Month: March 2018

Vegan Pumpkin, Carrot, Coconut and Za’atar Soup

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Another soup to warm the hands, heart and soul when our weather finally cools down! Pumpkin soup is one of my absolute favourites, and after a recent admission to hospital, this was all I felt like eating to restore my body back to normal working order!

Ingredients (serves 4) 

  • 500g Kent pumpkin
  • 4 large carrots
  • 1 litre stock (vegetarian if you’re vegan, chicken if you’re not)
  • 400mL can light coconut cream
  • 4 tablespoons Za’atar (a sesame based Arabic spice mix, try your local deli or if you live in Sydney or Melbourne, you can’t beat the version made by Gewurthaus)
  • Dollop of yogurt to serve (plain coconut if you’re vegan, plain Greek if you’re not)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Peel and roughly chop the pumpkin into small cubes. Leave the carrots with the peel on but chop into similar sized pieces. Place onto a lined baking tray or two, spray with olive oil, and roast until golden brown and soft (approximately 30-40 minutes).
  2. Place the stock, coconut cream, pumpkin, carrot and 3 tablespoons of za’atar in the blender and blend until smooth. Top with the extra za’atar and your choice of yogurt to serve

5 Ingredient Pesto Fruffins

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These mini pesto fruffins are a cross between a frittata and a muffin, and make for a quick and easy lunch box snack (or in my case, hidden in my scrub pockets at work…)

Ingredients (makes 12 big or 24 mini)

  • 4 large free range eggs
  • 1/2 cup self raising flour
  • 1/2 cup low fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 heaped tablespoons pesto
  • 100g block of your choice of cheese (feta, Edam, cheddar or Gouda work well here!)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200*C. Line a muffin tin with cases or grease with oil.
  2. Mix the eggs, pesto, flour and yogurt until well combined. Pour mixture into muffin tins.
  3. Dice the cheese into 12 or 24 pieces depending on your muffin tray size, and press one piece into each blob of muffin mixture.
  4. Bake until risen and golden on top (15-20 minutes). Eat warm!

Vegan Mushroom and Cauliflower Soup

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Soup-er easy, nourishing, heart-warming and vegan – it’s just like a big hug in a bowl!

Ingredients (serves 4) 

  • 250g mushroom cups
  • 1 small whole cauliflower
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 litre stock of your choice (vegetable if you’re vegan, chicken if you’re not)
  • 150g shimeji or enoki mushrooms
  • brown rice to serve

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Chop the cauliflower and the mushroom cups into small pieces of roughly equal sizes. Leave the shimeji mushrooms whole. Spray the vegetables with olive oil, and roast on a lined baking tray until the mushrooms are squishy and the cauliflower is browning / crispy around the edges (approximately 15-20 minutes).
  2. Cook the brown rice as per directions on the packet.
  3. Place the roasted mushroom cup pieces, cauliflower, garlic and stock in the blender, and blend until smooth. Top with the brown rice and shimeji mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Clementine, Cointreau and Dark Chocolate Tart

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Definitely soul food rather than body food, but who can resist the rather delicious combination of citrus and dark chocolate?

Ingredients 

  • 100g Choc Ripple biscuits
  • 25g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup clementine marmalade (you can use orange instead)
  • 15ml Cointreau
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C and line a spring form cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Process the biscuits in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add the butter and process to combine, then spread across the bottom and sides of the cake tin and bake for 10 minutes until firm. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In a bowl, mix the marmalade, Cointrea and almond meal together.
  4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips along the biscuit base before topping with the marmalade mixture. Bake until the edges have caramelised and the filling slightly firm, then chill for 4 hours before serving.

Rainbow Frittata

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This colourful slice makes for a great breakfast on the go, a lazy dinner or just a delicious protein-laden snack!

Ingredients (serves 6)

  • 1 cup shredded coleslaw mix (or alternatively, 1/2 cup grated carrot and 1/2 cup purple cabbage)
  • 4 large Swiss chard / Silverbeet leaves
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp pesto
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • Grated cheese of your liking

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C and line a slice tray with baking paper.
  2. Finely slice the Swiss chard, and place on top of the baking paper with the coleslaw mix.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, yogurt and pesto together.
  4. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the slice pan. Top with cherry tomatoes and your choice of cheese.
  5. Bake until firm and the cheese has melted (~ 15-20 minutes).
  6. Slice into 6 and enjoy!

