Compiled by Mihiri Wickramanayake, Pix by Sanjaya Vithana
This
month’s menu is all lean cuisine. Especially selected by Chef Kumar of
the Il Ponte, these recipes are for those of us who are figure conscious
and health foods addicts.
It is important to remember that a good diet is not just about eating less but choosing healthier foods with lots of fresh vegetables and fruits.
Chef Kumar warns that these recipes are not cooked in the usual butter and oils but steamed and grilled and therefore the taste must be acquired.
A fresh juice before the meal is a great start to this meal and fresh fruits after as a suitable dessert is perfect.
You could also try a healthy iced drink by liquidizing one banana with a couple of strawberries. Pour into a glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with fresh mint. The banana adds bulk and makes it more satisfying.
Ingredients:
150 g seedless sweet melon
50 g chicken stock, skimmed
a little tabasco to taste
salt and pepper
lemon juice to taste
3 nos. medium prawns
2 celery sticks
2 nos. coriander leaves
Method
Place sweet melon in blender with chicken stock.
Blend until very fine.
Season with tabasco, salt and pepper, and lemon juice.
Poach prawns in vegetable stock for 2-3 minutes and place immediately in
ice.
Peel and devein the prawns.
To serve;
Place the melon skin on a mountain of crushed ice in a well chilled
soup bowl.
Add the prawns.
Garnish with the celery and coriander and a touch of chillie flakes
This recipe is given for one portion.
Ingredients:
1
chicken supreme, without skin and wing bone on.
2 g fresh thyme
80 g iceberg
30 g red lettuce
20 g diced cucumber
20 g diced tomatoes 10 g fresh mint
15 g red onions
15 g capsicum
15 g green pepper
3 g roasted cummin
10 g oven roasted tomatoes
5 g oven roasted garlic
fresh lime juice
20 g dried pitta bread or brown or kurakkan bread
Method
Season chicken breast with salt and pepper.
Toss the remaining ingredients for salad and add lime juice.
Just before serving mix in the bread.
Arrange on plate.
Place sliced chicken breast on top and serve immediately.
This recipe is also per portion.
Ingredients:
160 g tuna steak, seasoned with baked garlic, lime juice, salt and
pepper and marinade.
80 g tomatoes, onions and capsicums
100 g steamed rice and wild rice
20 g chopped spring onions
For the sauce;
2 g washabi powder or soya bean sauce of fish stock
8 g Japanese soya sauce
3 g grated ginger
25 g chicken stock
3 g chopped parsley
Method
Blend together.
Grill the marinated fish until medium done.
Place the tomatoes, garlic, onion with fresh herbs on a baking tray and
bake until done.
Season the capsicum with salt and pepper and garlic and grill.
Place the rice on a plate and place fish on top.
Arrange the roasted and grilled vegetables around.
Pour the sauce over the fish.
Finally add the chopped spring onions.
Ingredients:
3 nos. Smoked Chicken Breast
20 gms. Sliced Cucumber
60 gms. Sliced Tomatoes
20 gms. Sundried Tomatoes
20 gms. Sliced Onions
80 gms. Ice Berg Lettuce
10 gms. Red Lettuce
10 gms. Local Lettuce
10 gms. Capsicum
30 gms. Beans Sprout
35 gms. Passion Fruit Vinaigrette (Normal vinaigrette + fresh passion fruit
juice)
02 nos. Sliced melba toast
05 gms. Salt & crushed pepper
Method
Toss ingredients for salad, add the passion fruit vinaigrette and arrange
salad on plate. Place sliced smoked chicken breast and melba toast on top.
Serve straight away.
Ingredients:
* 80 g penne pasta (any other variety of pasta could also be used)
* 3 g paprika powder
* chillie powder
* 3 g fennel seeds
* coriander powder
* 2 g garlic
* black pepper
* salt
* 50 g chicken stock
* these ingredients are for the cajun fond
30 g fresh clams or any kind of seafood.
** 20 g egg plant
** 15 g zuchchini
** 2 slices of avocado
** 1 tomato
** 1 small cauliflower
** 1 piece of smoked bean curd
** 2 nos. basil leaves
** these ingredients to be used for BBQ vegetables.
Method
Boil pasta in salted water.
Simmer the chicken stock with cajun spices and clams.
Toss the pasta in the stock.
Grill vegetables and bean curd together.
Ingredients:
250 g whole pomfret with skin on
5 g ginger
3 g garlic
8 g coriander
2 g red chillies
10 g spring onions
10 g soya sauce
100g steamed rice
piece of pak choy, blanched
Method
Place the cleaned fish on a tray and season with salt, pepper, ginger
and garlic.
Steam for about 8-10 minutes. Remove fish and save the water.
Place the fish carefully on the steamed rice.
Boil the water from the steamed fish with soya sauce.
Pour over the fish and garnish with chopped spring onions, coriander and
red chillies.
Arrange the blanched pak choy arround.
Ingredients:
80 g medium prawns, washed well
50 g honey dew melon or sweet melon
50 g cantaloupe melon
30 g chinese onion
25 g lettuce
For dressing;
40 g sunripened tomatoes
2 g fresh basil
1 g celery salt
pinch of white ground pepper
10 g chopped chives
5 g diced celery
To make dressing;
Peel tomatoes, seed and dice finely.
Chop basil and mix into tomatoes.
Season with pepper, celery and salt.
Blend in the chopped chives.
Method
Cook prawns in light court boullion made of stock, celery, leeks, onion,
and bay leaves.
Place prawns on ice to avoid over cooking.
Then, peel the prawns leaving the tail end on.
Cook chinese onion in the same stock.
Scoop out melon and chill.
Arrange lettuce, prawns and melon in a well chilled cocktail glass.
Pour over with dressing
Ingredients:
130 g beef tender loin
salt and pepper
80 g pumpkin
35 g vegetable stock
white pepper
2 g dried red chillies
30 g capsicum, deseeded.
piece of garlic
2 pieces tofu, sliced (50 g each)
100 g assorted vegetables steamed.
Method
Season the beef tenderloin with salt and pepper and grill to your requirement.
Meanwhile, steam the pumpkin until soft and blend with the vegetable stock
to required consistency.
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