CORE Mild Curry Chicken HotPot

This curry is mild enough for children. Curry is for flavour, not heat

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 600g chicken thigh fillet, no skin, chopped into cubes approx 2cm
• 1 onion
• 4 tsp curry powder (for mild, more for wild)
• 3 tsp ginger, grated, ground
• 3 cups chicken stock, hot
• 1 1/2 cup raw rice
• 2 cups chopped free vegies like carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, beans (frozen is OK) etc
• 1 cup frozen peas (mint if you have them)
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (or tinned)

Method:

Put all into a casserole dish, stir and bake covered at 200*C for 45 mins or until rice is cooked.

Note - if using watery vegetables like cabbage, zucchini or mushroom, put these in half way through or will be very mushy.

This could also be done on stove top in nonstick pan, or in a slow cooker with less fluid

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 28 points
It is easily "bulked out" with extra vegies

Work Day Lunches in 2 mins

You know how it is - you wake late, or wake on time but have something which delays = no time to pack a "real" lunch to take to work.

What do you do when you:

• have 2 minutes at home to grab what you need
• have a few minutes to prepare at work with a limited kitchen - microwave, kettle and toaster with limited implements

The following suggestions come from the Core boards.

If you have a suggestion, please email dazeydee@adam.com.au and I'll add it in

• Soup
  Grab a can of vegie soup and a wholegrain roll or bread to warm up in microwave
  
• Leftovers
  Grab last night's leftovers to warm up in microwave
  
• Core brick
  When you cook, cook extra and freeze up
  
• CousCous and Tuna (hot)
  Grab 1/3 cup couscous and put in a tub. Grab a small can of tuna in springwater and a bag of the steamfresh vegies. At work - add 1/3 cup boiling water to couscous, microwave vegies, drain tuna, mix up and eat
  
• Tuna/Salmon sandwich
  Grab can of fish and 2 slices of bread (or equiv crispbread), and a tomato
  
• Chick pea salad
  Open and drain a can of chick peas - throw into medium size container with sliced up salad vegies and sprinkle sliced olives on the top.
  
• Banana hot/cold sandwich
  Grab 2 slices of bread and a banana. Mash/slice the banana onto the bread/toast or put in toastie / jaffle machine (if available)
  
• Baked Beans on toast
  Grab small tin of baked beans and 2 slices of bread. Toast bread, warm beans
  
• Miso soup
  Grab packet of miso soup. Grab rice if you have some left over, otherwise bread. Add boiled water to soup mix, nuke rice or make toast
  
• Noodle soup with toast
  Grab packet of Continental "Lots a noodles oriental beef", 2 slices MG bread, 2 tbsp low fat cottage cheese, Marmite. Add boiling water to soup mix. Toast MG bread and spread with marmite then cottage cheese
  

Thanks to the following for their suggestions: JW2008, CATHERINEJ, NZMUM1, LORANCE

CORE IceCream in a Bag

It can be eaten straight from the bag, but I tipped into a bowl so you can see it better.

Yes, you read that right....Core IceCream!

It's a fun activity for kids, especially at picnics and BBQs and there is so little you need to bring, most can be bought on-the-road.

I did this for my nieces at a picnic and they thought it was magic (maybe because I said the salt was "powdered eye of newt" and got them to chant silly "magic" words while they shook it??). They were 3 and 5 at the time and loved making their own icecream from a carton of strawberry milk in the park.

For kids:
Use full cream milk and throw in some baby M&Ms (or buy a carton of flavoured milk)
Maybe an adult should close the bags and they should be shaken outside :)

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup nonfat milk (I used Pura Tone)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• artificial sweetener, eqiv of 1 TB (4 tsp)

You'll also need:

• 6 tablespoons rock salt (it reacts with the ice somehow)
• ice (about 1 1/2 trays per serve)
• medium size ziplock bag
• large ziplock bag
• a spoon

NB: The snack size bags are a bit small for easily closing with fluid inside. You can use 2 medium bags, with the milk one folded down and ice/salt packed around it.
If it's not a hot day, I suggest wrapping the baggies in a tea towel.

Method:
Put the milk, sweetner and vanilla in the small ziplock back and seal firmly
Half fill the large bag with ice cubes, add rock salt and but the milk baggie in and seal well. Shake it for about 5 minutes or until the icecream inside begins to harden.
Open the bag carefully, wiping the top off first.
Voila! Ice cream in a bag! Dig in!
Enjoy!

Variations that are still Core:

1. Chocolate - add 2 tsp cocoa
2. Coffee - add 1 tsp instant coffee
3. Mocha - add cocoa and coffee
4. Brandy - add a few drops of brandy essence (or other flavour)
5. Banana - put banana and milk mix into blender, then into small baggie and shake
6. Banana Split - as per banana, add 1-2 tsp cocoa
7. Maple - add 2 tsp of sugar free maple syrup (not Core, but 0 pt at this level)
8. Smoothie - put a few TB of diet yoghurt, 1/3 cup nonfat milk and 1/4 cup fruit through blender, then into small baggie and shake
9. Whatever flavour sugar free topping you have....

