Zucchini Cottage Slice with Herb Fish - 450 Calories per serve

Zucchini Cottage Slice with Herb Fish - 450 Calories per serve

Serves: 8 (450 calories per serve)

Preparation Time: 25 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

850g zucchini - 102 calories

60g Vita-Weat Biscuits - 258 calories

Freshly ground black pepper.

400g lite cottage cheese - 368 calories

Small onion - 20 calories

6 green stuffed olives - 30 calories

5 cloves garlic - 25 calories

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan - 70 calories

1 desert spoon dried mint - neg

1 desert spoon dried parsley - neg

1/4 cup (30ml) extra virgin olive oil - 550 calories

Juice of 1/2 lemon - 15 calories

Fish per person: 200g white filleted fish thawed or fresh & 3 slices fresh lemon each - 200 calories each

1x 100g red skinned potato per person - 70 calories each

Coconut oil spray & foil to wrap fish. (calories include in above)

METHOD

Brush herb mixture over sliced zucchini

After first layer

Cooked Cottage Zucchini Slice

• Wash & slice zucchini into 3mm slices and set aside. Slice onion fine and set aside separately.
• Using a food processor * roughly process Vita-Weat biscuits. Place cottage cheese in bowl and stir in crushed biscuit.
• In food processor finely process olives, garlic, mint, parsley, lemon juice and oil. Place 2 teaspoons of the mixture aside for the fish.
• Lightly spray a lamington tray or 17x30cm casserole dish with coconut oil.
• Divide zucchini into 3 portions and layer the first on the base of the tray. Brush zucchini with oil paste and top with 1/3 cheese and biscuit mixture crumbling over evenly.
• Repeat process twice more ending with the cottage mixture. Top with Parmesan.
• Place in moderate oven and bake for 50-60 minutes
• Cut of enough foil to cover a fish fillet and lay on bench. Lightly spay with coconut oil and place one fillet on each piece of foil.
• Brush fillets with the remainder of the herb mixture and lay 3 slices of lemon on top. Seal fish completely and place in oven on tray after zucchini slice has cooked for 20 minutes.
• In the last 6 minutes cook potatoes in microwave on high and serve one with 1/8 of the slice. Remove foil from fish by placing on plate, opening foil, tearing in two and then sliding out from under fish.
  
  
  NOTES:
• Prepare extra fish and freeze for easy baking another day.
• Prepare double herb mixture and freeze in ice-cube trays for basting other meals.
• Olive oil can be used in place of the coconut oil. Omitting the Parmesan is not preferable as it is what gives the top a tasty cheese flavour.
• Slice can be reheated the next day and tastes just as good.
• * I use a small hand-mix type processor for many of my recipes. It is smaller and less cumbersome to use and clean.

Nutty Lemon Tuna Cakes - 144 calories each

Nutty Lemon Tuna Cakes - 144 calories each

Serves: up to 7 (288 Calories per 2 patties - makes 7 patties)
Total calories per recipe: 1007

Preparation Time: 10 minutes. 

INGREDIENTS

2 Ryvita Biscuits - 79 calories

25g Walnuts - 184 calories

Freshly ground black pepper.

2 Large Spring Onions/ shallots 60g - 20 calories

425g Tinned tuna in brine (drained) - 485 calories (less brine)

2 large egg whites - 30 calories

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice - 25 calories

300g light cottage cheese - 184 calories

METHOD

• Drain tuna and place in large bowl.
• Finely slice spring onion and add to tuna.
• In food processor finely process Ryvita, ground pepper and walnuts together.
• Add lemon juice and egg whites and stir in well.
• Add Cottage cheese and mix until well combined and tuna well broken up.
• Divide into 7 patties (using a 1/3 cup measure packed with mixture) and form into balls with hands.
• Gently pat down and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Dry fry or add olive oil for better flavour (add calories) for 3 minutes each side or until well browned.
  
