Refined Beer-Can Chicken

We've shared this little trick with you before — simply shove a half a can of beer up a chicken's body cavity and pop him in the oven or on the bbq grill for an hour and a half. The beer steams the chicken from the inside and the oven browns and crisps the skin beautifully (if your diet allows for a little skin eating).

Here's a refined version and some cool new options:

Red Wine Chicken

Ingredients
Whole chicken, neck or giblets removed
Low-calorie herb/spice rub of choice, or just salt and pepper
1 small avocado
About 200ml of red wine

A beer or soda can with the top cut off. (A manual can opener works well for this.)
A Chick-Can rack to balance chicken
Pan or pie tin to catch drippings

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 200.

2. Rinse chicken inside and out. Pat dry with paper towel.

3. Cover the chicken inside and out with a low-calorie or no-calorie rub. Pull back the skin a little and add rub (or just salt and pepper) in there as well.

4. Fill the can halfway up with red wine and place inside Chick-Can rack. You can of course do this without the rack, which runs about $10, and just balance it, but once you've had a chicken fall over in your oven and make a mess, you'll probably want to invest in the rack.

5. Plug the neck of the chicken with the avocado to trap the steam. (My dinner guests tend to fight over the wine-steamed avocado when the chicken is done. It's tasty!) An onion will work here too if you're a filthy onion-eater, as will a small sweet potato.

6. You'll want to place the chicken and rack on some kind of pan to catch the drippings. A pie tin works in a pinch, too. Then slap that bird in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hours.

7. After cooking, let it cool for a good 10 to 15 minutes and enjoy the juiciest chicken you've ever slapped your tongue against.

Options: Any dry spice rub will do. I also like a lemon pepper seasoning blend steamed with a diet lemon-lime cola like Sprite.

Note: If you find that the top cooks too fast, just cover it for half the cooking time with a bit of foil.

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp olive oil for saute
1/2 medium butternut pumpkin cut into 3cm cubes
1 large brown onion, chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger chopped fine
1 clove garlic chopped fine
1/8 tsp cloves
Squeeze of lemon juice
4 cups chicken stock
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Method:
1. Combine onion with olive oil and some salt in a large heavy bottom pot and cook on med until translucent about 15 minutes.
2. Add apple and cook until soft
3. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
4. Add clove and pumpkin, lemon juice and a bit more salt and stir well cooking for about 10 minutes stirring constantly so the pumpkin doesn't stick to the bottom.
5. Add this to a blender or food processor blend until very smooth adding a bit of stock if needed OR add some stock and process with a hand blender in the pot until very smooth.
6. Add stock to desired consistancy. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Crustless Quiche

This is a super simple way to make your eggs in the morning. You can make a large batch of these mini quiche store them in your fridge, and then just warm them in the microwave to serve.

There are many different vegetables or herbs and spices you can add to them to keep them interesting. You can add leftover veggies tossed together to make your own flavor.

I use a muffin pan to bake them in. It makes it very easy to remove them from the pan when they're done. Depending on your size muffin cups and how much veggies you put in them, this recipe makes 6-8 mini quiche. Only fill your cups 2/3 full so they don't overflow while baking.

Crustless Quiche Basic

What you need: 
4 whole eggs 
2 egg whites 
75g low fat cottage cheese
30g Low fat cheese
Salt
Black Pepper

Vegetables of your choice (onions, mushrooms, zuchuni, peppers etc)

Method
1. Blend together eggs, whites, cheese and cottage cheese until well combined. Add salt and pepper and stir well.
2. Fill muffin cups with vegetable mixture of your choice.
3. Top with egg mixture.
4. Place in preheated 200c degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until just set. If using a large baking dish cook for about 20-30 minutes or until just set.
5. Let cool then pop out of pan.
Can be stored in fridge for about 4-5 days.

** Can be made in:
Muffin cups lined
Muffin cups sprayed with non stick spray
Silicone Muffin cups no spray no liners 
Soufle Dish
Large pie plate
Glass baking dish
Individual tin dishes mini
Just about anything! Very versatile! 

Baked Eggs

Scrambled eggs, fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs, omelets... you've tried them all, right? Of course you have, because eggs are a great food (yes, even the yolks!). So let's figure out a new way to make this staple protein source exciting again.

