WARM STEAK SALAD SANDWICH

This steak salad sandwich idea came about whilst I was browsing an issue of Super Food Ideas several years ago. I love the idea that a steak sandwich can become a salad and can be eaten at dinner time without any judgement. If you are not prepared to cook your own beetroot do not use the tinned beetroot as there is so much sugar in those slices! I've listed how to cook the beetroot to make it easy, however if in a rush leave it out or cook it before that night; for example I roasted my beetroot on Sunday and used it on Tuesday. Roasting a beetroot is so simple: you let the oven do the work for 25-30 minutes and you can use this time to get the salad ready. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium beetroot, peeled, ends trimmed and cut into half 
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 400g lean eye fillet steak, cut into small even strips
• a generous handful of baby spinach leaves and/or mixed lettuce leaves, washed and drained
• 2 large tomatoes, washed and cut into wedges
• 1/2 a continental cucumber, cut into slices 
• 1 ripe avocado, cut into small pieces
• 2 slices of wholemeal or multigrain bread (or gluten-free if intolerant), toasted and torn into little pieces
• 30g of grated reduced-fat cheese 

Dressing

• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons water 
• ground black pepper

COOKING 

1. *NB: Skip this step if you are not using beetroot. 
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and wrap the beetroot halves in foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until beetroot is tender (that is, you can slice the beetroot with a knife easily). Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then slice beetroot into thin wedges. 

2. *Either perform this step once the beetroot has just been removed from the oven or start with this step. 
Heat a medium frying pan over low-medium heat, adding the oil and swirling to coat. When the pan is hot add the beef and cook, tossing often, for around 5 minutes or until the beef is cooked & browned to your liking. Remove from heat. 

3. Whilst the beetroot and/or beef is cooking, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and stirring well. 

2. Combine the baby spinach/lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, torn bread pieces, cheese and cooked beetroot in a large serving bowl. Add cooked beef to the bowl and toss well to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the top and serve. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 40 minutes if cooking the beetroot / less if not 

x Emily 

TURKEY & POTATO SALAD

Summer has almost come to Brisbane! Time to crowd the beaches, work on our tans and host Sunday afternoon bbq’s.  Time, as well, for many of us to change our palates. I don’t know about you, but if the temperature outside is above 30 degrees, I cannot stomach hot food very well. All my meals have to be refrigerated and take on the form of ‘salads’. Simple to prepare, this turkey & potato salad would make an excellent dish for a lazy bbq on a Sunday afternoon.

INGREDIENTS 

• 550g (1 large) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 400g turkey breast/fillet, cut into even 3-4cm pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• the juice of 1 lemon 
• 150g pickles, roughly chopped 
• 1-2 handful/s of fresh spring onions, chives, parsley and/or coriander, finely chopped 
• 40g reduced-fat feta, crumbled

COOKING 

1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan half filled with water and bring to the boil. Boil for around 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not mushy. Drain well in a colander over cold running water. 

2. Whilst the potatoes are cooling, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium to large frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Stir for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, then add the turkey. Cook, stirring often for around 6 minutes or until all pieces are coloured and no pink flesh remains. Turn off the heat and leave the turkey in the pan, covered, to rest for 5 minutes. 

3. Stir the remaining teaspoon of oil, lemon juice, ground paprika and a splash of water in a small bowl or cup. 

4. Place the potato in a large serving bowl and add the turkey, pickles, fresh herb/s, feta and a generous pinch of ground black pepper. Drizzle the dressing from step 3 over the top and divide into four bowls. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily 

BROCCOLI with BACON & LEEK

A client gave me the idea for this dish when she told me about a meal she had made a few weekends ago, featuring broccoli, bacon, walnuts and herbs. You can add any herbs you like to this dish; I just kept it nice and simple as I was (and am) running a few minutes behind today! If you do not eat meat, replace the bacon with 3 hardboiled eggs for your protein. 

