Middle Eastern Lamb on Chickpea and Tomato Salad

Serves 4

4 x 150g lamb backstrap fillets
2 cups low fat Natural Yoghurt
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 green capsicum, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves, torn
1/4 cup oil-free Italian Salad Dressing
1 clove garlic, crushed

Marinate lamb fillets in a combination of 1 cup yoghurt, 1 tsp cumin and coriander for minimum of 1 hour.

Combine chickpeas, capsicum, tomatoes, onion, mint and dressing in a bowl.

Stir together 1 cup yoghurt, garlic and 1 tsp cumin in a bowl.

Pan-fry lamb fillets in a non-stick pan over medium heat or until cooked through.

Place salad onto four serving plates and top with sliced lamb fillets. Finish with a generous dollop of yoghurt.

Grublover comment
This is similar to Jess' moroccan chicken and is equally simple and delicious, but uses one of my favourite meats, the lovely lamb.

You could also try serving this dish with couscous - see Jess' Cheat Moroccan Chicken.

Jess’ Cheat Moroccan Chicken

This is Jess...but not the moroccan chicken

Serves 4

Masterfoods spice mix
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
chilli flakes (optional)
cumin (optional)
2 tsp olive oil
4 chicken thighs
2 cups low-fat natural yoghurt to serve

Couscous
2 cups couscous
1/2 cup sultanas
5 spring onions, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
30 pistachios or other nuts (pine nuts are good)
1 capsicum, chopped
coriander to serve

Mix the spice mix with the lemon juice, garlic, chilli flakes, cumin and oil.

Coat the chicken in it and marinate for as long as you can.

Cook the chicken: barbeque or bake in the oven for 30 minutes (baste regularly with the sauce if baking.

Mix some cumin, cumin seeds, lemon juice and garlic into the yoghurt. Set aside and when ready, serve with the chicken.

For the cous cous, pour the boiling stock over the couscous and let rest. Fluff with a fork and stir through the capsicum, spring onion, nuts, sultanas and herbs.

Garnish with coriander and serve with some couscous and a dollop of yoghurt.

Grublover comment
Make a big serve and it is good for lunch the next day cold. I also like pouring the juices from chicken the pan over my couscous.

You could also serve this dish with the chick pea salad in the recipe for Middle-Eastern Lamb!

Jamie’s Tender and Crisp Chicken Legs with Sweet Tomatoes

Serves 4
4 chicken legs, jointed (I like to use marylands because then you get the fleshy bit and the leg. don’t use breast - it’s not strong enough)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
a big bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
2 big handfuls of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved; and ripe plum tomatoes, quartered (2 punnets if just cherrys)
1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
olive oil
1 x 410g tin of cannelini beans, drained

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (350 F).

Season your chicken pieces all over and put them into a snug-fitting pan in one layer. Throw in all the basil leaves and stalks, and chuck in your tomatoes, and drained beans.

Scatter the garlic cloves into the pan with the chopped chilli and drizzle over some olive oil.

Mix around a bit, pushing the ingredients underneath and the skin facing upwards.
Place in the oven for 1.5 hours, turning the tomatoes halfway through, until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone.

Squeeze the garlic out of the skins before serving.

Grublover comment
This is a fantastic recipe, taken from Jamie Oliver’s book, Jamie’s Dinners. It is so easy and great to make if you have guests because it is always a winner. It literally takes minutes to put together, but requires slow, gentle cooking.
If you prefer you can make it into a pasta dish - simply remove the meat from the bone and then toss it through a bowl of spaghetti.

Chicken and date tagine

Serves 4

8 skinless chicken thighs
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into wedges
300 mL chicken stock, cube or concentrate
400g tin cherry tomatoes (can use tinned plum tomatoes if not available)
1 cinnamon stick
8 Medjool dates , halved
coriander leaves from a large bunch
SPICE PASTE
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
thumb sized piece root ginger, roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp mild chilli powder
coriander roots, from a large bunch
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tb olive oil

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put all the spice paste ingredients in a small food processor with 2 tbsp olive oil and whizz to a paste.

