Core Pasta with Tuna, Lemon and Capers (hot or cold)

This zesty tuna dish can be served hot topped with a little parmesan or cold as a salad

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 500g pasta
• 1 x 425g tin tuna in springwater, drained
• 100g frozen tuna kernels
• 150g frozen beans
• 10 basil leaves, sliced fine
• 1 TB capers
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• rind of 1 lemon, grated fine
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach

Method:
Boil pasta for 8 minutes, then add frozen vegetables and boil for another 3 mins.
Drain pasta and vegies, leaving in sieve.
In pot add tuna, capers, basil, garlic, lemon and spring onion and stire.
Add pasta and stir through, then add the spinach and stir through.
If making salad, allow to cool before stiring the spinach through.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 26.5pts or 4.5pts serving 6Add 3 tsp of parmesan for 0.5 pts

Core Chicken, Watermelon and Mint Salad

A wonderfully refreshing and zingy chicken salad

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Very easy

Ingredients:

• 100g baked chicken breast, diced (or 140g breast fillet grilled and diced)
• 1 1/2 cup watermelon, diced to 1cm
• about 10cm of cucumber, sliced or diced
• 125g can corn kernels, drained
• 10 fresh mint leaves, sliced very thin (try scissors)
• 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
• 1 TB balsamic vinegar
• 3 TB lemon juice

Method:
In your serving bowl, make a nest of spinach.
In another non-metallic bowl, toss the rest of the ingredients together and serve on top of the spinach nest.

Optional - sprinkle with 3 tsp of strong parmesan for an extra 0.5 pts

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 5pts

Core Tuna, Bean and Capers Salad

Serves: 1 large serving

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 x small can chunk tuna in springwater, drained
• 1 x 125 g 4 bean mix, drained
• 1 x 125 g corn kernels, drained
• 6 chery tomatoes, halved
• diced red capsicum (not pictured), a few tablespoons
• about 10cm of cucumber, diced fine
• about 1/8th medium onion, diced fine
• 1 tsp capers
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (3 TB)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• handful of baby spinach leaves
• pepper and salt

Method:
Mix all except baby spinach together in a bowl. Allow to sit for a few mins for flavours to mingle
Make a nest of baby spinach in your serving bowl and tip the mix in the middle.

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

Moroccan Carrot Dish with Salad, Side Dish or Dip Options - Moroccan Cooking School

No more "boring" carrots!

Versatile Carrot recipe which can be served as a hot side dish or cold salad or hot or cold dip!

Pictured is side / salad

Serves: varies as to use

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 500g peeled and boiled carrots
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• fresh parsley, about 2 TB chopped
• fresh coriander, about 3 TB chopped
• 3TB lemon juice
• salt and pepper to your taste

Method:
Heat a nonstick frypan coated with oil spray.
Add the garlic and fry on medium for about 3 mins until it is very aromatic
Options:
Side or salad - halve cooked carrots (quarter enormous ones) and slice to 5mm
Dip - mash carrots with no added moisture
Add carrot to fry pan, along with remaining ingredients and warm through for a few minutes.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 0! Yes, not a single point smeaked in here!

Core Moroccan Salad with Chickpeas and Tuna/Salmon - Moroccan Cooking Class

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced to about 5mm or 1 medium tomato and 6 halved cherry tomatoes (more visually appealling, but still use 1 tomato as you need the tomato 'juices' to help with the dressing)
• 1/4 small green capsicum, diced small (or use red if that is what you have)
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped very fine
• 1/4 small red onion, sliced very fine (or use white, but red looks better)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• fresh coriander, chopped, about 3 TB
• fresh parsley, chopped, about 2 TB
• lemon juice, a 'squirt'
• 1 small tin of good quality tuna or salmon in spring water, drained
• 1/2 cup tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Toss all and eat.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 3.5 pts for tuna, 4.5 pts for salmon

Want a bit more?
Add another tin of tuna for an extra point, or another quarter cup of chickpeas for another point.

Almost Core Tower Salad - rocket, pumpkin, beet, ricotta, nuts

This is a wonderful salad for quiet night at home or for a fancy dinner party. It looks amazing with it's variety of colours, with great contrasts in flavours, textures and shapes.

Serves: adjustable

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• rocket
• pumpkin or sweet potato
• baby beetroot, drained
• low fat ricotta
• walnuts (not Core)

Method:

Pre-work:
Peel pumpkin or sweet potato and cut into cubes about 1.5 cm. Spread on a baking tray, spray with a little oil and bake until slightly golden. Cool and refrigerate.

Building the salad:
It is a tower salad, built up layers in slightly smaller rings on your serving plate.
Layer 1 - a bed of rocket
Layer 2 - roasted pumpkin/sweet potato
Layer 3 (just before serving) - baby beets
Layer 4 - thick layer of low fat ricotta
Layer 5 - sprinkle walnuts on top. I suggest chopping them into chunks as walnuts are a bit 'pointy' at 3 for 10 halves (30g)

On Core? Just count the walnuts

Not on Core? Sorry, this is a hard one to point out without giving quantities.

CORE Apple, Carrot and Cucumber Salad

Serves: 1-2 (makes 2-3 cups)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, diced about 1 cm
• 1 carrot, peeled, diced about 1 cm
• 1/2 cucumber, skin on, diced about 1 cm
• 1 spring onion
• 1-2TB non fat natural yoghurt
• 1 TB lemon juice
• ground pepper

Method:

Mix together and serve straight away (or the apple will brown)

Optional - add 5 almonds to your serve for 1/2 pt

Yummo and very crunchy

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 1.5 pts

CORE Tuna and Zucchini Paella

Picture coming - food doesn't photograph so well when it's hot ;)

Tuna, rice, lemon pepper and vegies.
Nice hot or cold as a salad.

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups basmati rice
• 3 tsp vegetable stock powder (or 3 cubes)
• 1 x 420 g chunk Tuna in Spring Water
• 1 tin diced tomatoes
• 2 or 3 zucchini, sliced in 0.5cm slices
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• cracker pepper
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 3+ cups of frozen beans
• 1 cup corn kernels

Method:

Heat a large nonstick pan, add 2 tsp oil.
Sautee onion and zucchini until onion goes clear and zucchini skin is bright green.
If like me, you prefer al dente zucchini, remove onion and zucchini to a bowl, otherwise leave in pan.
Add last 2 tsp oil and dry rice, stir to coat.
Add 2 cups of water, stock powder/cube and the tin of tomatoes and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently. Add extra water as water absorbs (I used 2 3/4 cups water in total)
After about 20 minutes, add the tin of tuna (don't bother draining) and the frozen veg (still frozen).
Simmer for 5 minutes, add zucchini back.
Season with a good dose of cracked pepper and add the lemon zest.
Simmer for 5 mins and serve

Not on Core? The total points for this is approx 22 points (3.5 pts per serve)

CORE Nicoise Style Tuna Salad

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lettuce, shredded
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 100g tuna in springwater, drained
• 1/2 cup frozen beans, defrosted
• 1/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 boiled egg, cut into wedges
• Your favourite Core dressing

Dressing ideas:

• 1 TB olive oil, juice from 1 lemon
• low fat natural yoghurt, garlic, pepper
• Kraft 99% fat free Caesar or Ranch Dressing - 2 TB is 0.5 pts

Method:
Mix beans, corn, lettuce and carrot in bottom of bowl.

Top with the cherry tomatoes, egg and drizzle with dressing

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is approx 2.5 - 3.0 pts, plus dressing

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