Michelle Bridges' No Excuses dinners

Biggest Loser trainer and Sunday Life columnist Michelle Bridges shares a couple of her favourite recipes from her new tome, No Excuses Cook Book. The recipes are fresh, healthy and easy enough for any kitchen novice to master.

Thai fish burgers.

Thai fish burgers in lettuce cups

These burgers look  amazing and  taste just  as  good. You won’t miss the  bun

400  g white fish  fillet,  skin off, deboned and  cut into  chunks

1½  tablespoons Thai  red curry  paste

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander

Cooking oil spray

6 small iceberg lettuce leaves, trimmed into  cups

½ Lebanese cucumber, shredded

2 tablespoons coriander sprigs lime wedges, to serve

1.  Using the pulse button on your food processor, process the fish very gently until just broken up. Transfer to a large bowl, add the beans, curry paste, spring onion, chopped coriander and pepper, and stir until well combined.

2.  Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat on medium. Drop quarter-cups of the fish mixture into the pan to form burger patties, pressing each down lightly with the back of a spatula. Cook for 3–4 minutes each side until golden and cooked through.

3.  Place the patties into the lettuce cups and top with the cucumber and coriander sprigs. Serve with lime wedges.

Serves  2| prep 25 minutes | cook  20 minutes|cal per serve 268

Tips:

• Don’t  over-process the  fish  or the  texture will  be tough.

•  You can  make smaller or large  burger patties depending on your  preference. Wetting your  hands with cold  water will help prevent the  fish  mixture sticking to them.

Quick,  healthy and very more-ish – watch your  portion sizes!

2 teaspoons peanut oil

1 bunch broccolini, cut into  4 cm  chunks

1 red onion, cut into  wedges

125  g baby  sweet corn,  halved lengthwise on the  diagonal

175  g rump steak, fat trimmed, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 cm  piece ginger, peeled and  shredded

1½  tablespoons oyster sauce

1.  Heat half the oil in a wok on high and stir-fry the broccolini, onion and corn for 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove from the wok.

2.  Heat the remaining oil in the wok, add the beef and stir-fry until just browned. Remove from the wok.

3.  Stir-fry the mushrooms, garlic and ginger for 3–4 minutes or until they’re browned and the moisture has evaporated. Return the vegetables and beef to the wok, add the oyster sauce and stir-fry until well coated.

Serve 2  |  prep  15 minutes | cook  10 minutes | cal per serve 343

Tips:

• You can  halve or quarter the mushrooms, depending on the  size.

•  It’s important to just  sear the  beef, or it will  overcook and  be tough.