Core Muesli Bar Base - Oven or Slow Cooker

Serves: 12
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:

Basic recipe

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup stewed apples
• 150ml non-fat milk
• 100ml water
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp vanilla
• sweetener, equivilent sweetness of 1/2 cup sugar

Method A:
Mix all base ingredients together.
To here is Core for a meal (32 pts if not Core)

Additional non-Core Ingredients:
Add your choice of dried fruits, nuts and seeds and calculate the Points.
I added 1/2 cup sultanas, 1/4 cup craisins, 1/2 cup pepitas and 1 TB linseeds (12.5 pts of non-Core ingredients, or 34.5 pts total)

Method B:
Press mix down into sprayed pan or slow cooker insert.
Oven - Bake in moderate oven until the slice begins to brown around edges.
Slow Cooker - cook for 2-3 hours on high until the slice begins to brown around edges. Turn off and allow the insert to cool before slicing up. If you have a lot of condensation inside the lid, you might want to wipe the lid. I cooked mine in the slow cooker.
To here is Core (32 pts if not Core)

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 34.5 pts with listed additional ingredients or 3pts each serving 12.
On Core, you'll need to add 1 pt per serve for fruit and seeds as listed.

Easy FREE Vegie Soup - Slow Cooker or Stove

This is called free soup as it has no Points on the Weight Watchers Program

It is easy as there is no preparation

I often turn this into a more filling meal by adding some of my Steamed Meatballs

Serves: 4 large serves

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 x 1kg bag of homebrand mixed vegetables
• 1 x 400g diced tomatoes
• 4-6 vegetable stock cubes
• onion - either 1 diced real onion, 1/2 cup frozen diced onion or 1/2 packet french onion soup mix (in which case, just 4 stock cubes)
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 tsp (or more) Italian herns mix
• optional - a couple bay leaves

Method:
Bung all into large saucepan or slow cooker insert.
Add 4 cans worth of water (about 6 cups).

Slow cooker:  low for 3-4 hours
Stove top: simmer for 15 mins

How easy is that?

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 0 pts

Note for people counting Points - if youx mix has peas or corn, these are not free. You should allocate a small amount of Pts, 1/2 pt per serve, or 1/2 pt for 2 serves depending on how much is in the mix.

Core Chermoulla Fish Tagine - Moroccan cooking school

Chermoulla is the Moroccan term for "mixed spices". So this is just fish and vegetables cooked with spices

This dish is commonly cooked by Moroccans when they go camping, or to the park.

What fish? Any firm white fish will work. In my cooking class, we all had to use different fish and then had to taste them all at the end. Some were: mackeral, whiting, snook, mulloway, sardines, garfish, dory, whiting, basa, snapper, trevally, king fish, bonito, garfish and barramundi. All were good, with subtle differences.

Pots and methods:
Stovetop = large fry pan or stock pot with lid. You need about 3ocm wide and about 10cm high, more if you add more vegies.

Oven = lidded casserole dish, around 4 litres. Glass would be best to show the layers. If you don't have a lid, cover tightly with alfoil

Slow cooker = no problem. Use about 1/4 less water

Note - there is no reason this can't be scaled down to individual or couple sized serves by using smaller cookware.

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into neat slices just under 1cm
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into neat slices just under 1cm
• 2 large brown onions, peeled and cut into neat round slices just under 1cm
• 3 or 4 tomatoes, cut into neat slices just under 1cm
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 750g firm white fish
• 1.5 TB olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaved parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 a preserved lemon (or 2 grated rind of 1/2 a lemon + 2 tsp salt)
• juice of half a lemon
• 2-3 TB Moroccan spices
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 cloved of garlic, chopped fine
• 8 kalamata olives, chopped
• Optional - a grilled capsicum, sliced fine

Method:
In your pot, you need to build neat layers of the vegies in this order: tomato, potato, carrot, onion, peas.
Then lay your fish neatly over the top with small gaps between the pieces. For large thick fillets like barramundi, slice across the fillets to make steaks about 3 cm wide.

