All the following recipes make delicious appetisers but are equally suitable for light lunches or suppers with, perhaps, some crusty bread, rolls or a side salad, where appropriate.
Italian Crostini
Serves 4 or 8
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – some fibre
8 large diagonal slices from a ciabatta loaf
1 large garlic clove
175 g/6 oz button mushrooms, finely chopped
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
15 ml/1 tbsp dry vermouth
Freshly ground black pepper
50 g/2 oz/1/3 cup stoned (pitted) black olives
5 ml/1 tsp lemon juice
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped basil
1 Lay the slices of bread on a baking (cookie) sheet. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub over all the surfaces of the bread. Then crush the garlic and reserve.
2 Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4 for about 20 minutes until golden.
3 Meanwhile, put the crushed garlic in a saucepan with the mushrooms, half the olive oil and the vermouth. Add a good grinding of pepper. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until soft.
4 Meanwhile, purée the olives with the remaining oil in a blender or food processor, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides, if necessary. Sharpen with the lemon juice.
5 Remove the bread from the oven. Spread with the olive paste and top with the chopped mushrooms. Sprinkle with the basil and serve straight away.
Smoked Mackerel with Watercress and Orange
Serves 6
very low saturated fat – low cholesterol – some fibre
1 bunch of watercress
2 oranges
15 ml/1 tbsp olive oil
15 ml/1 tbsp pure orange juice
10 ml/2 tsp lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
5 ml/1 tsp horseradish relish
6 cooked smoked mackerel fillets
1 Trim the feathery stalks off the watercress and separate into sprigs. Place in a bowl.
2 Hold each orange over the bowl and cut off all the rind and pith. Cut the orange into segments and add to the bowl. Squeeze the membranes to extract any juice, then discard.
3 Whisk together the oil, orange and lemon juice, lots of pepper and the horseradish.
4 Pour over the watercress and orange and toss gently.
5 Lay the mackerel fillets on serving plates and arrange the salad to one side of each.
Asparagus with Walnut Vinaigrette
Serves 6
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – high fibre
750 g/1½ lb thin asparagus spears
A pinch of salt
75 ml/5 tbsp white wine vinegar
30 ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
15 ml/1 tbsp walnut oil
30 ml/2 tbsp water
50 g/2 oz/½ cup walnut pieces
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2.5 ml/½ tsp caster (superfine) sugar
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped tarragon
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 Trim off any thick, woody ends of the asparagus and tie the spears in two bundles. Stand the bundles in a large pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt added.
2 Bring back to the boil, cover with a lid, or foil if the bunches are too tall. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain (reserving the liquid for soup or stock, if liked). Rinse the asparagus with cold water, drain again and leave until completely cold. Chill.
3 Meanwhile, put the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and run the machine until the mixture is thick and creamy. Chill.
4 When ready to serve, lay the asparagus on serving plates. Whisk the dressing again and spoon across the stems. Serve cold.
Poor Man’s Caviare
Serves 4
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – some fibre
1 large aubergine (eggplant)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
30–45 ml/2–3 tbsp olive oil
Lemon juice, to taste
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped parsley, to garnish
Wholemeal toast, to serve
1 Grill (broil) the aubergine, turning occasionally, until the skin is blackened and the aubergine feels soft when squeezed.
2 Cool slightly, then cut in half and scoop out the flesh, chop finely, and place in a bowl. Discard the skin.
3 Add the shallot, garlic and tomatoes and mix well.
4 Beat in enough of the oil, a drop at a time, until the mixture is glistening but not runny.
5 Add lemon juice and seasoning to taste.
6 Spoon into small pots, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with wholemeal toast.
Champignons à la Grecque
Serves 6
very low saturated fat – no cholesterol – some fibre
1 bunch of spring onions (scallions), chopped, reserving a little of the green for garnish
1 garlic clove, crushed
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups red wine
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried oregano
450 g/1 lb button mushrooms
400 g/14 oz/1 large can of chopped tomatoes
5 ml/1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
A pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
Round lettuce leaves
6 slices of lemon, to garnish
1 Put the spring onions in a large saucepan with the garlic and oil. Cook gently for 2 minutes, stirring.
2 Add all the remaining ingredients except the lettuce leaves. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and bathed in sauce.
