Chicken Pesto Penne
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Way Too Easy Chicken Pesto Penne

Please forget the rubbish you’ve heard about pasta being a no no for fat loss.

You absolutely CAN include pasta in your diet (and any other food you love, for that matter).

The trick is portion control and ensuring your meal is still balanced – with plenty of protein and veggies.

Remember our guide to building a balanced meal: half a plate of veg, a palm size portion of protein, a fist size portion of carbs and a thumb of healthy fats.

Our pasta dish fits the bill!

This one’s quick and easy to throw together on a week night.

We used a higher protein pasta to up the protein content of the meal (remember, protein and fibre helps you feel satisfied and fuller for longer).

Ingredients (to serve 2)

150g (dry weight) Vetta Smart High Protein Penne (or any penne will work)

40g pesto (we used Barilla)

200g chicken breast, cubed

100g broccoli

200g mushrooms

100g spinach

Method

  1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to packet instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, cook chicken in a frypan over medium-high heat. Remove and set aside.
  3. Add broccoli, mushrooms and spinach to the pan. Saute, stirring, until broccoli for a few minutes.
  4. Return chicken to pan with mushrooms and add pesto.
  5. Drain pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Add pasta and cooking water to pan and toss to combine, allowing sauce to reduce.
  6. Serve sprinkled with parmesan.
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Middle Eastern Spiced Chicken Kebabs
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Middle Eastern Spiced Chicken Kebabs

Everyone loves a chicken kebab! Our kids love to pull the meat off the skewers and stuff them into pita bread.

The ready marinated kebabs you find at supermarket are soaked in sauces full of sugar and additives. But it’s so easy to make them yourself without the extra added junk.

Our Middle Eastern spiced chicken kebabs are incredibly tasty and easy to throw together. Try these family-friendly chicken skewers tonight for a protein-packed dinner.

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Ingredients (to serve 4)

6 free range organic chicken thigh fillets, cubed

1/2 cup greek yoghurt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad and Hummus to serve

3 radishes, finely sliced

2 tomatoes, finely sliced

1 bunch of mint, leaves picked

1 tablespoon olive oil

Hummus

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Method

  1. Soak 8-10 wooden chicken skewers in water.
  2. To make the marinade, combine yoghurt, spices, garlic, vinegar and olive oil and mix well. Add chicken and toss to coat with marinade. Cover and pop in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  3. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers. Cook kebabs on a BBQ or grill plate for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
  4. Meanwhile, make salad to serve by tossing the radishes, tomatoes and mint with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  5. Serve kebabs with salad, hummus and pita or Lebanese bread if you fancy.

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Chilli Tuna Salad
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Easy Chilli Tuna Salad

When I think of tuna salad I think of the world’s most boring diet food. I can actually see the desperation in my clients’ faces when I suggest that popping a can of tuna into a salad might be a good lunch option.

I want food the that I eat, even when I’m pulling the reins in, to be delicious and satisfying.

So yes, I’m recommending this yummy tuna salad today, but I’m not asking you to eat boring diet food!

We actually stole this recipe from a friend who served this up on HOLIDAY (shock horror)! And I can confirm that it was indeed holiday worthy.

It’s also the perfect lunch or dinner if you’re looking to cut back and get lean after the holiday season. It’s packed with colourful veggies, plenty of protein and lots of healthy fat to keep you satisfied to your next meal.

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Ingredients (to serve 2)

185g can of tuna with chilli in olive oil (we like the Sirena brand)

2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and quartered (not sure how to get hardboiling right? Learn here)

10 kalamata olives

1 baby gem or baby cos lettuce, roughly chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 green capsicum, thinly sliced

1 lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds

Dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove of garlic, minced

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Method

  1. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.
  2. To make the salad, combine all the veggies in a large mixing bowl. Flake the tuna into the bowl, including the oil and the chillies. Add the dressing and toss to combine.
  3. Serve on a platter topped with egg quarters. Dig in!

