Core Lemon Grass Drink (tasty and medicinal) - Thai Cooking School

Lemon grass has been used in Asian medicine for thousands of years.

It is well known for:

• settling all digestive ailments
• recovering from colds and flu
• reducing fever, cramps
• "gas" (yes the polite word for farting)
• relieving aches and pains (great for 'girl pains')
• relieving any sort of cramps
• relieving athritis symptoms

And it is also apparently good as an antifungal. If you have athletes foot, don't tell me about it, but try soaking your tootsies in a diluted solution.

Lemon grass also makes a tasty beverage which is particularly refreshing on hot muggy days.

Serve icy cold with heaps of ice cubes.

Also can be drank hot as a "tea" if you prefer.

This was my favourite drink in Phuket - the drinking water is icky and I avoid all artificial sweetners (I react to them).
OK - my favourite drink was cocktails, but I didn't drink them all day :)

Serves: 10+ glasses

Difficulty: Super Easy - chop and boil

Ingredients:

• 3 stalks lemongrass, chopped to approx m]5mm rounds (about 1 cup worth)
• 2 1/2 litres cold water
• your choice of sweetener - sugar (pts), Equal, Stevia or Xylotil

Method:
Put cold water and lemongrass into a large pot and slowly bring to boil with lid on
Allow to simmer for about 10 mins, until the lemon grass is vaguely green and the water is tinged yellow.
Turn off heat, strain and allow to cool.

This makes a concentrate which you have about 1/2 and 1/2 with cold water, according to your tastes. Try with soda or mineral water too!

Sweetening - sweeten according to your tastes. If using a liquid or a powder which dissolves quickly, you may prefer top do this in the glass rather than sweetening the concentrate.

If you want to sample the drink straight away, add about 1/2 cup to a small jug and add 3 or 4 large ice cubes, stir until ice cubes stop melting. Then serve with more ice cubes and stir in your sweetener.

Store in a airtight jug or bottle in the fridge for up to a week. I prefer to store as concentrate to save room, but you may prefer to store as ready to drink.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 0 if you don't use sweeteners with points.

Core Gai Kratiam - Chicken with Garlic and Pepper - Thai Cooking School (Core +1pt)

I learnt this authentic Thai recipe at Thai cooking school in Patong, Phuket in January

The accompaniments in the photo are chilli sauce and rice vinegar with cucumber, chilli and shallots

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 80g chicken breast, sliced
• 2 tsp chopped garlic (don't use garlic in a jar for this one, you need real garlic)
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• * 1 teaspoon brown sugar or palm sugar (*1pt)
• 4 pinches of ground white pepper (black pepper looks like burnt flecks)
• 1 TB vegetable oil

Method:

In a bowl, add together all of the ingredients except the oil and allow to sit for 10 mins.
Turn on fry pan or wok to LOW heat and add the oil.
Fry the chicken mix until the chicken is cooked.
Serve

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 3.5pts
If serving with rice, don't forget to add the points for rice - 1/2 cup cooked rice is 1.5 pts

On Core, allow 1 pt for the sugar.

Core Khao Tom - Thai Rice Soup - Thai Cooking School (Core + 1pt)

I learnt this authentic recipe at Thai cooking school in Patong, Phuket in January.

If using chicken, it's called Khao Tom Gai
Beef = Khao Tom Nua, Pork = Khao Tom Moo, Prawns = Khao Tom Goong

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• cooked rice, 60g or 1/3 cup
• 500ml water
• meat - handful of meat of choice, sliced thin (for Pointing, 80g chicken breast or lean steak, you can also use 2 pts of pork or seafood if you wish)
• * 1 TB brown sugar or palm sugar (*1pt)
• 3 TB light soy sauce
• 2-3 pinches ground white pepper (note black pepper may be used for taste, but it looks like burnt flecks)
• 4 baby corns, cut to 2cm
• 1 handful cabbage, cut to 2-3cm square
• 1/3 small carrot, sliced thin

Method:
In a small pot bring the water to the boil.
Add meat and keep boiling until meat is cooked.
Add cooked rice and remaining ingredients.
Cook for 3-4 minutes, being careful not to over cook the vegies.
Serve and enjoy.

This is traditionally served with 2 garnishes - 2 pinches of pickled radish and a pinch of fried garlic.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 4pts for a large bowl

On Core you need to allow 1 pt for the sugar

Me in cooking school serving Khao Tom. Yes I am very sunburnt from snorkelling the day before.

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"

Core Slow Cooker Chicken Green Curry

This is a fragrant green curry, it is not hot at all!

