MINESTRONE SOUP WITH LAMB

Oil spray

1 brown onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 celery sticks, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

100g potato diced

300g lean lamb steak, diced 

800g diced tin tomatoes

8 cups salt reduced chicken stock

1 zucchini, diced

420g can five bean mix, drained and rinsed 

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 cup Risoni pasta

In large pot, spray a little oil to coat.  Brown lamb and remove from pot.   Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until onions are translucent and vegetables are starting to soften.  Add potato and cook for further 2 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add canned tomatoes and chicken stock and add back in the lamb.  Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add in drained beans, zucchini and cabbage.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Add Risoni pasta and cook until soft.  Stir pot every couple of mins so Risoni doesn't stick to pot.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

We like to served with Parmesan cheese on top and crusty bread on side.

FLUFFY BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

Makes 9 pancakes - 8 smartpoints per serve (3 pancakes)

3/4 cup skim milk

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 cup plain flour

2 tbsp Natvia (or sugar)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 whole egg

30g reduced fat margarine (or butter), melted

75g blueberries

In a bowl add vinegar to milk, set aside for 10 mins.  In the meantime, add flour, Natvia, baking powder and baking soda to a large mixing bowl.  After the 10 mins, the milk should have soured. Mix in egg and melted butter to milk mixture then add to dry ingredients.  Beat together until well combine. Stir in blueberries. Set aside for 5 -10 minutes.  (Note, batter should be thick).

Drop batter, (about 1/4 cup each) onto a medium hot non stick frypan.  I only use a little oil spray in between every few pancakes.  Cook until the edges begin to look dry and bubbles start to form on top (1-2mins) and then flip with spatula and cook for a further 1 min.

Served with sugar free maple syrup and berries or your favourite topping.

Tip: One of my kids don't like blueberries so I leave the berries out of the mix until i put the batter in the frypan and then I scatter them on top.

Chocolate Chip and Sultana Cornflake Cookies

A new school year starts tomorrow and like every other year I have great plans to give my kids homemade treats for their lunch boxes rather than packaged food.  So tonight with a few moments free before dinner I pondered the Internet looking for a recipe to make some cookies for my sons lunch box tomorrow.  I found a recipe that I thought I could adapt with what ingredients I had in the cupboard.  This was the end result.  

Makes 18

INGREDIENTS

110g softened butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar (I used the equivalent in Stevia powder)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups self raising flour

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sultanas

1/4 cup Nestlé Milk Choc Bits (you could use white or dark bits or mini m&m's)

1 1/2 cups cornflakes

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla extract.

Mix in remaining ingredients.

Roll into small balls and place on a baking paper lined oven tray, giving a slight press down.

Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and let cool on tray. Store in an airtight container.