  
  NOTES:
• The patties are quite soft inside. When you fry them you want a nice crisp top. We prefer to use the olive oil as it is a good oil in out diet but you will have to add the calories and perhaps only have one patty instead of two. This may be difficult as these are delicious and a favourite meal in our home. I think the cheese gives it a naughty cheese flavour.
• Freeze extra patties for easy to make meals.
• Add side salad calories. Avocado is nice with this meal but be conservative as it is healthy but fattening.

Indonesian Scallops - 305 calories per serve

Indonsesian Scallops - 305 Calories per serve

Serves: 3 (305 Calories per serve)
Total calories per recipe: 913

Preparation Time: 5 minutes. 

INGREDIENTS

290g Broccoli - 50 calories

400g Frozen or fresh scallops - 302 calories

500g Frozen Stir fry vegetables supreme - 165 calories

3 teaspoon Sesame oil - 120 calories

1/2 teaspoon Guar gum (Xanthan gum) - 4 calories

Sauce

3 Tablespoons Ketjup mantis - 90 calories

1 Tablespoon minced ginger - 15 calories

3 Tablespoons Ketjup mantis - 90 calories

2 Tablespoons oyster sauce - 30 calories

3 Tablespoons Hoi Sin sauce - 99 calories

1/2 inch fresh (frozen) ginger (grated) - 5 calories

Juice of 1/2 large lemon - 15 calories

METHOD

• Wash and cut broccoli into small pieces and set aside.
• Combine all sauce ingredients into a bowl.
• Combine sesame oil and Guar gum in a small bowl or glass.
• Heat no-stick wok or fry-pan and add broccoli and frozen vegetables, frying until thawed.
• Add scallops and sauce and stir until cooked.
• Lastly add oil mixture and stir though until the juice thickens. Divided mixture into 3 potions and serve.

Asparagus & Chicken Soup - 133 Calories per serve

Asparagus & Chicken Soup - 133 Calories per serve

Serves: 8 ( 144 Calories per serve - Approx 2 cups per serve)
Total calories per recipe: 1064

Preparation Time: 10 minutes. 

INGREDIENTS

Light spray Coconut or olive oil - 10 calories

100g large onions - 27 calories

3 garlic cloves - 15 calories

440g chicken breast fillets (all skin & fat removed) - 462 calories

3 x 340g tins asparagus spears (drained) - 117 calories

200g grated carrot - 60 calories

4 Massel chicken stock cubes - 120 calories

220g can sliced mushroom in butter sauce - 70 calories

70g pearl barley - 223 calories

30g dried grated Parmesan cheese - 141 calories

100g Low Fat Ricotta - 34 calories

14 cups water

Freshly ground salt and pepper (to taste)

1 teaspoon. Olive oil - 45 calories

1 1/2 teaspoons (5g) Guar gum (Xanthan gum) - 10 calories

METHOD

• Dice onion or use frozen diced onion.
• Finely dice chicken breasts and set aside. Grate carrot and place in heat proof bowl and add stock cubes.
• Finely chop asparagus and add to carrots.
• Boil 4 cups of water and add to grated carrot to dissolve the stock cubes.
• Combine olive oil and Guar gum well in small bowl and set aside.
• Lightly spray large saucepan with coconut or olive oil. Add garlic and onion and cook I minute.
• Add chicken to onion mix and cook stirring until meat is sealed.
• On medium heat add stock and carrot asparagus mixture to saucepan and stir.
• Boil remaining 10 cups of water and pour into saucepan.
• Add mushrooms, barley, Parmesan and ricotta and stir well.
• Bring to the boil then lower the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add oil and Guar gum mixture, slowly drizzling it into the mixture as you stir to thicken.
• Cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with fresh herbs if desired.

Tuna & Cheese Bake - Under 300 Calories

Tuna & Cheese Bake (Ignore the garlic toast at the back. That was for hubby)

Serves: 3-4 (197-263 Calories per serve)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

60g Light Ricotta - 61 calories

185g tin Tuna in springwater (drained) - 144 calories

40g Mushrooms - 10 calories

100g Carrots - 30 calories

25g onion - 7 calories

400g Zucchini - 48 calories

25g Potato flour - 80 calories

50g corn kennels - 105 calories

4 egg whites - 60 calories

30g Ground almonds - 174 calories

10g Parmesan cheese - 39 Calories

Coconut or olive oil spray - 30 calories

METHOD

• Prepare baking tray with light spray of coconut or olive oil.
• Dice mushrooms and grate carrot and zucchini.
• Add all ingredients except for almonds in bowl and mix throughly.
• Sprinkle with ground almonds.
• Bake in moderate oven 30 minutes or until cooked through.
  
