Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Roasted Lamb
Serves 4
Prep time : 12 minutes
Cooking time : 70 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil, plus a dash extra.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
1 large bunch rosemary.
1.5kg easy-carve lamb leg.
800 grams butternut pumpkin, cut into large chunks.
200 grams green beans, trimmed.
1 tablespoon butter.

Method
Position 2 shelves in centre of oven and preheat to 200 C.
Into a roasting pan, pour a dash of olive oil, and tilt to coat base.
Mix 2 tablespoons oil, garlic and sea salt together in a small bowl.
Remove leaves from one sprig rosemary and chop roughly. Add to oil mixture.
Rub lamb all over with oil mixture.
Arrange remaining rosemary in roasting pan, and place lamb on top.
Roast on top shelf for 30 minutes.
In a separate roasting pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoon of oil.
Add pumpkin, and season with salt and pepper. Turn pumpkin to coat.
Move lamb to bottom shelf, and place pumpkin on top shelf.
Roast lamb and pumpkin for 35 to 40 minutes for medium lamb, or until cooked to your liking.
Remove lamb from oven, cover with foil and rest in a warm area for 10 minutes.
Increase the oven temperature to 230 C and cook pumpkin for a further 10 minutes.
In a saucepan of boiling water, cook beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Beans should be bright green in colour, and just tender.
Drain and place in a serving bowl. Add butter and toss to combine.

Serving
Slice lamb across the grain, and serve with roasted vegetables

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Coconut Pancakes with Herb Fish
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat flour.
1 egg.
1 egg white.
1 1/3 cups coconut milk.
Olive oil cooking spray.
4 x 125 gram pieces firm white fish fillets.
20 grams butter, melted.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
1/2 curly parsley, chopped.
100 grams snow pea sprouts, trimmed.
1 red capsicum, sliced into thin strips.
1/3 cup plain yoghurt.
Lemon wedges, to serve.

Method
In a large bowl, place flour and make a well in the centre.
Add egg, egg white and coconut milk and whisk until smooth.
Add 1/2 cup cold water and whisk until well mixed.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and lightly spray with oil.
Pour 1/4 cup mixture into pan and tilt to cover base thinly.
Cook until light golden on both sides, and remove to a plate.
Repeat process with remaining mixture.
Preheat grill to a medium-high heat.
Cut fish fillets in halves, length ways.
Line grill tray with foil and place fish on foil.
Mix butter and garlic together and spoon over fish.
Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with parsley.
Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Fish should be cooked through.
Place one pancake on board, and lay a few sprouts in the centre.
Add capsicum and one piece of fish. Spoon 2 teaspoons of yoghurt over fish. Roll up pancake.
Repeat with remaining pancakes and filling.

Serving
Cut rolls in half, and serve with wedges of lemon.

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Crumbed Chicken with Gherkin Dressing
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
8 (600 grams) chicken tenderloins.
1/2 cup plain flour.
1 egg, lightly beaten.
1/3 cup milk.
1 cup fresh bread crumbs.
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated.
2 teaspoons garlic powder.
600 grams kipfler potatoes, washed and sliced in half length ways.
Olive oil cooking spray.
1/2 cup sour cream.
1 gherkin, chopped finely.
2 tablespoons fresh dill sprigs.
1 tablespoon capers, chopped roughly.
Baby rocket and lemon wedges to serve.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Using a meat mallet, pound chicken until 1cm thick.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Spread flour onto a flat plate.
Add egg and milk to a shallow bowl and whisk lightly, just until mixed.
In another shallow bowl mix parmesan, garlic powder and bread crumbs together.
Coat chicken one piece at a time in flour, then egg mixture, and finally in bread crumb mixture.
Place chicken in a single layer on prepared baking tray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Place potatoes in a roasting pan and spray with oil. Season with salt, and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove tray from refrigerator and spray both sides with oil.
Place in oven above potatoes, and cook for 15 minutes, turning at halfway mark.
In a bowl, combine sour cream, gherkin, dill and capers. Season with salt.

Serving
Place rocket on four plates and top with potatoes. Add chicken and gherkin dressing. Serve with wedges of lemon.

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Garlic Steak with Rice Salad
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 25 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock.
1 1/3 cups long-grain rice.
Olive oil cooking spray.
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, diagonally sliced into thirds.
1 yellow capsicum, cut into 1cm thick strips.
250 grams cherry tomatoes.
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped.
1/2 lemon, juiced.
4 round steaks.
1 tablespoon garlic steak seasoning.
Lemon wedges, to serve.

