Veggie chilli

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1 red and 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp each of ground cumin and coriander
2 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
225 ml (8 fl oz) vegetable stock
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 large carrots, chopped
1 x 340 g can Green Giant sweetcorn, drained
1 x 400 g can mixed beans, rinsed and drained

Heat a little oil in a pan. Add onion and peppers and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add garlic, spices and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, stock, purée and carrots. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add sweetcorn and beans and cook gently for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(Serves 4) 237 cals per serving

Pea and bean soup

Ingredients

200 g (7 oz) each of frozen peas and soya (edamame) beans 
500 ml (18 fl oz) vegetable stock
6 spring onions, chopped
1 bunch basil
1 handful rocket, chopped roughly
300 ml (11 fl oz) Alpro soya light alternative to milk

Place peas, beans, stock and spring onion in a pan. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add basil, rocket and Alpro. Blend half of soup until smooth (leave half chunky). Warm through.

(Serves 4) 129 cals per serving

Melon and ginger granita

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) Galia melon (weighed without skin or seeds)
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 pieces stem ginger in syrup, plus 3 tbsp syrup from the jar
300 ml (11 fl oz) apple juice
6 tbsp Splenda granulated sweetener

Cut melon into chunks and place in a blender with lemon juice, 1 piece of ginger, apple juice and sweetener. Blend until very smooth. Finely chop remaining ginger and stir into melon purée. Tip mix into an ice-cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Or tip into a freezer container and freeze for 1 hour. Stir with a fork to break up ice crystals, then freeze again for another hour. Repeat the stirring, then freeze until solid. Remove container from freezer about 25 minutes before serving.

(Serves 6) 43 cals per serving

Spicy lamb and carrot meatballs

Ingredients

450 g (1 lb) carrots, grated
400 g (14 oz) pack lean lamb mince
1 clove garlic, crushed
50 g (2 oz) brown breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped mint 
1 tsp each of ground cumin and coriander
1⁄2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 egg yolk
1 onion, chopped
1 x 700 g bottle passata sauce with basil

Place half of carrot in a bowl with mince, garlic, breadcrumbs, mint, spices and egg. Mix well. Divide into 28 pieces then roll each into a small ball. Chill for 20 minutes.

Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook meatballs over a high heat for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over. Stir in onion and remaining carrot. Continue frying for a further 2 minutes. Pour in passata, season with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer for 8 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly and vegetables are tender. 

(Serves 4) 391 cals per serving

Little summer puddings

Ingredients

225 g (8 oz) blueberries
3 tbsp Splenda granulated sweetener
150 g (5 oz) each of raspberries and sliced strawberries
6 slices medium-cut white bread 

Place blueberries and sweetener in a pan with 1 tbsp of water. Cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until juice just begins to run from the fruit. Remove from heat and add strawberries and raspberries. Allow to cool.

Use biscuit cutters to stamp out 4 x 5 cm (2 in), 4 x 6 cm (2 1 ⁄ 2 in) and 4 x 71 ⁄ 2 cm (3 in) bread circles. 

Place the smallest circles in the base of the ramekins. 

Spoon half of the fruit on top then place on the medium-sized bread circles. Top with remaining fruit and largest bread circles. Spoon over any fruit juice. 

Cover with food wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove wrap and turn puddings out onto plates just before serving.

(Serves 4) 200 cals per serving

Tuna rice salad

Ingredients

150 g (5 oz) cooked brown basmati rice 
3 tbsp fresh salsa dip
2 spring onions, sliced
50 g (2 oz) each of cooked kidney beans and canned peppers
1 x 80 g can tuna steak in brine, drained and flaked
1 handful salad leaves 

Mix rice, salsa, onion, beans and peppers together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently fold in tuna. Place a handful of leaves in the base of a serving bowl then heap rice salad on top.

(Serves 4) 371 cals per serving