Jamie Oliver's Banana & Cinnamon Oatmeal

Serves 1 person Ingredients 1/2 cups quick cook oats (not instant) 3/4 cups milk or water pinch of sea salt 1/2 ripe banana 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon honey or maple syrup to taste handful of toasted & sliced almonds or shredded coconut Method 1. Add oats, milk/water and salt to a saucepan on medium heat. 2. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring often. 3. 2 minutes before oatmeal is ready, add all the other ingredients. (I saved my maple syrup for after the oatmeal was in my bowl) 4. If your oatmeal is too thick, add more milk/water until it's the consistency you enjoy. 5. Remove from heat and enjoy :)

The original Dr Bircher muesli

HOW TO ROAST NUTS Hazelnuts can be roasted by simply cooking in a preheated 180C (350F/Gas 4) oven until golden brown. To remove their skins, allow the nuts to cool, then put them in a clean tea towel, fold it in half and rub the nuts inside the towel on the bench. Tip the nuts into a strainer and allow the skins to fall to the bottom. To roast nuts such as almonds and walnuts, you must first blanch them in boiling water for 2 3 minutes to loosen their skins. Strain, then peel away the skin. Put the nuts on a tray and roast in the centre of a preheated 150C (300F/Gas 2) oven. Shake the tray often to ensure an even roast. The nuts will continue to cook on removing from the oven so take them out when they are a light brown colour. Desiccated or shredded coconut may be roasted in the same way. Ingredients 200 g (7 oz/2 cups) rolled oats juice of 2 lemons 2 sour green apples, such as Granny Smith 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/2 cups) plain yoghurt 150 g (51/2 oz/scant 1/2 cup) honey poached fruit, such as poached pears (page 432), or fresh fruit, to serve 40 g (11/2 oz/1/3 cup) roasted hazelnuts, skinned and crushed, to serve Method The night before, mix the oats, lemon juice and 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) water together in a bowl. Cover and soak overnight. In the morning, grate the apples, with their skin on, and add to the bowl of soaked oats. Add the yoghurt and honey and mix together well. Divide the muesli among four bowls, top with your fruit selection and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Serves 4

Berry Bircher Muesli (Biggest Loser)

Serves 6 Ingredients 3 cups rolled oats 1 1/2 cups Just Juice No Added Sugar Apple Juice 1 granny smith apple, coarsely grated 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted 1 tablespoon coconut flakes 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, or to taste 1 tablespoon sultanas 1 cup Yoplait form vanilla yoghurt 1 cup mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries & raspberries) Method 1. Place oats in a large bowl. Pour over apple juice to cover. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 2. Just before serving, stir in apple, almonds, coconut flakes, cinnamon, sultanas, 3/4 cup yoghurt and 3/4 cup mixed berries. 3. Spoon muesli into bowls. Top with remaining yoghurt and mixed berries. Serve immediately.

Oatmeal Recipes - How To Make Oatmeal

The extra special breakfast ideas in our Enhanced Oatmeal Recipe may persuade you to give oatmeal another chance. The variation pictured has apple chunks, dried blueberries, chopped almonds, cinnamon, hemp milk and ground flax or chia seed. Oatmeal Ingredients 1 cup quick oats or rolled oats (take longer to cook) 3 - 4 cups cold water (more if you like it creamy, less if you like it thick) 1/2 t salt 1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon 2 - 4 Tbsp raisins Directions: 1. Place ingredients in a 2 quart pot 2. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally 3. Turn down to simmer 4. Cook until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes, stirring a few times 5. For non-creamy oatmeal, boil the water first, then add the oats 6. For single servings, use 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1 cup water Enhanced Oatmeal: These enhancements take a little more time, but they are definitely worth it, for the increased protein, texture and flavor! Use old fashioned rolled oats or steel cut oats, increase the water by 1/2 cup, and increase the cooking time by 5 - 10 minutes Increase the water or reduce the oatmeal to accommodate the dried fruit, seeds, nuts, etc Add 1 Tbsp veggie spread, vegetable oil, butter or ghee, if you want more calories and a creamier mixture Replace part of the oats with other kinds of grain flakes, like barley or rye. Again, increase the cooking time and water if necessary Add diced apple, dried blueberries or cranberries, chopped dried figs, apricots or dates instead of or in addition to raisins Add 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, 2 Tbsp chopped nuts, or all of the above! Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract Mix in 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds or flax meal to boost the omega 3 and protein

