Four easy everyday weight-loss recipes from The CSIRO Low-Carb Diet Easy 100

Low-carb diets are everywhere these days, but with so many options out there, how do you know where to start?

One sure way to separate the wheat from the chaff is by looking for an evidence-based program, such as the CSIRO Low-Carb Diet, which promotes weight loss while reducing risk factors for heart disease and improving metabolic health.

The program is tailored for Australian home cooks, focussing on low-GI foods including quality proteins, high-fibre carbs, "healthy" unsaturated fats and nutrient-dense whole foods.

The latest companion book by CSIRO scientists Professor Grant Brinkworth and Dr Pennie Taylor includes 100 new everyday recipes with a special focus on vegetarian cooking, freezeable options and meals for one or two people.

Here are four to try at home.

Cumin chicken with pumpkin and garlic yoghurt

INGREDIENTS

• 300g peeled butternut pumpkin, chopped into 3cm chunks
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup (40g) walnuts
• 600g chicken tenderloins
• 2 tsp ground coriander

Garlic yoghurt

• 2 cloves garlic, skins left on
• ¾ cup (200g) natural yoghurt

Kale salad

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 bunches broccolini, chopped into 5cm pieces
• 4 cups kale leaves, stalks removed, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• juice of ½ lemon

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
2. Place the pumpkin and garlic cloves (for the garlic yoghurt) on a baking tray. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the cumin and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over and toss the pumpkin and garlic in the oil. Spread the pumpkin and garlic out on the tray and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the pumpkin is golden on the edges and tender. For the last 5 minutes of cooking, place the walnuts on the tray to lightly toast them.
3. To make the kale salad, heat ½ teaspoon of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the broccolini and cook, tossing occasionally, for 3 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Add to a large bowl with the kale.
4. Place the mustard, remaining olive oil and the lemon juice in a small bowl and mix to combine. Add the mixture to the bowl with the greens and toss to coat.
5. Place the chicken in a large bowl with the remaining cumin, the coriander, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Return the frying pan to the heat and add the remaining olive oil. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
6. For the garlic yoghurt, remove the skins from the garlic and place the garlic in a bowl. Mash with a fork, then add the yoghurt to the bowl and stir to combine.
7. Divide the roasted pumpkin, chicken and kale salad between four bowls. Serve with the garlic yoghurt, and the walnuts crumbled over the top.

Serves 4

Seared salmon with corn salad and herby tomatoes

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 × 150g boneless, skinless salmon fillets
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

Herby tomatoes

• 500g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ½ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ cup dill leaves, roughly chopped

Corn salad

• 2½ corn cobs, husks and silks removed, kernels sliced off (200g kernels)
• ¼ cup (35g) walnuts, roughly chopped
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• juice of ½ lime
• 1½ tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise

METHOD

1. To make the herby tomatoes, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Set aside to marinate.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the salmon, sprinkle with the paprika and cook for 4 minutes. Flip, then cook for another 3 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. Transfer the salmon to a plate and loosely cover with foil.
3. To make the corn salad, drain out most of the salmon fat from the frying pan, leaving a few teaspoons. Add the corn kernels, walnuts and paprika and cook, tossing occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the corn is tender and the walnuts are lightly toasted. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Allow to cool for a minute, then add the coriander, spring onion, lime juice, mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and toss to combine.
4. Divide the salmon between four plates and serve with the herby tomatoes and corn salad.

Serves 4

Spiced lamb chops with green beans and herby salad

INGREDIENTS

• 4 x 150g lamb loin chops, visible fat removed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100g green beans, ends trimmed, halved
• 2 zucchini, cut into 1cm thick slices
• 10 green olives, pitted

Herby salad

• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp roasted unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 cup torn flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ cup torn dill
• ½ cup torn mint
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 40g reduced-fat Greek feta

METHOD

1. Place the lamb chops, cumin, half the garlic and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a bowl and toss to combine and coat the lamb.
2. For the herby salad, place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb chops, two at a time, cooking for 3 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. In the residual oil in the same pan, cook the green beans and zucchini, tossing occasionally, for 3 minutes until almost tender. Add the olives and the remaining garlic and continue cooking and tossing for 2 minutes until fragrant.
5. Divide the lamb chops, green beans, zucchini and herby salad between four plates and serve.

Serves 4

Turkish poached eggs with chilli oil

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 1 tomato, diced
• ¼ small red onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 4 × 55g free-range eggs
• ½ cup (130g) natural yoghurt
• 1 tbsp dill leaves
• 1 small wholemeal pita bread, sliced into quarters, warmed in the microwave

INGREDIENTS

1. Heat the olive oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, paprika and chilli flakes and toast for 1 minute until fragrant. Set aside.
2. Place the tomato and red onion in a bowl and toss to combine.
3. To poach the eggs, bring a wide saucepan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the vinegar. Crack an egg into a mug, then slide it into the simmering water. Repeat with the other eggs and poach for 4 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Spread the yoghurt across the bottom of two small shallow bowls, then add the eggs. Top with the tomato and red onion, and drizzle the chilli oil over. Garnish with the dill leaves, then season with ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and serve with the pita bread.

Serves 2

This is an edited extract from CSIRO Low-Carb Diet Easy 100 by Professor Grant Brinkworth and Dr Pennie Taylor, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $39.99. Photography by Jeremy Simons and Rob Palmer. Buy now