Savoury Stuffed Tomatoes

These tomatoes can be served as an appetiser or as a light lunch dish, with a small green salad

Work plan
20min preparation
25min cooking

Calories per serving:175

Nutritional advice
This snack is well supplied with vitamins from the B group. Cheese, wheat-germ and egg are all good sources of riboflavin (vitamin B2), essential for cell metabolism.

Ingredients
4 medium-sized tomatoes
1tbs oil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
100g mushrooms, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g wheat-germ
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper
50g Cheddar cheese, finely grated

Method

1. Rinse the tomatoes, cut them into half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
2. Heat the oil, add the spring onions and garlic and fry for 3-4min until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes longer.
3. Stir in the beaten egg, tomato flesh, half of the wheat-germ, the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Pile the mixture into the tomato shells.
4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining wheat-germ and the cheese and sprinkle over the tomatoes.
5. Bake for 20-25 min until golden brown then serve immediately with buttered wholemeal bread

Microwave
1. As conventional method.
2. Place the oil, spring onions and garlic in a bowl and cook on high for 2min. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 2min.
3. As conventional method
4. As conventional method
5. Arrange the tomatoes in a circle and cook on high for 7-8 minutes. Leave to stand for 2-3min before serving conventionally.

Tips

Stuffed tomatoes are also an excellent vegetable to serve with plain meat or cheese dishes.

Storage
Unsuitable for freezing

Oven-baked sweetcorn

An unusual way to prepare this favourite succulent starter

Work plan
5min preparation
50min cooking

Calories per serving:310

Nutritional advice
Like other cereals, sweetcorn (maize) contains some protein, vitamin B and fibre and moderate amounts of vitamin C. Each cob has about 150 calories - it's the butter that doubles the calorie value here!

Preheat oven to 180C

Ingredients
4 cobs of corn, fresh or frozen
75g butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove pf garlic, crushed
paprika

Method
1. Remove the outer leaves and silks from the sweetcorn and place on a sheet of foil.
2. Beat the butter until it is soft and smooth, gradually stir in the lemon juice and garlic, then spread over the cobs. Wrap and seal the corn in the foil, place on a baking-sheet and cook for 35-50min depending on the size of the cobs and whether they were fresh or frozen. Serve garnished with paprika.

Microwave
1. Place the prepared corn in a oblong dish
2. Soften the butter on high for 10-15sec. beat in the lemon juice and garlic, then spread over the corn. Add 2 tsp water, cover and heat on high for 7-8min, then allow to stand for 5min

Tips
Left-over corn can be stripped from the cob and used in the same way as canned or frozen sweetcorn

Variations
Herby sweetcorn: Use savoury butter made from 75g butter mixed with 1tsp of dried marjoram, 1 tsp dried parsley and 1 clove garlic, crushed in place of lemon garlic butter.

Storage
Cooked corn is best removed from the cob before storage.

Egg and Crab Soup

This Oriental style soup makes an excellent starter for a Chinese meal.

Work plan
15min preparation/cooking

Calories per serving: 65

Nutritional advice
This soup has quite a high protein and fibre content, contributed mainly by the sweetcorn.

Ingredients
1L good chicken stock
210g canned sweetcorn
50g can of dressed crab
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp dry sherry
salt and pepper
2 large eggs, beaten

Method

1. Place the stock, the sweetcorn together with its liquid and the crab meat in a large pan, bring to the boil the reduce to a simmer.
2. Mix the cornflour to a paste with the sherry. add to the pan, stirring until the soup thickens, then season to taste.
3. add the beaten egg in a thin drizzle, stirring continuously, cook for a further minute then serve at once.

Microwave

1. Place the stock, sweetcorn and crab in a large ovenproof dish and heat on high for 1omin
2. Add the cornflour, mixed to a paste with the sherry and heat for a further 2-3min on high. Season well to taste.
3. Add the beaten egg. Stirring continuously, then serve at once.

Variations
Egg and sweetcorn soup: Use larger can of sweetcorn and omit the crab meat.
Egg and chicken soup: Substitute 75-100g chicken for the crab meat, left over turkey could also be used.

Storage
Unsuitable for freezing

Servings:
Serves 6

Nutty Cheese Nuggets

Hot or cold, these 'nuggets' make great nibbles to serve at the beginning of a meal.

Work plan
15 min preparation
20min cooking

Calories per nugget: 45

Nutritional advice
Peanuts are a cheap source of protein, but are also high in fat which pushes up the calories.

Preheat oven at 180C

Ingredients
100g plain flour
50g ground peanuts or hazelnuts
75g soft butter or margarine
100g Cheddar cheese, finely grated
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
caraway seeds and nuts to decorate

Method

1. Combine the flour and ground nuts in a bowl, rub in the butter or margarine then stir in cheese, cayenne pepper and salt.
2. Form this mixture into cherry-sized balls and place on a greased baking-sheet.
3. Flatten slightly and press nut halves on to some and sprinkle caraway seeds on to the others.
4. Bake for 15-20min until golden brown then serve hot or cold.

Microwave

1-2 As conventional method, but place in a circle, well spaced out, on an ovenproof plate
3 Cook on High for 2 min

Tips
For stronger flavour substitute Parmesan cheese for the Cheddar.

Storage
Keep in an airtight tin for several days

Servings
Makes approximately 40 'nuggets'

Lychee and Orange Salad

Work plan
10 min preparation

Calories per serving: 90

Nutritional advice
Lychees, oranges and watercress are all rich sources of vitamin C. Fresh lychees will provide three times the recommended daily adult intake, but considerably less if canned are used

Ingredients

350g fresh or canned lychees
3 medium oranges
1 bunch of watercress

Method

1. Peel and halve the lychees and remove the stones. Remove the peel and pith from oranges and slice, reserving any juice.
2. Arrange the fruit on individual serving-plates on beds of watercress. Pour over the reserved juice and chill before serving.

Tips
If you omit the watercress, this recipe can be served as dessert salad, adding a few strawberries if they are in season.

Storage
Unsuitable for storage.

Tomato Salad Ring

Tomato Salad Ring

Work plan
10min preparation
2hrs chilling
15min finishing

Calories per serving:

60 for 6 persons, 45 for 8persons.

Nutritional advice
This is an excellent low-calori starter, rich in vitamin C; each serving provides the average adult with the recommended daily requirement.

Ingredients

2 tbs gelatine
2tbs hot water
1L tomato juice
Juice of ½ lemon
3 carrots grated
300ml thick natural yoghurt
½ cucumber, diced
3 firm tomatoes, chopped
4 tbs fresh mint, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Dissolve the gelatine in the hot water over a bowl of hot water, then stir the mixture into the tomato juice and lemon juice
2. Sprinkle the grated carrot in the bottol of a moistened 1L ring mould, pour in the tomato juice and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.
3. Before serving, combine the yoghurt with the diced cucumber, tomato and pepper and the chopped mint and season to taste with salt and pepper
4. Turn out the tomato ring by dipping the mould in hot water for a few seconds. Place on a serving-dish, fill the centre with the yoghurt mixture and serve with melba toast.

Variations

Mixed fruit salad ring: Use a mixed fruit juice in place of the tomato juice

Storage: Unsuitable for freezing

Servings: Serve 6 - 8 persons.