Food interrupted

Viv says we always manage to get so excited about the food in front of us we forget to snap a photo before we eat it. Here's one I managed to intercept before it disappeared into me.

It's pork and chickpea beer stew that I cooked this afternoon after coming home from work. Low-fat but yummy, it's taken from a Periplus cookbook that has become my bible since I went low-fat 6 months ago.

400g lean pork, trimmed of fat and diced

Ground spices: 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp plain flour

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 celery sticks, sliced

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup beer

1 can (310g) chickpeas

1. Mix ground spices, flour and pork in a plastic bag, coating meat well.

2. Spray oil onto large heavy-based pan and cook the pork for 8mins or until lightly browned.

3. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery and half the stock into the pan and toss well. Cover and cook for 10 mins.

4. Add remaining stock, beer and tomato. Season with pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer over low heat for an hour, gently shaking pan occasionally without removing lid.

5. Stir in chickpeas and simmer uncovered for about 5mins.

Per serving: Fat 10g, protein 40g, carbo 35g, fibre 15g, cholesterol 50mg. Calories: 410.