Cocktails & mocktails for celebrations

I’m celebrating my latest novel, Owner of a Lonely Heart, which is published this week in hardback, e-book and audiobook formats.

So it seemed like a great time to share these ideas for celebrations, taken from my Ultimate 5:2 Recipe Book.

People were surprised when I included cocktail recipes in a diet cookbook, but I have always believed that fasting - and in fact all successful lifestyle changes - only work long-term if they make room for enjoyment!

The Fast Day versions are also ideal if you’re taking a break from alcohol, or don’t drink it at all.

Cocktails for everybody

I am a cocktail lover, partly from watching too much Mad Men and partly after discovering so many great cocktail bars when we lived in Barcelona – Brighton, where we now live, doesn’t disappoint on the mixology front either.

To celebrate the 5:2 red-and-green theme (they also happen to be my favourite colours), I focused on red and green cocktails.  The alcohol-free versions mean you can still enjoy a colourful and tempting drink on Fast Days – and the stronger cocktails are perfect for when you’re celebrating reaching a weight loss milestone. Cheers!

Red Drinks

At home, our favourite martini is a Cosmopolitan, made famous by the Sex and the City girls. It’s the drink my partner, Richard, makes when we’re celebrating, or before going out for a big night! Yes, it’s boozy and but there’s a Fast Day version, too.

All measures are 25ml unless otherwise stated.

Richard’s Cosmo

Calories per cocktail: 224

2 measures vodka 112 cals

1 measure triple sec (e.g. Cointreau) 85 cals

squeeze fresh lime juice 2 cals

2 measures cranberry juice 25 cals

(Adjust up for more than one person – or down for less alcohol, but the proportions stay the same!)

orange peel, to garnish

 1.       Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake well (Richard says the sound changes when you’ve shaken thoroughly to more of a ‘thump’).

2.       Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a strip of orange peel that you’ve ‘flamed’ by holding next to a lit match until the oils spit a little and release their aroma.

 Fast Day: Kate’s Cosmopo-light-an
Calories per mocktail: 23

2 measures light cranberry juice 4 cals

squeeze of fresh lime juice 2 cals

2 measures fresh orange juice or 1 measure fresh orange and 1 measure grapefruit 18 cals or 17 cals

orange peel, to garnish

 1.       Prepare in exactly the same way as a normal Cosmo including the garnish! If you want a little alcohol, 1 measure of vodka is 56 calories.  

 Green Drinks

Our favourite bar when we lived in Barcelona was called Gimlet. It really did make you feel like Don Draper or Joan Harris from Mad Men, with the polished wood bar, the even more polished bar staff and the dreadful silence if you so much as whispered the word Cosmopolitan – any drink invented post-1960 was cocktail-non-grata.

Gimlet: Calories per cocktail: 87

A knockout, although too many will also knock you out.

25ml measure gin (I like Hendrick’s –nothing to do with Christina Hendricks who plays Joan as far as I know) approx. 56 cals
25ml measure lime cordial 31 cals
cocktail cherry, to serve

1.       Shake together with ice. Strain. Serve with a cocktail cherry (green and almost red!).

 Fast Day: Noijito
Calories per mocktail: 30 (or 88 with a 25ml measure of white rum)

Just like a Mojito. But without the sugar, or the alcohol (well, you can have some if you insist). I don’t often use sweetener but this is a tiny quantity. Or use half a teaspoon of sugar, dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water, then cooled and added to the soda water.

½ teaspoon sweetener 5 cals
1 lime, quartered, plus extra to garnish 20 cals
8 mint leaves, plus extra to garnish 5 cals
crushed ice 
25ml white rum e.g. Bacardi (optional) 58 cals
300ml soda water

1.       Pound the sweetener, lime quarters and half the mint in a pestle and mortar to release some of the flavours.

2.       Place crushed ice in a tall glass, to a quarter of the height. Add the muddled fruits and whole mint leaves and the rum, if using. Top with more ice, then fill to the top with soda water.  Garnish with slice of lime and a mint leaf.

Other lower-Calorie Alcohol Choices

• Dry sparkling wines like Champagne and cava are among the lowest (90–100 cals per 125ml) – or choose a spirit with a low-calorie mixer.

• A small glass (125ml) of red wine is 85 calories and of white wine 83.

Sweet drinks, like liqueurs (and especially the cream-based ones) contain extra sugar on top of the sugar in the alcohol, and alco-pops are often ultra-sweet to suit people who aren’t that keen on the taste of alcohol. You can wean yourself off the sweeter drinks if you want to; our taste buds are very adaptable. Remember when you first tasted alcohol? Chances are you hated the taste, but it grew on you . . .

