The Three Sisters Indian Cookbook, written by Sereena, Priya and Alexa Kaul, published by Simon & Schuster Ltd. Current Amazon price - £10.22.
This book was a present from my in-laws one year, alongside an Indian spice kit and I use it at least once a week, every week. Inside, you'll find recipes for carnivores and vegetarians alike, all with varying degrees of heat, and there's something that will tickle the tastebuds of everyone who has ever or could ever like Indian food. My personal favourites are the aloo gobi, masoor dal, and the tamatar baigan. Because I'm veggie, I've found that many of the meat dishes also work well if you use Quorn fillets/chicken-style pieces, or even tofu instead of the meat. This book also has drinks and puds, but I must admit we haven't tried any of those just yet.
How To Feed Your Whole Family A Healthy, Balanced Diet With Very Little Money, etc. Written by Gill Holcombe, published by Spring Hill. Current Amazon price - £6.99.
This book was an instant favourite, partly because of the hilarity of the super-long title: 'How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet with very little money...and hardly any time, even if you have a tiny kitchen, only three saucepans (one with an ill-fitting lid) and no fancy gadgets - unless you count the garlic crusher...'. And BREATHE!!! Title aside, the reason I am so madly in love with this book (as you can see by the bajillion post-it tabs sticking out of it) is that the recipes really are easy, affordable and very healthy. For the most part. There are cakes and puddings, but we'll overlook that for now.
If you want soups, this has them in abundance. Want something to use up lots of great veg? Check out the ratatouille or moussaka recipes. Easy pork meatballs, lasagne of varying types, plus small, easy-to-throw-together-in-a-hurry recipes for busy mums. But what else makes this book great are little features you don't normally see: how to help give fussy children foods they don't like. Meal plans according to budget, with attached recipes. The best uses for myriad herbs and spices. If you want to know almost anything about basic, healthy and affordable cooking, or the ingredients themselves, this book is your new Bible and you will love it just as much as I do.
Lorraine Pascale's A Lighter Way To Bake. Written by Lorraine Pascale, published by Harper Collins. Current Amazon price - £7
This was a Christmas present and yes, I could have been insulted! No, I actually am a huge fan of Lorraine Pascale's and genuinely think she's one of the most incredibly talented (not to mention unreasonably beautiful) bakers out there. She left modelling to become a pastry chef, which makes her ultra-cool in anyone's books! "Modelling? No thanks, I'd much prefer a slice of pie".
Her most recent book, this contains recipes for all the comfort-food favourites - macaroni cheese, cakes, cookies, etc - but without such high calories. Yes, some of the recipes are a little more 'out there' to ensure you get the flavour without the fat and sugar you'd normally use (there are an awful lot of cakes with low-fat yoghurt and light cooking oils to replace the butter), but this is one of my favourites because sometimes, you want a treat without having to hide from the mirror for days afterwards. But at the same time, you don't want to compromise on flavour. This is the first book I've ever come across that helps you achieve both those goals, and it's a real achievement.
So there you have it - three fabulous cookbooks, all offering a multitide of options to spruce up your weekly dinners. So what are you waiting for!?
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