Blue cheese pasta

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gms linguine

400gm broccoli florets
3 leeks, sliced

2 cups/500ml fat free milk
I Tblsp cornflour (maizena)
45gm Danish blue cheese
100gm fat free plain yoghurt

Method
Precook the broccoli and leeks until just tender (or use frozen that you have thawed).

Cook the linguine in a large pan with plenty of lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
(If you’re using frozen veg, add them to the pasta for the last 5 minutes to heat through.)
Drain and keep warm.

Mix the cornflour into the milk and pour into the pan.
Bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
Add the cheese and yoghurt and continue stirring over a low heat until the cheese melts.
Tip the pasta and veg into the sauce and turn and stir well to combine.

Serve with grated parmesan, if desired.
This recipe needs no additional salt – the blue cheese is already salty enough.

Haloumi stack

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
200gm haloumi, sliced

100ml fat free plain yoghurt
2 tsp harrief (chilli) paste

200gm whole wheat couscous
1 tsp vegetable stock powder

Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
4 Tblsp Colman’s Classic mint sauce
1 x 400gm tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
200gm cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 red onion, chopped

Method
Dry fry the haloumi slices in a small pan until golden.
Drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

Combine the yoghurt and chilli paste and divide between 4 sauce bowls.

Measure the couscous and stock powder into a large bowl.
Add 200ml boiling water and stir.
Cover with a plate or clingfilm and stand for 10 minutes.
Fluff up the grains with a fork.

Now add all the remaining ingredients to the couscous and turn well to combine.

Pile the couscous salad onto 4 dinner plates and top each pile with haloumi slices.
Serve with the yoghurt dressing.
Haloumi is high in saturated fats. To halve the calories of this meal, skip the cheese!
You could substitute tofu slices instead.

Sweetcorn fritters

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
40gm polenta or mealie meal
30gm whole wheat flour (‘Nutty wheat’)
1 flat tsp baking powder
3 large eggs, beaten
100ml fat free natural yoghurt
1 x 340gm can sweet corn kernels, rinsed and drained
6 spring onions, finely chopped
½ tsp harrief (chilli) paste

1 Tblsp vegetable oil

Method
Measure the polenta, flour and baking powder into a bowl.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs.
Beat well.

Now add the remaining ingredients (except the oil), and stir well to combine.

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the measured oil.
When the pan is hot drop in spoonfuls of the fritter mixture.
Cook for about 4 minutes each side.
Keep warm in a clean tea cloth.

Serve with a fresh mixed salad, sliced avocado and sweet chilli sauce or chutney.


WARNING: These will disappear faster than you can make them!


 

Feta couscous patties

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
200gm couscous
200ml hot vegetable stock

1 Tblsp fresh chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
45ml natural fat free yoghurt
80gm fat reduced feta cheese, crumbled
1 large tomato, deseeded and chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped

1 Tblsp vegetable oil

Method
Measure the couscous into a bowl.
Pour over the stock.
Cover with a plate or cling film.
Stand for 5 minutes.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork.
Now add all the remaining ingredients, except the oil.
Stir until everything is nicely combined.

Wet your hands, and then shape the mixture into 8 patties.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
Fry the patties for about 5 minutes each side.

Serve the patties, 2 per person, with a crispy fresh salad and some chutney.


I’ve used chopped parsley, but any soft fresh herbs would be good – basil or mint immediately spring to mind, because their flavours go so well with tomatoes.

Skinny asparagus pasta

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm ‘angel hair’ pasta

1 onion, chopped
250ml strong chicken stock
200gm fresh green asparagus pieces
300gm cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 Tblsp fresh chopped parsley
2-3 Tblsp fresh chopped mint
1 clove garlic, crushed

Green salad, to serve

Method
Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente.
When cooked, drain and keep warm.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray and dry fry the garlic and onion until it softens.
Add the tomatoes and continue cooking until they start to go pulpy.
Now add the stock, asparagus, parsley and mint.
Simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and lift the pasta through the sauce to combine.

Serve with a fresh green salad on the side.

Vegetable and lentil curry

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 – 2 Tblsp Patak’s tikka masala curry paste
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 green pepper, sliced
1 small butternut, cubed
2 large carrots, sliced
1 cup of dried lentils
500ml vegetable stock
1 x 400gm tin chopped tomatoes
4 Tblsp chopped coriander

240gm rice

Method
Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water .
Drain and keep warm.

Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the onion until it starts to soften.
Add the tikka masala paste along with the cauli, green pepper, butternut and carrots.
Give everything a good stir to distribute the curry paste.

Next, add the lentils, stock and tinned tomatoes.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.

Stir ½ the coriander through the curry.

Serve the curry, garnished with the remaining coriander, alongside the rice.

Bistro salad

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
200gm pillow pack spinach, rocket & watercress
50gm mange tout, sliced lengthways
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
12 red cherry tomatoes, halved
12 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
8 baby corn cobs, quartered
4 eggs, hard boiled, shelled & halved
30gm croutons
80gm Danish blue cheese, crumbled

1 Tblsp each of Dijon mustard, olive oil and lemon juice
2 Tblsp each of Helman’s low-fat mayo and fat free natural yoghurt

Method
Spray a frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Dry fry the bacon bits until crispy.
Drain on kitchen paper.

Make a dressing by combining the mustard, oil, lemon, mayo and yoghurt.
This is a very sharp dressing, but it goes really well with the salad.

Tear the salad leaves into a bowl.
Arrange the other ingredients, in layers, finishing with the eggs, croutons, cheese and bacon.

Serve the salad with the dressing and plain boiled baby potatoes or crusty bread.

Mozzarella pasta salad

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
240gm small pasta shells
160gm low fat mozzarella, cut or torn in chunks.
12 red cherry tomatoes, sliced
12 yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced
50gm wild rocket, torn

For the pesto:
20gm basil (leaves and stalks)
2 Tblsp olive oil
1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tblsp water
20gm pecorino cheese
1 clove garlic
30gm pine nuts

Method
To make the pesto:
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a paste.

Cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente.
Cool under cold running water.
Drain well.

In a large bowl, stir the pesto through the pasta until the shells are coated.
Add the mozzarella, tomatoes and rocket and toss well.

Serve with crusty bread if desired.
I’ve used pecorino cheese because it was what I had – you could use parmesan instead. Pecorino has a similar flavour but costs less than parmesan.

Mixed bean tagine

Serves 4 : Very easy : Quick

Ingredients
2 red onions, sliced
1 heaped tsp each: coriander, cumin and cinnamon
1 medium butternut, cut in chunks
250gm courgettes, sliced thickly on the diagonal
1 x 400gm whole peeled tomatoes, sliced
100gm seedless raisins
400ml vegetable stock
1 x 400gm can mixed beans
200gm frozen peas
4 Tblsp chopped mint
240gm rice
1 tsp tumeric

Method
Cook the rice with the tumeric in lightly salted boiling water.
Once cooked, drained and keep warm.

Spray a large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Gently dry fry the onions until soft
Add the butternut, courgettes, stock, raisins and tinned tomatoes.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Tip in the mixed beans and frozen peas.
Simmer for a final 5 minutes.

Serve the tagine with the rice, garnished with freshly chopped mint.