Pizza omelete

PIZZA OMELETE

Ingredients (Serves 1)
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 slices brown onion
4 mushrooms sliced
2 tblsp chopped red capsicum
5-6 basil leaves
2 tblsp grated low fat cheese
8-10 low fat semi-dried tomatoes
1 tblsp tomato paste

Method
- In a non-stick pan; sautee mushrooms, onion, garlic and capsicum over a medium heat until they start to soften.
- In a bowl, beat the whole egg, egg whites, semi-dried tomatoes, basil and cheese.
- Pour the egg mixture over the cooking vegetables and, once set, flip over and continue to cook through.

I served mine with a little tomato paste on top, but this could also be added to the egg mixture before cooking.

Easy cauliflower soup

Cauliflower soup

This soup is yummy and healthy! 

It is great on it's own as a meal or snack, 

or as an entree or accompaniment to a main meal.

Ingredients:
2 whole cauliflower
1L of chicken stock (vegetable stock can also be used)
Boiling water (from the kettle)
Salt and pepper


To serve:
Chives
Low fat greek yoghurt


Method:
- Wash cauliflower and roughly chop into even sized pieces.
- Place in a large saucepan and pour in stock.
- Add enough boiling water to almost cover the cauliflower, cover the saucepan with it's lid and cook over a medium heat until soft enough that that the cauliflower will break with the edge of a fork.
- Allow to cool slightly and blend mixture in a food processor until smooth. (Control thickness of the soup by adjusting how much of the liquid you use).
-Season with salt and pepper and serve with a dollop of low fat greek yoghurt and some chopped chives.

Homemade pesto

I made pesto for the first time last week and it turned out really well, so i thought i'd share the recipe. I had a look at several recipes but changed things around a little and used less oil than most suggested. You can play around with the measurements to suit your tastes and available ingredients.

Ingredients: (This makes a fairly large batch, halve all ingredients if you only want enough for one meal)

(You will need a food processor)

2 x bunches fresh basil

1 x bunch fresh rocket

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup raw pine nuts

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 tblsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil

(i used about this much, but didn't actually measure it as i just poured from the bottle until the right consistency was achieved. I also used "extra light" olive oil).

1/2 cup grated parmesan 

(i used pre-grated, next time i will grate it myself as i think the flavour will be nicer that way).

Method:

1) Remove the leaves from the washed basil and rocket, and discard the stems. Place the cashews, pine nuts, garlic, salt and half of the basil and rocket leaves in the food processor, and blend on low until combined.

2) Add the rest of the basil and rocket and blend on low again.

3) While the food processor is set to low, gradually add the olive oil.

4) Stir the parmesan through the pesto and it's ready to use!

This pesto tastes great with chicken, spread on sandwiches, as a sauce for pasta, in salads or on veggies..the possibilities are endless!

If you'd like to store the pesto for a few days, pour a thin layer of olive oil over it and keep in an airtight container.

Easy snacks/side dishes: Broccoli & cauliflower mash, home cooked beetroot and cabbage in soy sauce

After a trip to the fruit and veggie shop today, i was finding it difficult to squeeze my purchases into the fridge. I cleaned out the crisper to make some room and in doing so, found two florets of broccoli, half a cauliflower, four whole beetroots and half a green cabbage that all needed to be used in the next few days or they would be destined for the compost. I decided to cook them so they could go in the fridge, ready to accompany a main meal, be thrown in a salad or stir fry, or enjoyed as a snack.

 

Broccoli & Cauliflower mash:

- Chop broccoli and cauliflower into small pieces (make the broccoli pieces slightly larger as they cook faster).

- Cook in a large pot of boiling water until soft. Drain and return to pot.

- Mash well, or use a food processor if you prefer.

- Add salt and pepper to taste, or even a little low fat cheese.

I really like this on it's own but it's also great to serve with grilled fish or chicken.

Cabbage in soy sauce:

- Roughly chop cabbage and put in a large saucepan with 3 tblsp of soy sauce.

- Cover the saucepan with it's lid and cook over a low-medium heat until cabbage is soft.

Again, i happily snack on this on it's own but it can also be added to stir frys and soups.

