Short on time? Don't worry, these clever recipes are flavoursome – and fast!
1 Warming winter soup
Pea & ham soup
■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 5 mins ■ Cook 10 mins
6 spring onions, roughly
chopped
25g butter
500g frozen peas
600ml boiling strong-flavoured vegetable or
chicken stock
300g thick-cut ham, chopped
1 Fry the spring onions in the butter for 5 mins until softened. Add the peas and stock and boil for 3 mins.
2 Stir in a small handful of the ham, simmer for 2 mins, then take off the heat and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Season, stir in the rest of the ham and serve.
PER SERVING 261 kcals, fat 10g, saturates 5g, carbs 15g, sugars 9g, fibre 8g, protein 24g, salt 2.1g
2 Special dinner for two
Prawn spaghetti with tomato, chilli & basil
■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 3 mins ■ Cook 12 mins
200g spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
150g baby plum tomatoes
150ml white wine
handful of basil leaves
225g raw peeled prawns
generous knob of butter
1 Boil the spaghetti for 10 mins until just tender, then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook gently for 2-3 mins. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 3-4 mins or until they start to soften. Tip in the wine and simmer for 5 mins more.
3 Stir the basil and prawns into the tomatoes, season well, and cook until the prawns turn pink. Stir in the butter and cooked spaghetti, adding a splash of the cooking water to loosen the sauce, then toss and serve.
PER SERVING 603 kcals, fat 10g, saturates 3g, carbs 80g, sugars 7g, fibre 5g, protein 33g, salt 0.7g
3 Try this for a brunch or lunch
Chorizo & roasted pepper frittata
Serves 2 ■ Prep 10 mins ■ Cook 5 mins
olive oil, for drizzling
60g chorizo, diced
1 small red onion, finely sliced
½ red chilli, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 roasted red peppers from a jar,
drained and sliced
100g frozen peas
4 eggs, beaten
25g parmesan, finely grated
handful of rocket, dressed with
sherry vinegar
1 Heat the grill to high. Heat a drizzle of oil in a non-stick ovenproof frying pan and fry the chorizo until crisp. Reduce the heat, add the onion and cook until soft. Add the chilli and garlic to the pan and cook for 2 mins. Add the red peppers and peas, then tip in the eggs and season generously.
2 Cook for 2-3 mins until the bottom is set and a little golden. Sprinkle with the parmesan and grill until puffed and golden on top. Serve w
