Rosemary Conley - My Kitchen Table: 100 Great Low-Fat Recipes

MY KITCHEN TABLE gives you a wealth of recipes from your favourite chefs. Whether you want a quick weekday supper, sumptuous weekend feast or food for friends and family, let the My Kitchen Table experts bring their favourite dishes to your home. To get exclusive recipes, read our blog, subscribe to our newsletter or find out the latest on our exciting My Kitchen Table recipe App, visit www.mykitchentable.co.uk Throughout this book, when you see visit our site for practical videos, tips and hints from the My Kitchen Table team.

Asparagus can be bought in many different grades from thick, jumbo stems to the thin, fine spear. Choose thick to medium-thick stems, as the finer stems will disintegrate when cooked over this length of time. Serves 4 225g (8oz) fresh asparagus 2 medium onions, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 450ml (pint) vegetable stock 1 tablespoon plain flour 450ml (pint) skimmed milk 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives, to garnish salt and freshly ground black pepper per serving: 105 kcal/1.3g fat Step one Prepare the asparagus by trimming away the stalk at the point where the stem breaks when snapped in half.

Trim off the tips and reserve. Chop the remaining stems into small pieces. Step two In a non-stick pan, dry-fry the onions over medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and thyme and continue cooking for 12 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable stock, then sprinkle the flour over and cook out for 1 minute, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Step three Gradually add the remaining stock, along with the skimmed milk and asparagus stems.

Add the bay leaves and gently simmer for 1520 minutes until the asparagus is just cooked and the soup has slightly thickened. Step four Five minutes before serving, remove the bay leaves, stir in the asparagus tips and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve piping hot and garnished with snipped chives.

An easy, colourful soup to brighten up your day. Most of the ingredients can be kept in your store cupboard, making it a quick and easy lunch for all the family. Serves 4 4 small shallots, finely chopped 1 teaspoon paprika 2 smoked garlic cloves, crushed 2 red peppers, seeded and finely diced 1 x 175g (6oz) tin sweetcorn, drained pinch of dried chilli flakes 600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock 2 teaspoons cornflour 1 tablespoon finely snipped chives, to garnish per serving: 50 kcal/1.1g fat Step one In a large, non-stick pan, dry-fry the shallots over medium heat until soft.

Step two Sprinkle the paprika over, add the garlic and cook for 23 minutes, stirring well. Add the peppers, sweetcorn and chilli and stir in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Step three Slake the cornflour with a little cold water and add to the soup, stirring well to prevent any lumps forming. Cook for 56 minutes until the soup thickens slightly. If you prefer their flavour, you can use fresh red chillies, very finely chopped, instead of the dried chilli flakes. If you prefer their flavour, you can use fresh red chillies, very finely chopped, instead of the dried chilli flakes.

Use as much or as little as you want, depending on how hot you would like your soup to taste.

A celebration of fresh, new spring vegetables. Make the soup in advance and reheat as required, adding the spring greens just at the end to prevent them overcooking. Serves 4 4 baby leeks, finely sliced 2 small carrots, cut into thin strips 2 small courgettes, diced 1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock 1 x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes 2 teaspoons cornflour 23 leaves spring greens, finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper per serving: 69 kcal/1.4g fat Step one In a non-stick pan, dry-fry the baby leeks, carrots and courgettes for 23 minutes over medium heat, until soft but not coloured. Step two Stir in the stock and chopped tomatoes. Step three Slake the cornflour with a little water and stir into the soup, bringing the soup up to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1015 minutes.

Step four Five minutes before serving, add the spring greens and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

For a video masterclass on chopping vegetables, go to
www.mykitchentable.co.uk/videos/choppingvegetables Celeriac is an unusual root vegetable with a distinctive nutty flavour and is ideal for thick, wholesome winter soups. It can also be boiled with potatoes to add flavour to mashed potatoes. Serves 4 2 medium onions, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 450g (1lb) celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme 1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock fresh nutmeg 3 tablespoons low-fat fromage frais flat-leaf parsley, to garnish salt and freshly ground black pepper per serving: 81 kcal/1.3g fat Step one Dry-fry the onion and garlic in a non-stick pan over medium heat until soft. Add the celeriac, thyme and stock.

Gently simmer for 2530 minutes until tender. Step two Pour the soup into a liquidiser or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pan, adjusting the consistency with a little more stock if required. Grate over a little fresh nutmeg and season with salt and black pepper. Warm the soup through on medium heat for a few minutes. Step three Before serving, remove from the heat and stir in the fromage frais.

Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley and a little extra grated nutmeg.

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