CORE Sweet Breakfast Couscous

Serves: 3-4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry couscous
• 1 cup hot really strong diet cordial (double strength)
• fruit
• nonfat yoghurt

Method:

Mix, water and couscous and cover for 5 mins.
Optional - add sweetener and/or cinnamon
Serve with fresh, canned or stewed fruit and 100g - 200g yoghurt

You can get some great combinations. Some of my faves:

• Diet pine/lime cordial, vanilla yoghurt and tinned pineapple
• Berries cordial, cherry or berry yoghurt and frozen berries or stewed plums
• Fruit cup cordial, peach/mango yoghurt and oranges

Not on Core? The couscous in diet cordial is 9 points (all of it), plus your yoghurt and fruit.
eg 1/4 of the couscous mix PLUS 100g YoplaitForMe AND a small banana is 4 points

CORE Bircher Muesli

Serves: 3-4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 100 g rolled oats
• 200 g non fat flavoured yoghurt (I use Yoplait ForMe)
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• fruit - frozen berries, fresh, stewed or canned fruit

Optional - add sweetner to equivilent of 3 tsp (or sprinkle the spoon-for-spoon type over top when serving)

Method:

Mix all except fruit together in a airtight plastic container and put in fridge overnight. (If using timmed fruit, can mix through)
Serve into bowls and top with fruit.

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 9 points

CORE Scrambled Eggs with Vegies

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Very Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 40 g bacon diced
• 1/4 onion diced
• 1 1/2 cup frozen vegetables (Also vegie left overs are good for this)
• herbs - dried mixed herbs, Italian herbs or fresh basil or parsley
• 1/2 capsicum (optional)
• Oil spray

Method:

Heat a reasonable size non stick frypan coated with cooking spray (I usually use frozen bacon and frozen onion, so use 3 TB water instead)
Cook bacon, onion and capsicum.
Add frozen vegies and a few TB of water to steam them (or left over veg, no water).
When vegies are cooked, add herbs and salt pepper.
Crack eggs directly into pan and stir quickly.
Cook until egg is set and serve in a bowl.
I usually find this is filling enough without using bread.

Optional - top with cottage cheese or salsa (Core) or a small amount of *low fat cheddar or *parmesan (*Points)

Not on Core? This recipe is 3.5 points (using "free vegies")
If using peas, corn or cheese, you'll need to add those points

CORE Tuna Cottage / Shepherds Pie

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen vegetables (the Steamfresh sachets with broccoli are great)
• small tin tuna in springwater
• 1/4 cup salsa or tinned diced cooked tomatoes
• 100 g potato
• sprinkle dry mixed italian herbs, or fresh basil
• pepper

Method:

Peel and cook potato. Mash with fork without butter.
Add frozen vegies to a 3 cup microwave safe bowl and cook 2-3 mins.
Drain tuna and add to top of vegies. Pour over tomato/salsa and add herbs. I do not stir so there is a layer thing happening.
Top with mashed potato and micowave for another 3 minutes.
Allow to sit before eating - it gets hot

Optional - add 20g grated *low fat cheddar and grill until golden (*Points)

CORE Evaporated / Condensed milk

Mix 2/3c powder skim milk powder and 1 c water.

CORE Coconut Milk

Use in curries for Core alternative to points-heavy Coconut milk

Mix 2/3c powder skim milk powder and 1 c water. Add coconut essence

CORE Hommus Dip

Serves: 4-ish

Difficulty: Very Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 400g can chickpeas
• 1 TB lemon juice
• 1 TB yogurt no fat
• 1 clove of garlic crushed
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable stock powder

Optional:
* 1/2 point 1 tb maple syrup (there is a sugar free brand Queen which has no Points at this volume)

Method:

Blend all together
Serve as a dip or with lamb/pita in yiros (giro, doner kebabs, souvlaki)

CORE Dahl Dip / Side Dish (Indian)

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup dried red lentils
• 1 onion
• 3 tsp ginger (grated/jar)
• 2 tsp garlic
• 1 TB Indian curry powder

Method:

Heat oil and fry onion until soft and slightly golden.
Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and stir for about a minute.
Add 2 cups boiling water and lentils.
Simmer until lentils are very soft (20 minutes or so).
Add salt or pepper to taste

Side - serve as is

Dip - Blend with stick blender or food processor.

CORE Broccoli Soup

Serves: ?

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 kg brocolli, including stalk
• 1/2 cup dried green lentils
• 3 l water
• 1 TB vegetable stock
• 1 TB chicken stock
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 can canneloni beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 onion
• 150 g spinach
• 2 tsp garlic

Method:

Throw all into large saucepan, simmer for 20mins.
Cool slightly and blend.

It is a slightly bland soup - dress up with a swirl of natural yoghurt and spring onions or chives. Also good with *low fat sour cream (* Points)

CORE Creamed Rice / Rice Pudding

Serves: 3 - 4 (depends on whether you add fruit or prefer a large serve)

Difficulty: Easy - Just make sure you stir it - makes a mess if boils over or catches on bottom.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup white rice
• 600ml nonfat milk
• 150ml water - if needed

Optional

• vanilla essense
• sweetener
• cinnamon/nutmeg
• stewed fruit (Core) or sultanas (not Core)

Method:

Add rice and milk to a nonstick saucepan.
Warm milk until it starts to bubble, then turn to lowest heat and let simmer, stirring regularly so it doesn't stick.
Optional - add sultanas here
Optional - add vanilla and sweetener while simmering.
The milk will absorb into the rice. If it looks dry and in danger of sticking and the rice is not yet tender, add a little water. It should be simmering for around 20-30mins.
Optional - If adding fruit, add in the last 5 minutes just to warm through. Stewed or canned apples, peaches, apricots and pears are great, so is 2 fruits.

This is great hot or cold and also makes a great breakfast when you are bored with cereal.

Non-dieters might like to top with brown sugar, maple/golden syrup, honey or jam
(WWers can do this too, but don't forget to add the points though)

Notes:

I've been told this works fine in the oven and has a golden skin
Bake at 165°C (325°F) for 1 hour or until rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.

I don't see why it wouldn't work in the microwave too - it's essentially just the "absorption method" with milk instead of water. Just use a tall container.

Also works well in slow cooker - allow about 4 hours

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is 10 points without fruit