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Think you can’t eat tacos and lose weight? Think again! A little goes a long way in these delicious steak tacos.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the steak tacos

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp dried oregano

2 bavette steaks, about 150g/5½oz each

1-calorie sunflower oil spray

sea salt

4 corn tortilla wraps, 15cm/6in in diameter

For the burnt corn salsa

1 corn on the cob

1-calorie sunflower oil spray

½ red onion, finely chopped

1 green jalapeño chilli pepper, finely chopped

8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

small handful roughly chopped coriander (including stalks)

½ lime, juice only

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the avocado cream

½ ripe avocado

50ml/2fl oz reduced fat soured cream

½ lime, juice only

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Step 1. Mix the cumin, chilli powder and oregano together with 1 teaspoon sea salt. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of the steaks. Set aside.

Step 2. To make the burnt corn salsa, cut the corn kernels from the cob. Add a few sprays of oil to a frying pan and place over a high heat. Add the corn kernels and cook for 4 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add the red onion and jalapeño pepper, cook for 2 minutes and take off the heat. Tip into a bowl and add the cherry tomatoes, coriander and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3. To make the avocado cream, mash the avocado with the soured cream in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the lime juice.

Step 4. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add a few sprays of sunflower oil. Add the steaks to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, until cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan and leave to rest.

Step 5. Heat two large frying pans over a high heat. Add a tortilla to each pan and heat for 30 secondson each side. Remove and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Step 6. Thickly slice the steaks and pile onto the warmed tortillas, top with the salsa and avocado cream and serve.

Sweet scallops are served with stuffed courgette flowers and prawn sauce for an impressive summer meal.

Preparation time: less than 30 mins

Cooking time: 1 to 2 hours

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the tomato fondue

2 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

6 tomatoes, blanched and peeled

For the prawn sauce

300g/10½oz raw shell on prawns, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 bulb fennel, roughly chopped

1 shallot, roughly chopped

1 stick celery, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs each, chervil, tarragon, fennel fronds

2g fennel seeds

2g coriander seeds

185ml/6fl oz bottle white wine

100ml/3½fl oz brandy

500ml/18fl oz chicken stock

200ml/7fl oz double cream

250g/9oz butter

pinch cayenne pepper

For the crab-stuffed courgette flower

50g/1¾oz white crab meat

pinch basil leaves, finely chopped

pinch lemon verbena leaves, finely chopped

1 bunch wild bronze fennel, finely chopped

30g/1oz tomato fondue, from above

1 lemon, zest and juice

Espelette pepper

2 courgette flowers

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the scallops

2 extra large scallops, shucked and cleaned, roe removed

curry salt (5g curry powder mixed with 5g fine salt)

vegetable oil

½ lemon, juice only

To serve

lemon purée (optional)

fennel flowers

basil leaves

100ml/3½fl oz olive oil

Method

Step 1. To make the tomato fondue, heat some olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and gently fry the shallot and garlic until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook gently for around 1 hour, until reduced and thick. Set aside.

Step 2. To make the prawn sauce, heat some olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry the prawns and vegetables until lightly coloured. Add the herbs and spices and deglaze with the white wine and brandy. Add the chicken stock and simmer. Blend and pass through a fine sieve. Add the cream and butter and mix until the butter is melted in. Finish with the lemon juice and keep warm.

Step 3. To make the stuffed courgette flowers, mix the crab meat, herbs, tomato fondue, lemon zest and juice and Espelette pepper together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and place into a piping bag. Fill the courgette flowers with the mixture, then place in a steamer basket over a pan of boiling water and steam for 3–4 minutes, until warm. Brush with olive oil before serving.

Step 4. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

Step 5. To cook the scallops, season them with the curry salt, then heat a little oil in an ovenproof frying pan and brown on both sides, then place in the oven for 3 minutes. Finish with the lemon juice.

Step 6. To serve, place the courgette flowers onto plates with the scallops, pipe dots of the lemon purée (if using) around, then aerate the sauce with a handheld blender for 30 seconds and pour into the centre of the plate and garnish with the herbs.

This sweet and spicy carrot and sweet potato soup is a classic recipe – food celebrated by Rastafarians. It’s a real treat and the main ingredients are really cheap – great for your packed lunch.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 litre/1¾ pints fresh carrot juice

2 leeks, trimmed, chopped

2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2cm/¾in pieces

1 x 400g/14oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4cm/1½in piece creamed coconut

1 Scotch bonnet chilli, chopped (remove the heat-giving seeds if desired)

2cm/¾in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, finely chopped

large handful callaloo leaves or spinach leaves, washed, shredded (optional)

knob of butter

freshly ground black pepper

To serve

4 tsp soured cream or Greek-style yogurt

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method

Step 1. Bring the carrot juice to the boil in a pan.

Step 2. Add the leeks, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, creamed coconut, chilli, ginger, garlic and thyme and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the mixture for 4-5 minutes.

Step 3. Add the shredded callaloo or spinach, if using, to the mixture and continue to simmer for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the sweet potato pieces are tender.

Step 4. Once the vegetables are tender, the soup can be served straightaway. However, if you prefer a thick, chunky soup, mash the vegetables in the soup lightly using a potato masher. If you prefer a smooth soup, blend the mixture in a food processor until smooth. (NB: You may need to add extra carrot juice to the soup if mashing or blending it as it will thicken considerably.)