Ingredients

• 1 head of broccoli, stalk & florets chopped into even pieces
• 1/4 cup almonds, halved 
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 a leek, white part only, finely chopped
• 100g bacon, fat removed and chopped into even pieces 
• paper towel
• 30g reduced-fat feta, crumbled 
• ground black pepper

Cooking 

1. Bring a small to medium saucepan filled 1/4 with water to the boil, covered. Once boiled, remove the lid and replace with the broccoli in a small colander or sieve, then cover with the lid. Leave to steam for around 4-5 minutes, then check to see if the broccoli is tender by placing a fork into a stalk. If the fork slides in with just a little bit of resistance, the broccoli is tender but not mushy. Remove the colander or sieve with the broccoli and discard the pan. 

2. Meanwhile, dry fry the almonds in a medium fry pan over medium-low heat for just 2 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant but not burnt. Remove from heat. 

3. Using the fry pan from step 2, swirl the oil to coat the pan over meidum heat. Add the leek to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove the leek from the pan and add the bacon to the pan, covering with a lid. Cook for around 2-4 or until the bacon is cooked to your liking. Remove the bacon from the stove and pat the excess oil out of the meat with a few paper towels. 

4. Toss the broccoli, almonds, leek, bacon, feta and a generous pinch of pepper in a large serving bowl. 

Serves / 2 
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes
Total Cooking time / around 10 minutes 

x Emily 

THYME TURKEY with ROAST PUMPKIN

I love cooking with turkey as I actually like the taste more than chicken. I found a wonderful butcher at Greenslopes- Rock N Roll Butcher- that sells turkey steaks at a very reasonable price. This meal was created as I was walking my big kelpie; I tend to get my best cooking ideas when I am walking him, so we walk together everyday! 

Ingredients

• baking paper 
• 450g turkey steak, fat removed and cut into even pieces
• 1 heaped tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 heaped tablespoon lemon thyme or thyme leaves, fresh or dried, stems discarded 
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 400g pumpkin, deseeded, peeled and chopped into even 3cm pieces
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• a generous pinch of ground black pepper
• 1/2 a leek, white part only, finely chopped
• 4 handfuls of mixed lettuce, washed and roughly torn/chopped 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 220 degrees celsius. Line a medium to large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the turkey, mustard, thyme, vinegar and 1 teaspoon oil in a medium bowl, stirring well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

3. Once the turkey is marinating, toss 1 teaspoon oil, pumpkin pieces, maple syrup and pepper in a medium bowl. Place in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and / or just starting to become golden. 

4. Once the turkey had marinated for 8 minutes, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium frypan over medium-low heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add the leek and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant and just starting to become golden. Remove from heat and add the turkey to the pan, keeping the heat over medium-low. Cook the turkey for 4 minutes, stirring often, then turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave the turkey to sit in the pan for 5 minutes. After this time pick the biggest few pieces of turkey and cut them in half, checking that the turkey is white and no longer pink. If it is still slightly pink, cook for another minute. 

5. Toss the cooked turkey, leek, pumpkin and lettuce in a large serving bowl. Serve with extra thyme leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 40 minutes 

x Emily 

ALFALFA, HAM & ALMOND SALAD

I’ve loved alfalfa sprouts since I can remember. Whilst some people think they taste like grass, I love their slightly crunchy texture and their little tendrils. I actually prefer alfalfa sprouts to lettuce, which I often find very boring and monotonous in salads. Alfalfa sprouts as a great source of folate, vitamin C & fibre. These little babies also contain vitamin K and E and are the only vegetable that continues to produce vitamins after they have been harvested! Try these sprouts in a salad, a stir-fry or in rice paper rolls.

This is the simplest salad I have made in a long time and was extremely fresh, quick to make and satisfying.

