Chickpea feast

 Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
400gm potatoes
2 x 300gm cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 – 4 spring onions, sliced
½ cup chopped coriander
1 - 2 Tblsp dried breadcrumbs
For the salad
½ large cucumber, sliced
8 large cocktail tomatoes, halved
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp pumpkin seeds
2 Tblsp lemon juice
½ cup fat free natural yoghurt

Method
Preheat the oven to 220ºc.

Boil the potatoes until tender.
Drain and mash well.
Add the chickpeas and mash again.
Stir through the garlic, onion and coriander.

Shape the mixture into 8 patties.
Dust with the dried breadcrumbs.
Spray the patties and a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray
Place the patties on the baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes until golden and heated through.
(You may need to use the grill to brown nicely.)

Combine the lemon juice and yoghurt in a large bowl.
Add the cucumber, tomatoes and seeds.
Turn to coat everything with the dressing.

Serve the salad with 2 patties per person .

Thai veg curry

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
350gm sweet potato, cubed
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 courgettes. chopped
100gm green beans, cut in 2cm lengths
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 – 2 Tblsp curry paste (I used Patak’s Rogan Josh)
1 cup dried red lentils
500mls veg stock

4 naan breads

Method
Spray a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.

Lightly fry the onion, celery and garlic until they begin to soften.
Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the sweet potato, lentils and stock.
Give it all a good stir and bring to the boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender.

Add the courgettes and green beans.
Cook for another 5 minutes.

Warm the naan breads.

Serve the curry with the naan breads, and some plain fat free natural yoghurt on the side if you like.

Pita pizza

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
4 whole wheat pita pockets

300gm sweet potato, cubed
1 medium aubergine, cubed
1 ±400gm can chopped tomatoes
1 large onion, sliced
20 pitted black olives, sliced
80gm low fat feta, crumbled
60gm low fat mozzarella, grated

Dried oregano

Method
Cook the sweet potato and aubergine chunks.
(The aubergine cooks much faster than the sweet potato, so start the potato
and add the aubergine for the last 10 mins.)

Lightly toast one side of the pita breads under the grill.

Spread the untoasted side with the chopped tomatoes.
Cover with onion slices.
Pile on the sweet potato and aubergine cubes.
Scatter over the cheeses and olives.
Sprinkle with oregano.

Grill until the cheeses melt and start to brown.
Serve with a salad.

Rocket Risotto

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
300gm Arborio rice
±600ml hot chicken stock

1 Tblsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200gm button mushrooms, sliced
2 – 4 courgettes, sliced

60gm grated parmesan
2 cups coarsely chopped rocket

Method

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Add the mushrooms and cook until tender.
Stir through the garlic.
Remove mushrooms and garlic from the frying pan.

Add oil to the pan.
Cook the onion and celery for 5 minutes until softened.
Tip in the rice.
Stir well to combine, and to coat the rice with oil.
Add ½ cup of stock and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
Add the courgettes.

Waiting until the previous stock has been absorbed, keep adding stock, ½ a cup at a time.
Stir frequently.
When all the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked and creamy add back the mushrooms and garlic.
Stir through the parmesan and the chopped rocket.

Serve with freshly ground black pepper and extra parmesan, if desired.

Mushroom salad

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
250gm tiny button mushrooms, sliced
200gm green beans, sliced and blanched
250gm cherry tomatoes
1 – 2 stalks celery, sliced
5cm cucumber, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 ±400gm can mixed beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, finely chopped

A few basil and mint leaves
and sprigs of watercress, chopped

2 Tblsp low fat mayo
4 Tblsp fat free natural yoghurt
Juice and rind from a lemon

Method
Combine the first eight ingredients with the chopped leaves.
Mix well.

Mix the mayo, yoghurt, rind and lemon juice together.

Serve the salad with a whole wheat roll or crusty bread on the side.

How quick and easy is that?

Spaghetti putanesca

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 – 3 sticks celery, sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes
20 pitted green olives, sliced
1 Tblsp capers, drained and chopped
4 Tblsp finely chopped parsley
1 red or green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (opt.)
4 Tblsp grated parmesan

320gms spaghetti

Method
Put the spaghetti on to cook in lightly salted boiling water.
Drain when al dente and keep warm.

Meanwhile, spray a saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.

