Traffic Light Jelly

Ingredients to serve 6 to 8 people:
	1 packet red jelly
	1 packet orange jelly
	1 packet green jelly
	75 ml (3 fl oz) boiling water per packet of jelly
	570 ml (1 pt) apple juice
	425 g (15 oz) can of peaches or other similar fruit in fruit juice

Method:
Break up the green jelly into a large bowl, and add the boiling water.
Stir until the jelly is completely dissolved.
Add half the quantity of the apple juice, and stir well.
Evenly distribute into individual beakers.
Place in the fridge for about 2 hours until set.

Purée the canned fruit.

Break up the orange jelly into a large bowl, and add the boiling water.
Stir until the jelly is completely dissolved.
Add half the canned puréed fruit and juice, plus half of the remaining apple juice, and stir well.
Evenly distribute over the set green jelly.
Place in the fridge for about 2 hours until set.

Break up the red jelly into a large bowl, and add the boiling water.
Stir until the jelly is completely dissolved.
Add all the remaining canned puréed fruit, fruit juice, and apple juice, and stir well.
Evenly distribute over the set green and orange jelly.
Place in the fridge for about 2 hours until set.

Soft Berry Mousse

Ingredients to serve 4 people:
	1 tablet of jelly or 1 sachet of sugar-free jelly crystals (raspberry or strawberry flavour)
	275 ml (10 fl oz) boiling water
	450 g (1 lb) fresh soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, black/red/white-currants)
	250 g (9 oz) tub Quark skimmed milk cheese
	granulated sugar to taste

Method:
If using a tablet of jelly, break up into small pieces in a heat resistant bowl, then pour the boiling water over the jelly pieces, and stir until they have completely dissolved.
If using sugar-free jelly crystals, sprinkle them into a measuring jug containing the boiling water, and stir until the crystals have completely dissolved.
Leave the jelly to cool completely, but not set.
Meanwhile, wash and dry the fresh, soft berry fruit.
Place about three-quarters of the fruit in a large bowl, and mash with a fork or potato masher.
Add the Quark and combine with the mashed fruit until evenly coloured.
Stir the cool jelly into the fruit mousse and mix well.
Taste and adjust the fruit mousse with the sugar as required.
Place about half the remaining whole fruit into the bases of four individual moulds or glasses.
Cover the fruit in each mould or glass with the mousse mixture.
Refrigerate the mousses until firm.
Top them with the remaining whole fresh fruit just before serving.
Garnish with a sprig of mint leaves.

Low Fat Fruity Cheesecake

Enjoy the taste of a traditional cheesecake, but with a healthier twist, where low fat yoghurt and soft cheese replace calorie-laden cream and full fat cheese.
Any flavoured low fat yoghurt can be used, accompanied by the appropriate fruit topping.

Ingredients to serve 4 people:
	1 unwaxed lemon - juice and zest
	12 g sachet gelatine powder
	200 g (7 oz) plain low fat soft cheese
	200 g (7 oz) low fat natural yoghurt
	4 tablespoons granulated sugar (or less to taste)
	250 g (9 oz) frozen summer berries - defrosted

Method:
Pour the lemon juice into a small pudding basin and sprinkle the gelatine over the liquid.
Leave to stand for 3 minutes to absorb the liquid.
Place the bowl over a small pan of boiling water and leave to melt.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest, soft cheese, yoghurt, and 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Blend well until smooth, then pour in the melted gelatine, and stir well until thoroughly combined.
Divide the mixture between four 200 ml (7 fl oz) dessert glasses.
Cover the glasses with cling film, and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour until firm.
Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the defrosted berries, and spoon over the top of the set cheesecakes.

If you do not have dessert glasses:
Cover the base of four 150 ml (5 fl oz) hollow baked-bean tins with cling film.
Then fill these tins, cover with cling film, and chill as for the glasses above.
To remove a cheesecake from a baked bean tin, wrap the tin in a hot, wrung-out dishcloth, until the cheesecake slides out onto a service plate.
Top with the accompanying berry fruit as above.