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is 1 point for the milk

NB - it clicks over to 1 point at just under 1/2 cup, 3/4 cup is also 1 point....

CORE Tuna (or Salmon) Mousse / Pate

Serves: at least 4, more as an appetiser

Difficulty: Very Easy

Note - You could substitute 1 1/2 cups of cooked seafood for the tuna, but since I'm allergic to shellfish, I'll leave that testing up to you ;)

Ingredients:

• 425 g can tuna in springwater (or salmon), drained
• 1 tsp chicken stock
• 4 tsp gelatine
• 4 TB low fat cottage cheese
• 2 TB lemon (or lime) juice
• 2 cubes of frozen spinach, thawed (about 80-100g)
• parsley, a few sprigs, chopped, about 3 or TB
• sping onion (leaf only) or chives, chopped, about 3 or 4 TB
• cracked pepper, 1/2 tsp+ (I love pepper and put 3 tsp)

You may wish to add dill - I don't have any

Method:

In a large dry bowl, add 125 ml of boiling water, the gelatin and the stock.
Blend well with stab mixer, add 125ml ice water, blend.
Add cottage, lemon (lime) juice and tuna (salmon) and blend again.
Add the spinach and herbs and mix with spoon.
Put into mould(s) and put in fridge to set

You can set this in jelly moulds, cake tins, ramekins, bowls or something creative (I used silicone patty pans as I don't have little jelly moulds).

It sets like pate - firm enough to slice, yet soft enough to scoop and spread.

Serving suggestions:
On toast, rice crackers, or cucumber. I like Salada 97% fat Free Wholegrain (Core as bread allowance)
As a sandwich spread

If making as pate
You may wish to add a decorative clear layer to top or bottom (depending on whether you are serving in a ramekin with pate knife or inverting onto a plate to be sliced).
Mix 1 tsp of gelatine with 60ml hot water (you may not need all of this mix). You may wish it to be flavoured slightly with lemon/lime juice.
If pouring over top of set mousse, allow mix to cool on counter for half hour.
Make a pretty design with something like: chives or parsley leaves (flat Italian), grated lemon rind, grated carrot, slices of lemon or oranges, canned peppercorns or cracked pepper etc and gently pour gelatine mix over the back of a spoon, so it doesn't disturb your design.
Back in fridge to set.

Once this is set, I do recommend covering it as gelatine products can develop a skin uncovered and also the fish smell in the fridge...

Not on Core? The total points for this is 5 points (not counting toast/crackers etc)

NB: On the tracker, tuna weights is the drained weight - a 425g can drained is only 250g or 4 points, not 7.5!

CORE Chicken Chop Suey

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 500g lean chicken mince (or beef premium mince)
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 3 TB soy sauce
• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 1 1/2 cup Basmati Rice (low GI rice)
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 8 cups waterey "free" vegies
  I use - 3 cups green beans, 1 cup thawed frozen spinach, 2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage, 3 grated carrots, 1 cup bean sprouts
  You could use - cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, zucchini, celery, capsicum etc

Method:
In a large frying pan cook mince and onion in oil. Drain any fat
Add curry powder, chicken stock cubes, 3 cups of water and rice and simmer for 20 mins, adding a little water if it looks dry (it should be a wet without being sloppy.)
Add vegies, mix well and simmer with lid on for 3-5 mins

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is 28 points with chicken mince (26 points with beef premium)

CORE Spiced Fruit Cup Jelly

Pictured without banana, will update when latest batch sets
3 June - I ate it without checking the picture quality - they were too dark to use. So meanwhile, imagine some banana floating on the top :)

A lovely jelly for snack or dessert

Jelly with fruit always reminds me of my nanna. She was diabetic and made jelly with bananas every time we came to visit.

Serves: 2-3

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 sachet diet raspberry jelly
  
• 12 grapes
  
• 1 small banana
• 3TB frozen berries
  
• allspice or cinnamon
  
• 1 tea bag, English Breakfast
  

Method:
Pour 1 cup boiling water into jug or bowl. Jiggle tea bag 4 - 6 times and remove.
Dissolve jelly in tea.
Add a pinch of all spice or cinnamon.
Top up with 200 ml water.
Get out 2 or 3 small tubs or glass bowls.
Cut grapes into halves, removing seeds if necessary and add to bowls.
Slice banana into bowls
Add 1 TB frozen berries to each bowl.
Pour in jelly, stir and set.

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is 1.5 points, or 1/2 point per serve

Note 1 - because of the banana, this should be eaten in 1-2 days

Note 2 - No fresh fruit? Add 2 TB of drained tinned fruit to each bowl.
If using tinned fruit, cut water down a little more to 400ml total or it may not set very firm