Dry-fry the onions, celery and chilli (if using) until softened.
Add the tinned tomatoes, olives, capers, and parsley.
Cover and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.

Serve the sauce over the spaghetti, topped with the parmesan, with a salad on the side.

Pizza Toasts

Serves 4 : Very easy
Ingredients
1 French loaf
2 – 3 large tomatoes, sliced
passata or tomato paste
16 green olives (pitted)
crushed garlic (optional)
1 yellow bell pepper
1 onion, sliced
160gm fat reduced mozzarella

Method
Slice the olives.
Cut the bell pepper into thin strips.

Cut the French loaf into four, along the length.
Split each piece.
Toast both sides lightly.

Smear each toast with passata .
Spread with garlic, if using.
Now share all the toppings between the eight pieces, starting with tomato slices
Top with the grated cheese.

Grill until the cheese bubbles and turns brown.

Serve with a green salad and beetroot.

This is very quick and easy – just have everything ready before you toast the bread.

Sweet potato and chick pea wrap

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
8 low-fat wraps or rotis

±400gm can chick peas, rinsed and drained
200gm sweet potatoes, cubed
1 - 2 Tblsp curry paste
1 Tblsp chopped coriander
±400gm can tomato and onion mix

½ cup fat free natural yoghurt
1 Tblsp mint sauce
2 Tblsp mango chutney

Large bag of spinach

Method
Cook the sweet potato cubes until just tender, then drain and put them back in the pan.
Add the chick peas, curry paste, coriander and tomato and onion mix.
Stir well to combine, and heat through gently.

Warm the rotis or wraps.
Wilt the spinach.

Combine the yoghurt, mint sauce and chutney.

Spread a bed of spinach on each wrap.
Top with the chick pea sweet potato mix.
Finish with the yoghurt dressing,

Fold over one end of the wrap, then roll up from the side.
Serve 2 wraps per person.

Baked Rosti

Serves 4 : Easy : Quickish
Ingredients
4 extra large eggs

400gm potatoes
400gm sweet potatoes
1 large onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
60ml milk

1 head broccoli

Method
Grate the potatoes, sweet potatoes and onion.
Spray an oven proof dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray and place over a medium to high heat.
Tip in the grated veg and the garlic.
Keep turning until the onion softens and the potatoes begin to brown.
Turn into the oven-proof dish.
Pour over the milk.
Bake at 200ºc for 25 mins, until the potatoes are completely cooked and the top is golden and crispy.

Boil, steam or microwave the broccoli.

Poach the eggs.

Cut the baked rosti into four.
Serve beside the broccoli with a poached egg on top.

Ricotta pasta with fennel

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
300gms curly spaghetti
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
500gms cherry tomatoes
10-12 fresh basil leaves, shredded
1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
80mls water

100gms low fat ricotta, crumbled

Method
While the pasta is cooking:
Spray a saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Put the tomatoes, fennel, basil, balsamic and water in the pan.
Bring to the boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer.
Cover with a lid and allow to cook gently until the pasta is done.
(By this time the tomatoes should be squishy).

Spoon the sauce over the pasta.
Crumble the ricotta over the top.

Serve with a crisp green salad on the side.

Spring veg Lasagne

Serves 4 : Easy : This takes longer – but you can leave it to do its own thing once it’s in the oven.

Ingredients
12 baby corn cobs, each cut in 3 or 4 pieces
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large parsnips, sliced
1 medium aubergine, chopped
2 – 4 large courgettes, sliced
bunch of spring onions
1 x ±400gm tin chopped tomatoes

8 – 12 sheets no-cook lasagne

500ml fat free milk
2 Tblsp maizena
50gm fat reduced cheddar, grated
2 Tblsp grated parmesan
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 – 2 Tblsp chopped parsley

Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC.

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Put all the vegetables, from the baby corn down to the tinned tomatoes into the pan.
Stir well to combine.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for about 15 mins, until the veg are tender.

Make a white sauce with the milk and maizena.

When the vegetables are cooked, it’s time to assemble the lasagne.

Spray a large ovenproof dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Spoon one third of the vegetables into the dish.
Place lasagne sheets, in a single layer, over the veg.
Spoon quarter of the white sauce over the lasagne sheets.
Repeat these three layers, finishing with the white sauce.
Sprinkle over the grated cheeses.
Decorate with the halved cherry tomatoes.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 – 50 minutes.
Allow to stand for 10 mins before serving.


