Rich aubergine parmigiana, 273 calories

V/GF

A classic, for good reason! I’ve cut down a little on oil and used lower-fat mozzarella, but otherwise, this is the real deal and a generous portion, too. Layers of tender aubergine, hot cheese and full-flavoured tomatoes. ‘Proper’ parmesan isn’t veggie, but Grana Padano is, and it also tastes very similar and is usually cheaper! If this is the Mediterranean diet, bring it on…

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35–40 minutes

2 teaspoons olive, rapeseed or groundnut oil, 82

2 medium aubergines, around 200g each, thinly sliced lengthwise, 80

1 onion, chopped, 38

3 garlic cloves, chopped, 12

3 400g tins chopped tomatoes, 240

1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh, 5

2 teaspoons sugar, 30, or 1 teaspoon agave nectar, 17

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 11

2 x 125g reduced-fat/light packets of mozzarella, 420

Handful of basil leaves, 5

25g breadcrumbs, 92

20g Grana Padano, finely grated, 78

Freshly ground salt and pepper

1.     Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

2.     Heat a griddle, measure out 1 teaspoon of oil and apply a little to the pan with a pastry brush.  Grill the aubergine slices in batches on both sides until softened and lightly marked, but not charred: use more of the measured oil as needed. Set the slices aside on kitchen roll to drain away excess oil.

3.     While the aubergines are grilling, fry the onion and garlic in a large non-stick pan for 2–3 minutes in the other 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the tinned tomatoes, oregano, sugar and red wine vinegar and cook for 5–8 minutes, covered, until the sauce thickens.

4.     Tear the mozzarella into small pieces with your fingers. Take a lasagne or roasting dish and spoon tomato sauce onto the bottom, then cover with slices of aubergine. Season, then add more tomato sauce, followed by basil leaves and pieces of mozzarella. Continue to layer in this way: aubergine and seasoning; tomato sauce and mozzarella, ending with a thick layer of tomato sauce on the top.

5.     Mix together the breadcrumbs and cheese and scatter over the top of the parmigiana. Bake for 40 minutes, until the cheese topping is crisp. Serve with a green salad.

P. S.  You can prepare in advance to the end of stage 4 and then refrigerate before adding the topping and then baking. For a gluten-free version, leave out the breadcrumbs but double the Grana Padano! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, just reheat in the microwave, but the dish doesn’t freeze well.

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

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.

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.