Pesto Zoodles

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What do you call fake spaghetti? An im-pasta.

Jokes aside, this easy mid-week meal with oodles and oodles of zucchini noodles is a delicious alternative for those who are wanting to be carb conscious or just increase their daily intake of vegetables. For an added protein hit, add roasted chicken, otherwise this dish is vegan, as well as dairy and gluten free!

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 4 medium zucchini (or you can buy pre-zoodled packs in major supermarkets)
  • 2 tablespoons of good quality basil pesto
  • 200g butternut pumpkin
  • 4 small chicken breasts (optional) 
  • 1 tablespoon of dukkha (I used the pistachio dukkha by Table of Plenty here)

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Chop the pumpkin into chunks and lightly spray / coat with olive oil. Roast on a lined baking tray until soft and golden (about 25 minutes). If using the chicken, place the breasts onto a lined baking tray, season with salt and pepper, and roast until just coked through (about 15-20 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Using a spiraliser, turn the four zucchini into noodles and toss in the pesto.
  3. Serve the zoodles with the pumpkin, chicken and dukka on top. Easy!

Meal Prep for Professionals # 2

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As a busy shift worker, I am a fan of making and freezing meals in bulk, particularly when I know I have a hectic week or two of work ahead. Following on from my original Meal Prep for Professionals post, here is another collection of make-ahead ideas!

Healthy Fish and Chips – Salmon with Sweet Potato and Pretty Tahini Slaw 

Ingredients (makes 4 servings) 

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 300g dry coleslaw salad mix
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 200g spinach
  • 4 x salmon fillets, skin off

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180*C. Roughly chop the sweet potato into wedges, spray with olive oil and bake until just soft (15 minutes). Add the salmon onto the same tray and return to the oven until the salmon is baked through (12 minutes).
  2. Place the coleslaw mix, tahini, salt and mustard in the food processor and blend until finely chopped and mixed through.
  3. Serve the slaw with the spinach, salmon and sweet potato.

Broccoli, beetroot and balsamic salad 

Ingredients (serves 4) 

  • 1 large head broccoli
  • 200g fat-reduced feta cheese
  • 200g tin beetroot slices, drained and rinsed thoroughly (or alternatively, roast and slice 2 large beetroots yourself)
  • 200g can chickpeas, drained
  • 2 tbsp flaked almonds
  • 200g spinach
  • balsamic vinegar (I used Pukka Estate fig balsamic for this recipe)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Chop the broccoli into florets and bake until soft and slightly charred around the edges.
  2. To assemble the salad, place the spinach on the bottom, followed by the beetroot, broccoli, chickpeas and feta. Drizzle with balsamic and add the almonds just prior to serving to ensure they stay crunchy!

Chicken with Teriyaki Quinoa and Greens 

Ingredients (serves 4) 

  • 1 bunch pak choi
  • 1 bunch bok choi
  • 4 large kale leaves
  • 1 glove garlic, finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup tricolour quinoa
  • 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
  • 4 chicken breasts (skin off)
  • Nori seaweed to serve

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180*C. Place the chicken breasts on a tray, season with salt / pepper to your liking, and roast until cooked through (~ 15 minutes). Set aside.
  2. Roughly chop the vegetables and sautee in a fry pan over medium heat with a small amount of olive oil and garlic until just wilted. Set aside.
  3. Place the quinoa and 1 cup of water in a microwave proof dish and cook for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is soft.
  4. To serve, place the vegetables on the bottom, top with the quinoa, drizzle with teriyaki sauce, then add the chicken (sliced) and top with crushed nori seaweed or bonito flakes.

Spiced Potato and Pumpkin Salad 

Ingredients (serves 4) 

  • 1 large potato, skin on
  • 1/4 large pumpkin
  • 300g can corn kernels, drained
  • 1 bunch kale, roughly torn apart with stems removed
  • 200g feta or goat cheese
  • Moroccan style seasoning (I used Sahara by Mingle Seasoning)
  • Dukkha to serve (choose something earthy and ideally sesame / tomato based here)

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Slice the potato and pumpkin into small chunks, coat in a spray of olive oil and seasoning, and bake until soft and golden (~ 20 minutes).
  2. To assemble the salad, place the kale on the bottom, then layer the corn, pumpkin and potato on top. Add the cheese and sprinkle with the dukkha.