Tip 5 - Olive oil sprayer

Invest in an oil sprayer. I have an aluminium one that you pump up for pressure. It was about $15 from a kitchen shop. The cheap plastic ones don't work so well.

I prefer using pure olive oil than using spray cans.

Tip 4 - Sliced ham

While I prefer freshly shaved ham, I also keep a packet of the packaged sliced ham (dairy cabinet) in the fridge. It usually keeps a month or so. It's good for sandwiches, core pizza, cooking etc.

Tip 3 - Frozen bacon pieces

I buy a "handful" of premium bacon strips from the deli and freeze them. If you don't squish it, you can easily break of a section for your eggs, risotto etc

Tip 2 - Frozen Savoury Mince

Cook up a few kilos of premium beef mince with garlic and onions.
Portion into snaplock bags and freeze in meal sized serves (eg 100-150g per family member). For a household of 2, I usually package in 250-300g bags

You can make dozens of meals in a real hurry when you have savoury mince.

Some ideas:

• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• "Hamburgers" - defrost beef on low, stir through a egg or 2 and fry in egg rings
• Hokkien noodles (use frozen vegies and soy sauce - yum)
• Wraps - warm mince, cottage cheese (low fat cheddar if you're happy to use some points), salad.
• Beef Yiros (souvlaki, donner, gyro etc) lettuce, tomato and Hommus or fat free ranch dressing (0.5pt for 2 TB Kraft 99% FF)
• Minestrone soup
• Chilli con carne
• Cottage / Shepherds pie
• Pastie slices - 2 rye mountain breads on top of each other for strength - diced canned tomatoes, defrosted frozen vegies and roll it up like a swiss roll (a little water to seal). Bake or nuke.
• Out of sandwich meat for the family? This makes awesome sandwiches, but needs "something" to stick to the bread (cottage cheese, marg, BBQ/tomato sauce, relishes, mayo etc)
• Tacos / burritos / tortillas. Mix in a can of 3 bean mix, cumin, chilli, some tomato, lettuce, salsa and cheese. (I use rye mountain bread and cottage to stay pure Core)

From HIGHSCHOOLTEACHER

• With a little tomato paste, savoury mince is greta in jaffles (mg bread of course)
• Add some curry poweder or curry paste and serve with rice - good for the nights you're in a hurry but want something a little spicy.
• Meatballs (to add to pasta and tomato sauce) - by adding some cooked rice and an egg to the mix, shaping into balls and broning in a frypan.
• Cooking up portions of minced lamb or even chicken (ask the butcher to run a couple of trimmed chicken breasts through the mincer) makes a nice change. The lamb is lovely with tomatoes, sliced eggplant and LF ricotta ( a sort of moussaka) while the chicken makes tasty patties etc.

Tip 1 - Core Bricks

A Core brick is a frozen tub of leftovers. Freeze in rectangular tubs and they look like bricks (hurt like them if they fall out the freezer too).

Cook a little extra and freeze a brick or 2 for the night you can't be stuffed cooking, or the family is having pizza. Or you just want a hot lunch on a cold day. Really, any of the "wet" dishes brick up nicely like casseroles, soups, curry, pasta etc

CORE Toasted Ham and Cheese Wrap

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 rye mountain bread
• 30 g shaved ham
• 1/4 cup corn kernels
• 5 asparagus spears (or 15 asparagus tips), dried on paper towel
• 3 TB low fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 4 basil leaves
• 1/2 spring onion, chopped
• 4 olives, sliced, dried on paper towel
• capsicum strips
• Italian herbs mix, sprinkle

Method:
Lay mountain bread out flat.
Arrange all in layers through the middle third of the wrap, finishing with the ham.
Gently roll up and place on a baking tray so the bottom is 2 layers of wrap, then the ham. This stops it going soggy. (Yes, ham is pictured on top and yes it was a tad soggy).
Bake at 180*C for 10-15 minutes until crispy.

