Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Thai Fish Noodle Soup
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 40 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
6 cups chicken stock. Try our delicious home made stock recipe.
3cm piece fresh ginger, sliced.
2 whole star anise.
2 tablespoons soy sauce.
2 teaspoons brown sugar.
750 grams, boneless firm white fish fillets, skin removed, chopped roughly.
1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped.
1 teaspoon rind of lime, grated finely.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
250 grams dried pad Thai noodles.
100 grams snow peas, sliced finely.
Fresh coriander leaves to serve.

Method
To a saucepan add stock, ginger, star anise, soy sauce, and sugar.
Heat over high heat and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, or until reduced slightly.
Place, fish, coriander, lime rind, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.
Season with salt and pepper.
Process until combined.
Using a teaspoon of mixture at a time, roll into balls.
Prepare noodles according to packet directions. Drain.
Strain the stock mixture into a jug, and return to pan over a medium heat.
Add fish balls to pan, and cook while stirring for about 8 minutes. The fish balls should be cooked through.
Add the snow peas, and cook for 1 minute further.

Serving
Divide noodles between bowls and ladle the soup over the top. Serve topped with coriander leaves.

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Ham and Pineapple Pizza Scrolls
Makes 12
Prep time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour.
30 grams butter, chilled, chopped into small cubes.
3/4 cup milk.
1/4 cup tomato paste.
1/2 cup tasty cheese, grated.
100 grams shaved ham, chopped.
225 gram can pineapple pieces, drained.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Into a large bowl, sift flour and add butter.
with fingertips, rub flour into butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Create a well in the centre.
Add the milk, and using a knife, mix to form a soft dough.
Between two sheets of baking paper, roll dough out to form a rectangle measuring 20cm x 30cm.
Spread the tomato paste over the dough, leaving a border of 2.5cm on one end.
Top with ham, pineapple and cheese.
Roll the dough up from one long end to make a Swiss roll.
Place on a board with the seam of the roll facing downwards and cut into 12 rounds.
Place the rounds onto the tray prepared earlier, and bake for 15 minutes. The scroll should be golden and cooked through.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes on tray.

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Creamy Berry Slice
Serves 12
Prep time : 25 minutes
Cooking time : 50 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
200 grams butter, softened.
1/2 cup caster sugar.
1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted.
1/2 desiccated coconut.
Berry Topping Ingredients
450 grams mixed fresh berries.
2 eggs.
2 egg yolks.
1/3 cup caster sugar.
1 3/4 cups thickened cream.
3/4 cup milk.
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Grease and line a slice pan (3cm deep 24cm x 29.5cm base), with baking paper, making sure that there is a 2cm overhang of paper at each end.
In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric beaters, until well combined.
Stir in flour and coconut.
Turn out into prepared pan, and using the back of a metal spoon, press evenly over base of pan.
Bake for 5 minutes until light golden in co lour.
Remove from oven and set to one side to cool (about 10 minutes).
For the berry topping, Spoon the berries over the cooled base.
In a large jug whisk together, eggs, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup caster sugar.
Add cream and milk, and whisk for 1 minute.
Stain the custard through a sieve over the berries.
Return pan to oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the centre is set.
Remove and cool for 1 hour in pan.

Serving
In a bowl combine the remaining caster sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle over slice while still warm.
Remove slice from pan and serve. Slice is delicious warm or cold.

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Cherry Tomato Tart
Serves 4
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
4 sheets partially thawed pre made puff pastry.
300 grams cream cheese.
1 jar cherry marinated tomatoes.
Salt and pepper to season

Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and salt and pepper.
Grease and line an oven tray large enough to take 1 sheet of pastry.
Remove any plastic sheeting from the pastry and lay the sheets on top of each other.
Cut this into 4 pieces.
Pierce the inside of these pastry sheets well with a fork, leaving a 1cm border.
Bake until pasty has turned golden brown.
While pastry is still hot dollop a quarter of the cheese mix into the middle of each, spreading it as the cheese softens.
Allow to cool slightly and garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Serving
Serve lukewarm or cold.