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Pork burgers garlic ginger bok choy
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Pork burgers with garlic and ginger bok choy

Who doesn’t love a burger?!

Try this Asian-inspired recipe for a flavour packed and healthy twist on your regular burger. These family friendly patties are delicious served with steamed brown rice (that’s a fist size portion according to our eating guidelines) or in a bun for the kids.

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Ingredients (to serve 4)

10 baby bok choy

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, finely diced

little dribble of sesame oil

¼ cup soy sauce

Pork burgers

500g minced pork

75g drained, canned water chestnuts, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled, minced

2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger

3 spring onions, pale part only, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2/3 cup almond meal

1 egg, lightly beaten

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Method

  1. Preheat oven to 190C.
  2. To make pork burgers, place pork mince, water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, spring onions, parsley, sesame oil, almond meal and egg in a bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Now for the messy bit. Use your hands to mix the ingredients all together until thoroughly combined. Shape the mixture into 8 burgers, and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Pop in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile in a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and warm them through for a few minutes, without them colouring much. Remove pan from the heat and stir in sesame oil and soy sauce. Set pan aside.
  4. Pop bok choy into a pot of boiling salted water and cook for a minute until it’s bright green and tender. Drain well in a colander and add to the sesame oil mixture in the frying pan. Swish pan around until bok choy is well coated.
  5. Serve burgers topped with bok choy.

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Warm cauliflower and quinoa salad

We get it: salads just don’t cut the mustard in Winter. But you do still need to fill half your plate with veggies at EVERY SINGLE MEAL if you want to keep the kilos off.

Our warm cauliflower and quinoa salad is an easy, quick and very tasty way to pack the veggies into your dinner. Just add a portion of lean protein for a complete meal.

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Ingredients to serve 4

  • 1/2 cauliflower cut into florets
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1 cup of flat leaf parsley leaves chopped
  • 1 cup of mint leaves chopped
  • 1 cup of baby spinach leaves
  • 1 punnet of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup of quinoa cooked to packet instructions (we used black quinoa)
  • Dressing
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

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Method

  1. Preheat oven to 220C.
  2. Combine cauliflower, crushed garlic, cumin and olive oil in a bowl and mix with your hands to combine. Tip into a baking dish lined with baking paper, pop in the oven and roast for 15-2 minutes or until cauliflower is cooked and golden.
  3. Combine herbs, baby spinach, tomatoes, quinoa and cauliflower in a bowl.
  4. To make dressing, combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
  5. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve with lean meat or stir through chickpeas for a complete, balanced meal.

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Lamb Pie with Cauliflower Mash

It looks an awful lot like this endless Summer is FINALLY coming to an end.

The cooler months are a notoriously difficult time to stay on track with healthy eating. As the days grow shorter and the nights get snugglier, we’re all drawn to those comfort favourites that make us feel good at the time, but leave us in a food coma.

The trick is to rethink those cold weather stodgy dishes and make them yourself with healthier ingredients.

Cauliflower mash makes a great substitute for the less ideal potato or pastry crust in our yummy minty lamb pie. We’ve also packed plenty of veggies into the filling to make sure this meal hits our “half a plate of plant food” goal.

You could up the green factor even more by serving with steamed green beans or a light rocket salad. (Though we’ll admit, we love a one-pot wonder).

This is a great family crowd-pleaser to try on the weekend and keep reserving throughout the week – if it lasts that long!

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Ingredients

1kg of diced lamb (preferably free range)

1 onion, peeled, diced

2 tablespoons wholemeal plain flour

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 cup frozen peas

125g frozen spinach

Mash

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 knob of butter

2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed

Generous shaving of parmesan

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Method

1) Pull the lamb out of the fridge about an hour before you start cooking to bring meat to room temperature.

2) Preheat oven to 160C.

3) Dust lamb in flour and season with salt and pepper.

4) Heat oil in a heavy based casserole dish over high heat. Add lamb in batches and brown. Set aside.

