These quick, easy-to-make recipes will help resist those urges for naughty snacks and late night cravings!

Macadamia and Chicken Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons macadamia oil
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 180g risotto rice
• 600ml warm chicken stock (fresh is best) see below for making your own
• 200g cooked chicken (breast and thigh meat) shredded
• 200g seasonal mixed vegetables, we used broccoli, green beans and sugar snap peas, blanched in boiling water for a few minutes, drained and cooled in cold running water
• 100g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped, toasted if you like
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley, sprigs or finely chopped

Method

Cook the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of the oil, in a large frying pan, for a couple of minutes. Add the pepper and cook for another few minutes until the onion has softened.

Stir in the rice, coating it well in the oil, then pour in about a third of the stock. Cook over a medium heat, stirring every so often until the stock is almost absorbed, then pour in more stock. Keep adding stock and cook, stirring until the rice is just tender. This will take around 20 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and heat it through, then add the vegetables and macadamia nuts. Season to taste. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and a drizzle of macadamia oil.

To make Chicken Stock

Put all the bones from a chicken carcass in a large saucepan, add an unpeeled onion, 1 carrot and 1 small leek, all roughly chopped, with a little salt and a few whole pepper corns, a handful of parsley and a couple of bay leaves.

Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil slowly, simmer for 2 hours. Strain and pour into pots and store in the fridge or freezer.

This recipe is low cholesterol while still providing a good source of energy. For a low GI meal use brown rice (just remember to cook it longer or par-cook) and avoid broad beans in your vegetable mix. This risotto recipe is also sugar, wheat and dairy free.

Text continues below advert

Salmon and Macadamia Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 salmon steaks
  
• 100g toasted macadamia nut halves
  
• 150g green salad leaves
  
• 8 sundried tomatoes roughly chopped
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon English mustard
  
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  
• Seasoning

Method

Grill the salmon and flake. To toast the macadamia nuts, place halved macadamia nuts in a dry frying pan and cook until golden, shaking regularly. Whisk oil, mustard and vinegar, mix together with leaves and season.

Divide into 4 servings and sprinkle the salmon flakes, nuts and sundried tomatoes over the green salad leaves.

Text continues below advert

Macadamia Nut Roast

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 800g mixed root vegetables (potatoes, parsnips, swede, sweet potato) peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 1 tablespoon macadamia oil (alternative oils can be used in place)
• 200g carrots, peeled and grated
• 300g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Bread crumbs or porridge oats, optional

Method

Cook the root vegetables in a large pan of boiling water until they are just tender.

Meanwhile fry the onion, celery and garlic in the oil, until softened.

Set the oven to 200°C or Gas 6. Drain the root vegetables, put them back in the pan and mash them roughly.

Mix in the grated carrots, most of the macadamia nuts, parsley, lemon juice, and seasoning. The mixture should be able to form a moist ball in your hand, if it is too sloppy, add some porridge oats or breadcrumbs.

Spoon the mixture into a large, lightly-oiled, ovenproof dish, or roasting tin lined with paper. Sprinkle with the rest of the nuts.

Cover with oiled foil and cook for 30 minutes then take off the foil and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the top is browned and the vegetables are cooked through.

Leave it to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving with salad or green vegetables.

Low cholesterol and GI but high in plant based phytosterols and fibre, macadamias provide a source of essential amino and fatty acids, important for those on a meat free diet. This recipe is also sugar and dairy free. Use oats to make it wheat free or neither to make it gluten free.