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Page blank reverse of recipe dividerRecipes

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Mixed mealsQuick corn quiche1 x 450 g can whole kernel corn, drained

3 medium tomatoes, sliced

½ cup self-raising fl our

1 cup low-fat milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon grated parmesan for sprinkling

Place the corn and tomatoes in a 20 cm quiche dish. Beat the fl our, milk, eggs, 1 tablespoon of cheese and the pepper together. Pour over the corn and tomatoes. Sprinkle with the second tablespoon of cheese. Bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes or until set and golden brown. Serves 5–6.

Variation: Replace corn and tomato with 1 cup cooked, drained and chopped spinach and 1 cup sliced mushrooms.

Chilli bean topping1 x 440 g can chilli beans (or baked beans with a little chilli sauce or powder)

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1 apple, peeled and roughly chopped

½ cup water

grated edam cheese

fi nely chopped parsley

Place the beans, onion, carrot, apple and water in a food processor and process until smooth, or mash the beans with a potato masher and fi nely chop or grate the onion, carrot and apple. Place in a saucepan and simmer gently for 5–6 minutes. Serve on pizza base, in pita bread or on a baked potato; sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Grill until the cheese melts.Serves 4–6

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Home burger500 g lean mince

½ onion

pinch mixed herbs

3 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg

pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Divide the mixture into portions and shape into patties. Grill patties and serve on burger buns or in pita pockets with salad ingredients.Serves 4–6

Lamb or beef koftas500 g lamb or beef mince

1 egg

¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 onion, fi nely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

pinch of salt and pepper

pita bread

Yoghurt sauce

½ cup low-fat unsweetened yoghurt

2 tablespoons chopped mint

salad ingredients (eg, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, couscous,

grated carrot)

Combine the mince, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, spices, salt and pepper. Mix well. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Form each portion into a 10-cm-long sausage shape. Place on a fl at plate, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place on an oiled baking tray and cook under a preheated grill for 10 minutes, turning once during cooking. Serve in pita bread with yoghurt sauce and salad ingredients. Serves 4.

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Vegie noodle stir-fry2 x 85 g packets instant noodles

2 beef schnitzels (300 g)

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, fi nely chopped

2 carrots, fi nely sliced

1 cup broccoli fl orets

4–5 mushrooms

2 stalks celery, sliced

¾ cup water

1 tablespoon cornfl our

2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce

1 tablespoon black bean sauce

Cook the noodles to the manufacturer’s directions, but don’t use the fl avour sachets. Drain. Cut the schnitzel into thin strips. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the meat until browned on the outside but still pink on the inside. Remove from the pan. Stir-fry the vegetables until tender but still slightly crisp; keep the vegetables from sticking by adding a little water. Mix the water, cornfl our, soy sauce and black bean sauce together. Return the meat to the pan, add the drained noodles and soy sauce mixture. Stir together and heat until well mixed and heated through. Serves 4–5.

Moroccan lamb pizza1 tablespoon oil

1 red onion, fi nely chopped

1 clove garlic

225 g lean lamb or beef mince

½ cup canned chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 single-serve pizza bases (or 1 large

pizza base)

½ cup grated lower fat cheese

2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)

Garnish suggestion

fresh mint leaves, fresh fl at-leaf

parsley and/or a little mango chutney

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat the oil in a frypan, add the onion and crushed garlic and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the mince and cook until browned, breaking the meat up with a fork. Drain any excess oil from the pan. Add the tomatoes, ground cumin, ground coriander and cinnamon and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh coriander and lemon juice. Spread the meat mixture over the pizza bases and sprinkle with cheese and pine nuts. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the pizza is heated through.

Raita (yoghurt relish)1 cup low-fat unsweetened yoghurt

¼ cucumber, grated

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

To make the raita: Mix the yoghurt, grated cucumber, crushed clove of garlic and chopped mint in a bowl.

Serve the pizzas topped with the herbs, raita and a little mango chutney. Serves 4.

Fish pie¼ head broccoli, cut into fl orets

250 g macaroni

2 tablespoons margarine

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon fl our

1 cup low-fat milk

1 x 185 g can smoked fi sh fi llets

¼ cup lower fat cheese, grated (or 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese – see Table:

Fat content of cheeses page 34)

Cook the broccoli in boiling water or in the microwave; drain. Cook the macaroni and drain. Place the macaroni in a greased ovenproof dish. Melt the margarine in a pan and add the chopped onion. Cook until the onion turns clear. Add the curry powder and fl our to the onion, mix to combine. Gradually stir in the milk. Stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Add the fi sh and broccoli to the sauce. Spoon over the macaroni. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Bake uncovered in oven at 180°C for 20 minutes or until golden brown.Serves 4–6

Chicken chop suey1 packet (250 g) bean thread vermicelli

1 tablespoon oil

800 g to 1kg diced, boneless,

skinless chicken

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 stalks celery, chopped

4 large carrots, chopped

1 cabbage, sliced

1 packet (500 g) frozen peas

¼ cup reduced-salt soy sauce

Break the vermicelli into shorter lengths, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave until soft. Drain the vermicelli. Heat the oil in a large pan with a heavy base, add the chicken in 2–3 batches depending on size of the pan. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and remove from the pan. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot and cook for 5 minutes. Add cabbage and peas and cook a further 5-8 minutes. Add the vermicelli to the vegetables and stir through. Add the chicken and soy sauce and heat thoroughly. Serve with rice. Serves 10–12.