CORE Banana Caramel Biscuits

These soft biscuits are lovely for breakfast.
Have one with some nonfat milk for a tasty equivalent to porridge and 1/2 a banana

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 200g rolled oats
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 6 tsp Splenda
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 150 g low fat natural or vanilla yoghurt (about 1/2 a cup)
• 6 TB (1/2 cup) Cottees Diet Caramel Topping
  NB - Diet Topping is not Core, but 2 TB or less per serve = 0 pts)

Method:
Mix all together.
Spray oil onto 2 baking trays
Divide into 6 large dollops (or 24 heaped teaspoon dollops) and squish with a fork to 1cm thick
Bake at 1808C for 25-30 minutes

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is 17 points

CORE Lamb Biryani

A fragrant Indian dish with tender chunks of lamb

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 400g lamb fillet, diced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tsp mild curry powder
• 2 tsp ginger, crushed or grated
• 2 tsp garlic, crushed or grated
• chicken stock - 2 tsp / 2 cubes - whatever your brand says to use with 2 cups water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cups arborio rice
• 1 tin diced tomatoes
• vegies - 4 cups point free vegies
  (I used 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, 1 cups broccoli, 1 1/2 cups frozen beans)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn

Method:
In a large casserole dish with a lid, add lamb and all dry spices and dry stock powder. Mix well to coat lamb.
Add garlic, ginger, onion and 2 cups (0.5L) water.
Bake at 180*C covered for 1 hr.
Remove from oven, stir, add rice, vegies and tomatoes and stir again.
Bake at 180*C covered for 45 mins or until rice has absorbed all fluid.

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is 22 points

CORE Apple Cannelloni Pudding

Serves: 6 (12 cannelloni)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 410g can sliced apples (I used Woolworths/Safeway brand) or 1 1/2 c lightly steamed fresh apples
• 12 cannelloni shells
• 1 x 250 g tub light ricotta
• 4 TB Splenda
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups non-fat milk
• 4 tsp (1 TB) vanilla essence
• cinnamon

Method:

Slice the apples thinly and add to large bowl. Add 1 TB of Splenda, 1 tsp cinnamon and ricotta and mix well with a spoon.
Stuff mix into cannelloni shells and lay into a small square or rectangular baking dish (flat if you can). You can try and do this with a spoon, but hands are quicker, easier but much messier!
Some of the ricotta will drip back into the bowl, that's fine, as long as there's no apple chunks left over.
Add 3 eggs, vanilla essence and 3 TB of splenda to the ricotta and beat.
Warm the milk, but don't boil it. I did 2 mins on high in 1200W micro.
Add the warm milk to the eggs and beat until there is 2 or 3 cm of fluff on the top.
Pour over the cannelloni and sprinkle with more cinnamon
Bake at 180*C for 50 minutes. The pudding is done when you jiggle the dish and it doesn't jiggle back.

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

CORE Morrocan Lamb with Apricots

This lovely Moroccan dish is lovely served with couscous with coriander

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 600g lamb mince
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp garlic, crushed
• 1 tin crushed tomatoes
• 1 400g tin of apricot halves in juice
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 4 cup frozen green beans
• 1 cup peas (try mint peas)
• Moroccan spice mix
  I used Masterfoods Spice Essentials for Moroccan Lamb, which is expensive and has individual sachets of herbs. I measured them out and provide the quantities:
  1 cinnamon quill, 3 tsp cumin, 4 tsp dry coriander, 3 tsp tumeric, 3 tsp dried ginger

Method:
Fry onion with garlic and onion until browned.
Add tin of apricots, juice and all and simmer 5 mins before adding tomatoes, frozen vegies and herbs. Simmer for 5 mins

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

Serve with plain couscous, coriander couscous or rice.

