Thrifty food for friends

To turn a bowl of soup from a light lunch into a dinner party starter, it needs an interesting garnish – these bacon dumplings are just the thing.

EASY LOW FAT FIBRE VIT C 1 OF 5 A DAY soup only SERVES 6 PREP 30 mins COOK 30 mins £1.15 per serving

25g/1oz butter 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 onions, fnely chopped 4 large foury potatoes (about 800g/ 1lb 12oz), chopped into small cubes 200g/7oz watercress, leaves picked and stalks chopped 2 tbsp fresh horseradish, grated (about 25g/1oz unpeeled weight) 1.5 litres/23/4 pints vegetable stock olive oil, for drizzling (optional) FOR THE DUMPLINGS 8 streaky bacon rashers, fnely chopped 3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs small pack fat-leaf parsley, fnely chopped

1 To make the dumplings, mix the bacon with the breadcrumbs and parsley. Shape into 18 balls – the bacon fat will hold the dumplings together. Cover and put in the fridge. 2 Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and onions, and cook for 10 mins until soft. Add the potatoes, watercress stalks and horseradish, and cook for a few mins more, then add the stock and bring everything to a simmer. 3 When the potatoes are tender (this should take 8-10 mins), stir in most of the watercress leaves, put the dumplings into the soup and let them poach for 3-4 mins or until cooked through. 4 Gently lift out the dumplings with a slotted spoon and put to one side. Whizz the soup in a blender and season. Divide between 6 bowls and top each with 3 dumplings. Drizzle with olive oil, if you like, and serve with the reserved watercress leaves on top and plenty of black pepper.

PER SERVING energy 306 kcals • fat 12g • saturates 5g • carbs 34g • sugars 6g • fibre 6g • protein 12g • salt 2.2g

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Herb-brined pork chops

Pork chops are hard to cook properly – you don’t want pork underdone, but cook them too much and they become dry. Soaking them in a brine not only tenderises the meat but also plumps it up, making it much more succulent.

EASY GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins plus brining COOK 35-40 mins £1.16 per serving

6 pork chops FOR THE BRINE 140g/5oz demerara sugar 200g/7oz sea salt 1 tbsp pink peppercorns 1 tbsp juniper berries 1 tbsp coriander seeds 2 bay leaves 2 thyme sprigs

1 Put all the brining ingredients in a large saucepan with 1 litre of water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Once cooled, put the chops in the brine, cover with cling flm and leave in the fridge for 2 hrs. Remove the chops from the brine, rinse under the cold tap and pat dry with kitchen paper. 2 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat a large griddle pan over a high heat and fry the pork chops for 3-4 mins each side or until starting to char – you may need to do this in 2 batches. Transfer to a baking tray lined with foil and roast for 10-12 mins until cooked through.

PER SERVING energy 314 kcals • fat 19g • saturates 7g • carbs 1g • sugars 1g • fibre none • protein 35g • salt 2.0g

Spiced fried potatoes & green beans

Chilli, garlic and coriander add a real punch to this side dish. If you prefer something more subtle, then the fried potatoes without the beans or aromatics makes a perfectly good side.

EASY GOOD 4 YOU GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 6 PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins 82p per serving

800g/1lb 12oz foury potatoes, cut into thick slices 200g/7oz fne green beans, trimmed 100ml/31/2f oz sunfower oil 1 red chilli, deseeded and fnely chopped 2 garlic cloves, fnely chopped 1/2 small pack coriander, chopped

1 Put a pan of water on to boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 10-15 mins until just tender. Drain the potatoes and season. Meanwhile, cook the beans in a pan of boiling water for 3 mins, then drain and run under cold water. 2 Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan. Add the potatoes and fry for 20 mins, turning occasionally, until they are cooked through and golden brown. For the fnal min, toss through the beans to heat through. 3 Lift the potatoes and beans out of the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Once the oil has cooled slightly, add the chilli and garlic and fry for 3 mins until softened. Sprinkle the chilli, garlic and coriander over the potatoes and beans, then serve.

PER SERVING energy 179 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 1g • carbs 23g • sugars 2g • fibre 3g • protein 3g • salt 0.2g A childhood favourite gets a grown-up makeover. If you can’t find blood orange juice, freshly squeezed regular orange juice will work just as well.

A LITTLE EFFORT VIT C 1 OF 5 A DAY GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 6 PREP 20 mins plus at least 6 hrs chilling COOK 25 mins £1.82 per serving

6 shortbread biscuits, to serve FOR THE JELLY 700ml/11/4pts blood orange juice 100g/4oz golden caster sugar 1 tsp fnely grated ginger 250g/9oz rhubarb, sliced into bite-sized pieces 50ml/2f oz Campari 6 gelatine leaves FOR THE CUSTARD 500ml/18f oz double cream 100g/4oz sugar 1 vanilla pod, halved and seeds scraped out 4 large egg yolks

1 For the jelly, mix the blood orange juice, sugar and ginger together in a large saucepan over a medium heat for 5-10 mins until the sugar has dissolved. Add the rhubarb and poach it gently for 3-4 mins or until tender, being careful not to overcook, then remove from the heat. Skim off any foam, then stir in the Campari. 2 Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 mins and squeeze dry. Add to the blood orange liquid, stirring to dissolve. Brush the inside of 6 x 150ml dariole moulds (see tip, below) with cold water so that they are just damp. 3 Lift the rhubarb out of the pan with a slotted spoon and divide two-thirds of it between the darioles. Pour the liquid over. Set aside the rest of the rhubarb and chill until needed. Allow the jellies to cool, then put in the fridge for at least 6 hrs or overnight until set. 4 To make the custard, set a large bowl over iced water. Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Briefy whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, then whisk in a third of the hot cream mixture. Don’t let it froth up, just make sure that everything combines smoothly. 5 Pour this egg mixture back into the rest of the boiling milk and cream, stirring all the time, until the custard is quite thick. Pour it into the bowl over iced water in order to prevent it overheating and curdling. Cover the surface with cling flm to prevent a skin forming, then leave to cool. Chill until needed. 6 To serve, pour a puddle of custard on 6 plates. Dip each dariole in hot water for a few secs, then turn out onto the custard. Top each jelly with a few poached rhubarb slices, and serve with the shortbread biscuits and any extra custard.

PER SERVING energy 659 kcals • fat 49g • saturates 29g • carbs 45g • sugars 45g • fibre 1g • protein 6g • salt 0.1g

Tip

If you don’t have 6 individual moulds, you can make one large jelly to share, with a bowl of the extra rhubarb and a large jug of custard.