(From Kai Lelei: Recipes for Large Families, 2nd ed., 2006)

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25

SoupsCreamy vegetable soup1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon oil

1 potato, peeled and chopped

2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables

water or stock (home-made or low-salt commercial)

low-fat milk

Sauté the onion in the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add the potato and other vegetables and cook with the lid on over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Just cover the vegetables with water or stock or a combination of both. Simmer with the lid off until the vegetables are very soft. Drain off some cooking liquid to use to thin the soup if desired. Process or mash until smooth. Add cooking liquid and/or low-fat milk to thin the soup if needed.Serves 4–6

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Quick minestrone3 cups prepared and chopped seasonal vegetables (eg, potato, carrot, celery,

kumara, parsnip, pumpkin, leeks)

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3–4 cups water

2 x 140 g pots (1 cup) Italian pizza-style low-salt tomato paste

2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes or 425 g can chopped tomatoes in juice

¼ cup bulgur wheat or couscous

freshly ground black pepper

fresh or dried ‘Mediterranean’ herbs to taste (eg, basil, marjoram, oregano,

thyme)

Put all the ingredients except the pepper and herbs in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15–20 minutes. Sprinkle with the pepper and herbs. Serve with a fresh roll or toast.Serves 4–6

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Fluffy fruity milk smoothieFor one serving allow:

1 cup low-fat milk

¼ cup low-fat yoghurt (either plain or fruit fl avoured)

a selection of fresh fruit, eg:

½ banana

6–8 berries (eg, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)

½–1 stone fruit, depending on size (eg, plum, peach, apricot, nectarine)

½ kiwifruit

cup canned or stewed fruit (eg, peaches, pears, apricots)

Blend all together in a food processor or hand-held mixer until smooth and fl uffy.

Snacks

Popcorn1 tablespoon oil

¼ cup popping corn

Place the oil and corn in an oven bag. Loosely twist the open end of the bag. Microwave on 100 percent power for 2–3 minutes or until most of the kernels are popped.

Curried popcorn

Add ½ teaspoon curry powder to the oven bag before popping.

Sweet and spicy popcorn

Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ½ cup sultanas after the corn has been popped. Mix well.

Cheesy popcorn

Add ½–1 tablespoon parmesan after the corn has been popped.

Vegetables and

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Vegetables and fruit

Blushing wedges 6 medium potatoes (cut into wedges)

1 tablespoon oil

¼ cup tomato paste, low-salt

½ cup water

2 cloves garlic, peeled and fi nely

chopped (optional)

2 tablespoons fi nely chopped fresh

mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into

thin strips

freshly ground black pepper

Toss wedges with oil. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.

Combine the tomato paste, water, garlic, mint, red pepper and pepper. Pour this over the wedges, stir gently to coat evenly. Return to the oven for 10–15 minutes or until wedges are cooked.

SaladsInteresting salads can be made by putting together fresh vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice, lean meats, chicken, fi sh, cheese, seeds, nuts and pulses in different combinations. Note: Recipes for dressings are listed below under Salad dressings.

Basic potato salad

Dice cooked potato (leave skins on for extra fi bre), add fi nely chopped spring onion and sunfl ower seeds.

For variety add one or more of the following:

• red onion, sautéed onion rings, avocado, cooked frozen peas or corn, cooked egg.

Pasta salad

Mix cooked pasta (use different shapes and colours for variety), mixed vegetables (eg, corn, peas), chopped cucumber, green pepper, toasted pine nuts and creamy dressing.

Tabouleh

Cover 1 cup of bulgur with boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Stir and drain. Mix with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, 1 cup chopped parsley, 2 chopped spring onions, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1–2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice and ground black pepper.

Red coleslaw

Mix 3 cups fi nely sliced red cabbage, ½ cup crushed pineapple (canned in juice), 3 stalks fi nely sliced celery, ½ cup chopped raisins or prunes and 2 tablespoons fi nely chopped fresh parsley. Add spiced dressing and mix thoroughly.

Salad dressings

Creamy dressing

This replaces mayonnaise or salad dressing.

Mix together 1 cup unsweetened low-fat yoghurt, ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon fi nely chopped parsley or chives, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 tablespoon sugar and freshly ground black pepper.

Curry dressing

For potato or pasta salad.

Mix together 1 cup unsweetened low-fat yoghurt, ½ cup low-fat milk, 2–3 teaspoons curry powder.

Half and half mayonnaise

Reduce the concentration of commercial salad dressing or mayonnaise by using equal quantities of mayonnaise and unsweetened low-fat yoghurt.

