Dee Mess (healthy version of Eton Mess) Core +1 pt

This is a deliciously healthy version of the Eton Mess classic which is cream, berries and meringue.
If you like pavalova, you must try this!

Photo coming when I get a glass serving dish :)

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Very Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of thick nonfat yoghurt, plain or flavoured
• 4 passionfruit
• 1 1/2 cup frozen berries
• Powdered Sweetener (like Splenda)
• cinnamon
• * 4 mini meringue nests (0.5-1pt each depending on brand).
  Alternatively, use meringue kisses.
• 1/2 punet of strawberries to decorate

Method:

Put about a cup of yoghurt in glass bowl, top with good handful of frozen berries, pulp of 2 passionfruit and some powdered sweetner to equivilent sweetness of a few TB, sprinkle with cinnamon.
Repeat yoghurt and fruit layer.
Cover and fridge for about 20-30 mins to let flavours develop and berries thaw.
Put a mini meringue shell in serving bowl and smash, top with spoonfuls of the yoghurt and fruit mix.
Top with a sliced strawberry.

On Core you'll need to count the meringue at 0.5-1 pt each depending on brand

Core Faux Fried Rice (Cauliflower)

A healthy, tasty and low fat alternative to fried rice.

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Variations: This is a throw together meal. Use what you have handy.

Vegies: You can add your favourite vegetables as long as they are diced fine or grated. Suggestions - mushrooms, spinach leaves, capsicum, bok choy, chilli, bean sprouts etc

Meat: Try turkey mince, chicken mince, very lean beef mince, pork mince, finelely diced chicken fillets, rindless bacon, seafood or left over grilled or roast meats. Tofu can be used for vegos. I used turkey mince.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 500 g lean mince (your choice)
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 cauliflower, grated on coarse
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1/8th cabbage, shredded fine
• 1 cup beans, fresh or frozen and defrosted
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 TB Chinese 5 spice
• 3 spring onions, cut to 3 cm

Method:

Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick frypan.
Add onions and fry until translucent.
Add mince and fry until lightly browned.
Add cauli and carrot and stirfry for 2 or 3 minutes before adding soy sauce, corn and beans.
Stir fry a further couple of minutes, add 5 spice and cabbage, mix thoroughly and serve (the cabbage adds a nice crunchy texture)

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 20.5 pts, or 5 pts per serve serving 4 using either:

• 500g chicken mince
• 500g very lean beef mince
• 500g lean pork mince
• 250g rindless bacon

Nutritional data (per serve):
Very lean beef mince = 395 cals, 1649 kj, 16g fat, 4g sat fat, 34g protein, 29g carbs
Chicken mince = 395 cals, 1649 kj, 16g fat, 4g sat fat, 34g protein, 29g carbs

Base recipe credit goes to my Core buddy "Sundays"

Tortilla Stacks - Core +1.5pts/serve

An interesting twist to conventional burritos that is sure to become a family favorite.

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Equipment: a 20cm Springform Cake pan.
If you don't have one, you can still make the stack, spreading the filling to 5mm of edges.

Ingredients:

• 500 g Very Lean Beef Mince
• 1 large Onion, diced to 5mm
• 1 large or 2 small Red Capsicums, deseeded and diced to 5mm
• 2 clove Garlic, crushed (or 2 tsp garlic paste)
• 1 x 400g can Diced Tomato
• 1 cup (150 g) Frozen Corn Kernels (or 125g can, drained)
• 1 cup Canned Mixed Beans or Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 Light Tortilla Wraps (I suggest Old El Paso Light Tortilla Wraps
• 200 g of Low-Fat Cottage Cheese, blended smooth
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Dried Coriander
• 2 tsp Cumin powder

Method:

Fry onion, garlic and capsium with 3TB water in a non-stick pan until onion becomes translucent.
Add mince and cook until browned, breaking up any clumps.
Add tomatoes, corn, tinned beans and spices.
Simmer for about 15 minutes until juices evaporate and it becomes thick.
Lightly spray a 20cm spring form pan with oil. Place pan on baking tray (to collect any leaks).

