THE ESSENTIAL LOW FAT COOKBOOK

 by Antony Worrall Thompson with Juliette Kellow BSc RD

Fat is usually where the flavour in food comes from. Unfortunately, flavoursome as it is, it is linked to high cholesterol, a risk factor for coronary heart disease – the major killer in the Western world – as well as diabetes, indigestion and gallstones. Plus, fat provides twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates of protein, so is laden with calories that don’t flatter the waistband!

Antony Worrall Thompson has done more than any other top chef in the UK to promote healthy eating and in The Essential Low Fat Cookbook  he proves that it is both easy and possible to cook delicious food whilst keeping saturated fat content to a minimum. The 180 tempting recipes here include salads, sides, light lunches, main courses and puddings, and cover every kind of occasion, from quick and easy week-night suppers (Prawn Tortillas with Mango Salad)to lazy Sunday brunches (Ricotta Cake with Roast Tomato) and elegant dinner parties (Campari and Orange Sorbet). No dish contains more than 3 per cent fat – many contain only 1.5 per cent – and none makes any compromise on taste or flavour.

In association with HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity – and with an introduction by leading dietitian Juliette Kellow, BSc RD, explaining the benefits to all of a low fat diet, plus clear at-a-glance nutritional information n the kcal, fat, saturates, sugar, salt and fibre content of each recipe, this is a book for food lovers who want healthy food as well as delicious food.

Antony Worrall Thompson is one of the UK’s best-loved chefs and the presenter of

ITV’s Daily Cooks Challenge. Passionate about organic food, good animal husbandry and the importance of local producers, he is a keen exponent of healthy eating. Antony is the author of a number of bestselling books, including Antony Worrall Thompson’s GI Diet, The GL Diet Made Simple, Healthy Eating for Diabetes, The Diabetes Weight Loss Diet and The Essential Diabetes Cookbook, which won the 2010 Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Award for the Best Health and Nutrition Book. He also writes for the Daily Express and Express on Sunday, as well as various monthly food magazines.

Juliette Kellow BSc RD is a registered dietitian and has a passion for food, diet, nutrition and health. She’s worked in the NHS and for the food industry, and is ex-editor of Slimming and health and beauty magazine Top Santé. Juliette now works as a nutrition consultant and writes for many different magazines and newspapers, including the Daily Mirror and Top Santé and regularly appears on radio and TV as a nutrition expert.

HEART UK - The Cholesterol Charity is passionate about preventing premature deaths caused by high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. For more information on HEART UK visit their website at www.heartuk.org.uk or call their helpline on 0845 450 5988

Published by Kyle Books and distributed in New Zealand by New Holland – NZ$59.99

 And the publishers have kindly allowed me to reproduce the following recipe from the book and which I have made and can vouch for its superb flavour and all round deliciousness.

Pan-fried tuna steaks with

soy pak choi

 

Fresh tuna is classified as an oil-rich fish, so contains good amounts of omega-3 fats. Plus, it’s packed with protein.

Serves 4

60ml Japanese soy sauce

60ml mirin

60ml sake

2 teaspoons liquid honey

1 teaspoon grated ginger

juice of 1 lime

4 x 150g tuna steaks

spray of vegetable oil

8 small heads pak choi, halved

4 spring onions, finely sliced

1 long red chilli, deseeded and sliced

Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, honey, ginger and lime juice in a bowl, and stir well to combine. Marinate the tuna in this mixture for 40 minutes.

Spray a griddle pan with vegetable oil and place over a medium heat. Drain the tuna (reserving the marinade) and cook for 2 minutes each side, then remove and leave to rest in a warm place.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the marinade to the boil. Add the pak choi and cook over a medium heat, turning regularly. It only needs to wilt so 11/2–2 minutes should be sufficient.

Place the greens on four warmed plates, top with the tuna steaks and scatter with spring onion and chilli. Serve immediately with boiled rice.

Per serving

259 cals

7.4g fat

1.8g saturates

6.1g sugar

1.4g fibre

2.9g salt

2.4g fat per 100g