PASTA with PUMPKIN, SPINACH & ALMONDS

Not every healthy meal plan allows one to eat pasta, however I believe in moderation. Deprivation of all the foods you love often results in some pretty intense binging. Luckily, Michelle Bridges allows a few pasta recipes throughout her body transformation program. This recipe was kept quite simple to its original, however I used gluten-free pasta as I find it less heavy than regular pasta. No cheese was used in my dish as compared to the original (which allowed for 115g ricotta), which gave way to slightly more pasta per serve for the same calorie amount. Roasted sweet potato would also go wonderfully here in the place of pumpkin. I've made this dish three times in the last few weeks and the only problem I've encountered with it is that you want to eat more than your serve! 

Ingredients

• 300g peeled pumpkin, cut into 1-2cm cubes
• 5g (1 teaspoon) olive /rice bran oil
• 150g gluten-free pasta shells/spirals
• 30g almonds, chopped in half or flaked
• 2 large garlic cloves (10g), peeled & thinly sliced
• 50g baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 210 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Toss the chopped pumpkin with 1/2 of the oil (1/2 teaspoon) and a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper. Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on the prepared tray. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden and soft. 

3. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the pasta is just tender (or al dente (slightly hard) if you prefer). Remove from the stove and drain the cooked pasta under cold running water. Reserve (keep) a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to use in step 5.  

4. Meanwhile, toast the almonds over low heat in a small frying pan for a few minutes until they become fragrant. Shake the pan frequently to allow all almonds to toast evenly. No oil is required. 

5. Once the pasta is cooked, use the same pan to add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil and stir to coat over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until just soft. Add the baby spinach and the reserved pasta water to the pan and cook, stirring, until the spinach is just wilted. 

6. Combine the pumpkin, the pasta, the almonds and the garlic & spinach in a large serving bowl. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top and toss well. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Approx. calories / 515 per serve 

x Emily 

BEEF NACHOS

I love making vegetarian, chicken and beef nachos. I use chicken breast or mince and extra beans for vegetarian days, such as cannellini or 4-bean mix. Try to use two large, fresh tomatoes as a can of diced tomatoes has 55 more calories than 250g worth of fresh tomatoes, due to the sugar added to preserve it. However, if pressed for time, go diced rather than none. You can add any herbs you have on hand to these nachos; I like adding dried oregano and fresh chives. I can't go past baked mountain bread for nacho chips- they are crunchy, salt free and light on the waistline.  
I urge you to eat these nachos cheese-free, as I do! You save a whole bunch of extra fat and calories and you really taste the flavours sans cheese. 
I've made the guacamole very simple, like the rest of the recipe, however you could add garlic, lemon juice or even some ground cumin for more taste. 

Ingredients

• 6 pieces mountain bread
• 1/2 teaspoon rice bran oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500g extra lean beef mince 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 
• 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced 
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans (230g), drained & rinsed
• Optional: 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1/2 a medium avocado
• the juice of 1/2 lime
• Optional: fresh finely chopped herbs for serving, such as chives or parsley. 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. (You will need to repeat this process unless you have 2 baking trays).  Cut the  bread into even sized triangles and place on the tray. Bake the chips for 5 minutes or until just golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Heat the garlic for 1 minute, then add the mince to the pan and stir frequently, breaking up any lumps. Cook the mince for 3-4 minutes or until just cooked through, then add the tomato paste and stir through. 

3. Add the diced tomatoes, the kidney beans and 1/2 cup (125ml) of water to the pan and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce the heat to low, covered, and simmer for 6 minutes or until the bean mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in a pinch of ground black pepper, if desired. 

4. Whilst the bean mixture is cooking, mash the avocado in a small bowl, add a pinch of sea salt and/or pepper and the lime juice. Stir well to combine. 

5. Serve the nachos by arranging the chips on the outside of a large plate or in a separate bowl. Place the bean mixture in a medium bowl in the centre of the plate and top with the avocado guacamole. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top, if using. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes (including cutting the bread)

Total Cooking time / 15-20 minutes 

x Emily 

OPEN PUMPKIN and SAGE LASAGNA

I will willingly admit that I am still trying to get over the end of My Kitchen Rules. Having never watched it before, I got involved in season 3 like a crazy addict. This dish is loosely based on the Open Pumpkin Lasagna that the contestants Josh & Andy made. Of course I did not make my own pasta like them, opting for the more convenient store bought gluten-free lasagna sheets. Sage and butter do go well together, so free feel to use that instead of coconut oil if you have it on hand, however it will not be quite so good for you. Fresh sage leaves are a must for this dish! If you cannot digest the garlic and onion due to a fructose allergy, just omit it and fry the oil with the sage. And as a major plus this dish will photograph beautifully due to its deconstructed form.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g pumpkin, thinly sliced into even-sized slices or wedges
• coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
• sea salt & ground black pepper
• 1 medium to large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 35 - 40 fresh sage leaves, torn in half 
• 300g gluten-free lasagne sheets
• 80-100g goat's feta, crumbled into small pieces

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl mix the pumpkin slices, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (in liquid form), maple syrup, and a decent sized pinch of sea salt & pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and roast for 13-15 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Keep warm in the oven until step 4. 

2. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, bring a medium to large covered saucepan of salted water to the boil. When water has boiled, cook the lasagne sheets in batches until al dente or just tender. Remove from the pan and drain with cold water. Cut lasagne sheets in half. 

3. Whilst water is boiling, place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a medium frying pan. When melted add garlic and red onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add torn sage leaves to the pan and add slightly more oil to the pan if you need. Stir until sage leaves have just wilted and are covered with oil and remove from heat. 

4. Arrange the lasagne - you can really do this whichever way you want. I started with half a lasagne sheet, then topped that with a few pumpkin slices, a tablespoon or two of the sage, garlic and onion mixture and a few crumbed pieces of goat's feta. Repeat this arrangement twice more times to form a serving. Top with fresh sage leaves, if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

GREEN POWER-PACKED SMOOTHIE

Green smoothies. I always had my doubts. I was very sceptical that vegetables could actually taste good in a smoothie. I considered green smoothies to be a new craze, fad and phase that would die down quickly. Turns out I was so wrong. 
Green smoothies do entail a bit of trial and error when starting out. I will openly admit that I have made more than a few green smoothies that have been undrinkable! I try to drink a green smoothie everyday with my husband; believe it or not but we actually think of them as treats for ourselves! We drink them for afternoon tea or after a light lunch or dinner. Sometimes we even freeze them so we can take a long time to consume them (with a tiny spoon) and think of them as ice blocks! Here's a foundation/base that I have learnt to use for all my green smoothies to ensure a drinkable and delicious refreshment every time: 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pieces of fruit 
• I always use a banana, pear, a handful of mango or 1/2 a medium avocado as a compulsory fruit and I love to add them frozen, as they thicken up the smoothie.
• The 2nd piece of fruit can be anything such as kiwifruit, pineapple, apple, orange, nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, blueberries, strawberries or raspberries.
• I only add 2 pieces of fruit to each smoothie as I am conscious of not going over the 2-3 servings of fruit each day. This smoothie serves 2, therefore you will still have a serving or two of fruit to enjoy throughout the remainder of your day. 
• No added sugar liquid 
• Coconut water: I only ever drink Hawaiian Coconut Energy coconut water as it has no added sugar. This product is available at my Pilates studio and online. It is excellent as it contains no sugar, is extremely low in calories and is full of calcium, minerals, potassium and electrotyles. 
• I love adding unsweetened almond milk to smoothies as it creates such a creamy consistency. I usually use almond milk more in winter than summer for my smoothies. I add a percentage of almond milk and a percentage of water to my smoothies (see the recipe below). 
• I add coconut water or unsweetened almond milk sparingly as I like to create a thick, smoothie consistency  
• Greenery
• A generous handful of baby spinach leaves is a must! 
• I'm not a huge fan of kale in smoothies, but some people love using this vegetable! 
• Lemon or lime juice
• The juice of 1/2 or a whole lemon or lime gives the juice a nice kick 
• Vegetables
• I enjoy grated ginger in my smoothies as well as cucumber, grated carrot and/or celery...however go easy on these ingredients or they can overpower the final taste! 
• Protein
• I like to add 1-2 tablespoons of pea protein powder or 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds to my smoothies. 
• You could also add flaxseeds, maca powder, cacao powder, hemp seeds, goji berries or any other natural supplement/superfood you can think of! 

Here's an example of a very simple favourite smoothie of mine: 

Ingredients

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup Hawaiian coconut energy water or around 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk and 1/4 cup plain water (more liquid added if needed)
• a large handful of washed baby spinach 
• the juice of 1/2 a lemon 
• 2cm of fresh ginger, grated 
• 2 tablespoons pea protein powder 

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients into a blender and blend for a minute or until combined. Add more water or almond milk if you want a thinner consistency or more ice cubes if you want a thicker smoothie. 

Serves / 2 

x Emily 

ZESTY BEAN SALAD

When I look at this salad I just think one word; ‘clean’. It just looks very simple, fuss-free and relaxed. It is also very filling with the cannellini beans and the dressing is divine. It is a dressing my dear dad made for me a few years ago and I use it in salads constantly as it livens up the sometimes stark ingredients. A perfect light lunch side or as a main for dinner. Don't scrap on the lemon juice and use from a bottle as it tastes much more zesty freshly squeezed! 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 handfuls of baby spinach lettuce, washed & drained
• 1 x 400g tin cannellini or butter beans, washed & drained
• 1/2 a small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

PREPARATION 

1. Combine baby spinach, beans, red onion and tomatoes in a medium bowl and toss well. 

2. Whisk together the garlic, mustard, oil, lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt until combined. Drizzle on top of the salad and toss again. Serve cold as a side or a main. 

Serves / 2 as a main / 4 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 8 minutes 

x Emily