Roasted tomato and eggplant pasta.
1 eggplant cubed
4 large tomatoes cut into eighths or a punnet of cherry tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Pasta (enough for two) (Gluten free if you like – 100g of dry pasta should be enough)
Olive oil
(Add 100 grams of grilled chicken breast to make it a little more figure friendly)
Preheat oven to 200c. Place tomatoes on one oven tray, eggplant on another and season (make sure the trays are oiled or lined with baking paper). Cook until everything is a bit shrivelled. In the meantime boil the water and cook the pasta, drain. In the saucepan fry the garlic in about a tablespoon or two of oil, then put the pasta back in the pot along with the tomatoes and eggplant, toss, and season.
Serve with parmesan if you like (but I don’t think it’s needed). You can also add sliced grilled prosciutto if you want some meat in there.
May 26, 2008
Chicken Risotto w/ Mushrooms & Tomatoes.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
2 skinless chicken breasts
25 grams of butter
25 grams of onion, finely chopped
175 grams of risotto rice (Arborio)
600 mls good quality chicken stock
3 mushrooms, finely chopped
1 large ripe tomato, skinned, seeded and finely chopped
Parsley, salt and freshly ground pepper to garnish.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken breasts and fry 2-3 minutes until lightly coloured on both sides. Transfer to a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until tender.
Warm serving plates in oven – careful not to break them or burn yourself!
Melt the butter in a big saucepan, add the chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until softened. Stir in the rice until the grains are fully coated, then cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock in a ladle at a time. Make sure each addition is absorbed before you add the next. Continue until the rice is “al dente”. You may not need all of the stock – you will need some for garnish, but freeze whatever you don’t need for next time. Add the mushrooms and half of the tomato, fork through until evenly mixed and warmed through then season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the risotto onto the pre-warmed serving plates. Slice the chicken breasts and arrange on top then spoon the remaining tomato around the edge of the plate/s. Drizzle a little of the remaining stock around the risotto and garnish with parsley.
January 19, 2008
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1kg chicken mince
2kgs vegetables (I used 2 large diced onions and made up to a kilogram with chopped red capsicum and celery. Then I make up a separate kilogram of vegetables using sliced mushrooms and diced zucchini)
1 large jar pasta sauce (I use the 785g Dolmio Chunky Bolognaise – Tomato, Onion & Garlic)
1 sachet tomato paste
1 can crushed tomatoes
Crushed chilli to taste (optional)
Italian herbs to taste
2 chicken stock cubes
Salt & pepper to taste.
Method:
1. Heat oil in large pot and add the onions, red capsicum and celery. Cook until onion is soft.
2. Add chicken breast and cook through, breaking up large chunks while it is cooking (you don’t have to brown chicken as it will cook through the duration of the cooking process).
3. Add the tomato paste and stir while you cook the ‘raw’ flavour out of it. Season with chili, herbs, salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock cubes. Add the pasta sauce and mix well.
Add the remaining vegetables.
4. Lower the heat and simmer until sauce is nice and thick. If the sauce isn’t thickening, mix 2 teaspoons of gluten-free cornflour with a bit of water to make a liquid and stir through the dish until the sauce thickens.
5. Portion into 10 freezer-safe food containers and pop in the freezer!
Nutritional Breakdown:
Calories: 245
Fat: 4g (1g saturated)
Carbs: 19g
Protein: 32g
December 26, 2007
Minestrone with Chicken
1 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic if you like
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups beef stock
1 400g can crushed tomatoes
1 sachet tomato paste
1 200g can red kidney beans
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup uncooked pasta (penne or elbows are good)
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (steam in the microwave or grill if you prefer)
Heat oil, add onion and garlic and cook over low heat till soft. Add everything else except pasta and chicken, bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and chicken and cook for a further 10 minutes or until all vegies are cooked. Serve topped with a tablespoon of shaved parmesan. You might need to add a cup or so of water if the stock is not enough liquid.
Oh yeah, in case you haven’t used canned beans before: you need to rinse them, or they’ll be all gloopy.
