lentil & green bean salad

Ingredients

250g dried brown lentils, rinsed
2 tsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp garam masala
1 tbs fresh lime juice
200g green beans, topped
1 x 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 celery sticks, ends trimmed, cut into 4cm matchsticks
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
90g (1/3 cup) low-fat natural yoghurt, to serve

Method

Place the lentils and 1.5L (6 cups) cold water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are just tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and garam masala, and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.

Transfer the onion mixture to a large heatproof bowl. Add the lentils and lime juice, and stir until well combined. Season with pepper. Set aside to cool completely.
Cook the beans in a saucepan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Refresh under cold running water. Drain.

Add the beans, tomato, celery and coriander to the lentil mixture, and stir until just combined. Divide the salad among serving plates. Serve with the yoghurt.

Source

sesame salmon with snow peas and soba noodles

This fantastic recipe is a keeper. I could have this every night!

Ingredients

3 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs dry sherry (I used a mix of dry white wine and cab sav)
1 tsp caster sugar
1/3 cup sesame seeds
4 (about 200g each) skinless salmon fillets
200g Soba Noodles
300g snow peas, trimmed

Method

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the soy sauce, sherry and sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes or until the mixture reduces slightly.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place seeds on a plate. Press top and bottom of each salmon fillet onto seeds to coat.
Heat half the remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the salmon and cook for 1-2 minutes each side or until light golden. Transfer to the lined tray. Wipe the pan clean with paper towel. Repeat with the remaining oil and salmon.

Bake the salmon in oven for 5 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes, adding the snow peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and return to the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce mixture and toss to coat.

Divide the noodle mixture among serving plates. Top with the salmon and drizzle over the remaining soy sauce mixture to serve.


Source

chicken & vegetable rolls

Ingredients

1 cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
500g lean chicken breast mince
1 egg, plus 1 extra lightly beaten egg
1 zucchini, finely grated
1 carrot, finely grated
1/2 onion, grated
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 sheets frozen puff pastry
1 tbs sesame seeds
Tomato or sweet chilli or sauce, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Process crumbs, chicken and unbeaten egg in a food processor until well combined. Place in a bowl, mix well with vegetables and herbs, then season.

Place 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface and halve. Spoon an eighth of the mixture lengthways along centre of each piece. Fold 1 edge of pastry over and tuck in beside filling, then fold over other side to make a roll, pressing down lightly to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Cut rolls into 3cm pieces and cut two small incisions into each roll to prevent splitting.

Place on baking sheets, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the rolls are lightly browned and cooked through.

Serve with sauce on the side.

Source

bean and spinach korma

This makes 2 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 small brown onion, chopped
1/2 red capsicum, chopped
2 tablespoons korma curry paste
1/3 cup vegetable stock
160ml can coconut milk
400g can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
30g baby spinach
steamed basmati rice and pappadums, to serve

Method

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and capsicum. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add curry paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.

Add stock and coconut milk. Bring to the boil. Add beans. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Stir in spinach. Cook for 1 minute or until spinach is just wilted.

Serve with steamed rice and pappadums.

chicken with cannellini bean & tomato sauce

This serves 4. I added an extra teaspoon of chilli. Perfect.

Ingredients

Olive oil spray
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp crushed red chilli
1 x 400g can no-added-salt chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g can no-added-salt cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
2 tsp salted baby capers, rinsed, drained, coarsely chopped
2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley
2 (about 250g each) chicken breast fillets, halved horizontally
Steamed green round beans, to serve

Method

Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat. Spray with olive oil spray to grease. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and chilli, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.

Add the tomato. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cannellini beans and capers, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Season with pepper. Stir in half the parsley.
Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Spray with olive oil spray. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through.

Divide the chicken among serving plates. Top with the cannellini bean mixture and remaining parsley. Serve with steamed green beans.

