crumble is made from canned pineapple rings, chunks of fresh mango and some fresh strawberries.

Filling

Topping

Method

  1. Place the apples and blueberries in a bowl.
  2. Stir the brown sugar, spices and vanilla essence into the melted butter and pour over the fruit. Stir well and set aside for 20 minutes to soften.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  4. For the topping, in a separate bowl, rub the butter into the oats, almonds, seeds, sugar and spices until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  5. Spoon the softened fruit into a pie dish and scatter the crumble on top, covering the fruit. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 35–40 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or cold with Greek yoghurt or thick cream.

Serves 4

Phyllo pears and honey with dark chocolate chips and slivered almonds

Pears, chocolate, pastry, honey and nuts – what’s not to love? We’re not trying to be saints, you know. However, dark chocolate is reputedly packed with antioxidants, nuts are rich in selenium and organic honey contains healthy enzymes.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and spray a baking tray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Combine the melted butter with the boiling water and 1 t (5 ml) of the honey. Use to lightly brush each sheet of phyllo and stack the sheets on top of each other.
  3. Cut four squares out of the stacked phyllo sheets. Quarter the pear halves and place in the centre of each square.
  4. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips and 2 T (30 ml) of the almonds in equal proportions and drizzle over a little honey.
  5. Roll the phyllo away from you, folding the edges inwards to make a neat cigar.
  6. Brush with the remaining honey and melted butter mix and press the edges to seal.
  7. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
  8. Melt the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat, stirring to combine. Drizzle over the baked phyllo cigars, scatter with the remaining almonds and serve hot or at room temperature with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Makes 4

Pashka – ricotta with figs, ginger, cranberries and nuts

Really fresh ricotta should be eaten as soon as it is bought. Ultra-low in fat, mixed with a little mascarpone, some choice fruits and nuts, it makes a good pudding not only during fasting but also feasting times. In the latter case, I’d drench it with some seriously good chocolate sauce and serve a little glass of dessert wine alongside for good measure.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Place all the ingredients, except the honey, in a mixing bowl and lightly stir until just combined.
  2. Spoon into four pretty glasses and chill until required.
  3. Drizzle a little honey over each before serving.

Serves 4

Ginger banana brûlée with Greek yoghurt

If you must have a sugar fix have muscovado sugar, which is somewhat unrefined and, therefore, retains some vitamins and minerals. It is also ideal for this deceptively simple dessert.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Divide the crumbled ginger snaps, fruit and yoghurt evenly between four pretty glasses.
  2. Spoon the muscovado sugar on top and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes, until the sugar has melted into a rich caramel. Serve cold on the same day of making.

Serves 4