1. Pre-heat oven to 180C and place pumpkin on a tray lined with baking paper. Spray with oil and roast for 25-30 mins or until golden and tender.
2. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water as per instructions, add beans for the last 2 mins of cooking time. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, grill lamb for 2-3 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Rest for 5 minutes loosely covered with foil. Slice thinly.
4. Toss pasta, beans, pumpkin, sliced lamb, spinach, ricotta and olive oil together. Serve garnished with toasted pine nuts.

1. Cook sausages in a non-stick pan 6-8 minutes until browned. Remove and cut into bite- sized pieces.
2. Add onion, garlic, carrot, capsicum and chilli sauce to pan and cook for 5 mins until tender.
3. Add stock, risoni and sausages, stir well to combine. Simmer gently, covered, for 12 mins, stirring halfway through cooking time, or until risoni is cooked.
4. Stir through parmesan, then let stand, covered, for 5 mins before serving.

1. Cook pasta until tender. Add peas to pasta for last minute. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, spray a pan with oil, cook spring onions, salmon, lemon zest and cream for 5 mins. Return pasta to pan and sprinkle with cheese. Gently heat until warmed through.
3. Season with pepper and sprinkle with dill to serve.

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C
2. Line 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until just combined
4. Spoon into muffin cases
5. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden

1. Pre-heat oven to 170C
2. Line a 20cm X 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
3. Combine oats, cornflakes, coconut, dates, apple and sunflower seeds in a large bowl
4. Combine condensed milk and sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium for 4 minutes, stirring after each minute
5. Add to dry ingredients and mix until well combined
6. Press mixture into tray (wetting your hands might help)
7. Bake for 15-20 mins until firm. Leave to cool in tray before slicing

1. Heat sandwich press. Spread 1 tortilla with avocado.
2. Top with tomato, sauce and cheese. Top with second tortilla.
3. Cook in sandwich press for 2-3 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut into wedges to serve.

NB Can use leftover Mexican mince to make more substantial quesadillas

Eat Smart’s Kellie makes this warming winter meal both for her family as well as teaches her athletes to make this meal to recover from training and fuel up for the next day’s training.  It is a great source of lean meat, a great way to get lots of veggies in, a great alternative to high fat pastries and is great re-heated!

Ingredients:

• 500g lean beef mince
• 800g can chopped tomatoes
• 150g tomato paste
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 8 button mushrooms, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tablespoon tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and boiled
• 150g Light Evaporated Milk
• 2tbs canola margarine
• Canola or olive oil spray
• ½ cup grated low fat cheese
• 8-12 sheets filo pastry + milk to brush top

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Boil potatoes in saucepan until tender.
3. Spray oil in a non-stick frypan and place on a medium-high heat. Cook onion into frypan until browned.
4. Place mince into frypan and cook until browned.
5. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms into frypan and mixing all the time.
6. Add garlic, sauces and herbs to frypan. Season with pepper to taste. Turn down to low heat and allow to simmer.
7. Meanwhile, mash potatoes, and add milk and margarine. Continue mashing until the mixture is smooth.
8. Spray a lasagne dish with oil to lightly grease. Place meat mixture into the lasagne dish, spread the mashed potato over the top and sprinkle with cheese.
9. Take one single sheet of Filo pastry and scrunch in hands make a large round ball (like you would a piece of paper)
10. Repeat and pop these pastry balls on top of the mash potato to create what will be a crunchy topping.
11. Brush top
12. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until Filo is Golden (be sure to keep an eye on this) Sprinkle with pepper and serve with a tossed salad, if you want to add more vegies to the meal.

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  Grease a ~19cm square cake pan with spray oil.  Line with baking paper ensuring some overhang up the sides.
2. Arrange half the spinach in the prepared pan.  Top with half the ham.  Repeat.
3. Whisk eggs, garlic, cheese and milk in a jug.  Season to taste.  Pour over spinach and ham.  Top with halved tomatoes, cut side up.
4. Bake for 35-40 mins or until golden and set.  Serve.

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Put the peaches, cut side up in a baking dish.
2. Using an electric beater, beat the ricotta, icing sugar and cinnamon until smooth.  Spoon mixture in to the cavity of each peach. Bake for 8-10 mins or until golden.
3. Serve the peaches (2 halves per serve) drizzled with honey and sprinkled with almonds.

Is Dairy the answer?

 For many years dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt were given a bad wrap for a variety of reasons from their fat content to causing kidney stones to humans simply not needing dairy past weaning.  However the tide is turning and dairy is now being seen in a new light.   Milk and yoghurt are very similar in nutritional composition containing a good amount of both protein and carbohydrate and provided the light, Trim, skim or no options are chosen, they are low in fat.  Cheese, however contains very little carbohydrate and is high in fat even when reduced fat options are chosen.

Milk and yoghurt contain two types of protein – whey and casein.  Whey protein is more quickly absorbed and utilized where as casein is more slowly taken up.  As milk and yoghurt contain both types, they make for an ideal pre or post resistance training recovery snack.

However there is more good news about dairy – it helps weight loss and weight maintenance!  Numerous studies have shown a good intake of dairy (2-3 serves per day) helps males and females to maintain their muscle mass and reduce body fat.  In fact, some more recent research has shown that females who had up to 6 serves of dairy per day were even more successful than those that had 3 serves per day.

So what is a serve?

• 250mL low fat or skim milk
• 200g low fat or no fat yoghurt
• 200g low fat custard

Is eating dairy helps me lose weight?  Yes!  Even when chocolate flavouring was added to the low fat milk, participants still lost weight.  Drink chocolate milk and still lose weight – loving it!

How can I get more dairy in the diet?  Make sure you use a cup of milk at breakfast by adding more milk to your cereal, adding yoghurt into breakfast or having a milk based drink with breakfast.  You could also have a liquid breakfast such as a smoothie.  Now that the weather is getting colder, try having porridge made on low fat milk.  For snacks, include a yoghurt or skinny milk coffee or a low fat flavoured milk (300mL!).  You may like to include dairy as a dessert such as yoghurt or low fat custard or a hot chocolate made on low fat milk.

Does soy do the same thing? The short answer is no!  Soy protein did not have the same beneficial effects as whey protein (cows milk) so for those that are lactose intolerance lactose free cow’s milk may be your best option.

1. Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 30 mins.
2. Combine garlic, chilli, mint, lemon rind, oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl.  Add the prawns and stir to coat.  Allow to marinate for 10 mins, refrigerated.
3. Thread prawns on to skewers.  Season to taste.  Heat a BBQ grill or chargrill on high.  Spray the skewers with oil.  Cook for 2-3 mins per side or until golden.
4. Serve on a platter sprinkled with mint leaves and lemon wedges.