Classic Winter Warmers with a healthy twist

Here’s five hearty, comforting meals, packed with healthy proteins and veges, and low in fat, salt and sugar.

BEEF AND MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

SERVES 4

So many ways to customise this classic! We use rice as the carb here, but there are delicious alternatives – such as mashed kūmara. There are also hearty vegetarian and vegan versions.

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil spray

3 tsp low-fat butter substitute (you’ll use each teaspoon separately)

400g lean beef stir-fry

1 large onion, or 2 medium, thinly sliced

3–4 garlic cloves, crushed

400g sliced button mushrooms

2 Tbsp cooking wine

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp onion powder

½ cup hot water

¼ cup low-fat sour cream

1½ cups basmati rice

METHOD

Spray a large stovetop pan with olive oil spray and fry the beef at a high temperature for 1-2 minutes, keeping it moving with a spatula, until browned.

Remove the beef and set aside.

Turn down the heat, give the pan another spray, and add 1 tsp of the butter substitute.

When melted, add in the chopped onions and cook at a low temperature until translucent.

Add in the crushed garlic and cook for another minute.

Add 1 more tsp of the butter substitute, and when melted, add in the mushrooms.

Turn the heat up to medium.

Stir the mix until the mushrooms are coated and just beginning to brown.

Add the wine and let cook for another minute.

Add the third tsp of butter substitute, and, when melted, sprinkle in the flour and stir quickly so it is evenly distributed throughout the mix.

Keep stirring the mix as it cooks for another minute.

Add the hot water gradually, stirring constantly, until the mix thickens up.

Stir in the fried beef, Worcestershire sauce, and onion powder.

Cover, turn the temperature down, and let gently cook on a very low heat for another 20 minutes.

Cook the rice according to instructions on the packet.

Just before serving, stir the low-fat sour cream into the stroganoff mix.

Serve the sauce over the rice, with salad or steamed green veges on the side.

Make it vegetarian or vegan

• To make a vegetarian stroganoff, use sliced tempeh or tofu instead of beef, or just add more mushrooms. Instead of Worcestershire sauce (which contains anchovies), use 4 tsp soy sauce and 2 tsp of either cider or balsamic vinegar.

• To make the meal vegan, do the above, and also use dairy-free butter substitute and a low-fat plant-based yoghurt instead of the sour cream.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE PER SERVING: ENERGY 1850kJ (442kcal) | PROTEIN 35g | FAT 8.5g (SATURATED FAT 3g) | CARBOHYDRATE 51.3g (SUGARS 6g) | SODIUM 162mg

NUTRITIONAL VALUE PER SERVING (VEGAN VERSION): ENERGY 1760kJ (420kcal) | PROTEIN 22.7g | FAT 10.7g (SATURATED FAT 1.6g) | CARBOHYDRATE 50.4g (SUGARS 5.1g) | SODIUM 157mg

STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST ROAST WITH PEA PUREE

SERVES 4

There are a lot of innovative stuffed chicken breast recipes, but sometimes you just want the comfort of old-fashioned sage and onion.

INGREDIENTS

2 large chicken breasts

4 medium potatoes, washed or peeled

1 large kūmara

Olive oil spray

½ tsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

STUFFING

1 finely chopped onion

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp low-fat butter substitute

2 slices bread, torn into small pieces

½ tsp thyme

PEA PUREE

250g frozen peas

1 Tbsp low-fat sour cream

1 tsp low-fat butter substitute

METHOD

To make the stuffing

Heat a stovetop pan to a medium heat and add the olive oil and the butter substitute.

When the oil is hot, add the finely chopped onion, stir, then turn down the heat and cook slowly until translucent.

Add the torn bread and stir till it’s well coated in oils and juices.

Add the thyme and stir in well.To put together the roast

Preheat oven to 200°C, and have a large, roasting tray at the ready.

Split each chicken breast by cutting into the thickest long side of it with a sharp knife, slicing inwards and along so the breast forms a pocket. (Don’t cut all the way through on any of the other three sides – think of it like a pita pocket.)

Fill each breast with half of the stuffing mix, pushing in well, and set aside.

Quarter the potatoes.

Peel the kūmara and cut into four roughly equal pieces.

Arrange the breasts, potatoes, and kūmara on the roasting tray and spray with olive oil.

Quickly stir the salt and onion powder together and sprinkle over the top.

Roast, covered, for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and cook for a further 10–15 minutes or until done.

To make the pea puree

Do this about 10 minutes before the roast is done.

Boil the peas in a little water until cooked through and drain.

Stir in the butter substitute and lowfat sour cream.

Blitz with a blender until smooth.

To serve: Cut each chicken breast into two even pieces. Distribute the roast evenly among four people, with pea puree on the side.

Tips

To be sure chicken is cooked, push a skewer into the thickest part and see if juices run clear.

If you don’t want pea puree, simply stir the butter substitute into the cooked peas and serve them on the side like that.

To bulk up the meal, chop and roast some additional low-carb veg: carrot, zucchini, cauliflower, capsicum, and/or mushrooms.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE PER SERVING: ENERGY 2110kJ (504kcal) | PROTEIN 57.4g | FAT 7.8g (SATURATED FAT 2g) | CARBOHYDRATE 45.2g (SUGARS 9.8g) | SODIUM 487mg

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CROUTONS

SERVES 4

Hot, filling – and super-economical – pumpkin soup is a winter staple.

