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Low Fat Soup Recipes Biography

Source (google.com.pk)

We've all said it - "I'd love to cook more, but there just isn't the time." Silvana Franco is pretty busy herself, what with running a media business, freelancing as a food stylist and writer, concocting recipes for her books, appearing on foodie TV (everything from This Morning and Saturday Kitchen to Can't Cook Won't Cook) and running around after her toddler. But she always finds 10 minutes to cobble together something tasty at teatime. "I'm not the type to insist everybody makes their own marmalade," she says, "but anybody can knock up a tomato sauce in 10 minutes."

Talking as she walks the aisles of her local supermarket with her two-year-old son, Fabio, and husband, Robert, she sighs as she arrives at the frozen food section. "Look at that! Full of frozen pies. And a whole aisle just for different kinds of chips!" It's at times like these that her Latin roots show through (she was born and raised in Derby to a large Italian family) - "In Italy, a supermarket has just one tiny freezer section. This is the problem - we just don't cook enough from fresh in Britain any more."

Franco happily admits to being opposed to the idea of the chef as an all-knowing, superior artiste whose technical mastery mere mortals can never hope to replicate on an electric hob at home. More specifically, she has little time for these prima donnas' recipe books - the kind with knock-your-socks off photos but invariably impenetrable ingredient lists ("gather some fresh sea kale and a clump of unforced rhubarb"). If people bite off more than they can chew, she says, "it puts them off. If they are confronted with a recipe with too many ingredients, requiring too many fancy skills, they give up. Recipes should be simple, centred around one or two nice things. Then you can't go wrong."

And simplicity is the real beauty of Franco's cooking. Almost nothing in her latest book, Natural Born Fillers - from which the following recipes are taken - takes longer than half an hour to prepare. "I always make dinner in that time, too," she says. Making her pea and feta soup, for example, takes just 10 minutes, and what's more, she recommends that you use frozen petits pois. "Very nutritious," she says. And no faffing around with tedious pea-podding.

Though she is a fresh fruit and veg evangelist, there is a place in her heart - and kitchen - for canned goods. "Tinned chickpeas, beans and pulses - you can't beat them," she says. "I'm always whizzing up chickpeas and olive oil to make dips." Not just for the adults either. "Kids do like healthy food," says Franco. "You just have to introduce them to it at a young age."

She is all for looking for alternatives for unhealthy treats - frozen yoghurt for ice cream, and good-quality lean mince for a lasagna. Just don't ask her about diets. "I don't believe in them," she declares. "I don't believe in buying low-fat products either. You should never compromise on flavour. It's like low-fat cheese: what's the point? I prefer to use a small amount of very strong-tasting cheese, and the effect is the same, if not better. Don't ever shortchange yourself on taste."

· Natural Born Fillers by Silvana Franco is published by Cassell Illustrated on May 11, £14.99.

Pea and lemon soup with feta black pepper

Frozen peas are fine to use - especially the sweet little petits pois - and are among the best vegetable sources of fibre and protein, and also contain vitamin C, iron and zinc. Serves 4.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

800g/1lb 10oz peas

1 small round lettuce, leaves separated and washed

1 litre/1¾ pints hot chicken or vegetable stock

grated rind and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

75g/3oz feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces

a few fresh mint leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

· Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion, chilli and garlic for five minutes until softened.

· Add the peas, lettuce leaves and hot stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes until the peas are tender.

· Take off the heat and, using a hand-held blender, roughly blitz until coarsely pureed. Stir in the lemon rind and juice and season with salt and plenty of black pepper.

· Ladle into bowls and scatter over the feta and mint leaves.

Carrot and lime soup

Choose organic carrots if you can and scrub rather than peel for maximum vitamin content. Serves 4.

4 large carrots, grated

1 large white potato, scrubbed and grated

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1.5 litres/2½ pints hot vegetable stock

juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

· Place the carrots, potato, onion, garlic and hot stock in a large pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

· Take off the heat and, using a hand-held blender, whiz the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the lime juice and coriander.

· Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with cumin seeds.

James's Moroccan chicken wrap

This recipe has been devised by my friend James Fisher. Although there seem to be lots of fiddly bits and pieces, they all come together perfectly. For the chicken you can use leftovers from a Sunday roast if you like, or roast thighs or drumsticks from fresh. Serves 4.

4 ripe tomatoes

1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

400g/14oz can chickpeas, drained

1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon harissa paste

4 tablespoons mayonaise

4 flour tortillas

400g/14oz roasted chicken, shredded

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

· Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/mark 3. Slice the tomatoes in half and place cut-side up on a wire rack set on a baking tray. Sprinkle over the garlic and some black pepper and drizzle over some of the oil. Slow cook in the oven for one to two hours or until the tomatoes have become wrinkled and are beginning to brown. You can make these the day before.

· Place the chickpeas in a mixing bowl with the parsley, lemon juice, onion, a splash of olive oil, the cumin and some salt and pepper and gently spoon together.

· Vigorously mix the harissa into the mayo until it is an even pink-blush colour.

· Cook the tortillas in a hot, non-stick frying pan for 15 seconds until they begin to blister.

