Cauliflower and Leek Soup with Curry Spice

Today's soup is a rich and indulgent one that's so flavoursome.  I saw Luke Mangan cook it on the Today Show and decided to give it a go.  I've made a few changes to make it far lower in fat and calories than the original - this one came out at just over 300 calories per serve.  Really tasty and easy to make!

Ingredients (serves 6)
50g butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
2 medium-sized cauliflowers, roughly chopped
1 large leek washed and sliced (discarding the dark green section of the leek)
2 tablespoons curry spice
600ml low-fat milk
Sea salt and freshly ground
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 a bunch of chives, finely chopped

Place the butter and oil in a large saucepan and heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the onion and leek and cook over a gentle heat until soft, making sure it does not go brown.

Add curry spice and cook for a further 1 minute.  Add the cauliflower to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower has softened.

Pour in the milk and cream and bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the cauliflower is completely soft.  In a blender, puree the cauliflower mixture until smooth.

Return to saucepan and bring to boil, check seasoning.  Serve in individual bowls, and sprinkle on chopped chives.

Minestrone

I have to thank my friend Gemma for sharing this Women's Weekly recipe with me. She raved about it and once I made it, I could easily see why! It is healthy, delicious, hearty and only 227 calories for a generous serve. If you're after a great minestrone, look no further!

Ingredients (serves 6)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 celery stalk, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 litre (4cups) vegetable stock
1 cup (250ml) water
810g can crushed tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
150g small shell pasta
400g can white beans, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup (60g) shaved parmesan

Method
Heat oil in large saucepan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, until onion softens.  Add celery and carrot; cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Stir in stock, the water and undrained tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add zucchini, cabbage, pasta and beans; cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Stir in parsley.

Serve soup topped with cheese.

Pea and Ham Soup

I had never made Pea & Ham Soup until recently and I was very pleasantly surprised.  I loved the flavour of this Women's Weekly recipe - it was really rich and rounded - and the addition of the pasta (I used small macaroni) made it nice and hearty too.  My kids LOVED it - and it was just as delicious as leftovers the next day.  Also worth noting, I used a ham hock that weighed about 600g and that was plenty.  I also pureed the soup, then added the pasta as the last step and I quite liked it smooth.  A classic soup that's worth adding to the meal plan!

Ingredients (serves 6 - 200 calories per serve)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion (150g) chopped coarsely
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2.5 litres (10 cups) water
2 trimmed celery stalks (200g) chopped coarsely
2 dried bay leaves
1.5kg ham bone
1 cup (220g) risoni pasta
2 cups (240g) frozen peas
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Method

Heat oil in large saucepan; cook onion, stirring, until softened. Add cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant.

Add the water, celery, bay leaves and bone; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1 hour, skimming occasionally.

Remove bone; when cool enough to handle, cut ham from bone, discarding any skin and fat. Shred ham finely.

Return soup to the boil; stir in ham, pasta and peas. Cook, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle bowls of soup with mint.

Hearty Chicken Soup

I think it's been scientifically proven that chicken soup really is good for the soul. At the very least, it's a cheap, healthy, hearty, easy and delicious winter meal that will be loved by the whole family. This one is taken originally from www.taste.com.au but I've made a few changes. This will really fill you up and comes in at just 210 calories per serve! Plus it is soooo tasty - our whole family loved this, it's definitely one of the best chicken soups I've ever tasted.  A winter warmer winner!  Plus, see how Liam & Robbie rated it - the Family Show Taste Test is below.

Ingredients (serves 6)
Olive oil spray
1kg chicken drumsticks
1 leek, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1 1/2 cups dry soup mix (lentils, split peas etc)
8 cups chicken stock

Method
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until just browned. Remove. Add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until soft. Add carrot, celery and zucchini. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in soup mix, stock, chicken and 1 cup cold water. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until soup mix and vegetables are tender.

Remove chicken drumsticks from soup. Allow to cool slightly. Remove meat from bones. Roughly chop chicken meat and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into warmed bowls. Serve.

