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.

Two-colour Courgetti with Truffled Mushroom Cream Sauce

Two-colour Courgetti with Truffled Mushroom Cream Sauce

Vegetarian/gluten free/low carb

There are so many good things about courgetti (‘pasta’ made with julienned or thinly sliced courgettes: see page xx for tips). It’s faster to cook than wheat pasta, is gluten free, less stodgy, more colourful and provides at least one serving of vegetables. And, on a Fast Day, the calorie saving means you can serve it with an indulgent sauce. If you can find them, buy one yellow and one green courgette for an appetising colour contrast. Truffle oil isn’t expensive and it gives an intense flavour: you can increase the oil to make it even richer if you have some extra calories to play with.

Serves 2

Calories per serving: 132–171

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 16–18 minutes

10g dried wild mushrooms 26 cals

2 medium courgettes 68 cals

5g pine nuts 35 cals

200g mixed mushrooms such as chestnut, oyster, enoki or shiitake 26–50 cals depending on type

1-2 tsp truffle oil 45-90 cals

1 clove garlic, crushed 4 cals

2 tbsp 0% fat crème fraîche 18 cals or single cream 58 cals

10g finely grated Parmesan or equivalent 42

few sprigs flat-leaf parsley or chives, chopped  cals 0

10g truffles preserved in a jar or tin (optional) 3–5 cals

salt and pepper

1.     Soak the dried mushrooms in 100ml hot water. Prepare the courgetti using a julienne peeler, a spiraliser or a sharp knife (see below for tips). Gently press out any moisture using kitchen paper then allow them to dry out a little while you make the sauce.

2.     Dry-fry the pine nuts in a large non-stick frying pan till lightly browned. Set aside.

3.     Cut the mushrooms into equal-sized chunks. Heat half of the truffle in a frying pan over medium heat, and sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until they’re browned.

4.     Chop or tear the softened dried mushrooms. Add to the pan with the crushed garlic and half the soaking water. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until there’s very little sauce left: add a little more soaking water if the mushrooms really dry out.  Meanwhile warm some pasta dishes and a small bowl. Pour the sauce into the warmed bowl.

5.     Add the remaining truffle oil to the pan then pan-fry the courgetti or courgette ribbons for 2–3 minutes, or until just browning (ribbons take a little longer). Tip the mushroom sauce back in to the pan and warm through.

6.     Pour pasta into the warm serving dishes, stir through the crème fraiche/cream, and top with the cheese, pine nuts, chopped herbs and shaved truffle, if using. Season and serve.

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen See page xx for tips for the best ‘courgetti’ or courgette ribbons. Alternatively, use a ‘julienne’ peeler or ‘spiraliser’ gadget that cuts spaghetti-like strands (you can use it for carrot salad on page xx, too). Mine was just £5. Watch your fingers when you are using one, as they’re very sharp.

Home-made Pizza with Cauliflower Base and Blue Cheese topping

Home-made Pizza with Cauliflower Base and Blue Cheese topping

Vegetarian/gluten free/low carb

I keep wishing I had shares in a cauliflower farm: it’s such a versatile vegetable, and is one 5:2 folks swear by. First it was cauliflower rice and cauliflower ‘couscous’. Now we have cauliflower pizza. The Internet is alive with different versions, and this is mine. It is deeply savoury, gloriously cheesy – yet lighter than wheat, and fabulous if you’re avoiding gluten. It looks fiddly, but it’s not, and the blue cheese is wonderful with the cauli. Each pizza is a really good size, and very filling for 1 person. Along with the pea soup, this might just be my favourite dish in the book.

Makes 2 x 20cm pizzas

Calories per serving: 296–326

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20–22 minutes

Base

400–450g cauliflower florets 100-113 cals

½ tsp dried chilli flakes or dried mixed herbs 3 cals

1 clove garlic 4 cals

20g finely grated hard cheese, such as Cheddar or Parmesan 80–84 cals

1 medium egg, beaten 78 cals

50g reduced-fat ‘rubbery’ cheese, such as mozzarella 87 cals or Emmental 137 cals

or 50g soft goat’s cheese with herbs or other flavourings 135 cals

1-cal cooking spray

Topping

50g gorgonzola or dolcelatte cheese 155 cals

2 tbsp tomato purée 10 cals or 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste 28 cals

1 red onion, thinly sliced 38 cals

90g plum or cherry tomatoes, halved 18 cals

120g sprouting broccoli, (about 6 stems) steamed until tender 23 cals

2 tbsp tomato purée 10 cals or 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste 28 cals

handful fresh basil or rocket leaves 5 cals

black pepper

1.               Process the cauliflower florets in batches in a food processor to a flour-like texture. You can grate it by hand but it’ll be hard work! (Optional: microwave the ‘flour’ for two minutes. This seems to help the mix adhere but is not essential.)

2.               Press as much moisture as possible out of the mixture using kitchen paper. Do this twice or three times before making the dough. Set the flour aside.

3.               Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Line two baking sheets with silicone coated baking parchment and pre-heat. Place the flour in a bowl, add the chilli or herbs, garlic and grated hard cheese and combine, adding freshly ground black pepper. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, add half the egg and use your fingers to begin to mix into ‘dough’. Add the 50g of mozzarella/Emmental or goat’s cheese from the base ingredients and combine with your hands and add more egg if needed.

4.               Divide the mixture into 2 balls and place them on the lined baking sheet. Press down on the balls with your hands to form a thin pizza base of around 20cm, pushing the mixture carefully out to the edge, keeping it as even as possible. The mixture may break up, so just re-patch it with your fingers. If you like, spray a little 1-cal cooking spray on the top to increase the crispiness.

5.               Place in the oven and bake for 15–17 minutes, or until crisp. Check it after 10 minutes and if the edges are burning too much then turn the heat down to around 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

6.               Remove the pizzas from the oven and add the topping ingredients. Start by carefully spreading the sun-dried tomato paste or tomato purée over the base then scatter over all other ingredients, except the basil or rocket, and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

7.               To serve, trim any blackened edges (or leave them – I like those best) and add the rocket or basil leaves.

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen The base is a blank canvas: add a cheese, two veg and some flavourings/herbs for your favourite pizza.

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.