AS the average British family spends more than £500 on Christmas, it's no wonder we're all feeling the pinch this month. And when the finances are looking precarious, it can be hard to know where to make savings.

The kitchen is a great place to start. Cooking low fat, nutritious and filling food doesn't need to be expensive and time consuming. With a little imagination, the most humble ingredients, from carrots to lentils, can deliver winter warming suppers with serious taste bud appeal.

Spaghetti with chilli, prawns and parsley Serves 4

What you need 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 large red peppers, diced 450g spaghetti 225g prawns, cooked and peeled red chilli flakes (optional) 175ml cream 2-4 tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley Salt and freshly ground pepper

How to do it Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the garlic and peppers, season with salt and pepper and cover.

Sweat on a gentle heat until tender but not coloured.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water.

When it's almost al dente, add the prawns to the peppers, toss for a minute or two to heat through and add the cream and chilli flakes, if using. Bubble up and taste for seasoning.

As soon as the pasta is al dente, drain well, add the sauce to the pan and toss over the heat until well coated.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.