Ingredients: 1 onion chopped. 2 sticks celery chopped. 1 Tsp Olive oil. 1/2 pint red lentils. 15 fl oz water. 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes. 1 x 300g tin butter beans. Mild curry powder to taste, approx 1 desert spoon. salt and pepper. Parsley

Method: Fry the onion and celery until soft. Add the spices and cook for a minute or so, add the lentils and cook for another minute. Add the water and tomatoes and season to taste. Cook for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Add butter beans and cook for a further 5 mins.

Chop the parsley and stir into the soup before serving.

Ingredients:
300g quark
1 lemon, grate rind and juice
3 medium eggs, separated
4 tablespoons powdered artificial sweetener.


Directions:
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

Beat the Quark in a bowl to make it smooth and creamy.
Add lemon rind and juice, egg yolks and 2 tbsp of powdered sweetener. Share between 4 small heatproof dishes or ramekins. Stand on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whip egg whites in a grease-free bowl until they hold their shape. Whisk in remaining powdered sweetener.

Remove desserts from oven and put meringue mixture on top. Return to oven to bake for 5 more minutes, until golden brown.

Tesco were selling off their Nectarines at only 10p each. Mmmm!! I love stewed fruit.

When cooking nectarines please be aware they don't break up like plums. Just cut them up into smallish chunks. As it's so much bother please don't attempt to remove the stones. Do not add water.

Set the pan and contents on a very low heat, the fruit will slowly give off juice. Leave until the fruit is simmering nicely then turn off heat.

When cool add Splenda to taste.

Use a big lidded pan. Exact timings are not given as this fruit won't spoil if cooked for too long.

This is also very good for spicing up rice pudding.

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice berries
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Leftovers in my fridge:

• Cooked red peppers.
• Cooked long grain rice.

• 1 chopped onion.
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes.
• Tube tomato puree.
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
• Seasoning to taste.

• Gently fry the onion in olive oil on medium heat until transparent.
• Lob in tinned tomatoes and squirt a big splodge of tomato puree from tube.
• At this stage water may be needed to thin but use your own judgment.
• Blitz with hand held electric magic stick thingy.
• When nicely pureed throw in the vegs and rice.
• Heat up and season to taste.

I use this as my first choice because it is fragrant rather than hot.

It contains Coriander Seed, Chilli, Fennel, Cumin, Turmeric, White Pepper, Aniseed, Cinnamon, Clove.

I buy it from one of Portsmouth's many Asian Food Stores, where I also buy coconut powder. I don't use coconut milk.

The first time I made a curry with this I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

I keep a supply of instant oriental noodles in the cupboard.

Rice is filling and cooked rice is something I keep in the fridge.

These instructions are for solid plate electric stoves only.

Put 1 measure Risotto rice and 3 measures of water in very big lidded pan, leave on high heat until boiling.

Turn off heat, leave pan on hotplate and leave lid on. At this stage it will foam up so keep watch until the danger of over boiling has passed. When it boils up just keep on lifting the lid until it settles down again. When it calms down make sure the lid is on tight and forget it.

Rice water makes a huge mess and is horrid to clean up.

When you go back to it later on you'll find it has cooked to just the right consistency. If it's too dry add a bit of water.

I use the cooked rice as a basis for Risotto. I mix in lots of cooked veggies and seasoning.

Or maybe I'll have it as Rice Pudding. I stir in Slenda, a touch of nutmeg and some skimmed milk powder.

It's nice with stewed fruit sweetened with Splenda. Rhubarb is good as it has very few calories.