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 Chicken Paella

Serves: 6-8

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 large red capsicum, diced
• 1TB olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500g chicken mince
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatos
• 6 saffron threads (optional)
• 3 chicken stock cubes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 cup frozen beans
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1/8 cabbage shredded

Optional: chilli to taste

Method:

Heat a large non-stick pan, add oil, then onions, garlic, capsicums and fry for 3 minutes.
Add chicken mince and fry until chicken is no longer pink.
Add rice, water, tomatoes, saffron, paprika and stock.
Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 40 minutes until almost all the stock is absorbed.
Optional - add chilli (I used 1/2 tsp dried chilli for a mild 'tang')
Add cauliflower and frozen vegies and simmer for 5 mins.
Stir through carrot and cabbage. Turn heat off and allow to sit for a few minutes until wilted.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 31pts. Serving 6 = 5pts/serve, serving 8 = 4pts

Core Chicken, Pumpkin and Rocket Risotto

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 300 g chicken mince (or finely chopped fillets)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 1 cup pureed pumpkin (or thick pumpkin soup)
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (try mint)
• 4 chicken stock cubes
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 capsicum or chargrilled capsicums, sliced into strips
• 2-3 TB fresh chopped basil
• 1 cup rocket

Method:
Fry chicken, onion and garlic in large nonstick pot with 1tsp oil and put aside (if using raw capsicum, add at start).
Using same pan, turn down to medium, add the remaining oil and the dry rice.
Stir to coat with oil, and fry for about 3 or 4 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water and stock and simmer for 10 minues until most water has absorbed.
Add pumpkin and cook for another 5-10 minutes, adding a splash more water if it looks a little dry.
Add frozen or grated vegies, beef mix, chargrilled capsicums and basil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
Again, add a little water if it starts to stick.
Turn off heat, stir through rocket and serve.

Optional - serve with 2 tsp sharp parmesan (0.5 pts)

CORE Chicken, Ricotta & Rocket Pasta

This colourful pasta tastes as good as it looks.
Mild "creamy" ricotta sauce gets its flavour from the rocket

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 300 g chicken mince
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/2 red capsicum, cut in strips
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 250 g pasta (spiral or penne)
• 1 large carrot (at lest 2cm thick), peeled
• 2 small/1 large zucchini
• 1/2 cup mint peas, frozen
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen beans
• 1/2 bag rocket (about 50g)
• 1/2 a 250 g tub Perfect Italiano Light Ricotta
• 2 small or 1 large spring onion, sliced
• 2 tsp seeded mustard
• 3 tsp finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 c non-fat milk

Method:
Using a vegetable peeler, make ribbons of carrot and zucchini, ensuring some green skin is visible on each zucchini ribbon. Put ribbons in base of strainer/colander.
Heat a large frypan with the olive oil.
Fry the onion, garlic and capsicum until the onions go clear, then add chicken mince.
Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water and add pasta.
When chicken is cooked (chicken mince does not brown, it will still be white), add frozen vegies and a few TB of water to steam them.
When pasta is al dente (around 9 mins), pour into strainer over vegie ribbons, give a good shake and straight back to pan. Stir through rocket and set aside for a couple of minutes while you make the pasta sauce.
Add ricotta, milk, mustard, basil, spring onion and some cracked pepper to the chicken/veg mix and stir through.
Add sauce to pasta and stir through.
Serve immediately.

Optional - add 2 tsp of parmesan cheese for 0.5 pts (well worth it)

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is approx 25 points

CORE Chicken Balls / Patties

I made these with Thai style herbs and served with hot chilli sauce (since sweet chilli isn't Core). The flavouring was subtle.

If you have kids, you might prefer using just parsley and perhaps serving with BBQ sauce.

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 600g chicken mince
• 2 tsp dry French Onion soup mix
• 2 egg
• 30 g (1/3 cup) rolled oats
• 1 tsp crushed chilli paste (or hot chilli sauce)
• 3 tsp finely chopped basil
• 2 tsp finely chopped coriander

Method:
With a fork, mix together all except the oats.
When thouroughly mixed, add oats.
With wet fingertips and a bowl of water handy (stops sticking) make into 2cm balls and place on baking tray. I made 36 this size, but you could vary the size.
Bake at 180*C for 30 minutes

NB - chicken mince takes a lot to brown. If you like the look of browned meat, slide under the griller for a few minutes (I did)

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

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)