To ensure the lasagne sheets cook nicely, I usually lay them in hot water while I spoon the other stuff into the dish.

Talking sticks

Serves 4 : Easy : Quick
Ingredients
180gm haloumi
2 large courgettes
neck of a large butternut
1 medium aubergine

4 Tblsp reduced fat pesto mixed with 4 Tblsp water
Small bunch of fresh basil

240gm pasta screws

Method
Cook the pasta in lightly salted water.
Drain when al dente and keep warm.

Peel the aubergine and the butternut.
Cut them and the courgettes into fat juliennes.
Cut the haloumi into similarly sized sticks.

Spray a wok with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the haloumi until it browns nicely.
Remove from the pan.

Lightly spray the wok again.
Tip in all the vegetable sticks. They will make a lovely squeaky noise.
Keep stirring and turning the vegetables over.
Add a splash of water to stop them catching.
When they stop ‘talking’ to you, the vegetables are cooked.

Stir the pesto and water through the vegetables.
Add the pasta.
Toss to combine well.

Serve the pasta and vegetables topped with the haloumi, and
garnished with basil leaves.

Stuffed pancakes

Serves 4 : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
120gms nutty wheat flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
325mls fat free milk
for the stuffing
2 onions, sliced
6 large tomatoes, sliced thickly
125gm button mushrooms
60gms strong cheese, grated
chopped parsley to garnish

Method
Put the flour and salt in a bowl, and make a well in the centre.
Break the egg into the well.
Add about half the milk.
Beat well.
Add the remaining milk, and beat again.
Allow batter to stand while you prepare the stuffing ingredients.

Spray a small frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onions, mushrooms and tomato slices until the tomato begins to break.
Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Wipe the frying pan with kitchen paper. Respray with cooking spray.
Pour 1/8th of the batter into the frying pan, and cook for about 3 mins
or until the underside is nicely browned.
Turn or toss the pancake to cook other side.
Remove pancake to a plate. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth.
Continue cooking the rest of the batter in the same way until you have 8 pancakes.

Lay pancakes on a board, 2 at a time.
Place onion, mushroom and tomato down the centre of each pancake.
Fold pancakes over around the stuffing.
Sprinkle with grated cheese and parsley, and serve.

Arrabiatta

Serves 4 : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
1 large onion
1 – 2 celery stalks, sliced
1 medium aubergine, peeled and cubed
200gm mushrooms, sliced
400gm can chopped tomatoes
1 Tblsp chopped basil
4 – 6 Tblsp passata
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

240gm penne

Method
Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Gently fry the onions until soft and starting to colour.

Add the rest of the vegetables, the basil, pasta and chilli.

Simmer for about 20 mins until the aubergine is cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain and keep warm until the sauce is ready to serve.

Serve the penne and sauce with a garnish of chopped parsley and
grated parmesan.

Add a fresh green salad if you wish.

Couscous and feta

Serves 4 : Very easy
Ingredients
200gms couscous
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
150gms fat reduced feta cheese
200gm broccoli florets
4 tomatoes, chopped and deseeded
3 Tblsp pine nuts
1 Tblsp chopped parsley
1 Tblsp mint sauce
Lettuce and bean sprouts

Method
Tip the couscous into a plastic bowl.
Add the lemon juice and rind, and enough boiling water to just cover.
Cover with cling film or a plate and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Blanch the broccoli florets until they are just cooked, and still bright green.
Cut or crumble the feta cheese.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork.
Fold in the broccoli, tomato pieces, pine nuts, feta, the mint sauce and parsley.

Serve on a bed of lettuce, with bean sprouts as a garnish.

There is something about couscous that just begs for lots of herbs. I particularly like mint in mine, and the mint sauce is an easy way to add it – no chopping, no mess, no fuss.
I finally found a good quality mint sauce – a lot of them are not so nice - Colman’s Classic mint sauce. Don’t be tempted to use mint jelly – there’s hardly any mint in it, and it’s way too sweet.

Egg curry

Serves 4 : Very easy
Ingredients
6 large eggs

1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
½ head cauliflower broken into florets
½ head broccoli broken into florets
1 aubergine, peeled and chopped
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 handfuls bean sprouts
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 ±400gm tin chopped tomatoes
2 Tblsp curry paste (Rogan josh)

240gm rice
1 Tblsp coriander, finely chopped

Method
Boil the eggs for about 8 minutes.
Drain, and then cover with cold water.