INGREDIENTS

• 100g alfalfa sprouts, washed & drained
• 75g cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 small tomato, roughly chopped
• 100g gluten-free 99% fat free ham, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a small ripe avocado, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

PREPARATION 

1. Combine all ingredients, except for the vinegar, in a medium to large serving bowl. Drizzle red wine vinegar and a pinch of sea salt over the top and toss well to combine. Serve cold. 

Serves / 2 as a main or 4 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

x Emily 

BEETROOT, LENTIL & SUMAC SALAD

When the weather gets hotter and the days get longer, I like to get creative with salads, much to my husband's horror. Now, salad can be very boring and mundane if you just use the same ingredients every time, the token tomato, lettuce, cucumber and store bought dressing. However, if you get imaginative and add beans, lentils, eggs etc, your salad can turn into a main meal. Which is what I did the other afternoon. I highly recommend buying the spice sumac to flavour some of your salads. Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice that grows wild in the mid-east and Italy. It is purple in colour and has a sharp, sour lemon taste- don’t let this put you off though! It is superb in salads and is also used as a seasoning for meat. One teaspoon is all you need. If you are a vegan or do not eat eggs, substitute the hard boiled eggs for 1 ripe avocado. 

 INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium or 2 large beetroot, peeled, ends trimmed and cut in half or quarters to cook faster 
• 4 eggs, preferably free range
• 1 x 400g tin of brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 large tomato, sliced into thin wedges
• 2 large handfuls of lettuce (I like to use mixed lettuce)
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac
• 80g reduced-fat feta, crumbled
• Optional- if not using eggs, 1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and wrap the beetroot halves in foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until beetroot is tender (that is, you can slice the beetroot with a knife easily). Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then remove the foil and slice beetroot into thin wedges. 

2. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water with the eggs to the boil, covered. Once boiled continue to cook for 5 minutes, then turn off the stove and rinse the eggs under cold water. Let them sit in the cold water for a few minutes, as this will stop them from cooking further and cool them down so they can be peeled. 

3. Prepare the lentils, tomato, lettuce, sumac, feta and avocado if using in a medium to large bowl. Toss well. 

4. Peel the eggs and cut into halves or quarters and place on top of the salad. Serve hot or cold.  

Serves / 4
Total Preparation & Total Cooking time / around 40 minutes (including roasting the beetroot)

x Emily 

SPICY CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN SALAD

I don't often like to use tinned foods, however using cooked black beans saves me 45-60 minutes of cooking, which is super valuable time that I need and I am sure all of you out there really need! Having cooked black beans from scratch several times before, I must admit that you can not even tell the difference between canned and the real raw deal. This chicken tastes (and looks!) amazing cooked on a grill plate, but a regular pan will do just fine if you do not have such equipment in your kitchen (although my advice would be to acquire one! They are usually very cheap and are so useful for grilled all types of meat and vegetables without having the hassle of having to use your bbq!). If you have a lemon on hand, squeeze some of the juice on top of the diced avocado and toss gently; this will keep the avocado from turning brown. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
• 1/2 - 1 packet taco seasoning (30g) (depending on how spicy you want the dish)
• 500g chicken breast fillets, preferably free range, diced into even 4cm pieces 
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach or mixed lettuce, washed & drained 
• 1 x 400g tin cooked black beans, rinsed & drained 
• 1 x 250g punnet of cherry tomatoes, finely diced 
• 1 ripe avocado, diced and tossed with a dash of fresh lemon juice
• Optional - 1/4 cup fresh chives and or coriander, roughly chopped
• Lemon juice

COOKING 

1. Prepare chicken by tossing together chicken pieces, taco seasoning and rice bran oil in a medium bowl.

2. Heat a medium frying pan or grill plate over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is golden or until grill marks form if using a grill. Remove from heat. 

3. Place the baby spinach or lettuce in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked chicken, black beans, tomatoes, lemony avocado and chives and/or coriander, if desired, to the bowl. Sprinkle some fresh lemon juice and black pepper on top if you desire. Toss gently and serve warm.

