VEGETARIAN (or not) OMELETTE

Eggs are a great way to get your protein and good fat hit. I don't think of omelettes or eggs for that matter as exclusively for breakfast; they are a wonderful late night dinner idea, as they are low in carbs and full of flavour. I have always been a little apprehensive about cooking omelettes, however after several attempts over the years I am confident with my recipe below. The finished product may not look as fancy as what would appear on your plate at a cafe, but it is tasty, nutritious and simple to make. I prefer this omelette sans meat, however I do realise that will not like this, hence the optional addition of bacon or ham. Ground or smoked paprika is also optional- if this is not in your pantry just use more ground black pepper. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 small red onion (30g), finely chopped 
• 1/2 a small red capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a small green capsicum, roughly chopped
• Optional - 1/2 teaspoon ground or smoked paprika 
• Optional- 80g bacon or 100g ham, trimmed of fat, roughly chopped
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup water 
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, roughly chopped, plus extra, to serve 
• ground black pepper 
• 20g reduced-fat feta, crumbled 
• a small handful of baby spinach 

COOKING 

1. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 2 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add the capsicum and the paprika and/or meat if using and stir for 2 minutes or until well combined and the capsicum is just al dente (still slightly crunchy). If you are cooking bacon or ham this step may take slightly longer, depending on how you like your meat cooked. Remove from the pan when cooked and keep warm. 

2. Whisk the eggs, water, chives and a generous pinch of pepper in a deep bowl or jug. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a medium frying pan on low to medium heat and swirl to coat. Pour in half of the omelette mixture and leave until the egg is set around the edges; this should take around 2-3 minutes. Carefully fold one half of the omelette over the other and leave to cook for another minute or until the the omelette has just set.  Remove the omelette from the pan, place on a serving plate and add half of the capsicum mixture, topping with feta and half of the baby spinach. Repeat the cooking process with the remainder of the egg mixture. 

Serves / 2 
Total Preparation time / max 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 15 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 

STEAK with TOMATO, MUSTARD & PARSLEY SAUCE

I used to despite eating steak, however now I often find myself craving it. It is such a great late night after work dinner, as it is light on the carbs and filled with protein and iron. I can never eat steak by itself and have splattered tomato sauce / ketchup on my medium-rare, top quality steaks for as long as I can remember. My dad positively faints at this habit, my mother shakes her head and my boyfriend screams at me ‘stop, you are ruining it!’. Hence I decided to finally listen to them, as they may be onto something. Hence the tomato, mustard and parsley sauce (still got my tomato in!). Sumac is my new favourite spice and goes incredibly well with tomatoes (you can buy it at any major supermarket in the baking isle). Lastly, a splash of vinegar and voila, a steak sauce worth of a eye fillet steak. If you want to add some delicious Sweet Potato Fries to accompany your steak, prepare and place the fries in the oven before starting to cook the steak. Follow my easy Sweet Potato Fry recipe by clicking on this link: http://soulfulsandwiches.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/sweet-potato-fries.html

INGREDIENTS

• 2 x 120g (150g for men) eye fillet steak, fat removed
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• Aluminium foil 
• 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 heaped tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac 
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

COOKING 

1. Combine the steaks, garlic and oil in a medium bowl and mix so that the garlic and oil coats the steak. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and cook steaks to your specification / liking. (I like steaks medium rare, so I cooked them for around 3-4 minutes each side, then cut into the side of one of the pieces to make sure that it is ready). After cooking the steaks, left them to rest for 5 minutes loosely wrapped in aluminium foil before serving. 

2. Whilst the steaks are resting combine the tomatoes, parsley, mustard, sumac, vinegar and a pinch of ground black pepper in a small bowl and stir well to combine all ingredients.  

Serve warm with tomato, mustard & parsley sauce on top or on the side. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes plus 5 minutes resting time 

x Emily 

MINCE, BASIL & RED KIDNEY BEANS

This is what I would call a classic Chris meal (my fiancee) as it contains only two major ingredients: meat and vegetables. Not a fan of lamb myself (I personally do not like the taste) I prefer this simple, low carb dinner with beef however after grabbing lamb mince by accident the other day I had no choice but to cook with it. Chris informed me that lamb works just as well in this recipe. I love the colours of this dish; the bright orange of the carrot, the deep purple of the kidney beans, the vibrant red of the tomatoes and the striking green of the basil. 