Method
Add stock to a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Cook rice according to packet directions. Drain and return to pan with lid on. Set to one side.
Place a lightly greased barbecue plate over medium-high heat.
Spray capsicum, asparagus and cherry tomatoes lightly with oil, and barbecue for 2 to 3 minutes, turning while cooking.
Remove vegetables from barbecue and place in a large bowl.
Add rice, parsley and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice. Toss until well mixed.
Heat barbecue grill plate to a high heat.
Spray both sides of the steak with oil, and sprinkle with seasoning on both sides.
Cook for 30 seconds on each side for medium steak.

Serving
Serve steak with warm rice salad, and lemon wedges.

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Traditional Pavlova
Serves 6
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 90 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cornflour.
6 egg whites.
1 teaspoon cream of tartar.
1 1/3 cups caster sugar.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
1 teaspoon white vinegar.
200 ml cream.
250 grams frozen blueberries.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C.
On a sheet of baking paper, draw a 24cm diameter circle, and place on a baking tray. Dust lightly with 1 teaspoon cornflour.
In a large, clean, dry bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric beater, until soft peaks form.
Add sugar, a little at a time, beating constantly, until glossy and thick.
Add remaining cornflour and sugar.
Fold through vinegar and vanilla.
spread meringue onto prepared tray and shape into circle.
Reduce oven temperature to 100 C.
Bake for one and a quarter to one and a half hours, until dry and crisp.
Turn the oven off and open the door. (Allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven).

Serving
Spread with cream and top with berries.

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Tuna Rice Salad
Serves 4
Prep time : 12 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 cups long-grain rice.
1/2 cup frozen peas.
1 tomatoes, diced.
3 green onions, sliced thinly.
2 x 185 cans tuna in spring water.
2 large lemons.
1 tablespoon olive oil.

Method
Cook rice according to packet directions.
Once rice is cooked, add peas and cover. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Drain, and rinse with cold water. Set to one side to cool.
In a large bowl, combine rice, peas, tomatoes and green onions.
Drain the tuna and flake the flesh into large chunks.
Add to rice mixture and toss gently to combine.
Juice one lemon. Slice the other lemon into wedges.
Add 1/4 cup lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper to a small jug. Whisk for 30 seconds to combine.

Serving
Pour dressing over salad and toss. Serve with lemon wedges.

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Hot Cross Buns with Strawberries
Serves 4
Prep time : 12 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
375 gram punnet strawberries, halved.
2 tablespoons brown sugar.
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
3 hot cross buns, sliced into thirds.
1/4 cup Nutella.
1/2 cup vanilla yoghurt, to serve.

Method
Preheat oven to 230 C.
Line a small roasting tray with baking paper and lay out strawberries, flat side down.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar mixture and turn to coat.
Cook for 10 minutes, until strawberries have collapsed and syrup has started to form.
Toast the slices of bun in toaster or under a grill.
Spread one side of each slice with Nutella.

Serving
Stack two bun slices one each plate, with a dollop of yoghurt in between. Top with strawberries and a dollop of yoghurt.

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Risotto with Chicken and Mushroom
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 35 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil.
1 leek, sliced thinly.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
200 grams button mushrooms.
2 cups arborio rice.
4 cups chicken stock.
2 large chicken breasts fillets, trimmed.
1 lemon, rind grated finely.
2 tablespoons tarragon, chopped.

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C.
In a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and place over medium heat.
Add leek, garlic and mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes. The leek should be soft.
Stir in rice and cook for 1 minute.
Add stock and bring to the boil.
Transfer contents of saucepan to an oven proof dish.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. The liquid should be almost absorbed.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and add remaining oil.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan.
Cook for 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
Transfer to a plate, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Place chicken on a board and slice finely across the grain.
Remove risotto from oven and stir through the chicken, lemon rind, and tarragon.
Cover and let stand for 5 minutes

Serving
Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

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Basque-style Chicken
Serves 4
Prep time : 12 minutes
Cooking time : 50 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil.
800 grams chicken tenderloins, tendons removed.
1 large onion, sliced thinly.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 tablespoon sweet paprika.
1 large red capsicum, chopped roughly.
1 large green capsicum, chopped roughly.
1/2 cup dry white wine.
4 tomatoes, chopped.
2 potatoes, chopped roughly, with skin on.
Crusty bread to serve.

Method
In a large saucepan, add 2 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.
Add chicken to pan in batches, and cook for 1 minute each side, until browned. Remove to a plate.
Add remaining oil to pan, and add onion, and cook for 3 minutes until opaque and soft.
Add garlic, paprika and capsicums.
Cook for a further 2 minutes and add wine.
Bring to the boil.
Return chicken to the pan and add tomato and potatoes. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Uncover and cook for 15 minutes until the potato is tender and sauce has reduced.
Season with salt and pepper.

Serving
Serve with crusty bread.

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