Step 5. Add the butter to the soup and stir until melted, then season, to taste, with freshly ground black pepper.

Step 6. To serve, ladle the carrot and sweet potato soup into four serving bowls. Garnish each serving with a drizzle of soured cream or a teaspoonful of Greek-style yoghurt, then sprinkle over the fresh coriander.

This beef stew recipe just requires a few minutes of frying and little bit of patience to let the oven work its magic.

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time 1 to 2 hours

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1kg/2lb 4oz braising steak, cut into 2.5cm/1in chunks

2 onions

3 celery stalks

4 large carrots

1 litre/1¾pint beef stock (from stock cubes)

900g/2lb potatoes

25g/1oz unsalted butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place a large saucepan over a high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and brown the beef in batches so the pan isn’t too full. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside on a plate. Don’t clean the pan, as you’ll need it to fry the vegetables.

Step 2. While the beef is frying, peel and chop the onions and carrots and slice the celery.

Step 3. Heat the remaining oil in the same saucepan and fry the onion, celery and carrot for 4–5 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Scrape any cooked on bits from the bottom of the pan; this will add flavour to the stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4. Mix the beef with the vegetables, then take the pan off the heat. Tip the meat and vegetables into a large ovenproof dish and pour the stock over the top.

Step 5. Peel and slice the potatoes into ½cm/¼in-thick slices and arrange over the top of the beef. Dot the butter over the top, then cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake for a further 15 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp and golden-brown. Serve in deep bowls.

Making ice cream needn’t be a chore – this family favourite has just three ingredients and is the work of a moment, with no specialist equipment needed. It also works with regular chocolate pops, cornflakes, cinnamon squares and puffed rice cereals, including cocoa-flavoured ones – feel free to experiment with your favourite cereals!

Preparation time over 2 hours

Cooking time no cooking required

Serves 4

Ingredients

120g/4½oz honey nut cornflakes (or other cereal, see above), plus extra to serve

100ml/3½fl oz full-fat coconut milk

397g tin condensed milk

Method

Step 1. Tip the cornflakes into a blender, add the coconut milk and condensed milk and blend until smooth. If you don’t have a blender, pop the cornflakes in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin or a full water bottle, then tip the pieces into the coconut milk and leave to steep for 2 hours until very soft and soggy. Combine with the condensed milk.

Step 2. Spoon the milky cornflake concoction into ice cube trays and freeze for 2 hours.

Step 3. Once frozen, pop the cubes out into a large mixing bowl and leave to thaw for 5 minutes. Beat with a wooden spoon – this may take some effort, but persevere until it is thick and creamy. Transfer the ice cream to a freezerproof container and return to the freezer.

Step 4. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before you want to serve it, to allow it to soften, and mix well before serving. Sprinkle with honey nut cornflakes to serve.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of steak, I used beef tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup butter

¼ cup white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut the steak of your choice into bite-size pieces. I used beef tenderloin, but you can use NY Strip or Ribeye if you’d like. Sprinkle the steak with smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium high. Add in the olive oil, then sear all sides of the steak. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan, otherwise the steak will steam, rather than sear.

Once the steak is seared and reaches your desired temperature when checked with a meat thermometer (I prefer 125F), remove and set aside.

Add the garlic to the skillet, and cook for just about 10 seconds, careful not to let it brown. Then pour in the white wine (or beef broth), to deglaze the pan. Allow ⅓ of the wine to evaporate as you’re scraping up the brown bits of flavor.

Add in the butter and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the steak back in and toss in the butter. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Store leftovers in the fridge for a few days or freeze in an airtight container.

Want to change things up a bit this year with your turkey leftovers? Now here’s a detour from tradition, a riff on a classic Middle Eastern lemon chicken soup.

The strong flavor of turkey meat holds up beautifully to the acidic lemon and bright turmeric, cumin, and ginger spices. The addition of barley gives the soup body.

We used turkey stock from the carcass of a roast turkey, but you could easily use chicken stock.

Turkey Soup with Lemon and Barley

PREP TIME 15 mins

COOK TIME 40 mins

TOTAL TIME 55 mins

SERVINGS 6 servings

If you are cooking gluten-free, use rice instead of barley.

*Use a vegetable peeler to peel strips of zest from a lemon. Use a sharp knife to scrape out and discard any of the white pith that still remains on the inside of the zest strips.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, grated or minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Salt

Pepper

6 cups turkey stock or chicken stock

Lemon zest strips, from 1 lemon*

1/2 to 1 cup barley (more barley will yield a thicker soup)

2 cups cooked turkey, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (can sub with more parsley)

Method

Sauté the onion, garlic, spices:

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the grated onion and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook another minute, then mix in the turmeric, cumin, ground ginger and a generous pinch of salt.

· Add stock, zest, bring to simmer then add barley:

Pour in the turkey stock and add the strips of lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, then add the barley. Simmer gently until the barley is cooked, about 20-30 minutes.

· Add cooked turkey, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, salt, pepper:

When the barley is cooked through, add the chopped cooked turkey, lemon juice, parsley and cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook gently just until the turkey is warmed through, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the lemon zest strips before serving.,