What did Liam & Robbie think?  Hear the Family Show Taste Test here:

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I found this recipe in the "4 Ingredients Kids" book and really enjoyed it! It's simple, tasty, fast to make and an amazingly low 120 calories per serve! You could easily use cauliflower instead of or with the broccoli. So good for these chilly evenings!

Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 heads broccoli, trimmed and chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Method
Cook onion, with 2 tablespoons water, in a large saucepan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

Add broccoli and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Purée until smooth.

Season if needed and sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Slow-cooked Pumpkin Soup

This is the first entry in what I'm going to call "Soup Week".  The Winter weather is upon us and there's nothing better than warming up with a nice bowl of soup.  There are SO many varieties and I love soup because it's usually very cheap, filling, low in calories and easy to make!  So I'll be sharing a different soup recipe with you every day this week, starting with this Women's Weekly recipe.  It's 305 calories per serve and the slow-cooking gives it a deliciously rich flavour.  The cream is optional, and if you omit it, the calorie count will obviously be less.  You can't go past a good pumpkin soup and this one is sure to be a winner in your house too!

Ingredients (serves 6)
30g butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek, sliced thinkly
1kg pumpkin, chopped
1 large potato, chopped
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1/2 cup pouring cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Method
Heat butter and oil in large frying pan; cook leek, stirring, until soft.

Combine leek mixture, pumpkin, potato, stock and the water in a slow-cooker.  Cook, covered, on low, 6 hours.

Cool soup 15 minutes.  Blend or process soup until smooth.  Return to cooker.  Cook, covered, on high, about 20 minutes or until hot.

Stir in 1/3 cup of the cream.  Season to taste.  Serve soup topped with remaining cream and chives.

Apricot Slice

This divine slice is taken from the "CWA Classics" book and it's a winner!  It uses just a few simple ingredients, is no-bake, is so quick to throw together and tastes AMAZING!  Just don't make the same mistake I did...I didn't read the recipe properly and accidentally used a whole tin of condensed milk, instead of half.  So mine was quite moist & sticky (but still tasted great!)  I used the food processor to crush the biscuits and chop the apricots, so this one was prepped in no time at all.  See what Liam & Robbie thought, in the Family Show Taste Test below!

Ingredients:
125g softened butter
80 brown sugar
1/2 x 395g can condensed milk
1 x 200g packet sweet biscuits, crushed
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
Desiccated coconut for sprinkling

Method:
Heat butter and sugar in a saucepan until melted, then add condensed milk, biscuits and apricots.

Press mixture into a 30cm x 19cm tin.

Sprinkle with coconut and cool in the fridge until set.


And now for the official verdict from Liam & Robbie:
 

Butter Chicken

This is a delicious, warming and totally satisfying dish - and you won't believe it's low-calorie!  It comes in at 295 calories per serve (including the pappadums) but you can add rice & veges for an extra boost too.   This is one of my new favourites!

Ingredients (serves 4)
400g chicken breast, diced
1 small onion
1.5 tablespoons tandoori curry paste
400g tin crushed tomatoes
400g tin lentils
1⁄2 cup chicken stock
50ml light cream
40g pappadams

Method
Dice onion finely and cook in a non stick pan over a low heat until soft.  Increase heat. Add chicken and cook until brown.

Add curry paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.  Add crushed tomatoes, stock & lentils. Bring to the boil & reduce heat; simmer for 30 min, stirring occasionally until sauce is thick.

Add cream and heat for a further minute, add a bit of water if it is too thick for your liking.

Lightly spray pappadams with oil & microwave on a paper towel for 45 sec or until they puff up. Serve.

Thai Fish Burgers in Lettuce Cups

This little gem is taken from the Michelle Bridges "No Excuses Cookbook".  The adults in the house enjoyed it, but I have to say the kids weren't too impressed (thank goodness for baked beans!)  I loved the Thai flavours and the freshness of this recipe - and just 268 calories per serve!

