Hearty meals

To purchase a copy of Deliciously Healthy ($24.95 plus P&H) or for more healthy eating tips, contact the Heart Foundation's national information service Heartline on 1300 36 27 87 or visit Heartsite at www.heartfoundation.com.au

Rhubarb and Apple Pie with Vanilla Custard

“Our Deliciously Healthy cookbook has some great mouthwatering recipes that will warm the cockles of your heart while helping to keep it healthy.”

• 1kg Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and cut into think slices
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 1kg rhubarb, cut into 5cm lengths
• 1 sheet canola puff pastry, defrosted
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Vanilla bean custard
• 1 tablespoon custard powder
• 500ml low or reduced fat milk
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise

1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. Put the apples, cinnamon stick and half the caster sugar in a pot. Add 60ml water, cover and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the apples are soft. Remove the cinnamon stick.
3. Put the rhubarb in a clean pot, add the remaining sugar and 60ml water and cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft. Do not overcook or it will lose its colour and collapse.
4. Combine the rhubarb and apple and pile into a 23cm pie dish. Brush the edges of the pie dish with a little water.
5. Cover the pie with the puff pastry, trim off any excess and press the edges to seal the pie. Cut a few steam holes in the top, brush the pastry with water and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake on a heated tray for 20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden.
6. To make the custard blend the custard powder with a little of the milk to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a pot, add the remaining milk, sugar and vanilla bean and cook, stirring occasionally, over a medium heat until the custard boils and thickens. Remove the vanilla bean before serving.

Sweet Potato, Pasta and Leek Soup

Cold weather can certainly challenge our commitment to healthy eating. For many people, fresh salads may not be as enticing during the colder winter months. But you can enjoy heartwarming winter meals that are friendly to both your heart and tastebuds, according to the National Heart Foundation of Australia.

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 100g ditalini (tiny pasta pieces for soup)
• 2 leeks, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives pinch saffron
• 1kg orange sweet potato, peeled and Lavash crisps chopped
• 2 sheets lavash bread
• 1 litre reduced salt chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 bouquet garni (flavouring herbs)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot, add the leeks and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the leeks are soft and golden. Add the saffron and sweet potato and stir for about 5 minutes or until the sweet potato begins to soften.
2. Stir in the stock, cinnamon stick and bouquet garni. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the sweet potato is very soft. Remove the cinnamon stick and bouquet garni.
3. Cook the pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling water until al dente (cooked, but still with a bite to it). Drain well.
4. Puree the soup in batches until smooth then return to the pot along with the pasta and reheat gently. If it is too thick add a little water.
5. To make lavash crisps use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the bread, brush lightly with oil, sprinkle with parmesan and place another star on top. Grill until crisp and golden.
6. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, float lavash stars on top and sprinkle with chives.

Dinner – Light Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice

• 400ml reduced fat coconut milk
• 250ml reduced salt chicken stock
• 2-3 tablespoons green curry paste
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• 300g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
• 4 (about 500g) skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into small cubes
• 230g can bamboo shoots, drained
• 300g snake beans, chopped
• 300g broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar, grated
• 2 tablespoons Thai basil leaves, torn
• 11/2 cup jasmine rice
• 2 stalks lemon grass, halved

1. Put the coconut milk, stock, green curry paste and kaffir lime leaves in a large pot and bring to the boil. Cook over a high heat until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Add the pumpkin and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add the chicken and bamboo shoots, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add the snake beans, broccoli, fish sauce and palm sugar and cook uncovered until vegetables soft.
3. Remove from the heat and stir through half the basil leaves.
4. To make the jasmine rice put the rice, lemon grass and 4 cups of water in a pot, bring to the boil and cook over a high heat until steam holes appear in the top of the rice. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
5. Transfer rice to bowls, spoon over curry and scatter with remaining basil leaves.