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 4 TB (50g) green curry paste (I used True Thai @ 31kj, 0 fat for 50g = 0pts)
• 650 g chicken thigh fillets, cut to approx 2 cm chunks
• 3 tsp coriander paste (or fresh in food processor)
• 3 tsp basil paste (or fresh in food processor)
• 1 cup non fat milk (I used Pura Tone)
• 1 tsp coconut essence
  (milk+essence = healthy coconut milk alternative)
• 3 TB cornflour for thickening

Method:

I put all except flour in slow cooker in the morning, turned onto auto setting (4 hours high, then switches to low).
After 10 hours I removed about 1/3 cup juices, made a paste with cornflour and stirred back though.
High for an hour to thicken.

There is no reason the cornflour couldn't be added at the start and it doesn't "need" 11 hours cooking - but I like curry meat fall-apart tender and wasn't home to supervise. I think it would be fine on high for 4 or 5 hours.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 15.5 pts, or 4 pts each for 4 servings

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

Since it has only a few ingredients, I even worked out the kj’s – 1100kj per serve, or 264cals without rice

CORE Asian Noodle Soup - Vegetarian or Chicken

Options to suit meat eaters, Vegans and Lacto Vegetarians

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Very easy - no cooking

Ingredients:

Optional: 100g firm tofu, diced to 1cm or 100g cooked chicken, diced or shredded

• 75g thin hokkien noodles, chopped to about 3cm
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups of thinly sliced or grated vegies
  suggestions: spinach, cabbage, grated carrot, corn kernels, peas, beans, beansprouts, bok choy
  I used beans sprouts, grated cabbage and a couble of TB of frozen beans and peas
• 1 spring onion, white chopped fine, green chopped to 2cm
• 2 tsp of vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 TB skim milk powder (omit for Vegans)
• 1-2 tsp each of basil and coriander
• crushed chili - start with 1/4 tsp - omit if you don't tolerate spicy
• 1/2 tsp coconut essense

Method:

Put the the tofu or chicken (if using) into the bottom of a large noodle bowl (3-4 cup capacity).
Layer the raw vegetables on top
In a heat proof bowl or jug, mix stock powder and milk powder.
Stir in 2 cups boiling water and herbs, then add coconut.
Pour into noodle bowl, leave to sit for 3 mins, then enjoy

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 2 pts as Vegetarian, no tofu with free vegies (1.5 for Vegan)
Add 2 pts for tofu, 3 pts for chicken

CORE Thai Turkey StirFry (or Pork or Chicken)

I used diced turkey fillet for this and it was lovely and moist. You could also use diced chicken thigh (breast may be too dry) or pork fillets.

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

The stir fry:

• 400g turkey fillet, cubed to 2cm (or chicken thigh or pork fillet)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 small red capsicum, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups green beans (frozen is fine)
• lemon wedges

Thai Marinade:

• 1 tsp mint
• 1 tsp lemongrass (or juice of 1 lemon)
• 1 tsp chilli paste
• 2 tsp coriander

The "nest" - choose 2 of the below in contrasting colours:

• bean sprouts
• baby spinach
• grated carrot
• shredded lettuce

Method:

Mix the herbs in a non-metallic bowl and add a few tsp of water to make a thinish paste (I use commercial tubes of wet crushed herbs. If using fresh, the quantity given is once pulverized - you could throw it all in the food processor).
Add the turkey to the herbsand stir in. Cover and marinate for 20 minutes.
Spray a nonstick frypan or wok with oil and heat to medium-hot.
Add the capsicum and onions and a few TB of water and cook for a few minutes.
Add the turkey and a few more TB of water. Water helps to steam fry food and reduces oil needed.
Cook turkey for about 5 minutes, then add beans (I added still frozen)
Stir fry for a few minutes until beans are done.
Meanwhile, prepare the nest on the plates/bowls by adding a layer or ring of nest vegetable 1 (I used 2/3 cup bean spouts per serve)
Add nest vegetable 2 leaving about a 2 cm ring showing vegetable 1 (I used a generous handful of baby spinach)
Serve the stirfry on the center of the nest with a wedge of lemon (the lemon is the "sauce" and dressing all in one)

Not on Core? The only points here are for the meat - 4 points for 200g of turkey, chicken thigh or lean pork fillets.

CORE Quick Noodles - 10 mins - No preparation

This is a throw together meal using my favourites from the freezer.

No preparation. You can of course use fresh vegies etc.

Some of you girls know one of my lifesavers is cooking mince up with onion and garlic and freezing it in meal size portions. Another is frozen chopped onions and frozen bacon.

