A FEW years ago, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was startled to learn he had high cholesterol.

A lover of home-grown veg, who has always “eaten salads and fruit”, the 49-year-old admits that his GP’s diagnosis took him by surprise.

“I thought I was basically very healthy,” explains Fearnley-Whittingstall, who lives in Devon with his wife Marie and their four children.

“I felt more or less pretty good most of the time, but then I stopped and thought, ‘Well actually, you do slap the butter on a bit too much on your morning toast, and if the cheese is out at the end of a meal and you’ve got a glass of wine on the go, you do go back there for a bit more’.”

The TV chef and food writer has been shifting towards recipes that don’t rely on wheat and dairy, writing up his findings in his new book, River Cottage Light & Easy.

Emphasising foods that are “perhaps a little bit better for you”, Fearnley-Whittingstall, who went vegetarian while he wrote his landmark River Cottage Veg book, is a convert to his own method.

Best of all, his cholesterol is now in the normal range. Here are new recipes to try at home.

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup (Serves 4) 1.2kg tomatoes (riper the better) 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped 3tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil 75g cashew nuts, plus a few extra, to finish (optional) 200ml light vegetable stock or water A pinch of sugar (optional) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Extra virgin hempseed or rapeseed oil A dusting of paprika (optional) Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.

Cut the tomatoes in half and put them in a large roasting tray (they should fit fairly snugly). Scatter over the chopped garlic, trickle over the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, then scatter the cashews over the tomatoes. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and pulpy and perhaps a little charred in places.

Scrape the tomatoes, cashews and all the garlicky pan juices into a blender. Add the stock or water and blitz to a puree. Pass this through a sieve, which will remove any pips, or stubborn bits of tomato skin.

When you’re ready to serve, reheat gently. You can add a little water if the soup seems very thick or the flavour is too intense. Season with more salt and pepper if needed, and add a pinch of sugar if you think the tomatoes’ acidity needs tempering slightly.

Ladle into warmed bowls and finish with a swirl of extra virgin oil, plus a few chopped cashews and a dusting of paprika if you like, and a generous sprinkling of pepper.

Ultra Choc Brownies (Makes 12) 200g dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids) 100g coconut oil 100g ground almonds 75g brown or white rice flour A pinch of salt 1tsp baking powder 2 large eggs 150g soft light brown sugar 1tsp vanilla extract (optional) 75g walnuts, roughly chopped Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line a brownie tin or baking tin, about 24x16cm or 20cm square, with baking parchment.

Break up the chocolate into small pieces and put into a heatproof bowl with the coconut oil. Set the bowl over a pan of just-simmering water and leave to melt slowly, stirring occasionally until smooth, then leave to cool until barely warm. .

Sift together the ground almonds, rice flour, salt and baking powder – set aside.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together, with the vanilla if using, until frothy.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg and sugar mix, followed by the molten chocolate. Mix together with a wooden spoon or whisk until all is combined. Stir in the walnuts. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out with a spatula and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let the brownie cool in the tin completely then cut into squares or slices.

River Cottage Light & Easy by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.