Suppers to spice up your life from the authors of Britain’s fastest-selling cookbook ever

 Where will you travel to for inspiration for supper tonight — Morocco, Cuba or Italy?

We hope you will see losing weight as a good excuse to try out dishes from all these countries — and more besides.

As two chefs on a mission to lose weight, we started our recipe website Pinch Of Nom to offer inspiration to slimmers on ways to shed unwanted pounds without feeling deprived.

That was in January 2016 — and Pinch Of Nom has grown into a success that has surprised and delighted us, with a community of 1.5 million users seeking inspiration.

After asking our users what recipes they wanted to see, we set about creating healthier versions using everyday ingredients.

Our dishes are practical, look exactly like the photos and, because they are low in calories, are compatible with popular weight-loss programmes.

This week, we have been exclusively sharing some of our favourite dishes with Daily Mail readers. Many of these easy-to-make ideas have now been compiled into a new recipe book brimming with ways to lose weight without compromising on taste or treats.

Today, in the last of our series, we’re showing you how to borrow ideas from around the world in a bid to spice up supper time. Try your hand at our Moroccan spiced salmon or Cuban beef. The only dilemma is which to choose first!

 One-pot Mediterranean chicken pasta

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 1 hr 10 mins

Cals per serving: 437

Freezable 

Serves 4     

Weekly Indulgence   

• 1 ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika 
• 1 ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 6 chicken thighs (skin removed)
• Low-calorie cooking spray 
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 celery stick, diced 
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 4 mushrooms, thickly sliced
• Handful of cherry tomatoes
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• 500ml chicken stock (1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 500ml boiling water)
• 250g orzo
• Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish 

Combine the paprika, allspice, turmeric and salt. Coat the chicken thighs in the spice mixture and set them aside for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180c fan/gas 6.

Spray a large ovenproof frying pan or casserole dish with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. 

Add the chicken thighs and saute until they start to brown, then turn them over and brown on the other side. 

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Spray the pan with more low-calorie cooking spray, then add the vegetables and fry for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. 

Add the tomatoes, lemon juice and 100ml of chicken stock, then return the chicken to the pan. 

Cover with a lid (or a piece of foil) and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, then add the orzo, parsley and the rest of the stock.

Stir and return to the oven for 20 minutes with the lid off. Serve with extra parsley.

 Cuban beef

Prep time of only 10 minutes and a cooking time of 2 to 2 and a half hours. This dish is 417 calories per portion

Prep time: 10 mins 

Cooking time: 2-2 ½ hours

Cals per serving: 417

Freezable l Gluten-free 

Serves 4

Weekly Indulgence 

• 500g piece of stewing beef (all visible fat removed)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Low-calorie cooking spray
• 2 onions, sliced
• 240ml beef stock (using 2 gluten-free beef stock cubes) 
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes 
• 2 green peppers, deseeded and cut into strips
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into strips
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
•  ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 red or white wine stock pot
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 
• Cooked rice, to serve (optional)

Season the meat well with salt and pepper.

Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray. Brown the meat over a high heat then set aside. 

Add a little more low-calorie cooking spray to the pan, then saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan with the browned meat and onions.

Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 1½-2 hours or until the meat is tender. (You can also cover the pan and cook in the oven for 2–2½ hours at 160c/140c fan/gas 3, but make sure your pan is ovenproof.)

Pull the meat apart with two forks — it should shred easily. If the sauce is a little thin you can remove the lid and cook for a little longer to reduce the liquid.

Serve on a bed of rice or whatever you fancy.

 Jamaican sticky ginger sponge

Prep time only 10 minutes with a cooking time of around 45 minutes. 134 calories per slice

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 45 mins

cals per serving: 134

Freezable 

Serves 10

Special Occasion 

• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 75g reduced-fat spread
• 100g golden granulated
• sweetener 
• 5 medium eggs
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 3 tbsp agave syrup

Preheat the oven to 190c/170c fan/gas 5 . Place all the ingredients except the agave syrup in a mixing bowl and beat with a handheld electric whisk until combined.

Trickle the agave syrup into the bottom of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.

Pour the cake mix on top and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the cake has risen. Check it is cooked by placing a skewer into the centre of the cake — it should come out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for around 30 minutes. Then loosen the edges with a knife and tip out onto a serving plate — the top should be sticky with the syrup. Cut into ten slices and serve warm or cold.

Moroccan spiced salmon

Preparation time only 15 minutes and cooking time a short 20 minutes. Calories per serving 275

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Cals per serving: 275

Gluten-free  

Serves 4

 Everyday light 

• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• Low-calorie cooking spray
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skin-on salmon fillets
• 1 lemon

For the spice mix   

• 2 tsp ground ginger 
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tbsp ground turmeric

Mix all of the spice mix ingredients together and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6.

Place the peppers and onion on a baking tray. Spray with some low-calorie cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. 

Coat the top of each salmon fillet with the spice mix and place the fillets on top of the veg on the baking tray (you can keep any remaining spice mix in an airtight container). 

Cut the lemon in half lengthways and cut one half into eight slices. Arrange two slices on each piece of salmon and season. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the fish.

Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and serve the spiced fish fillets with the roasted vegetables.