How about we make something the French call oeufs en cocotte - baked eggs

What you will need:
4 eggs (free range or omega-3 enriched are best)
1/2 avocado
Handful of sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon cream
Less than a teaspoon of butter or an olive oil spray
Optional: Handful of shredded low fat cheese
2 ramekins or custard cups
Pan for water bath

Method
1) Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
2) Get a couple of ramekins, those little heatproof dishes, thinly coat the bottom and sides with a smidge of butter or spray of olive oil.
3) Now toss some sun-dried tomatoes in there along with some diced avocado. (Mushrooms and roasted red peppers work well too.)
4) Crack a couple of eggs into each one. (Always crack eggs on a flat surface, never on the side of a pan or counter edge which causes shards and therefore crunchy eggs. Not good.) Give the ramekins a little shake to cover the avocado and tomato.
5) Add more avocado and tomato, then a tablespoon of cream.
6) Now place the ramekins in a water bath: a pan filled with an inch or two of water. I use my lasagna dish. This ensures even cooking, no scorching, and moisture.
7) Bake at 180c for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on if you like your yolks soft or hard.
8) Top with a little shredded low fat cheese and serve. Just eat them right out of the baking dish with a spoon.

The only drawback to this dish is the long cooking time, so make it a nice Sunday morning breakfast. Or do what I do since I prefer low carbs at night: make it for dinner!

Banana Berry Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 c fresh blueberries (or any berry)
1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 c cottage cheese
400ml water

Method:
Blend it all together and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pudding

Chili Spice Rub

For red meat. Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic, granulated
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. In bowl, mix black pepper, chili powder, thyme, paprika, garlic, cumin, and salt.
2. Rub generously onto steaks and let sit for an hour or even overnight.
3. Grill or bbq to desired doneness.

Citrus Rub

Great for white meat

Ingredients:
4 tsp Garlic powder
2 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Dried orange peel (or lemon peel)
1 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Method:
Mix well and rub into meat let sit for a few hours chilled before grilling.

Chicken Apple Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

300g grilled chicken breast
2 small granny smith apples
1/2  red onion
1 red capsicum
1-2 jalapenos
1 lime, juice and zest
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 handful corrinder
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:

1. Cut chicken into strips, apple slices, red onion slices, capsicum slices. Put all this into a large bowl.
2. Zest lime and add to bowl.
3. In small food processor add jalapeno, juice of the lime and process. Add olive oil and process. Pour this over the salad and mix. If you don't have a food processor, mince jalapeno with a knife and add to lime juice. Wisk in olive oil, then add to bowl with chicken.
4. Add lightly chopped corrinder and salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Let this sit for about an hour for the flavors to mix. 

Pancakes

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup oatmeal
3 whole eggs
teaspoon vanilla
1 pack stevia/splenda (or sugar sub.)
few dashes cinnamon

Blend in blender and cook in hot pan. This is one serving of about 4 to 6 good size pancakes.

 Sugar Free Pavlova

The origins of this lighter than air dessert are debated widely among Australians and New Zealanders alike. If it came from Australia when it was made to celebrate the coming of the famous ballerina Anna Pavlova or if it was created by the New Zealanders in 1919 well before the visit of the famous ballerina. Either way it's a wonderful and beautiful way to make a delicious light and easy dessert to showcase your seasonal fresh fruit.

Here's the recipe without sugar:

4 servings

 Ingredients:
4 Egg whites; at room temp
2 tsp Cornstarch
2 tsp Splenda
1 tsp Vanilla pure not imitation
1 tsp Vinegar
1 pinch Salt

2 Kiwifruits or any other fresh bright fruit you enjoy

Method:
***Make sure that the eggs are fresh and at room temperature.
1. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the sweetener and salt, and continue beating. Beat in the cornstarch, vanilla and vinegar until soft peaks form. Work quickly, and take care not to over beat.
2. Rinse a piece of kitchen (grease proof) parchment with water. Place on a baking pan.
3. Pile the egg white mixture onto the parchment in a 1 1/2 inch high circle. Bake at 120c for 1 hour or until firm.
4. Remove from oven and cool in the pan. Invert on a platter and peel off paper. Peel and slice the kiwifruit crosswise into circles, leave some round or cut some in half. Arrange in attractive designs on the pavlova. Cut in four portion. Serve cold.


NB: Adding the sweetener you must just at a tiny bit at a time or the egg mixture will start to break.

 Mongolian Beef

 Five Spice Pork Tenderloin with Bok Choy

Ingredients:
Pork Tenderloin
Five Spice Powder
Salt

1 head Bok Choy, sliced thin
1 red capsicum, sliced thin
10 large Shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or whatever mushrooms you can get)

1 Onion, sliced
2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, minced
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Method:
1. Rub pork tenderloin with generous amounts of five spice powder and let marinate for an hour or longer (overnight is best).
2. Cut pork tenderloin into small slices.
3. Heat a wok or heavy bottom pan until hot (a non stick wok works best so you don't need to add any additional oil for saute). Saute the pork loin slices until just done a little at a time, and then set aside to rest in a bowl. They only take a few minutes to saute.
4. In the same pan add ginger, garlic, and onion and saute for a few seconds until fragrant.
5. Add Bok Choy and stir well.
6. Add capsicum and mushrooms and stir well. Cook for a few minutes until desired doneness. I like it a bit crunchy myself.
7. Finish with soy sauce and sesame oil and serve immediately with pork tenderloin placed on top.