4 poached chicken breasts

To poach chicken:

Place chicken breasts in bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot or pan. They should fit in a single layer but fit quite snugly. Cover chicken with stock or water. Add some herbs. Bring to boil, then quickly reduce heat to low so that the water is barely at a simmer. Partly cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat completely, and allow chicken to remain in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

Salad:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Place pumpkin on a lined baking dish, spray or drizzle with oil of your choice and sprinkle with Dukkah. Roast for 25 mins until tender.
2. Meanwhile place quinoa and water in saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 12-15 mins until water has evaporated and quinoa is tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Place quinoa, celery, radish, cranberries, pepitas and watercress in a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil from fetta.
4. Place pumpkin on plates, top with quinoa mixture and sliced poached chicken, then crumble fetta over the top. Sprinkle with some extra dukkah.

1. Pre-heat grill to high. Lightly brush sweet potato and eggplant slices with olive oil and place on large baking tray with cherry tomatoes. Cook under grill for 3-4 mins. Remove tomatoes, turn sweet potato and eggplant and cook for further 2-3 mins, then set aside.
2. Meanwhile combine garlic, paprika, lemon juice and yoghurt in a small bowl.
3. Combine sweet potato, eggplant, tomatoes, lentils, pinenuts, parsley and spinach in a bowl. Serve onto 4 plates with a dollop of yoghurt dressing.

Dressing:

1. Combine carrot, beets, zucchini and kale in a bowl.
2. Place dressing ingredients in a small jar with lid and shake well. Pour over salad.
3. Toss through roasted pepitas and top with parsley if desired.

1 tspn grated fresh ginger

1. Gently combine cucumber, zucchini, capsicum, sesame seeds and dill in a bowl.
2. Place dressing ingredients in a small jar with lid and shake well. drizzle over salad and serve immediately.

1. Heat oil in non-stick pan to medium heat. Add cumin, chickpeas and garlic. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes then remover from heat.
2. Combine orange juice and currants in a small microwave container for 1 minute. Drain the currants but reserve juice. Combine currants, chickpea mixture, carrots, spring onions, spinach and coriander in a bowl.
3. Make the dressing by combining tahini and the orange juice in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Drizzle over salad and gently toss. Sprinkle with seeds.

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of foiling water, following cooking times on packet.  Drain and refresh in cold water.
2. Combine pasta, corn, peas, capsicum, carrot and half the cheese in a large bowl.
3. Spoon mixture into 3 lightly greased 6 hole non-stick muffin tins.
4. Whisk together the eggs & milk in a jug and pour over pasta mix.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Top each muffin with a halved cherry tomato.
5. Bake in a moderate oven, 180 degrees, or until golden brown.  Cool to cool for 10 mins and then turn onto a cooling rack.

1. Finely slice cabbage and combine with other salad ingredients
2. Combine dressing ingredients and toss through coleslaw just before serving

1. Remove stem and leaves from beetroot and quarter unpeeled beetroot
2. Toss beetroot in half the oil and place on a lined baking tray and bake at 190 degrees for 15 mins
3. Toss sweet potato in remaining oil, place on baking tray with beetroot and continue to bake for a further 30 mins or until vegetables are tender
4. When beetroot is cool enough to handle, peel
5. Toss rocket, beetroot, sweet potato, macadamia nuts and feta together in a large bowl
6. Combine dressing ingredients and gently fold through salad

1. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Spray lamb with oil and season to taste.  Add lamb to the frying pan.  Cook for 3-4 mins each side, or until cooked to your liking.  Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and let rest for 10 mins.  Slice across the grain.
2. Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, make ribbons of cucumber lengthwise down the cucumber.  Cut mango flesh in to cubes.
3. Mix yoghurt and chutney in a screw top jar.
4. Arrange rocket and snow peas on a platter, top with cucumber and mango.  Arrange lamb on top. Sprinkle with pecans.

1. Put the quinoa in a heat proof bowl and over with boiled water and cover with a lid.
2. Finely chop the chilli and spring onion.  Finely chop (kitchen scissors works well!) the coriander and mint.
3. Toss the chicken with the spices and season to taste.  Put in a hot frying pan or on the BBQ to cook until blackened and cooked through. (Pierce with a knife, if juices run clear its cooked)  Remove once cooked, allow to rest for 5 mins then slice.
4. Cut the capsicum into large strips and add to the frying pan or BBQ.
5. Chop the mango flesh and avocado in to cubes.
6. Drain the quinoa well.  Mix the chilli, onion, herbs and lime juice in to the quinoa.
7. Arrange the spinach on a large platter or serving bowl.  Top with quinoa mixture, avoado and mango.  Top with capsicum and chicken.
8. Crumble over fetta and dollop yoghurt.  Serve!

1 red and 1 yellow capsicum, cut in to chunks

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Spray a non-stick baking tray with olive oil. Combine capsicum, pumpkin, onion, zucchini & seasoning.  Roast for 30 mins or until pumpkin is tender.
3. Add quinoa to a saucepan.  Add stock and heat until a gentle boil.  Turn heat to low and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender.  Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 10 mins.  All the liquid should be absorbed by now.
4. Remove vegetables from oven and place in a large bowl.  Add quinoa, parsley and juice from the lemon.
5. Divide in to 4 poritons,  Top with ¼ of the yoghurt and ¼ of the pumpkin seeds.
6. Serve with fish, chicken or chickpeas if desired.

Recent studies have confirmed that eating a low Kilojoule salad or soup before a meal definitely fills you up so that you are much less likely to overeat. This could also be related to the fact that they take time to eat – due to the liquid content of the soup or extra fibre sources in both. Then concentrate on portion control with regards to your higher Kilojoule treats and snacks. Check out the website for great soup recipes for this time of the year and salads for the warmer months. Make them tasty with herbs/spices/seasonings etc and watch any high fat dressings or added cream. So rather than always thinking you need to ‘eat less’…fill up on what we call the less Energy Dense foods, feel totally satisfied and lose more weight!