Brown the chicken thighs all over in a tagine or large, wide pan. Remove from pan.

Add the spice paste and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.

Add the squash, onion, stock, tomatoes and cinnamon and stir. Sit the chicken on top (push down a bit into the sauce).

Cook uncovered in the oven for 1 hour - the chicken should be browned and cooked and the sauce reduced.

Add the dates for the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Scatter with coriander and serve with couscous.

Grublover comment
This is a simple and delicious meal with a moroccan feel. It is great to cook when you have guests as you can have a drink with your friends while the oven does the work for you!

Chinese chicken noodle soup

Serves 2
Cooking time: 10 minutes

600 ml chicken stock , cube or concentrate
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
50g fine egg noodles
100g shiitake mushrooms, halved
2 cooked chicken breast, skinless and shredded
50g young leaf spinach
1 red chilli, deseeded and shredded

Heat the stock, soy sauce and sesame oil in a saucepan and cook the noodles and mushrooms in the stock for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and spinach and heat through for a few more minutes.

Ladle the broth into bowls, scatter with chilli and serve.

Grublover comment
Feel free to experiment with this dish - add any green vegetables like french beans, pak choi, bean sprouts or soy bean sprouts. I would also recommend adding a handful of chopped spring onions and some coriander. Or you can try adding half a teaspoon of chinese 5 spice and soy sauce to taste.

Mustard-stuffed chicken

Serves 4

125g ball reduced fat mozzarella , torn into small pieces
50g strong reduced fat cheddar, grated
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 skinless boneless chicken breast fillets
8 lean middle bacon rashers

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C.

Mix the cheeses and mustard together.

Cut a slit into the side of each chicken breast, then stuff with the mustard mixture.

Wrap each stuffed chicken breast with 2 bacon rashers - not too tightly, but enough to hold the chicken together.

Season, place on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 mins.

Sticky Chicken Drumsticks #2

Serves 4

4 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp finely-grated fresh root ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
zest 1 lime
8 skinless chicken drumsticks

Mix together the chilli sauce, ginger, soy sauce and lime zest. Pour over the chicken drumsticks and leave to marinate for as long as you can (put them in the fridge if marinating for any longer than 30 mins).

Place the drumsticks in a shallow baking tray, shaking off any excess marinade.

Roast for 20 mins, then pour over the leftover marinade and cook for 5 mins more until sticky and browned.

Serve with steamed rice and asian greens.

Lemon-spiced chicken with chickpeas

Serves 4

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion , halved and thinly sliced
4 skinless chicken breasts , cut into chunks
1 cinnamon stick , broken in half
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
zest and juice 1 lemon
400g can chickpeas , drained
200ml chicken stock
250g bag spinach

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the onion gently for 5 mins.

Turn up the heat and add the chicken, frying for about 3 mins until golden.

Stir in the spices and lemon zest, fry for 1 more min, then tip in the chickpeas and stock. Put the lid on and simmer for 5 mins.

Season to taste, then tip in spinach and re-cover. Leave to wilt for 2 mins, then stir through.

Squeeze over the lemon juice just before serving.

Shredded thai chicken salad

Serves 2

4 tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 limes , juiced
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 small red onion , halved and finely sliced
2 cooked skinless chicken breasts , shredded
½ small white cabbage , shredded
2 large carrot , shredded
2 red chillies , shredded
a small bunch mint , roughly chopped

Combine the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar then put in a bowl with the onions.

Toss and leave for 10 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Serves 4

400g Spaghetti
1 x 400g can whole tomatoes (With Juices, Roughly Chopped)
4 Fillets Anchovies (Roughly Chopped)
1 tablespoon Capers
12 Black Olives (Pitted)
2 Garlic Cloves (Crushed)
4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (60ml)
Fresh Flat Parsley Leaf (Finely Chopped)
Salt & Pepper (Fresh Or Dried To Season)

While your spaghetti cooks in salted boiling water, prepare your sauce.