PEACH & TOMATO PANZANELLA, 185 Calories

Simple but irresistible, the flavours of summer on a plate (I made it with our first tomatoes from the garden and it was perfection). Tomato and peach are a classic combination, and I’ve just added a little extra crunch with the bread to create a version of the traditional Italian panzanella salad.

Serves 1

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 3 minutes

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, 41 calories

• 1 x 30g slice stale country/sourdough bread, 66

• 100g mixed ripe tomatoes, sliced or halved into bite-sized pieces, 20

• 1 ripe peach, cut into bite-sized pieces, 51

• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 2

• Small handful of basil leaves, 5

• Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Heat a griddle and brush with a few drops of the oil (keep the rest for the dressing). Toast the bread on both sides, then tear into bite-sized chunks.

2. Arrange the tomatoes and peach pieces on a plate with the bread.

3. Mix together the remaining olive oil and vinegar in a bowl and drizzle over the salad, then scatter the basil leaves on top. Season well and serve at room temperature (ideally, wait for a few minutes to let the dressing soften the bread).

P. S. For a gluten-free version, substitute 10g of pistachio nuts (59 calories), lightly crushed, for the bread.

Add half a ball of ‘light’ mozzarella (100–109 calories) for a more substantial meal – it’s not quite as creamy as the full fat version, but it works on a Fast Day if seasoned well and accompanied by a tasty dressing. Or try salty, savoury crumbled feta instead.

Recipe from 5:2 Veggie & Vegan

5:2 books

Coconut Vegetable Curry

Sri Lankan inspired Coconut Vegetable Curry

Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free

I recently recovered from Covid-19 and since then, I’ve been craving lighter and full-flavoured food, so I started with one of my favourites, inspired by my first ever trip to Asia. I loved Sri Lanka – and even though I’m not really a big coconut fan, I loved the sweet-sour taste of their veggie dishes, which comes from coconut milk. This simple dish is always a winner.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the tamarind or the curry leaves. You can also leave out the desiccated coconut, but the coconut milk is pretty essential for this delicious dish.  Choose a rainbow of seasonal vegetables for a beautiful bowlful!

Makes 2 servings

Calories per serving: 240–265

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 13 minutes

1 tsp coconut OR olive oil 45 cals

1 tsp black mustard seeds 5 cals

1 tsp turmeric 5 cals

few black peppercorns

1 red onion, chopped 38 cals

½–1 small, hot red chilli, seeded, finely chopped 2–4 cals

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals

1–2cm-piece ginger, peeled and grated, to taste 3–4 cals

400g mixed vegetables, diced or chopped into equal-size pieces, including 80g baby aubergines 16 cals, 150g mixed butternut squash and sweet potato 92 cals, 1 medium courgette 34 cals, 1 red pepper 30 cals (150–200 cals in total)

Optional: 10g desiccated coconut, plus a little extra for serving 62 cals

1 tsp tamarind paste 7 cals or juice of ½ lime 10 cals

80ml coconut milk made up to 200ml with cold water 140 cals

100g Chinese cabbage, pak choi, or other greens 17 cals

Optional: 4 dried curry leaves, a few fresh coriander leaves, chopped to garnish

1.     Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute till they pop slightly. Reduce the heat and add the onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric, peppercorns and fry gently for 2 minutes.

2.     Add the chopped vegetables and desiccated coconut if using, and fry for 2 more minutes. Add the curry leaves, tamarind paste and coconut milk and water mixture and, bring to a simmer. Let it cook for 6 minutes.

3.     Add the Chinese cabbage or greens and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4.     Serve sprinkled with the reserved coconut and chopped coriander. Delicious served with 50g basmati or jasmine rice per person (dry weight: 166-175 calories per serving).

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen For more protein, add tofu, cooked prawns or cooked chicken at the same stage as the coconut milk.

To freeze Simply allow the second portion to cool before freezing in an airtight plastic container. Defrost the curry before reheating in a pan or the microwave. 

For more delicious, healthy recipes like this, read my book,

5:2 Good Food Kitchen

September soup: Cauliflower & mustard with cheese, 53-101 cals

Cauliflower and Mustard Soup with Melted Cheese Crispy Crumbs 53-71 calories + topping 30 calories

This soup recipe always makes me feel warm inside – cauliflower cheese is such a comfort food, and this soup gives you all the comfort with hardly any of the calories. If you’re not fasting, just add more cheese and crumbs, or… if you fancy a really satisfying supper, serve with sourdough bread topped with the rarebit from the Rarebit Mushrooms recipe!

