Parsley Sauce

This parsley sauce recipe is an ideal accompaniment for steamed fish or perfect with gammon or grilled bacon. The light creamy sauce also works great served with mashed potato or as a dip for vegetables.

When making sauces, many people worry about lumps forming. I find that warming the milk first, then adding the other ingredients eliminates lumps every time. 

Béchamel Sauce

This basic white sauce is a classic béchamel that goes great with grilled meat or chicken or with steamed fish. The calories are kept down by using low fat milk and butter.

When making sauces, many people worry about lumps forming. I find that warming the milk first, then adding the other ingredients eliminates lumps every time. 

Mashed Potato

Mashed potato. There’s nothing more I can tell you about mashed potatoes other than this is the way I make them.

Soba / Buckwheat Noodles

Noodles are still on the cards when losing weight, soba or buckwheat noodles that is. They cook in no time and are great with oriental dishes and spice. They taste just like regular noodles, but are much healthier and don't have any murky sachets to worry your weight loss.

Basic Risotto

Basic risotto is a great creamy dish and tastes like there's far more calories than there really is. People think that making risotto is difficult, but it's fine if you stay with it (it's only 20 minutes!) This basic risotto recipe goes well with prawns, fish or chicken.

I've found out (the hard way!) it’s best to stir your risotto with a wide flat spoon/spatula to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the base of the pot. There's one pictured in the Tips and Tricks section on the right hand side. (Go on click it, I'll wait).

Wholewheat Couscous

Couscous is probably a bit of a mystery for most of us. It lurks in deli counters and in other people lunches. Whole wheat couscous is a great accompaniment to many dishes. It soaks up the stock and fluffs up to make a great filling side dish. The best thing about couscous is that’s it’s prepared without cooking which is ideal for midweek meals.

Brown Rice

There's just nothing better than a bowl of rice. It's great with curries, stews and casseroles.

When trying to lose weight, brown rice is the best option to go for. While it does take longer to cook, the benefits far outweigh the additional time and effort. I recommend adding a stock cube when cooking rice as it's a great way to get additional flavour into your meal.

Whole Wheat Pasta

Pasta is one of the most versatile foods you can eat. It comes in many shapes and sizes which perfectly match the delicious sauces they accompany. When trying to lose weight, whole wheat pasta is the only way to go. It tastes similar to white pasta, but it's better for you, fills you up and keeps you full for longer. Adding a stock cube to boiling pasta is a great way to get additional flavour into your meal.

I find that Spaghetti and Linguini go better with thinner, watery sauces while pasta shapes, such as Fuseli or Penne are perfect for more creamy concoctions.