Core Quick Beef Keema Curry

A Pakistani dish which is full of flavour

Pictured: Beef Keema Curry on left and Slow Cooker Spicy Lentils on right

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 400g extra lean mince
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 capsicum, diced
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp beef stock powder
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 2 cups green beans
• 1/2 tsp chilli

Method:

Cook mince, onion, capsicum, garlic in a few TB of water until meat browned.
Add everything else and simmer for 5 minutes

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 11 pts

CORE Slow Cooker Spicy Lentils (V)

Suitable for Vegans

A Pakistani / Indian dish with kidney beans, lentils, tomatoes and fragrant spices.

Traditionally cooked overnight on top of a tandoor oven converts well to western slow cookers. If you don't have a slow cooker, simmer covered in a nonstick saucepan for 30-60 mins and add a little more water (to a salsa-like consistency)

Serve as mains with rice, as a side dish or a tasty warm dip

Makes: 6 cups

Serves: 6 as mains, 12 as side

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry whole red lentils, rinsed (180g)
• 1 cup dry kidney beans (180g)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
• 1 TB crushed garlic
• 2 tsp crushed ginger
• 1 tsp chilli paste (more or less according to taste)
• 1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped including stems

Method:

Add lentils, kidney beans, onion, tomatoes to slowcooker with 1 1/2 cans worth of water.
Cook on low with lid on for 10-12 hours without stirring.
Add herbs and spices and allow another 30 minutes for flavours to release

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 15 pts

CORE Spicy Lentil Hotpot (V)

Suitable for Vegan Vegetarians

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder
• 2 ½ cups water
• 400g potato peeled and diced
• 200g pumpkin peeled and diced
• 250g sweet potato
• 1 cup frozen beans
• ½ cup frozen corn
• 2 frozen spinach cubes
• 1 capsicum, diced
• 3/4 cup red lentils
• 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 1 cup bean sprouts

Method:

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in spray oil until soft.
Add spices and cook for 1 minute.
Add stock powder and water, bring to the boil.
Add rest of ingredients except frozen vegies and bean sprouts, cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes until potato and lentils are soft.
Add the frozen vegies and simmer for 5 mins.
Take off heat and stir the bean sprouts through before serving to give a nice crunch.

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 13 points

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

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

CORE Kedgeree (Indian Rice and Fish)

What is kedgeree?

Kedgeree is a dish consisting of flaked fish (usually smoked haddock), boiled rice and eggs. It originated amongst the British colonials in India hence was introduced to the United Kingdom as a popular breakfast dish in Victorian times, part of the then fashionable Anglo-Indian cuisine. During that time, fish was often served for colonial breakfasts so that fish caught in the early morning could be eaten while it was still fresh. It is rarely eaten for breakfast now, but is still a popular dish.

Traditional kedgeree does not have vegies, but I have modified “tradition” to bulk out the recipe.

Great to use up that left over rice!

If you have left over kedgeree, it makes a great cold rice salad.

Serves: 1 (generous - for less generous, take 1/2 cups down to 1/3 cup)

Difficulty: Easy - One dish microwave dinner

Ingredients:

• ½ cup white/brown rice (or 1 ½ cups left over cooked rice)


• 1 x 95g can of Tuna in Spring Water (or 100g smoked white fish, flaked)


• 1 egg, boiled and chopped or scrambled


• ½ cup frozen corn (or tinned)


• ½ cup frozen beans


• ½ cup frozen peas


• Curry powder - 2tsp for mild, 3tsp medium, 4+ tsp if you like it hot


• ground pepper to taste

Optional
3TB natural skim yoghurt
1TB chopped coriander
1TB parsley chopped
spring onion

Method

Cook rice using absorbtion method in microwave (ie ½ cup dry rice to 1 cup water. Microwave uncovered until water absorbs.)
If using cooked rice, put in microwave dish and start here
Add frozen vegies and microwave for another 3 minutes until vegies are warm.
Drain tuna and add
Add chopped/scrambled egg
Add curry and optional herbs
Cook about 2 mins – COVERED - both egg and tuna can “explode” making a mess of your micro :)

Serve, with yoghurt or sliced tomato or cucumber if you wish

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.