Heat up some olive oil in a large saucepan.

Add garlic and chili peppers. When garlic is golden, add anchovies, olives and capers.

Let cook for a few seconds before pouring tomatoes into the pan. Cook for approximately five minutes.

About a minute and a half before the al dente stage, drain the spaghetti and add it to the saucepan, allowing it to finish cooking in the sauce.

Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Grublover comment
When trying to cut down your fat you don't have to cut pasta altogether - simply choose tomato rather than creamy based sauces. This is one of my favourites and is bursting with flavour. If you are dining out order an entree size instead of a main - it is usually almost as large as a main anyway, and will be more than enough.

Sticky sweet sesame drumsticks

Serves 4

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
8 skinless chicken drumsticks
3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Mix together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and ginger in a gallon zip lock bag.

Add chicken drumsticks, squeeze out air, and seal the bag. Turn chicken to coat and let marinate for 2-24 hours in refridgerator.

Preheat oven to 400. Line roasting pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

Spread sesame seeds on plate.

Remove chicken from marinade. Discard leftover marinade. Dip each drumstick in the sesame seeds to coat on one side.

Place seeded-side up in the roasting pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Grublover comment
A sticky sweet drumstick. Serve with white rice and mixed vegetables.

This recipe is from the weight watchers booklet "five & under" (I got some surprisingly good recipes from these books when I was on a health kick).

Sticky chicken stir-fry with sesame seeds

Serves 2

1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
Egg noodles (2 cups cooked)
1 tsp sunflower oil
2 chicken breasts , sliced into strips
3 large carrots , cut into matchsticks
1 chopped garlic clove
1 one inch knob ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp clear honey
juice 2 limes
3 tbsp sesame seeds , toasted
small bunch coriander , roughly chopped

Rub Chinese 5 Spice into the chicken and set aside.

Cook the noodles according to pack instructions, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large wok, add the chicken, then stir-fry over a high heat for a few mins. Tip in the carrot sticks, then continue stir-frying for about 4 mins until the chicken is cooked and starting to brown.

Add garlic and a ginger and stir fry for another minute or 2.

Quickly stir in the honey and lime juice, bubble for 30 secs, then add the sesame seeds and cooked noodles. (It's easier to use tongs at this stage to mix everything together.) Warm everything through briefly, then tear coriander over the top to serve.

Recipe by Good Food.

Steak & chickpea salad with harissa yogurt dressing

Serves 2

400g tin chickpeas
½ red onion , sliced
100g cherry tomatoes , halved
a small bunch flat-leaf parsley , chopped
about 200g sirloin steak , trimmed of all fat
150ml natural yogurt
2 tbsp harissa
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 lemon

Toss together the chickpeas, red onion, tomatoes and parsley. Season the steak well and cook for 1.5 minutes each side then rest for 5 minutes.

Mix the yoghurt with the harissa, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Slice the steak, toss with the chickpeas and serve drizzled with the yoghurt.

Grublover comment
This is a delicious and easy weeknight meal, ready in 15 minutes. It is low in fat and low gi. Recipe from olive magazine.

How to Cook Low Fat

This whole site is about still enjoying cooking and enjoying food while being health conscious. It is possible to cook without using a pound of butter and a carton of cream! Believe me coming from a Greek background this was difficult for me to accept at first too, but food can still be just as delicious when it is good for you).

Tips to help you cook your favourite dishes "low fat":

1. Invest in a good, non-stick frypan and use a teaspoon of olive oil or a quick spray of cooking spray to brown or stir-fry meat or veges.

2. Grill, char-grill or barbeque meat, chicken and fish instead of frying them.

3. Trim the fat from meat and remove the skin from poultry - or buy lean cuts of meat in the first place. Look for French trimmed lamb cutlets instead of lamb chops; or the Healthy beef mince instead of hamburger mince.

4. Make use of herbs, spices, vegetables, garlic, ginger, lemon and lime juice - these ingredients all add a lot of depth and flavour to your food, and it is these sort of things that are actually missing from low fat food which makes it taste like cardboard.