Banana & Muesli Smoothie

Ingredients to serve 2 people:
	2 bananas - peeled and halved
	2 teaspoons of lemon, lime, or orange juice
	500 ml (18 fl oz) tub low fat plain yoghurt
	2 - 3 tablespoons muesli without added sugar
Optional	2 teaspoons raisins or flaked almonds

Method:
Place the bananas, fruit juice, and plain yoghurt in a food processor or blender.
Blend until smooth. Stir in the muesli.
Pour into glasses, and optionally top with raisins or flaked almonds.

Jewelled Couscous
Ingredients to serve 4 people:
	110 g (4 oz) couscous
	110 ml (4 fl oz) boiling water
	1 stock cube
	2 spring onions - finely chopped
	1 small courgette - chopped
	1 small red or yellow pepper - seeded and chopped
	2 tablespoons olive oil
	2 limes - rind & juice
	salt & pepper to taste
	1 bunch mint leaves
	1 bunch flat leaf parsley
	110 g (4 oz) frozen peas
	3 tablespoons pumpkin / sunflower / sesame seeds
Method:
Mix the couscous with the boiling water and stock cube and leave for 10 - 15 minutes.
Mix the olive oil, lime rind & juice, and seasonings into a vinaigrette.
Add the vinaigrette and chopped vegetables to the couscous and stir to combine.
Add the herb leaves, peas, and seeds and season to taste.

Fasta Pasta With 5-Vegetable Sauce

Ingredients to serve 4 people:
	1 litre (2 pt) water
	dessertspoon salt
	175 g (6 oz) dry weight pasta (spaghetti or macaroni or pasta shapes)

5-Vegetable Sauce:
	1 onion
	1 large carrot
	1 large parsnip
	1 large sweet potato
	2 tablespoons sunflower oil
	1 can chopped tomatoes
	2 garlic cloves - crushed
	salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Bring the salted water to the boil in a large saucepan with the lid on.
Once boiling, add the pasta and bring back to the boil quickly.
Stir it briskly to ensure it does not stick to the base of the pan. Allow it to boil uncovered for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, cover the saucepan with its lid, and leave for 5 minutes.
Remove a piece of pasta to taste. It should be al dente or slightly under cooked.
Fresh pasta will cook in about half this time. Dried pasta can take more or less time to cook, depending on its age and type of wheat used to make it. If not cooked to your liking, leave it covered for a further 5 minutes.

5-Vegetable Sauce:
Finely chop the onion. Wash, peel, and dice the carrot, parsnip, and sweet potato.
Place the oil in a large saucepan. Add all the prepared raw vegetables, except the tinned tomatoes and garlic.
Cover with a tightly fitting lid, and leave to sweat over a low heat until soft.
Add the tinned tomatoes and crushed garlic.
Simmer for about 10 minutes.	Blend until smooth.
Adjust the seasoning, then coat the cooked pasta in the sauce.

Vegetable Charlotte

Autumnal colours with harmonising flavours are what first drew me to this dish.
We used to serve this charlotte regularly in our restaurant, and if I had a pound for every time I was asked for the recipe, then I would be worth a bob or two by now.

These quantities will serve 2 people as a main course, or 4 people as an accompaniment.

Ingredients:
	450 g (1 lb) selection of root vegetables such as carrot, swede, turnip, parsnip, or celeriac
	110 g (4 oz) onion
	1 tablespoon vegetable oil
	50 g (2 oz) breadcrumbs &/or cheese &/or seeds

Method:
Wash and peel, then grate the root vegetables and the onion.
Place the grated vegetables and onion in a saucepan with the vegetable oil.
Cover with a lid and cook (or sweat) on a low heat for about 8 - 10 minutes until soft.
Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Distribute evenly in an ovenproof dish.
Sprinkle the top evenly with the breadcrumbs, &/or cheese, &/or seed mixture.
Grill until brown and crispy; or 
bake in the oven at Gas Mark 6 / 400°F / 200°C (180°C for fan oven) for 10 - 15 minutes.
Reheat in a microwave oven before serving if necessary.