INGREDIENTS

Approx 1kg of pumpkin

Olive oil spray

1 large onion, chopped

3–4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large apple, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

4 cups hot water

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

CROUTONS

Four slices wholemeal bread

1 tsp chopped dried parsley or another favourite herb or spice

METHOD

Chop the pumpkin up into about 12 even pieces, remove the seeds, and peel off the skin.

Spray the bottom of a big stove-top pot with olive oil, and turn the heat to low.

Add in the onions and garlic, and let them cook gently, stirring now and then, until they’re beginning to brown and soften.

Add another spray of olive oil.

Add in the chopped pumpkin, apple, and carrot, and stir to coat in oil.

Let cook on a low heat, covered, for 10 minutes, lifting the lid occasionally to stir and check nothing is burning.

Add hot water, onion powder, and salt.

Bring to a simmer and let cook for half an hour.

Blitz with a food processer, or mash if you don’t have one.

To make the croutons

Chop the sliced bread into squares (1–2cm). Leave the crusts on to reduce waste, or take them off if you prefer.

Spray a wide stove-top pan with olive oil, and turn up to medium heat.

When the pan is hot, add in the bread squares and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to ensure they brown but don’t burn. Add in the herbs or spice, and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

To serve:Scatter the croutons across the soup, or pile them up in the middle.

Tips

• You can boil your pumpkin pieces for 2 or 3 minutes, then let them cool to make the skin easier to peel off.

• There are lots of ways to make croutons. Another energy-efficient way is to toast them in a sandwich press, then spray with oil and toss with the herbs and spices afterwards.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE PER SERVING: ENERGY 1140kJ (272kcal) | PROTEIN 10.9g | FAT 3g (SATURATED FAT 0.4g) | CARBOHYDRATE 42.8g (SUGARS 25.4g) | SODIUM 670mg

VEGETARIAN COTTAGE PIE

SERVES 4

Cottage pie is a great dish for preparing in advance and heating just before you serve.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium potatoes

1 tsp olive oil or rice bran oil

1 tsp low-fat butter substitute

2 medium onions, very finely chopped

2 carrots, grated

1 small kūmara, peeled and grated

2 zucchinis, very finely chopped

250g firm tofu, chopped into 1cm cubes

1½ Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp low-fat milk

2 Tbsp low-fat sour cream

1 Tbsp low-fat butter substitute

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200°C. Peel and halve the potatoes and start them boiling. When they are soft, take them off and drain them.

While the potatoes boil, heat a wide pan to a low heat, and add the oil and tsp of butter substitute and allow it to heat up. Add the onion and stir to coat in oil.

Cover the pan. Let the onion cook slowly for 5 minutes, giving it a quick stir once or twice.

Stir in the carrot and kūmara and let the whole mix cook slowly for 10 minutes with the lid on, giving it a quick stir every couple of minutes or so.

Stir in the zucchini and let the mix cook gently for another for 5 minutes, again giving it a quick stir or two.

Stir in the tofu, the tomato paste, and the cider or balsamic vinegar. Let the whole mix heat up, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Transfer the mix an oven dish.

To put the pie together

Mash the potato with the milk, sour cream, and remaining low-fat butter substitute.

Dollop small spoonfuls of mash evenly across the mix in the oven dish, and smooth gently with the back of a fork.

Bake, covered, till piping hot – about 15 minutes if straight after putting together, or 35 minutes if you have prepared the cottage pie in advance.

Make it vegan

Use dairy-free butter substitute and a low-fat plant-based yoghurt instead of the sour cream.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE PER SERVING: ENERGY 1230kJ (294kcal) | PROTEIN 16.1g | FAT 8.3g (SATURATED FAT 1.7g) | CARBOHYDRATE 31.8g (SUGARS 10.8g) | SODIUM 375mg

HEALTHY BOIL UP

SERVES 6

This meal is a favourite from the Diabetes NZ cookbook, Eat Well Live Well.

INGREDIENTS

1kg boneless brisket or 500g fat-free brisket

500ml liquid beef stock or 2 salt-reduced stock cubes

6 handfuls of watercress, pūhā, or spinach

4 palm-sized potatoes or kūmara, skin scrubbed

½ pumpkin, peeled

½ kamokamo (optional)

2 carrots, peeled

METHOD

Cut any visible fat off the meat (or buy pre-trimmed meat).

Put the meat in a large pot, cover with water and add the stock. Simmer for 1 hour on a low heat.

Add the watercress, pūhā, or spinach and let simmer for another hour.

In a separate pot, boil the potatoes (or kūmara), pumpkin, kamokamo (if using), and carrots until soft – roughly 30 minutes.

Serve the meat with the vegetables.

Tip

You can add more vegetables such as parsnip, zucchini, beans, peas, onion, and broccoli to ensure that half your meal is non-starchy veg.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE PER 433g SERVIING: ENERGY 1240 kJ (297 kcal) | PROTEIN 28.9g | FAT TOTAL 5.4g (SAT FAT 1.7g) | CARBS 27.6g (SUGARS 12.9g) | SODIUM 330mg