december
Banana muffins
Everyone loves banana muffins; try making them in mini-muffin tins - they make a great addition to lunchboxes.
Spicy chicken with potatoes, watercress and oranges
Chicken tenderloins are super-quick to cook and although they may seem more expensive, keep in mind there is zero waste with no fat or bone.
Olive and parsley-coated snapper fillets with green puy lentils
Salmon is a yummy alternative to snapper and lends itself well to these flavours.
Lamb backstraps with orange and cranberry couscous and grilled pumpkin
You could use lean lamb steaks in this recipe if you can’t find fillets or back straps.
Grilled chicken tenderloins with coriander, tomato relish and red capsicum
This is great for a light lunch. Combining chicken with feta and a tomato relish adds stacks of flavour.
Pan-grilled eye fillet with warm bean and spinach cassoulet
The sodium content will be greatly reduced by draining and rinsing beans, which are usually canned in brine.
Green curry paste
Making your own curry paste is fun and means you can tweak the chilli levels depending on how hot you like it.
Kumara and bean burgers
Play around with other fillings in these simple, tasty burgers; try roasted veges like tomatoes, beetroot or eggplant.
Vietnamese calamari salad
This is a great barbecue dish - it's super-fast and has lots of delicious, zingy flavours.
Lamb cutlets with yoghurt, mint and cucumber sauce
This refreshing yogurt-based sauce is great for cooling down the heat from the spices on the lamb.
How to cook: Panforte
Panforte is a rich Italian treat that's a perfect alternative to Christmas cake. Swap the nuts for the same quantity of other nuts - pistachio and walnuts work well.
Barbecued courgettes with garlic and mozzarella
Courgettes (or zucchini) are versatile and delicious summer veges, which contain good amounts of vitamin C, folate and fibre.
Smoked salmon pancakes
These bite-sized morsels are the perfect finger food for entertaining when the occasion calls for something fuss-free, fresh and delicious.
Honey and macadamia-crusted lamb rack
Add festive flare to the humble lamb rack and make this quick-to-prepare, crowd-pleasing dish.
Barbecued fish with crisp potatoes
You can substitute snapper with tarakihi or any other firm fish which barbecues well, in this lovely summertime dish.
Roast turkey with cranberry stuffing
This traditional Christmas fare is not only delicious, turkey meat is especially lean and low in saturated fat.
Poached peaches
Get ready for a string of compliments: poached fruit always look exquisite and taste divine.
Reduced-fat ice cream pudding
Use a low-fat ice cream for this cassata-style dessert to keep the fat content down.
