Not a silly question at all, vicki. The recipe doesn’t make it clear. I toyed with the idea of adding “everything including skin”. I’m not sure I can amend the recipe online, but hopefully others will see our exchange. Thanks for pointing it out.
This topic contains 77 replies, has 20 voices, and was last updated by NickyF 9 years, 9 months ago.
posted on:
new fast day coming up
posted by ensituacionderiesgo 19 hours, 41 minutes ago in Meal plans and meals
Hi Anita,
No problem – but this is definitely a ‘fast’ curry, and not one of my usual curries, which starts with sautéing onions and garlic in lots of oil and often includes a generous helping of coconut cream…
200gm Aubergine 30
50gm Onion 21
100gm Cauliflower 25
100gm Broccoli 36
200gm Celery 28
50gm Chick Peas 60
200gm Canned Tomatoes 36
TOTAL 236 calories (approx.)
Put the chopped tomatoes into a non-stick pan and add cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder (I use at least a tablespoon of the first 2, and a teaspoon of the chill). When it’s mixed and heated through, add the chopped up veggies, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until they’re cooked to your preference (I like them not too soggy). I found I needed to add vegetable stock as they cooked, as the aubergine in particular swells up and needs additional moisture but the stock I use has negligible calories.
It made enough for 2 meals, and I add a dollop of natural yogurt (greek-style 3.5gm fat) as it makes it creamier and for added ‘mouth-feel’ and that takes it to about 125 calories per serve.
Good luck!
~Ensitu~
Hi AliH,
I and my other half have just test-driven your sag aloo and enjoyed it hugely. Just one query. The recipe said nothing about adding any liquid, even only a small amount, to help cook the potatoes. Thinking that otherwise the pan would be bone dry, I did add a tbsp or so of boiling water. Was that the right thing to do, or did I misread the recipe? Advice appreciated.
Thanks for your contributions to this interesting thread.
Hi Hermajtomomi
I have nearly three weeks posts to catch up on after my holiday and looking after my grand daughter for a few days! As my daughter doesn’t like spinach I use frozen spinach which is quite moist when thawed. Adding a little water is fine, especially if it is sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. I’m glad you liked it, it’s one of my favourites.
Ali x
This isn’t exactly a recipe, I suppose, but I just had an excellent, very late and light lunch and would like to share it with you:
Stuffed celery: (150 cals max)
200g trimmed celery stalks, washed and cut into 5cm lengths (20 cals)
1 cold, hard boiled egg, chopped finely (80 cals or less depending on the size of the egg!)
5g squirt of Hellmann’s mayo (about 35 cals, fewer I guess if you use light mayo)
1 tbsp cress, finely chopped
A very small pinch of salt (optional)
Mix all the ingredients, press into the celery stalks, ENJOY! I didn’t think there’d be enough egg to fill the large amount of celery but there was plenty. I used a large egg.
Seared Salmon With Orange, Fennel and Beetroot Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 Oranges,
1/2 Red Onion, finely sliced
1/2 Fennel Bulb, halved and very finely sliced
1 carrot
Baby Rocket or baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Italian Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard and a few mustard seeds
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp Olive Oil
2 x 180 g Fresh Salmon Fillets (skin on)
A few slices of beetroot
Method
• 1. Juice one orange into a small lidded container. Using a small sharp knife, cut skin and white pith from the other orange. Pull the orange into segments and cut each in half. Try to remove most of the pith. Put aside to decorate the salad.
• 2. Use a mandolin to finely slice the fennel bulb and the carrot. Place in a bowl.
• 3. Add extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and mustard to orange juice, put the lid on and shake vigorously. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• 4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or on a bbq. Cook salmon over medium-high heat for 3 mins each side, or until cooked to your liking. Keep the heat high to cause crispness on the outside.
• 5. Add leaves and orange segments to the fennel and carrot and sprinkle with the orange juice dressing. Arrange the salad on two plates or for a better look, on two flat wooden platters. Place the salmon on one side and decorate with the beetroot. Serve immediately.
The calorie count for this recipe depends on the size of the fish portions and how much oil you use. However, it is very low in carbs, nutritious and DELICIOUS.
Curried Parsnip Soup
Serves 4
Calories: 226
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped (I added a clove of garlic as well)
1 tsp Madras curry powder
10g plain flour (I used cornflour) as a thickening agent
900 ml vegetable stock (I used 2 x veg stock pots)
500g parsnips, peeled and sliced (I used half carrots, half parsnips)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Sprinkle the curry powder and flour over the onion, stir well, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil over a high heat, stirring all that time.
2. Add the parsnips (and carrots if using) and salt and pepper and bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Using a blender (I have a stick blender), purée the soup for about 3 minutes until smooth.
4. Return the soup to a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add a little lemon juice to taste. Check the seasoning.
From Mary Berry’s Cookery Course
Thanks Bazman. These recipes sound fantastic and I will certainly be trying some. (First fast day tomorrow). Unfortunately, being in Australia, some of the products are unfamiliar. Are there any Aussies following this thread? Maybe I could confirm if we have similar products. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Lizzie C. To be honest a decent non stick pan will work just as well as a couple of sprays of oil. There isn’t enough of it to make a noticeable difference to the flavour of the finished dish. I have a small non stick pan that I can fry an egg in without using oil, and if an egg doesn’t stick nothing will, and I know you can get one of those in Australia!
Happy cooking!
Hey Miss Lizzie,
I’m in Sydney. Good old google helped me find out more about the spray as I had never heard of it before.
We do have plenty of similar products available here.
Today (Thursday) is my second fast day.