Now we made the chermoulla.
In a non-metallic dish, mix cori, parsley, garlic, oil, Moroccan spices, preserved lemon, oil, salt.
The add lemon juice and 3/4 cup water.
Ladle the chermoulla over the fish dish slowly, making sure lots of the green flecks stay on top of the fish.
Add another 1/3 cup water to the bowl, swish to get remaining spices and pour down the side of the dish, trying not to wash down any herbs. The fluid level should be a little below the fish layer.
Sprinkle with olives and grilled capsicum if using.
Put onto stove on medium heat until you start to see bubbles.
Turn down to low, put lid on and leave for 20 mins. Shake pan once or twice with lid on.
Open lid and baste the fish with some of the juices.
Cook another 20-30 mins until vegies are done
Oven - put into warmed oven at 180*C for 45 - 60 mins, baste at half way point
Slowcooker - on low. Would probably need about 3 hours on low. Or use boiling water in the chermoulla and low 60 - 90 mins. Baste at half way point

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 19.5 pts or 3.5 pts each, serving 6

Core Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon and Olives - Moroccan Cooking School

Pictured with eggplant added

This traditional Moroccan meal can be cooked on the stovetop in about an hour or in the slow cooker for about 4-5 hours. You do not need an expensive tagine pot.

Instructions given are for stovetop with slow cooker timing in [square brackets]

Optional - you can bulk this out with other vegetables if you wish.

Hard root vegies like carrots and sweet potato go in with potato, cut chunky.
Soft vegies like eggplant, zucchini go in 15 mins from end [SC 30-40 mins from end]

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, sliced
• 1/2 bunch or 5 'clumps' of fresh coriander, roots removed, leaves and stalk chopped fine
• 1 TB or Moroccan spice mix (note as spice mixes vary, you may wish to taste towards the end and add more if needed)
• 1 TB olive oil
• 12 small chicken drumsticks, skin removed (or 12 'lovely legs' = drumsticks with skin and the 'handle' removed)
• 2 TB cooking or sea salt
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp Hoyts artificial saffron colouring
  This is sold in the racks of spices in bags for refilling jars. Be careful with this powder as it is very strong and stains big time - I have 3 yellow fingers - and use it sparingly in your cooking. It is much cheaper and more effective than saffron for getting that lovely exotic orange-yellow colour
• 600g potato, cut to 1.5 - 2cm chunks
• kalamata olives, 12-18 pitted or unpitted
• 1/2 preserved lemon, chopped fine - I will be posting a recipe to make your own soon!
• 2 cups frozen peas
• Optional - extra vegeatables

Method:
In a large soup or stock pot, add the oil, onion and coriander and cook on medium until it starts to wilt a little [SC on high for about 20-30 mins]
Meanwhile, remove the skin on the drumsticks by scoring around the ankle with a sharp knife, insert knife under skin to loosen and pull.
Soak chicken in a tub of water with a couple tablespoons of salt for 10 mins and wash (why? Try it and see all the gunk that comes off that you are not eating!)
Add Moroccan spice and yellow colouring.
Stir, then add chicken drumsticks and enough water to about 1cm below chicken line.
Simmer on medium heat for 30 mins, giving occasional stir [SC high for 1.5 hours, no stir]
Add potato, olives, preserved lemons and frozen peas (yes, this early - Moroccan-style mushy peas) and cook for a further 20-30 mins on low, giving occasional stir [SC high for 1-1.5 hours, no stir]
Taste, adding more Moroccan seasoning or white pepper.

Serve with cooked rice or couscous

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 20 pts, or 5 pts each serving 6

If serving with rice, don't forget to add the points for rice - 1/2 cup cooked rice is 1.5 pts

CORE Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

Easy 'creamy' overnight Steel Cut Oats made in the Slow Cooker. I converted the slow cooker to a bain marie (water bath) so oats don't get burnt with long cooking time
This recipe reheats well. I make a batch and put in 4 tubs. Note - this is fine in the fridge for 4 days as long as you use fresh milk with at least 6 or 7 days date on it.

If you don't have a slow cooker, click here for conventional 30 min stovetop method

What are Steel cut oats?
Steel cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces. Also known as Scotch or Irish oats. They look like a chopped up rice grain. Steel cut oats are different in texture and taste from rolled oats. They are a little chewier, have a nutty flavour and need to be cooked longer (like brown rice compared to white). They also take longer to digest and keep you full a lot longer!

Rolled oats have usually been steamed, rolled and toasted (sometimes more than once), so steel cut is significantly less processed than traditional rolled oats or quick oats.

Steel cut oats are generally not in supermarkets, but cheap from health food shops ($3-ish for 500g) or loose in bulk from grain/organics type places.


Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1 cup non fat milk
• 3 cups water

Optional - *40g dried fruit (1.5pts)

Method:

Find a 6 cup capacity bowl or casserole which will fit in your slow cooker, allowing the lid to seal. (My slowcooker is small, so I used a 1.1L pudding bowl, and did 3/4 cup oats, 1 cup milk, 2 cups water.)
Pour water into the slow cooker bowl until it comes about 3cm below the level of your inner bowl/casserole. This 'water bath' is a super gentle moist cooking cooking method.
Put ingredients into inner bowl, stir and put lid onto slow cooker.
Put on low and go to bed.
In the morning you'll have breakfast ready and it will keep warm with the SC off for some time.

