ITALIAN PESTO TOAST WITH SALAD

Serves 1

Ingredients:

10ml (2 tsp) ready-made pesto

1 slice rye bread, toasted

1 tomato, thinly sliced

65g shaved lean turkey or chicken

1 matchbox-sized piece of mozzarella cheese, grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Spread the pesto on the toast and top with the tomato, then the turkey, then the cheese. Season and place under a hot grill until the cheese just melts. Serve with a large tossed salad splashed with balsamic vinegar. - Recipe and image from Fast Food for Sustained Energy © Gabi Steenkamp and Celynn Erasmus (Tafelberg, R199.95)

SIMPLE SPICY TILAPIA

A pinch of taco seasoning, a dash of lime and a smidgen of cayenne add a kick to tilapia. For a quick 30-minute dinner, just add rice and salsa.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lime

30ml (2 tbsp) light mayonnaise

4 tilapia fillets, about 150g each

1¼ cups crumbled low-fat crackers

15ml (1 tbsp) taco seasoning

30ml (2 tbsp) mealie meal

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Zest and juice the lime and place in a shallow flat bowl. Whisk in the mayonnaise, add the fish fillets and marinate for 5 minutes. Place the crackers in a plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin, and place crumbs on a plate. Add the taco seasoning and mealie meal and mix well. Coat the fillets with the cracker mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, turn and bake for 5-7 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork. Serve with optional salsa. - Recipe and image from Eat More of What You Love © Marlene Koch (Running Press, R339)

FALAFEL WITH TZATZIKI

A low-kilojoule choice for a vegetarian starter.

Serves 4-6

Tzatziki:

375ml (1½ cups) Greek-style yoghurt

½ a cucumber, coarsely grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

15ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

15ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh mint

5ml (1 tsp) olive oil

Falafel:

1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and well drained

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2.5ml (½ tsp) harissa paste

45ml (3 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley

5ml (1 tsp) ground coriander

5ml (1 tsp) ground cumin

30ml (2 tbsp) chickpea flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Method:

For the tzatziki, mix all the ingredients together. Can be made ahead and chilled, or made and served immediately.

For the falafel, dry the chickpeas with paper towel. Place all the ingredients, except the vegetable oil, in a food processor and pulse until well combined. (You could also mash the chickpeas in a bowl with a fork, then mix in the rest of the ingredients.)

Form the mixture into 4 balls.

In a medium saucepan, heat about 8cm oil until hot but not smoking and deep-fry the falafel for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towel for 2 minutes. Serve with tzatziki. - Recipe and image from 500 Gluten-Free Dishes © Carol Beckerman and Deb Wheaton (New Holland Publishers, R110)

QUINOA SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

Salt and pepper

200g quinoa

600ml water

½ a cucumber, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks

175g cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small onion, finely diced

125g black olives, pitted

15ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley

15ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh coriander

Juice of 1 lemon

Lemon wedges, to garnish

Method:

Heat the grill. Brush the chicken breasts with half the oil, season and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Set aside. Put the quinoa in a pan and pour over the water. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water has evaporated. Put into a bowl. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives and herbs to the warm quinoa. Pour over the remaining oil and lemon juice, season, mix well and set aside to cool. Divide the quinoa salad between 4 serving plates. Cut the chicken into strips and divide between the plates. Garnish with lemon wedges. - Recipe and image © Greatstock/Stockfood