The secret ingredient here is smoked ground paprika- you must add it! It gives the dish a woody yet mildly spicy aroma. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed and drained well
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly diced
• 1 medium red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 500g extra lean beef / lamb mince
• 2 teaspoons smoked ground paprika 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, plus extra to serve 

COOKING 

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat well. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute or until garlic is soft. Add mince, smoked paprika and 2 tablespoons chopped basil and stir continuously until the beef has browned and no meat lumps remain. 

2. Add carrot and capsicum and stir to combine, then cover for 3 minutes to cook. Remove from heat and place in a large serving bowl. Add red kidney beans and tomato and toss to combine. Top with basil leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 12 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 

POLENTA, PUMPKIN & TURKEY MUFFINS

These muffins are an adaptation of Sarah Wilson's 'Mexican Beef Nacho Muffins' found in her 'I Quit Sugar for Life' cookbook. I wanted to make a savoury turkey muffin equivalent using different spices and ingredients. I also used her Pumpkin Puree recipe which is incorporated below into the muffin recipe. If you have her cookbook or access her website you will see that several of her other recipes call for this prepared pumpkin puree. You could also use the leftover puree in brownies, as a pizza sauce or make it into a very simple mash by adding a few splashes of almond milk. These muffins are delicious for a breakfast on-the-go, a filling snack, or for lunch and/or dinner with a side of vegetables. 

Ingredients

Muffin

• 1 large pumpkin, deseeded, peeled & cut into small even pieces
• 3 teaspoons coconut oil, plus extra to grease
• sea salt & ground black pepper
• 60g piece of leek, finely chopped
• 500g lean turkey mince
• 2 free-range eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chilli
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 100g sweet potato, peeled & grated
• 1/2 cup polenta, plus extra to dust 

Topping

• 1 small avocado
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 200 degrees celsius.  Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Toss the pumpkin pieces with 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil and a generous pinch of salt & pepper. Place the pumpkin in a single layer on the tray and bake for 20 minutes or until tender but not burnt. 

3. Remove the cooked pumpkin from the oven and mash by hand (or use a blender) to make into a puree. You will need 1/2 cup of puree for this recipe. You can store the remainder (which should equal 2 - 2 1/2 cups) in zip-lock bags or containers in 1/2 cup quantities in the fridge or freezer. 

4. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small to medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until soft but not burnt.

5. Lightly grease a 12 hole tin muffin tin with coconut oil. 

6. Mash the avocado until smooth and stir in the lime juice. 

7. Combine the 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, cooked leek, turkey mince, eggs, spices, mustard, sweet potato, 1/2 cup polenta and a pinch of salt & pepper in a large bowl (mixing by hand works best!). Divide the meat mixture evenly into each muffin mould (you should be able to get 11-12 muffins out of this batter). Sprinkle a few teaspoons of polenta on top of the muffins. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top of each muffin is lightly browned. Use one muffin as the test muffin to check that the meat has cooked through and no pink flesh remains. 

8. Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cook completely. Serve with a small dollop of avocado topping. 

Makes / 11 

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 60 minutes / 1 hour (not including cooling time) 

x Emily 

QUINOA, PUMPKIN & BEEF STEW

I FINALLY got my man to eat quinoa and I am just so ecstatic. Turns out all I had to do was cook beef mince with quinoa and he became interested. After numerous recipes of quinoa salads, quinoa in soup and (failed) quinoa in porridge I finally found a recipe that Chris could get on board with.

This recipe was inspired from a Peruvian Quinoa Lamb recipe that I perused in one of my many cooking magazines / books / websites. It is packed with protein, filling and helps me to say so long to winter with one last comfort meal. And for once in my house I don’t have to eat the quinoa dish for days on end as I have someone helping me to devour it!

INGREDIENTS

• 250g quinoa, soaked in water for 2 hours (make sure you change the water at least once throughout this time)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium leek, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 350g pumpkin, skin removed and cut into even 3-4cm pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3 cups (750ml) beef stock or water 
• sea salt & pepper
• Optional- a handful of fresh parsley or sage, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. After the quinoa has been soaked, drain well. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes or until the leek has softened but is not brown. 

