Almost Core Tasty White Sauce - use like Bechamel

Tonight I was asked my recipe for making white sauce. Since I was typing it up, I thought I'll post it here too. Picture coming when I make it again.

This is a light version of White Sauce or Bechamel Sauce which doesn't use butter, but uses mustard or chives to stop it from being bland glue paste :)

Serves: 2 (multiply as needed)
Makes a little more than 1/2 a cup. A 1/4 cup serve is plently to drizzle over silverside and a huge serve of vegies

Difficulty: Easy but needs watching and stirring for a couple minutes. Do not leave unattended.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup non fat milk
• 2 TB of cornflour
• Add 1-2 tsp of grainy mustard
• 20g of grated reduced fat cheddar cheese *
• Optional - chopped chives or spring onion greens with or instead of mustard.

Method:
Warm  milk gently on stove.
Mix cornflour with some water to make a paste (thinner than cream).
Whisk about 1/4 of the cornflour mix through the warm milk and wait about 1 minute for it to thicken. Repeat until you get to desired consistency (you won't need all the flour mix - add about 1/4 at a time).
Add grainy mustard and stir through cheese until it melts.
Note - Once flour is in the milk - do not walk away, just whisk and whisk on low heat or you can get serious lumps and burnt saucepan.

Often I add finely chopped chives or spring onion greens with or instead of mustard.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 2 pts using 50% reduced cheese, or 1 pt for a generous serve
On Core, just count the cheese for 1/2 pt using 50% reduced cheese

Core Moroccan Lentils (Vegan) - Moroccan Cooking School

Serves: 6 as side dish 

Difficulty: Easy 

Ingredients:

• 250g dry brown lentils (the whole round ones, not the split ones) or 2 cans of lentils, drained and rinsed (personally, I don't like canned lentils, they are mushy, salty and lack the flavour and texture of dried lentils)
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 3 cloves of darlic, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 4 TB tomato paste
• 1/4 cup diced coriander
• 2 TB diced Italian flat parsley
• 2 TB Moroccan spices
• water
• Salt Pepper

Method:
Put lentils in a heatproof dish and add boiling water to about 2 cm above line of lentils. Put lid on and stand for about 2 hours. Alternatively, use 2 cans of lentils, drained and rinsed.
Spray a large nonstick fry pan with oil and fry the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes.
Add chopped tomato, lentils, 3/4 cup water, tomato paste, herbs and simmer for 30 mins, stirring several times and adding a little more water if they start to stick. (Canned lentils, cook for 5 mins)

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 10pts, or 1.5 pts serving 6

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 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 Eggplant Dip - Moroccan Cooking Class

Serves: makes about 2-3 cups

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants, diced to about 1.5cm
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp Moroccan spice mix
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• fresh coriander, about 4 clumps, cut fine
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (Sugar Bello style tomato puree is fine - the ones in the really tall jars)

Method:

Boil eggplant on medium heat for about 30 mins.
Drain.
Add all to pot and simmer on lowest setting for 15-20 mins, stirring every few minutes.

Serve hot or cold with bread or as a side dish

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 0 pts, not counting bread

Core Rice and Vegies Side

This rice is a no fuss side dish.

Serve with beef curry or casserole such as Beef and Potato Curry rather than plain (boring) rice and vegies

Serves: 6 large servings, equivalent of 1/3 cup rice and 1 cup vegies each, or 8 smaller serves.

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 cup brown rice
• 4.5 cups water
• 4 tsp beef stock powder (or 4 cubes)
• 1-2 tsp of dried onion flakes
• 6 cups frozen vegies (I used 2 cup each beans, corn and mixed vegies)

Method:

Put rice and water in a non stick saucepan and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 25mins with lid on.
The rice should have taken in all or almost all of the water. If necessary add a little more water to there is about a 1mm layer of water on the base of the pan to steam the vegetables.
Add frozen vegies, stock powder and onion flakes, turn heat to medium and put lid on.
Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 16.5 pts (using free vegetables) or 3 pts each serving 6.

Note: you can drop the points by serve and bulk it out by adding extra vegetables.