5. Dry fry mince or cubed meat in a non-stick frypan. Then drain off the fat before adding other ingredients.

6. In asian curries (e.g. my favourite thai red curry), use low fat coconut milk instead of the regular kind. Avoid coconut cream as this is much higher in fat and tastes the same.

7. Flavour salads with no oil dressings - use ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar and garlic.

8. Look for low-fat options for dairy - swap regular milk for skim milk; swap your cheeses, yoghurt, and sour cream for low-fat options. It will reduce your fat dramatically without compromising flavour.

9. Try new recipes and have fun! This way you can still enjoy cooking and devouring your favourite foods, rather than cutting them out altogether.

Spanakopita aka spinach pie

Serves 8

2 bunches (about 1.5 kg) spinach or silverbeet, trimmed and washed thoroughly
200g light fetta cheese, crumbled (can substitute for extra ricotta, or a light cottage cheese if desired)
250g light ricotta cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped dill
3 tablespoons chopped mint
4 thick shallots, sliced
20 sheets filo pastry
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20 x 30cm baking dish.

Place spinach in a bowl and sprinkle lightly with water and cover with plastic. Cook in the microwave for 10 minutes or until wilted (alternatively blanch in a pot of boiling water, or steam in a steamer). Cool slightly before squeezing out excess water and chopping roughly.

Combine spinach with remaining ingredients (except for filo and oil). Season well.

Place half the filo sheets in the bottom of the prepared pan, spraying with olive oil spray well in between. Place spinach mixture on top. Top with remaining filo.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Grublover comment
I have been making a big spinach pie each week and eating it for lunches. It is healthy, delicious and much more interesting than a sandwich. Best of all, you are less likely to get those nagging mid afternoon cravings where you head out for some chocolate.
The herbs are really important as they give it some extra flavour. Feel free to add more, or substitute for other herbs if you wish.

Berry Easy Tart

1/2 cup butter
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 cups sliced strawberries or frozen berries (raspberries work well)

Topping
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp light sour cream
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 200C.

Mix butter, flour, sugar and 1 egg yolk in bowl.

When the mixture forms a ball, press into a 20cm tart tin. Line it with baking paper for easy removal. Spread the berries over the dough.

For the topping combine the yolk with sour cream and sift in the flour and sugar.

Drizzle around berries.

Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 180c and bake a further 30 minutes. Watch the oven temp plus the time in the oven as can be over-cooked. Serve with sour cream and extra berries.

Susy's Sensational Salad

Rocket
Asparagus
Avocado
Macadamia nuts

Dressing
Macadamia nut oil
Balsamic vinegar
Wholegrain mustard
Sugar

Put rocket in salad bowl.

Cook asparagus until crunchy. Cool and place on top of rocket, slice avocado on top of asparagus and then scatter with macadamia nuts.

Dress with vinaigrette made with macadamia nut oil, balsamic vinegar, little bit grainy mustard, little bit sugar - all to taste.

Grublover comment
This salad is, as the name suggests, sensational. You can have it as a snack, for lunch or serve it with some nice roast meat for a dinner that will surely impress.

Stir fried Chicken with Basil

Serves 4

4 chicken thighs, cut into cubes
2 Tb vege oil
2 Tb ginger, finely chopped
2-3 chillies
1 Tb garlic, crushed
2 Tb palm sugar, grated or sliced up if hard
2 Tb fish sauce
big handful basil leaves, Thai or common, roughly shredded
coriander leaves
extra sliced chilli for garnish
steamed rice

Heat a wok to very hot and then add the oil.

Add the ginger, chllies and garlic and cook for just a few seconds - do not burn these or your dish will be ruined.

Add the chicken and stir fry that until it is just cooked and coloured. You may need to do this in two lots if you don’t have good heat as you don’t want it to stew.
Add the palm sugar and the fish sauce and cook until the whole lot looks sticky.