Coriander Couscous Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup dry couscous
4 tsp coriander, chopped

Method:
Add 1 1/4 cup boiling water to dry couscous and let stand.
Fluff with a fork after 4 mins, stir through coriander and allow another minute

Not on Core? The total of this couscous recipe is 11 points

CORE Beef Pasta w Hidden Vegies

This is essentially good old Spaghetti Bolognaise with a few vegies chucked in .
Shown served with 2 tsp of parmesan cheese (0.5tsp)

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 400g premium beef mince
• 1 tsp garlic, crushed
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 tsp italian herbs mix
• 1 x 700 g plain jar pasta tomato sauce
  (eg Sugo Bello - tall jar, often in "international foods" section or at your continental deli
• 1 x 500g packet dry pasta
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cup frozen beans
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 3 carrots, grated
• 1 cubes of frozen spinach

Method:

Cook the mince, garlic and onion in a few TB of water.
Turn down heat and add pasta sauce and herbs and warm through. Add grated veg and defrosted spinach.
Meanwhile, boil a large pan of water and add pasta.
Boil for 6 minutes, then add frozen vegies and cook for another 4-5 mins.
Drain and add back to the pan. Pour over the tomato sauce and stir through

Optional - serve with 2 tsp of parmesan cheese (0.5 tsp)

Not on Core? The total of this recipe is 38 points

CORE Roast Cherry Tomatoes

A great way to use cherry tomatoes past their prime for salads.
I throw cherry tomatoes in the roast pan when I do roasts.

Serves: 2-3 as side dish

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• Italian herbs
• oil spray

Method:
Put tomatoes in shallow oven proof dish.
Spray well with oil spray, sprinkle generously with Italian herbs, roll to coat.
Bake for 25-30 mins at 180*C.
Let sit for a few minutes before serving as they are very hot on the inside.

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 Fruit Crumble

Pictures is plum crumble

Make in individual oven proof dishes, or make a big one and share. Recipe is for one

Serves: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup fruit - stewed or drained canned fruit (Chop canned fruit to 1cm pieces)
• 1 tsp spoon for spoon sweetner
• sprinkle all spice or cinnamon
• 1 weetbix
• oil spray

Method:
Put 1/2 to 3/4 cup fruit per person into individual ramekins or oven proof dish.
Sprinkle with the splenda and spice
Top with a crushed weetbix.
Spray with oil spray.
Bake at 180*C until golden (15 or 20 mins)
Let sit for 5 mins - fruit is very hot and can burn!

Note - non dieters, use a sprinkle of sugar.

Not on Core? The total for this recipe is approx 2 points

CORE Hash Browns / Potato Cakes

These hash browns (potato cakes) are baked, not fried.
Serve for brekkie with eggs and/or bacon or as a side for main meals.

Serves: 10 hash browns

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 450g potato
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 onion, chopped small or grated
• pepper and salt
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs or Italian herbs
• parsley if you have it for colour

Method:
Grate potatoes coarsely and put in a sieve. Push down on potato to squeeze out excess juice
Beat the eggs, add herbs, seasoning and onion.
Add potato and stir through.
Spray oil into 10 muffin cups
Put a spoonful in each cup and push down with back of spoon. They need to be 1 to 1.5 cm thick at most, or will be a bit soggy.
Spray oil on top and bake at bottom of oven at 180*C for 45-60 mins.
They should be fairly dark "golden" colour.
They are easier to remove if you let cool for 5 mins.

Not on Core? Each hash brown if approx 0.5 pts (making 10)

CORE Brekkie Trifle

Looks best in glass bowls or large glasses (400ml type) to show off the layers.

For dessert, use smaller juice glasses.

Easy variety - make 3 different flavours
Pictured is (L-R): 3/4 c frozen mixed berries, 100g tub drained pears in juice, 3/4 c stewed plums

Serves: 3 for brekkie (or 6 for dessert)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup of fruit - canned, stewed or frozen
• 6 weetbix
• 1 pack diet raspberry or port wine diet jelly
• 200g tub vanilla flavoured diet yoghurt
• 3 tsp of spoon for spoon sweetener

Method:
Add 3/4 cup of fruit into bottom of 3 bowls or glasses.
Crush 2 weetbix into each bowl and gently press down, then top with 1 tsp sweetner.
Add 1/2 cup boiling water to jelly crystals, stir to dissolve, then add 1 cup cold water.
Add 1/3 jelly mix into each bowl.
Top with yoghurt.
Cover and fridge overnight

