Healthy foods the Maw Broon way

Maw Broon's back in the kitchen and teaching the nation to cook - but this time healthy recipes are included.

The first book of the comic character's favourite foods horrified health experts with the fat and sugar content.

However, Maw Broon's But an' Ben Cookbook, while still featuring some lard, is much more nutritious.

Dishes use local produce and include nettle soup, dandelion tea, sweet chestnut burgers, bramble jeely and turnip wine.

Maw's first cookbook has sold almost 170,000 copies and was a number one bestseller in Scotland for nine weeks.

However, nutritionists warned that breakfasts of fried eggs, scones, potato bread, lorne sausage and black pudding followed by sugary tea or a can of lager could lead to obesity.

Publisher Ron Grosset said that Maw was determined to hit back.

He said: "There was such a stooshie from Maw's first cookbook with the criticism from the diet police that she put her hat and coat on and got the bus to Auchentogle and got her cookbook from the but an' ben dresser drawer, because she was quite anxious to show us that there were a lot of recipes in her repertoire that were using great Scottish produce.

"I think you'll find some recipes there with lard in the ingredients, but generally speaking, everything in moderation, and I hope folk will be encouraged to look at the produce that's on our own doorstep.

"Everyone can cook like Maw and I think it's great to encourage folk to cook fresh Scottish produce, I think it's good progress."

The recipes are said to have been gathered over the years, becoming the favourites of the whole Broon family when they escaped the town to visit the but an' ben at holidays and weekends.

Nutritionist Carina Norris said: "If you lived by the recipes in the first cookbook your blood pressure, and your heart, and your arteries, wouldn't thank you for it, but if this is using good Scottish ingredients - lean meat, fish, fresh produce - I think that's great. Great to celebrate Maw Broon and all that's good about the Scottish diet.

"And after all, at least Maw Broon cooks for her family, rather than going out for a takeaway every night."