Everyone knows that prune juice is ideal to keep the bowel working well. But did you know prune juice is also rich in iron and potassium? Our body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells. Potassium helps our nerves, muscles and heart function well.

Whilst Biona is excellent, James White is equally as tasty and best value for money.

If you’re buying 1 litre cartons Morrisons own brand is excellent value. Sainsbury’s is also good. However, both have design problems with opening spout which make pouring difficult and resealing nearly impossible. Sunsweet with a screw top is the outright winner in carton juice.

240ml (1 cup) of prune juice provides 30% of the recommended daily allowance of iron for men and 17% for women.

For tinned prunes, Princes is the overall best value for money and best taste with our tasters.

Quick and easy, kedgeree is a nice light meal for lunch or supper.

Ingredients:

• 225g smoked haddock
• 175g long-grain rice
• salt, pepper and cayenne
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 55g butter
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 150g petit pois
• chopped parsley to garnish

Step by step:

1. Pour boiling water over the haddock and leave it to stand for 5 minutes, remove any bones and skin, and flake the fish coarsely.
2. Bring 600ml of water to the boil in a large saucepan with seasonings to taste, pour in the rice and stir in the seasoning, cover and cook over a very low heat for about 25 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. While the rice is cooking, fry the onion in a little of the butter until soft and transparent.
3. Cook your petit pois for a few minutes.
4. Chop the hard-boiled eggs. Stir the flaked fish, the onion, egg whites, peas and the rest of the butter into the cooked rice, and season well.

Tips:

Nigel Slater finely chops the whites and presses the yolks through a sieve to make a decorative topping for whole dish. If you’re entertaining this can be a nice idea.

Arancini rice balls are a perfect light lunch or starter and ideal way to use up any leftover risotto. Easily prepared and cooked using a variety of fillings. Fresh herbs and petit pois are a favourite and chopped bacon or ham also goes well.

If you’re making from scratch, this is a good basic recipe:

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 15g unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 350g risotto rice
• 150ml dry white wine
• 1.2 litres hot chicken or veg stock
• 150g parmesan finely grated
• 1 lemon finely zested
• 150g ball mozzarella, chopped into 18 small pieces
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the coating:

• 150g plain flour
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 150g fine dried breadcrumbs (panko are ideal)

Step by step:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large pan until foaming gently. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and fry gently over a low heat for 15 mins, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Stir in the rice and cook for a further minute, then pour in the wine. Bring to the boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Pour in half the stock and simmer, stirring continuously, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining stock a ladleful at a time as the rice absorbs the liquid, stirring, until the rice is cooked through (approximately 20-25 mins). Stir in the parmesan and lemon and season to taste. Spread the risotto out into a lipped tray and leave to cool to room temperature.
3. Scoop the cooled risotto into 18 equal portions – they should be slightly larger than a golf ball. Flatten a risotto ball in your hand and put a piece of the mozzarella in the centre, then enclose the cheese in the rice and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining risotto balls.
4. Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into three separate shallow bowls. Dip each prepared risotto ball into the flour, followed by the eggs and finally the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a tray and set aside.
5. Half-fill a large, heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil and heat over medium-low until it reads 170C on your cooking thermometer or until a piece of bread turns golden brown in the oil within 45 seconds. Lower the risotto balls into the oil in batches and cook for 8-10 mins, or until golden brown and melted in the centre. Set aside on a tray lined with a clean kitchen towel.
6. Serve warm with a salad garnish and pesto / romesco sauces for dipping.

Tips: Don’t try and fry all the arancini at once as the temperature of the oil will drop too low and affect the crispiness.

Another good recipe is Carole’s courgette fritters > Here