Chicken with Asparagus

Low in calories, this easy boneless chicken breast and vegetable stir-fry is an excellent choice for slimmers. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

8 ounces (250 g) asparagus spears
Boiling water
Salt to taste
7 ounces (220 g) snow peas
1 pound (500 g) boneless chicken breasts, skinned
Freshly milled pepper
2 teaspoons cornflour
3 spring onions or pickling onions
3 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon medium sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
6 sprigs chervil or flat parsley

Method:

1. Cut woody ends off asparagus. Cut spears into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Cook asparagus in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water straight away to retain fresh green color.
2. Top and tail snow peas. Cut into diamond shapes.
3. Cut chicken breasts into thin strips. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to round dish. Sprinkle with cornflour and rub well into flesh with fingers.
4. Peel and finely chop spring onions or pickling onions.
5. Heat oil in wok until hot, but not smoking. Add chicken and stir-fry briskly for 1 minute. Remove from wok. Drain on rack or absorbent kitchen paper.
6. Add spring onions, asparagus and snow peas to remaining oil in wok. Stir-fry briskly for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken, stock, sherry and soy sauce. Mix thoroughly, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Return chicken to wok and stir in well. Adjust seasoning to taste. Flavor lightly with nutmeg. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Wash and dry chervil or parsley. Take leaves off stalks. Mix into stir-fry.
8. Serve with boiled new potatoes.

Liquid Breakfast

For a quick, healthy breakfast when you simply don't have a moment to spare in the mornings, try this fresh fruit smoothie, which is low in both calories and fat. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 cups skim or low-fat milk
1 cup low-fat natural yogurt
3 ripe bananas or 1 cup fresh strawberries or unsweetened canned peaches or apricots
2 eggs (optional)
Equal or other artificial sweetener, to taste
Garnish: ground allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg


Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend well.
2. Serve at once, topped with a sprinkling of spice.

Creamy Yogurt Spread

Draining natural low-fat yogurt of excess whey gives it a texture very similar to that of sour cream. Spoon it generously on baked potatoes or spicy dishes, or use it to make low-calorie (kilojoule) dips and sandwich fillings. Recipe makes 2-3 cups.

Ingredients:

2 pound (1 kg) natural low-fat yogurt

Method:

1. Line a large sieve with 4 layers of dampened cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the sieve, cover and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours. (The longer it drains, the thicker it becomes.) The yogurt will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Chive or Dill Variation: Add 1/4 cup chopped, fresh chives or dill, and 1 clove crushed garlic to the Creamy Yogurt Spread. Mix well.

Sweet Variation: Add 1 mango, peeled, stoned and pureed, 2 tablespoons honey and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon to the Creamy Yogurt Spread. Mix well. Serve with a platter of freshly cut fruit.

Salmon and Cucumber Sandwich

Low in calories (kilojoules) and fat, high in the gourmet stakes, salmon and cucumber are feted by the weight-conscious. Recipe makes 4 sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-fat cream cheese
3 tablespoons natural low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 can (14 ounce/440 g) salmon in water, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped red (Spanish) onion
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
2 small cucumbers (4 ounces/125 g each), peeled and thinly sliced
8 slices wholegrain bread

Method:

1. Using a food processor or an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the cheese, yogurt and lemon juice for about 1 minute or until smooth. In a medium-sized bowl, flake the salmon, then add the cheese mixture, onion and dried dill and mix well. Place half the cucumber slices on 4 bread slices and spread a generous 1/2 cup of the salmon mixture on each. Top with the remaining cucumber slices and bread.

Sardine Variation: Increase the low-fat cream cheese to 1/3 cup and the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons each prepared mustard and vegetable or olive oil, then blend with the yogurt as directed. For the salmon, substitute 4 cans sardines in water (3 1/2 ounces/105 g each), mashing them well. Increase the dried dill to 3 teaspoons, then proceed as for the salmon sandwich.

Herbed Cheese Spread

This creamy spread tastes every bit as good as a bought full-fat herb cheese but it is lower in fat and calories (kilo joules) and much less expensive. Serve it on crackers, accompanied by fruit, or in a rye bread sandwich. Recipe makes 1 cup.

Ingredients:

1 whole clove garlic
8 ounces (250 g) low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
Black pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or spring onion tops

Method:

1. In a small saucepan of boiling water, cook the garlic for 1 minute. Drain off the water and transfer the garlic to a food processor of blender.
2. Add the cottage cheese, parsley, basil, pepper and chives to the food processor and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to let the flavors merge. Will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 10 days.

Sun-Dried Tomato Variation: In Step 2, add 1 teaspoon sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped. Reduce the amount of fresh chives to 1 tablespoon.

Avocado Variation: In Step 2, add 1 medium-sized ripe avocado and 1 medium-sized ripe tomato, skinned and chopped. Substitute 1/2 tablespoon fresh coriander for the basil and chives.

Creamy Yogurt Spread

Spoon yogurt spread generously onto baked potatoes or spicy dishes, or use it to make low-calorie (kilo joule) dips for fruit and sandwich fillings. Recipe makes 2-3 cups.

Ingredients:

2 pound (1 kg) natural low-fat yogurt

Method:

1. Line a large sieve with 4 layers of dampened cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the sieve, cover and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours. (The longer it drains, the thicker it becomes.) The yogurt will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Chive or Dill Variation: Add 1/4 cup chopped, fresh chives or dill, and 1 clove crushed garlic to the Creamy Yogurt Spread. Mix well.

Sweet Variation: Add 1 mango, peeled, stoned and pureed, 2 tablespoons honey and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon to the Creamy Yogurt Spread. Mix well. Serve with a platter of freshly cut fruit.