· To assemble, lay the tortillas on a board. Divide the chicken between them, then top with the chickpea salad, followed by the roasted tomatoes and, finally, spoon over the harissa mayo. Roll up and eat.

Great gravlax sandwich

Soft cheese and boiled eggs make perfect companions to cured and smoked fish, cutting through the salty flavour and oily texture perfectly. Given the choice, I go down the Scandinavian route and choose a light rye bread for this sandwich, but if you can't get it, Granary is OK, too. Serves 2.

2 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ cucumber

juice of ½ lemon or 1 tablespoon wine vinegar

1-2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves or shredded fresh basil leaves

100g/3½oz soft cheese

2 or 4 slices of bread

125g/4oz pack gravlax or smoked salmon

a small knob of butter, at room temperature (optional)

freshly ground black pepper

· Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the eggs and boil for eight minutes, then drain them and cool under water.

· Slice the cucumber and place in a bowl with the lemon juice or vinegar and the herbs, separating the slices so the liquid and herbs mingle.

· Spread the cheese on to two of the slices of bread and top with the gravlax or smoked salmon. Shell and slice the eggs and arrange on top of the fish along with the cucumber, then grind over some pepper.

· For a closed sandwich, lightly butter the remaining two slices of bread and press down on top, otherwise serve open.

Goats cheese and pomegranate couscous with pine nuts

Perfect lunchbox material. This salad keeps very well and has a great balance of flavours and textures. Serves 2.

150g/5¼oz couscous

175ml/6fl oz hot organic chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

juice of ½ lime

2 x 100g/3½oz slices of firm goat's cheese, crumbled

seeds of 1 pomegranate

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or mint

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

· Place the couscous in a large bowl and cover with the hot stock. Set aside for 10 minutes until the grains are tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.

· Mix together the dressing of olive oil, molasses and lime juice.

· Fluff up the couscous using a fork, then gently stir through the cheese, pomegranate seeds, herbs and pine nuts.

Real falafels with flat breads

Deep-fried, yes, but not unhealthy as they are made almost entirely of chickpeas, which contain phytochemicals called saponins, which act as antioxidants. They can help to lower cholesterol levels and are a good source of protein and fibre. Real falafels are made using dried chickpeas, which have to be soaked overnight. This may appear time-consuming, but, really, they're so simple - just soak the chickpeas before you go to bed. Serves 4.

For the falafels

225g/8oz dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water

1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon baking powder

juice of 1 lime

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

sunflower oil, for deep-frying

To serve

flat breads or pitta and salad

· To make the falafels, place all the ingredients except the sunflower oil in a food processor and whiz to a rough puree.

· Using your hands, very firmly shape the mixture into 12 balls, then pat each one into a little cake. If the mixture starts to stick, dampen your hands with water. Be firm or the cakes may break during frying. If you have time now, chill them for a while.

· Heat sufficient oil for deep-frying in a deep pan and when it is hot enough to brown a cube of bread in about 30 seconds, cook the falafels in batches for four to five minutes until they are crunchy and dark brown. Drain on kitchen paper, then serve with flat breads and salad.

Fiery basil and broccoli penne

This recipe uses my favourite "double basil" method. The basil goes in at the beginning with the bacon where the flavour cooks in wonderfully, and then it's added again at the end for a fresh, vibrant flavour. Try, too, with cauliflower instead of the broccoli. Serves 4.

500g/1lb 2oz pack penne or fusilli

1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped

2 hot red chillies, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

a large bunch of fresh basil leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

juice of ½ lemon

freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, to serve

· Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for five minutes. Add the broccoli and continue to cook until the pasta is just cooked and the broccoli is just a little bit overcooked.

· Heat the oil in a small frying pan and cook the onion, bacon, chillies, garlic and half the basil for eight minutes or so until they are nicely golden and the pasta has cooked.

· Drain the pasta and broccoli (use a large sieve as you will lose a lot of the broccoli through the big holes of a colander) and return to the pan. Stir in the bacon and onion mixture, the remaining fresh basil leaves and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze in the lemon juice and serve with the grated cheese.

Pumpkin seed and apricot energy bars

Scrumptious, chewy and full of goodness. Makes 16.

1 tablespoon dark muscavado sugar

250ml/8fl oz whole condensed milk

175g/6oz soft dried, unsulphured apricots, roughly chopped

150g/5oz porridge oats

50g/2oz pumpkin seeds

50g/2oz whole almonds, roughly chopped

50g/2oz puffed wholegrain rice cereal

· Stir the sugar into the condensed milk and set aside to dissolve. In a large bowl, mix the apricots with the oats, seeds, nuts and cereal. Stir in the condensed milk until well blended. 12cm x 25cm/5in x 10in tin, pressing down to ensure an even surface. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. fruit crumble

· Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/mark 4. In a large bowl, mix the apricots with the oats, seeds, nuts and cereal. Stir in the condensed milk until well blended.

· Spoon the mixture into a non-stick 12cm x 25cm/5in x 10in tin, pressing down to ensure an even surface. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.

· Turn out of the tin and cut into 16 bars. Wrap each one in a rectangle of waxed or greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container.