Home-cooked Beetroot:

- Place whole beetroot (do not pierce skin or they will bleed into the water) in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.

- Bring the water up to the boil and place the lid on the saucepan.

- Cook over a moderate heat until tender.

- Once cooked, allow to cool. You should be able to rub the skin off with your fingers but be careful, this can get very messy!

These are delicious served as a hot vegetable, or cooled and added to salad. One of my favourite salads is freshly cooked beetroot, orange segments, coriander and balsamic vinegar.

tasty snack - under 50 calories

I keep these little 75g packs of frozen mixed berries in the freezer for when i feel like a sweet treat after dinner. They're also delicious when added to your morning oats or into a protein shake.

Each pack is only 42 calories and although it yields around 6g of sugar, the low g.i. and high fibre content of the berries mean that they have little effect on your blood sugar. Berries are also full of vitamins and antioxidants!

Poached chicken- Perfect for lunches and snacks on the go!

On a Sunday afternoon i often do some cooking to save time later in the week, and simply because i enjoy it. Even if cooking isn't something you like to do, the following 5-10 minute process of poaching chicken breast meat will save you loads of time and provide a quick, easy and healthy meal foundation.

Poached chicken breast

You will need:
- Chicken breast meat, sliced into pieces approx 2 cm thick
- A saucepan (large enough that the chicken will cover the bottom in one layer) with a lid
- Boiling water (from the kettle)
- One chicken or vegetable stock cube (this is optional, plain boiling water can be used)


Method:
1) Pour boiling water over chicken and add crushed stock cube.
2) Stir until stock cube is dissolved and cover saucepan with lid.
3) Leave to sit for about 5 minutes, then cut the largest piece of chicken to see if it's cooked through (the meat should be white, not pink).
4) If not completely cooked, pour the water out and repeat the steps.
5) Once cooked, drain chicken (shred if desired) and store in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last around 3 days.

Poached chicken meal ideas:
-Salads
-Wraps/sandwiches
-Burritos/tacos
-Pasta/pasta salads/rice salads
-Stir frys
-Omelete/scrambled eggs/frittata
-Dropped into hot soup

Banana, berry and walnut loaf (Low fat, no-added sugar, whole grain)

Banana, berry and walnut loaf

This loaf is low in fat and only contains the sugar that is found naturally in the ingredients.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups wholemeal flower
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp stevia powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

2 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup frozen mixed berries
3 over ripe bananas, mashed

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.
Whisk eggs in a bowl and add skim milk, bananas and berries.
Sift flour into separate bowl and add the remaining dry ingredients.
Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.
Do not over-mix as this will develop the gluten and result in a tough, chewy bread.
Pour mixture into a greased, non-stick loaf tin (you can see the size i used in the picture of the finished product).
Cook for 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven). You will know it is ready when a skewer inserted in the centre, comes out clean. Allow to cool, then slice with a serrated knife.

The protein i used (seen in the photo above) is from Mike's Discount Vitamins and Supplements at Burwood. You can order it (and loads of other great stuff) at: http://www.supplementsonline.com.au/

Buckwheat Soba noodle salad with chicken

This salad was inspired by an amazing recipe developed by my client, Alison. Her recipe can be found here: http://anappleadaynutrition.com.au/2011/03/miracle-salad/, along with many other tasty, nutritious and exciting recipes. I didn't have all of the ingredients handy, so i made a sort-of make-shift version. Not quite as good as the original, but tasty none the less!


Ingredients:
1 packet buckwheat soba noodles (cook as per instructions on packet)
1/2 wombok (Asian cabbage), shredded
2 carrots, cut into sticks
1/2 cup green beans
1 raw zucchini, cut into sticks
350g firm tofu, cut into sticks
200g grilled or poached chicken breast, chopped
1/4 cup chopped nuts to garnish (i used walnuts and almonds)


Dressing:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon raw sugar
juice of half a lime


Mix dressing until sugar dissolves and poor over salad ingredients. Toss well and serve!

