Healthy Mother’s Day recipes (2024)

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Warm quinoa with blackberries

Leek & capsicum frittata

Orange buckwheat pancakes

PREP TIME: 10 mins COOKING TIME: 16 mins Pancakes made with regular high-GI white flour can trigger a sugar rush that will send your energy levels plummeting. Buckwheat has longer-burning complex carbs and fibre. The double-whammy of orange zest and juice jacks up the flavour, so you won’t miss maple syrup. Citrus also lets you reap the benefits of hesperidin, which has anti-inflammatory properties – great when you’re facing a morning workout with sore muscles. Serves 4 (8 pancakes)> ¹/³ cup buckwheat flour ¾ cup boiling water ½ cup orange juice 1 egg 2 tbs sugar zest of 1 medium orange ½ cup plain flour 1½ tsp baking powder 1 tbs canola oil ¼ tsp vanilla essence 1 Whisk buckwheat flour and water. 2 Whisk in juice, then blend in egg, sugar and zest. 3 In a small bowl, combine plain flour, baking powder and baking soda. 4 Add dry ingredients to buckwheat mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in oil and vanilla. 5 Lightly spray non-stick frypan with cooking oil, Heat over medium heat. When frypan is hot enough that water droplets jump before evaporating, ladle in batter (3 tablespoons per pancake). Cook for about 2 minutes or until edges are dry and tops are covered with bubbles. 6 Flip pancakes and cook for about 1½ minutes more or until golden brown on second side. Repeat with remaining batter. Per serve: 1024 kilojoules, 7g fat (1g saturated), 859mg sodium, 39g carbohydrates, 2g fibre, 5g protein

Banana bruschetta

Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Serves 2 Ingredients 2 pieces sourdough or fruit bread 2 tbsp fresh ricotta 2 bananas, sliced Handful strawberries, halved 2 tsp brown sugar Icing sugar, to dust 1 Lightly grill slices of sourdough or fruit bread and spread with the ricotta. 2 Pile sliced bananas on top, add strawberries and scatter with the brown sugar. 3 Heat under a medium grill until glazed and golden. Dust with the icing sugar and eat piping hot. Yum! Per serve: 523 kilojoules, 1.8g fat (0.9g saturated), 57.5mg sodium, 23.4g carbohydrates, 2.1g fibre, 3.1g protein

Grilled Prawns with Mango-Lime Salsa

Prep: 15 minutes / Cook: 6 minutes Ingredients 2 cups diced mango (about 2 mangoes) ¼ cup diced red onion 1 jalapeno chilli, finely diced 1 lime, juiced 450g frozen large prawns, thawed ¼ cup olive oil ½ tsp minced garlic 2 tsp ground cumin Method1. Spray grill pan or barbecue with cooking oil spray and heat. 2. In a small bowl, mix olive oil and garlic. Set aside. 3. For salsa: in a medium bowl combine mango, onion, chilli, lime juice, cumin and salt to taste. Set aside. 4. Place prawns on hot grill and brush with garlic-oil mixture. Cook on each side until they turn pink (about 2 to 3 minutes per side). 5. Place grilled prawns on a platter and top with salsa. Serves 4 Per serve: 1457kJ, 17g fat (2.4g sat), 19g carbs, 193mg sodium, 2g fibre, 31g protein

Lemongrass ginger white fish

SERVES: 4 PREP: 15 MIN COOK: 5 MIN YOU’LL NEED 1 tbs chopped lemongrass 1 tsp minced fresh ginger 2 cloves minced fresh garlic 2 tbs fresh lemon juice ½ jalapeno pepper 450-550g white fish fillet (such as flathead) HOW TO In a food processor, puree lemongrass, ginger, garlic, lemon juice and jalapeno. Rub mixture onto fish and marinate for 5 minutes. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan on high. Place fillet in pan and sear for 2 minutes. Flip fish and reduce heat to medium. Cook for two more minutes. Divide onto four plates and serve hot. Per serve: 661kJ, 2g carbs, 22g protein, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), less than 1g fibre, 58mg sodium Make it a meal Add 1 cup spinach steamed in 1 tbs white wine, 1 sweet potato (microwaved), and a salad of 3 cups salad leaves, chopped tomato and cucumber dressed with 1 tbs balsamic vinegar (1464kJ).