Makes 4 serves
December 26, 2007
Quick Asian chicken salad
(Serves 2)
2 chicken breast fillets, skin removed
Whole baby Cos lettuce, washed
½ cucumber, sliced thinly
1 cup fresh coriander leaves, loosely packed
Small handful of raw cashews
Dressing
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons palm sugar (or substitute brown sugar)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons water
Arrange lettuce, cucumber and coriander leaves in two large serving bowls, cover and refrigerate until required. Cook chicken breasts under a hot grill until cooked through. While chicken is cooking, combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a small non-stick pan and cook cashews, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until browned. Slice cooked chicken and arrange on top of salad leaves, sprinkle cashews over. Serve dressing separately – add as much, or as little as you like.
You could have a piece of fruit afterwards as your carb portion
December 26, 2007
Stir-fried chicken with lemon basil
Serves 4
500g chicken breast, diced
425g can straw mushrooms, drained
1 tbs ginger, chopped
1 tbs oyster sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 tbs fish sauce
Shake of white pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 chilli, sliced finely
1 tbs oil
40 leaves of sweet basil
6 kaffir lime leaves, shredded or substitute a tsp of shredded lime or lemon peel
Heat wok, add oil. Fry ginger, garlic and lime leaves until golden. Add chicken, fry until almost cooked. Add mushrooms, oyster sauce, fish sauce, pepper, sugar and chilli. Toss until well combined and chicken is cooked. Toss basil through, serve with rice.
Add any other vegies you like – broccoli or asparagus are nice, so is capsicum. You can steam them separately and then stir through the chicken mixture before serving.
Kaffir lime leaves are available from Asian grocery stores, either frozen or dried. The frozen ones are best. If you can’t get them, substitute a tsp of grated lemon rind.
December 26, 2007
Chicken and Yoghurt Curry
Serves 4
1kg chicken pieces
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp chopped ginger
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
1 tbs oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
½ cup low fat yoghurt
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
extra chopped coriander to garnish
Blend onion, garlic, ginger and fresh coriander in a blender or food processor until smooth. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan and fry the blended mixture, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add turmeric, garam masala, salt and chilli powder and fry for a further minute. Stir in yoghurt and tomatoes and fry until liquid dries up and the mixture is the consistency of a thick puree. Add chicken pieces, turning them in the mixture to coat, then turn heat low, cover tightly and cook until chicken is tender (about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces). If liquid from the chicken has not evaporated by this time, uncover and raise the heat to dry off excess liquid. Stir gently at base of pan to prevent burning. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with rice or chapatis.
December 26, 2007
Chive Mustard Chicken
variation of a really easy, but very nice way to cook chicken I found in a cook book – also a good one to cook extra for lunch.
- 2 Chicken Breats diced into bite size cubes
- Olive oil spray
- Garlic (if you’re that way inclined)
- 1/2 Shallot chopped, or I just use 1/2 chopped onion
- Finely chopped chives (I chop my chives & freeze them in ice cubes trays to always use fresh herbs – I noramlly use about 3-4 cubes)
- Vegetable stock
- Mustard Powder
Heat electric frypan & spray bottom with olive oil spray. Add Chicken, Garlic, Shallot/Onion, chives and saute for 5 min. Add 1 cup vegetable stock mixed with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon mustard powder. Cover & simmer until heat reduces (about 10 minutes). Serve
December 26, 2007
3. Add the vegetables, stir to mix through and put the lid on. Lower the heat and simmer until vegetables are cooked through. Keep stirring during this process to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
4. When the vegetables are cooked, check the sauce. If it is too runny, mix about 2 teaspoons of cornflour with a bit of cold water and pour into the curry. Stir until the mixture thickens.
* Add a small amount of curry to start with, you can always add more to taste later. It’s easier to add to it than take away!! Not sure what the brand of my curry paste is called although I know it on sight. I buy it from the international section of Coles. Use a concentrated curry paste, not a jar of curry paste like Pataks. They are too high in calories.