5) Reduce heat to low and add onions. Cook, stirring, for about five minutes or until softened.

6) Add tomato paste, stock and wine and increase heat to bring to the boil.

7) Return lamb to the pan and pop the lid on. Cook in the oven for around an hour or until lamb is lovely and tender.

8) Remove from the oven and stir through peas and spinach.

9) Meanwhile prepare mash. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add cauliflower and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Strain and mash with butter, garlic and a good crack of salt and pepper.

10) Increase oven to 200C.

11) Tip lamb mixture into a pie dish. Smooth cauliflower mash over the top. Rough up with a fork and then sprinkle with parmesan shavings.

12) Pop in the oven and cook until mash is nice and golden and crunchy.

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Lighter chicken makhani
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Lighter Chicken Makhani

Indian food is definitely a favourite in our house. Even if you’re not a fan, the most curry adverse amongst us usually love a butter chicken.

But if you’re watching your weight, the banquet at your local Indian can be less than ideal. Heavy sauces and the carb overload to mop all that creamy goodness up usually leaves us feeling heavy and exhausted.

Our version of chicken makhani, or butter chicken, will give you your creamy curry fix with a much lighter calorie load. We’ve also made it without packaged curry pastes or the refined vegetable oil your local takeaway likely uses.

We’ve adapted the recipe from one by Bill Granger (who we love for whole food cooking inspiration) from Easy. Don’t be freaked out by making your own curry paste: it’s really easy and very very delicious.

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Ingredients to serve 4

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2cm piece of ginger, peeled, grated
  • 1/2 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
  • 600g chicken thighs, cubed
  • 1/2 cup cashew nuts
  • 1/3 cup greek yoghurt
  • Coriander leves and lemon to serve

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Method

  1. Combine garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, paprika and tomato paste to make your curry paste. (That was easy, wasn’t it?)
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for five minutes or until onion has softened.
  3. Increase heat and add curry paste, cooking for about a minute or until fragrant. Add chicken and stir to coat. book for a minute.
  4. Add tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer away for about 20 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, whizz cashew nuts in a food processor. Stir through curry.
  6. Remove from heat then stir through greek yoghurt. Serve with coriander leaves and lemon, and brown rice or quinoa if you fancy.

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Fresh Fast Chicken fajitas
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Fresh and Fast Chicken Fajitas

It’s really a lot easier than you think to create from scratch old family favourites like chicken fajitas and bypass the additive laden packet mixes.

Don’t let the lettuce leaves distract you here. At New Image, we’re not puritanical, no fun, nutrition freaks. We eat carbs and ice cream, and we drink wine. Healthy eating isn’t all about low carb or gluten free or paleo.

BUT If I could get everyone to change just two things about their diet, it would be:

  1. Up the plants. Just chuck more veggies and fruit into your meals.
  2. Ditch the frankenfoods! Stop buying food products with ingredients in the list you don’t recognise and can’t pronounce.

So when I encourage you to start cooking your favourite meals from scratch to be healthier, it’s not just about replacing a tortilla with a lettuce leaf.

My aim is that people slowly reduce their dependence on packaged foods and discover simple techniques like basic spice mixes and sauces that elevate beautiful fresh ingredients to delicious family meals.

Check out the ingredients list for a popular brand’s fajita kit

fajita_ingredient_list

I’m not naming any names, but have you ever cast your eyes to the side of the box of these packaged meals?

I just see a whole lot of numbers and not a lot of real food (and can anyone tell me what “natural smoke flavour” is?!)

No judgment. We used to eat this stuff too back when I only looked at the nutritional panel (ie carb/protein/fat content) rather than ingredients.

Now look at the ingredients list for our chicken fajita recipe below, which honestly will take you no longer to cook than the box version.

If you really, really, think about it, which would you rather put in your body?

If I can get you to cook your family faves like fajitas and burritos and tacos from scratch, then I have no problem with you chucking on a bit of sour cream and cheese.