  NOTES:
  This is a high protein dish. Serve it on a bed of light green salad and tomatoes. (add calories)

Healthier Carbonara with Chicken - 312 Calories per serve

Healthier Carbonara with Chicken - 317 Calories per serve

Serves: 12 (312 Calories per 325g serve - approximately 97 Calories per 100g)
Total calories per recipe: 3750

Preparation Time: 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon minced garlic - 15 calories
1 cup chicken stock - 8 calories (Use stock to keep vegetables or meat from sticking as you stir-fry)
600g Broccoli (2 small heads) - 110 calories
420g Red and Green capsicums (approx 3 medium) - 90 calories
560g Carrots - 180 calories
120g Diced Onion (1cup) - 40 calories
500g Chicken breast fillets (no Skin) - 750 calories
80g Bacon (trimmed of all fat and rind & diced) - 160 calories
500g Vetta High Fibre Low GI Pasta - 1830 calories
560g Jar Dolmio Carbonara pasta sauce - 592 calories


METHOD

• Wash and finely chop capsicum, carrots and onions (or use frozen onion) placing carrots in one bowl and capsicum & onion in another.
  
• Cut stalks off broccoli heads and chop finely and add to carrots. Cut heads into bite size florettes and place in another bowl.
  
•  Cut chicken breasts into small bite size pieces and set aside.
  
• Bring to the boil approximately 4 litres of water in large saucepan for cooking pasta. Add pasta and cook until entente.Drain pasta and set aside.
  
• While cooking pasta heat a large wok or non-stick fry-pan, add garlic stirring for 30 seconds then add carrots and broccoli stems. Stir-fry until almost cooked through and set aside.
  
• Use stock a little at a time to keep vegetables or meat from sticking as you cook each ingredient.
  
• Next add bacon pieces and onion and cook well. Set aside.
  
• Add chicken to pan and cook through. Make sure you don’t overcook and dry out the chicken. Set aside with bacon and add the pasta sauce and stir through.
  
• Add broccoli tops and capsicum to pan adding a little stock and cook with lid on. This will make the broccoli bright and green!
  
• Place all ingredients back into the wok/pan and stir through. Cook for about  5 minutes or until you are sure the meat is cooked.
  
• Serve on its own in a bowl or with a side salad.
  
• Freeze left overs for ready made low-calorie hunger buster meals.

Sunny Chickpea Salad - 167 Calories per serve

Sunny Chickpea Salad - 167 Calories per serve

Serves: 4 (167 Calories per serve )
Total calories per recipe: 667

INGREDIENTS
200g Seafood salad extender - 190 calories
400g Canned Chickpeas (drained) - 328 calories
4 Cups Asian lettuce Salad Mix - 40 calories
50g Yellow capsicum - 10 calories
200g Continental cucumber (skin on) - 20 calories

DRESSING:
50g Low-Fat Yogurt - 44 calories
20g Dijon Mustard - 25 calories
1/2 lemon - 10 calories

METHOD
Wash Asian mix and divide onto plates.
Roughly chop seafood salad and place into large bowl.
Slice cucumber on angle and cut slices in half. Seed and chop capsicum.
In a mug or small container mix together yogurt and mustard until well combined.
Place seafood, chickpeas, capsicum and cucumber in a bowl and stir through dressing.
Divided mixture onto Asian lettuce and add a squeeze of lemon juice to serve.

NOTES:

I recommend you don’t skip the last step. The lemon juice is important for the taste of this dish.
Remember to drink water!