Ingredients (serves 2)
400g white fish fillet, skin off, deboned and cut into chunks
100g green beans, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons coriander, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
cooking oil spray
6 small iceberg lettuce leaves, trimmed into cups
1/2 lebanese cucumber, shredded
2 tablespoons coriander sprigs
lime wedges, to serve

Method
Using the pulse button on your food processor, process the fish very gently until just broken up.  Transfer to a large bowl, add the beans, curry paste, spring onion, chopped coriander and pepper, and stir until well combined.

Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat on medium.  Drop quarter-cups of the fish mixture into the pan to form burger patties, pressing each down lightly with the back of a spatula.  Cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden and cooked through.

Place the patties into the lettuce cups and top with the cucumber and coriander sprigs.  Serve with lime wedges.

Salmon & Pasta Pie

This is a tasty recipe from a book called "The low GI Family Cookbook".  It's similar to a previous recipe I shared, Pasta Cups, but with a few differences.  As you can see, this original recipe actually uses one big dish (hence why it's called a pie), but I was a bit pressed for time, so did them in muffin pans.  You can go either way, and as always, use whatever veges you have on hand.  This recipe serves 6 at 300 calories per serve.

Ingredients
Olive oil spray
150g penne pasta
120g bacon, fat removed, chopped
1/2 brown onion
400g can red or pink salmon, drained, skin removed and flaked
2 zucchinis, grated
3/4 cup (60g) reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1/2 cup self-raising flour
Salad leaves, to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.  Spray a 20cm springform pan with oil and line with non-stick baking paper.  Alternatively, use a silicon muffin pan.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente.  Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon and onion in a small non-stick frying pan over medium-high hear, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until starting to brown.  Combine the the bacon & onion, pasta, salmon, zucchini and two-thirds of the cheese in a large bowl.

Use a fork to lightly whisk eggs.  Whisk in the flour.  Add to pasta mixture and use a large spoon or spatula to stir until combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 50 minutes (for a large pie) or 20-25 minutes (for individual pies).

Remove from oven and stand in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Mushroom & Chicken Rice Paper Rolls

You already know I love Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls, which are a weeknight staple in my house.  These are a bit of a winter alternative to the old favourite, which are still just as easy and just as tasty.  The recipe is from the "4 Ingredients Fast, Fresh & Healthy" book, and only uses chicken mince, mushrooms, teriyaki sauce and rice paper sheets, but I made my own changes so have included them here.  These come in at only 230 calories per serve and taste so good - enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4)
250g chicken mince
2 cloves garlic
200g mushrooms, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
50g rice noodles
12 rice paper sheets

Method
In a non-stick frying pan, cook the mince until browned.  Add garlic, then mushrooms, carrot and zucchini.  Add sauce.  Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.  Allow to cool.

Soften rice paper sheets by soaking them in hot water.  Place on a clean flat surface, then place some rice noodles in the middle of sheet.  Top with 2 tablespoons of mince mixture.  Fold in the top and bottom then roll until it resembles a spring roll.  Serve with dipping sauce (we had sweet chilli).

Banana Cake with Passionfruit Icing

This is yet another Women's Weekly recipe (they really are the best!) and is quick and easy to make and tastes amazing.  The sour cream makes it so nice and moist and the blend of banana and spice is spot on.  I actually made up a sour cream icing to use up the rest of the carton (just beat together icing sugar, sour cream and lemon rind) - that was really tasty but I'm sure the passionfruit is too!  Check out Liam & Robbie's review below :-)

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
1/4 cup (60ml) milk

Passionfruit Icing
1 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar
1 teaspoon soft butter
2 tablespoons passionfruit pulp, approximately

Preheat oven to moderate (180/160 degrees fan-forced) Grease 15cm x 25cm loaf pan; line base with baking paper.

Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

Using wooden spoon, stir in sifted dry ingredients, banana, sour cream and milk.  Spread mixture into pan
Bake, uncovered, about 50 minutes. Stand cake 5 minutes then turn onto wire rack; turn cake top-side up to cool.

Make passionfruit icing: Place icing sugar in small heatproof bowl.  Stir in butter and enough pulp to give a firm paste.  Stir over hot water until icing is of a spreadable consistency, taking care not to overheat
Use immediately.