Mexican scrambled eggs

Mexican Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
2 whole eggs
6 egg whites
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried chilli powder or flakes
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 brown onion, diced
1 small red capsicum, diced
1 tomato, diced
3-4 shallots, diced
3-4 tbsp tomato salsa (to serve)

Method:
-Heat a non-stick pan and lightly sautee the onion, garlic, paprika, capsicum and shallots.
-Beat the eggs and egg whites together, add the diced tomato and dried chilli, and pour over the vegetable mixture.
-Stir and break up using a spatula or wooden spoon.
-Once the eggs are cooked through, serve topped with the tomato salsa.

High protein blueberry muffins

Each muffin yields about 180 calories, 4g of fat, 12g protein, 20g carbohydrate and only 2g of sugar. These are a yummy treat and a great alternative to the high fat, high sugar muffins found in most cafes and bakeries. Wrap them individually and pop them in the freezer to microwave later for an on-the-go snack.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
1 1/2 cups of wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 scoops of vanilla protein powder (90g)
3 whole eggs
4 egg whites
200g extra light Philadelphia cream cheese
1/4 cup of blueberries (fresh, frozen or tinned)
1 tsp Stevia (or other sweetener)


Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and lightly spray some non-stick muffin trays with some olive oil.
- Using a hand-held electric mixer, combine eggs, egg whites, cream cheese, protein powder and sweetener.

- In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour and baking powder.
- Fold the flour into the wet mixture, then add the blueberries. Do not over mix.
- Pour the mixture into the muffin trays and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Protein Pancakes

Here's a recipe for yummy pancakes with less calories, fat, sugar and overall carbohydrate than normal pancakes and more protein. They are still a "sometimes" food, but definitely a better option than McDonalds hotcakes!

These pancakes offer:
284 calories (1189kj)
Only 5.6g of fat
Just 18.4g of carbohydrate
A mere 1.4g of sugar
and a muscle building 37.2g of protein!!

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

1 scoop (approx 30g) vanilla protein powder

20g self raising flour

1 tblsp light philadelphia cream cheese

Method:

Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add cream cheese and continue to beat. Sift in flour and protein powder and fold mixture until combined. Do not over mix as you toughen and flatten the mixture.

Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat and pour half of the mixture into the pan. When bubbles form, flip the pancake over. Cook through and serve. Delicious with a smidgen of honey and some fresh berries! 

2x dinners and 2x lunches in 30 minutes for only $50!

Below you will find a list of ingredients that will allow you to make 2 dinners and 2 lunches. This should cater for 2 people for each meal, so adjust amounts accordingly. You should be able to pick up all of this for around $50 which is great value considering it will provide 2 people with 4 meals each. (approx. $6.25 per meal!)





THE MENU:
Dinner #1: Mexican (Nachos or Mexican San Choy Bow if you'd prefer lower fat, carbs and total calories).
Lunch #1: Burrito
Dinner #2: Beef and veggie lasagna
Lunch #2: Vegetable omelete


THE SHOPPING LIST:
500g lean beef mince
2 tins of diced tomatoes
1 dozen eggs
paprika
salt and pepper


2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 brown onions, diced
2 large zucchini, diced
2 large red capsicum, diced
10-15 button mushrooms, diced


1 iceberg lettuce


large bag of mixed lettuce
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, diced
balsamic vinegar


1 pack mountain bread
1 bag of corn chips
1 bag low fat grated cheese




INITIAL PREP (15 minutes, including time to dice veggies)
Sautee beef mince in a non-stick pan with 1 diced onion and 1 diced garlic clove until cooked through.
Add tinned tomato to the mince and salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside.


In a separate non-stick pan, cook the other onion and garlic clove, the zucchini, mushroom and capsicum  until soft and cooked through.


Combine HALF of the vegetable mixture with HALF of the meat mixture. This will be used for the lasagna. 
Add 1 tblsp of paprika to the other half of the meat, this will be used for the mexican dinner and burrito lunch.
The remaining half of the vegetables will be for the omelete lunch.




DINNER #1 - Nachos and/or Mexican San Choy Bow (keep your eye out for a more detailed Mexican San Choy Bow recipe in a future blog). (5 minutes)



Top some corn chips with beef mixture and a sprinkle of low fat cheese and place under the grill until the cheese melts. Serve with mixed lettuce, diced tomato and about a tablespoon of diced avocado. 
Alternatively, omit the corn chips and use iceberg lettuce leaves to create a Mexican San choy bow. (This will reduce the calorie, fat and carbohydrate count of the meal).