Healthy Italian pasta salad

• 4 cups wholemeal penne pasta • ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved • 1 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped • 1 bunch fresh basil, torn • 4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil • Pinch of sea salt • Pinch of cracked black pepper Method 1. Boil a large pot of water, adding a drizzle of olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking. Add pasta to boiling water, stirring once, and cook or 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Strain the pasta. 2. To toast the pine nuts, heat a large flat pan over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts and stir frequently to avoid burning. Toast for about 2 minutes or until the nuts turn light brown and smell buttery. Remove from the pan immediately. 3. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the remaining ingredients. The warm pasta will slightly melt the cheese. Serves 4 Per serve: 1620kJ, 15g fat (5g sat), 46g carbs (4g sugars), 1g fibre, 18g protein, 254mg sodium

20-minute meals: Panzanella with Tomatoes, White Beans, Basil & Prosciutto

Serves 4 4 thick slices crusty, multigrain bread, cut into 3cm pieces (about 4 cups) 1 can (400g) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves 450g cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbs balsamic vinegar Salt to taste 4 slices prosciutto 1 Preheat oven to 220°C. 2 Spray a baking tray with oil. Place bread cubes on tray and lightly spray with oil. Bake in oven for 4 minutes or until lightly toasted, shaking once or twice to heat evenly. 3 In a large bowl, toss beans, basil, tomatoes, oil, vinegar and salt until combined. Set aside. 4 Cut prosciutto into small pieces. Cook in non-stick frypan over medium heat until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. 5 Add toasted bread to tomato mixture and toss. Divide among bowls. Garnish with prosciutto. Per serve: 1230kJ, 9g fat (1g saturated), 510mg sodium, 42g carbs, 11g protein

Spice-rubbed salmon

Ingredients• 2 tsp chilli powder •1 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp brown sugar • Pinch of sea salt • Pinch of cracked black peppe r• 4 salmon fillets (about 100g each) • 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil • Juice of ½ an orange Method 1. In a small bowl, mix the chilli powder, cumin, sugar, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture onto each salmon fillet by hand.> Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add two fillets at a time to the pan, skin side down. 2. Turn the fillets and squeeze orange juice over them. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the fillets are flaky and can be separated with a fork. 3.Repeat the process with the second set of fillets. Serve immediately. Serves 4 Per serve: 1230kJ, 18g fat (3g sat), 3g carbs (2g sugars), 0.9g fibre, 29g protein, 78mg sodium

Pineapple & coconut souffle

Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients3 large eggs, separated 100g sugar 200g pureed fresh pineapple or canned crushed pineapple 3 tbsp desiccated coconut 1 tbsp icing sugar 1 Heat the oven to 190°C. Scatter the coconut on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 1 minute until golden. 2 Butter four 250ml souffle dishes. 3 Beat the egg yolks and half the sugar together in a bowl until pale. Stir in the pineapple, then 2 tbsp of the coconut. 4 Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl to firm peaks. 5 Add the remaining sugar to the egg whites and beat until thick and glossy. Fold into the pineapple mixture with a light hand. 6 Fill the souffle dishes to the brim and smooth the tops. Bake for 10 minutes until risen and lightly golden. 7 Dust with icing sugar and the remaining toasted coconut. Serve immediately. Per serve: 1074 kilojoules, 11.3g fat (6.5g saturated), 98.9mg sodium, 33.3g carbohydrates, 1.4g fibre, 6.2g protein

Cranberry-almond turtles

What you'll need70g 85 per cent cocoa dark chocolate ¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup sliced almonds Break chocolate into rough chunks and microwave in a glass bowl for 60 to 75 seconds or until melted. Stir in cranberries and nuts, then drop 5 rounded tablespoons onto baking paper. Cool in fridge for 2 to 4 minutes or until firm. Makes 5 turtles Per turtle: 505kJ, 8.5g fat (4g sat), 9g carbs,

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