Roast Pumpkin and Eggplant Bake

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This is one of my favourite meal-prep dishes ever, and I have been known to exist off it when I’m on a week of night shift. This is vegetarian soul-food at it’s finest – packed full of veggies and unbelievably tasty, plus easily adaptable to suit the vegans, dairy-free and coeliacs among us!

Ingredients (serves 4) 

  • 250g kent pumpkin
  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1 tin of diced tomatoes
  • 4 fresh basil leaves or 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 clove of garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 cup salt-reduced stock (use either veggie or chicken  – use a gluten free stock to make this coeliac friendly!)
  • 1 yellow capsicum
  • 2 large carrots
  • 150g bag of baby spinach leaves (can also substitute for green kale)
  • shredded mozzarella for sprinkling on top (portion dependent on how cheesy you like it, can be substituted for dairy-free cheese instead) 

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Slice the pumpkin into 1cm thick slices and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake until just soft (about 20 minutes – continue the rest of the recipe in the meantime!).
  2. Prepare the sauce: Place the tomatoes, stock, garlic and herbs into a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. If you like your sauce thicker, you can also add 1 tbsp tomato paste or substitute the tinned tomatoes for passata instead. 
  3. Prepare the rest of the veggies: Slice the eggplant width ways into discs. Dice or slice the capsicum into small strips. Also slice the carrots length ways into small discs.
  4. In an oven-proof baking dish, start by laying down a layer of eggplant slices. Top with the spinach leaves, then a layer of pumpkin, followed by the capsicum and carrots, then half the sauce and a small sprinkle of cheese. Repeat the process with another layer of eggplant, then spinach, pumpkin, capsicum and carrot, with the rest of the sauce spooned over the top and sprinkled with cheese to your liking.
  5. Bake until the eggplant is soft and the cheese on top is golden brown (about 20-30 minutes). Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Note that even when it has been cooked, the eggplant skin can be a little tough to slice, so go slowly with a big knife! Also feel free to experiment with different types of cheese – I have used combinations of Jarlsberg, Edam, feta, mozzarella, ricotta, goats cheese and provolone with great success! 

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
  • 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!

Choc Peanut Banana Swiss Roll

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I make no apologies, this is a completely indulgent, over the top version of a recipe I found in a Gourmet Traveler magazine. There is nothing remotely healthy about it, aside from the fact it does wonders for the soul!

Swiss roll cake

  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 80g cocoa powder
  • 2tbsp plain flour
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 50g dark chocolate
  • 50ml cream

Creme patissiere

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling

  • 1 large overripe banana, mashed
  • 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup cacao nibs

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180*C.
  2. Beat 4 egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy, then stir in flour and cocoa.
  3. Melt the chocolate, mix with the cream and almond milk, then fold into the egg yolk mixture.
  4. Whisk 4 egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly fold into chocolate egg yolk mixture.
  5. Spread onto baking tray and smooth the edges, and bake for 12 minutes. Once baked through, wrap the cake around a rolling pin and place in the freezer to cool for 15 minutes.
  6. To make the creme patissiere, mix the 4 egg yolks with cornflour, sugar and vanilla until combined. Heat the milk until just bubbling in a saucepan over medium heat, then add to the egg yolk mixture and whisk quickly. Return the entire mixture to the stove and continue to whisk quickly until mixture thickens, then immediately remove from heat and place in the fridge to cool.
  7. Unroll the cake. Spread with PB and banana, topped with cacao nibs and creme patissiere, then roll back into a log shape. Top with extra cocoa powder before serving.

Fig and Feta Salad

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It’s hard not to love the epic combination of roast pumpkin, fresh figs and creamy feta cheese!

Ingredients (serves 2) 

  • 4 cups spinach
  • 4 figs
  • 100g feta cheese
  • 1/4 small pumpkin
  • 1/2 small cauliflower
  • 1 small head broccoli, stem removed
  • vinaigrette of your choice

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180*C. Slice the pumpkin and cauliflower into small pieces and spray with olive oil. Place on a lined baking tray and bake until soft and slightly golden.
  2. Leave the broccoli raw and break the florets into small pieces. Cut the figs into small pieces.
  3. To assemble the salad, place the spinach on the bottom and top with the pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli and figs. Crumble the feta over the top, then drizzle over the vinaigrette.

Pavlamingtons

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The Pavlamington is the glorious love child between a rich sweet lamington and a particularly frisky meringue. This recipe is a variation of my favourite pavlova recipe by Donna Hay, made all the more exciting with the addition of chocolate, coconut and strawberry jam.

Ingredients 

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 tsp raspberry vinegar (or white vinegar)
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 1 cup dessicated coconut
  • 1/2 cup strawberry jam
  • 1/2 cup thickened cream

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 120*C and line a couple of trays with baking paper.
  2. With an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until peaks form, then add the sugar one teaspoon at a time until dissolved. Once glossy, add the vinegar and beat for another 2 minutes.
  3. Place the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a reasonably broad nozzle (or you can cut the corner off a plastic zip lock bag). Pipe the meringue into 50c piece sized discs onto the baking trays, and bake until firm (about 40-50 minutes). Set aside to cool.
  4. In a saucepan over medium heat, gently heat the chocolate and cream until melted and mixed through. Set aside to cool slightly.
  5. To assemble the Pavlamingtons, sandwich two of the meringue discs together with strawberry jam before dunking the side of the sandwich into the chocolate ganache. Roll the chocolate coated side in coconut and place in the fridge to set for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: if you find your meringues start to melt when you dip them in chocolate, place the meringues in the freezer for 5 minutes before dipping. Also place the ganache in a shallow dish to ensure it cools evenly (as in a deep bowl it may still be warm on the bottom).

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake

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I’ll admit this isn’t the healthiest cheesecake ever BUT it certainly has less refined sugar and fat than it would have otherwise!

Ingredients 

  • 200g gluten free arrowroot biscuits
  • 50g unsalted butter, melted
  • 200g block of extra light cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra light ricotta
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp pumpkin spice (or alternatively, mix 1/2 tbsp cinnamon with 1/4 tbsp each of ground ginger, allspice, ground cloves and nutmeg)
  • 200g pumpkin (I used butternut, go with whatever is in season)
  • 1 tbsp gluten free plain flour

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180*C and line a 24cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. In the food processor, blend the biscuits until crumbs form. Add the butter and stir until combined, then press into the bottom and sides of the cake tin and bake for 10 minutes or until firm.
  3. Finely slice the pumpkin and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft. Blend into a puree.
  4. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, ricotta and maple syrup until smooth (you can add more maple syrup here to taste). Add the pumpkin, pumpkin spice, eggs and flour, and stir until well combined.
  5. Pour the filling into the biscuit lined cake tin and bake until firm (approximately 40 minutes). Set aside in the fridge for 2 hours to chill before serving.