Place 1 tortilla in pan, top with 1/3 mince mix.
Repeat layers twice, ending with a tortilla on top.
Cover top cortilla with the blended cottage cheese, sprinkle with a little paprika.
Bake at 180-200*C for 25-30 mins

Allow to stand for 5 mins before slicing.
Serve with a green salad.

On Core you need to count only the Tortillas - 7.5 pts in whole recipe, or 1.5 pts each serving 6

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 29.5 pts, or 5 pts each serving 6

Nutritional data (per serve):

318 cals, 1328 kj, 7.5g fat, 3.4g sat fat, 29.2g protein, 31.8g carbs

Core Chicken Paella

Serves: 6-8

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 large red capsicum, diced
• 1TB olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500g chicken mince
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatos
• 6 saffron threads (optional)
• 3 chicken stock cubes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 cup frozen beans
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1/8 cabbage shredded

Optional: chilli to taste

Method:

Heat a large non-stick pan, add oil, then onions, garlic, capsicums and fry for 3 minutes.
Add chicken mince and fry until chicken is no longer pink.
Add rice, water, tomatoes, saffron, paprika and stock.
Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 40 minutes until almost all the stock is absorbed.
Optional - add chilli (I used 1/2 tsp dried chilli for a mild 'tang')
Add cauliflower and frozen vegies and simmer for 5 mins.
Stir through carrot and cabbage. Turn heat off and allow to sit for a few minutes until wilted.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 31pts. Serving 6 = 5pts/serve, serving 8 = 4pts

Core Steamed Salmon with Soy and Vegies

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 x 200g fresh Salmon steaks - choose ones that thick the whole way through for even cooking.
• splash soy sauce
• splash lemon or lime juice
• quick steaming vegies like broccoli/broccolini, cauliflower, zucchini, bok choy

Serve with small simple green salad - mine was 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 Lebanese cucumber, a little spring onion, balsamic and pepper

Method:

Line steamer basket with a sheet of baking paper.
Put fish skin side down on baking paper.
Sprinkle with soy and lemon juice (about 1tsp each on each steak).
Top with the vegies.
Put 1-2 cups boiling water in steamer base depending on size.
Steam for 8-10 minutes.
Serve.
Optional - add a few drops of soy to the top of the salmon

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 3.5pts for a 200g piece of Salmon

Core Turkey Patties

Serves: 4 (8 patties)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 500 g Turkey mince, finely minced if you can find it
• 1/2 cup cooked and cooled rice
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 TB finely grated orange zest/skin
• 1 x 125g corn kernels, drained
• 1/2 onion, diced fine
• 1/2 capsicum, diced fine
• salt/pepper

Method:

Mix all together with clean hands.
Form 8 patties.
Put patties in fridge for 30 mins
Grill, BBQ or dry fry for about 5 mins on each side

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 14 pts, or 3.5 pts for 2 patties

CORE Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

Easy 'creamy' overnight Steel Cut Oats made in the Slow Cooker. I converted the slow cooker to a bain marie (water bath) so oats don't get burnt with long cooking time
This recipe reheats well. I make a batch and put in 4 tubs. Note - this is fine in the fridge for 4 days as long as you use fresh milk with at least 6 or 7 days date on it.

If you don't have a slow cooker, click here for conventional 30 min stovetop method

What are Steel cut oats?
Steel cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces. Also known as Scotch or Irish oats. They look like a chopped up rice grain. Steel cut oats are different in texture and taste from rolled oats. They are a little chewier, have a nutty flavour and need to be cooked longer (like brown rice compared to white). They also take longer to digest and keep you full a lot longer!

Rolled oats have usually been steamed, rolled and toasted (sometimes more than once), so steel cut is significantly less processed than traditional rolled oats or quick oats.

Steel cut oats are generally not in supermarkets, but cheap from health food shops ($3-ish for 500g) or loose in bulk from grain/organics type places.


Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1 cup non fat milk
• 3 cups water

Optional - *40g dried fruit (1.5pts)

Method:

Find a 6 cup capacity bowl or casserole which will fit in your slow cooker, allowing the lid to seal. (My slowcooker is small, so I used a 1.1L pudding bowl, and did 3/4 cup oats, 1 cup milk, 2 cups water.)
Pour water into the slow cooker bowl until it comes about 3cm below the level of your inner bowl/casserole. This 'water bath' is a super gentle moist cooking cooking method.
Put ingredients into inner bowl, stir and put lid onto slow cooker.
Put on low and go to bed.
In the morning you'll have breakfast ready and it will keep warm with the SC off for some time.