SEAFOOD STIR-FRY WITH LENTILS - 308 Calories

SEAFOOD STIR-FRY WITH LENTILS - 308 Calories

SEAFOOD STIR-FRY WITH LENTILS - 308 Calories

Serves: 6 (308 Calories per serve - approximately 79 Calories per 100g)
Total calories per recipe: 1911

Preparation Time: 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
420g Yellow capsicum & or yellow peppers - 90 calories
200g Carrots - 10 calories
300g Zucchini - 36 calories
820g Seafood salad extender - 805 calories
400g Can of brown lentils (drained) - 292 calories
400g Can of corn kernels (drained) - 292 calories
300g Frozen sliced beans - 120 calories
60g Fish sauce - 34 calories
60g Oyster sauce - 90 calories
1 teaspoon Sesame oil - 45 calories
1 tbsp. Grated fresh ginger - 5 calories

METHOD
Wash and roughly chop peppers, carrots and zucchini into small pieces. Add beans, stir and set aside.
Roughly chop seafood salad and place into large bowl.
Drain lentils and corn and add to seafood.
In a mug or small container mix together sauces and oil.
Heat no-stick wok or fry-pan and add vegetables, frying until cooked.
Add seafood, lentils and corn and heat through.
Lastly add sauce mixture and stir though. Divided mixture into 6 potions and serve.

NOTES:
SEAFOOD SALAD:
I buy the blank label 1kg packets of Seafood Salad in the frozen section of the supermarket and keep in the freezer for convenience.

TASTY BACON OMELETTE - 170 Calories

Omelettes are one of the best light but filling meals you can have to keep on track with a low calorie eating plan. These are my back stop for staying on track even when I am not so disciplined. They can keep the calories much lower for the day. Use whites instead of whole eggs whenever you can to save you calories and fat intake.

TASTY BACON OMELETTE - 170 Calories

INGREDIENTS:
½ med zucchini (125g), grated – 15 Calories
3 mushrooms sliced (60g) -15 Calories
½ cup diced onion or leek (30g) – 10 Calories
1 tbsp. Hormel Real Bacon pieces – 25 Calories
Fresh finely chopped parsley – neg Calories
2 egg whites and 1 whole egg – 105 Calories

METHOD:
Sauté onion and mushrooms and add zucchini spreading over the frypan. Pour over whisked egg and sprinkle with bacon & parsley. Cook until done. Fold over with spatula and serve.

LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS – 87 Calories each

LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS
Great for a sweet treat or the kid's lunch box. Only 87 Calories each!

87 calories each. Makes 43 small muffins.
Total recipe = 3747 calories (Halve recipe for a smaller batch)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups S.R flour – 1110 calories
2 cups Wholemeal Pain flour – 980 calories
4 tsp. baking powder – 20 calories
4 tbsps. poppy seeds – 180 calories
¹/₂ cup brown sugar – 480 calories
4 heaped tsp. No egg (egg replacer) – 20 calories (if using real eggs add extra cals)
2 tsp. vanilla extract – 10 calories
2 cups low-fat milk – 260 calories 
¹/₄ cup canola oil – 550 calories
200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice – 52 calories
Ground cinnamon
Baking spray – 85 calorie allowance for oiling – omit if you use paper patty pans.
 

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees on fan forced setting. Sparingly spray non-stick muffin baking tins or lay out paper pans.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder, and add poppy seeds.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, no-eggs, vanilla, milk, oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry, just enough to combine. The batter will be very fluffy.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups with a heaped dessert spoon and dust with cinnamon. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out dry. Cool on a wire rack.
 

RECIPE TIPS:

• Reduce calories by replacing flour with stoneground flour. Stoneground = 280 Calories per 140g (cup) compared to wholemeal at 490 calories. 
• If you like a stronger lemon flavour add 1 tsp. lemon essence. (We prefer more natural ingredients) 
• Replace lemon zest and juice with orange for a change. 
• Freeze small batches to avoid picking at these yummy treats. 
• They are ideal for kid’s lunch boxes. 
• Replace oil with butter if you don’t want to use trans fats at all. Try near equivalent calories – 75g butter. (I plan to do this in future)

CHEESY RYE SNACK - 70-98 Calories per snack

Use sheets of mountain bread or pita bread as savoury snacks with a light dip. Mountain bread is the lightest. 1/2 sheet sprinkled with garlic powder, baked in the oven until crisp on baking paper and no oil will give you a treat at around 70 Calories. I use Rye mountains bread.