LUNCH #1 - Lunch burritos (2 minutes)


Use the left over mexican mince (cold, or heated in microwave) and avocado with some low fat grated cheese, lettuce and tomato to fill a mountain bread wrap and you have a quick, tasty lunch that takes only a minute to put together.






DINNER #2 - Beef and vegetable mountain bread lasagna (7 minutes)


In a baking pan or casserole dish, layer pieces of mountain bread with microwaved beef and vegetable mixture. After 3 or 4 layers, finish with the bread and top with a sprinkle of grated low-fat cheese. Put under the grill for 2-4 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with a simple lettuce and tomato sandwich spritzed with some balsamic.














LUNCH #2 - Veggie omelete (6 minutes)


Beat 2 whole eggs and 10 egg whites with salt and pepper (and a tblsp of paprika if you wish) until combined.
Pour mixture into a large non-stick pand and "swirl" around towards the centre to create some texture. 
Cook over a low-moderate heat until the egg is almost set, then top with the vegetable mixture and fold in half.
Keep the pan over heat until the omelet is cooked through and serve on its own, or with lettuce, tomato and balsamic salad. I like mine with a little ketchup :)


Enjoy!




(Feel free to spice things up a bit with some added chilli, feta or artichokes in your salad or even try using chicken or turkey mince instead of beef!)

Quinoa pancakes

Quinoa pancakes 

Ingredients:

(makes 4-6 large pancakes)

1/2 cup cooked quinoa (i used white, but red or black quinoa could be used)

1/2 cup wholemeal flour

2 tsp baking soda

1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1 egg

1/2-3/4 cup skim milk (depending on how thick you want the pancakes)

4 tblsp light cream cheese

2 tblsp vanilla protein powder

Method:

Combine flour, protein powder and baking powder in one bowl then add the cooked quinoa. In another bowl, whisk the egg and add the milk and blueberries. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix it as it will become tough.

Using a light coat of olive oil, cook about 1/4 cup of the mixture in a non-stick pan, flipping the pancake over when bubbles form.

Use an electric hand beater to combine the light cream cheese with the protein powder.

Serve the pancakes with the cream cheese or fresh fruit and nuts.

Enjoy!

Hot breakfast for cold mornings

Almond coconut porridge

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3-1/2 cup of skim milk or water

2 tblsp vanilla protein powder

2 tblsp 100% shredded coconut (no added sugar)

5-10 chopped almonds

1 tsp sesame seeds

Method:

Microwave oats with water or milk for 45-90 seconds, until soft. (Time will depend on your microwave).

Stir well and add a dash of cold milk or water if needed/to reach desired consistency.

Mix protein powder and coconut through the oats, and top with sesame seeds and almonds.

Salmon omelete and homemade baked beans

Ingredients:

1 whole egg

4 egg whites

50g smoked salmon, cut into small pieces

2 tblsp chopped chives

1/4 small brown onion, sliced

3 mushrooms, sliced

1 small can of "4 bean mix" (or any other beans)

1 medium tomato, diced OR 1/2 can of tinned tomatoes

Method:

1) Sweat onions and mushrooms in a non-stick pan.

2) Once onions are translucent and mushrooms are soft, add drained beans and tomato. Add salt and pepper to taste and leave to simmer.

3) In a bowl, combine the egg, egg whites, smoked salmon and chives. Pour mixture into a separate non-stick pan.

4) Once the egg mixture is just about solid, flip the omelete over and heat on other side until it is cooked through.

Serve the omelete with the beans, some mixed green leaves and a tablespoon of low fat cream cheese.

Yummy fried rice

Yummy fried rice (serves 2)


Ingredients:


1/2 brown onion, finely sliced
3 rashers of short cut bacon, trimmed of fat & diced
6-8 mushrooms, sliced
1 punnet of cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup of snow peas, trimmed
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 tblsp soy sauce


Method:


1) Sautee onion, bacon and mushrooms in a non-stick pan until onions appear translucent.
2) In a bowl, beat the whole egg and egg whites with the soy sauce. Cook in a separate pan and when the mixture becomes solid, break it into pieces using a spatula. Set aside.
3) Add the tomatoes and snow peas to the mixture and cook for about 1 minute before adding the rice.
4) Once heated through, add the egg and serve!

