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 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

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.

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 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

CORE Tuna (or Salmon) Mousse / Pate

Serves: at least 4, more as an appetiser

Difficulty: Very Easy

Note - You could substitute 1 1/2 cups of cooked seafood for the tuna, but since I'm allergic to shellfish, I'll leave that testing up to you ;)

Ingredients:

• 425 g can tuna in springwater (or salmon), drained
• 1 tsp chicken stock
• 4 tsp gelatine
• 4 TB low fat cottage cheese
• 2 TB lemon (or lime) juice
• 2 cubes of frozen spinach, thawed (about 80-100g)
• parsley, a few sprigs, chopped, about 3 or TB
• sping onion (leaf only) or chives, chopped, about 3 or 4 TB
• cracked pepper, 1/2 tsp+ (I love pepper and put 3 tsp)

You may wish to add dill - I don't have any

Method:

In a large dry bowl, add 125 ml of boiling water, the gelatin and the stock.
Blend well with stab mixer, add 125ml ice water, blend.
Add cottage, lemon (lime) juice and tuna (salmon) and blend again.
Add the spinach and herbs and mix with spoon.
Put into mould(s) and put in fridge to set

You can set this in jelly moulds, cake tins, ramekins, bowls or something creative (I used silicone patty pans as I don't have little jelly moulds).

It sets like pate - firm enough to slice, yet soft enough to scoop and spread.

Serving suggestions:
On toast, rice crackers, or cucumber. I like Salada 97% fat Free Wholegrain (Core as bread allowance)
As a sandwich spread

If making as pate
You may wish to add a decorative clear layer to top or bottom (depending on whether you are serving in a ramekin with pate knife or inverting onto a plate to be sliced).
Mix 1 tsp of gelatine with 60ml hot water (you may not need all of this mix). You may wish it to be flavoured slightly with lemon/lime juice.
If pouring over top of set mousse, allow mix to cool on counter for half hour.
Make a pretty design with something like: chives or parsley leaves (flat Italian), grated lemon rind, grated carrot, slices of lemon or oranges, canned peppercorns or cracked pepper etc and gently pour gelatine mix over the back of a spoon, so it doesn't disturb your design.
Back in fridge to set.

Once this is set, I do recommend covering it as gelatine products can develop a skin uncovered and also the fish smell in the fridge...

Not on Core? The total points for this is 5 points (not counting toast/crackers etc)

NB: On the tracker, tuna weights is the drained weight - a 425g can drained is only 250g or 4 points, not 7.5!

CORE Tuna (or Chicken) Mornay

Based on CORE Corn & White Bean Chowder

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 x 425 g corn kernels
• 2 x 425g cannellini beans
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 x 425g Tuna in springwater (or 400g left over skinless chicken, chopped)
• 3 cups steamed or frozen vegies of your choice
• 2 TB parsley
• ground or cracked pepper to taste

Optional - stir through 2TB flour to thicken

Method:

Heat oil in a 2 l+ saucepan and fry onions over medium heat for 5 mins until softened.
Add garlic and cook another minute
Add corn - reserve about 1/4
Add beans and stock.
Cover, bring to boil, then simmer for 10 mins.
Blend, then add the reserved corn and tuna/chicken and vegetables
Warm and serve with parsley and salt and pepper

Would also be nice with seafood (I'm allergic)

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 Tuna Cottage / Shepherds Pie

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen vegetables (the Steamfresh sachets with broccoli are great)
• small tin tuna in springwater
• 1/4 cup salsa or tinned diced cooked tomatoes
• 100 g potato
• sprinkle dry mixed italian herbs, or fresh basil
• pepper

Method:

Peel and cook potato. Mash with fork without butter.
Add frozen vegies to a 3 cup microwave safe bowl and cook 2-3 mins.
Drain tuna and add to top of vegies. Pour over tomato/salsa and add herbs. I do not stir so there is a layer thing happening.
Top with mashed potato and micowave for another 3 minutes.
Allow to sit before eating - it gets hot

Optional - add 20g grated *low fat cheddar and grill until golden (*Points)