3 Leave until cold, then chill.
4 When ready to serve, line six bowls with lettuce leaves. Spoon in the mushroom mixture. Top each with a twist of lemon and a sprinkling of spring onion tops.
Mozzarella-topped Aubergines
Serves 6
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – some fibre
1 garlic clove, halved
2 large aubergines (eggplants), sliced
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
300 ml/½ pt/1¼ cups passata (sieved tomatoes)
30 ml/2 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
5 ml/1 tsp dried basil
100 g/4 oz/1 cup low-fat Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 Rub around the sides and bases of six shallow individual ovenproof dishes with the cut garlic, then discard.
2 Cook the aubergine slices in boiling water for 5 minutes until just tender. Drain.
3 Arrange in the prepared dishes. Season with the salt and lots of pepper.
4 Whisk the passata with the tomato purée and basil.
5 Spoon over the aubergines.
6 Sprinkle with the cheese, then bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbling. Serve hot.
Avocados with Tuna Salsa
Serves 6
very low saturated fat – low cholesterol – some fibre
185 g/6½ oz/1 medium can of tuna in water, drained
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 small green (bell) pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 small green or red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
3 ripe avocados
Lemon juice
1 black olive, stoned (pitted) and cut into 6 slices
6 tiny sprigs of parsley
1 Mash the tuna thoroughly in a bowl.
2 Mix in the tomatoes, shallot, pepper and chilli. Season with pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
3 Halve the avocados, remove the stones (pits) and peel off all the skin with your fingers rather than a knife to leave a smooth shape. Brush all over with lemon juice.
4 Spread the salsa out on six small serving plates. Lay an avocado half, rounded side up, on each.
5 Top each round with a slice of olive and place a tiny sprig of parsley in the centre of each slice.
Flageolet and Tuna Vinaigrette
Serves 4
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
425 g/15 oz/1 large can of flageolet beans, rinsed and drained
185 g/6½ oz/1 medium can of tuna in water, drained
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 small green (bell) pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
15 ml/1 tbsp white wine vinegar
5 ml/1 tsp chopped thyme
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 Put the beans in a bowl with the tuna, onion and pepper.
2 Whisk all the remaining ingredients except the parsley together. Pour over and toss gently.
3 Cover and chill for 1 hour to allow the flavours to develop.
4 Spoon on to small plates and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Warm Scallop, Bacon and Apple Salad
Serves 4
very low saturated fat – low cholesterol – fairly high fibre
175 g/6 oz ready-prepared mixed salad leaves
4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
5 cm/2 in piece of cucumber, diced
1 small red onion, sliced thinly and separated into rings
15 ml/1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 rashers (slices) of extra-lean back bacon, cut into small pieces
1 small red eating (dessert) apple, cored and diced
175 g/6 oz queen scallops
60 ml/4 tbsp cider
15 ml/1 tbsp snipped chives
Freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp cider vinegar
15 ml/1 tbsp water
Chopped parsley, to garnish
1 Arrange the salad leaves on four plates. Scatter the tomatoes, cucumber and red onion rings over.
2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet). Add the chopped onion, bacon and apple and fry (sauté) for 1 minute.
3 Add the scallops and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes.
4 Add the cider, chives and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes.
5 Lift the scallop and bacon mixture out of the pan with a draining spoon and place on the salad. Quickly add the vinegar, water and another good grinding of pepper to the juices and bring just to the boil. Spoon over the salads and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving straight away.
Minted Melon with Garlic Cheese Bread
Serves 6
very low saturated fat – very low cholesterol – high fibre
1 honeydew melon
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped mint
90 ml/6 tbsp apple juice
1 small wholemeal French stick
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil spread
75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup low-fat garlic and herb soft cheese
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
A few small sprigs of mint, to garnish
1 Halve the melon and remove the seeds. Use a melon baller to scoop the flesh out of the shell, or peel and cut the fruit into dice.
2 Place in a sealable container and add the mint and apple juice. Cover and chill.
3 Cut the French stick into 12 slices, not quite through the base crust. Mash the spread with the cheese, parsley and lots of pepper. Spread between the slices.
4 Wrap in foil, shiny side in. Bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes until the crust feels crisp when squeezed.
5 Spoon the melon and juice into six small glass bowls and garnish each with small sprigs of mint. Serve with the hot garlic bread.