Source

nutty brown rice salad

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice
300g kumara, peeled, cut in 1cm cubes
80g snow pea sprouts, chopped
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup pistachio kernels, chopped
3 spring onions, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon salt-reduced soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method

Cook brown rice in a large saucepan of boiling water following packet instructions or until rice is tender (should take about 25-30 minutes). Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Arrange kumara in a large bamboo steaming basket. Place over a large saucepan of boiling water. Cover with a lid and steam for about 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat.

Add kumara and remaining ingredients to rice. Gently stir to combine and serve.


Source

warm roast vegetable cous cous salad

Great for a light Spring dinner or to take to work for lunch. The toasted almond flakes are incredible. Serves 4.

Ingredients

12 baby carrots, peeled
2 parsnips, peeled and cut lengthways
2 red onions, quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt
2 tbsp flaked almonds, lightly toasted

For the couscous

200g instant couscous
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp coriander seeds
3 tbsp sultanas
400ml boiling water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
small handful parsley leaves
small handful coriander

Method

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Toss the carrots, parsnip and onion with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season well. Arrange on a baking tray lined with baking paper or foil and bake for 45 minutes or until well-browned, turning once or twice.

Turn the oven off, remove the tray and cover with foil to keep warm. Toss the couscous in a heatproof bowl with the spices, sultanas and salt. Add the boiling water, stirring. Cover and leave in the warm oven for 15 minutes. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, add the olive oil and lemon juice, parsley and coriander, and lightly toss. Serve topped with the vegetables and scatter with almonds.

Source

mediterranean tomato fish soup

I like to have salmon at least once a week and I generally have it with a side of cous cous, some vegetables and a touch of soy sauce. Tonight I wanted to try something a little different. This is one of the tastiest meals I've ever cooked and it is so easy too. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. I served it with lemon wedges and toasted Lebanese bread. Delicious! This makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

600g fish fillets, cut into pieces - i used a mix of salmon and barramundi
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups crushed tomatoes
2 cups fish or chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat olive oil in a pan, add onion and garlic and cook for around 3 minutes on medium heat.

Add the white wine, crushed tomatoes, stock and oregano - simmer for 20 minutes

Stir fish pieces in and cook for around 5-10 minutes until just cooked. Break into smaller pieces in pan by pressing into the fish with your stirrer.

Serve into bowls and sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan.

curry chicken (or lentil) & tomato pilaf

This dish is so good! The tomatoes and yoghurt are a must and I decided the recipe needed some raisins which go beautifully. I served this with crispy flat bread and ate it with a big smile on my face. If you are a vegetarian, swap the chicken for 1 can of brown lentils. This makes four massive servings.

Ingredients

olive oil
2 single breast fillets, cut into 3cm pieces (or 1 can brown lentils, drained and rinsed)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 tbs Korma curry paste
2 cups Basmati rice
3 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
3 tbs toasted slivered almonds
4 tbs raisins
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves (optional - i used some mint)
Low-fat natural yoghurt, to serve

Method

Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil spray. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes each side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the chicken, raisins and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes.

Top the pilaf with almonds, tomato and coriander. Serve with yoghurt.

baked salmon fillets with four bean and spinach

This isn't amazing but it smells pretty lovely and doesn't taste too bad either.


Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 spring onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 cup dry white wine
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
2 x 400g cans four-bean mix, drained and rinsed
1 cup fish, vegetable or chicken stock
1 bag fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
2 pieces salmon fillet, skin on (about 150g a piece)
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof pot over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 2 minutes – don’t let the garlic brown otherwise it will taste bitter.

Add the beans and the wine and cook for a further 3 minutes gently, to allow the alcohol in the wine to evaporate. Remove from the heat and add the spring onions, cherry tomatoes and stock and stir together.

Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on the top and put in the oven. Bake, uncovered, until the fish is cooked (about 10 minutes).

Remove from the oven; set aside the salmon on warm plates and stir the spinach leaves through the cassoulet. The heat of the dish will wilt the spinach.

Finish the dish with a squeeze of lemon juice to lift all the flavours. Serve with salmon atop the cassoulet, garnished with a generous handful of chopped flat leaf parsley.

from Healthy Food Guide