The Complete 2-Day Fasting Diet: Delicious; Easy To Make; 140 New Low-Calorie Recipes From The Bestselling Author Of The 5:2 Bikini Diet. Jacqueline Whitehart

my favourite quick suppers ever! Fresh raw prawns are used for this dish. If you want to use frozen prawns, defrost on a paper towel for two hours before use.

      Serves 2 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cook time: 4 minutes

      Quick & easy

      200g (7oz) raw king prawns (king or jumbo shrimp), peeled and deveined (152 cals)

      salt and freshly ground black pepper

      1 tsp olive oil (27 cals)

      3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (9 cals)

      10g (2 tsp) butter (74 cals)

      small handful of flat-leaf (Italian) parsley (10g/¹⁄_³oz), chopped (3 cals)

      juice of ½ lemon (2 cals)

      • Dry the prawns (shrimp) by patting them with kitchen paper (paper towels) all over, then season with salt and pepper.

      • Heat the oil in a wide frying pan (skillet) over a high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute. Reduce the heat and stir in the butter. Cook for 1 more minute, or until the prawns are cooked through.

      • Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Saffron ‘rice’ cauliflower

      61 calories

      As we all know, one of the big difficulties when dieting is to find filling, carb-like plate fillers that don’t have too many calories. A rice alternative made with finely chopped cauliflower is one of my easy swaps for a fast day. This spicy dish goes superbly well with any of the curries in this book and really hits the spot.

      If you want a simpler alternative, try putting the chopped cauliflower in a microwaveable dish. Add 2 tablespoons water, salt and pepper and cover, then microwave on high for 6 minutes.

      Serves 2 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes

      Vegetarian

      ½ small cauliflower (200g/7oz), cut into small florets (68 cals)

      1 tsp sunflower oil (27 cals)

      ½ onion, peeled and finely chopped (27 cals)

      1 cardamom pod

      ½ tsp turmeric

      2 saffron strands

      salt and freshly ground black pepper

      • Put the cauliflower florets into a food processor and blitz until the cauliflower becomes small grains.

      • Heat the oil in a wide lidded pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until tender and turning crisp at the edges.

      • Break the cardamom pod open by pressing firmly with the flat side of a knife.

      • Reduce the heat and add the cardamom, turmeric, saffron and salt and pepper to the pan, then stir in. Add the cauliflower and stir until coated in the onion and spice mixture.

      • Add 3 tablespoons water, put the lid on and cook for 6–8 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.

Oven-baked vegetable fritters

      149 calories

      Serves 2 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cook time: 1 hour

      Vegetarian

      2 small sweet potatoes, about 200g (7oz) in total (174 cals)

      ½ red onion, peeled and finely diced (27 cals)

      ½ green (bell) pepper, deseeded and finely diced (12 cals)

      1 tsp olive oil (27 cals)

      1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch), dissolved in a little cold water (18 cals)

      1 spring onion (scallion), cut into fine rings (5 cals)

      150g (scant 1 cup) cooked sweetcorn (drained weight) (34 cals)

      salt and freshly ground black pepper

      salad and lemon wedges, to serve

      • Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment or a silicone sheet.

      • Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 30–45 minutes, depending on size.

      • Place the onion, pepper and oil in a small microwaveable bowl and cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap). Cook on high in the microwave for 2 minutes, then rest, covered, for a further 2 minutes.

      • Cut the cooked sweet potato in half and squeeze the cooked sweet potato flesh out into a bowl. Stir in the cornflour (cornstarch). Add the cooked onion and pepper, spring onion (scallion) and sweetcorn, then season generously with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

      • Using your hands, form the potato mixture into 4 balls, then place on the lined baking tray and press down gently with the palm of your hand to make a patty.

      • Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until just starting to brown on top.

      • Serve with green salad and a wedge of lemon on the side.