Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Tomato, Bean and Sausage Soup
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 32 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil.
6 pork and fennel sausages.
1 baby fennel, sliced thinly.
1 red onion, sliced thinly.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
150 grams shortcut bacon, chopped.
2 tablespoons tomato paste.
400 grams can diced tomatoes.
2 x 400 gram cans butter beans, drained, rinsed.
2 cups chicken stock.
100 grams baby spinach leaves.

Method
Place a saucepan over medium heat and add oil.
Add sausages and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until heated through.
Remove to a plate, and allow to cool slightly.
Slice into thin pieces.
Place fennel, onion, garlic and bacon to pan and cook stirring for 5 minutes, until tender.
Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute further, stirring to combine.
Add tomatoes, beans, stock and 2 cup cold water.
Cover and bring to the boil.
Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. Soup should thicken slightly.
Add sausage slices and spinach, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through.

Serving
Serve hot, with crusty bread.

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Pork and Pineapple Stir-fry
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.
400 grams lean pork steaks.
250 grams rice stick noodles.
1/2 small sweet pineapple, halved, sliced thinly.
1 teaspoon sesame oil.
1 onion, sliced thinly.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
150 grams beansprouts.
250 grams green beans, halved.
1 1/2 tablespoons honey.
2 tablespoons soy sauce.
Steamed basmati rice, to serve.

Method
Brush both sides of the pork steaks with 2 teaspoons of olive oil
Place a wok over medium heat and add pork.
Cook for 3 minutes each side, until cooked through. Remove to a plate, cover and rest for 5 minutes.
Slice thinly.
Prepare noodles according to packet directions. Drain.
Place a large wok over high heat, and add sesame oil and remaining olive oil.
Tilt pan to cover.
Once to temperature, add onion and garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until onion is soft.
Add beansprouts and green beans and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add noodles and sliced pork to the wok and pour in honey and soy sauce. Toss to combine.
Add pineapple and cook for a further 1 minute, until heated through.

Serving
Serve with steamed basmati rice.

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Spaghetti with Fresh Herbs
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
500 grams spaghetti.
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
2 tablespoons chives, chopped.
1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded.
1/3 cup parsley, chopped roughly.
1/4 cup lemon thyme leaves.
40 grams reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled.
30 grams parmesan, grated.
80 grams ham, cut into short thin strips.
Extra parmesan, grated, to serve.

Method
In a large saucepan of salted, boiling water, cook pasta following packet directions.
Drain, reserving 2 tablespoon of the liquid.
Return the pasta and reserved liquid to the saucepan, and place over a low heat.
Add oil, garlic, vinegar, herbs, feta, parmesan and ham.
Gently stir to combine.

Serving
Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkled with extra grated parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

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Corn and Bacon Fritters
Serves 4
Prep time : 8 minutes
Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 large corn cobs, kernels removed.
175 grams bacon, chopped.
1 1/3 self-raising flour.
1 cup milk.
2 eggs, lightly beaten.
4 green onions, sliced thinly.
Olive oil for shallow frying.
Crisp bacon, mashed avocado and light sour cream to serve.

Method
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and cook bacon for 4 minutes, until light golden.
Put a piece of paper towel on a plate.
Remove bacon to prepared plate.
Into a bowl sift the flour and season with salt and pepper.
Pour milk and add eggs to a small jug and whisk until combined.
Add to flour and stir gently, until the batter is smooth.
Add corn kernels, bacon and green onions, and mix well.
Preheat oven to 160 C.
Add enough oil to a large frying pan to cover its base, and place over medium heat.
Using 1/4 cup of mixture per fritter, cook for 4 to 5 minutes each side, until cooked through.
Remove to an oven-proof plate and keep warm in oven while remaining fritters are being cooked.

Serving
Top fritters with crispy bacon, avocado and sour cream.

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Orange Macadamia Crusted Ham
Serves 10 +
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 120 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
7kg leg of ham.
2 cups macadamia nuts, chopped finely.
1/4 cup mandarin or orange marmalade.
2 large oranges, rind grated finely.
1/4 cup creamed honey.
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Method
Preheat oven to 150 C.
Line a large roasting pan with 2 sheets of baking paper.
Remove the rind from the ham.
Place ham in the lined roasting pan.
Place chopped macadamia nuts in a bowl and add marmalade, orange rind, honey and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.
Press the nut mixture onto the ham, using moistened fingers.
Bake for 60 minutes.
Increase oven temperature to 200 C and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, until crust is crisp and golden.

Serving
Slice and serve warm or cold.

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Roast Pork with Apple
Serves 6 to 8
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 2 hours 40 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
3kg joint of pork leg.
1/4 cup olive oil.
1 tablespoon sea salt.
6 desiree potatoes, quartered.
6 spring onions, trimmed.
1 tablespoon rosemary, leaves chopped.
4 apples.
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy.
2 tablespoons plain flour.
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock.

Method
Preheat oven to 250 C.
Rub 2 tablespoon of olive oil into the rind, then sprinkle over the sea salt and rub in well.
Place pork in roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes.
In a large bowl place potatoes, onions, rosemary and remaining oil and stir to coat.
Reduce oven to 180 C.
Continue to bake pork for 40 minutes, then remove and baste with pan juices.
Arrange vegetables around pork and return to the oven for a further 60 minutes.
Quarter the apples, and remove cores.
Remove pork and vegetables from oven and baste with pan juices.
Place apple pieces around pork and roast for a further 30 to 40 minutes, until pork is just cooked.
Remove pork to a board and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.
Even out the vegetables and apple pieces left in the pan and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes at 220 C.
Remove to a plate.
Pour off the excess fat from the roasting pan and place over a medium heat.
Add brandy and scrape the bottom of the pan of any sediment.
Add flour and cook, stirring continuously for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the stock.
Return pan to the heat and cook, stirring until the gravy comes to the boil and thickens.

Serving
Slice pork and serve with vegetables, apple and gravy.

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Florentine Gnocchi Bake
Serves 8
Prep time : 12 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
1 large red onion, halved, sliced thinly.
3 cloves garlic, crushed.
200 grams prosciutto, chopped.
1 bunch silverbeet, leaves removed, shredded.
1kg potato gnocchi. Why not make your own with this potato gnocchi recipe.
3 cups plain yoghurt.
125 grams bocconcinni cheese, torn.
50 grams parmesan cheese, grated finely.

Method
Preheat oven to 220 C.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add oil. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until opaque and soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add prosciutto and cook for a further 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
Place silverbeet in a freezer bag and twist the top to seal.
Place in Microwave and cook on High for 1 to 2 minutes, until just wilted.
Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Add to onion mixture.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add gnocchi to a large saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes.
Drain.
Grease an 8 cup capacity casserole dish, and add half of the gnocchi.
Spread a layer of the onion and silverbeet mixture over the top and finish with yoghurt.
Repeat this process, and distribute the bocconcinni and parmesan over the last yoghurt layer.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.

Serving
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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Herb Crusted Pork
Serves 8
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 90 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 easy carve boneless pork rolled loin roast.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 tablespoon sage.
1 tablespoon rosemary.
1 tablespoon sea salt.
Apple sauce to serve.

Method
Preheat oven to 220 C. Line a roasting pan with baking paper.
In a small bowl combine the sage, rosemary and sea salt.
With a sharp knife, score the rind of the pork loin at 1 cm intervals.
Rub the oil into the rind, and sprinkle the sea salt mixture over the top.
Place the pork loin into the prepared roasting pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 180 C and cook for 60 minutes, or until juices run clear when pierced with a skewer.
Remove and allow to rest in a warm space for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Serving
Serve with apple sauce.

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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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