Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Tuna, Tomato and Rice Triangles
Makes 18
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 40 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 small onion, chopped finely.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
185 gram can tuna in oil, drained, flaked.
1/4 cup semi-dried tomatoes, chopped finely.
1/4 cup pouring cream.
1 egg, lightly beaten.
1 1/2 tablespoons dill, chopped.
18 sheets filo pastry.
125 grams butter, melted.

Method
Cook rice, according to absorption method on packet. Put to one side to cool.
Preheat oven to 200 C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and add the oil.
Once to temperature, add onion and garlic.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until onion has softened.
Remove to a bowl.
Add rice, tuna, semi-dried tomato, cream egg and dill.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place one sheet of pastry on workbench and brush with butter.
Top with another pastry sheet and brush with butter.
Top with another sheet to form three layers.
Cut the pastry into thirds.
Spoon 1 heaped tablespoon of tuna mixture onto the short end of each pastry strip, and fold pastry over to make a triangle.
Continue folding the pastry over itself and brush with butter once to the end.
Repeat this process with the remaining pastry, butter and tuna mixture.
Bake triangles for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.

Serving
Serve warm.

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Crunchy Noodle Salad
Serves 4
Prep time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1/2 red grapefruit, segmented.
2 x 100 gram packets fried rice noodles.
200 grams Chinese barbecued pork, sliced.
1 stalk celery, sliced.
1 cup fresh coriander leaves.
12 medium king prawns, cooked.
1 teaspoon sesame oil.
1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
2 tablespoons lime juice.
1 tablespoon fish sauce.
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar.

Method
In a bowl combine sesame oil, vegetable oil, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a bowl.
Whisk until sugar has dissolved.
Place grapefruit, noodles, pork, celery, coriander,and prawns into a salad bowl and toss to combine.

Serving
Pour dressing over salad just before serving, to ensure the noodles stay crisp.

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Smoked Fish Pies
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 35 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil.
2 baby fennel, sliced thinly.
1 leek, halved, sliced thinly.
2 tablespoons plain flour.
1 1/2 cups fish stock.
1/2 cup thickened cream.
2 tablespoons dill leaves, roughly chopped.
2 teaspoons dijon mustard.
1/2 lemon, juiced.
600 grams firm white fish fillets, chopped.
300 grams smoked cod, flaked.
2 sheets frozen ready-made puff pastry, thawed.
1 egg, lightly beaten.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Line a tray with baking paper.
Over medium heat, add oil to a frying pan, and add fennel and leek.
Cook for about 5 minutes until soft.
Sprinkle the flour over the top.
Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat.
Using a whisk, mix in stock and cream gradually, and return to medium heat.
Cook, stirring for 5 to 8 minutes, until sauce comes to the boil.
Add dill, mustard and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Add fish to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Fish should be cooked through.
On a board, layer the pastry sheets on top of each other, and using a ramekin as a guide, trace around rim, leaving an allowance of .5cm. Repeat this process until 4 rounds have been cut.
Arrange the rounds on the lined tray and brush with egg. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden.

Serving
Spoon fish mixture into ramekins and top with pastry lids. Serve.

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Smoked fish rolls
Serves 4
Prep time : 12 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
4 damper bread rolls.
2 (150 grams each) smoked ocean trout, flaked.
1 1/2 cups watercress sprigs.
1 cup whole egg mayonnaise. Why not try out tangy homestyle mayonnaise recipe?
2 tablespoons French mustard.
1 small lemon, juiced.
2 tablespoons chives, chopped finely.

Method
In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, mustard, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, chives and 1 tablespoon warm water, until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cut a deep slit in the top of each damper roll.
Spread rolls with mayonnaise dressing and fill with trout and watercress.

Serving
Drizzle a little of the remaining dressing over the top. Serve.

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Tuna Patty Rolls
Serves 4
Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 8 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
300 grams sebago potatoes, chopped.
425 grams can tuna in spring water, flaked.
2 green onions finely sliced.
1/4 cup plain flour.
1 egg, lightly beaten.
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs.
1/4 cup vegetable oil.
1/3 cup hommus dip.
4 iceberg lettuce leaves, shredded.
2 tomatoes, sliced.
4 pita bread rounds.

Method
In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook potato until tender.
Drain, remove and mash roughly.
Stir through onion and tuna.
Using moist hands, shape into 8 patties.
Spread flour over a flat plate, pour egg into a shallow, flat bowl and place bread crumbs in a separate shallow flat bowl.
Dust patties in the flour, shaking of the excess.
Dip them in the egg, and then bread crumbs.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and add oil.
Once to temperature, cook the patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden.
Drain on paper towel, and set to one side to cool.
Spread 1 tablespoon of hommus over 1 half of each pita bread.
Divide the lettuce and tomato between the prepared pita bread.
Top each with two tuna patties, and fold up.

Serving
Cut each roll in half. Great to take on picnics/school lunches – just wrap each roll in baking paper and secure with string.

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Salmon Rice Balls
Makes 16
Prep time : 25 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 cups sushi rice, rinsed.
5 tablespoons sushi seasoning.
1/2 small avocado.
1/2 small lemon, juiced.
1/2 carrot, chopped finely.
1/4 Lebanese cucumber, chopped finely.
50 grams sliced smoked salmon, chopped.
3/4 cup sesame seeds, lightly toasted.
Soy sauce, to serve.

Method
Cook rice according to packet directions. Drain. Return rice to the pan and fold sushi seasoning through the rice.
Line a large tray with baking paper, and spread rice over tray, evenly.
Set aside for 1 hour,until rice is cool.
In a bowl, mash avocado and lemon juice together.
With a knife, mark the rice into 16 portions.
Remove one portion of rice at a time, to a baking paper lined work space.
Using fingertips, press the rice into a 1cm thick round.
Place one teaspoon of avocado mixture onto rice, followed by carrot, cucumber and salmon.
Carefully fold the rice around the filling to form a ball, and roll ball in sesame seeds.
Repeat process with remaining rice and ingredients.
Place salmon balls on a tray in a single layer, cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Serving
Serve cold, with soy sauce.

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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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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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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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