Core Moroccan Vegetable CousCous

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots
• 1 turnip
• 1/4 cabbage, shredded fine
• 2 zucchini
• 500g pumpkin (3 cups)
• 1 large onion
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped fine
• 1 TB Moroccan spice blend
• colouring agent - either 1/8 - 1/4 tsp Hoyts artificial saffron colouring (sold in the racks of spices in bags for refilling jars) or a few strands of saffron
• coriander, about 3 TB chopped fine
• parsley, about 3 TB chopped fine
• 2 TB olive oil
• salt and pepper
• water

All of the vegies need to be chopped fairly chunky, like 1 cm thick by 3 cm wide.
You can also bulk this out by adding more vegetables, sorting them into hard (potato) and soft. If you count points, don't forget to account for any added vegetables which have points.
Pumpkin and sweet potato count as 'soft'

Method:

In a large soup or stock pot, add 2 TB of olive oil and the onion and cook for several minutes on medium.
Add the hard vegies (not the pumpkin) and about 1/2 cup water and cook for about mins
Add the cabbage and tomatoes and turn to lowest heat setting.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper, Moroccan spices and ginger.
As you are simmering, check the water level in the pot and add more if and when needed. You need about 1/2 cm in bottom of pot. Stir every few minutes
After another 10 mins, add the zucchini and saffron/colour.
At this point, we need to prepare the couscous. Add 1 cup couscous to heatproof bowl with 1 cup boiling water, allow to absorb for 5 mins and fluff with fork.
Simmer until vegies are done to your preference (test with a knife or fork)
Make a ring of couscous on the plate and serve the vegetables in the middle.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 17.5 pts or 4 pts each serving 4

Core Moroccan Beef and CousCous

With my amazing savoury mince you can have this on the table within 10 minutes of walking through the door!

Savoury mince is mince fried in onion and garlic and frozen in household sized portions

If you have any left overs, this makes a very nice cold salad the next day

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of savoury mince, about 250 g raw weight
  (or 250g premium mince fried with half an onion)
• 2/3 cup mint peas
• 2/3 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen beans
• 2 frozen spinach cubes
• hand ful of snow peas, trimmed and sliced in half vertically
• 1 cup dry couscous
• 2 tsp beef stock powder (or 2 cubes)
• 2-4 tsp Moroccan spice mix (depends on brand)
• 4 "clumps" coriander, coarsely chopped

Method:

In a very large microwave bowl, steam the vegies from frozen
Meanwhile, add couscous, stock and spice mix to another bowl and 1 cup boiling water (hint add the 2 tsp of spice mix, and taste later), stand for 5 mins
Add mince, couscous and raw snow peas to vegies, mix well.
Microwave for a few minutes until all hot.
Add the chopped cori, stir through and enjoy.

CORE Caramel Couscous Upside-down Cake

I suggest using a short round silicone cake tin.
Mine is 20cm wide and 3cm high and it filled it to the top - perfect.
It's a moist cake and using a high tin might break the cake when you turn it out.

Great for breakfast

Serves: 4+

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup dry couscous
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 3/4 cup Cottees Diet Caramel Topping (1 pt)
• 400g tin of pineapple slices in juice, drained
• 1/3 cup frozen berries
• 1 egg
• 100g vanilla diet yoghurt (or natural low fat and 2 tsp vanilla)

Method:
Mix couscous, water and 1/2 cup of the topping in a microwave bowl.
Microwave on high for 4 minutes (5 mins for under 1000W).
Stir, add the remaining caramel and let cool (15 minutes or so)
Mix in the egg and yoghurt.
Spray a baking tin with oil.
Arrange the pineapple rings in the base, adding large frozen berries in the center of the rings and filling the gaps with little ones.
Pour the couscous mixture over the top and smooth off.
Bake at 180*C for 30-35 minutes until firm and pulling away from the edges.
Put a plate upside-down on top of the cake tin. Gently flip the plate and tin and remove tin.

Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting - it's a moist cake that is a litle fragile straight out the oven. You can always serve neat slices and warm in the microwave :)

Core + 1 pt for the recipe
If eaten at mealtimes, the cake is Core, but there is 1 pt, which rounds to "zero" if you have 4 serves

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is approx 8.5 points (2 for a quarter size serving)

CORE Beef & Couscous Patties

Moist and tasty beef patties with couscous, tomatoes and herbs

Serving suggestion: on a bed of mash with a dollop of salsa
Pictured with Potato, Cannellini Bean & Yoghurt Mash

Serves: 4 large muffins (the 1 cup "American" style)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dry couscous
• 2 tsp powdered beef stock (or 2 cubes)
• 250 grams savoury mince mix (uncooked weight), or 250g premium mince, cooked with 1/4 onion and garlic and cooled
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup "creamed" style cottage cheese
• 1 spring onion
• 2 egg
• 2 tsp Italian herbs mix (or your favourite herbs/spices)

Method:
Add couscous, stock powder and 3/4 cup boiling water to a large mixing bowl.
Allow water to absorb and cool.
Add all ingredients and mix well.
Spray muffin pans with oil.
Divide mix between muffin trays
Bake in preheated oven at 180*C for 35-40 mins.

The easiest way to de-tray these is to run a knife or spatula around edge of pan. Invert a baking tray or chopping board on the top. Flip the whole arrangement and give a firm tap on the kitchen counter and they will pop out easily.

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is approx 21 points (5 pts per muffin/patty)

Recipe modified from Buttermint's couscous muffins

CORE Berry Couscous Muffins / Puddings

Great for breakfast or dessert.
Hot or Cold
Particularly nice with vanilla diet yoghurt and strawberries

Recipe is 9 points - I made 9 muffins so that if I have for "snacks", 1 muffin is 1 pt.
Feel free to make 8 or 10, or whatever.

Makes: 9 small muffins (the 1/2 cup ones)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry couscous
• 1 egg
• 1 cup frozen berries
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 1/2 TB Splenda
• 1 x 200 g diet yoghurt in strawberry or other berry flavour
• 2 tsp vanilla

Method:
Add couscous, and 1/2 cup boiling water to a large mixing bowl.
Allow water to absorb and cool.
Meanwhile, microwave the frozen berries for 2 minutes, then lightly mash with a fork. The object is to squish out some juice and break up the larger berries into smaller pieces, not to have puree!
Add all ingredients and mix well.
Spray muffin pans with oil.
Divide mix between muffin trays (they were about 3/4 full in 9 x 1/2 cup trays)
Bake in preheated oven at 180*C for 30-35 mins

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is approx 9 points (1 per muffin)

Recipe modified from Buttermint's couscous muffins

CORE CousCous with Tuna & Veg

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup dry couscous
• 1 small can Tuna in springwater
• 1 - 1 1/2 cup of free vegies (left over or frozen)
• 1/3 cup corn
• 3+ TB Salsa

Method:
In a microwave container, mix couscous and 1/3 cup of boiling water and sit 2 mins.
Add vegies and tuna (no need to drain) and microwave on high for 4 mins.
Mix salsa through and serve

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 4.5 points

Almost CORE Cheesy Pepper Chicken CousCous

A tasty meal ready in 5 minutes!

NB - this recipe uses a small amount of low fat Cheddar cheese, which is not Core (1.5 pts)

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy - ready in 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 125 g chopped Smoked chicken breast fillet (or strongly smoked lean ham/bacon)
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup dry couscous
• NOT CORE * 20g grated low fat cheddar (eg Coon Light and Tasty 1.5pts)
• 1 1/2 cups of left over vegies or frozen vegies (I used frozen spinach and mixed veg)
• 1 spring onion
• ground pepper (coarse)

Method:
In a nonstick pan, warm the milk and milk, add vegies and simmer for 2 minutes before adding the chicken/ham. Simmer another minute, then add the couscous and as much pepper as you can take. After 2-3 minutes, the couscous should have absorbed the milk. Turn stove off and stur though the cheese and spring onion.

On Core? This is 1.5 pts for the cheese

CORE Sweet Breakfast Couscous

Serves: 3-4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry couscous
• 1 cup hot really strong diet cordial (double strength)
• fruit
• nonfat yoghurt

Method:

Mix, water and couscous and cover for 5 mins.
Optional - add sweetener and/or cinnamon
Serve with fresh, canned or stewed fruit and 100g - 200g yoghurt

You can get some great combinations. Some of my faves:

• Diet pine/lime cordial, vanilla yoghurt and tinned pineapple
• Berries cordial, cherry or berry yoghurt and frozen berries or stewed plums
• Fruit cup cordial, peach/mango yoghurt and oranges

Not on Core? The couscous in diet cordial is 9 points (all of it), plus your yoghurt and fruit.
eg 1/4 of the couscous mix PLUS 100g YoplaitForMe AND a small banana is 4 points