Serve with yor favourite sweetener - Splenda, sugar, honey, maple syup (extra pts)

On Core? If you added fruit, allow 0.5 pts

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe without fruit is 13.5pts, or 3.5pts per serve
Add 0.5 pts per serve for the opional fruit

Blackberry and Apple Strudel ~ 2pt (not Core)

Serves: 16 individual strudels, scale up and down as needed

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 500g frozen blackberries (or other berry), defrosted.
  Reserve some if doing the custard side
• 1 can Ardmona pie apples (Or make your own dryish stewed apples)
• 250g tub extra light ricotta (perfect Italiano)
• 16 sheets filo
• Few sprinkles of cinnamon
• 4 tsp arrowroot or cornflour (optional - makes it thicker)
• 16 tsp of raw sugar (the chunky "cafe" style granules - adds an unexpected crunch in the creaminess)
• Spray oil
• 50g Slivered almonds

Method:
Mix fruit, ricotta, cinnamon and thickener together to form filling
Get first sheet of filo, spray half lightly with oil, fold in half, smooth over and repeat so it's folded in quarters.
Add almost 1tsp of sugar, followed by 1/3 cup of the fruit mix.
Fold filo over topping, fold in edges, squeezing shut and roll up
Put on tray with join downwards.
Repeat

Spray tops very lightly with oil
Sprinkle with a few slivers of almonds and a few sugar crystals
Bake 180*C for 15 mins until lightly brown

Caution - Filling is hot

Each filo is 2 pts

Note - the pastries should be prepared and baked without huge delay. If allowed to sit more than about half an hour, the wet filling may make the pastry soft and leak out of seams when it bakes.

The custard side:

Pour 100ml of Lite Pouring Custard into a little bowl or ramekin (I used Dairy Farmers Lite Pouring Custard)
Top with a few drained berries.
Get a teaspoon and collect about 1/8 tsp of berry juice.
Touch to side of bowl to get the lovely ring.
Can sprinkle with cinnamon

The side is an extra 1 pt each. Very impressive when entertaining

Chocolate Fudge Cake ~ 1.5pt/slice (not Core)

This is a moist, fudgy chocolate cake.
Sharon's recipe.

Sorry, no picture. It disappeared too quickly :)

Serves: 8

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup SR flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2/3 cup spoon-for-spoon artificial sweetener (Splenda or Equal)
• 1 egg
• 1 x 200g nonfat diet vanilla yoghurt
• 3 TB apple sauce

Method:

Mix everything with a wooden spoon
Spray oil into small loaf tin
Bake at 180*C for 25-30 mins.
Serve cold

Keep left overs in fridge if you have any

Each Slice (1/8th) = 1.5 pt

Whole recipe = 11.5 pts

Apple and Orange Cakes ~ 1 pt each (not Core)

These are not Core, but they are quick and easy to make,

very yummy and are only 1 pt each.

So enjoy without guilt.

Serves: 10 cakes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup SR flour
• 2/3 cup spoon-for-spoon artificial sweetener (Splenda or Equal)
• 3TB apple sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• rind of one small orange, finely grated
• 1/2 can Ardmona pie apples
• 200g nonfat natural yoghurt (or diet vanilla), I used Jalna Fat Free Natural

Method:
Mix everything apart from apples with a wooden spoon
Spray oil into 10 1/2 cup muffin cups.
Divide mixture into the 10 holes.
Put 1 or 2 pieces of the pie apple on top of each mound of batter (you may need to cut big pieces in half)
Gently push the apple down into the batter so it is only slighly higher than the batter (try not to hit the bottom).
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake at 180*C for 25-30 mins.
Serve hot, plain or with ice cream or custard (low fat of course)

