Rigatoni with Italian Sausage

10 cherry tomatoes
2 tsp plus 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
560g pack Coles Italian style pork sausages (or just your fave flavour of sausage - from where-ever you shop)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
500g rigatoni pasta


Preheat oven to 375 degrees . (My oven only goes to 25o, but seemed to do the trick) Place tomatoes on a small baking tray and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes in oven for about 8 minutes, or until the skin begins to split. Remove tomatoes from the oven.


Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. While water is heating, place the remaining 1tbsp of oil in a large heavy saute pan over medium heat.


Add sausages and cook over moderate heat for 7-8 minutes, or until almost cooked through. Remove sausages from pan and allow to cool. Slice sausages into 3cm discs. Place garlic in the pan and saute for 1 minute or until tender. Add the tomatoes and sausages and saute for 3 minutes. Add the olives and toss gently. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the parsley.


Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the salted boiling water for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss in the pan with the sauce. Seas the past a to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to plates and serve.


SERVES 4

Chickpea fritters with Tzatziki

WW 4.5pt

serves 4

prep: 15mins

cooking: 10 mins

1 x 40g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup self raising flour
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels
4 green shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs fresh flat leaf parsley
1 x 125g tub low fat tzatziki


Pulse chickpeas in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add eggs and pulse, continuing to add milk, flour and cumin while pulsing. 
Fold in corn, shallots, garlic and parsley.
Lightly spray a large non-stick fry pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Using 1/4 cup mixture for each fritter, form 4 fritters in the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins  each side or until golden, risen and cooked through. 
Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining mix to make 12 fritters.


Serve warm or cold with salad and tzatziki

Spinach & Tuna Rice Cake

WW 3pt

serves 6

2 medium red capsicum, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g baby spinach
2 cups cooked rice
425g can tuna in springwater, drained and flaked
4 green shallots, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh dill
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tsp lemon rind, grated
rocket leaves to garnish


Preheat to 180C. Grease a 22cm round ovenproof dish or cake tin and line the base with baking paper.


Heat a large oil-sprayed non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add the capsicum and cook, stirring,  for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and spinach, cook until the spinach wilts. Cool.


Combine the spinach mixture, rice, tuna, shallots, eggs, egg whites, dill and rind in a large bowl Season and mix well.


Spoon mixture into the prepared dish and press down firmly. Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm. Garnish with rocket and serve cut into wedges.

Garlic steak with creamy mash

WW 6pt

serves 4

2 cups Jap pumpkin, chopped
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 x 150 sirloin or scotch fillet steaks
4 large potato, peeled and diced
1 cup skim milk
2 tbs wholegrain mustard
2 cups steamed beans, to serve


Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan forced). Place pumpkin on an oven tray, lined with baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes.


Meanwhile, combine the balsamic, worcestershire sauce and garlic in a shallow non-metallic dish. Add the steak and turn to coat. Stand for 10 minutes


Cook the potato in a large pan of boiling water for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to pan. Add the milk and mustard and mash until smooth, seasoning to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.


Meanwhile, preheat and oil-sprayed chargrill pan or small frying pan over high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade and cook for 3 minutes each side (for medium) or until cooked to your liking. Remove from pan and cover with foil and stand for 5 minutes. 


Spoon  mash onto a serving plate, top with the steak and serve with steamed beans and roasted pumpkin.

Prosciutto and Vegetable Pizzas

WW 5pt 

serves 4

1 reduced fat puff pastry sheet, just thawed

1 tbs olive oil

1 small brown onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

150g button mushrooms, quartered

1 small red capsicum, coarsely chopped

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

4 thin slices prosciutto, chopped

100g reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 200C. Line baking tray with baking paper. Cut pastry sheet into 4 squares. Place on tray. Bake for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium -high heat. Cook onion, garlic and mushrooms, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Add capsicum and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes. Cool for 5 minutes.

Spoon vegetable mixture onto pastry squares, leaving a 1cm border. Sprinkle with prosciutto and feta. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Serve sprinkled with basil leaves.

Moroccan Chickpea and Spinach Soup

WW 1.5

serves 4

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium brown onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp Moroccan spice mix
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 x 135 tubs apricots
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 litre vegetable stock
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 bunch english spinach, washed, trimmed, shredded


Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and spice mix and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant


Add tomato paste, undrained apricots, rind, lemon juice, stock and chickpeas. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.


Blend chickpea mixture with a stick blender to the consistency you prefer (blend briefly to retain some texture or blend until smooth for a creamy taste). Add spice and cook, stirring, over  medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve.


Serving suggestion:
Serve with a dollop of low-fat natural yoghurt.




Cooks notes:
Perfect for a snack, or a starter.
When I made this, I didn't use the lemon rind.
Instead of Moroccan spice mix, I found a tin of Moroccan spiced chickpeas! No need to drain!  Perfect and tasted fantastic!
I also don't own a stick blender (or any blender for that matter), so I used an electric beater. I don't know if it "blended" it, or made any difference at all.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

WW 7pt

serves 4

400g lean beef mionce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
400g can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup tomato pasta sauce with roasted garlic & red wine
150g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
250g dried spaghetti


Combine beef, oregano and half the onion in a medium bowl.Roll tablespoons of the mixture to make 20 meatballs.


Lightly spray a large non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Cook meatballs, turning occassionally, for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to plate.


Cook garlic and remaining onion in same pan, stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened. Add the tomaotes, pasta sauce and mushrooms. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10mins. Add meatballs. Covver and simmer for 15 mins or until sauce is thickened slightly ad meatballs cooked through. Stir in the basil and half the parsely.


Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water following packet instructions or until just tender.  Drain. Serve with pasta topped with meatballs and sprinkled with remaining parsley.


Suggestion:
serve with a side salad

Tzatziki

My recipe for tzatziki started out as a recipe for Raita, an Indian dipping sauce...


Raita
1 lebanese cucumber, seeds removed and finely chopped
1/4 cup low-fat natural yoghurt
2 tsp lemon juice.
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs fresh mint, chopped


Combine all ingredients in a bowl.




Tzatziki
1 lebanese cucumber, seeds removed and finely chopped
1/2 to 1 small tub of  low-fat natural yoghurt
2 tsp lemon juice


Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Herb and Bean Falafels

Falafel
2 x 400g cannelloni beans
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup parsley
1 cup mint leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
rock salt and black peppercorns - freshly ground
1 1/2 cup besan flour
700ml vegetable oil for deep frying


Yoghurt Sauce
1 small lemon
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup greek style yoghurt
1 tsp cumin


Drain the beans thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl and roughly mash.
Finely chop the onion, add to the bowl with the garlic that has been minced/ crushed.
Finely chop the parsley. Add to bowl.
Finely chop the mint. Add to bowl.
Stir in spices, freshly ground salt and pepper and 1/2 cup of Besan flour. Combine well, then form into small balls (1 flat tablespoon amounts) with your hands that have been lightly floured with the remaining flour.
Heat the oil until hot. Cook falafels in batches of 4-5 for about 3 minutes or until a dark golden brown colour. Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels.


To make the yoghurt sauce, finely grate the lemon rind. Chop mint to a desired consistency.
Combine lemon rind, mint, yoghurt and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and serve with falafels.


Notes:
Cannelloni beans can be substituted with any other white bean.
Besan flour is available from health food and asian food stores. It binds the falafels and doesn't make them gluggy.






Chef's idea:
My husband made these the other night (YES! He was in the kitchen!). He didn't use the mint leaves, used only ordinary plain flour, and put enough oil in a deep fry pan to cook. Still tasted good!! We ate these with just greek yoghurt, and it was delish!