Chargrilled lamb & couscous with vegetables

NB Diabetes friendly

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup salt reduced chicken stock
• 2 x 425g cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 50g roasted red capsicum, cut into strips
• 50g chargrilled eggplant, cut into strips
• 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
• olive oil cooking spray
• 320g lamb loin fillets, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Place couscous in a large, heatproof bowl. Combine 3/4 cup water and 1/2 cup stock in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Pour over couscous. Cover and set aside for 3 to 4 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate grains. Add chickpeas, capsicum, eggplant, parsley, coriander, lemon rind and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Cover and set aside.
2. Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Season lamb with pepper. Add to pan and cook for 3 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil and set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Increase heat to high and add vinegar and remaining stock. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until sauce reduces and thickens. Stir in any juices from lamb.
3. Divide couscous between serving plates. Thinly slice lamb and arrange over couscous. Pour over balsamic sauce. Serve.

Indian Spiced Lamb Rissoles

1 x 3 second spray Always Fresh Olive Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray
400 g extra lean lamb mince
2 slice white bread, made into breadcrumbs
1/2 medium onion, grated
2 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbs curry paste, (korma)
1 whole whole egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped
2/3 cup skim plain yoghurt
100 g baby spinach leaves
1 whole cucumber, halved, thinly sliced
240 g turkish bread, (4 x 60g pieces), toasted

Combine mince, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, curry paste, egg and half of the mint and coriander in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Using clean hands, mix until well combined. Roll the mixture into 16 balls and flatten slightly between hands. Tranfer the rissoles to a plate, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes if time permits.


Meanwhile to make dip, combine yoghurt, remaining garlic and herbs in a medium size bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.


Place a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Spray with oil and cook the rissoles in 2 batches for approximately 5 minutes each side, or until golden and cooked through. Set aside.


Serve rissoles with Turkish toast, yoghurt sauce, sliced cucumber and baby spinach leaves.

Prawn & Chilli Risotto

4 cups chicken stock
1 onion finely chopped
1 long red chilli finely chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
1.5 cups aborio rice
400g can diced tomatoes
16 peeled tails intact large green prawns
2 tsp portugese seasoning
1 bunch rocket
1tsp finely grated lemon rind.

1. make up your chicken stock

2. heat a large heavy based saucepan over a med heat, spray with oil. Add onion, chilli and garlic, and cook stirring occassionaly for 5 mins. Add rice and cook for a further minute.

3. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Start adding a cupful of hot stock at a time, stirring until combined and being sure that each addition of stock is absorbed before you add more. Continue adding stock for about 20 mins or until the rice is al dente and creamy.

4. meanwhile toss the prawns in the seasoning to coat. heat a large non stick frying pan over high heat, spray with oil. add prawns and cook for 2 mins or until cooked. set aside.

5. when rice is ready, set aside, remove from heat, stir in rocket and lemon rind, season with S&P. Cover and stand 3 mins to allow flavours to develop. Serve rice then prawns on top.

Garlic prawn, lemon and fetta spaghetti

• 400g dried spaghetti pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 20 (500g) green king prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon finely-grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup roughly-chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 125g reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water, following packet directions, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until tender. Add prawns and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until prawns are just pink. Add wine. Bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 minute or until prawns are just cooked through. Remove from heat. Add lemon rind and juice.
3. Drain pasta. Return to pan over low heat. Add prawn mixture, remaining oil, parsley and feta. Season with pepper. Toss to combine. Serve with crusty bread.

Lemon meringue slice

Makes 16

Ingredients
3 x 90g packets coconut macaroon biscuits (base can also be made from shortcrust pastry)
125g butter, melted
395g can sweetened condensed milk
2 lemons, rind finely grated, juiced
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut

Method

Grease and line a 3cm deep, 16cm x 26.5cm (base) lamington pan. Place biscuits into a food processor. Process to fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Add butter. Stir until combined.
Using your fingertips, press crumb mixture over base of prepared pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

Combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon rind, 1/2 cup lemon juice and egg yolks. Pour over biscuit base.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites to soft peaks. Add sugar, 1 tablespoonful at a time, continuing to beat until meringue is thick and glossy. Fold through coconut. Spread over lemon mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool in pan.

Cut into squares. Serve.