by Tom Kerridge
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cooking chorizo sausages, about 65g each, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400g broccoli stalks (about 4), quartered lengthways and finely sliced
3 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
A handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
40g Parmesan, finely grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, for zesting, to finish
1 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente, about 10–12 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over a high heat. When hot, add the chopped chorizo and cook for 4 minutes or until it releases its oil and starts to turn crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3 Add the sliced broccoli stalks to the pan along with the anchovies and chilli. Cook for a further 3–4 minutes or until the broccoli stalks are just al dente.
4 Drain the pasta as soon as it is cooked, saving some of the water. Add the pasta to the chorizo and broccoli pan with a ladleful of the pasta water and stir to make a sauce. Sprinkle in half the chopped basil and half the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5 Toss well and divide between warmed serving bowls. Zest lemon over each bowl and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and basil to serve.
Chorizo and broccoli stalk pasta
Bangers and mash
My version of this ever-popular family favourite uses sweet potato and swede – for variety and extra goodness – to create a mash with an amazing colour. Make sure you use really good-quality sausages as they’re the hero of this dish.
Serves 4
705 calories per serving
8 good-quality pork sausages
500g swede, peeled and diced
500g sweet potato, peeled and diced
50g butter
100g half-fat crème fraîche
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the gravy
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
6 sprigs of thyme, tied together with string
150ml beer (or use an extra 150ml beef stock)
2 tsp English mustard
500ml beef stock
2 tbsp beef gravy granules
To serve
300g green beans, steamed
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Place the sausages on the lined baking tray and cook in the oven for 25–30 minutes, depending on their thickness, shaking the tray from time to time to ensure even cooking.
3 Meanwhile, put the swede and sweet potato into a large pan and pour on enough cold water to cover. Season with salt and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until tender.
4 In the meantime, make the gravy. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, along with the thyme, and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until softened and starting to brown and caramelise.
5 Pour in the beer, if using, and let it reduce by half, then add the mustard and beef stock. Simmer for 10 minutes, then whisk in the gravy granules and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6 When the swede and sweet potato are cooked, drain and mash until smooth. Return them to the pan and mix in the butter and crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper and reheat gently.
7 Serve the sausages with the mash, steamed green beans and plenty of gravy.
Bangers and mash
Tomato salad with chargrilled chorizo
This effortless dish involves virtually no cooking but is full of flavour and looks stunning. Enjoy it in the summer months when tomatoes are at their best. Source some really good heritage varieties – maybe visit your local farmers’ market, or go to a pick-your-own farm – unless, of course, you grow your own!
Serves 4
630 calories per serving
200g sourdough bread, torn into small chunks
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1kg ripe mixed heritage tomatoes
A pinch of caster sugar
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp baby capers, drained
6 artichokes in brine, drained and quartered
2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked (10g)
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
4 picante/spicy cooking chorizo sausages, about 300g in total
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Place the bread on the lined baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the extra-virgin oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes or until browned, tossing once halfway through cooking.
3 Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into even-sized chunks and place in a large bowl along with the sugar, red onion, capers, artichokes, parsley, sherry vinegar and the remaining 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss everything together well.
4 Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat. Slice the chorizo thinly on an angle. Lay the chorizo slices on the hot griddle and cook for 2 minutes on each side. (You might have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan.)
5 Add the toasted bread chunks to the tomatoes and toss to coat in the dressing and tomato juices. Add the griddled chorizo and toss again.
6 Transfer the salad to a large, shallow serving bowl, or divide between individual bowls and serve.
TIP ✔ Chorizo comes in different levels of spiciness, from mild to pretty fiery, so try out some different options until you find the type you like best.
Tomato salad with chargrilled chorizo
Italian sausage, fennel and kale pasta
Fennel has a wonderful mild aniseed flavour that goes well with salami, and it’s good raw or braised. Don’t be put off if you haven’t bought it before, it’s easy to prepare.