Egg White Omelette with Grilled Tomato Salad (Biggest Loser)

Serves 2 Ingredients Egg white, raw, 6 egg white(s) Spring onion, 2 medium onion(s), sliced Basil, 0.5 cup(s) Parsley, 0.25 cup(s), roughly chopped Cherry tomato, 300 g, 12 large, on the vine if possible Olive oil spray, 1 spray(s) Bocconcini, 8 cherry size ball(s), halved Method Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes 1. Preheat the oven to 150C. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 1520 minutes or until softened but still holding shape. Once cooked, set aside and keep warm. 2. While the tomatoes are cooking, place the egg whites in a large clean bowl.Beat with an electric mixer for about 23 minutes or until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the spring onions and half of the basil and parsley. 3. Lightly spray a 20 cm non-stick ovenproof frypan with olive oil; heat to medium heat. Pour in half the egg white mixture and cook for 2 minutes or until the omelette is lightly browned on the bottom. 4. Place the frypan under a grill and cook the omelette under medium heat for a further 2 minutes or until it has set. Remove from the grill; place half of the bocconcini on one side of the omelette and fold the omelette in half using an egg flip. Slide onto a plate and keep warm. Repeat this process to make the second omelette. 5. To serve, place the roasted tomatoes alongside the omelette and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and pepper, and remaining basil leaves. 170 calories 711 kilojoules

Bircher Muesli Breakfast (Biggest Loser)

Serves 4 Ingredients Rolled oats, raw, 1.5 cup(s) Tap water, 1.5 cup(s) Apple, any type, 1 medium, grated Diet yoghurt, vanilla flavour, 1 200g tub(s) Walnuts, 0.25 cup(s), roughly chopped Honey, 2 tablespoon(s) Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon(s) Pumpkin seeds, 2 tablespoon(s)

Method Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes 1. Soak the oats in the water overnight. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve topped with seasonal fruit.

312 calories 1308 kilojoules

Lamb and Barley Hotpot (Biggest Loser)

Serves 4 Ingredients Olive oil spray 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 sticks celery, diced 2 carrots, diced 300g lamb chuck fillets, trimmed and cut into cubes 3 sprigs rosemary 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1.5 litres chicken stock 2 fresh or dried bay leaves 1 cup pearl barley 125g green beans, cut into 4 cm lengths 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method Heat a large saucepan over a low heat and spray lightly with oil. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots and cook gently for a few minutes until soft. Add lamb and rosemary and cook until the meat is browned on all sides. Cover with napoli sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Add the barley and reduce heat. Cover and simmer gently for 112 hours until the barley is tender. Add beans and simmer for another 30 minutes until tender. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs and serve sprinkled with parsley.

Soy Chilli Fish Parcels (Biggest Loser)

Serves 4 Ingredients 4 white fish fillets (Rockling, Blue-eye or similar 150-200gr each) Olive oil spray 1 cups bean sprouts 2 cloves garlic, crushed 4 spring onions, finely sliced tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp kecap manis (thick Indonesian soy sauce) 1 large fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 2 tsp Chinese rice wine Foil, for wrapping Method 1. Cut 4 pieces of foil large enough for each fillet when wrapped. Spray well with olive oil spray. Top evenly with remaining ingredients. 2. Seal foil to totally enclose fish and transfer to a baking dish or oven tray. Bake in a moderate oven (180C) for approximately 20 minutes or until fish is opaque or just cooked through. 3. Serve with rice and steamed Asian vegies or a salad made with mixed Asian greens and a soy/honey/sesame oil based dressing.

Notes: This dish is extremely low in fat (approx 6 gr per serve), so is a great dish for those watching their weight. You could substitute a cutlet (salmon or tuna) for the fillets - these would be slightly higher in fat, but also higher in Omega three type oils.

