Butter bean, mushroom & bacon pot pies

 Top these mushroom, bacon, kale and tarragon pies with butter bean smash to make a healthy main meal that's big on flavour but light on calories.

Ingredients

    3 tbsp rapeseed oil

    2 red onions, thinly sliced

    500g mushrooms, thickly sliced

    70g smoked streaky bacon, sliced into thin strips

    2 tbsp plain flour

    500ml low-salt vegetable stock

    250g kale, roughly sliced

    3 tsp wholegrain mustard

    2 tbsp reduced-fat crème fraîche

    1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon

    1 lemon, zested and juiced

    2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed

Method

    STEP 1

    Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan or large flameproof casserole dish. Fry the onions for 10 mins until soft, then add the mushrooms and bacon and fry for another 5 mins until golden. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 mins more. Gradually pour in the stock, then bring to the boil and bubble for 2 mins. Add the kale and cook for another 5 mins, then stir in the mustard, crème fraîche, half the tarragon and the lemon juice. Spoon the mushroom mixture into four small baking dishes.

    STEP 2

    Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the butter beans in a food processor with the remaining oil and tarragon and the lemon zest. Blitz until chunky, adding 2-3 tbsp water to loosen if needed.

    STEP 3

    Spoon the butter bean mixture over the filling, smoothing with the back of a spoon. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden. Leave to cool slightly, then serve.

By Esther Clark

Italian borlotti bean, pumpkin & farro soup

 Warm up on chilly evenings with this hearty, healthy bean & pumpkin soup. Serve this low-calorie meal with a chunk of fresh bread for dunking.

Ingredients

    4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

    1 onion, finely chopped

    1 celery stick, cut into chunks

    750g pumpkin or squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small chunks

    1 carrot, peeled and cut into chunks

    3 garlic cloves, chopped

    3 tbsp tomato purée

    1.2l chicken stock or vegetable stock

    75g farro or mixed grains (such as barley or spelt)

    50-80g parmesan rinds or vegetarian alternative (optional), plus a few shavings to serve

    400g can borlotti beans, drained

    2 handfuls baby spinach

    2 tbsp chopped parsley or 8 whole sage leaves

Method

    STEP 1

    Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion, celery, pumpkin or squash and carrot and cook until the vegetables have some colour. Add a splash of water and some seasoning, then cover the pan and let the vegetables cook over a very low heat for 5 mins.

    STEP 2

    Add the garlic and cook for another couple of mins, then add the tomato purée, stock, mixed grains, parmesan rinds, if using, and some seasoning. Simmer for about 15 mins (or until the grains are cooked), adding the beans for the final 5 mins. In the last few mins, add the spinach, then taste for seasoning.

    STEP 3

    If you want to use sage, fry the leaves whole in a little olive oil before adding to the soup. If you prefer to use parsley, you can just add it directly to the soup. Serve with shavings of parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top of each bowlful. Remove the parmesan rinds and serve.

By Diana Henry

Leek, pea & watercress soup

 Pack in the goodness with this vibrant green soup, packed with leeks, peas and watercress. It's tasty and healthy too, both low in calories and fat.

Ingredients

    1tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve

    2 leeks, finely sliced

    4 small garlic cloves, crushed

    hot veg stock

    80g watercress

    400g frozen peas

    1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

    parsley, finely chopped

    1 tbsp crème fraîche or dairy-free crème fraîche

    crusty bread, to serve (optional)

Method

    STEP 1

    Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and fry for 7-10 mins or until softened and translucent.

    STEP 2

    Pour in the hot stock and simmer for 5-10 mins. Stir through the watercress, reserving a few leaves for garnish, then the peas, and cook for 5 mins until wilted. Use a hand blender or processor and whizz until smooth. Stir through the lemon juice and zest, then season to taste. Stir through half the parsley. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining parsley, reserved watercress and a drizzle of olive oil. Swirl through some crème fraîche, then serve with crusty bread, if you like.

By Megan Bassett

Spiced lentil & butternut squash soup

 Cook a big batch of this filling spiced lentil and squash soup and freeze the leftovers for a speedy supper another day. It's healthy and low in fat.

Ingredients

    2 tbsp olive oil

    2 onions, finely chopped

    2 garlic cloves, crushed

    ¼ tsp hot chilli powder

    1 tbsp ras el hanout

    1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces

    100g red lentils

    1l hot vegetable stock

    1 small bunch coriander, leaves chopped, plus extra to serve

    dukkah (see tip) and natural yogurt, to serve

Method

    STEP 1

    Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or saucepan over a medium-high heat. Fry the onions with a pinch of salt for 7 mins, or until softened and just caramelised. Add the garlic, chilli and ras el hanout, and cook for 1 min more.