• A light sprinkle of grated parmesan is very tasty. Add 10 grams per ½ sheet for a snack of 98 Calories. 
• Try a thin layer of tomato paste and herbs for a pizza style chips and low calories. 
• Hot and spicey: A light spray with water and dust with chilli powder (don't breath it in!)
•  Use plain nacho chips in this recipe: Mild Spinach Nacho Treat Meal

See how the kids can get in volved HERE

Encouraging kids to eat healthy by playing healthy.

Getting the kids on board with healthy eating.

Getting the whole family to eat healthy can sometimes be a challenge. Kids can be quite agreeable if you get them involved with the cooking process and make it fun. My littlies love Nachos, so we make a healthy version from mountain bread. You can give the kids a pair of scissors and they can cut out their own shapes. They can make teddy bears or any shape that appeals to them. being more interactive encourages healthy eating.

Pop the shapes into the oven on baking paper to crisp up. Then add a lean topping: Fried lean mince (can boil first to get fat out if you wish), tomato salsa (made form fresh tomatoes and herbs), avocado and a sprinkle of shaved parmesan. Cut out a few hearts for dad or mum and he/she will love it too!

Get creative with your cooking and think of ways to make it an activity for the kids. Post any ideas you come up with. I would love more for my family too.

See our healthy nacho recipe here: Mild Spinach Nacho Treat Meal
Make some cheese rye snack from the mountain bread.

MILD SPINACH NACHO TREAT MEAL - 317 Calories

This is a healthier version of Nachos that sneaks some greens past the family. You can make more mountain bread Nachos for future use and store in air tight container for weeks. To bulk this dish into more portions and less calories you can add diced celery to the mixture. For spice lovers add chilli flakes after serving if your family prefers a milder dish.

Serves 6 (317 Calories) Total for recipe: 1901 Calories.
Note: this is based on lean meat however I boil my mince first and drain the fat off also. This will make the calories even lower. It is more likely to be under 300 calories but I have no way of measuring it.

INGREDIENTS:

500g Lean mince boiled, rinsed and drained – less than 850 calories

120g diced onion - 32 calories

2 tsp. Minced garlic – 12 calories

1 tsp. Minced jarred coriander – 4 calories

1 x 400g tin lentils (drained) - 272 calories

1 x 800g diced tomatoes - 152 calories

1 teaspoons cumin – 9 calories

1 teaspoons turmeric – 8 calories

2 tablespoons dried mixed Italian herbs – neg calories

200g tub Light Tzatziki Dip (use 30g per serve) – 140 calories (23)
35g grated parmesan – 38 calories

4 thin rice cakes – 120 calories

100g spinach leaves – 30 calories

100g alfalfa and onion sprouts – 30 calories

3 sheets of Rye mountain bread – 204 calories

METHOD:

1.     Cut mountain bread into small pieces and put on baking paper in over on medium oven until crisp. Set aside.

2.     Boil meat in plenty of water until cooked and drain in colander, set aside.

3.     While meat is cooking prepare a bed of rinsed spinach, topped with sprouts along one side of the dinner plate. Everything is divided into 6 servings. Place prepared nachos beside the salad.

4.     In a non-stich frypan, sauté garlic, onion until clear, then add herbs & spices.

5.     Add drained lentils, tin tomatoes and optional spice like chilli if you prefer.

6.     Add boiled mince and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add crushed rice cakes just before dividing mixture and place on top of salad.

7.     Top with parmesan and 40g Tzatziki dip and serve.

At around 300 calories this meal is as pictured: a good size meal.
You won't go hungry on this meal and it is full of nutition!

TIP: Take advantage of baking paper in cooking. No oil is need for the frying or the oven baked nachos. Baking paper is great to use to avoid butter or oil and make sure your nachos are nice and crisp.