Prepare all the vegetables.
Parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes, then drain.
Put the rice to cook in lightly salted boiling water – drain when tender.

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.
Place the pan over a moderate to high heat, and add the onion, garlic and ginger.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften and brown.

Add the curry paste to the onion and stir well.
Add the chilli, cauli, broccoli, aubergine, yellow pepper and potatoes.
Turn everything over until all the veg have a coating of curry paste.
Add the tinned tomatoes.
Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer 20 mins, or until the potatoes
are cooked through.

Now fold in the bean sprouts and nestle the peeled, halved eggs in the curry.
Allow to heat through.
Stir the coriander through the cooked rice.

Serve with flaked almonds, chutney and poppadums, if you like.

Old fashioned Bubble and Squeak

Serves 4 : Very easy
Ingredients
500gm potatoes
6 slices lean bacon, chopped
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1-2 large courgettes, grated
1 small cabbage, shredded
Salt and black pepper
1 Tblsp finely chopped parsley
A little flour

Method
First, steam or microwave the carrots and peas until just tender, and wilt the cabbage.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water.
Drain when cooked, and mash until smooth.

Stir the carrots and peas through the potatoes – you can mash it all a little bit more, but there should be crushed peas and carrots visible.

Fold in the wilted cabbage, the grated courgettes and the parsley.
Stir well to combine.

Shape the mixture into eight rounds.
Dust lightly with flour.
Rest the rounds in the fridge for half an hour, if you have time.

Spray the rounds with non-stick cooking spray.
Fry the rounds in the bacon pan on a fairly high heat, for about 8 minutes each side, until they are nicely brown.

Serve with tomato sauce and sliced tomatoes on the side.

My mother used to make this when I was a child, but she used to make one big potato and cabbage round. It’s called ‘bubble and squeak’ because of the sound it makes in the fryng pan. I’m sure when she made it, it was just potato and cabbage. And maybe a slice of bacon on the side.

A handful of tofu

Serves 4 : Very easy Ingredients
300gm firm tofu, cut into sticks
1 aubergine, peeled and julienned
2-3 courgettes, julienned
2 sticks celery, thinly sliced
2 – 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
120gm sugar snap peas, sliced lengthways once or twice
1 small cabbage, shredded
1 -2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 stick lemon grass, finely chopped

4 small naan breads

Method
Spray a wok with non-stick cooking spray.
Add in the garlic, ginger, celery, courgettes and aubergine.
Add in a splash of water – a wok gets very hot, very quickly.

Keep stirring, shaking and tossing until the aubergine is tender.

Now add in the spring onion, red pepper, peas, cabbage and tofu.
Allow to heat through.

Toast or warm the naan breads.
Serve.

This recipe really did start off as “a handful of this and a handful of that, and what else is in the fridge?” You can add whatever is in your fridge. And some bean sprouts, carrot, shredded spinach, rocket, etc..

Veggie Frittata

Serves 4 : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
8 eggs, separated
200gm butternut
300gm sweet potato
150gm broccoli florets
125gm mushrooms
2 zucchini
1 small onion
2 Tblsp chopped parsley

Method
Clean, peel and chop all the vegetables.
Steam, boil or microwave the vegetables until tender.

Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Fold in the egg yolks and parsley, and season to taste.

Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray, and place over medium heat.
Transfer the cooked vegetables to the pan.
Pour the egg and parsley mix over the vegetables.
Cook for about 5 mins, until the underside is browned.

Place under the grill (set fairly low) and brown.

Serve with a green salad.

Watch that the grill is not too hot – you can see from the photo that my frittata caught a little (okay, burnt!)
You don’t have to separate the eggs. Just cook the same way, and when the underside is browned and the upperside is set but still shiny, put under the grill to finish off.
If you do decide to go with the mock soufflé method, be prepared for it to ‘fall’ when you cut it.

Harissa veg with lemon couscous

4 servings : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 Tblsp tomato paste
1 Tblsp clear honey
1 Tblsp oil

8 large brown mushrooms
2 green peppers. deseeded and chunked
1 large brinjal, peeled and sliced
2 leeks, sliced thickly on the diagonal
1 small butternut, peeled, deseeded, chunked

Grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon
Large handful of chopped mint leaves
240gm couscous

4 Tblsp fat free natural yoghurt

Method
Combine the first six ingredients in a small bowl – these are what make up ‘harissa’.

