Going out for dinner with good friends, having a glass of wine and amazing food is one of my favourite ways to spend an evening ? especially in Bermuda which has more than its fair share of great restaurants. The only snag is that it can get pricey, which is when we start inviting people round to our house for dinner instead. And it always seems like such a good idea ? right up until we start arguing about what to cook!

When I ask my husband what he thinks we should prepare, he usually responds with something like ??none of your nutritional rubbish!? To be fair, by the time I ask him, it?s usually the end of the week, he?s fairly irritable and he?s had lots of holier than thou healthy meals already, so I should be expecting some sort of rebuff! We often have people round on a Saturday, too ? which is otherwise known as ?Free Day? in our house. The theory is that if we eat healthily all week, it?s fine to have some indulgences too ... good for the soul, if not for the body!

This means that pizza for breakfast on a Saturday is not unheard of (confessions of a nutritionist!) although that?s definitely his thing, not mine. Even if I were to be that rebellious, I?m allergic to lactose and wheat which totally rules out pizza ? annoying, but a saving grace perhaps? This also means that when we have friends over for dinner, they don?t necessarily get exemplary cooking, but rather a compromise between healthy eating and all-out decadence.

This week?s recipe, Laksa (a Thai chicken and coconut soup), is absolutely delicious and guaranteed to impress your friends, but without notching up their weight or cholesterol. Coconut milk is typically high in fat (within the same range as full-fat dairy products) but in contrast to dairy, it doesn?t contain any cholesterol.

In addition, you can buy ?light? coconut milk which helps to reduce the fat content ? and as this soup so many other intense flavours, the lightness doesn?t compromise the overall taste.

Another bonus is that not only is this dish gluten free (the noodles are made from rice, not wheat) but it is also dairy-free ? ideal for awkward dinner party guests like me!

The coconut milk implies a dairy content, but coconut milk is actually made from the expressed juice of coconut flesh and juice. Please note however that ?coconut cream? is different and may contain added dairy.

If any of you are Thai food connoisseurs, you may know that Laksa is traditionally made with peanut oil rather than olive oil. I?ve used olive oil here as it is so much better for you than peanut oil ? which is typically a ?bad fat?, especially when heated. Make sure that you use light olive oil rather than extra virgin olive oil though - this way you have the benefit of olive oil, without the distinctive taste.

Now in the spirit of keeping things as simple and hassle free as possible, although this recipe looks quite complicated, the vast majority of it can be done in advance. This means that it?s really easy to throw together when your friends arrive.

Also, as the paste keeps for a good week or so in the fridge (or freezes), it?s also a great thing to keep in reserve for a quick and easy meal. You can marinade chicken, fish or tofu in it, just as with the pesto last week.

So this weekend, why not try out the recipe below and seriously impress your friends? It?s easy and although I wouldn?t call it a super-healthy, it?s healthy in the sense that it?s not bad for you either!