Healthy meals ready in 30 minutes

Get dinner on the table in less than half an hour with dishes that are low-fat or Gi-rated

Reproduced from the January 07 issue of Olive magazine. August 07 issue on sale now. Subscribe now and save 40%.

Recipes: Lulu Grimes
Photographs: Jean Cazals

Chickpea and tomato tagine Warm beef salad with sweet and sour cucumber Pea and feta tortilla Chicken with garlic and lemon Harissa chicken with herbed couscous Quick Thai red fish curry Lamb burger pittas Smoked salmon, watercress and horseradish pasta Huevos rancheros Steamed trout with ginger and garlic

Chickpea and tomato tagine

low fat low gi 30 minutes
*Easy*

Olive oil
Ground cumin 1/2 tsp
Paprika 1/2 tsp
Ground ginger 1/2 tsp
Spanish onion 1, roughly chopped
Red pepper 1, cut into cubes
Pumpkin 250g, cut into cubes
Saffron a pinch, optional
Tomatoes 5, roughly chopped or
Chopped tomatoes 400g tin
Chickpeas 400g tin, rinsed and drained

Brilliant wine match
Tesco Finest Beyers Truter Pinotage (£7.99) is expertly made and is rich enough to balance the spices in the tagine.

Heat a little oil in a large saucepan or casserole and add the cumin, paprika and ginger and stir. Add the vegetables and fry for 5 minutes, keeping them moving so they brown evenly. Add 250ml water, the saffron (if using), tomatoes and some seasoning, then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the chickpeas and cook uncovered for a further 10 minutes until the veg is tender. Serves 2

Kcals 294, protein 13.2g, carbohydrate 42.2g, fat 9.2g, saturated fat 0.7g

Gi assessment Eat chickpeas and you get a nice low-blood glucose curve. Mixed with the peppers, pumpkin and tomatoes, it helps you avoid sugar peaks and troughs.

Warm beef salad with sweet and sour cucumber

30 minutes
*Easy*

Sirloin steak 1 large or 2 small, about 250g in total, trimmed of all fat
Oil
Rice vinegar or cider vinegar 2 tbsp
Golden caster sugar 2 tsp
Chilli flakes a pinch
Coriander a bunch, chopped
Cucumber 1/2, cut into strips with a potato peeler
Cherry tomatoes a handful, halved
Steamed basmati rice to serve

Brilliant wine match
Jacob's Creek Shiraz Rose 2005 (£5.99, widely available) has character to counter the chilli.

Rub the steak with a little oil. Heat a non-stick pan and cook for 2 minutes each side for rare, 3 for medium. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the chilli flakes and coriander and pour over the cucumber and tomatoes. When the steak has rested, slice and serve on top of the cucumber with basmati rice. Serves 2

Kcals 242, protein 30.6g, carbohydrate 8g, fat 10g, saturated fat 2.9g