The Food Hospital

I know quite a few of you tuned into last week’s first programme in the new series of The Food Hospital. It proved good viewing and whilst it didn’t cover weight-loss surgery it gave plenty of good advice on healthy eating and how you can enhance your health through wise food choice. I, for one, will look forward to the next 7 programmes and trying out the recipes from the official tie-in book.

 

The 45 recipes look easy to prepare and the advice alongside them on conditions ranging from dandruff to dementia looks helpful and readable.

 

The publishers and presenters have been kind enough to let me reprint one of the recipes in advance of publication so here it is…Mediterranean Spaghetti. It has a good healthy portion of protein; is reasonably low in fat and moderate in sugars. I can vouch for the fact it tastes great!

 

MEDITERRANEAN SPAGHETTI

 

Ingredients

Metric/US

400g/14 oz wholewheat spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

6 spring onions/scallions, thinly sliced

400g/14oz can cherry tomatoes

25g/1oz capers, rinsed

3 x 50g/2oz cans good-quality anchovies, drained and roughly chopped

100g/4oz frozen, podded soya beans

freshly ground black pepper

6 pimiento peppers/capsicums, thinly sliced

20g/3/4oz bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

20g/3/4oz bunch fresh basil, roughly torn

squeeze of lemon juice

 

Method

1.  Cook the spaghetti as per package instuctions.

2.  While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the garlic and spring onions/scallions and quickly fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring up to a gentle simmer.

3.  Add the capers, anchovies and soya beans to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper. You shouldn’t need any salt as the capers and anchovies add enough salt to the dish.

4.  Drain the spaghetti, reserving approximately 3-4 tbsp of the pasta water to add to the sauce along with the peppers, herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add the sauce to the spaghetti and toss well to combine. Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: 1/2

Calories per portion:  490

Protein:  29g

Carbohydrate:  73 g (of which 7g sugars)

Fat:  11g (of which 1.5g saturated)

 

Image and recipe courtesy of

THE FOOD HOSPITAL by Gio Miletto, Lucy Jones and Shaw Somers

Michael Joseph, Trade Paperback £16.99/10th November 2011

The Food Hospital, Tuesdays, 8pm, Channel 4