Low Fat Kofta Curry

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom this recipe. Enjoy!

Serves 6

Prep: 15 mins

Cooking: 30 mins

500g lean beef mince

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp ground chilli

1 tsp garam masala

2 onions, diced

4 Tbs korma curry paste

1 Tbs sunflower oil

200ml beef stock

400g can crushed tomatoes

175ml low-fat evaporated milk

2 Tbs lemon juice

½ cup frozen peas

Steamed rice, to serve

Chopped fresh coriander to garnish

1. Combine beef, garlic, ginger, chilli, garam masala, half the onion and 1 Tbs curry paste. Season with salt and pepper, then form into walnut sized balls. Heat oil in a non-stick frypan over medium heat, add kofta balls and cook in batches until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add remaining onion to pan and cook over very low heat until soft and lightly golden. Add remaining curry paste, stock and tomatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.
3. Add milk and lemon juice. Return the kofta to the pan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Add peas and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Serve with rice and garnish with fresh coriander.

Tabouli

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom this recipe. Enjoy!

2 cups water

1 cup burghul (cracked wheat)
1 tsp salt
¼ cup lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 shallots, trimmed and thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped mint
¼ cup olive oil
Pinch black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
2/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the burghul and salt. Cover the pan, remove it from the heat and let the burghul soak about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare other salad items.
2. When burghul is tender, turn it out into a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, garlic, shallots, mint, oil and pepper. Toss to mix. Cover the salad and put it aside until you are ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, add the tomatoes, parsley and cucumber and toss again. Serve.

Roasted Vegetable CousCous

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom this recipe. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 45 mins

2 x zucchini, cut into 3cm pieces

1 eggplant, cut into 3cm pieces

1 large red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces

250g orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces

2 red (Spanish) onions, cut into thin wedges

1 leek, cut into 3cm lengths

1 ½ Tbs fresh rosemary leaves

3 Tbs olive oil

450g cooked chickpeas or butter beans

250g punnet cherry tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbs pure floral honey or pure maple syrup

190g couscous

250ml vegetable stock

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

Juice and finely grated rind of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 220c. Line two roasting pans with baking paper.
2. Place the zucchini, eggplant, capsicum, sweet potato, onion, leek and rosemary in a large bowl. Add 2 Tbs of the oil. Toss well to combine. Divide vegetables among the roasting pans and roast, swapping pans around halfway through cooking, for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are almost tender.
3. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and garlic to the vegetables, and toss to combine. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of honey over each tray. Roast for a further 15 minutes, or until vegetables are golden and tender.
4. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Place stock in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour over the couscous. Set aside for 3-4 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice and lemon rind.
5. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large serving bowl. Add the couscous mixture, toss well to combine, season well and serve.

2563kj (613cal);18g fat (saturated 3g); 14g fibre; 20g protein; 84 carbohydrate

From: The Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook

Vegetable Frittata

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom this recipe. Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Prep: 20 mins

Baking: 40 mins

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup grated cheese

2 large potatoes, cubed and cooked

1 cup pumpkin, cubed and cooked

1 large capsicum, seeded and chopped

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1 cup grated cheese

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

4 whole eggs, beaten

½ cup cream

2 Tbs plain flour

Seasoning to taste

1. Combine vegetables, potatoes, pumpkin, capsicum, spinach, cheese and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix in eggs, cream, flour and seasonings in a separate bowl. Add to vegetables and mix well.
3. Spoon mixture evenly into a lightly greased 23cm pie plate or casserole dish.
4. Bake in a moderate oven (180c) for 35-40 minutes or until firm and browned on top. Serve in wedges or squares with a salad and crusty bread.
5. Diced ham or chicken can also be added to mix before baking.

Zucchini Lasagne

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom this recipe. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Prep: 20 mins

Baking: 30 mins + 10 mins standing time

1 pkt lasagne sheets

2 cups natural, low-fat, reduced salt cottage cheese

3 Tbs chopped chives or spring onion greens

1 cup canned tomato puree

½ tsp each dried basil and thyme leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

375g unpeeled zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise

2/3 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1 Tbs grated parmesan cheese

Chopped parsley to garnish

1. If required, cook lasagne in plenty of boiling water until tender but still firm; drain and lay flat on paper towels.
2. In bowl, combine and mix cottage cheese and chives.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the tomato puree with herbs and pepper to taste until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
4. To assemble: Spoon a very thin layer of sauce in base of a deep, 24×16cm oblong baking dish or casserole. Arrange half the lasagne, then half the zucchini on top. Top with the cottage cheese mixture.
5. Add the remaining lasagne, then zucchini. Spoon on remaining sauce; sprinkle with mozzarella, then parmesan.
6. Bake lasagne at 200c until bubbly and browned, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting. Garnish servings with parsley.

Easy Peasy Tiramisuy in Your Gooey (from renowned Chef – Keshia Robinson)

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom of this recipe.

150g chocolate, melted

200 ml whipped cream

200g mascarpone

12 saviardi biscuits

2 eggs

150g sugar

1 cup prepared coffee (black) dash of Frangelico and Kahlua

Cocoa to dust

1. Break eggs into bowl. Whisk with sugar, Frangelico and Kahlua until sugar dissolves.

2. Add coffee and mascarpone.

3. Line cups with chocolate.

4. Whip cream in separate bowls and add to mascarpone mix.

5. Half fill cups with mixture.

6. Dip biscuits in coffee, snap in centre, if required, and place in cup.

7. Fill with remaining mixture. Dust with cocoa before serving.

8. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Shredded Chicken and Lemongrass Soup

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom of this recipe.