2. Add the beef, salt & pepper and rosemary to the pan and stir, breaking up any lumps in the mince that may occur with a strong spoon. When the beef has browned add the pumpkin pieces and stir for 2 minutes to combine, then pour the quinoa and stock / water into the pan and bring to the boil. 

3. After the liquid has boiled, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover, cooking for 7-8 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked (you will be able to see the little white cuticles in the quinoa if it is cooked; in addition, the liquid in the pan will be almost all absorbed) and the pumpkin is just tender. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or sage and serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 2 hours 12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily 

SUGO ALLA BOLOGNESE / BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Another recipe as promised from the Iuliano family, available in the April edition of the SBS Feast magazine. I must stress that I did adapt their beautiful traditional recipe, to omit the pork ribs and minced pork. The 1 cup of basil and chilli made this Bolognese shine, as each bite was more aromatic than the last. You could replace the chives with parsley and the chilli powder with finely chopped red chilies if you prefer. Another superb Italian dish that was polished off in my home at warp speed considering that only 2 of us live there. Thankyou Feast magazine for adding culture and depth to my cooking and to many readers all across Australia!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 kilogram extra lean beef mince
• 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve 
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 2 x 700ml passata (tomato puree)

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until leek is slightly transparent but not burnt. Add mince and cook for 6-7 minutes or until browned, breaking up any lumps in the meat with a strong spatula. Add basil, chives and chilli powder and stir well to combine with the meat. Add the passata and bring to the boil. When boiled, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover, cooking for 30 minutes or until the bolognese has thickened and the mince is tender. Season with sea salt & ground black pepper and remove from heat and serve on top of gluten-free pasta sprinkled with extra basil leaves, if you desire. 

Serves / 8 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

x Emily 

POLOPETTE / MEATBALLS

I get so so excited when my FEAST cooking magazine arrives in the mail every month. I’ve spent many a lazy afternoon pouring over my editions, thinking that one day soon I will try my hand at Peruvian cuisine, at creating a Chocolate Chilli Cake or at cooking a traditional Greek banquet. This SBS read has opened up my eyes to other cultures and their ways of life, traditions and of course, their food. Every edition a fortunate Australian family celebrates a ritual or cultural event from their heritage. This April issue the theme was Italian and the celebration was the annual Passata Day, a day in January where families come together to chop & boil tomatoes and bottle the delicious mixture, called passata, to consume throughout the year. This Polpette, or Meatballs, is just one of the Iuliano family recipes that I tried out and loved. If you are not dairy-intolerant feel free to use parmesan instead of pecorino, however I must admit that I much rather prefer the salty flavour of hard pecorino cheese to the 'smelly sock' taste of some parmesan cheeses! Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for more Italian delights coming soon. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g extra lean minced beef
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 a large leek, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, preferably free range, lightly beaten 
• 1/3 cup hard sheep's pecorino sheep, finely grated
• 1 heaped cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley & basil, roughly chopped, plus extra parsley and/or basil, to serve
• 700ml passata
• 1 x 400g diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
• 3 cups beef or vegetable stock (preferably Massell brand) 

PREPARATION 

1. Combine mince, garlic, leek, eggs, pecorino cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley & basil and a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Using clean hands, knead the mince mixture together until all ingredients are well combined. Shape approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture into balls and repeat until all mince has been used. Place on a large plate/s or tray, cover and put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to sit. 

COOKING 

1. A few minutes before the meatballs have finished sitting, pour passata, diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water into a deep frying pan and bring to the boil. Add meatballs to the boiling liquid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through and the sauce has thickened slightly. (Whilst the meatballs are cooking, place rice in a medium saucepan and add 3 cups stock or water. Bring the boil and simmer, covered, over low heat for 8-10 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and keep warm with the saucepan lid on top). Remove from heat and season. Serve meatballs on top of the rice or with pasta and scatter extra cheese and basil/parsley leaves on top if you wish. 

Makes / 22-24 meatballs

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes (plus 20 minutes to refrigerate meatballs)

Total Cooking time / 27-32 minutes 

x Emily