But I reckon when you try out our fajitas, you won’t want to drown out all those delicious, fresh flavours that make Mexican food so spectacular?

Our healthy version is light, fresh and packs up perfectly for a next day leftover lunch.

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Ingredients

1 head of baby cos or gem lettuce, washed and leaves separated

600g chicken thighs

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 clove garlic, crushed

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, one half thinly sliced, one half diced

1 red capsicum, seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 yellow capsicum, seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 avocado, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

Couple of handfuls of coriander leaves

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Method

1) Combine cumin, coriander, garlic, olive oil and half the lime juice in a bowl and add the chicken thighs. Coat the chicken thoroughly in marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge for half an hour.

2) Heat a nonstick frypan and add the chicken thighs to the pan. Cook for around 6 minutes each side, until both sides have a nicely caramelised and chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3) Chuck the sliced half of the red onion and capsicum in the pan and cook, stirring in the crunchy bits left on the pan, for a few minutes. Remove from the pan.

4) Thinly slice the chicken thighs and then combine with the onion and capsicum.

5) In a small bowl, combine tomato, avocado and coriander and drizzle with the remaining lime juice.

6) To serve, spoon chicken mix into lettuce leaves and top with the avocado and tomato salsa.

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Baked Meatballs with a Roasted Tomato Sauce

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Ingredients

  • 500g grass fed beef or veal mince
  • 4 roma tomatoes, quartered
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 150g baby spinach, leaves torn
  • 1 x 400g jar of passata
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Few leaves of basil
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper
  • Wholegrain pasta or zucchini noodles to serve (optional – it’s a complete meal on its own!)

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Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Get started roasting the tomatoes for the sauce (instructions below).
  3. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add baby spinach and 2 cloves of crushed garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes until spinach is wilted.
  4. Combine mince, ricotta, spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Roll mixture into balls. Place into a baking dish or casserole.
  5. Pop into the oven for 10 minutes. Pour prepared sauce (method below) into dish and cook for a further 20 minutes.
  6. Serve either on its own or with wholegrain pasta and a green salad to feed a hungry family.

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To make sauce

  1. Place tomatoes in a baking dish lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with a few leaves of torn basil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pop into the oven for 40 minutes.
  2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add remaining garlic and onion and cook until soft.
  3. Add roast tomatoes and passata to pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and puree until smooth with a stick mixer.

 

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Chilli & garlic prawns with crunchy sprout salad

Spring is the perfect time to introduce more raw veggies and lighter fare. A lovely fresh salad, with a little TLC and a really delicious dressing, can be just as satisfying as a heavier meal.

This Vietnamese inspired dish takes a little bit of chopping, but it’s well worth the effort and contains a lot less sugar that one you might pick up from your local. We’ve served it up here with chilli and garlic prawns, but we also pulled it out the following night with some honey soy chicken drumsticks.

Try it for a tasty light Spring lunch or dinner!

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Ingredients to serve 2

(because we know your kids probably won’t be into it)

  • 12 green prawns, shells removed, tails on
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime

Asian sprout salad

  • 2 big handfuls of snow peas
  • 1 carrot, peeled
  • 2 Lebanese cucumbers
  • 1 red capsicum
  • 2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • ¼ cup flaked or slivered almonds

Dressing

  • 2.5 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

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Method

  1. Combine garlic, chilli and lime juice in a bowl and toss with prawns. Cover with cling wrap and pop in the fridge to marinate while you prepare the salad.
  2. Chop snow peas, carrot, cucumbers and capsicum into fine matchsticks. We did this the old-fashioned way, but a food processor with a julienne attachment would come in hand here.
  3. Mix julienned veggies with the bean sprouts, spring onions and almonds.
  4. To make dressing, whisk together rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss with salad.
  5. Heat a non-stick frypan over high heat. Add prawns and cook for a couple of minutes each side or until cooked through.
  6. Divide salad between plates and serve topped with prawns.

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