Make your porridge via your desired method – raw or quick oats, microwave or stove-top then add a topping for a flavour change!

Strawberry Coconut – add 1/4 cup chopped fresh or frozen strawberries with 1 tblsp coconut flakes (toast them first for extra flavour)

Banana Cinnamon – slice 1 banana and add a sprinkle of cinnamon

Peanut Butter Delight – add 1 tsp peanut butter before cooking and stir through once cooked, top with 1/2 sliced banana

Tropical Tango – add 1 sliced kiwifruit, a few cubes of red pawpaw and the pulp from 1 passionfruit

Berry Cacao – add 1/4 cup frozen mixed berries with 1/2 tsp cacao and a few drops of stevia liquid

Anzac Biscuit – drizzle 1/2 tsp golden syrup and 1 tblsp toasted coconut flakes

Rhubarb delight – poach some rhubarb with a cinnamon stick & vanilla bean paste.  Add 1/4 cup poached rhubarb to your porridge with 1 tblsp flaxmeal

Apple Sultana – grate 1/2 apple over your porridge, sprinkle over some cinnamon and add 1-2 tblsp sultanas

Sticky date – chop up 1-2 fresh dates and drizzle over 1 tsp golden syrup

Honey Nut – drizzle over 1 tsp honey and sprinkle with 1 tblsp crushed nuts

Maple Pecan – chop 5 pecans.  Top porridge with pecans and drizzle over 1 tsp maple syrup

Middle Eastern – crush 8 pistachios, sprinkle over porridge with 1 tblsp diced apricot pieces.  Add 1 tsp honey if desired

Cranberry Pistachio – sprinkle over 1 tblsp each of cranberries and crushed pistachios

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups or spray oil.
2. In large frypan cook mushrooms and leeks until soft but not browned.
3. In large bowl add cooked quinoa, eggs, zucchini, grated cheese, cooked mushrooms, leeks and parsley. Mix until just blended.
4. Fill muffin tins and bake 20-25 minutes or until brown on top and skewer when inserted comes out clean. Sit for 5 mins before serving.

1. Warm tortillas in oven.
2. Heat beans in a medium saucepan. Set aside.
3. Heat a nonstick frypan over medium heat. Spray with oil and add the eggs. Using a spatula, cook and stir until eggs are scrambled. Season as desired.
4. Add beans and vegetables to the eggs.
5. Spread the egg mixture in the lower section of each tortilla; top with cheese.
6. Fold the outer 1/2-inch of the left and right sides of the tortilla in, then roll each tortilla into a burrito. Cut in half and serve with salsa.

1. Spray a large frying pan with oil and heat on medium. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 mins until the onion is tender.
2. Add mince to the onion mixture and cook for 4-5 mins until well browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks.
3. Stir in mushrooms, carrot and celery, mixing well. Cook, stirring, for 5 mins.
4. Add tomatoes, water and tomato paste. Season to taste, then bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins or until vegetables are tender. Stir in parsley.

1. Place the lamb in the slow cooker.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 3-6 hours.
3. Serve with vegetables of your choice.

1. Place the meat in the slow cooker.
2. Add the other ingredients. The water should be just enough to cover the meat.
3. Cover and cook on a low heat for 8 hours.
4. Serve with the vegetables of your choice.

1. Place all ingredients except the fish and seafood in the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low.
2. Add seafood, turn heat up to high and cook for 30 minutes, stirring gently occasionally.
3. Thin with water if desired.
4. Serve with an extra green vegetable if desired or dunk some wholegrain sourdough bread into the sauce.

1. Heat a non-stick saucepan over med-high heat. Add laksa paste and cook, stirring, for 2-3 mins or until fragrant. Add evaporated milk and bring to boil.
2. Add chicken, beans and corn, reduce heat and simmer 3 mins. Add capsicum and noodles and simmer a further 3-5 mins or until chicken cooked through.
3. Ladle into bowls and top with remaining ingredients to garnish. Serve.

1. Heat ½ the oil in a large heavy based frypan with a lid. Cook onions over med heat for 10 mins. Set aside ½ the onions. Add remaining oil and chicken, cooking until cooked through. Add spices and stir until fragrant.
2. Add garlic, rice, chickpeas, dates and pumpkin and stir to coat with spices.
3. Add stock and scrape the bottom of the pan. Make sure the stock covers the chicken, add the cinnamon sticks and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove lid, add peas, stir gently and cook covered for another 5 mins.
4. Top with reserved onions and coriander. Serve with lemon wedges and yoghurt on the side.

TIP: You could use lean lamb instead of chicken and any range of available vegetables eg zucchini, broccoli, capsicum.

1.    Combine quinoa and 4 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, covered for 10 mins.

2.    Stir in milk and fruit.

3.    Serve topped with pistachios and a large dollop (1/4 cup) of yoghurt.

Caprese Toast                                                                        Serves 4

1.    Cut the toast in half diagonally.  Top with slices of avocado and tomato, crumble over ricotta.  Top with poached eggs and scatter with basil leaves.