Serves 4
785 calories per serving
300g Italian-style pork and fennel sausages
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large fennel bulb (about 300g), tough outer layer removed, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp fennel seeds
400g tin chopped tomatoes
680ml jar passata
500g wholewheat penne (rigate or plain)
100g kale, tough stems removed, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
1 lemon, for zesting
Freshly grated Parmesan
1 Remove the skin from the sausages. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5–10 minutes until lightly browned.
2 Add the diced fennel and cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic, chilli flakes and fennel seeds and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the fennel has softened.
3 Tip in the chopped tomatoes and passata, bring to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes until reduced and thickened.
4 Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente, about 10–12 minutes. Drain the pasta, keeping back a little of the cooking water.
5 Season the tomato, sausage and fennel sauce with salt and pepper to taste and add a splash of cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed. Stir in the kale and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the cooked pasta.
6 Divide the pasta and sauce between warmed bowls, zest over the lemon and serve with grated Parmesan.
Italian sausage, fennel and kale pasta
ONE OF THE MAIN benefits of cooking for yourself is having full control over what you eat, as you determine what goes into your meals. The recipes in this chapter g
ive a nod to lighter eating. They are the dishes to make when you feel like something a bit less substantial – and maybe the route to go down after a big weekend!
For me, lighter cooking is all about fresh-tasting, well-balanced dishes that are satisfying but won’t leave you feeling overly full. They make use of cooking methods such as grilling, griddling and quick pan-frying and they’re slightly lighter on the carbs, with crunchy salads and well-dressed veg on the side. The Warm crispy salmon salad showcases some of our fantastic summer veg, while the Tamarind chicken skewers with green mango salad is packed with bright flavours and looks amazing. It works well on a barbecue if you have mates round at the weekend, or on a griddle over the hob for a quick midweek meal.
For something that brings a bit of a wow factor to your dinner table, the Brown butter salmon en papillote always impresses: you unwrap the paper parcel in the middle of the table and everyone digs in. Cooking fish wrapped up like this keeps it lovely and moist without the need for lots of oil or butter, so it’s a clever way to eat a bit lighter. The sausage rolls may not sound especially healthy, but they are made with more than fifty per cent veg and lentils and have so much flavour they put pie-shop pastries to shame.
Whether you are after a quick weekend lunch, an effortless supper or looking to kick-start a new healthier eating regime, these dishes will show you that eating ‘lighter’ never tasted so good.
Asian-style griddled squid salad
Squid is a useful ‘convenience’ food, as it freezes well and cooks quickly; the freezing process even helps to tenderise it. In this fresh, crunchy salad, squid’s subtle flavour and meaty texture is a lovely contrast, and a punchy dressing pulls it all together.
Serves 4
275 calories per serving
4 large squid tubes, cleaned
Vegetable oil spray, for cooking
For the dressing
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lemongrass stalks, white part only and tough outer layer removed, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
For the salad
2 shallots, thinly sliced
100g mixed baby leaves
2 handfuls of beansprouts
A handful of coriander leaves
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 sprigs of mint, leaves picked
1 long red chilli, finely sliced
To serve
Sweet chilli sauce, to drizzle
Lime wedges
1 Carefully slice open each squid tube so it can lie flat, and score a lattice pattern on the softer, inner surface. Cut each one into 6 equal-sized pieces and place in a bowl.
2 To make the dressing, heat the oil in a small pan, add the lemongrass and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Leave to cool completely.
3 Add half of the dressing to the squid. Stir to coat and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
4 For the salad, toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour on the rest of the dressing, toss again and place on a large plate or divide between individual serving plates.
5 Heat a large griddle pan over a high heat. When it is smoking hot, spray with a little oil, add the squid pieces in a single layer and cook for 30 seconds on each side or until lightly charred. Depending on the size of your griddle, you may need to cook the squid in batches.