Serve with yor favourite sweetener - Splenda, sugar, honey, maple syup (extra pts)

On Core? If you added fruit, allow 0.5 pts

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe without fruit is 13.5pts, or 3.5pts per serve
Add 0.5 pts per serve for the opional fruit

Almost Core Country Chicken Casserole (Slow Cooker)

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 600g chicken thigh fillets, cut chunky
• 1 packet McCormick Slow Cookers Country Chicken Casserole (1.5pts)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1-2 carrots, chopped
• 1/3 cup non fat milk (I use Pura Tone)
• 1 cup of defrosted frozen peas

Method:
Add chicken, sauce mix, water, milk and carrot into slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
Stir through the peas about 20 or 30 minutes before serving (ie when you start cooking the potatoes or rice)

Serve with mashed potatoes (or rice) and your favourite steamed vegies.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is (not pointed yet)

On Core, you'll need to allocate 1/2 pt for the sachet

Almost Core Beef and Potato Curry (Slow Cooker)

Very mild curry - no 'heat' at all

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 800g lean beef, cut into 1.5 - 2cm cubes
• 12 cocktail potatoes (450g)
• * 1 sachet Master Foods Creamy Beef and Potato Curry Sachet (2pts)
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup non fat milk (ie Pura Tone)
• 2 tsp coconut essence (milk and coco essence = non fat coco milk!)
• 3 TB tomato paste
• 4TB cornflour (to thicken), mixed with a little of the water to make a paste

Method:

Put all in slow cooker.
Cook on low from breakfast to dinner time.

On Core you'll need to allow 1/2 pt per serve for the flavour sachet

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is approx 28 pts, serving 6 = 4.5 pts per serve

Add 2 pts for or 3/4 cup cooked rice (2.5 pts for 1/4c raw rice)

Core Slow Cooker Chicken Green Curry

This is a fragrant green curry, it is not hot at all!

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 4 TB (50g) green curry paste (I used True Thai @ 31kj, 0 fat for 50g = 0pts)
• 650 g chicken thigh fillets, cut to approx 2 cm chunks
• 3 tsp coriander paste (or fresh in food processor)
• 3 tsp basil paste (or fresh in food processor)
• 1 cup non fat milk (I used Pura Tone)
• 1 tsp coconut essence
  (milk+essence = healthy coconut milk alternative)
• 3 TB cornflour for thickening

Method:

I put all except flour in slow cooker in the morning, turned onto auto setting (4 hours high, then switches to low).
After 10 hours I removed about 1/3 cup juices, made a paste with cornflour and stirred back though.
High for an hour to thicken.

There is no reason the cornflour couldn't be added at the start and it doesn't "need" 11 hours cooking - but I like curry meat fall-apart tender and wasn't home to supervise. I think it would be fine on high for 4 or 5 hours.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 15.5 pts, or 4 pts each for 4 servings

Add 2 pts for or 3/4 cup cooked rice (2.5pts for 1/4c raw rice)

Since it has only a few ingredients, I even worked out the kj’s – 1100kj per serve, or 264cals without rice

Core Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Warm and comforting rather than gourmet

Serves: 4 - 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 400g beef, cubed to 2-3cm
• 5 x 80g odd potatoes, halved (or equivalent cocktail 40g potatoes, or enormous potatoes quartered)
• 3 carrots, cut to 2-3cm chunks
• 1/2 a sweet potato (about 180-200g)
• 3 carrots, cut to 2-3cm chunks
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 3 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 100ml red wine (not Core, but 1 pt between 4-6 serves)
• 4 beef stock cubes
• 2 cups water
• 2 TB cornflour
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp peppercorns (for mild flavour - pick out)
• 2 tsp mixed herbs

Method:

Put potatoes in base of slow cooker, followed by meat, onions, sweet potatoes, carrots and barley Add wine, herbs, garlic.
Mix the cornflour with a little of the water to make a paste and add
Dissolve the stock cubes in rest of the water and add (fluid line should be a little below the carrots - maybe 2cm)
Put on auto setting (high for 4 hours, then switches to low) all day for tender, fall apart stew (or high for 5+ hours)

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 22 pts, or 5.5 pts each for 4 serves, or 3.5 for 6 serves