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

SUSHI SALAD BOWL

I love fresh, bright and quick to prepare meals, hence this Sushi Salad Bowl is a favourite of mine. Having tried my hand at making sushi before, this is a much quicker and less painstaking process which tastes like the inside of my ideal sushi roll. You can play with the ingredients and add lemon, daikon, salmon, toasted seaweed, coriander etc or remove any ingredients below that you do not like/have on hand. I kept my sushi salad bowl very simple (it was Sunday night after all). 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / sesame oil 
• 2 green shallots, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
• Optional - 15cm stick fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 300g free range chicken breast, cut into 3cm even pieces 
• 150g green beans, cut into 2cm pieces 
• 150g red cabbage or wombok or a mixture of bowl, shredded 
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 1 Lebanese cucumber or 1/2 continental cucumber, diced 
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced 
• 4 teaspoons white /black or a mixture of both (1 teaspoon for each serving) 

Dressing

• the juice of 1 medium lime 
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

COOKING 

1. Place rice and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover for around 12-15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and add the rice wine vinegar, then fluff the rice with a fork to stir it in. 

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, lemongrass (if using) and ginger and stir for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the ingredients. Then add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring often for approximately 4-5minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 

3. Remove the chicken with the shallots, lemongrass and ginger from the pan and now add the beans and cabbage. Stir for around 3 minutes or until beans are slightly tender. 

4. Pour the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or mug along with 2 tablespoons water and stir well. 

5. Distribute the rice, carrot, cucumber, avocado, chicken and beans & cabbage into four bowls. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sesame seeds over each bowl and drizzle dressing over the top and serve. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / maximum 25 minutes 

x Emily 

QUINOA & TURKEY SALAD

This recipe just came to me as I was shopping for turkey mince this morning. Nothing makes me feel as full as quinoa, due to its high protein content. This wonder seed is also full of iron, magnesium and fibre, which makes it a great choice for vegetarians out there. The fresh or dried thyme is optional, however I urge you to include it, as this herb is a perfect paring with the turkey. Use ground black pepper instead of salt to flavour the turkey. You could add more vegetables to this salad if you wish, such as cucumber, green beans, etc. I find that with the avocado and herb/s in the dish there is no need for a dressing. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained twice
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 500g lean turkey mince
• Optional - 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
• a generous pinch of ground black pepper
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 150g baby spinach, washed & drained 
• 1 small avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives and/or coriander 

Cooking 

1. In a saucepan cover the quinoa with 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork, then leave to cool slightly for a few minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the turkey mince to the pan along with the thyme (if using). Stir often, breaking down any lumps that form in the mince, until the mince is just cooked. Sprinkle the pepper on top and stir well, then leave to sit for 2 minutes. 

3. Prepare the salad by combining the tomatoes, baby spinach, avocado and herb/s in a large salad/serving bowl. When the quinoa and turkey are ready, add to the bowl and toss well to combine. Serve warm, with a pinch more pepper if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

SWEET POTATO MIXUP

This isn't so much of a salad as a kind of boiled, washed and toasted mixup of sweet potato, baby spinach, avocado, sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut and nuts. However, if I made that the title of this meal I'm sure you wouldn't still be reading! This is my new favourite lunch to make; it fills me up, gets my daily vegetable intake soaring and gives me ample amounts of energy to tackle the rest of my day. I love it so much I've made it several times in the past two weeks, even though its been as humid as hell in my non a/c kitchen. What I especially love about this meal is that you can substitute any ingredients that you have on hand. One day I toasted chopped walnuts instead of almonds, another day I used fresh chives and basil in the place of parsley. And not being an avid measurer in the kitchen, I love the fact that I can place 'a handful' of most of the ingredients into this salad and I know that the dish will still taste delicious! 

