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 Hugh, 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'."

Although both toast and cheese are admittedly "pleasant", the TV chef and food writer has been conscientiously 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", Hugh, 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. And despite being a self-confessed "toast muncher", he has enjoyed finding new ways of cooking.

These days, he eats dairy and wheat, but doesn't rely on them as "go to" ingredients. Though he does make some exceptions...

At home, both he and his wife share the dinner duties, but when Marie's at the cooking coalface, Hugh knows to make himself scarce. The family are often treated to home-cooked meals cooked by the eldest children too, something which clearly fills the chef with pride.

"I've got much better at making a bit of room, not just for my wife but for my elder kids Chloe, who's 18, and Oscar, who's 15," explains the food writer.

"They're both keen cooks and are more than capable of putting together a family meal. So sometimes we can both take an evening off, relax in the garden and take the dog for a walk, and come back and find a pretty delicious supper on the table."

The only downfall is that the children sometimes "suggest we do the clearing up" afterwards, he adds, laughing. But donning the marigolds is a small price to pay for getting his kids interested in cooking.

Fancy following suit? Here are two new Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipes to try at home with the family.

CREAMY ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

(Serves 4)

1.2kg tomatoes (the 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

To finish:

Extra virgin hempseed or rapeseed oil

A dusting of paprika (optional)

Here's what you need to do

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 tomatoey 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.

CHICKEN WITH LENTILS AND ROSEMARY

(Serves 4)

2tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary

200g red lentils, well rinsed

500ml chicken or veg stock

8 skin-on, bone-in, free-range chicken thighs, or 1 medium chicken (about 1.75kg), jointed into 6-8 pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to finish

Here's what you need to do

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Choose a flameproof casserole dish or a wide, ovenproof pan that will hold all the chicken pieces snugly but comfortably.

Put the casserole on a medium-low heat. Add the oil, then the onion and cook, stirring regularly, for six to eight minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, rosemary and some salt and pepper. Cook gently for a further five minutes, then stir in the lentils and stock.

Season the chicken thighs and place skin side up in the casserole. You want most of the chicken skin to remain exposed above the liquid in the dish so it can brown in the oven. Bring to a simmer on the hob, then transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for one hour. Check that the chicken is cooked right through and the lentils are soft. If not, return to the oven for 10-15 minutes and test again. Skim off any excess fat from the surface.

Taste the lentilly liquor and add more salt or pepper if needed. Serve, scattered with chopped parsley, just as it is or with steamed broccoli or spring greens on the side.

River Cottage Light & Easy by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is published in hardback by Bloomsbury, priced £25. For River Cottage food videos, visit www.rivercottage.net/food-tube