Tag: IIFYM

PB and J biscuits

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I saw the divine Reece Hignell and Jess Lemon (from Australia’s Masterchef ‘Back to Win’) share an epic 3 ingredient peanut butter biscuit recipe on Instagram.

So I thought, “let’s make it PB&J – but healthy?”

The original recipe is just 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of peanut butter and 1 egg, mixed together into balls and flattened with a fork, baked at 170*C for 12 minutes.

I changed mine up a little and used:

  • Baked at 170*C for about 15 minutes, then drizzled with Noshu low sugar white chocolate chips and served with a dollop of Natvia low sugar raspberry spread – bliss!

    • Vegan Pumpkin Soup

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    Warms the soul as well as the belly!

    Ingredients (serves 2-3)

    • 200g butternut pumpkin
    • 4 large carrots
    • 125g can coconut cream
    • 4 fresh sage leaves
    • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
    • 1 litre vegetable stock
    • Chives to serve

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 200*C and roast the pumpkin and carrots until soft and golden. Allow to cool slightly.
    2. Place the roasted pumpkin and carrot, sage, rosemary, stock and coconut cream in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, place the mixture in a large bowl or saucepan and blend with a stick blender until smooth.
    3. Serve hot with chives on top.

    Pie Maker Savoury Muffins

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    After a recent baking spree for night shift, I can now truly appreciate why people are going nuts over these pie makers!

    You’d be surprised at what people can create in such a short space of time with one of these (a real bargain considering they’re only $29 from Kmart). For some epic recipe ideas, definitely look up the Australian Kmart pie maker recipe group on Facebook!

    As part of my experimentation, I made an old recipe of mine, a cross between a muffin and a frittata – a fruffin if you will (because mufftata sounds a bit risky).

    I made two different flavours of these by changing the spice, otherwise the base recipe is the same!

     

    Ingredients (makes 12)

    Method

    1. Turn on the pie maker.
    2. Beat the eggs, then add the milk, flour, yogurt and spice mix and stir well to combine.
    3. Place spinach leaves at the base of the pie mould, then pour 1/8th cup of filling mixture on top. Place a small piece of cheese, then add another dollop of filling mixture to cover.
    4. Cook in the pie maker until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). These will cook more evenly the more full the mould is.
    5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge if they don’t all get eaten!

    One Tray Mediterranean Chicken Bake

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    This is one for those ‘cooking when you can’t be bothered cooking’ kind of days!

    Ingredients 

    • 4 chicken breasts
    • 2 medium zucchinis
    • 500g mushrooms
    • 2 red capsicums
    • I head of broccoli
    • Herbs of your choosing – I used my favourite garlic lovers mix from Gewurtzhaus but a clove of garlic and a generous sprinkle of mixed herbs or parsely + oregano will work just fine!

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 180*C. Line a baking dish with paper or grease with olive oil.
    2. Chop the zucchinis, broccoli and capsicum into roughly even sized chunks.
    3. Place the vegetables on the bottom of the dish, then place the chicken on top, covered with a little olive oil and the herbs of your choosing.
    4. Cover with alfoil and bake until cooked through (about 30 minutes). Remove from oven when chicken is just cooked (as the veggies will be cooked underneath). Serve hot or use as meal prep to fill the freezer!

    Granola-Crusted Salmon

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    I know, it sounds ridiculous, but trust me, it works! The trick is to use a granola that’s nut-based and doesn’t contain added refined sugars.

    Ingredients (serves 2) 

    • 2 salmon fillets, skin off
    • 1 small sweet potato
    • 100g baby spinach
    • 1 bunch asparagus (I prefer raw, but it can also be blanched in boiling water for 1 minute just prior to serving)

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Chop the sweet potato into rough chunks and place on a lined baking tray. Bake until soft (20 minutes).
    2. On another lined baking tray, place the salmon and bake for 10 minutes. Crust the granola in a small bowl, and while still hot, place the salmon skin side down into the granola and press firmly to stick. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, and allow to rest before serving.
    3. Serve the salmon with potato, spinach and asparagus.

    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 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.

    The Secret to Sexy Salads

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    There is nothing sexy about soggy lettuce (unless you have a niche fetish for damp foliage, in which case, best of luck to you!). We’ve all had those superb salads that make us revalidate healthy eating as a delicious life decision, as well as those other inferior salads that leave our souls and stomachs empty inside.

    So what is the secret to constructing a truly sexy salad? It’s all to do with balance. Balance the textures, balance the flavours, and rejoice in the tasty nutritious harmony that results!  For the novice home cooks, this may sound easier said than done, but fear not – follow this simply guide and you’ll be well on your way to salad stardom.

    Balance the macros
    First of all, make sure to include a mixture of carbs, protein and fats; this will ensure your salad will actually keep you full. Some suggestions include;

    • – carbs: quinoa, rice, buckwheat, pasta, freekah, potato, pumpkin
    • – protein: beans, lentils, chicken, salmon, tuna, lean cuts of red meat, haloumi, tofu
    • – fats: avocado, olive oil, nuts



    Add the foliage 

    There’s no rule saying you must use lettuce! Try different varieties of fancy lettuce, beetroot leaves, spinach or kale for something mild, rocket for something spicy, or celery leaves for a more aniseed flavour.



    Balance the flavours

    This is the slightly tricky part but it gets easier with practice! Aim for three of the five tastes of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savoury. Some suggestions include;

    • – sweet: mango, orange, peaches, tomatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, a drizzle of honey
    • – sour: apple cider or white wine vinegar
    • – bitter: lemon, lime, grapefruit
    • – salty: salt obviously, seafood
    • – savoury: miso, grains


    Balance the textures

    Now this is how you boredom bust your salads! Think about what you’ve already got and go through a little mental checklist. Have I got something crunchy? If not, add nuts or seeds. Have I got something soft / squishy? If not, add soft cheese, tofu, avocado, pumpkin etc. Have I got something in between? If not, think about your vegetables like capsicum, corn, beans etc.



    Dress your salad

    Always leave the dressing until you’re just about to serve to prevent your bottom from going soggy (the salad I mean). Rather than the calorie laden high sugar dressings from the supermarket, I often choose for a small sprinkle of oil (try macadamia, avocado, olive or rapeseed) and a spritz of vinegar (like balsamic, apple cider or white / red wine vinegar).

    Ta-dah! You are now well on your way to slaying at salads. See, you can make friends with salad after all!