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of "savoury mince" (or 200g premium mince cooked in garlic and onion)
• 50 g frozen bacon pieces
• 100g frozen onions (or chopped fresh)
• 80g rice noodles
• 1 egg
• chinese 5 spice mix
• soy sauce
• frozen veg
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp crushed ginger

Method:
Soak rice noodles in boiling water while your big frypan/wok is getting hot.
Scramble one egg in a little olive oil and put aside.
Add a couple of tsp olive oil and fry onion for a few mins, then add bacon (I add while still frozen), garlic and ginger.
If it starts to stick, add a few TB of water
Meanwhile microwave frozen mince for 1 min to defrost, then add to pan.
Microwave frozen vegies until just defrosted. I used approx 1 cup beans, 1/2 c corn, 1/2 c mint peas.
Sprinkle the mince/onion/bacon mix with Chinese 5 spice mix (a good couple of tsp) and add a splash of soy and a splash of water.
Add vegies and stirfry for a few mins.
Drain noodles. I cut mine up a bit with scissors. Add to pan, add scrambled egg mix, cook a min or 2 and serve (optional - drizzle of soy)

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 13.5 pts, plus points for corn or peas if used

CORE Chicken Stirfry w Orange & Cori

The nest of lettuce and carrot is very filling and crunchy and a nice textural change to the noodles with the orange and coriander flavour

Serves: 6 in nest, 4 without

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 400g chicken breast, sliced thin
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 small oranges, peeled and segmented
• 1/2 cup coriander, chopped
• 150g rice vermicelli noodles
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 TB olive oil
• 4 cups stir fry vegetables (I used broccoli, cauliflower, capsicum, brussell sprouts and 1/2 cup frozen corn)
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• Optional - 1 tsp chilli flakes
• lettuce shredded, about 2 cups (for nest)
• carrot, grated, about 1 1/2 cups (for nest)

Method:
Add oil to wok and heat.
Stirfry chicken, onion, garlic and oranges until chicken is cooked.
Add vegies, soy sauce and herbs and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile put the noodles into a bowl and cover with boiling water for 5 mins, then drain.
Line a bowl with shredded lettuce like a nest, then line with the carrot (this half fills the bowl so you have a much smaller serve of stirfry)
Add the noodles to the strifry and warm through (add chilli if using - is very mild).
Serve stir fry in lettuce and carrot nest.

Not on Core? The total points for this recipe is 23
(with 1/2 cup corn and free point vegies)

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 Laksa Soup (Thai)

Serves: 3-4 as lunch (4-6 as starter course)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup left over vegies or frozen vegies
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1 tsp coconut essence
• 1/4 cup skim milk powder
• 75 g rice stick noodles (vermicelli)
• 100-150 g left over chicken (or beef), or 1 small grilled chicken breast, chopped
• 4 cups of chicken stock (or beef if using beef)
• handful of beansprouts (if you have them)
• 1-2 tsp dry Thai herb mix (I use crushed herbs from fridge section of f+v - 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp coriander and 1/4 tsp lemongrass)

Method:

Bring stock to boil. Add noodles and vegies, cook 2-3 mins, add chicken and herbs. Turn off heat and stir through the coconut essence, skim milk powder and bean sprouts (if using)

Optional - serve with a little chilli

Not on Core? The total for the recipe is 7.5 pts
(assuming 150g roast chicken breast no skin, Trident rice stick noodles and all veg except corn is point free)

CORE Asian Noodle "Nest" / Salad

A fantastic "twist" to the Asian lettuce cups. The nest of lettuce and carrot is very filling and crunchy and a nice textural change to the noodles with the lime - soy flavour

Serves: 4 - 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 500g slimmers beef mince (or pork or chicken mince)
• 2tsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1.5 tsp ginger
• 2 TB soy sauce
• 2 tb lime / lemon juice
• 1 small iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 150g rice stick noodles
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup frozen peas (try mint peas)
• 2 cup frozen beans
• 2 cup broccoli (or cauliflower), cut into very small pieces like grated
• 2-3 tsp Chinese five spice
• 2-4 TB of chopped coriander (I buy tubes of crushed cori from the fridge in f+v section)

Vegie options - add any "normal" stir fry vegies in as long as diced fine - bok choy, cabbage, capsicum, spinach, bean sprouts etc. If no fresh vegies, increase the frozen vegies.

Salad options - any watery crunchy vegies can be added. Pictured is baby spinach leaves, iceberg lettuce and carrot. You could try rocket etc too.

Method:

In a large non-stick pan, heat oil, add mince, onion, garlic, ginger and fry until meat is browned (if white meat, until cooked.)
In a bowl, cover the rice noodles with boiling water for 5 mins, then rinse in cold water
Add soy and lime juice to the pan, the frozen vegies and cauliflower, and herbs and strifry until vegies soften.
Cut noodles into 5cm lengths and add to pan and stir for a few minutes until noodles warmed through.

To serve:

Arange a nest of lettuce in a wide bowl (like a pasta bowl) and line nest with carrot. Drizzle with a little extra lime juice if desired
Serve the noodle mixture into the center of the nest and drizzle with a little more soy if desired.

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