Pork belly is a fantastic and relatively inexpensive cut of meat. The generous covering of fat gives great flavour, brilliant crackling and prevents the meat drying out. Tom serves his with a fresh salsa to cut through the richness of the dish and lentils to provide substance.
This crunchy, sour-sweet slaw is a perfect match for simply cooked, richly-flavoured venison loin. Each serving provides 598kcal, 37g protein, 42g carbohydrate (of which 40g sugars), 30g fat (of which 7g saturates), 7.5g fibre and 0.3g salt.
Mary Berry adds just enough spice to her fishcakes to make sure the delicate flavour of the crabmeat shines through. Serve them with a simple tomato salsa for a tasty supper.
Mary Berry adds just enough spice to her fishcakes to make sure the delicate flavour of the crabmeat shines through. Serve them with a simple tomato salsa for a tasty supper.
These tarts make a beautiful vegetarian starter when served aside some simple salad leaves. They are also perfect for a picnic. Equipment and preparation: For this recipe you will need two four-hole Yorkshire pudding tins.
Loaded with different types of fish, this simple chowder recipe stands or falls on the freshness of the ingredients. Serve with traditional soda bread.
Any time of day is a good time for a slice of Greek pie - often eaten on the move as a snack between meals or as a light lunch or evening meal with a salad. Chicken is a favourite filling for pie and it would normally be baked. This version is fried.
Chowder is a hearty bowl of food - here the smoked haddock is paired perfectly with sweet leeks and crunchy sweetcorn. Each serving provides 258kcal, 23g protein, 18g carbohydrate (of which 9g sugars), 10g fat (of which 6g saturates), 4g fibre and 1g salt.
The warm flavours of cinnamon, dried fruits and chicken make this tagine a Moroccan classic. 632 kcal, 50g protein, 46g carbohydrate (of which 44g sugars), 26g fat (of which 4g saturates), 7g fibre and 1.1g salt per portion.
Mediterranean flavours pack in punch here and would work just as well with sea bass or tuna. This meal provides 551 kcal, 39g protein, 11g carbohydrate (of which 8g sugars), 36g fat (of which 4.5g saturates), 2.6g fibre and 1.7g salt per portion.
Bake a healthy paella-style dish of salmon and chorizo rice. Each serving provides 876kcal, 60g protein, 48g carbohydrate (of which 6g sugars), 49g fat (of which 16g saturates), 3g fibre and 3.5g salt.
This comforting casserole is ready in no time, and the crusty topping and zingy pesto add gourmet pizzazz. Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need a food processor.
A budget-friendly soup that's healthy and filling. This soup is perfect for whipping up ahead of time and popping in the freezer. Just leave to cool and store in a freezer-proof container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. This meal provides 183 kcal, 6g protein, 18.5g carbohydrate (of which 10g sugars), 9.5g fat (of which 1.3g saturates), 6.5g fibre and 1.7g salt per portion.
Grab that tin of beans from the back of your store cupboard and whip up this simple salad. Each serving provides 107kcal, 3g protein, 8g carbohydrate (of which 2g sugars), 6g fat (of which 1g saturates), 4g fibre and 0.1g salt.
Sausages, tinned beans and tomatoes are a classic combo for a cheap and flavoursome casserole. With its crunchy parsley topping, this version of sausage stew is super-irresistible. This is designed to be a low cost recipe. Try freezing in portion-sized containers - it will keep for up to 2 months.
Sausages, tinned beans and tomatoes are a classic combo for a cheap and flavoursome casserole. With its crunchy parsley topping, this version of sausage stew is super-irresistible. This is designed to be a low cost recipe. Try freezing in portion-sized containers - it will keep for up to 2 months.
This is a wonderful summer dish and perfect for using up a glut of runner beans. This recipe cuts out all the usual stirring in a risotto making it really easy too.
People often tell me that cooking with shellfish is something which they find intimidating. It is really a case of just bunging the shellfish into the pan, then standing back and letting the hob do the work for you.
10 To 30 Mins
Freekehsalad
Serves 4 as a side dish
By:
Rick Stein: From Venice to Istanbul
Details
Freekeh is dried green wheat, harvested while the grains are still soft, then sun-dried. It is very common in the Middle East and North Africa, and is used in the same way as bulgur, couscous or pearled spelt. It works well as an accompanying pilaf or a salad, in this case with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, mint and spring onion. Each serving provides 347kcal, 6g protein, 46g carbohydrates (of which 7g sugars), 18g fat (of which 3g saturates), 1.5g fibre and 0g salt.