Breakfast McMuffin                                                            Serves 4

4 wholemeal or grain English muffins, halved

120g shaved leg ham

4 eggs

4 slices reduced fat tasty cheese

1. Heat a non-stick pan with a little spray oil.  Add ham and cook for 1-2 mins each side, or until warm.  Remove and keep warm
2. Cook eggs in the same pan until cooked to your liking.
3. Toast muffin halves and immediately top with cheese slice.  Top with warm ham and an egg.  Place remaining English muffin half on top and serve.

1.    Toss beef in flour and shake off excess. Heat oil in a non-stick frypan (or your slow cooker base if it allows) over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and cook until browned.

2.    Transfer to the slow cooker if required.  Add the vegetables, garlic, wine, stock, tomatoes and oregano.

3.    Slow cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours or until beef is extremely tender.

4.    When ready to serve, taste and season as desired.  Serve with steamed green beans.

Want to enjoy your favourite winter meals but want to keep the carbs low?  Try using cauliflower!  It’s a great substitute for rice or mashed potato.  Try it and see!

Cauliflower Rice                                   Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large head white cauliflower

Method:

1. Core the cauliflower and remove any green leaves. Grate the cauliflower   with a hand-held grater, or chop it coarsely with a food processor.
2.  Heat a large, nonstick frying pan on medium-high heat, and add the    cauliflower. (You may need to do this in multiple batches.) Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until tender.
3.   Put it in a microwave safe bowl.  Cover it and microwave until tender. For 1 cup of cauliflower rice, cook on medium for two minutes.

This is a great substitute for rice and can be used as you would rice e.g. under casseroles or stir-fry.

   Cauliflower Puree                             Serves 3

   Ingredients:

1 large head white cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets

2 whole cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup low fat milk

Salt and pepper

Olive oil spray

Garlic and other herbs if desired

   Method:

1.         Preheat oven to 180°. On a sheet tray, spread 1/2 of the florets and the garlic and then spray with oil.

2.      Bake until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

3.      Meanwhile, steam remaining cauliflower until very soft. Transfer to a blender.

4.            Add roasted cauliflower and garlic to blender also. Add the milk, secure top and puree mixture until smooth. If mixture is too thick, thin by adding some more milk.

5.      Season to taste and add other herbs if desired such as fresh chives.

This is a great substitute for mashed potato!

-                600g chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 4 portions

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Heat a 3L capacity flameproof, ovenproof casserole dish over medium-high heat with spray oil.  Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and turn.  You may need to do the chicken in batches.  Remove and transfer to a plate.
2. Heat the dish again with spray oil over medium-high heat.  Add the bacon, leek, garlic and mushrooms.  Cook for 5 mins, stirring until golden.  Add the flour and cook for 1 minute until well combined.  Add the stock, wine and thyme and bring to the boil.
3. Return the chicken, cover and bake in oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer in to the thickest section of chicken produces clear juices.
4. Remove chicken and return casserole dish to the stovetop and heat over medium heat, uncovered.  Add the evaporated milk and bring to the boil.  Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over with seasonal vegetables such as beans, broccoli, carrots etc.

   
   

   Lamb and sweet potato casserole         Serves 4 (adults)

   Ingredients:

   -        Spray olive oil

   -        1 onion, finely chopped

   -        2 garlic cloves, crushed

   -        800g lean lamb, diced

   -        1 tblsp plain flour

   -        1 tblsp ground cumin

   -        1 tblsp ground coriander

   -        2 tsp garam masala

   -        1 cinnamon stick

   -         625mL chicken or vegetable stock

   -         1 medium orange sweet potato, washed and cut in to 2 cm cubes (skin can be left on if well cleaned)

   -         200g green beans, topped & tailed, cut into 3 cm lengths

   -         1/3 cup loosely packed coriander leaves

   Method:

   1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees celius.  Heat a 2L oven-proof, flame-proof casserole dish over medium-high heat with spray oil.  Add the lamb and cook until brown for 1-2 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.
   2. Heat the same casserole dish with spray oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring for 2 mins or until onion softens.  Add flour and spices, cook, stirring for 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add the lamb and stock, bring to the boil.  Stir for 2 mins or until well combined.
   3. Cover casserole dish with a tight fitting lid and cook in oven for 30 mins.  Add sweet potato and cook, covered for another 10 mins.
   4. Add green beans and cook, covered for a further 5 mins or until bean s are tender and sweet potato is cooked through.  Season to taste and stir through fresh coriander.
   5. Serve with rice or couscous for a higher carb meal or with seasonal vegetables for a lower carb meal.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, chilli, celery and carrot.  Cook for 2-3 mins.
2. Add the cumin and coriander.  Cook until fragrant.  Add the lentils and stock.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 mins or until lentils are tender.
3. Season to taste.  Serve with 1 tblsp yoghurt per serve.

Garlic and its Allium family of onions, leeks, shallots and chives are potent health boosters.  Garlic is rich in the phytochemicals allicin, allin and diallyl sulphide which give garlic its distinctive smell and flavour as well as its health benefits.  Garlic has been linked to lower rates of osteoarthritis, lowering cholesterol, decreased colon and stomach cancer, boosting the immune system and warding off vampires!

For those who baulk at the strong taste and distinctive smell left on the breath of consumers, or for children; try roasting whole garlic cloves and then adding to your meals, spreading on bread, adding to dips and sauces or as is!

Check out the Garlic recipes in our recipe section for more ideas on including garlic in tonight’s dinner….