Fish is low in fat, high in protein and an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids. Eating one or two serves of fish weekly can reduce the risk of a range of diseases, from childhood asthma to prostate cancer. Chilli fish soup makes an excellent starter.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 15 g Chinese dried mushrooms
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 100 g mangetout
• 100 g bamboo shoots
• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1.2 liters fish or vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander
• 450 g cod fillet, skinned and cubed

1. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Drain the mushrooms thoroughly. Using a sharp knife, roughly chop the mushrooms.
2. Heat the sunflower oil in a preheated wok. Add the onion to the wok and stir fry for 5 minutes, or until softened.
3. Add the mangetout, bamboo shoots, chilli sauce, stock and soy sauce to the wok and bring to the boil.
4. Add coriander and cubed fish to the wok. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
5. Transfer the soup to warm bowls, garnish with extra coriander if wished and serve hot.

“There are many different varieties of dried mushrooms, but shiitake are best. Cod is used in this recipe as it is a meaty white fish. For real luxury, use monkfish tail instead.”

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 ripe medium bananas
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 115 g caster sugar
• 4 tbsp cold water
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 150 ml low fat natural fromage frais
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• lemon and lime rind, shredded, to decorate

1. Peel the bananas and cut into 5 cm pieces. Place the bananas in a bowl, spoon over the lemon juice and stir well to coat. This will prevent the bananas from discoloring.
2. Place the sugar and water in a small pan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture caramelizes.
3. Drain the bananas and blot with absorbent kitchen paper to dry. Line a baking sheet or board with parchment and arrange the bananas, well spaced out, on top.
4. Dizzle the caramel over the bananas, working quickly because the caramel sets almost instantly. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix the fromage frais with the icing sugar and vanilla essence.
6. Peel the bananas away from the paper and arrange on serving plates. Serve the fromage frais as a dip, decorate with the lemon and lime rind.

“For best results, use a cannelle knife or a potato peeler to peel away thin strips of rind from the fruit, taking care not to include any bitter pith. Blanch the shreds in boiling water for 1 minute, then refresh in cold water.”

Mushroom cannelloni is a simple Italian dish for everybody. It makes a healthy and filling snack, lunch or even as a main meal. If you’re expecting a vegetarian guest for a meal, and don’t want to cook something for them specially, mushroom cannelloni would be an excellent dish to give them. However it needs to be served with other vegetables or salad to make it a full meal.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 350 g chestnut mushrooms, chopped finely
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 tbsp white wine
• 4 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
• 12 dried cannelloni
• salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese shavings, to garnish (optional)

Tomato Sauce

• 1 large red bell pepper
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 450 ml passata (sieved tomatoes)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp caster sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the mushrooms, onion and garlic in a pan. Stir in the thyme, nutmeg and 4 tbsp wine. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the breadcrumbs to bind the mixture together and season. Cool for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill to hot. To make the sauce, halve and deseed the bell pepper, place on the grill rack and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until charred. Let cool for 10 minutes.
3. Once the bell pepper has cooled, peel off the skin. Chop the flesh and place in a food processor with the wine. Blend until smooth. Pour into a pan.
4. Mix the remaining sauce ingredients with the bell pepper and wine and season. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
5. Cover the base of an oven proof dish with a thin layer of sauce. Fill the cannelloni with the mushroom mixture and place in the dish. Spoon over the remaining sauce, cover with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.