6 Place the griddled squid on top of the salad and drizzle with a little sweet chilli sauce. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Asian-style griddled squid salad
Warm crispy salmon salad
This simple warm salad celebrates the best of British summer veg and it’s on the table in under 30 minutes. Don’t stress if you’re not used to cooking fish: salmon has a higher healthy fat content than white fish so it can cope with being slightly under- or overcooked. The pan-fried crispy skin adds a fantastic extra texture to the salad.
Serves 4
670 calories per serving
1 fennel bulb, tough outer layer removed, thinly sliced
8 asparagus spears, trimmed of woody ends and finely shaved with a vegetable peeler or mandoline
8 radishes, finely sliced
4 salmon fillets, skin on, about 180g each
30g plain flour, for dusting
1 tbsp olive oil
250g tenderstem broccoli
250g fine green beans, trimmed
200ml water
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
200g frozen peas
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp roughly chopped dill
1 Put the fennel, asparagus and radishes into a bowl of cold water with a handful of ice added and leave to crisp up for 10 minutes or so.
2 Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper and dust both sides with flour. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Place the salmon skin side down in the pan and hold down with a spatula for 30 seconds or so. Cook, without moving, for 7–8 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, put the broccoli and beans into a sauté pan with the water and extra-virgin oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and cook over a medium heat, moving the veg around so they cook evenly. When the liquid has almost all evaporated, add the frozen peas. Once the peas are cooked, remove from the heat and drain off any excess water.
4 When you can see that the skin on the fish is crispy, flip the salmon fillets over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the heat and leave to rest while you make the dressing.
5 Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the warm veg in the pan. Drain the fennel, asparagus and radishes and add to them the pan. Toss to mix and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6 Divide the warm salad between serving plates and top each portion with a salmon fillet, crisped skin up, to serve.
Warm crispy salmon salad
Baked sardines with carrot salad
Sardines taste amazing, so give this light fish supper a go when they’re in season (roughly September to February). They are naturally quite high in healthy fats, so they stay nice and moist as they cook and provide a good contrast to the crunchy carrot salad and toasted crumb topping.
Serves 4
490 calories per serving
12 sardines, gutted and cleaned
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the carrot salad
600g carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on an angle
1 tbsp sea salt
50g sultanas
50g pine nuts, toasted
2 large handfuls of flat-leaf parsley leaves
50g mixed sprouted beans and grains
For the toasted crumbs
75g sourdough bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
For the dressing
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp seeded mustard
To serve
Lemon wedges
1 For the salad, put the carrots into a large bowl, add the salt and mix well. Leave for 20 minutes or until the carrots have softened a little.
2 Rinse the carrots under plenty of cold running water to remove all the salt, then drain well. Clean the bowl and tip the carrots back into it. Add all the remaining salad ingredients and toss to combine.
3 Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7 with the grill on. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
4 Lay the sardines on the baking tray, drizzle with
the extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the top shelf of the oven for 8–10 minutes, until the sardines are cooked through and starting to char on the surface.
5 Meanwhile, blitz the sourdough bread in a blender to crumbs. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil with the smashed garlic clove in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until the crumbs are evenly toasted and browned. Remove from the heat and discard the garlic clove.
6 Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, pour over the carrot salad and mix well.
7 Transfer the carrot salad to a serving platter or divide between individual plates and top with the sardines. Sprinkle with the toasted crumbs and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Baked sardines with carrot salad
Gremolata fish with posh tartare sauce
Zesty herb- and lemon-flavoured breadcrumbs add a lovely texture to this healthier version of fish and chips. Oven-cooked potato wedges are an easy alternative to fries and they taste so much better than shop-bought frozen chips.
Serves 4
495 calories per serving
4 skinless plaice fillets, about 180g each
1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for oiling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the baked potato wedges
800g Maris Piper potatoes, cut into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
For the gremolata crumb
100g sourdough bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
2 tbsp parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
For the tartare sauce
1 large free-range egg, hard-boiled, peeled and grated
4 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt (0% fat)
2 tbsp cornichons, finely chopped
1 tbsp baby capers, drained
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
To serve
300g green beans, steamed
