Saturday, July 19, 2008

CORE Lamb Biryani

A fragrant Indian dish with tender chunks of lamb


Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 400g lamb fillet, diced
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 3 tsp mild curry powder
  • 2 tsp ginger, crushed or grated
  • 2 tsp garlic, crushed or grated
  • chicken stock - 2 tsp / 2 cubes - whatever your brand says to use with 2 cups water
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 cups arborio rice
  • 1 tin diced tomatoes
  • vegies - 4 cups point free vegies
    (I used 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, 1 cups broccoli, 1 1/2 cups frozen beans)
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn

Method:
In a large casserole dish with a lid, add lamb and all dry spices and dry stock powder. Mix well to coat lamb.
Add garlic, ginger, onion and 2 cups (0.5L) water.
Bake at 180*C covered for 1 hr.
Remove from oven, stir, add rice, vegies and tomatoes and stir again.
Bake at 180*C covered for 45 mins or until rice has absorbed all fluid.

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is 22 points

Thursday, July 17, 2008

CORE Apple Cannelloni Pudding


Serves: 6 (12 cannelloni)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 410g can sliced apples (I used Woolworths/Safeway brand) or 1 1/2 c lightly steamed fresh apples
  • 12 cannelloni shells
  • 1 x 250 g tub light ricotta
  • 4 TB Splenda
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups non-fat milk
  • 4 tsp (1 TB) vanilla essence
  • cinnamon


Method:

Slice the apples thinly and add to large bowl. Add 1 TB of Splenda, 1 tsp cinnamon and ricotta and mix well with a spoon.
Stuff mix into cannelloni shells and lay into a small square or rectangular baking dish (flat if you can). You can try and do this with a spoon, but hands are quicker, easier but much messier!
Some of the ricotta will drip back into the bowl, that's fine, as long as there's no apple chunks left over.
Add 3 eggs, vanilla essence and 3 TB of splenda to the ricotta and beat.
Warm the milk, but don't boil it. I did 2 mins on high in 1200W micro.
Add the warm milk to the eggs and beat until there is 2 or 3 cm of fluff on the top.
Pour over the cannelloni and sprinkle with more cinnamon
Bake at 180*C for 50 minutes. The pudding is done when you jiggle the dish and it doesn't jiggle back.

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is 21 points

Sunday, July 13, 2008

CORE Morrocan Lamb with Apricots

This lovely Moroccan dish is lovely served with couscous with coriander

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
  • 600g lamb mince
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp garlic, crushed
  • 1 tin crushed tomatoes
  • 1 400g tin of apricot halves in juice
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 4 cup frozen green beans
  • 1 cup peas (try mint peas)
  • Moroccan spice mix
    I used Masterfoods Spice Essentials for Moroccan Lamb, which is expensive and has individual sachets of herbs. I measured them out and provide the quantities:
    1 cinnamon quill, 3 tsp cumin, 4 tsp dry coriander, 3 tsp tumeric, 3 tsp dried ginger

Method:
Fry onion with garlic and onion until browned.
Add tin of apricots, juice and all and simmer 5 mins before adding tomatoes, frozen vegies and herbs. Simmer for 5 mins

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 21 points

Serve with plain couscous, coriander couscous or rice.

Coriander Couscous Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup dry couscous
4 tsp coriander, chopped

Method:
Add 1 1/4 cup boiling water to dry couscous and let stand.
Fluff with a fork after 4 mins, stir through coriander and allow another minute

Not on Core? The total of this couscous recipe is 11 points

CORE Beef Pasta w Hidden Vegies

This is essentially good old Spaghetti Bolognaise with a few vegies chucked in .
Shown served with 2 tsp of parmesan cheese (0.5tsp)

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
  • 400g premium beef mince
  • 1 tsp garlic, crushed
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 tsp italian herbs mix
  • 1 x 700 g plain jar pasta tomato sauce
    (eg Sugo Bello - tall jar, often in "international foods" section or at your continental deli
  • 1 x 500g packet dry pasta
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 cup frozen beans
  • 1 medium zucchini, grated
  • 3 carrots, grated
  • 1 cubes of frozen spinach

Method:

Cook the mince, garlic and onion in a few TB of water.
Turn down heat and add pasta sauce and herbs and warm through. Add grated veg and defrosted spinach.
Meanwhile, boil a large pan of water and add pasta.
Boil for 6 minutes, then add frozen vegies and cook for another 4-5 mins.
Drain and add back to the pan. Pour over the tomato sauce and stir through

Optional - serve with 2 tsp of parmesan cheese (0.5 tsp)

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 38 points