Chilli Beef Stir-fry (Biggest Loser)

Serves 4 Ingredients 400g eye fillet 1 tbsp peanut oil 1 bunch baby bok choy, leaves separated and washed 80ml ( cup) sweet chilli sauce 80ml ( cup) soy sauce 3 spring onions, thinly chopped 100g ( cup) roasted peanuts (optional) Steamed rice or hot noodles to serve Method 1. This is one of the quickest stir-fries around, and one of the tastiest. I like it because its quick, spicy and great for an iron hit, not to mention the decadence of using eye fillet. All youll need is a bowl of steamed rice or some noodles to serve with it. 2. Cut eye fillet into 1 cm slices, and then cut each slice into 1 cm strips. 3. Heat a wok over a high heat, add oil, swirl around wok and add beef. Toss and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until beef is well browned. Add bok choy, stir well. and then add chilli sauce, soy sauce, spring onions and peanuts (if using). Allow to heat through and serve immediately with steamed rice or hot noodles.

Variations: Chilli Beef and Mushroom Stir-fry Add 125g quartered mushrooms at the same time as the beef.

Salmon Patties (Biggest Loser)

Ingredients 1 tbls olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed cup onion, diced cup celery, diced 1 zucchinis grated and squeezed dry 1 cups sweet potato peeled, roughly chopped and steamed til tender 1 cup mixed herbs like basil, mint and parsley 2 eggs 400g tin salmon cup wholemeal flour (optional) 2 tbls extra olive oil to cook (optional) Method 1. Over a medium heat, saute the onion, garlic and celery in the oil for about one minute. 2. Then add the veggies and herbs and mash slightly to squash the sweet potato. 3. Now mix though the eggs and salmon. 4. Using wet hands roll the mixture into small balls about the size of a golf ball. Flatten slightly and dust with the flour. 5. Cook over a medium flame until golden on both sides. (You can cook without the oil in a non-stick pan.) 6. Drain on a kitchen towel.

Thai beef salad lettuce cup (weightloss.com.au)

Serves 2 Ingredients: 1 piece scotch fillet steak small carrot 1 roma tomato, seeds removed cup halved green beans 2 lettuce cups Dressing teaspoon fish sauce 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Preheat oven to grill 200 degrees. Cook steak for 10 minutes, set aside. Peel carrot and using peeler shave carrot. Blanch green beans and then rinse under cold water. Combine carrot, tomato and beans in bowl. Slice beef, add to salad ingredients. Combine dressing in small bowl and drizzle over salad and beef mix. Serve on lettuce cups. Serve immediately.

Lentil burgers
(serves 4) Ingredients 1/2 cup (130g) low-fat plain yoghurt 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice 2 tbs tahini* 1 cup cold mashed potato 400g canned brown lentils, rinsed, drained 1 tbs mild Indian curry paste 4 spring onions thinly sliced 1 egg 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 1 tbs vegetable oil 4 wholemeal buns 4 slices tomato Snow pea shoots, to garnish

Method 1. 2. To make the dressing, place the yoghurt, lemon juice and tahini in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then set aside. Place the mashed potato, lentils, curry paste, spring onion, egg and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to bring the mixture together. Divide the mixture into 4 patties, using additional breadcrumbs to help shape the patties. Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and warmed through. Serve on wholemeal buns with tomato slices, snow pea shoots and yoghurt dressing.

3. 4.

5.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad Recipe (weightloss.com.au)

Serves 2 Ingredients: Salad

100g mixed lettuce leaves 2 medium skinless chicken breasts cucumber sliced thinly cup halved cherry tomatoes sweet potato cut into circles

Dressing 2 Tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 2 tablespoons orange juice Recipe Method: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Preheat grill or sandwich press on high. Cook chicken on grill until cooked well through (4 minutes each side). Set aside. Place sweet potatoes on grill / sand which press and cook until well browned, cut into cubes. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and place on top of lettuce, top with cucumber, cherry tomatoes and sweet potato. Mix together the sweet chilli sauce and orange juice and drizzle over the top of salad. Serve immediately.

Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can. It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up. Never, never, never, never give up. No one can make you feel inferior without your permission. Rule your mind or it will rule you. That which is bitter to endure may be sweet to remember. The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph! The first and the best victory is to conquer self. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places. The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something. The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist. You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be. You're never beaten until you admit it. You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there. You don't realize how strong a person really is until you see them at their weakest moment. "When thoughts become action, success is attainable." "One small step at a time." "One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better." "If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again." "To live by anothers opinion of you is to make the absurd assumption that only in someone elses mind are you real." "You are what you think. You are what you go for. You are what you do!" "Everyone makes mistakes - the only people who never fail are those who never even try." "Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."