    STEP 2

    Stir in the squash and lentils. Pour over the stock and season to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 mins or until the squash is soft. Blitz the soup with a stick blender until smooth, then season to taste. To freeze, leave to cool completely and transfer to large freezerproof bags.

    STEP 3

    Stir in the coriander leaves and ladle the soup into bowls. Serve topped with the dukkah, yogurt and extra coriander leaves.

By Esther Clark

Steak lettuce cups

 Rustle up these easy steak canapés to serve at a party. With two sauces to accompany them, they're delicious and healthy too.

Ingredients

    200g fillet steak, excess fat trimmed

    4 Baby Gem lettuces

    ½ tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

For the chimichurri

    1 tbsp chopped parsley

    ½ tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

    1 small garlic clove, crushed

    1 tsp red wine vinegar

    pinch of dried oregano

For the chilli & lime sauce

    ¼ red chilli, finely chopped

    1 lime, zested and juiced

    ½ tsp fish sauce

    1 tsp groundnut oil

    pinch of sugar

Method

    STEP 1

    Take the steak out of the fridge 30 mins ahead of frying it. Mix the chimichurri ingredients with 1 tbsp water, season and set aside. Mix the ingredients for the chilli & lime sauce and set aside. Separate the Baby Gem lettuces so you have 20 leaves (‘cups’).

    STEP 2

    Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Coat the steak in the oil, season, then fry for 2-3 mins on each side. Set aside for 10 mins, then cut into 20 slices. Place a steak strip on each cup. To serve, top half with the chimichurri and half with the chilli & lime sauce.

By Sophie Godwin

Curried parsnip soup shots

 Treat dinner guests to healthy, spiced soup shots – they make great canapés. The crispy kale version is vegan while meat eaters can opt for a prosciutto topping.

Ingredients

    1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

    1 onion, chopped

    ½ tbsp garam masala or curry powder

    1 garlic clove, grated

    small piece ginger, grated

    4 parsnips, peeled and sliced

    600ml low-sodium veg stock

For the crispy kale topping

    50g kale, torn into small pieces

    ½ tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

    ¼-½ tsp chilli powder

For the crispy prosciutto topping

    1 slice prosciutto

Method

    STEP 1

    Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. For the kale topping, massage the kale with the oil, chilli powder and a pinch of salt and pepper, then spread out on a baking tray. Roast for 8 mins until crisp, checking halfway through.

    STEP 2

    Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry until soft and lightly coloured, then add the garam masala (or curry powder), garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 min, then tip in the parsnips and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 mins until the parsnip is completely soft. Blitz, adding enough water to get to your desired thickness, and season to taste.

    STEP 3

    To make the crispy prosciutto topping, put the prosciutto slice in a dry non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Use a fish slice to keep it flat and fry for a couple of mins until crisp. Set aside to cool, then break into six pieces.

    STEP 4

    Divide the soup between 12 shot glasses. Top half with the roasted kale and the other half with the prosciutto.

By Sophie Godwin

Turkey cobb salad

 Enjoy this turkey cobb salad as a healthy party platter to use up Christmas leftovers. It's full of vibrant flavours like pancetta, avocado, eggs, chicory and tomatoes.

Ingredients

    6 large eggs

    50g (about 7) thin slices pancetta

    50ml rapeseed oil

    3 tbsp cider vinegar

    1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

    1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

    1 small garlic clove, finely grated

    500g cooked turkey breast, sliced

    3 heads of mixed chicory, leaves separated

    2 medium avocados, peeled, stoned and sliced

    4 medium tomatoes, quartered

    2 tbsp mixed seeds

Method

    STEP 1

    Cook the eggs in a large pan of boiling water for 8 mins. Drain, transfer to a bowl of cold water and leave to cool.

    STEP 2

    Heat the grill to high. Put the pancetta on a baking sheet lined with foil and grill for 3-4 mins, or until crisp. Pat with kitchen paper to remove any excess oil and leave to cool.

    STEP 3

    Whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, parsley and garlic together. Peel and halve the eggs.

    STEP 4

    Arrange the turkey, chicory, avocado, tomatoes, pancetta and eggs on a large platter. Drizzle over the dressing, season and serve with the seeds on the side for sprinkling over.

TURKEY COBB CLUB

Chop any leftover eggs from the turkey cobb salad and mix with mayonnaise and any leftover dressing. Slice and use any remaining leftover salad ingredients and the egg mayo mixture in a triple-decker sandwich on lightly toasted bread.

By Esther Clark