A little prep goes a long way!

A couple of trips to the fruit and vegetable shop and a bit of well spent time in the kitchen each week will mean you have plenty of pre-prepared meals and snacks available for when you're short of time. We all know that when you're desperately hungry and short of time, the healthy eating plan often goes out the window.

I love vegetables, just about all varieties of vegetable! Stocking the fridge with lots of char-grilled veggies helps me to make healthy snacking choices and they can be added to lots of different meals.

It's so easy to do, simply slice your favourite veggies and grill them. I used a Breville health grill (see the pictures), which works really well for grilling most vegetables and meats, but you can use a griddle pan, barbecue, or even the grill setting on your oven.

 

These grilled vegetables can be added to curries, pasta, brown rice, salads, stir frys and used in sandwiches.

Homemade Muesli

Toasted muesli is a great, tasty breakfast or snack. 

Oats are a good source of fibre, both soluble and insoluble, and as a result can assist in lowering cholesterol. This high fibre content also means oats help to stabilise blood sugar and keep you fuller for longer. The supermarket cereal isle is filled with numerous varieties of toasted muesli, but more often than not, they are high in sugar, containing excessive amounts of dried fruit and added sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup.


Here's a recipe for toasted muesli that can be altered to suit your tastes and you'll know exactly what's going in!


Ingredients:
3 cups of rolled oats
1/2 cup of chopped nuts & seeds of your choice (i used almonds, walnuts, pepitas & sunflower seeds)
1/4 cup of dried fruit of your choice (i used dried cranberries)
1/4 cup of shredded coconut
3 tblsp of sesame seeds
1 tblsp of cinnamon
1/2 tblsp of nutmeg
5 tblsp honey
1 tblsp sesame oil


Method:
-In a large bowl, combine all ingredients well.

-Line a large shallow baking tray with non-stick baking paper. 


-Pour the mixture into the tray and put under a moderate grill, constantly checking and giving a stir with a large wooden spoon. 


-Cook until golden brown. 


-Once cooked, set aside to cool-this is when the muesli will become crunchy.

This muesli is yummy on it's on or with milk or yoghurt!

Healthy, Hearty Winter soup

This soup is delicious and satisfying! It's very easy to make and will warm you up on even the coldest Winter day.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
2 x Leek
1 x large brown onion
1 x medium cauliflower
1-2 x large broccoli heads
3 x medium white or pink potatoes
1 x medium sweet potato
3 x medium carrots 
1 x medium swede
1 x bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 x large carton of chicken or vegetable stock (homemade is best, but Massell and Campbells make decent stock).


Method:
Dice the onion, roughly slice the leek and sautee them with the olive oil in a large saucepan until translucent.
Roughly chop all the other vegetables (except parsley) into pieces about the size of a golf ball and add to the saucepan. 
Pour in the stock and add enough water to almost cover the vegetables.
Cover with a lid and allow to cook on a low-moderate heat for 45-80 minutes. (It won't matter if it's left a little longer).
Remove lid and add roughly chopped parsley, then put the mixture through a food processor in batches until a smooth, thick consistency is achieved.
If the soup is too thick, add water or stock. If it's too thin, add some mashed potato.


Garnish with some fresh parsley, cracked black pepper and even a little low fat sour cream.

Healthy Eating on the Go - Part 2

Here's a quick, easy lunch that you can prepare and eat just about anywhere. It takes less than 2 minutes to put together and if you prepare by shopping at the start of the week, you won't even need to run into the supermarket.

I'm getting very used to eating in my car :)

You will need:
1 x wholemeal, rye or multigrain bread roll
1/2 x avocado 
1 x small tub of tabouleh
3-4 slices of lean protein (i chose turkey breast)
A handful of snow peas 


Use the ingredients to make yourself a yummy, filling sandwich and snack on the snow peas. Easy!