Spread cold cake with passionfruit icing.

And now for the Family Show Taste Test - what did Liam & Robbie think?!?

Quick & Easy Chicken Lasagna

This recipe is my version of a recipe I found online - it is so quick to put together, super easy to make and tastes great.  My two kids licked their bowls clean after this one!  It comes in at just over 300 calories, so is great for the waistline too :-)

Ingredients (serves 5)
200g chicken breast (1 large breast), cooked & diced - I like to poach it for 10 minutes in saucepan of boiling water
125g lasagna sheets
500g jar pasta sauce
100g grated light cheese
50g baby spinach

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Spread a smear of the pasta sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.  Then layer half the lasagna sheets, chicken, spinach, pasta sauce and cheese.

Repeat, ending with the pasta sauce and cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned.

Serve with salad leaves.

A Diamond Jubilee Tea Party

Today was the official holiday to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - what better excuse to pull out the tea cups and hold my own Tea Party?!?

I just thought I'd share with you some happy snaps and recipes of all things British as we celebrated with friends this morning.

First up - what would a Tea Party be without scones?  And gorgeous free printable cupcake toppers thanks to www.tinyme.com.  I used the Stephanie Alexander scone recipe I've previously shared - but obviously made plain scones with strawberry jam and cream.  Pretty hard to beat!

I did some googling to find what else was quintessentially British - and couldn't go past Bakewell Tarts.  I settled on this recipe from www.taste.com.au and it was pretty divine!

To round out the sweets, I couldn't resist doing something a little cheesy but right in the spirit of things - Union Jack Biscuits!  I used this biscuit recipe I've already posted then found this blog for inspiration on decorating.  I used royal icing tinted with liquid food colouring.  I was so thrilled with the result & felt they came out exactly how I imagined!

I obviously needed some savoury in the spread, so my wonderful neighbour Nikki whipped up the classic cucumber sandwiches.

Some more googling found me a delightful recipe for mini vegie pasties - a perfect addition to the morning tea table!  These were tasty served with tomato chutney and would be perfect party food.  I made mine smaller than the recipe specified (I used a 10cm cutter) and I thought they were a great size. You can see them on the top tier of the middle platter in the photo below.

And as one last savoury, I did a twist on the very British Beef Wellington, making these super easy and very tasty and popular Sausage Wellingtons.  These were so quick to make and were a real hit with the kids and adults alike.  They're the ones on the bottom tier of the middle platter in the pic above.

So, as you can see, we had quite a spread, the tea & coffee flowed and a lovely time was had by all.  I can't resist sharing one last photo of the table I set up for the toddlers - they loved it!

Long live the Queen!  Thanks for the holiday - we'll take any excuse for a Tea Party!

Basic Biscuits

This easy biscuit recipe comes from my "CWA Classics" book and I love it.  I wanted to make these because hubby recently bought our toddler some Tiny Teddies.  I wasn't really impressed by all the packaging and decided it would be so much better to make my own "special" biscuits (I love how easily pleased 2-year-olds are!)  So I added some hundreds & thousands to this recipe - they are tastier than Tiny Teddies, so quick & easy to make, great to have the kids help out, and can easily freeze to have on hand.  You can add anything to this base mixture - nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, icing, spices etc - be creative and enjoy!  PS How fun are my star cookie cutters?!?

Ingredients (makes about 50)
110g softened butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup self-raising flour

Method
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius.  Grease baking trays or line with paper.

Cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg and vanilla.  Add sifted flours and mix to a dough.  Roll out the dough then cut out shapes with biscuit cutters.  Place on prepared trays.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Passionfruit Cream Biscuits

This recipe is from the Women's Weekly book called "The Afternoon Tea Collection" - the book is divine and I pretty much want to make everything in it!  These are easy to make, taste delicious and I just love the smooth passionfruit cream.  Perfect with a cup of tea!  But how did Liam & Robbie rate them?  Listen to the Family Show Taste Test below :-)

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup or treacle
1 cup self-raising flour
2/3 cup plain flour
1/4 cup passionfruit pulp (if passionfruit isn't in season, you can just buy a little tin from the supermarket)

Passionfruit cream
2 tablespoons passionfruit pulp
90g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar

Method
Beat butter, rind and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add golden syrup, beat until combined.  Stir in sifted flours and pulp.