Each Cake = 1 pt

Whole recipe = 11.5 pts

Core Meatball Soup

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 x 500g quantity of 2 cm meatballs
• 2 medium Carrots, diced (2 cup)
• 150 g Sweet Potato, diced (1 cup)
• 1 large onion, diced (1 cup)
• 3 TB garlic, crushed
• 250 g Potatoes, diced (2 cup)
• 4 TB BeefStock Powder
• 200 g of McKenzies Soup Mix
• 10 cup Water
• 1 can (400g) Diced Tomato
• 3 TB Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp Oregano Leaves
• 3TB tomato paste
• 2 cup Cabbage, shredded
• Salt/pepper to taste

Method:
Make the meatballs. If frozen, if fine to use without defrosting
Sautee onion, carrot, potato, sweet potato and garlic for 5 mins in pan sprayed with oil.
Add rest of ingredients except cabbage and simmer with lid on for 30 mins.
Take off heat, stir cabbage through.
Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving, trying to get an even number of meatballs in each bowl.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 22 pts , or 3.5pts each serving 6

Core Beef Meatballs

Meatballs for use in spaghetti and meatballs, meatball soup etc.
This recipe steams the meatballs, making lovely and moist.

You can cook in oven instead.

If serving as a finger food, I suggest browning under griller or in fry pan

Serves: 30 meatballs

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 500g lean beef mince
• 1 large egg
• 2 TB wheat germ
• 1 TB dry french onion soup mix
• 1 TB dry parsley or 2 TB fresh
• 1 tsp crushed garlic

Method:
The easiest may to do meatballs is to get your hand in there. Before starting, wash hands well and pour a basin of luke warm water.

Mix all together with your hands.
Dampen your palms and form into small 2 cm balls.
If the mixture sticks to your hand, dampen your palms, this will stop it sticking and give a smoother ball.
Place in single layer in steamer basket.
Steam for 10 minutes.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 15 pts or 1/2 pt a meatball

CORE Filling Oat Pancake

Quick to make. Very filling. Not very pretty :)
Great cold as a breakfast when you're on the go.

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup quick oats
• 1 egg
• 1 x 140g tub of two fruits
• sprinkle cinnamon

Method:

Mix all together.
Spray a small nonstick frypan with oil (the bread and butter plate size) and heat.
Pour in mix and flatten with spatula.
Cook on medium (eg 3/10) until it starts looking toasted around the edges.
Flip carefully and cook other side until golden brown

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 6

Almost Core Country Chicken Casserole (Slow Cooker)

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 600g chicken thigh fillets, cut chunky
• 1 packet McCormick Slow Cookers Country Chicken Casserole (1.5pts)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1-2 carrots, chopped
• 1/3 cup non fat milk (I use Pura Tone)
• 1 cup of defrosted frozen peas

Method:
Add chicken, sauce mix, water, milk and carrot into slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
Stir through the peas about 20 or 30 minutes before serving (ie when you start cooking the potatoes or rice)

Serve with mashed potatoes (or rice) and your favourite steamed vegies.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is (not pointed yet)

On Core, you'll need to allocate 1/2 pt for the sachet

Core Open Beef Kofta Topped with Salad

Inspired by MasterChef George

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy, but need to watch timing

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 550g lean beef mince
• 3 TB chopped parsley
• rind of 1 lemon finely grated
• 1 egg
• 1 TB seeded mustard
• 3 TB finely chopped coriander
• 1 TB cumin powder
• 30g wholegrain breadcrumbs (1 thin slice bread in food processer)
• 6 mini pitas, I usually use rye (Core) but pictured with Wholemeal

To serve:

• 200g Fat Free Natural Yoghurt
• handful coriander with roots removed
• handful spinach leaves
• carrot ribbons (use peeler)
• cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1-2 Lebanese cucumbers or 1/3 continental, sliced thin
• red onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 a red capsium sliced thin

Method:
Put a medium sized non stick pan on to warm at medium with the olive oil.
Fry the garlic and onion until wilted and translucent, then cool the mix.
In a large bowl mix the mince, parsley, lemon rind, egg, breadcrumbs, mustard, chilled onion/garlic mixture, spices. Add salt and pepper if desired.
Divide the meat mix into 6 balls.
Put each ball on 1 pita bread and squish down evenly to edges.
Heat fry pan, spray with a little oil and fry the kofta base down for 2 minutes to ensure a crunchy base.
Transfer to griller and grill for 6 minutes.
Top pita/meat with a big dollop of yoghurt and the salad.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 37.5 pts, or 6 pts each
(calculations assume pitas are 2.5 pts each, please check your brand as they vary greatly)

Core Rice and Vegies Side

This rice is a no fuss side dish.