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Cheesy Lamb Kebabs
Serves 4
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
600 grams lean lamb, cubed.
1 punnet cherry tomatoes.
1 cup quick cooking brown rice.
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs.
1 cup grated swiss cheese.
2 teaspoons German mustard.
1/2 teaspoon paprika.
Freshly ground black pepper.
1 red capsicum, chopped.
1 cup chopped shallots.
310 gram can corn kernels, drained.
8 oiled bamboo skewers.

Method
Preheat grill to a high heat.
Cook rice following packet directions.
Thread lamb and tomatoes onto skewers, and grill for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes.
In a shallow bowl, mix together bread crumbs, cheese, mustard, paprika and pepper.
Press the kebabs into the bread crumb mixture, and grill for another 3 minutes.
Drain the rice, and mix through the corn, capsicum and shallots.

Serving
Serve with fresh tossed salad.

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Ham and Egg Pies
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
80 grams ham, sliced into long strips.
4 eggs (at room temperature).
1 small tomato, seeds removed, diced.
1 tablespoon ricotta or feta cheese, crumbled.
1 tablespoon thickened cream.
30 grams baby spinach, trimmed.
Crusty bread, to serve.

Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Using four oven proof 1/2 cup capacity cups or bowls, grease and line the base and sides of each with slices of ham.
Break 1 egg into each, and top with a quarter of the tomato, parsley and cheese.
Drizzle one teaspoon of cream over each cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes for soft egg yolks. Remove and put to one side for 2 to 3 minutes.

Serving
Serve pie over bed of spinach leaves, with toast.

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Chinese Coleslaw
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 to 12 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1/2 medium Chinese cabbage (wombok), chopped roughly.
4 green onions, sliced thinly.
1 large carrot, cut into fine matchsticks.
1 medium red capsicum, cut into fine matchsticks.
1 1/2 cup beansprouts, trimmed.
1 cup fresh coriander leaves.
1/3 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted.
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce.
2 tablespoons lime juice.
1 tablespoon soy sauce.
2 tablespoons sesame oil.

Method
To a large salad bowl add Chinese cabbage, onion, carrot, capsicum, beansprouts, coriander and almonds.
Combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil in a jug.
Whisk for one minute.
Pour over salad.

Serving
Toss salad gently, and serve.

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Thai Beef Salad
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
500 grams of beef fillet.
2 carrots, peeled and julienned.
2 lebanese cucumbers, julienned.
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal.
2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced.
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered.
1/2 cup vietnamese mint leaves, roughly chopped.
1/2 cup coriander, roughly chopped.
2 teaspoons peanut oil.
Dressing
1/4 cup peanut oil.
2 limes, rinds grated and juiced.
1 tablespoon light soy sauce.
1 tablespoon fish sauce.
1 tablespoon brown sugar.

Method
Preheat a grill pan over high heat.
Brush the beef fillet with oil and cook until medium, around 4 minutes per side.
Remove and cover with foil when done. Allow to rest at least 5 minutes.
Mix all remaining salad ingredients together in a bowl.
Add dressing ingredients together and whisk until combined.
Thinly slice cooked beef fillet.
Toss beef together with salad.
Drizzle over dressing and serve.

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Paprika Chicken
Serves 4
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 60 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
8 chicken thigh fillets, skin on.
2 small brown onions, diced.
2 small red capsicums, deseeded and large diced.
2 tablespoons paprika,
1 teaspoon ground ginger.
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
1 tablespoon dried basil.
1 1/2 cups chicken stock.
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.
1/4 cup natural yoghurt.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
30 grams butter.

Method
Melt butter into the oil in a heavy based pan over medium heat.
Add the chicken, skin side down and cook until browned, 3-4 minutes.
Cook chicken on other side for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove to plate.
Add the onion and capsicums and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes.
Add the paprika, ginger, nutmeg, basil, stock, wine and sauce.
Bring to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Return chicken to the pot and cook covered for 30 minutes.
Remove lid and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until sauce had become thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in yoghurt and allow to stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serving
Delicious with rice and steamed green beans.

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