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 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 Roast Vegetable Frittata (LO)

Suitable for Lacto Ovo Vegetarians

Lovely served hot or cold
Note - Pictured with only 2/3 covered with tomato as hubby doesn't like tomato

Serves: 6 - 8

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 200 g Potato (1 large or 2 small), diced to 1cm
• 200 g Sweet Potato (1/2 large or 2 small), diced to 1cm
• 400 g Carrot (3-4 medium or 2 large), diced to 1cm
• 3 medium red capsicums, deseeded, diced to 1.5cm
• 2 small zucchini, grated
• 1 bunch of spinach, chopped fine (or 200 g frozen spinach, defrosted)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 100 g frozen corn kernels (2/3 cup)
• 4 Eggs
• 200 g fat free natural yoghurt (I used Jalna)
• * 60 g Light Mozzarella (3/4 cup loosely packed), grated (3.5 pts)
• 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• herbs - parsley, Italian herbs, basil, oregeno
  (I used 2tsp dry parsley, 2tsp dry basil and cracked pepper)

Method:

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper, spay lightly with oil
Spread chopped potato, sweet potato, capsicum and carrot into single layer.
Spray lightly with oil and bake at 180*C for 25-30 mins until lightly golden. Allow to partially cool (so it doesn't set the egg)
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, yoghurt and herbs.
Add the onion, grated zucchini, spinach and corn and stir well with a wooden spoon.
Add the roasted vegies and mix well.
Put in a large baking dish (lasagna tray size) and gently press down with a spoon or potato masher, until there is a thin wet egg layer on top.
Top with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 180*C for 30 to 35 minutes or until egg mixture is set and top golden.
Stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Serve with a crisp green salad

On Core? You need to count the cheese 3.5 pts/6 or 8 servings = 0.5 pts per serve
Without the cheese on the top, it is totally Core

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 17 pts.
6 servings = 3 pts per serve, 8 servings = 2 pts per serve

Almost CORE Zucchini Slice (LO)

Suitable for Lacto Ovo Vegetarians (eggs and cheese)

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• * 1/2 cup self-raising white flour (3 pt)
• 3 egg
• * 60 g grated Light Mozzarella (3.5pt)
• 1 cup Pura No Fat Tone Milk
• 50 g Corn Kernels, defrosted
• 1 cube frozen spinach, defrosted
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup zucchini, grated
• 6 basil leaves chopped
• pepper

NonVegetarian Optional - add 50g diced bacon

Method:

Mix egg, milk, flour until smooth
Mix through other ingredients with a fork.
Pour into a baking dish spayed with oil and bake at 180* for 30-40 mins (or into large 1 cup muffin trays and bake 25 mins

Total recipe = 13.5 pts serving 3.5 pts per serve

Core/Simply Filling = 6.5 pts/4 servings = 1.5 pts each

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 Bruschetta aka Tomato and Basil on Toast (V)

Suitable for Vegan Vegetarians
Serves: 1 for meal, 2 for entree

Difficulty: Very Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of grainy bread (I used Cape Seed)
• 2 - 3 ripe but firm tomatoes (I use Romas or cherry), diced
• 2-4 fresh basil leaves, finely cut (try scissors)
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
• pepper and salt

Optional extras: finely chopped olives, capsicum, spring onions, garlic. Canned/frozen corn.

Method:

In a non-metallic dowl, mix together all except bread and garlic.
Rub the cut garlic over one side of the bread.
Grill or bake until lightly brown.
Pile the tomato mix on the bread at least 1 cm thick and serve immediately.

Not on Core? 2 points per slice - bread 1.5pts, oil 0.5pts

CORE Potato, Cannellini Bean & Yoghurt Mash

A delicious twist to mashed potato.
Great for serving under your meat with a salsa or sauce poured over top
(see picture of Beef & Couscous Patties next recipe down)

Serves: 6 (or 4 large servings)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 600 g potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 x 400 g can cannellini beans, rinsed well
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 150 g natural low fat yoghurt (2/3 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs (or oregano)
• 2 tsp dried parsley flakes (or 1 tsp fresh)
• 1 x spring onion, chopped, green only
• salt and pepper
• 3 tsp olive oil

Method:
Cook potato in boiling water for about 15 minutes.
Add cannellini beans and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain and mash just the potato and beans, then add rest and mash a little more.

Not on Core? The whole recipe is approx 13 points (2 pts a serve)

CORE Cubed Potato Bake

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 300 g potato, peeled diced into 1cm cubes
• potato sprinkle seasoning
• oil spray

Optional - diced bacon

Method:
Steam potato for about 8 mins (it should be very slightly underdone)
Add half of the potato into 2 small ramekins.
Spray with oil and sprinkle with seasoning.
Put the other half in, spray and season again (if using bacon, add here).
Bake in a very hot oven until golden brown, darker around the edges.

Not on Core? 150 g of potato is approx 1.5 pts

CORE Perfect Rice, Every Time

Serves: adaptable

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients Ratio:

For every cup of rice, you need 2 cups of boiling water
ie 1/2 cup rice and 2 cup water, 2 cups rice and 4 cups water

Absorption Method:

Add rice and water to a pan, simmer with lid on, stirring occasionally until all water is absorbed.