For a vegan version, use ‘Nooch’ – nutritional yeast – which has bags of savoury ‘umami’ flavour -and if you’re a fan of mustard, increase the amount to taste. #

Makes 4 servings

Calories per serving: 53 made with almond milk; 71 made with semi-skimmed milk, plus 30 with topping

Preparation time: 8 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

 Ingredients:

½ tsp butter or olive oil 19–23 cals

1 white onion 38 cals

1 medium cauliflower, florets only 100 cals

600ml homemade vegetable stock 15 cals or water and 2 tsp Marigold bouillon 24 cals

2–3 tsp Dijon mustard 15–30 cals

200ml almond milk 26 cals or semi-skimmed milk 98 cals 

30g reduced-fat mature cheddar cheese 65 cals

20g breadcrumbs 55 cals

salt and pepper

 1.     Add the butter or oil to a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes then add the cauliflower and let it brown lightly for 3 minutes.

2.     Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 18–20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft enough to blend.

3.     Add 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard and the almond or semi-skimmed milk and blend, using a stick blender or move the mixture to a blender goblet to blend, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you like more mustard, add it now.

4.     To serve, preheat the grill to medium. Divide the soup between heatproof bowls. Gently sprinkle over the cheese and breadcrumbs so they don’t sink. Place the bowls under the grill and let cook until the crumbs are brown and the cheese has melted.

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen This soup freezes well (but without the cheese and crumb topping). Defrost and reheat, then add topping. Try blue cheese in place of cheddar in the cheese crumb topping. Or use wholegrain mustard in an alternative topping: simply mix together 1 level tablespoon 0% fat crème fraîche (6 calories) and 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard (8 calories) and swirl into each portion just before serving.

Freezes well before adding the topping.

From The 5:2 Good Food Kitchen - buy here.

Rarebit mushrooms - gorgeous supper dish, 280 calories

Portobello Mushroom Rarebit with Oven-Baked Tomatoes

280 calories, 16g protein, 2 portions of veg

This is a delicious dish for suppertime - or anytime. The rarebit mix keeps in the fridge in a covered container for up to two days, so you can use it on anything else you fancy. It’s great directly on toast or on top of a pre-cooked fillet of smoked fish, like haddock, finished off under the grill. Also great on sourdough served with the Cauliflower & Mustard soup.

Serves 4 as a main

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 14– 18 minutes

8 medium portobello mushrooms (around 50g each)

400g cherry or baby plum tomatoes

1 tsp oil

For the rarebit mix:

2 eggs

80g mature Lancashire cheese, finely crumbled or grated

2 tbsp stout or semi-skimmed milk

2 tsp English mustard

1 small red onion, finely chopped

To serve:

4 x 50g slices sourdough or gluten-free bread

50g rocket or dark leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6. Wipe the mushrooms and remove very woody stalks. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place cut side up in an ovenproof dish, then put the mushrooms on top, gill-side up. Brush with a little oil and bake till the mushrooms have just softened (the biggest mushrooms may take a little longer), around 8–10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the rarebit mix. Beat the eggs with a fork in a small bowl. Add the cheese followed by the stout/milk, mustard and onion and mix well. Season well.

3. Spoon the egg mixture on top of the mushrooms (if they’ve released a lot of liquid, pour this off the baking tray first). Place back in the oven for 6–8 minutes, until the cheese mixture puffs up and browns, but don’t let it burn.

4. Toast the bread and serve the mushrooms on top, garnished with the salad leaves. VARIATION: You could use pesto instead of mustard (1 tsp of shop-bought pesto is around 23 calories, depending on the brand).

From: The Dirty Diet: Ditch the guilt, love your food

Baked avocado, 209 calories

BAKED AVOCADO STUFFED WITH BEANS AND SMOKED CHEESE, 209 calories

This is one of my favourite dishes of all time: eating a version of this when I was 18, way before avocados were trendy, made me realise how exciting veggie food could be. The flavour of avocados becomes nuttier and richer when they are gently baked. I’ve added beans here (you don’t need many, use whatever you have), paprika and smoked cheese. One tip: use ripe but not squishy avocados, as the older ones become stringy and brown when baked.

