Mushroom Stroganoff

Mushrooms, garlic and crème fraîche – no wonder this is one of my favourites! It really doesn't taste anything like this low in calories. You can make double quantities and chill one portion without the crème fraîche. It will keep for two days in the fridge. If you prefer your mushrooms with a kick, try the spicy version!

Serves 1

Calories per serving: 70

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

2g dried porcini mushrooms 5 cals

50ml boiling water

1-cal cooking spray

½ onion, peeled and finely chopped 19 cals

1 clove garlic, chopped or crushed 4 cals

½ teaspoon paprika (or try smoked paprika) 3 cals

100g mushrooms, chopped or sliced (use your favourite variety, but chestnut mushrooms work well in this dish) 13 cals

squeeze lemon juice

1 tbsp reduced-fat crème fraîche 26 cals

salt and pepper

parsley leaves or chives, to garnish

1. Soak the porcini mushrooms in 50ml of boiling water for at least ten minutes while you cook the other vegetables.
2. Spray a small non-stick pan with 1-cal cooking spray. Cook the onion for 2–3 minutes, to soften. Add the garlic and paprika, and cook for another minute.
3. Add the chopped fresh mushrooms and a squeeze of lemon juice (this will add flavour and also helps prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the pan until they begin to release their juices). Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Chop or tear the soaked mushrooms into smaller pieces. Add these and the soaking liquid to the pan and heat for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in 4 tablespoons of water, if necessary, to help loosen the sauce.
5. Remove from the heat. If serving immediately, stir in the crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with chopped parsley or chives. Perfect with Cauliflower Rice or Courgette Pasta (see The Ultimate 5:2 Diet Recipe Book for the recipes).

Variations: Use as a stuffing for sweet peppers. Cut 1 red or yellow pepper in half (15 cals), remove the core and seeds and grill, cut-side down, for 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mix (without the crème fraîche) and grill for 2 minutes. Top with crème fraîche just before serving. These are great with a green salad. You can also substitute Light Philadelphia or other cream cheese for the crème fraîche for a subtly different flavour and texture.