How you can stay slim and eat well the Italian way

Italians are reported to have the lowest obesity rates in all of the EU, with lower combined rates of heart disease and cancer as well as lower levels of cholesterol.

This has inspired Italian master chef and current "King of the Jungle" Gino D'Acampo, to create 100 Mediterranean-based recipes as a "stress-free way of losing weight" in his new iDiet.

"In researching this book, I came across so many diet books that made food sound like the enemy. There is no reason why you can't eat healthily and still enjoy your food and a glass of wine," says Gino.

Gino, who is a regular on Ready Steady Cook, devised all his recipes with the help

of dietician Juliette Kellow, and believes that Italian specialities like pizza and pasta don't have to be cut out to lose weight.

"It is about portion control. Yes you can have pasta, but don't overdo it."

Gino has been flat out since returning to the UK from Australia where the public voted him King of the Jungle in ITV's I'm a Celebrity Get me Out of Here.

"I had a fantastic time. I enjoyed every day. I missed my boys, but I would do it again tomorrow."

Mushrooms and white wine risotto

For anyone who has never attempted to make a risotto, this is the recipe to start with. Make sure you toast the rice in the oil for at least three minutes so it will keep the risotto nice and al dente. If you can find them in season, replace the dried porcini with 150g of fresh porcini mushrooms. In the unlikely event that you have any left, remember you can reheat rice only once and it will keep refrigerated for 48 hours. A great dish to take to the office for lunch next day.

Serves 4

20g sliced dried porcini mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

100g button mushrooms, sliced

80g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

350g Arborio or Carnaroli rice

100ml dry white wine

1.2 litres warm vegetable stock, made with 2 stock cubes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

25g butter

40g freshly grated Parmesan

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in cold water for 30 minutes. When they have softened, drain them.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion over a medium heat for about two minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add all the mushrooms with the thyme and continue to cook for a further three minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rice and stir continuously for three minutes, allowing the rice to toast in the olive oil and begin to absorb all the mushroom flavours.

Pour in the wine and continue to cook for a further three minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Start to add the warm stock a little at a time, stirring occasionally, allowing the rice to absorb it before adding more. Season well and cook gently (if you need extra liquid, use a little warm water).

After about 20 minutes, when most of the stock has been absorbed, remove the pan from the heat and stir the butter into the risotto. It is very important that you stir the butter very fast into the rice for at least 30 seconds to create a creamy texture. At the end, stir in the Parmesan and serve.

511 calories 15.9g fat 6g saturates 2.5g sugars 1.8g salt

Fillet of cod with a spicy red pesto

If you need to make dinner in under four minutes, this is the perfect recipe. It is so easy, you really won't believe it. Once you have blended the ingredients that's pretty much job done – it smells amazing too. You coat the fish and there you have it – ready to be cooked. You can cook it there and then or prepare in the morning.

Serves 4

1 x 400 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

180g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

1 medium hot red chilli, deseeded

salt

4 cod fillets, about 180g each

2 tablespoons freshly chopped

flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.

Place all the ingredients except the salt, cod and the parsley in a food processor and blitz to create a smooth creamy texture. Taste and add a little salt if required.

Spoon the spicy red pesto on the top of each fillet (skin-side down if the cod comes with the skin). Place on a baking tray and cook in the middle of the pre-heated oven for 16 minutes. Remove the tray and leave to rest for one minute. Then serve sprinkled with the parsley.

506 cals 18.7g fat 6.7g saturates 6.9g sugars 1.8g salt

Chestnut and chocolate cheesecake

It might happen that you are having guests over for lunch or dinner and you don't want anyone to know that you are calorie-counting – so this is the recipe to use. It is very luxurious, full of flavours and yet low in calories. Whatever you do, please make sure the oven is preheated before you bake the cake.

serves 16

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for greasing

250g plain flour

120g good-quality cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

230g caster sugar

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

260g chestnut pure

2 eggs

230ml skimmed milk

230ml cold strong coffee, preferably espresso

Grease a 22cm cake tin with the oil (using a loose-based cake tin will make your life easier) and preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, chestnut pure and eggs. Pour in the milk and mix well. Lastly, mix in the coffee.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes. When ready, a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Leave it to rest for five minutes before turning out onto a large serving plate. Dust the top with cocoa powder and cut into 16 wedges before serving.

173 calories 3.6g fat 1.4g saturates 16.9g sugars 0.8g salt

The iDiet, by Gino D'Acampo, is published by Kyle Cathie, priced 14.99. To order a copy from the Yorkshire Post Bookshop, call free on 0800 0153232 or go online at www.yorkshire postbookshop.co.uk. Postage and packing is 2.40.