Turn dough onto floured surface, knead gently until smooth.  Divide dough in half, roll each portion between sheets of baking paper to 5mm thickness.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Grease oven trays, line with baking paper.

Cut 25 x 4cm fluted rounds from each portion of dough; place on trays.

Bake biscuits about 10 minutes.  Cool on trays.

Meanwhile, make passionfruit cream: Strain passionfruit pulp through fine sieve into small jug, discard seeds.  Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in passionfruit juice.

Spoon passionfruit cream into piping bag fitted with 5mm fluted tube.  Pipe cream onto half the biscuits; top with remaining biscuits.  Serve dusted with a little extra icing sugar, if you like.

The Family Show Taste Test - find out what Liam & Robbie thought!

Toasted Muesli

This is a reader recipe sent in by Sonia - I've been meaning to make it for ages and finally got around to it - why didn't I do it sooner?!? Talk about DELICIOUS! And it was so easy, the prep hardly takes any time at all! It makes a huge batch of 24 serves at 50g/half a cup per serve - and mine came in at 210 calories per serve - perfect to serve with low-fat milk or yoghurt for a delicious and nutritious breakfast.  So thankyou Sonia, over to you for the recipe!

"This is so scrummy and rolled oats are very cheap! Once you've made it, you can play around with the ingredient quantities, like adding more or less coconut. Also, if you're on a budget, skip the more exotic additions at the end and it's fine with just a ton of sultanas thrown in."

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats
1 cups coconut
1 cup bran
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Optional extras:

Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sultanas
Cranberries
Nuts

Method

Mix together oats, coconut, bran, cinnamon and spice.  Then add maple syrup mix all ingredients together well.  Spread out in a shallow dish/baking tray.

Put in oven at approx 160 deg C for 15 mins. Remove, stir.  Put back in oven for about another 10 minutes, or until browned and toasted.

Stir through any extras you like.  (Editor's note: I used 1/2 cup pepitas, 1/2 cup flaked almonds, 1/2 cup sultanas, 1/2 cup dried apricots, 1/2 cup dried cranberries).

Store in an air-tight cereal container.

Chocolate Dump Truck

This is just a cute little birthday cake idea that my sister made recently for our 2-year-old nephew.  He ADORED it!  The concept is so easy - get a dump truck, make a chocolate cake, whack it in the back of the truck and you're done!  Angela also added some chocolate pudding, maltesers, pieces of flake and sour worms.  It was a 2-year-old's dream (well, actually, we all loved it!!!)

Cinnamon Pinwheels

I found this recipe at Woman's Day Online and made them for a morning tea with some fellow mums.  They are perfect with a cuppa, taste divine and are a perfect bite-sized treat.  So easy to make, I would definitely do these again!

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry

2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to hot, 200°C. Lightly grease and line an oven tray with baking paper.

Brush pastry with butter. Sprinkle with combined sugar and cinnamon. Roll up tightly to form a log. Cut into 1cm slices.

Place close together on tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden and pinwheels sound hollow when tapped. Serve warm or cold. Store in an airtight container.

San choy bau

I love San Choy Bau but I really don't make it as much as I should, I'm not sure why!  It's so delicious, easy to make and I love the crispness of serving it with lettuce - YUM!  This one comes in at only 170 calories per serve - amazing!

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 brown onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
300g lean beef mince
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
fresh coriander leaves
8 large iceberg lettuce leaves, to serve

Method
Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Add the mince and continue tossing in the wok until cooked through. Add the carrot, zucchini and capsicum and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened.  Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and lime juice, and cook for a further 2 minutes until the sauces are combined. Remove from heat and stir in the coriander leaves, before serving in the lettuce leaves.