Spice up your stew with chorizo and stir in some cannellini beans for a super dinner on a budget. Find out how you could cut your food bills with the Eat Well for Less quiz .
A lovely fish pie is always a great dish to make ahead and serve for a big family gathering or even a casual supper party with friends. The white wine and leeks make this pie taste a little more sophisticated than usual, but you can use all milk if you are feeding children.
Balance healthy ingredients beautifully with this vegetarian casserole recipe. This meal served as six portions provides 217 kcal, 8g protein, 40g carbohydrate (of which 28g sugars), 3g fat (of which 0.5g saturates), 9g fibre and 1.9g salt per portion.
Baking the lamb, rather than roasting, gives it a different texture and taste. Cooking on the bone stops the muscles in the leg retracting and squeezing out the moisture, and combined with the effects of the steam generated inside the salt crust, and the salt absorbed during cooking, this lamb is incredibly moist and tender. Serve with salsa verde, or mint sauce if you prefer.
A richly flavoured soup, spiced with curry powder. Perfect for a cold day, serve with a dollop of tangy sour cream. This meal, if served as five portions, provides 245kcal, 5g protein, 36g carbohydrate (of which 12g sugars), 8g fat (of which 3.5g saturates), 5g fibre and 0.4g salt per portion.
These meaty, flavoursome ravioli are a wonderful way to show off homemade pasta on extra-special occasions. Equipment and preparation: for this recipe, you will need a pasta machine and ravioli mould.
This creamy dish is really satisfying, but surprisingly low in calories. Each serving provides 391 kcal, 58g protein, 10.5g carbohydrate (of which 7g sugars), 11.5g fat (of which 6g saturates), 7.5g fibre and 1.1g salt.
Enjoy the rich taste of tender beef stewed in red wine with a cheese scone topping.
1 To 2 Hours
Homemadebeansontoast
Serves 2
By:
The Hairy Bikers and Lorraine Pascale: Cooking the Nation's Favourite Food
Details
This quick and easy chorizo topping is a fantastic alternative to good old baked beans when piled onto hot toast. This meal provides 322 kcal, 18g protein, 32g carbohydrate (of which 5g sugars), 14g fat (of which 5g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.7g salt per portion.
Cod and potatoes, always good together, are given extra bite, oven-baked with a sprinkling of sugar to crisp the potatoes, and served with a butter, lemon and caper sauce.
This dish makes a great Friday night supper. Everywhere you go along the coastline of Italy it will be offered to you in some form or another, perhaps with cozze e vongole (mussels and clams), patelle (limpets) and moscardini (baby octopus), scallops, squid, and/or a combination of all of them.
The red mullet off Monemvasia are supposedly the best in the Aegean. A net full of them, red yes, but pink too with flashes of yellow as the sun rose on a still dark blue sea is a lovely recollection, and fried for breakfast later they were quite memorable. A month later though, I saw three autumn mullet in our fish shop and I cooked them simply with a dusting of semolina. I used to think the Mediterranean mullet were better than ours, but now I know the ones that come to Cornwall in autumn are prett
Use up leftover chicken carcasses in the Hairy Biker's recipe for a comforting bowl of chicken soup. Each serving provides 134kcal, 10g protein, 21g carbohydrate (of which 0g sugars), 1.5g fat (of which 0.3g saturates), 0.4g fibre and 1g salt.
Try Simon Rimmer's healthy twist on falafel, with a herby yoghurt sauce. Serve with toasted pitta and hummus. Each serving provides 51kcal, 2g protein, 4g carbohydrate (of which 0.5g sugars) 2.5g fat (of which 0.5g saturates), 1.5g fibre and 0.1g salt per portion.
The perfect sausages for this dish are those from specialist Italian or Continental delicatessens, luganega, which come in one long length. If you are using ordinary sausages, add a teaspoon of fennel seeds to the onions when frying.
A super-filling, meat-free wonder. Omit the Worcestershire sauce to make it a hearty vegetarian dinner. Each serving provides 400kcal, 15g protein, 47g carbohydrate (of which 9.5g sugars), 12.5g fat (of which 6g saturates), 9g fibre and 0.6g salt.