Food & Drink

Preparation and cooking time Prep:15 mins Cook:1 hr and 15 mins Serves 4

Enjoy our lighter version of the family classic – lasagne. It has bags of avour, but comes in at under 500 calories a portion, as well as packing in four of your ve-a-day.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 large onion (250g), nely chopped • 320g carrots, nely chopped • 2 celery sticks (140g), nely chopped • 2 bay leaves • 500g 5% beef mince • 3 large garlic cloves, nely grated • 400g can chopped tomatoes • 2 tbsp tomato purée • 1½ tsp vegetable bouillon powder • 400ml semi-skimmed milk • 30g wholemeal our • generous pinch of nutmeg • 6 sheets

wholemeal lasagne (125g) • 25g nely grated parmesan

Method STEP 1

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion, carrots, celery and one of the bay leaves for 8-10 mins until the veg softens and is starting to turn golden. Add the mince and garlic, and stir-fry until the beef browns, about 5 mins. Tip in the tomatoes and a canful of water, the tomato purée and bouillon, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 mins, removing the lid after 10 mins to reduce the mixture slightly.

STEP 2

Meanwhile, pour the milk into a medium pan with the our and whisk over a low heat until the mixture is lump-free. Add the second bay leaf and a good pinch of nutmeg, and continue to cook, whisking, for 8-10 mins until thick.

STEP 3

Remove the bay from the mince and white sauce, and discard. Spoon a third of the mince into the base of a 19 x 24cm baking dish and top with two lasagne sheets. Spoon over half of the remaining mince, then top

Me Come Dine With Healthy lasagne with two more lasagne sheets, the rest of the mince and the remaining lasagne sheets. Spoon over the white sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and a good golden brown.

White chocolate cookies

Prep:10 mins Cook:12 mins Serves 10

Bake a batch of these soft American-style cookies, studded with chunks of white chocolate. Leave to cool or eat slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Ingredients

• 120g unsalted butter, softened • 85g light brown soft sugar • 65g golden caster sugar • 1 medium egg • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste • 180g plain our • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda • 180g white chocolate, broken into chunks

Method STEP 1

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugars together in a large bowl using an electric whisk, or in a stand mixer until just combined. Crack in the egg and beat again. Stir through the vanilla, our, bicarb, chocolate chunks and ¼ tsp ne sea salt.

STEP 2

Roll the mixture into 10 even-sized balls between the palms of your hands. Arrange over the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 mins until golden brown at the edges. Leave to cool slightly on the sheets, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely, or eat warm with ice cream.

More of those gin cocktails

SLOE GIN FIZZ

Prep: 5 mins. Serves 1

Treat yourself to a sloe gin zz, made with sloe gin and lemon juice and topped up with sparkling water. Garnish with a lemon slice and a blackberry.

Ingredients

50ml sloe gin 25ml lemon juice 2 tsp sugar syrup ice sparkling water lemon slice fresh or frozen blackberry

Method STEP 1

Pour the sloe gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker and ll up with ice cubes. Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold, then strain into a tall glass lled with more ice. Top up with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon slice and a blackberry.

HOT GIN TODDY

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 5 mins

Serves 2

Wind down at the end of the day with this ginbased hot toddy made with warming lemon, orange, honey and spices. It’s also a great Christmas tipple.

Ingredients

50ml gin 50ml freshly squeezed orange juice 50ml lemon juice ½ lemon, sliced 2 cloves 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed 1 cinnamon stick 2 juniper berries, lightly crushed 2 tsp runny honey

Method STEP 1

Divide the gin between two small heatproof glasses or mugs.

STEP 2

Pour 100ml water into a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients, reserving one lemon slice. Heat gently over a low heat until simmering.

STEP 3

Strain the mixture into a jug, discard the fruit and spices, then pour the toddy over the gin in the glasses and stir gently to combine. Cut the reserved lemon slice in half, use these to garnish the drinks and serve warm.