FROM LINDA

Ingredients

Piquant Tomato Sauce
Serves 4
Perfect with pasta or fish. Cook a bunch of finely chopped spring onions with a crushed garlic clove in low fat cooking spray for 2 minutes. Add a 400g can of chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp chopped capers and 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes, season and serve. For spicy heat, add a few dried chilli flakes.

Herby Cheese Sauce
Serves 4
This sauce is ideal for NoCount, as it doesn't use flour or cornflour. Gently heat a 200g tub of low fat soft cheese with garlic and herbs, stirring in 150ml of skimmed milk. Add 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives and season with black pepper. Serve with fish or vegetables �?especially good with cauliflower!

Salsa Rossa
Serves 4
Finely chop and mix together 1 red onion, 4 very ripe tomatoes, 1 red pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes with 2 tbsp tomato puree and a dash of vinegar or lemon juice. Serve with fish, chicken or lean lamb steaks.

Salsa Verde
Serves 4
Serve this tasty green sauce with fish, pasta or grilled meats. Blend together 6 tbsp rinsed capers, 6 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 50g (1¾ oz) gherkins, 50g (1¾ oz) pitted green olives and the juice of half a lemon. Season with black pepper.

Mushroom Sauce
Serves 4
Thinly slice 175g mushrooms and simmer them in 200ml vegetable stock for about 10 minutes. Gradually stir in 200g of low fat soft cheese with herbs. Great with pasta, grilled meat or chicken.

Tomato and Coriander Salsa
Serves 4
Finely chop 4 tomatoes, a quarter cucumber, 4 spring onions and a few sprigs of fresh coriander. Season with Tabasco. Mix together and serve with fish or chicken, or spread onto crispbread and top with prawns.

Spicy Fruit Salsa
Serves 4
Finely chop and mix together 1 medium mango, 4 slices of pineapple in natural juice (drained), a quarter cucumber, 1 green chilli (deseeded) and 1 small red onion. Excellent with char-grilled tuna, swordfish or marlin steaks, or with grilled turkey, pork fillet or cold roast chicken.

Berry Fruit Sauce
Serves 4
Lightly cook 100g (3½ oz) blueberries in 2tbsp water until the juice runs. Puree with 250g (9oz) raspberries in a blender, then sieve to remove the pips. Add powdered sweetener to taste. Serve with fresh fruit, low fat plain yogurt or very low fat fromage frais.

Cantaloupe and Ginger Sauce
Serves 4
Spoon this over fresh fruit salad, or enjoy with porridge. Blend 150g cantaloupe melon with 2tsp finely grated root ginger and 150g low fat plain yogurt. Add powdered sweetener, to taste.

Exotic Fruit Sauce
Serves 4
Just blend together 1 ripe medium papaya (peeled and deseeded) with 1 medium ripe mango (peeled and pitted) and 1 kiwi fruit. Add 2tbsp lemon juice. Perfect with low fat plain yogurt or fresh fruit salad.