Serves 1

Preparation time: 8 minutes

Cooking time: 10–12 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small avocado, 100–120 calories depending on size

30g cooked, drained beans, such as borlotti, 28

1/2 teaspoon paprika, 3

1 spring onion, finely sliced, 2

10g smoked cheese, 38

Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

To serve

1 dessertspoon half-fat crème fraiche, 18

5 cherry tomatoes, 15–25

2 small wedges cut from an iceberg lettuce, 5

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

2. Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Lightly crush the beans with the paprika and mix with the sliced spring onion.

3. Place the avocado on a baking tray and pile the bean mix into its centre, to cover. Slice the cheese very thinly to cover the beans and as much flesh as possible. Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes.

4. Season and serve with the crème fraiche, plus the cherry tomatoes and

lettuce wedges – these are great for scooping up the hot filling.

P. S. The same technique works well with cream cheese or a blue cheese like Stilton, with a topping of walnuts on a non-Fast Day. For a vegan version, top the beans with mixed seeds and a good sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

For more recipes like this, try my recipe book 5:2 Veggie & Vegan.

It includes tips, recipes and a complete guide to intermittent fasting, veggie style.

The BEST egg-fried cauliflower rice (182 calories)

I don’t know how many calories cauliflower rice has saved 5:2 fasting people since we first posted a recipe in the Facebook group, but it must run into the millions. It’s very easy and makes a great replacement for rice or couscous: lighter, lower in calories, and you are getting a portion of vegetables. And the egg-fried version is just so tasty.

Quick everyday cauliflower rice

Serves 2

Calories per serving: 25

Preparation and cooking time: 5­–10 minutes

 200g cauliflower florets 50 cals

salt and pepper

1. Grate or finely chop cauliflower florets until they resemble rice grains. The fastest way to do this is to pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor, which gives a finer texture.

2. Place the cauliflower into a loosely covered microwaveable dish. Don't add water: there’s already enough in the cauliflower to stop it drying out. Place in the microwave and cook on full power for 2 minutes. If you are only cooking one portion, reduce the time to 60 seconds.

3. Or you can stir-fry the grated cauliflower. Add a splash of water to or spray a saucepan with 1-cal cooking spray to prevent it from sticking and set over a high heat. When hot, add the cauliflower and fry for 2–3 minutes, or until softened. If you are using spray, the rice may caramelise a little, adding a nutty flavour.

4. Season and serve alongside curries, stews and other main dishes.

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen I like to add herbs or spices to the mixture when I process it or during cooking. You could try cumin, ginger, fresh chillis or dried chilli flakes or fresh herbs like parsley or basil.

You can freeze individual portions, too, which generally won’t take much longer to re-heat than fresh.

Recipe from 5:2 Good Food Kitchen - packed with 80 delicious recipes, inspiring real-life stories PLUS tips for healthy, fast cooking.

Egg-fried Cauliflower Rice, 182 cals

This is the more souped up version of cauli rice that makes a great main meal or side dish. It’s infinitely variable, depending on what you’ve got in the fridge or spice rack.

Serves 1 as a main course/2 as a side dish

Calories per serving: 182 for 1 main course servings, 91 cals as a side dish for 2

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 8-10 minutes

½ medium cauliflower, around 200g of florets  (50 calories)

½  teaspoon coconut or sesame oil, 22

½  teaspoon whole or ground spices e.g. garam masala, five-spice, cumin or spice paste, 3-10

 2 medium spring onions, finely chopped, 4, or ½ an onion, 19

150g vegetables e.g. sliced mushrooms, chopped pepper or carrot, frozen or fresh peas, 25-50 calories

1 medium egg, 78 cals

Optional: ½ small chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped 2-4

Splash of soy sauce, tamari or sweet chilli sauce

1.      Prepare the cauliflower as for the basic rice above.

2.      Heat half the oil in the largest frying pan or wok you have. Add the spices, onion and vegetables and cook over a high heat for 2 minutes.

3.      Add the cauliflower and the other half of the oil: cook for 2 more minutes and allow the ‘rice’ and vegetables to brown but move in the pan before they burn.

4.      Beat the egg. Lower the heat in the pan slightly, move the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour in the egg into the other half. Stir as they scramble, for 1-2 minutes.

5.      Mix the eggs and ‘rice’ together in the pan then serve. Add a splash of soy, tamari or chilli sauce to serve.

 More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen: add chopped cashew or peanuts in place of the eggs plus some cubed tofu for a vegan version. A splash of coconut milk at the end of cooking is yummy too.