If you have a pot which "sticks", use an extra 1/4 cup of water and stop when there is a thin layer of 1 or 2 mm of water at bottom and strain off.

• White rice: 12 - 15 minutes
• Brown rice: 25 - 30 minutes

You do not need to drain or rinse the rice if you are using straight away.

Microwave : use a large container with a steam venting lid to prevent making a mess of your microwave. If you don't have one, then a microwave jug with plate on top works well. Timing depends on microwave and quantity, but when the water is all absorbed, the rice is done.
Brown rice can be done in the microwave, but I think is better on the stove.

Left overs:

If you cook too much rice, tip into a strainer and wash with cold water.
(Why? It stops from continuing to cook in it's own heat and also stops it sticking together).
Drain and fridge/freeze in sealed container or tub.
To reheat, simply put in strainer and tip over a kettle of boiling water.
You can microwave cold rice, but I only recommend this when there is a sauce on top as it can stick together.

Flavoured rice:

Add stock cubes and/or strong herbs like garlic, parsley, coriander, rosemary to water.

I often add frozen vegies in the last 5 minutes to flavored rice for a quick side dish.

Hints

• If you are cooking a stew or curry and it won't thicken, considering adding some rice and simmering for about 12 minutes. Add about a cup of rice (recipe for 4 or 6) and if it starts looking a little dry before the 12 minutes, add a dribble of water.
• To make a hearty casserole, add up the liquids you've added and add slightly less than half the quantity of rice.
  eg a can of tinned diced tomatoes and 2 cups of stock would be approx 3 or 3.5 cups, so add 1.25 to 1.5 cups white rice.
  Rice takes close to an hour to cook in a lidded casserole. If your casserole is cooking for a lot longer to tenderise the meat, add rice about an hour before end.
• Rice and slow cookers can equal mush. Add about 2 hours from end and don't stir it.

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 Roasted Asparagus

Pictured with Stuffed Capsicum and vegies

Entertaining tip - tie 5 asparagus spears into a bunch with 4 or 5 chives before baking

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of fresh asparagus (choose thin ones rather than thick ones)
• olive oil
• salt and cracked pepper

Method:

Trim cut end of asparagus stems.
Spray baking dish with olive oil.
Arrange asparagus in single layer, tips all at same end.
Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast in oven for about 8 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp.

Not on Core? The points for this recipe is only for the olive oil used

CORE Green Beans in Olive Oil, Garlic and Balsamic

Serves: 4+ as a side dish

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 6 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp good quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups frozen green beans

Method:

In a small oven proof dish, mix together the oil, garlic and balsamic.
Mix through the still frozen beans
Bake with lid on (or cover tightly with alfoil) at 180*C for 25-30 minutes

This mix is also nice over a mix of "greens" like broccolini, asparagus, beans and snowpeas (lightly steam vegies and bake for only 15 mins).

It is particularly nice with a little slivered almonds or sesame seeds (points).

CORE Potato Wedges

Click here for Potato chips

Serves: adjustable

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• Potatoes, smallish 100g white spuds
  (As a side dish, I suggest 100-150g for "reducers", 200-250g for hungry men/children)
• oil spray
• Seasoned salt, chicken salt, Vegetta or Potato Wedge shake

Method:

Wash and dry spuds.
Cut off any "eyes", cut in half, then cut each half into 3 or 4 wedges
Line baking tray with alfoil. Spray with oil spray.
Place wedges skin side down in single layer (reduced sticking)
Spray lightly with oil, sprinkle with the seasoned seasoned salt and lightly spray again
Bake in preheated oven (about 180*C) until golden and some corners going darker brown (around 25-30 mins).
Serve immediately.

Note - if your oven element is on top, I suggest putting the tray in the bottom half of the oven, or they may burn before they cook.

Not on Core? Potato is 1.5 points for 150g or 2 points for 200g

CORE Potato Chips

I made home made chips last night. Usually we use oven chips and I cop the points, but I had the oven on making filo pies, so I made homemade chippies too.
Almost-hubby said "What did you do to the chips? They are fluffy on the inside and disintegrate in my mouth"

Click here for potato wedges

Serves: adjustable

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• Large potatoes (suggest 100-150g for "reducers", 200-250g for hungry men/children)
• oil spray

Method:
Peel potatoes and cut into chunky strips approx 1cm x 1cm x length of spud
Line baking tray with alfoil. Spray with oil spray.
Place chips in single layer and spray with oil.
Place into preheated hot oven and bake until golden and some corners going darker brown (around 25-30mins).
Serve immediately.

Note - if your oven element is on top, I suggest putting the tray in the bottom half of the oven, or they may burn before they cook.

Not on Core? Potato is 1.5 points for 150g or 2 points for 200g