 Cajun bean soup

Prep time only five minutes with a cooking time of 50 minutes. Only 174 calories per serving 

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 50 mins

cals per serving: 174

Freezable l Gluten-free

vegetarian 

Serves 6

Everyday light 

• Low-calorie cooking spray 
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 5 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 large courgette, diced
• 2 red or yellow peppers, deseeded and diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced 
• Generous handful of spinach (frozen is fine, but double the quantity) 
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 500g carton passata
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 560ml vegetable stock (2 vegetable stock cubes dissolved in 560ml boiling water)
• 1–2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (to taste)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or vegetarian alternative like Biona Organic Worcestershire sauce)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf 
• 400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Freshly ground black pepper

Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. 

Add the onion, spring onions and garlic and saute for 4–5 minutes until softened.

Add the remaining ingredients (apart from the beans, chickpeas and black pepper), stir well and bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the kidney beans and chickpeas. Taste and season with pepper to taste.

You can also add a little more Cajun seasoning if you need to. Cook for another 15 minutes or so, remove the bay leaf, then serve.

 Cajun dirty rice

Prep time only 10 minutes and cooking time 30 minutes. 291 calories per dish and gluten free

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Cals per serving: 291

Freezable

Gluten-free 

Serves 4

Everyday light 

• 200g basmati rice 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 gluten-free chicken stock cube
• Low-calorie cooking spray
• 400g 5 per cent fat minced beef
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 4 bacon medallions, diced 
•  2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or more, to taste)
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 6 mushrooms, sliced 
• ½ red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• ½ yellow pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• ½ green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• 200ml beef stock (1 glutenfree beef stock pot dissolved in 200ml boiling water)
• Small bunch of spring onions trimmed and thinly sliced

Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, adding the bay leaf and chicken stock cube to the water before cooking.

Set the rice aside once cooked. Spray a frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat.

Add the minced beef, onion and bacon and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring until brown. Add the Cajun seasoning and Worcestershire sauce and stir, then add the carrot, mushrooms, peppers and pour in the beef stock. 

Cook for 3–4 minutes until the peppers start to soften.

Add the cooked rice and spring onions to the pan and stir over a medium heat until all the rice is coated and it is warmed through. Taste and add some more Cajun seasoning if you prefer it spicier, then serve.

Mexican naked pork burrito bowl

Prep time only 20 minutes with 15 minutes cooking time. 526 calories per portion

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

cals per serving: 526

Gluten-free 

Serves 4

Special occasion 

• 400g pork fillet (visible fat removed), cut into strips
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of ½ lime
• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 peppers, deseeded and cut into strips
• 4 spring onions, cut into strips 
• 400g tin black beans, drained
• ½ large tin sweetcorn (around 160g)
• 1 lime, quartered, to serve
• 1 avocado, to serve

For the tomato rice 

• Low-calorie cooking spray
•  ½ onion, finely diced
• 170g rice
• 550ml vegetable stock (1 gluten-free stock cube dissolved in 550ml boiling water)
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• FOR THE SALSA
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 4 tomatoes, finely chopped
• Juice of ½ lime
• 1 small handful of fresh coriander
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the yoghurt dip  

• 200g fat-free Greek-style yoghurt 
• 1 small bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped
• ½ tsp garlic granules
• ½ tsp onion granules

Place all the ingredients for the yoghurt dip into a bowl and stir thoroughly.

Transfer to the fridge. Place the pork strips in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the lime juice, paprika, coriander and cumin. Mix well and transfer to the fridge.

Next make the tomato rice. Spray a large saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for around 5 minutes until softened. 

Add the rice to the pan with the onion, and add another few sprays of low-calorie cooking spray so the rice doesn’t stick together. Stir well. Add the stock, tomatoes and tomato puree, then stir and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and lower the heat. Simmer for around 15 minutes or according to packet instructions until tender, stirring occasionally. 

When cooked, set aside (with the lid on). While the rice is cooking, make the salsa. Mix all the ingredients together, taste and add a little more salt and pepper if necessary.

Spray a frying pan with some low-calorie cooking spray. Add the seasoned pork to the pan and saute until the pork is almost cooked. 

Add the peppers and spring onions and continue cooking until softened but still slightly crunchy. Check the pork is cooked, then remove from the heat. Take four bowls and divide the rice equally between them. 

Imagine the bowl is divided into six equal sections, then divide the black beans, sweetcorn, salsa, cooked pork, pepper and onion mix and yoghurt dip equally between each bowl. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Peel and cut each half in two lengthways. Cut each quarter of avocado into four slices. Arrange each quarter in the remaining space on top of the rice.

Pinch of Nom by Kate Allinson and Kay Featherstone is published by Bluebird, £20. © Kate Allinson and Kay Featherstone, 2019. 

To buy a copy for £16 (20 per cent discount) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 5710640. Offer valid until May 11, 2019. p&p is free on orders over £15. Spend £30 on books and get FREE premium delivery.

For more recipes, visit pinchofnom.com.

Pinch of Nom by Kate Allinson and Kay Featherstone is published by Bluebird, £20. © Kate Allinson and Kay Featherstone, 2019