This is so easy to make there’s really no need to buy ready made – honest! Ideal served with low fat pitta chips and lamb kofta kebabs.
250ml or 1/2 pint low fat greek yogurt
1 clove garlic crushed
1/3 cucumber washed and grated on largest side of grater
salt
Put the yogurt into a bowl.
Add the crushed garlic.
Squeeze out all liquid from the grated cucumber and add the bowl.
Add the salt, mix together and have a taste – adjust seasoning if needed.
See I told you it was easy ;0)
I have adapted this from a Jamie Oliver recipe from his ‘At Home with Jamie’ book. These are great on the barbie served with flatbread/pitta bread, salad and chilli sauce or homemade tzatziki.
Serves 4
500g minced lamb
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 level tablespoon ground chilli
1 level tablespoon ground cumin
salt and pepper
Soak 8 wooden skewers in warm water for at least 30 mins.
Mix all ingredients together and then divide into 8 balls.
Roll out each ball into a sausage shape around a skewer until you have 8 kebabs.
Cook on the BBQ or on a health grill for 5-10 mins until cooked through.
This is adapted from an Ainsley Harriot recipe from his brilliant ‘Low Fat Meals in Minutes’ book. This salad is just so delicious and perfect as a light starter for a dinner party as it so easy to make and looks very impressive. Use parmesan if you can’t find pecorino.
Serves 4
12 button onions halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
25g or 1oz of pecorino or parmesan
100g or 4oz rocket leaves
salt and pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees.
Place the onions in a shallow roasting tin and drizzle the oil over. Season and drizzle over half the balsamic vinegar.
Roast onions for 25-30 mins, stirring halfway through until softened and browned.
Drizzle over the remaining balsamic and leave to cool.
Divide the rocket between 4 plates, add the onions and shave pecorino over. Drizzle with the pan juices and serve. Yum!
This is adapted from a Rosemary Conley recipe from her wonderful ‘Low Fat Cookbook’. This is so filling and full of flavour you’d never think it was low fat! Great served with the Quick and Easy Flatbreads or basmati rice if you prefer.
SERVES 4
2 carrots chopped
1 large potato peeled and chopped
1/2 cauliflower cut into small florets
225g or 8oz courgettes chopped
75g or 3oz green breans cut in half across
1 rounded tablespoon Pataks curry paste – I like the tikka masala paste
1 veg stock cube
450 ml or 3/4 pint of water
150 ml or 1/4 pint passata (sieved tomatoes)
2 green chillies, seeded and finely chopped
400g or 14oz tinned chickpeas drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
Spray a large saucepan with oil and heat gently. Add the carrots, potato and cauliflower and let it cook gently with the lid on for a few minutes.
Add the courgettes, green beans and coriander and cook with the lid on for another 5 mins.
Add the stock cube, water, passata, red pepper. chillies, tikka paste, chickpeas, salt & pepper and simmer for 20-30 mins.
Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve with rice or flatbreads and some mango chutney – gorgeous and guilt free!
This is adapted from Ainsley Harriott’s ‘All New Meals in Minutes’ which has some excellent low fat recipes in it. This flatbread is a perfect partner for my veg and chickpea curry….oooh it’s making my mouth water just thinking about it!
Makes 4 breads
4 tablespoons low fat natural yogurt
1 egg lightly beaten
225g or 8oz self raising flour (plus extra for dusting)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1 large red chilli very finely chopped (optional)
Heat a large non-stick frying pan.
Mix 4 tablespoons of the yogurt with enough warm water to make 120ml (4fl oz) then stir in the beaten egg.
Put the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yogurt mixture, the coriander and chilli. Mix into a soft dough.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 secs until smooth. Divide into 4 portions and roll each into an oval shape about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick.
Spray the heated frying pan with oil and cook the flatbreads for 4-5 mins each side until cooked through and lightly golden.
These freeze really well so it would be a great idea to make double the quantity and freeze the ones you don’t need.
This is so delicious, economical and all cooks in one pot – brilliant! I use a large saute pan for this.
1kg pork belly ribs (also known as thick pork rashers)
1 onion diced
5cm piece fresh ginger grated
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 large red pepper cut into large dice
1 bunch (2-3 heads) bok choy roughly choppped
Basmati rice to serve
Preheat oven to 160/140 fan forced.
Lightly spray a large flameproof casserole and preheat on high. Cook the ribs until well browned on all sides. Remove to a plate and drain the fat from the pan.
Cook onion, garlic, ginger until onion is soft. Return ribs to pan. Combine sauces, honey and 1/2 cup water and pour over ribs. Bring to the boil and then cover and place in the oven to bake for one hour.
Remove ribs from pan and keep warm. Skim any fat from the braising liquid. Add the pepper and let the sauce simmer for 5 mins to let the pepper soften.
Add the bok choy and turn up the heat so that it wilts.
Serve the ribs and sauce on a bed of rice in large bowls – just divine!
This is a very substantial meal with a nice salad on the side and serves 6 generously. Believe it or not is it is also low in fat and calories! 12g fat and 340 cals per serve. Amazing! You may need to make this in two dishes..depending on how big your dishes are.
600g pumpkin peeled and chopped into chunks
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
pinch of chilli powder
250ml passata (sieved tomatoes)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 veg stock cube or 1 tsp stock powder
1 tablespoon tomato puree
250g frozen spinach, thawed and excess liquid removed
375g fresh low fat ricotta
pinch ground nutmeg
200g instant dried cannelloni tubes
100g grated mozzarella
Place the pumpkin in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring it to the boil and then simmer for 10-15 mins or until tender. Drain and then mash. Put in a large bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Spray a pan with oil and add the onion and garlic. Put on the lid and let the onion and garlic soften on a low heat for 5 mins.
Then add the tinned tomatoes, chilli, sugar, stock cube/powder, passata and tomato puree and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let is simmer for 5 mins and then taste it and adjust seasoning if needed.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees (fan assisted).
Add the spinach and ricotta to the mashed pumkin and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper – mix well.
Spread the bottom of your dish(es) with a few ladlefuls of the tomato sauce.
Now fill the cannelloni tubes with the pumpkin mixture. This is a little bit messy! The easiest way I find is to use a knife to push it down or you can using an icing syringe. Lay the tubes side by side in the dish in a single layer.
Once you have filled all the tubes (it should be the whole box), cover with the remaining tomato sauce.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake in the oven for 40 mins until golden.
* I haven’t tried this yet but I think that it would work really well with lasagne sheets instead of cannelloni tubes and would save a lot of time :0)