Did my first on Tuesday and did quite well.
Good luck with it tomorrow (today now) Miss Lizzie
Baz
Thanks for that, but I wasn’t really referring to the spray! 🙂 I reckon I can figure out a substitute for that. There are quite a few other things which are just a bit ambiguous/unfamiliar/differently-named. It’s probably not a big deal. I’m sure I’ll cope! 😛
Baz what did you eat on Tuesday?
(I’m in Wollongong!).
WARM BALSAMIC FISH SALAD – recipe by Sally James, The Heart Foundation Cookbook (Australia)
CALORIES = 269 PER SERVE
This is really yum, and (I was pleasantly surprised!) is one of our regular meals! Has been for nearly a decade! Just happens to be low cal! I calculated the calories as per individual serve, which totals about 269 calories, based on a 100 gm piece of Atlantic salmon being used. I usually serve it with steamed chats, but for fast days would probably substitute the carbohydrate with the zero calorie noodles (in Australia look for Slendier, other places shiritaki).
Serves 4. Easy to make.
Oil spray (low calorie if available – otherwise add the cal’s in)
400 gm fish fillets cut into 3 cm cubes – tuna/blue eye/Spanish mackerel/ocean trout/Atlantic salmon/swordfish/mahi mahi
8 fresh asparagus spears, halved.
200 gm fresh green beans, halved
200 gm (4 cups) mixed lettuce leaves (baby mesclun mix/rocket/arugla/whatever)
200 gm punnet of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 long Lebanese cucumber, sliced
Dressing:
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon/lime juice
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
1. Using a non-stick frying pan or griddle, spray the pan and wait for temp to come up.
2. Cook fish over high heat until browned on both sides and flesh just flakes when tested with fork. Turn heat off.
3. Steam asparagus and beans until tender, but not faded. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
4. Arrange lettuce mix, tomatoes, cucumber and asparagus and beans over a serving platter/in a bowl.
5. Top with hot fish and drizzle with balsamic dressing.
Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a screw top jar and shake to combine.
(Might also be nice to add a Spanish onion into this, finely sliced wedges).
SEAFOOD HOTPOT – (unsure of source, possibly Family Circle Mini Cook Book)
CALORIES: (approx) 305 per serve (based on using sword fish)
FAT:5gms per serve
Another found in our usual repertoire.
SERVES 4. Easy to make.
400 g boneless white fish.
300 g medium, green prawns
12 mussels in shells
low cal spray oil (if using other, add in the calories)
1 large Spanish onion, sliced
3 small, green zucchini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tspns chopped fresh, thyme
2 tspns chopped, fresh rosemary
800 g tinned, crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped basil
2 tbspns lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
* Cut fish into 2 cm pieces. Shell and de-vein prawns, leaving tails intact. Scrub mussels and remove beards.
* Heat oil in a large pan, add onion and zucchini and cook, stirring 5 minutes.
* Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, tomato and wine. Bring to boil and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes until flesh turns white.
* Add prawns and mussels, cover and cook for another 3 minutes, until prawns are pink and mussels have opened.
* Stir in parsley, basil and juice.
* Garnish with parsley.
We’d normally serve this with crusty bread, but obviously not on a fast day.
LIME CHILLI CHICKEN – from Australian Women’s Weekly Low Fat Cook Book
CALORIES = approx. 134 per serve maybe. (52 of the calories are in the marinade, which is discarded; only 82 are in the meat).
Serves 4. Easy to make.
400 gm chicken breast meat (skin off)
4 tbspns chopped coriander (cilantro to some)
low cal oil spray (or other but add calories)
Marinade:
1/3 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbspns grated ginger
1 tbspn soy sauce
1 red chilli, copped
2 spring onions, sliced thinly
* Pound meat to an even thickness
* Mix Marinade ingredients together; marinate meat for a few hours or overnight.
* Drain chicken, discard marinade.
* Cook on sprayed griddle pan over high heat until cooked.
Sprinkle with coriander and serve with lime wedges.
Serve with salad.
NOOOOO!! So sorry! The calorie count for the recipe above ^^^^ Lime Chilli Chicken, is incorrect. Here is the correct value for the actual chicken, fried with a minute amount of spray oil, in a ribbed griddle pan:
50gm piece of breast is 82 calories
100gm piece of breast is 165 calories. So if you wish to use the larger piece, add an additional 82 calories to the total as listed in the above recipe.
All other ingredients remain the same.
Very sorry!
PS Yet another source tells me 100g chicken breast has a value of 105 calories. I’ll leave it with you!
Thank you LUVTCOOK, I cooked your recipe for Hamburger Cabbage Stirfry, yesterday. As it was my fast day I had it for dinner with a portion of asparagus, delicious! I served my husband’s portion with asparagus & noodles and he was very impressed. I shall certainly prepare this tasty dish again. Thank you for sharing.
Low-cal veg patties/mini-muffins
about 850g low-cal veg (I use carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, onion, capsicum and garlic) steamed until tender
Whizz up in a food processor – makes about 3 cups
Add 1-1/2 cups cooked roasted buckwheat – fairly dry
1 egg white
2g mustard powder
1g curry powder
20ml Worcester sauce
Mix thoroughly in food processor then put spoonfuls onto silicone parchment baking paper or into silicone mini-muffin pans and bake at 170C fan-forced until set and lightly brown.
This quantity yielded 20 patties (40g each of raw mix) calculated at 25C each.
Of course you could add whatever flavourings you like, and also whatever carbohydrates you want, but they need to be about half the volume of the veg so they stick together.
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