Core Slow Cooker Mexican Turkey

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 450g diced turkey, frozen or thawed
• 2 TB dried onion (or 2 small onions diced - I ran out of onions)
• 1 tsp chilli flakes (note - adjusted down to mild-medium heat. You could taste 1hr before serving and add a bit more if needed)
• 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp dried chicken stock/ 2 stock cubes
• * 1/2 cup dry kidney beans (or 1 cup tinned, drained and rinsed)
• 2 tins tomato (I used 1 tin of diced and 1 of cherry tomatoes)

Method:
* Pre-work: dry kidney beans should not be put into the slow cooker dry as temperature doesn't reach 100*C needed to degrade a natural toxin which can cause severe gastric upset. They need to be preboiled for at least 10 minutes to ensure food safety. I boil for 20 minutes, then leave covered on the stove overnight. If you can't be bothered, you can use canned which have been boiled.

In the morning, throw all into the crockpot and turn on low.
Frozen turkey - cook for 10+ hours, defrosted 6+

Serve over rice wide a side of steamed vegies

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe is 12.5pts or 3 pts per serve

Add 2 pts for or 3/4 cup cooked rice (2.5pts for 1/4c raw rice)

CORE Best Roast Beef Ever - Slow Cooker

This was voted best ever roast from hubby. High praise indeed!
It was moist, tender and full of flavour and the small amount of left overs made awesome sandwiches with corn relish.

Best of all, it requires about 1 minute of preparation, only 2 ingredients and cooks while you get on with your day!

Serve with mashed potato, gravy and vegies

Serves: adjustable

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• Boneless beef roast, fat removed - a 1kg roast will do 4-6 people
  
• 1/2 packet french onion soup mix
  

Method:
Well, two ingredients and a slow cooker - do I really need to write the method? OK...

Sprinkle dry French Onion Soup Mix over the roast and put in Slow Cooker on low with no moisture.

I cooked mine on low all day from 7am to 7pm while I was at work and at the gym.
It would probably only need about 8 hours to be 'done', but the extra time makes it extra tender. Alternatively, 4+ hours on high would do it too.

Not on Core? The total Points for this recipe depends on how much meat you eat
100g raw weight = 2pts, 150g = 3pts etc

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 Slow Cooker 4 Grain Porridge

Serves: 6-8

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup long grain brown rice
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats
• 1/2 cup burghul
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1 400g tin apricot halves in juice (I didn't drain)
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup Tone milk
• a dash of vanilla essence (about 3 tsp)
• 1 tsp mixed spice

Method:

Spray inside slow cooker bowl with cooking spray.
Throw all in on low at 9.30 pm, off at 7:00 am.

It came out really thick and "creamy". I added about 1/4 cup of milk on top of my serve and some Splenda as I like porridge slightly sloppy rather than like glue LOL

You could use other grains, but keep the proportions the same. I suggest using whole grains or steel cut grains, rather than the rolled type or it might all go to a mushy paste.

If leaving out the fruit, add another cup of fluid (proportion is 1 cup grain to 3 cup fluid, I figured the tinned fruit made up 1 cup).

BTW - the juice from the canned fruit is not technically Core, but was only 1/2 cup juice in the can, or 1 pt between 6-8 serves...

CORE Slow Cooker Lemon Roast Chicken

A lovely moist roast chicken with subtle lemon flavour. It will fall off the bone.

Serves: 4+ (I used a 1.6 kg chicken and it served 6)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 large lemons (or 4 small)
• a chicken (or chickens) of size to suit your family

Method:

Cut the bumps of the end of the lemons. Cut 1 or 2 thin slices off each end. This will leave you with lemon chunks about 4 cm thick. Cut these in half so you have 2 lemon rings each about 2 cm thick. Put 2 or 3 lumps in the bottom of the slow cooker bowl - we're using these as "legs" to prop up the chicken to dry roast it.
Insert a few of the lemon slices into the carcass, making sure you have 4 slices left.
The chicken will cook better if you close the legs/carcass "hole". You can do this by tying the legs together, or use the "Chicken Shop Crossed Legs" method - stretch one leg away from the body, with sharp knife cut a 1 cm slit in the loose skin, pop opposite "ankle" through, then the other.
Put chicken on props, lay a slice of lemon on each breast, one on the tummy, and half slice each on the leg/thigh.
Put chicken in slow cooker bowl.
Optional - If you have time, put lid on and fridge at least overnight. Take out of fridge an hour or 2 before putting onto heat.
Add a thin layer of boiling water to bottom of slow cooker bowl, about 1/3 -1/2 cup.
Cook on low heat for about 8 or 9 hours or high for about 4.
Serve.

Optional - if your other family members are skin eaters, you may wish to brown off in oven/grill as the chicken is pale.