Spiced dressing

Mix together 2 tablespoons spiced vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon sugar.

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Breads and cerealsBread cases6 thin slices wholemeal bread

1–2 tablespoons margarine

Remove the crusts from the bread and spread slices lightly with margarine. Cut each slice in half diagonally and place greased side down into muffi n trays. Bake at 200°C for 5 minutes. Place a spoonful of the chosen fi lling (eg, vegetable medley) into each bread case and bake at 200°C for a further 8–10 minutes or until the fi lling has set. Makes 12.

Vegetable medley fi lling1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon fl our

¾ cup low-fat milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 cup fi nely chopped vegetables

(mushroom, tomato, broccoli, spring

onion, pepper, sweet corn)

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the fl our and mix to a paste. Gradually add the milk. Heat, stirring constantly for 3–4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add the egg, parmesan cheese and vegetables.

Cheesy rolls1 cup grated low-fat cheese

1 onion, fi nely chopped

1 cup fi nely chopped mushroom, tomato or pepper or a mixture of all three

1 egg

freshly ground black pepper

8 slices thin bread

2 tablespoons margarine

Mix the cheese, onion, vegetables, egg and black pepper together. Lightly spread each slice of bread with margarine. Turn the bread over and place 1/8 fi lling on each slice. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Grill for 4–5 minutes or until golden brown, turning once or twice during cooking.

Variation: Replace half the cheese with ½ cup drained canned tuna or salmon.

Garlic breadFrench bread or long rolls

margarine

fresh or commercial minced garlic

fresh or dried herbs (eg, parsley)

For long rolls, allow 1 teaspoon margarine and about ½ clove fresh garlic ( ¼–½ teaspoon minced garlic) per roll.

For French bread, allow 2 tablespoons margarine and about 1½–2 cloves garlic (1 teaspoon minced garlic) for 1 French loaf (serves 5–6).

Cut bread into thick slices to use less margarine. Mix margarine with garlic and herbs. Spread the mixture thinly on the bread. Wrap in foil and heat in a hot oven.

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Meat, fi sh, poultry and eggs

Chicken curry1.2 kg chicken

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon oil

2 large carrots, fi nely chopped

1 large onion, fi nely chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder

1½ tablespoons fl our

½ cup low-fat milk

¼ cup sultanas

freshly ground black pepper

Remove any excess fat from the chicken. Place the chicken and bay leaves in a large saucepan or stockpot. Cover with water and simmer for 45–50 minutes or until the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted. Reserve 1½ cups of the cooking liquid. Discard the chicken skin and bone and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrots, onion and curry powder. Sauté until lightly browned. Add the fl our and mix well. Gradually add the reserved cooking liquid, stirring continuously, and heat until thickened. Add the chicken, milk and sultanas. Heat through. Season to taste with pepper. Serves 4–6.

Variation: If using cooked chicken, use 1½ cups of chicken stock.

Chilli bean mince1 tablespoon oil

1 large onion, fi nely chopped

300 g lean mince

½ teaspoon chilli powder

½ cup water

1 x 450 g can chilli beans

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Sauté the onion for 3–4 minutes or until softened. Add the mince and chilli powder. Continue sautéing until the mince is browned. Add the water and chilli beans and then simmer gently for 10–15 minutes. This can be served with rice, on a split baked potato, in pita bread or as a pizza topping with grated edam cheese.Serves 6.

Chicken fajitas1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, fi nely chopped

1 red pepper, fi nely sliced

1 courgette, fi nely chopped (optional)

400 g diced chicken meat

1 x 140 g pottle tomato paste

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

tortilla bread

salad ingredients (eg, grated carrot,

sliced cucumber and tomato, lettuce,

sliced mushroom)

sprinkle of grated edam cheese

Heat oil in a frypan. Add onion and pepper and sauté until softened. Add courgette and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and lightly cook. Mix tomato paste, cinnamon and brown sugar and add to chicken mixture. Stir and heat through for 2–3 minutes until chicken is coated. Serve

in tortilla bread with salad ingredients and grated edam cheese.

Serves 4–6.

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Vegetarian optionsBean booster 1 tablespoon oil

1 cup roughly chopped celery

2 medium onions, fi nely chopped

1 x 440 g can baked beans

2 tablespoons low-fat natural yoghurt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Sauté the celery and onions until lightly browned and softened. Add the baked beans and yoghurt. Heat gently until warmed through. Season with pepper.

To serve

This fi lling is suitable for:

• pizza

• baked potato or kumara

• pita bread.

Top with grated edam cheese.

Lentil patties ½ cup dried lentils

8 slices bread

1 carrot

1 onion

1 large potato, cooked

1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon curry powder

black pepper

3 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Cover the lentils with water and simmer until soft (about 20 minutes). Drain well. In a food processor, blend all ingredients briefl y, adding the lentils and sesame seeds last. With wet hands, form into patties. Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Cook on both sides until heated through. Serve in burgers or in pita bread, with a tasty tomato-based salsa or chutney and salad ingredients. (Makes 12 patties)