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175g lean beef mince
1 eggwhite, lightly beaten
3 tbs tomato sauce
3 tbs onion, finely chopped
1 tbs wholemeal breadcrumbs
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp thyme, finely chopped
½ tsp garlic powder
8 small wholemeal bread buns

1 Line a tray with baking paper, place a cooling rack on top. Spray lightly with oil.
2 In a large bowl, combine beef, eggwhite, half the tomato sauce, onions, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Use your hands to mix everything together.
3 Divide meat into 8 thin patties and place on prepared rack. Brush with remaining tomato sauce. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
4 Place hamburgers in buns and serve with your choice of salad.

Flavour booster Add a few slices of gherkin – it’s low in fat and kJs, and a good source of vitamin K, which keeps bones strong and helps control blood clotting.

SERVES 4 (2 BURGERS EACH). Per serve 1172kJ, 6g fat (1g sat fat), 38g carbs, 2g fibre, 20g protein, 500mg sodium



1.8kg beef chuck roast, tied
¼ cup flour
2 tbs canola oil
2 onions, peeled and quartered
4 large carrots, slit lengthwise and cut into 4cm pieces
2 large leeks, sliced
2 cups sliced white button mushrooms
2 whole peeled garlic cloves
1 cup red wine
1 litre beef stock
2 tbs tomato paste

1 Preheat oven to 150°C. Season all sides of roast with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly coat in flour.
2 In a large cast iron pot, heat canola oil over medium heat. Brown roast, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove roast from the pot and set aside.
3 Reduce heat to medium, add onions, carrots, leeks, mushrooms and garlic to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in beef stock, tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste.
4 Place roast in the pot and nestle it in the beef stock and vegetables. Bring the liquid to a low boil. Cover and put in the oven for 3 to 3½ hours, until beef is tender (test with a fork).
5 Remove roast to a cutting board and take off the strings. Spoon the pan juices and vegetables over the beef. Serve immediately.

Saucy tip Lightly coating – or dredging – the meat in flour helps it to brown, plus it adds thickness to your sauce. The easiest way: place flour on a plate and roll the meat to coat fully.

SERVES 8 Per serve 1842kJ, 15g fat (4.5g sat fat), 15g carbs, 2g fibre, 53g protein, 460mg sodium



500g chicken tenderloins or skinless breast, cut into thin strips
3 tbs Dijon mustard
2½ cups cornflakes
2 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
BBQ or honey-mustard sauce (optional)

1 Line a tray with baking paper and spray with a little oil. Using a pastry brush, coat each piece of chicken with Dijon mustard.
2 In a food processor or blender, combine the cornflakes, sage, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Process to a coarse meal and transfer to a shallow dish. Coat each chicken strip in the cornflake mixture until evenly coated.
3 Place on tray and bake at 200°C until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce, if desired.

Upbeat meat Chicken is a great source of amino acid tyrosine, which boosts your brain’s levels of feel-good hormones, ups your energy levels and helps you deal with stress.

SERVES 4 Per serve 711kJ, 0.5g fat (0g sat fat), 15g carbs, 1g fibre, 27g protein, 360mg sodium

Poached eggs with meat and potato hash

550g unpeeled potatoes, cut into ½ cm cubes
225g lean beef mince
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs red onion, finely chopped
½ red capsicum, diced
2 spring onions, sliced
1 tbs parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan
2 tbs white vinegar
4 eggs

1 Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and reserve.
2 In a large frypan, brown mince over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up. Transfer mince to a plate lined with paper towels.
3 Drain pan and add oil. Add onion, capsicum and spring onions. Sauté for 4 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add potatoes, gently stir to mix. Cover and cook for 5 minutes without stirring, until potatoes form a golden crust.
4 Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid and stir in mince. Cook until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parmesan.
5 Poach eggs for three minutes (see tip).
6 Remove each egg from pot with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Serve over hash, with toast if desired.

Perfect the poach Combine 2 tbs vinegar in a pot with 2 litres water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Crack an egg and, holding shell close to water’s surface, slide it into the pot. Repeat quickly with remaining eggs.

SERVES 4 Per serve 1549 kJ, 20g fat (3.5g sat fat), 28g carbs, 3g fibre, 20g protein, 500mg sodium

Beef, potato and tomato curry

600-800g chuck/ boneless shin (gravy) beef
1 large onion, diced
3 tbsp mild curry paste
2 tbsp plain flour
400g can diced tomatoes
2½ cups beef stock
300g sweet potato or potato, diced

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut beef into 2.5cm-3cm cubes. Season with salt and pepper and add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the beef, mix well. Heat a large frypan over a medium-high heat. Brown beef in 2 or 3 batches. Remove each batch and place in a casserole dish.
2 Reduce heat, add a little oil, add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3 Add curry paste and flour, stir until onion is coated. Gradually pour in tomatoes and stock, stirring well until the mixture boils. Add to casserole dish, stir to combine. Cover the casserole dish, place in the oven for 2 hours. Stir every 40 minutes or so, adding water if needed to keep ingredients just covered. Cook until the beef is very tender. Add potatoes in the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Stovetop method: Place browned beef and other ingredients in a heavy-based pot. Partially cover, keep heat low. Stirring occasionally, add water if needed during cooking time to keep ingredients covered. Simmer for approximately 2-2½ hours or until meat is very tender.

Sweet news For an antioxidant boost, go for sweet potatoes over regular spuds. They're rich in beta-carotene, which can help fight heart disease and cancer.

SERVES 4 Per serve 765kJ, 13.9g fat (5.6g sat fat), 22.5g carbs, 2g fibre, 50.5g protein, 890mg sodium

Carrot cupcakes

2 cups wholemeal flour
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
2 large eggs
½ cup plain yoghurt
450g carrots, grated
½ cup raisins

For icing
115g light cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
¼ cup chopped walnuts

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
2 With an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and canola oil for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in yoghurt, carrots and raisins. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
3 Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
4 To make the icing, whip the cream cheese and sugar using an electric mixer. Spread over each cupcake. Top with walnuts.

Go nuts Don’t skip this superfood: walnuts are one of the most nutrient-dense whole food sources of alpha-linolenic acid, an essential omega-3 fatty acid.

MAKES 18 Per cupcake 921kJ, 5g fat (0.5g sat fat), 41g carbs, 3g fibre, 5g protein, 260mg sodium