FULL of flavour and packing a punch, these dishes are light, healthy and really easy to make.

Perfect for a healthy lunch with friends or family.

Why not spice up and slim down your lunch? Go on, invite some friends to share!

 

Indonesian Prawn Curry

Serves 4, 10 Checks,  250cals 

Spray oil

2.5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 green or red chilli, finely chopped

2 kaffir lime leaves

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

100g thin green beans, trimmed

1 tbsp green Thai curry paste

200ml half-fat coconut milk

400g raw shelled tiger prawns

250g baby spinach leaves

150g Thai jasmine rice (dried weight)

few sprigs of coriander

1 lime, quartered

 

1. Spray a non-stick frying pan lightly with oil. Place over a low heat. When it’s hot, add the ginger, garlic and chilli, and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the lime leaves, cherry tomatoes and beans, then cook for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and coconut milk, then simmer gently for 8–10 minutes.
3. Stir in the prawns and spinach and cook, turning the prawns in the sauce, for about 3 minutes, until they have turned pink all over. The spinach will wilt and turn bright green.
4. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

Serve the curry on a bed of rice, garnished with coriander, with a quarter of lime on the side.

 

Chick Pea Burritos

Serves 4, 13 Checks,  325 cals

Ingredients

4 soft tortillas

30g half-fat Cheddar cheese, grated

4 tbsp fat-free l fromage frais

 

Vegetable and chick pea filling:

Spray oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

1 fresh red chilli, diced

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp cumin

pinch of cayenne pepper

300g ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped

225g can chick peas, drained

salt and black pepper

4 spring onions, chopped

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.
2. Make the filling: spray a saucepan lightly with oil and place over a low heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper and chilli. Cook gently 10 minutes, until softened. Add the spices, tomatoes and chick peas and simmer 10 -15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Put a little of the filling into the centre of each tortilla. Don’t use it all – you need to reserve some. Sprinkle with the spring onions. Fold each tortilla around the filling like a parcel, to seal it. Secure with cocktail sticks and arrange in an ovenproof dish.
4. Pour the remaining filling over and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 15 minutes. Serve immediately with fromage frais and a crisp no-Check salad.

 

 

Vegetable Biriyani

Serves 4, 10 Checks 4, Fg 10

 

Ingredients

Spray oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 small aubergine, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground turmeric, 4 cloves

4 green cardamom pods,

1 cinnamon stick

1 x 2cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and diced

1 tbsp curry paste

175g basmati rice (dry weight)

2 carrots, sliced

1 courgette, sliced

1 small cauliflower, divided into florets

400ml vegetable stock (water and a stock cube)

2 tbsp sultanas

salt and freshly-ground black pepper

2 level tbsp toasted flaked almonds (optional)

 

Cucumber raita:

¼ cucumber, diced or grated

100ml low-fat natural yoghurt

small bunch of mint, chopped

pinch of cumin seeds

pinch of salt

 

1. Lightly spray a pan with oil . Place over a low heat. Add the onion, aubergine and garlic . Cook gently 10 minutes, until softened.
2. Stir in the spices, ginger and curry paste, and cook gently 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook on a very low heat, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes, until all the grains are glistening.
3. Add the carrots, courgette, cauliflower and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, the rice is cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed.
4. While the biriyani is cooking, mix together all the cucumber raita ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill.
5. Stir in the sultanas and season to taster. Remove the cinnamon stick. Serve immediately, sprinkled with toasted flaked almonds with a spoonful raita.