Stir through the basil leaves and serve garnished with the coriander leaves and extra chilli.

Serve with the steamed rice.

Grublover comment
This is another really easy, healthy weeknight dinner for which I usually have all the supplies on hand.  It is especially nice in the summertime when we have an abundance of fresh basil in the backyard.

Wrap it up at Lunch

Tuna, spinach and capsicum (Serves 1)
Spread a soft flour tortilla with 2 tbs of low-fat cottage cheese. Scatter a handful of baby spinach leaves onto it, then tear up half a roasted red capsicum and arrange it on top (you can use capsicum from a jar, packed in brine). Add 50g drained cannellini beans and 50g drained, flaked tuna (packed in brine or spring water). Sprinkle with a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, then roll up tightly. Slice in half, and serve.

Hot chilli chicken wraps (Serves 2)
For two people, chop 1 skinless chicken breast into chunks. Roll the pieces in 1 tsp mixed dried herbs and 1 tsp mild chilli powder. Stir-fry in 1 tsp vegetable oil with 4 chopped spring onions and 1 sliced green capsicum. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add 2 chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Use the mixture to fill two tortillas then roll them up tightly.

Tortilla pizza (Serves 1)
A fast food favourite for kids that you'll enjoy too. Preheat a medium-hot grill. Place a tortilla onto a baking tray and spread with 1 tbs of tomato puree. Sprinkle 1 tsp Italian mixed dried herbs and 25g grated low-fat cheddar cheese. Top with a thinly sliced tomato and cook under the grill for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve at once.

Quesadillas with pineapple salsa (Serves 2)
For 2 people, you'll need 2 tortillas and 50g grated low-fat cheddar cheese. Start by preparing the salsa. Chop 2 pineapple rings (canned in natural juice), ½ small red onion and ¼ cucumber. Add 1 tbs chopped fresh coriander or parsley and stir to combine. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tortilla. Scatter with half of the cheese and half of the salsa. Cook for a few moments until the cheese starts to melt, then fold in half and serve. Repeat with the second tortilla.

Smoked salmon and ricotta bites (Serves 2)
For two people, spread 4 tbs low-fat ricotta cheese over 1 soft flour tortilla. Arrange 75g sliced smoked salmon on top, then add a few rocket leaves. Roll up tightly, then wrap in cling film and chill until ready to serve. Unwrap, cut into thin slices and serve with wedges of lemon.

Hommus and salad-packed wrap (Serves 1)
Shred a few crisp lettuce leaves and mix them with a handful of bean sprouts, 1 small grated carrot, some chopped cucumber, chopped tomato and a chopped spring onion. Spread 1 soft flour tortilla with 2 tbs reduced-fat hommus, pile the salad on top, season with salt and pepper, then roll up tightly. Slice in half and serve.

Roasted lamb rack with mash

Serves 4

1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp lemon rind
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, crushed
12 small lean lamb loin chop or cutlet, (2 x 6 cutlet racks of lamb)
1/2 whole stock cube, dissolved in 1/2 cup (125ml) hot water
400 g parsnip, peeled, cut into chunks
400 g potato, peeled, cut into chunks
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 tsp cumin seed
400 g fresh green beans, ends trimmed, steamed

Combine oil, lemon rind, thyme and garlic in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place lamb racks in a non-stick baking tray and spoon over marinade. Massage marinade into meat using clean hands. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 210°C. Place lamb in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place parsnips and potatoes in a medium saucepan of salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain well and return to same saucepan. Use a potato masher or hand-held wand blender to mash or process vegetables until smooth. Add milk and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Continue to mash for a further minute or until well combined.

Transfer lamb to a chopping board and set aside. Meanwhile, add stock to baking tray and place over high heat. Bring liquid to the boil, scraping pan as you are doing it. Cook for 5 minutes or until you have a sauce consistency. Carve lamb racks into 3 cutlets per person and serve with mash and beans.

Grublover comment
This is a quick and easy weeknight meal that is low in fat and high in flavour.

WW Points
7 points per serve.