Warm Salmon Potato Salad

Try this easy summer dish with pan-fried salmon, warm potatoes, dill and watercress salad. The garlic–lemon dressing adds instant flavour, while the fennel and tomato give a wonderful raw crunch. If cooking for more than two, fire up the barbecue and grill the salmon for that great barbie flavour.

For The Salad

400g kipfler potatoes, washed, skin on
2 x 180g salmon fillet
½ bulb fennel, sliced thinly
1 lemon, zested
½ punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 red onion, sliced
½ bunch watercress, picked and washed
12 sprigs dill, picked

For The Dressing2 tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp hot water
½ clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper

Bring potatoes to the boil from cold water. Cook gently till just done, drain and set aside. Brush the salmon skin with olive oil and place, skin down, into a warm nonstick frypan. Cook salmon for about 5 minutes till skin crisps. Turn over and cook another 3–4 minutes. Remove from pan. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, whisk all the dressing ingredients together.

In a bowl toss together fennel, lemon zest, cherry tomatoes, red onion, watercress and picked dill. Slice warm potatoes and toss into the salad with the dressing. Serve on large plates and place salmon fillet on top, or see this week’s tip for a flaked version.

You can also serve this dish by flaking the salmon and tossing it through the salad. Once salmon is cooked, discard the skin, flake into large pieces and lightly toss with salad and dressing.

Preparation time: 20 mins
Serves: 2

Hamburgers

SERVES: 6

500g very lean beef mince
½ small onion finely diced
1 egg white
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
pepper to taste
cooking spray

In a large mixing bowl place mince, onion, egg white, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, pepper to taste.

Mix together using your hands until well combined. Roll into 18 small balls. Place meatballs on a baking tray that has been coated with cooking spray.Bake 30-40 minutes or until cooked, turning once. Serve hot or cold with a suitable dipping sauce.

Easy Scones

5 cups self raising flour
300ml cream
1 can lemonade
1/4 cup plain flour

Preheat oven to 210C
Sprinkle a little plain flour on baking tray
Mix flour, cream and lemonade with a spoon then knead gently until smooth (do not overwork or scones will be tough)
Sprinkle a little plain flour on bench and gently pat dough to approx 2cm thick
Sprinkle a little plain flour around edges of a glass and press into dough to make scone shapes or cut into squares
Place on baking tray and cook in oven for 11 mins

Serve with jam and cream or butter

NOTE: You can also add sultanas or dried fruit

Baked Sweet Potato

Wrap sweet potato in foil
Cook in oven at 180C
Check by softly squeezing - when very soft it is ready
Unwrap and scoop flesh out from skin
Serve when cooled slightly

Hot Chocolate

This incredible drink serves 2-4 in small cups - or more if served in demi tasse coffee cups. It is very rich so small serves are plenty!

100g plain dark chocolate
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cream whipped
Cinnamon quill for stirring - optional

In a small saucepan heat the milk gently and add the chocolate broken into pieces. Stir till chocolate is completely melted. Do not boil! Place a dollop of whipped cream in the bottom of each cup and gently pour in the hot chocolate so the cream rises and diffuses into the mixture. Add marshmallows if you must or use a cinnamon quill, or mint sticks to stir

Breakfast Smoothies

Tropical Dream Smoothie
200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped mango
1/4 cup chopped banana
toasted shredded coconut, for sprinkling

Mixed Berry Combo Smoothie
200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)

Spiced Vanilla And Banana Smoothie

200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
pinch cinnamon
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup banana
extra cinnamon, for sprinkling

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour into 2 tall glasses and serve with a straw.

Orange Polenta Cake

200g melted butter and 1/2 cup polenta
1 cup cake flour plain
1 cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Zest of one orange
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoons castor sugar (extra)

Preheat oven to 180C
Melt butter.
Combine all dry ingredients with orange zest and put aside.
In a mixer whisk eggs until light and fluffy; approx 5 minutes.
Slowly pour in melted butter and continue whisking for 1-2 minutes
Turn whisk to low and gradually pour in dry ingredients and zest.
When just combined add milk and orange juice and fold with spatula. Once combined pour the mixture into a funnel springform cake tin that has been greased well.
Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack.
While cooling add remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice and extra sugar in a small saucepan, sir on high heat and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes then remove and brush syrup over orange cake.

Banana, yoghurt & walnut muffins

Makes: 18 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 22 mins

1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
3 medium, ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup golden syrup
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 190°C.
In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, flaxseeds, baking powder and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, yoghurt, bananas, syrup and oil. Add flour mixture and fold in walnuts.
Divide batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Cool on a wire rack.

Per muffin: 615kJ, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 103mg sodium, 20g carbs, 2g fibre, 3g protein

PMS-busting meal plan

Try this combo of mood-boosting, cramp-curing meals for a week and watch your symptoms fade:

Breakfast
Cottage cheese, berries + OJ 

OR 

Oatmeal + skim milk + whole wheat toast

Lunch
Spinach salad, salmon + glass of skim milk 

OR 

Tuna, low-fat mayo, whole-wheat bread + rockmelon

Snack
Air-popped popcorn (no butter) drizzled with fat-free chocolate sauce 

OR 

Whole wheat bran muffin + nonfat yoghurt with honey 

OR 

Low-fat cheese + whole-wheat crackers

Dinner
Whole-wheat pasta + garlic, mushrooms, onions in a tomato sauce 

OR 

Broiled salmon + brown rice + steamed broccoli + blueberries

Panko-Crusted Eggplant Parmesan

I grabbed some panko crumbs the other day and have been searching for some good recipes to test out. I'm not sure how H will feel about a meatless meal so I might have to save this for his next work trip..

3/4 cup panko Japanese bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 egg whites
1 large eggplant, about 1 1/2 pounds, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 16 slices)

Sauce and Pasta
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 pound angel hair pasta, cooked following package directions

Eggplant: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large rack on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a pie plate, mix together panko, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. In a second pie plate, lightly whisk egg whites.
Dip each slice of eggplant into egg whites and then into panko mixture, coating both sides. Place eggplant on prepared baking rack. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, until browned and tender.
Sauce: While eggplant is baking, make sauce. Coat a medium-size nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook garlic until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Tear basil into bite-size pieces and stir in.
Overlap eggplant slices slightly on the baking sheet, making four piles. Spoon sauce evenly over each portion (reserve a quarter of it for serving) and evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Serve eggplant with cooked pasta and reserved sauce.

Per Serving: 416 calories; 6 g fat (3 g sat.); 21 g protein; 72 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 856 mg sodium; 12 mg cholesterol