SIMPLE PORK & SILVERBEET on BROWN RICE

Silver beet or swiss chard as it is also called, is all around at the moment and is selling at an uber cheap price. Silver beet has an earthy flavour and is a great source of fibre, folate and vitamins A and C. This vegetable tastes delicious with garlic, herbs, chilli and/or lemon. This is my go-to dish whenever I want to make a no-fuss dinner for myself and Chris. Chris added a splash of soy sauce to his dish (what is it with men and adding sauce to things?) however I think it is delicious with just the garlic, chilli flakes, spring onions and pepper. Just a quick note; the amount of rice per serving is meant to be small, so don't worry if it looks tiny, as the silver beet & pork will fill you up. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice 
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500g extra lean or organic pork mince 
• 1 bunch of silver beet, white stalks removed, leaves washed & shredded 
• Optional- 1 spring onion, roughly chopped & a sprinkle of chilli flakes

Cooking 

1. Place the rice and 2 cups of water in a small to medium saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Once boiled, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. 

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir well for 1 minute, then add the pork mince. Cook the pork mince for 5 minutes or until it is just cooked, breaking up all the lumps. 

3. Add the shredded silver beet to the pork and cover with a lid. Leave the silver beet for 2-3 minutes or until it has just wilted, then remove the lid and stir well to combine. Sprinkle with a generous dash of ground black pepper. 

Divide the rice into 4 servings, then add the silver beet & pork and  sprinkle spring onions and chilli flakes on top, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30-35 minutes 

x Emily 

SUMAC SPICED CHICKEN

Sumac is one of my favourite spices. Its dark fuchsia colour and tangy lemony flavour makes it seem so mysterious to me. Sumac (pronounced SOO-mak) is the fruit of a flower that blooms in the Middle East & Mediterranean. The berries of the sumac flower differ in colour from bright red to dark purple, depending on where the flower grows. Sumac has nearly no aroma but tastes tangy and has a subtle hint of citrus. I have only tried using sumac with chicken and tomato & red wine vinegar salads, but I have heard it goes wonderfully with lamb. If you haven’t experienced this spice yet, you are missing out.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup brown rice 
• 2 small heads or 400g broccoli, cut into even florets & stalk thinly sliced 
• 250g chicken breast, cut into even 3cm pieces 
• 2 tablespoons sumac 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or shallots, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve 
• the juice of 1 lemon 
• 1x 400g tin of brown lentils, rinsed & drained

COOKING 

1. Cook brown rice by bringing the rice and 1 1/2 cups water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, cooking for around 20-25 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. When the water has almost been absorbed, uncover the saucepan and place a colander or sieve on top with the broccoli in it. Cover with the saucepan lid and steam for 5 minutes, whilst the rice finishes cooking. 

2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius fan-force. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

3. Combine chicken pieces, sumac, parsley and 1/2 the juice of the lemon in a small bowl and stir well to combine. Place seasoned chicken in a single layer on prepared baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

Serve cooked chicken on a bed of brown rice and brown lentils. Add extra herbs and squeeze the remainder of the lemon juice on top, if desired. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35-40 minutes (including cooking rice)

x E

CHICKEN & CHICKPEA CURRY

You may be as surprised as I was the other day to learn that most Indian dishes are gluten, dairy and preservative free. I certainly had no idea until my boss told me last week. I was ecstatic! After a tough week last week with adapting to my new allergies, I will admit that I had difficulty cooking dinner every night and may have even resorted to takeaway often…(which I rarely do!). My spirits were low until I was given this amazing news and decided to have fun experimenting with Indian dishes! First on the list, a chicken and chickpea curry with homemade curry paste. Don’t stress if you don’t have all the spices I have listed, these have come from an almost obsessive addiction. If you can purchase or have accumulated a few, you can work with those. Stay tuned for a Lentil & Potato Curry coming soon!

INGREDIENTS


Homemade curry paste 

• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground garala masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• a pinch of sea salt & pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil 

Chicken curry 

• 250g chicken breast, chopped into even cubes
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 1 x 400ml light coconut milk
• 2 1/2 generous tablespoons of homemade curry paste
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil 

COOKING 

1. Place all the curry paste ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix well to combine. (Store in a container in the fridge until ready to use). 

2. Heat the teaspoon of peanut oil in a large frying pan under medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the onion has softened slightly. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is browned. Add the curry paste and mix well for 2 minutes, making sure all the chicken and onion is coated with the paste. 

3. Add the coconut milk to the pan and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced considerably. Add the chickpeas to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Serve with brown or white rice, if desired.

NB:  

• If you prefer your curry spicy, triple the chilli powder quantity and make some raita to go alongside the curry. 
• If you do not have all the spices listed to make the homemade curry paste, mix a few together and see how it tastes! Or you can buy a pre made curry sauce/paste, but they will often contain gluten and/or msg and lactose. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes, 10 if you make the homemade curry paste 

Total Cooking time / 40 minutes 

x E