Simple storecupboard suppers

Carrot & orange soup

■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins

■ Cook 40 mins

25g butter
1 large onion, chopped
500g carrots, cut into small chunks
1 orange, juiced and 1/2 zested
1 litre vegetable stock crème fraîche to serve (optional)

1 Heat the butter in a large pan, then add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 mins until softened.

2 Add the carrots and orange zest and cook, stirring, for 3-4 mins, then pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 20-25 mins or until the carrots are tender. Use a stick blender to whizz until smooth, then stir in the orange juice. Taste and season with pepper and more salt if it needs it. Serve with a sprinkling of pepper and a swirl of crème fraîche, if you like.

PER SERVING 165 kcals, fat 6g, saturates 3g, carbs 20g, sugars 16g, fibre 8g, protein 3g, salt 0.8g

Sausage chilli traybake

■ Serves 3 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 45 mins

6 pork sausages
1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
150ml red wine or chicken stock
400g tin cherry tomatoes
100ml chicken stock
2 tsp mild chilli powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

1 tsp dried oregano

400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 spring onions, chopped handful of coriander, chopped crusty bread to serve (optional)

1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the sausages, red onion wedges and diced pepper in a small non-stick roasting tin; roughly 20cm x 30cm. Add the oil and the cumin seeds and toss together.

2 Cook for 25 mins or until the sausages are starting to brown and the vegetables have softened. Remove the sausages from the tin, then stir in the wine (or stock), tomatoes, the 100ml stock, chilli, paprika, oregano and kidney beans, and season. Sit the sausages back in the tin, then cook for another 20 mins until the sauce has thickened and the sausages are browned and cooked through. Scatter over the chopped spring onions and coriander and serve with crusty bread, if you like.

PER SERVING 621 kcals, fat 37g, saturates 12g, carbs 34g, sugars 13g, fibre 15g, protein 24g, salt 1.7g

Fruity pork meatballs

Great served with mash, a jacket potato or rice.

■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 2 mins ■ Cook 18 mins

300g pack pork meatballs
3 tbsp caramelised onion chutney
300ml vegetable stock
2 red apples, cored and thickly sliced

In a large, non-stick frying pan, brown the meatballs for 2 mins over a high heat. Stir in the onion chutney, stock and apples, then bring to the boil. Simmer for about 15 mins until the apples and pork are cooked and the sauce has thickened.