Cake
2 egg whites
? cup sugar
½ cup apple sauce (in jar)
? cup raisins
1 cup carrot grated
¼ cup walnuts chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons orange rind grated
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup warm water
1½ cups self-rising flour
cooking spray

Frosting
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon light margarine (Promise®)
1-2 teaspoons fresh orange juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180 C) fan forced.

To make cake Beat egg whites and sugar together in medium size mixing bowl for 1 minute using an electric mixer. Stir in apple sauce, raisins, carrots, walnuts, ginger and rind to egg mix. Dissolve baking soda in warm water, add to mix. Gently fold flour into mixture in one go. DO NOT BEAT as this will make the cake tough. Once flour is combined (mixture can look a little lumpy) pour into an 8″ round cake or loaf pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake 35-40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in center. Let cake stand for 5 minutes before turning onto cake rack.

To make frosting Mix confectioner’s sugar and margarine in a small mixing bowl, slowly add enough juice to make a spreadable consistency. Spread over top of cake. Sprinkle extra grated orange rind or a little cinnamon over frosting for decoration (optional).

Dietitian’s tip
Occasionally have this nutrient dense cake but avoid the icing if you are overweight, have diabetes or heart disease.

Suitable to be frozen preferably without the frosting.

Annette Sym will be launching her cookbook Symply Too Good To Be True on the 1st of March. For more info go to www.symplytoogood.com

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Dressing
1 egg
½ cup 80% less fat mayonnaise (Best Foods®)
4 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons water

Croutons
3 slices whole wheat bread
cooking spray

Salad
¾ cup Canadian style bacon 95% fat free
1 large green leaf lettuce
1 x 8oz punnet cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

To make 1 cup of Dressing Boil egg for 5 minutes, cool slightly then shell. Place all ingredients except egg into food processor or blender, blend for 30 seconds. Add egg, blend for 10-15 seconds.

To make Croutons Heat oven to 400°F (200°C) fan forced. Toast bread, then cut into small cubes, place bread on baking tray. Lightly coat with cooking spray then bake for 10-15 minutes, or until brown and hard.

To make Salad Cut bacon into small cubes then coat a non-stick frypan with cooking spray, fry bacon until cooked. Drain on paper towel. Wash lettuce leaves, break into chunks and place in a large salad bowl. Scatter tomatoes and bacon over lettuce. Add ½ cup dressing (refrigerate remaining dressing for another time). Toss ingredients together. Sprinkle croutons and cheese on top.

Variation
Chicken Caesar Salad – Replace bacon with 8oz raw skinless chicken breast, pan fried with cooking spray then sliced.

Dietitian’s tip
At last a Caesar salad that is low in calories and saturated fat, making this a great choice for people with diabetes who want to lose weight.

Not suitable to be frozen

Annette Sym will be launching her cookbook Symply Too Good To Be True on the 1st of March. For more info go to www.symplytoogood.com

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Ingredients:

cooking spray
1 teaspoon crushed ginger (in jar)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (in jar)
1lb lean beef steak cut into strips
1 cup red bell peppers sliced
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 cup snow peas
1 cup mushrooms sliced
1 cup bok choy coarsely sliced
½ cup green onions sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 dessertspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon granulated beef bouillon (low sodium)
¾ cup water

Directions:

1. Sauté ginger and garlic for 1 minute in non-stick frypan that has been coated with cooking spray. Add beef strips and sauté until cooked. Drain and set aside.

2. In same frypan spray again, stir fry bell peppers and broccoli for 3 minutes then add in remaining vegetables, toss until tender crisp. Stir in wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sugar into pan.

3. Combine cornstarch, bouillon and water together then add to pan, bring to boil mixing well.

4. Add cooked steak back to pan and combine with ingredients.

5.Once meat is heated through serve with basmati rice or noodles.

Variations
Replace beef with skinless chicken breast.
Replace hoisin and soy sauce with ¾ cup plum sauce.
Replace hoisin sauce with oyster sauce.
For a vegetarian stir fry omit meat and replace with vegetable bouillon and add 1 cup celery sliced, 1 cup carrots sliced and 1 cup bean shoots, or replace steak with 14oz firm tofu cut into strips.

Dietitian’s tip
It is recommended that lean red meat be eaten three times a week providing iron for oxygen transport throughout the body.

Suitable to be frozen.

Annette Sym will be launching her cookbook Symply Too Good To Be True on the 1st of March. For more info go to www.symplytoogood.com

Sign up for Kelly McCausey's Blog Internship!

Here are some cooking tips:

1. Put the dripping and butter away and instead use cooking sprays where possible, spray instead of soak or use the baking papers, which are very good. Give the deep fryer away and instead grill, bbq or bake.

A good example of how you can make crumbed fish or chicken is to beat an egg white with a little no fat milk, dip in egg mix then roll in bread crumbs until coated well. Heat a good quality non-stick frypan and coat generously with cooking spray. Spray over the top of the fish or chicken and place this side down to cook first. When ready to turn spray top of crumbs and then turn to cook. Don’t have the gas or element too high so to avoid burning.

2. Many dishes taste good because they are loaded with lots of fatty ingredients. To make a dish come alive I love to use fresh herbs and spices to enhance the flavour, such as basil, cilantro, mint and parsley really. When using dried herbs you need to use sparingly as they can be quite strong, so start small and work your way up. My favourites are cumin, coriander or cilantro, basil, oregano, turmeric, paprika, tarragon and chilli.

3. Low fat baking can produce heavy cakes so to avoid this happening add baking soda. I also use 1/2 cup of apple sauce (in jar) instead of oil or butter in a cake or batch of muffins. Add the bicarb soda to the apple sauce (it will froth). Apple sauce gives the moisture butter or oil would normally give, but has no fat so this is a great way to cut down the fats when baking.

4. Another way to enhance a dish is to use low sodium bouillon. Be careful you don’t overdo it as and don’t forget a little freshly ground pepper can really add flavour to a dish.

5. I love using low fat 2% evaporated milk to make creamy sauces. Thicken with corn flour and remember it may separate if you over-boil the milk. You can use the canned milk to replace cream for most sauces and also in some desserts.

Annette Sym will be launching her cookbook Symply Too Good To Be True on the 1st March. For more info go to www.symplytoogood.com

Sign up for Kelly McCausey's Blog Internship!