Not on Core? The total for each serve is approx 2.5 points (1.5pt for dessert)

CORE French Fried Banana

Bananas are fried in French toast batter. Shown served with French Toast and diet caramel topping

Serves: batter will coat at least 6 to 8 bananas

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 3 TB skim milk powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essense
• 1 tsp mixed spice (or cinnamon)
• bananas (1 per person), not too ripe
• 3 tsp olive oil
• Cottees Diet Caramel Topping to serve

Method:
Mix egg, milk powder, spice, and vanilla and pour into a flat bread and butter type plate.
Meanwhile heat a non-stick saucepan up with the olive oil. The pan needs to be quite hot to start, so suggest setting 8 from 10 or equivalent.
Get the first banana and coat with batter, then straight into the hot pan.
Turn pan down to medium now.
Roll the bananas in the egg mix and put in pan.
Turn bananas over when lovely and golden.
When cooked on both sides, serve french banana with 2 TB of Diet Caramel Topping (0 pts).

CORE Pineapple Fritters

Serves: 6 pineapple rings
suggest serving 2 rings each for dessert, more if for breakfast

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essense
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice (or cinnamon)
• 1 can of pineapple rings in juice, drained
• 3 tsp olive oil

Method:
Heat a non-stick saucepan up with the olive oil. The pan needs to be quite hot to start, so suggest setting 8 from 10 or equivalent.
Mix all except pineapple.
Dip pienapple in egg mixture, then straight into the hot pan. Turn pan down to medium now.
Cook until golden (at leaset 4 mins), turn over.
Serve hot

I like these served with diet ice-cream (1-2 pts, depends brand), 2 TB diet caramel topping (0 pts) and 2 tsp flaked almonds (0.5 pts)

CORE Stuffed Potato

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes, approx 180g
• 30 g diced ham or bacon
• 2 tsp chopped parsley
• 2 tsp chopped spring onion or chives
• 4 TB lite cottage cheese
• ground pepper

Optional - add some finely chopped capsicum, mushroom, pineapple, corn etc.

Note - if family members are not keen on cottage cheese, substutite 2 TB of grated cheddar to their stuffing instead of the cottage cheese.

Method:
Wash and dry the potatoes.
Bake at 180*C for 1h 15 mins.
Slice a "lid" off the top of the potatoes, just under 1cm thick
Using a teaspoon, scoop out the potato flesh, leaving a shell of about 5mm.
Mash the potato with a fork and mix all other ingredients through the potato
Put the mix back into the shells, pushing down with a back of teaspoon (there will probably be a little left over).
Wrap stuffed potatoes in alfoil and return to oven for another 20 mins.

Serve with more vegies or salad and a grilled piece of lean meat

Not on Core? Each stuffed potato with cottage cheese is 2 points (3 points for low fat cheddar)

CORE French Toast & Banana with Caramel

Serves: 2 (1 serve = 2 french toasts and 1 french banana)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 3 TB skim milk powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essense
• 1 tsp mixed spice (or cinnamon)
• 4 slices multigrain bread (see note)
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 2 bananas
• Cottees Diet Caramel Topping

Note re bread - this is sooooo much nicer using bakery bread with firm crusts than supermarket breads with soft crusts. I used Leckorbrot grain with sesame seeds on the outside.

Method:
Mix egg, milk powder, spice, and vanilla and pour into a flat bread and butter type plate.
Meanwhile heat a non-stick saucepan up with the olive oil. The pan needs to be quite hot to start, so suggest setting 8 from 10 or equivalent.
Get the first slice of bread and sit in the egg mixture.
Count to 5, flip bread over, count to 5, then straight into the hot pan.
Turn pan down to medium now.
Repeat with another piece of bread.
Roll the bananas in the egg mix and put in pan.
A large pan probably only cooks 2 or 3 pieces of bread at a time, so probably need to cook in batches
Turn bread and bananas over when lovely and golden.
When cooked on both sides, serve french toast and french banana with 2 TB of Diet Caramel Topping (0 pts).
Repeat with remaining bread.

Pineapple rings in the batter is also very nice.