6 Chicken Thighs, skinned
2 Lemongrass stalks
1 kaffir lime leaf
2 cloves garlic
1 red chilli
4cm ginger root
1.5 litres water
1 lime, juiced
4 Tbs light soy sauce
1 bunch salad onions
1 Tbs fresh coriander

1. Peel and halve garlic cloves. Bruise lemongrass stalks with a rolling pin and crumple lime leaf. Roughly chop chilli and peeled ginger root. Thinly slice onions.
2. Place the chicken thigh, lemongrass, lime leaves, chilli and garlic in a large saucepan. Add water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked right through.
3. Strain the stock into a clean pan. Shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the pan with the fresh lime juice, soy sauce and sliced salad onions. Heat through gently and when steaming hot, ladle into bowls.
4. Loosely scatter with fresh coriander leaves and serve.
5. To add ‘bulk’ to this soup, you can add hokkien noodles, chopped bok choy and diced silken tofu. Soak hokkien noodles in hot water and drain before adding to soup mixture.

Brown Rice and Barley Salad with spiced chickpeas, sweet potato and currants

Vegetarian

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom of this recipe.

By combining brown rice with barley, you lower the overall GI of the meal. Adding spices and roasting the chick peas is a great way to add lots of flavour. Low fat yoghurt is fantastic for creating healthy, creamy dressings.

2/3 cup brown rice

1/3 cup lightly toasted slivered almonds

¾ cup pearl barley

2 Tbs fresh coriander

3 tsp ground cumin

1 ½ cups rocket leaves

1 small sweet potato, peeled,

salt and pepper

cut into 2cm pieces

400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained

1 red Spanish onion, cut into thin wedges

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

1 Tbs olive oil

½ tsp turmeric

1/3 cup currants

Yoghurt Tahini Dressing:

½ cup low fat natural yoghurt

1 tsp tahini

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp pure floral honey or pinch of caster sugar

Yoghurt Tahini Dressing:
1. Whisk all ingredients together until well combined.
(One tablespoon serve: 50kj, 1g fat (0g saturated), 1g fibre, 1g protein, 2g carbohydrate)
Brown Rice and Barley Salad:
1. Preheat oven to 180c. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Cook the brown rice and pearl barley in two separate saucepans of boiling water, with one teaspoon of cumin added to each pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until al dente (the pearl barley will take a little longer.) Drain well.
3. Meanwhile, place the sweet potato, onion and chickpeas in a large bowl. Mix the remaining cumin, ground coriander, paprika, turmeric and the oil together, then add to the bowl with the sweet potato mixture and toss to coat evenly. Place the mixture in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until sweet potato is just tender.
4. Toss the rice, barley, sweet potato mixture, currants, almonds, chopped coriander and rocket together in a large bowl. Season and serve drizzled with a little Yoghurt Tahini Dressing.

Servings: 4
Cooking Times:
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 1 serving
Energy: 2519 kilojoules
Total Fat: 16g
Carbohydrates: 87g
Fibre: 14g
Protein: 20g

Recipe taken from: The Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook

Asian Salmon Bundles

Asian Salmon Bundles (4 servings)

This recipe comes courtesy of our business associate, Maggie Taylor of The Gourmet Saint. For more info visit www.gourmetsaint.com.au or click on The Gourmet Saint logo at the bottom this recipe. Enjoy!

Preparation Time: 0:20
This recipe can be made ahead, without cooking and frozen.

4 spring onions, sliced Asian style

1 red capsicum, julienned

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp ginger (freshly grated or from jar)

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp brown sugar

4 salmon fillets, pinned

1 Tbs sesame seeds

1. Make 4 aluminium foil envelopes large enough to hold the salmon fillets.
2. Combine spring onions, capsicum, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and sugar in a small bowl.
3. Place a fillet in each envelope and spoon mixture over the top of each fillet, dividing equally. Sprinkle each fillet with a teaspoonful of sesame seeds and the lemon zest.
4. Tightly crimp-seal the foil envelopes. (If freezing – label and freeze. Defrost well before baking)
5. Bake in a preheated oven, 220c, for 15-20 minutes (depending on size) or until the foil is puffed up and fish is cooked.

Nutrition:
Energy: 1020 kilojoules
Total Fat: 9g
Cholesterol: 82mg
Sodium: 551mg

Vanilla Spice Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, plus more, to taste
• 1 cup lowfat milk, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Stir in the oats and raisins, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, place nuts, if using, in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame, and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

When the oats are cooked remove pan from the flame and stir in the vanilla and nutmeg. Swirl in the brown sugar and place the oatmeal in serving bowls. Pour 1/4 cup of milk on top of each bowl, and top with toasted nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Note: For a quicker version using quick cooking or plain instant oatmeal: Cook the oatmeal according to the directions on the package. Stir raisins, brown sugar, and nutmeg into the cooked oatmeal. Top with milk, nuts (toasted or un-toasted) and cinnamon

Copyright Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved.