Quinoa Stuffed Avocados

Quinoa Stuffed Avocados

Recipe courtesy: The Lean Clean Eating Machine

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa; soaked and rinsed

1 cup canned Tuna, drained

2 cups vegetable broth

1 ripe avocado

1 lime; juiced

¼ tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp soft brown sugar

¼ cup fresh cilantro; chopped

Sriracha hot sauce or hot sauce of your choice

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Add in rinsed quinoa and bring mixture back up to a boil. Cover saucepan and turn heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until all of liquid is absorbed. When finished, remove from heat, remove lid, stir, and set aside to cool. You will want quinoa to cool to room temperature before using it. When quinoa has cooled to room temperature, place quinoa into a large mixing bowl and mix in a cup of tuna, Prepare a dressing of half of the lime juice, sugar, and black pepper. Add salt to taste. Stir to thoroughly combine. Cut your ripe avocado in half and carefully remove the pit. With a large spoon, gently scoop around the edges to scoop out your avocado. Place avocado halves on a plate and coat thoroughly with your remaining lime juice to add extra flavor and prevent the avocado from browning. With a spoon, carefully fill your avocado halves with the quinoa mixture. Finish off with a drizzle of hot sauce and freshly chopped cilantro.

Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad

Recipe courtesy: Food Network

Ingredients

4 coins fresh ginger

2 sprigs coriander

3 scallions

1 small carrot, halved

1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken breasts halves, on the bone

4 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

2 kirby cucumbers, seeded and diced

1/4 medium jicama, peeled and diced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 scallion (white and green), thinly sliced

1/4 cup toasted cashews, chopped

Low-Fat Ginger Dressing, recipe follows

1 head Boston lettuce, leaves

Low Fat Ginger Dressing:

1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon freshly grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Asian chili paste, such as sambal oelek

2 teaspoons Southeast Asian fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon broth from poaching chicken

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Put the ginger, coriander, scallions, carrot, and chicken breasts in a medium saucepan. Cover with the broth, and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat to very low and cover. Poach the chicken for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and cool the chicken in the liquid, about 30 minutes. Bone and pull the chicken into bite-size pieces. Save the broth.

Toss the chicken with the remaining salad ingredients and toss with the dressing. Wrap about 1/3 cup of the salad in a lettuce leaf. Serve 3 to 4 lettuce leaves per person with a wedge of lime if desired.

Low Fat Ginger Dressing:

Whisk the lime juice, ginger, soy, chili, fish sauce, salt and broth in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a dressing.

Nutritional Info per serving

Calories 375

Total Fat 16 grams

Saturated Fat 3 grams

Carbohydrates 14 grams

Dietary Fiber 4 grams

Protein 45 grams

Herb Crusted Salmon served with lentils

Herb Crusted Salmon served with Lentils

Recipe courtesy: Real Food Tesco

Salmon, the King of fish is an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium. It is a good source of niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, phosphorus and vitamin B6.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

300g (10oz) green lentils

3 thyme sprigs

500ml (17fl oz) chicken stock

30g (1 1/4oz) panko breadcrumbs

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp single cream

1 tbsp horseradish sauce

4 salmon fillets

mixed salad, to serve (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, ovenproof pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, then stir in the lentils, thyme, stock and 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) water. Bring to the boil, then cover, and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining oil, lemon zest and parsley; season. Press the mixture firmly onto each salmon fillet and set aside.

Remove the lentils from the oven and stir in the lemon juice, cream and horseradish.

Increase the oven temperature to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Arrange the salmon on top of the lentils and return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve with salad, if you like.

Each serving contains

Energy 594kcal

Fat 24.5g

Saturates 4.6g

Sugars 4.4g

Salt 1.8g

Carbohydrate 47.8g

Protein 48.6g

Fibre 1.2g

Roast Potato Salad

Roast Potato Salad

Recipe courtesy: Live Lighter

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks

4 medium potatoes, skin on, chopped into 3 cm chunks

2 tbs olive oil

pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic, optional

2 tbs low-fat mayonnaise

1 tbs wholegrain mustard

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 spring onions (including green tops), finely chopped

1 handful baby spinach leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°C and cover a large baking tray with baking paper.

Spread the sweet potatoes and potatoes on the tray, add the oil and pepper and mix around so they are all coated. If using garlic, wrap in foil and add to the tray. Roast for 30 minutes until vegetables are soft in the middle and browning on the outside. Take out of the oven to cool.

In a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, mustard and roasted garlic (if using). Add the celery, spring onions and baby spinach.

Once the potatoes and sweet potatoes have cooled, add to the other ingredients and mix well.

Nutrition Information

per serve                                 per 100g

Energy             1100 kJ            477 kJ

Protein             5.4 g                2.3 g

Fat, total         12.2 g               5.3 g

— saturated    0.9 g                0.4 g

Carbohydrate 30 g                 13 g

— sugars         6.3 g                2.7 g

Sodium           187.2 mg         81.2 mg

Fibre               4.9 g                2.1 g

Banana Berry Smoothies

Banana Berry Smoothies

Recipe courtesy: Jamba Juice

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

1 1/4 cups raspberry sherbet

3/4 cup fat free frozen yogurt

1 cup berry blend juice, plus 1/4 cup more as needed*

8 ice cubes

Directions

Add bananas, blueberries, raspberry sherbet, frozen yogurt and berry blend juice to a blender, cover with lid and blend until well blended. Add ice and blend until ice is fully processed and ice pieces no longer remain. Serve immediately.

Yields: 3 servings

Creamy Pasta, Salami & Avocado Salad

Creamy Pasta, Salami & Avocado Salad

Ingredients

3-4 cups cooked Farfalle (Bow tie pasta)

1 cup cubed salami

1 ripe avocado, diced

1 large tomato, diced

2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 can red kidney beans, washed and drained

For the dressing:

Juice of ½ lemon

¼ cup chopped parsley

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp black pepper powder

¼ tsp paprika

1 cup mayo

¼ cup olive oil

salt to taste

Directions

Cook pasta till al dente and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil. In a bowl mix the ingredients for the dressing. When pasta is at room temperature, pour the dressing over it and mix gently. Serve chilled.