Ingredients

Salad

• 800g sweet potato, weighed after being peeled & cut into small, even pieces
• a large handful of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• a large handful of sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup almonds/walnuts, roughly chopped
• a large handful of roughly shredded coconut 
• 1 large handful of baby spinach
• 1 large handful of rocket
• 1 large handful of any type of lettuce 
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley/chives/and or basil, finely chopped

Avocado paste/dressing

• 2 medium avocados
• the juice of 1 large lime or 2 medium limes 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped/crushed

Cooking 

1. Place the sweet potato in a small to medium saucepan with enough water to cover the potato. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 6 -7 minutes or until the potato is tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and drain in cold water. 

2. Whilst the potato is cooking, place the pepitas, sunflower seeds, nuts and coconut in a small to medium frypan over low heat. Stir often, toasting the ingredients until fragrant and/or until the coconut pieces begin to brown. Turn off the heat and leave to sit for a little longer on the stove, as the ingredients will continue to toast. 

3. Make the avocado dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mash the avocado until smooth and add a splash of water at a time to get the dressing to your desired consistency. (I like my dressing to be like a paste; you may prefer yours runnier). Season to taste. 

4. Combine the cooked sweet potato, toasted nuts, baby spinach and herbs in a medium serving bowl. Dollop the avocado paste/dressing on top and serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

CHICKPEA, BACON & ALMOND SALAD

This salad initially started off as a Lentil & Bacon salad, made with tomatoes, red onion, sheep's pecorino cheese and a vinegary dressing. Having none of these ingredients in the kitchen the other day, I opted for a green type of salad with cooked bacon and toasted almonds thrown in. My little secret to avoiding salad dressings is to toast nuts or seeds and scatter them on top of salads for a bit of texture and a whole lot of flavour. I use sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut chips, almonds, cashews, you name it. You could serve this salad sans (without) bacon and add a hard boiled egg or some more chickpeas to buff it up. I try to add meat to salads as it is a sneaky way for me to get my partner Chris to eat salads. Also omitting the lettuce makes him more partial to them. As the weather cools down at night, this warm salad is perfect for a light fall dinner. 

INGREDIENTS

• 80g bacon with fat removed, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, washed & drained
• 1/2 a large green capsicum, finely chopped 
• 1 lebanese cucumber or 1/2 a continental cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1/2 an avocado, finely diced 
• 1/4 cup almonds, whole or halved, toasted 
• Optional-a handful of watercress

COOKING 

1. Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces when pan is hot and dry fry (using no oil) for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the bacon is golden. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the chickpeas, capsicum, cucumber and avocado in a medium to large salad serving bowl. 

3. When the bacon has cooked, remove from heat and leave to cool for a few minutes before adding to the salad. Dry fry the almonds in the bacon pan over medium heat until toasted (you will be able to tell this when the air is fragrant with the smell of almonds). Remove from heat and toss the almonds and bacon in the salad bowl. 

Serves / 2 for a very substantial meal 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 5 minutes 

x Emily 

RED RAW SALAD

I love grated salads and am currently making an effort to eat them more. After a weekend of severals meals out, I needed a beautiful salad to cure my bloating. My favourite thing about this salad is how vibrant and bright it is. Like some dishes, it actually tastes better the day after it is made and has been left in the fridge overnight. Toss in whatever vegetables you need to make quick use of; just make sure to either shred or finely chop them. Some vegetables I often use that are not featured below include zucchini, lettuce, wombok, celery and several other herbs. Make sure you use gloves when peeling and grating the beetroot! 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium carrots, peeled & finely grated
• 2 small beetroots, peeled & finely grated
• 1/2 small red cabbage, thinly shredded
• 1 large lebanese cucumber or 1/2 continental cucumber, grated
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh curly parsley, finely chopped

Dressing

• 1 large garlic clove, finely diced
• the juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

COOKING 

1. Toss the carrot, beetroot, red cabbage, cucumber and herbs together in a large serving bowl. 

2. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or mug and stir well. Drizzle over the salad and serve. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation / Grating time / 20-25 minutes 

x Emily