Serve with beef curry or casserole such as Beef and Potato Curry rather than plain (boring) rice and vegies

Serves: 6 large servings, equivalent of 1/3 cup rice and 1 cup vegies each, or 8 smaller serves.

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 cup brown rice
• 4.5 cups water
• 4 tsp beef stock powder (or 4 cubes)
• 1-2 tsp of dried onion flakes
• 6 cups frozen vegies (I used 2 cup each beans, corn and mixed vegies)

Method:

Put rice and water in a non stick saucepan and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 25mins with lid on.
The rice should have taken in all or almost all of the water. If necessary add a little more water to there is about a 1mm layer of water on the base of the pan to steam the vegetables.
Add frozen vegies, stock powder and onion flakes, turn heat to medium and put lid on.
Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 16.5 pts (using free vegetables) or 3 pts each serving 6.

Note: you can drop the points by serve and bulk it out by adding extra vegetables.

Almost Core Beef and Potato Curry (Slow Cooker)

Very mild curry - no 'heat' at all

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 800g lean beef, cut into 1.5 - 2cm cubes
• 12 cocktail potatoes (450g)
• * 1 sachet Master Foods Creamy Beef and Potato Curry Sachet (2pts)
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup non fat milk (ie Pura Tone)
• 2 tsp coconut essence (milk and coco essence = non fat coco milk!)
• 3 TB tomato paste
• 4TB cornflour (to thicken), mixed with a little of the water to make a paste

Method:

Put all in slow cooker.
Cook on low from breakfast to dinner time.

On Core you'll need to allow 1/2 pt per serve for the flavour sachet

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is approx 28 pts, serving 6 = 4.5 pts per serve

Add 2 pts for or 3/4 cup cooked rice (2.5 pts for 1/4c raw rice)

Core Tomato and Lentil Stew/Soup (V)

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Serves: 5 as mains, 8+ for starter

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried lentils, prefereably the whole ones, not the more common split ones
• 1 cup of soup mix (has pearl barley, peas etc in it)
• 2 x 400g diced tomatoes
• 8 vegetable stock cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 large carrots chopped to 1 cm
• 1 large or 3 small zucchini chopped to 1 cm
• dried basil, around 2 tsp
• salt and pepper

Method:

Put all except last 4 ingredients into a large pot with 6 cups water, bring to boil, then simmer with lid on for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add vegies, simmer for another 10 minutes, then season.

This can be served more like a stew than a soup, depending on the water level. If you want it soupy, then add 1 cup extra boiling water with 1 stock cube, and repeat until the consisitency is as you wish.

Core Moroccan Beef, Lentils and Rice

A quick one pan throw together that is full of flavour

Serves: 6+

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 400g extra lean mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp garlic
• 1 cup lentils (preferably whole)
• 1 cup dry white rice
• 2 x 410g can of Ardmona Rich & Thick Tomatoes, Moroccan Style
• 3 cans-worth water
• 4 tsp beef stock powder
• 4 cups diced free vegies (I was in a slack mood and used frozen: 2 cube spinach and 4 cups green beans)
• 1 cup corn kernels

Method:

Dry fry beef in a nonstick pan with garlic and onion
Add beef stock, tomatoes, water, lentils, rice and simmer with lid on for 25-30 mins until most water is absorbed.
Add vegies and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until vegies are tender.

I served on a bed of bean sprouts to add a sweet-crunch

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 29 pts, or 5 pts each for 6 serves

A note about Vegetarian Coding

Vegetarian Coding ~ I am working on a vegetarian section. I am marking them by common vegetarina types

(V) = Vegan (no animal products)
(L) = Lacto Vegetarian (has dairy)
(LO) = Lacto Ovo Vegetarian (has dairy and egg)

Please email me your fave vego recipes.

Dee