Prepare all the vegetables and place in a microwave safe casserole dish.
Cover with a lid or cling film.
Microwave on high for about 5 mins.

Measure the couscous into a bowl, and just cover with boiling water.
Cover and allow to stand 10 mins,

Add half the spice mix to the veg.
Turn to make sure the veg pieces get a bit of a coating.

Spray a large griddle pan, and put over a moderate to high heat.
Cook the vegetables in the pan for 15 mins until they are cooked through and slightly charred.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork while adding the lemon rind, juice, chopped mint and the
remaining spice mix.
Heap on a serving dish (or separate plates) and top with the vegetables.
Pour over the yoghurt and serve.

Couscous can be quite grainy. If you want a softer texture use bulghar wheat (cook in the same way as couscous). I always peel brinjals (aubergines, eggplant) because I find the skin can be very tough.

Vegetarian linguine

4 servings : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
180gm brown mushrooms, wiped and sliced
1 cup broad beans (fava beans)
2 cups low fat/skim milk
2 Tblsp chopped parsley
1 Tblsp maizena (corn flour)

250gm (dry) linguine

grated parmesan

Method
Cook the linguine (or pasta of your choice) in plenty of boiling, salted water.
Drain when al dente. Keep warm.

Spray a pan with cooking spray.
Add the onion and mushrooms
Cook, on medium heat, until the onion is softened.
Add in the parsley and milk.

Mix the maizena to a loose paste with a little water.
Gradually add the maizena paste to the pan, stirring continually, until the sauce thickens.

Serve the linguine with the sauce, and grated parmesan.

Broad beans are very difficult to find in South Africa. Last year I managed to find some at the Chinese market. This year, they only had the dried variety – and those were full of some kind of bug, so I had to chuck them. If you can’t find/don’t like broad beans you can use frozen peas instead, but it is more filling with pulses, so try butter beans or kidney beans.

Aubergine Lasagne

4 servings : Very easy : This takes a bit longer

Ingredients
± 650gms aubergines
½ small head broccoli
½ small head cauliflower
1 large onion
2 x 400gm cans chopped tomato
2 Tblsp tomato paste
¼ cup basil leaves, shredded
2 or more garlic cloves
1 Tblsp brown sugar
150gm low fat cheddar, grated
1 cup vegetable stock

± 8 Lasagne sheets

Method
Peel and chop the aubergines and the onion.
Clean and trim the broccoli and cauli and break into florets.
To save baking time, steam, boil or microwave these veg.

Place the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and garlic in a pan.
Bring to the boil, and then simmer for about 15 mins until the sauce thickens slightly.
Add the sugar, basil and chopped veg to the sauce.
Add vegetable stock, a little at a time, if you think the mix is too dry.

Spray a deep 20cm square baking dish with cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 180°C.

Place lasagne sheets, a few at a time, into a dish of boiling water to moisten a little.
This helps cut a little off the cooking time.

Fill baking dish in layers, starting with a third of the veg/sauce mix, followed by a third of
the cheese.
Cover with moistened lasagne sheets.
Continue with layers, ending with a cheese layer.

Bake, uncovered for 45 mins, until nicely browned.
Allow to stand for 10 mins before cutting.

You can use any combination of veg in this lasagne, as long as they don’t
cook down to a mush.

Butternut and chickpea curry

4 servings : Very easy : Very quick
Ingredients
 Spices
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
5 cardomom pods, crushed
½ tsp chilli powder (optional)

Veg and pulses
2 onions,finely chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 sm. butternut – about 500gm
400gm can chopped tomatoes
300gm can chickpeas
70gm red lentils

Liquids
2 cups veg stock
1 Tblsp tomato paste

240gm rice

Method
Peel and chop the onions.
Peel and crush the garlic.
Deseed and peel the butternut, and chop roughly.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Start the rice cooking.
Drain when tender.
Keep warm.

Meanwhile, spray a large pan with cooking spray. Place over heat.
Cook onions and garlic until the onions are soft, stirring all the time.
Add the spices to the onion/garlic mix, stirring to combine.

Add the butternut, chickpeas, tomatoes, paste, stock and lentils.
Cook over low heat until lentils and butternut are tender.

Serve with rice and sweet chilli sauce.