In his newly revised book, The Essential Diabetes Cookbook, chef Antony Worrall Thompson shares 185 recipes – from a traditional Sunday roast to American-style cheesecake – suitable for those who have been diagnosed with the condition, as well as those who live with them. The book also contains a comprehensive introduction by nutritionist Louise Blair, with all the information you need to plan, shop for and cook healthy meals at home, as well as at-a-glance nutritional information. So why not try these three recipes for taste?

The Essential Diabetes Cookbook by Antony Worrall Thompson with Louise Blair BSc is published by Kyle Books. Available from stockists including www.easons.com at €30.Photography: Jonathan Gregson

Spicy Mushrooms on Toast with Asian Salad

ADVERTISEMENT

Serves two

Amount per portion: Energy 184 kcals | protein 9.0g | fat 5.0g | saturated fat 0.8g | carbohydrate 27.0g | total sugars 8.7g | salt 2.43g | sodium 959mg

LOW Fat 1.15g per 100g |LOW Sat Fat 0.18g per 100g | LOW Sugars 2.01g per 100g | MED Salt 1.11g per 100g

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sunflower oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 fresh chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

275g button mushrooms, quartered

150ml vegetable stock

2 tablespoons ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 slices granary bread

For the salad

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon fish sauce (nam pla)

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 spring onions, sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 Heat the oil over a moderate heat, add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli and cook until the onion is soft. Increase the heat, add the mushrooms and cook for five minutes. Add the stock and ketjap manis and cook for a further five minutes. Season to taste.

2 Meanwhile, make the salad. Mix together the lime juice, sweetener and fish sauce, then toss with the rest of the salad ingredients. Toast the bread.

3 With a slotted spoon, lift the mushrooms and place them on the toast. Boil the juices remaining in the pan until no more than four tablespoons remain. Pour these juices over the mushrooms and serve with the salad and a slice of lime.

Tip: When preparing mushrooms, treat them gently as they are fragile. Unless they are old, they rarely need peeling.

Pork Chops with Lentils and Cider

Serves four

Energy 491 kcals | protein 54.3g | fat 14.2g | saturated fat 4.1g | carbohydrate 36.4g | total sugars 14.1g | salt 0.87g, sodium 344mg

LOW Fat 2.63g per 100g | LOW Sat Fat 0.76g per 100g | LOW Sugars 2.61g per 100g | LOW Salt 0.16g per 100g

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 pork chops, about 175g each, rind and most of the fat removed

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

2 crunchy eating apples, unpeeled and grated

2 sprigs of fresh sage

175g puy lentils

300ml good-quality dry cider

420ml chicken stock

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

splash of Worcestershire sauce

100g 0% fat natural Greek yoghurt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Heat the oil in a large casserole dish, add the chops and brown them all over. Remove the meat from the dish and set aside, discarding any excess fat in the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, carrot, apple and sage and cook over a moderate heat for eight minutes.

2 Add the lentils, stir to combine and then add the cider and stock and bring to the boil. Return the chops to the dish, reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for one hour. Remove the chops, cover with foil and set aside to rest.

3 Increase the heat under the casserole dish and boil the sauce to reduce it. Meanwhile, whisk together the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and yoghurt, seasoning with pepper. When the sauce has reduced by half, fold in the flavoured yoghurt, then return the chops, turn off the heat and check the seasoning before serving.

Variation: This works really well with whole pheasant; reduce the cooking time from one hour to 30 minutes.

The Essential Diabetes Cookbook is available now (€30 )from stockists including www.easons.com

Citrus and Honey Cheesecake with Plum Compote

Serves 12

Energy 246 kcals | protein 15.3g | fat 14.9g | Saturated fat 2.7g | carbohydrate 10.1g | total sugars 10g | salt 0.7g, sodium 258mg

MED Fat 6.42g per 100g | LOW Sat Fat 1.16g per 100g | LOW Sugars 4.31g per 100g | LOW Salt 0.3g per 100g

For the crust

325g walnut pieces, toasted and cooled to room temperature

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the filling

900g low-fat cottage cheese

60g 0% fat natural yoghurt

1 tablespoon acacia honey

1 tablespoon sugar

4 large eggs

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Grated zest of 1 orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the plum compote

150ml red wine

25g caster sugar

25g low calorie sweetener

sprig of fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 strip each lemon and orange zest

2 cloves

5cm piece of cinnamon stick

300g red plums, halved and stoned

Butter, for greasing

1 Preheat the oven to 180oC (350oF/gas mark four). Grease a 20cm flan dish or loose-bottomed cake tin and line with greaseproof paper. Make the crust by mixing together in a food processor the toasted walnut pieces, sugar and ground cinnamon, and processing until finely ground. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish and press well to compact it.

2 Ensure all the filling ingredients are at room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and yoghurt. Beat at a medium speed with the paddle attachment, scraping the sides of the bowl and the paddle often, until smooth. Add the honey and sugar and continue beating until there are no lumps. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Then add the lemon, orange zest and vanilla, mixing well. Pour the mixture over the crust in the prepared tin – do not scrape the sides of the bowl as this will add lumps to the mixture.

3 Set the flan dish or cake tin in a large roasting tin and add enough water to come halfway up the side of the cheesecake dish. Bake for about 25 minutes until just barely set. Turn off the oven, leave the cake in it with the door ajar and leave to cool gently for one to two hours – this will prevent the cake from splitting on the top. When cold, cover in clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.

4 To make the compote, bring all the ingredients, except the plums, to the boil and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the plums, cover and cook gently until the plums are just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the plums and set aside. If you wish, boil the juices to reduce slightly, and discard the rosemary sprig, bay leaf, zests, clove and cinnamon stick. Set aside to cool before using.

5 To serve, remove the cheesecake from its dish. To do this, line a baking tray with clingfilm then dip the cheesecake dish in a hot-water bath and turn the cake out on to the prepared baking tray. Then invert the cake on to a serving dish – the cake should be just barely set in the centre. Serve at room temperature, topped with juicy plum compote.