PUMPKIN PASTA WITH PESTO, SPINACH & RED ONION

Winter to me means hearty winter vegetables. Pumpkin, sweet potato, onions, leeks, regular potatoes all make this list. Before I made this dish on Sunday night, I don’t think I had eaten pumpkin since last winter and I had forgotten how flavoursome it is, especially on chilly nights. The spinach and red onion addition was just a way to get more vegetables into the pasta. As for the pesto, I had a bunch of basil to use up that was looking rather wilted. You can certainly serve this dish without pesto, in fact, it will be much better (calorie wise) for you! 

INGREDIENTS

Pasta 

• 500g Gluten-free pasta 
• 2 tablespoons roasted pine nuts (can dry-fry in a frying pan over medium heat until golden brown)
• a generous handful of baby spinach leaves, washed 
• 400g pumpkin, cut into 2cm pieces 
• 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grape seed oil 
• sea salt & pepper

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and pasta and stir occasionally for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Drain well with cold water. 

2. Meanwhile, place the cut pumpkin on a large plate and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the microwave on high for 7 minutes or until pumpkin is very tender. Remove and let cool. 

3. Heat grape seed oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat and swirl to coat. Add garlic and red onion and stir occasionally for 2 minutes, until onion is soft and garlic is browned. Return heat to low and add spinach leaves and cook for 1 minute or until leaves are wilted. Remove from heat. 

4. Place the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl. Place the cooked pumpkin and spinach mixture on top. Sprinkle salt & pepper over the top. Pour pesto over the top if you wish. 

Homemade Pesto 

• a bunch of fresh basil 
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/8- 1/4 cup olive or grape seed oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• sea salt
• a blender or food processor
• a mortal & pestle 

COOKING

1. Place the garlic and pine nuts in a mortal & pestle and crush into a paste. (This should only take a few seconds. You can perform this step with a blender if you wish, I just find that using the former makes a better paste). 

2. Place basil leaves in a blender/food processor and gradually add 1/8-1/4 cup oil. This process may take around 5 minutes, as we are using less oil that typically used to make pesto. If you can, try grape seed oil as the flavour is very different to using olive oil. Add salt to the basil and continue to blend/process until pesto is smooth. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes (20-25 with pesto)

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes (35 with pesto)

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PRAWN & VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

Another prawn dish! You may be thinking ‘when is she going to get over prawns and experiment with other types of seafood?’ which is funny, as I have been pondering the same thing. I think I am enjoying prawns so much at the moment that I may cook them to death before moving onto crab. Crab will be a real effort to cook without using any dairy- a future challenge! This fried rice is quite effortless to make and tastes like you spend hours in the kitchen perfecting it.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g cooked & peeled prawns, thawed to room temperature
• 400g bean sprouts, washed
• 4cm ginger, grated
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 large red capsicum, cut into even cubes
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 1/2 cups doongara rice 
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free oyster sauce 
• 2 tablespoons tamari sauce 
• 1 tablespoon lime juice 

COOKING 

1. Place rice in a medium saucepan with 3 cups water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Remove from heat. 

2. Heat sesame oil in a large wok over medium-low heat and swirl to coat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Then add broccoli, capsicum and oyster sauce and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until broccoli is almost tender. Add prawns, sprouts, tamari sauce and rice and stir, combining well. Remove from heat. 

3. Serve with lime juice stirred in and green onion on the top of the rice. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

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BEEF THAI SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 250g eye fillet steak, cut into even strips
• 250g fresh bean sprouts, washed
• 250g rice vermicelli noodles
• 2 small lebanese cucumbers, cut into even strips
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 1 tablespoon tamari sauce 

Thai salad dressing

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 

COOKING 

1. Combine eye fillet, oil, lime juice (3 tablespoons), fish sauce (1 tablespoon), tamari sauce and green onions in a medium bowl. Marinade in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 

2. After 1 hour, remove from fridge. Heat a small frying pan over medium-low heat and add marinated beef. Cook, stirring constantly, for around 5 minutes or until beef is brown and no red flesh remains. Remove from the heat. 

3. Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Place vermicelli noodles in a large saucepan and pour boiling hot water over the top of them. Leave for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork, until noodles are tender. Drain well with cold water. 

4. Make Thai salad dressing by combining lime juice, sweet chilli sauce and fish sauce in a small jar with a screw-top lid and shaking to combine. 

5. Place cooked noodles in a large serving bowl and add cucumber and bean sprouts. Top with cooked beef and Thai salad dressing. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes (plus 1 hour cooling time)

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

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HOW to POACH AN EGG

In this breakfast dish I describe the fine art behind poaching eggs (or at least what I have picking up from my partner, cooking magazines and my mother). Do not be afraid to try this recipe because of the detailed 3^rd step, as this detail is designed to help, not hinder your cooking. Best of luck! I think if you can poach an egg and serve it in a somewhat 'pretty' condition, you can do pretty much anything in the kitchen (besides perhaps de-boning a duck or killing a live lobster).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 free range eggs 
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar 
• 1/2 a small avocado, generously spread onto the toasted bread
• 2 pieces of multigrain, wholemeal or gluten-free bread, toasted 
• 1 handful washed baby spinach
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• Optional- a squeeze of lemon and a tablespoon or 2 of chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, etc. 

COOKING 

1. Bring the eggs to room temperature as warm eggs will take less time to poach. Crack one egg into a small cup and add 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Repeat in a separate cup with the other egg. (I use vinegar as this helps to set the egg). 

2. Fill a large saucepan/ frying pan with 8cm of water. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer. (You will know the water is simmering when you can see small bubbles at the base of the pan). Use a wooden spoon or whisk to stir the water in one direction, creating a whirlpool. Pour in one egg at a time, making sure to pour the egg as close to the water surface as possible, in the middle of the whirlpool. (The whirlpool motion is essential as it makes the egg white wrap around the egg yolk to form a round shape). Cook for 2-3 minutes for a semi-soft yolk or 3-4 minutes for a firmer yolk. NB- Do not stir the water once the egg is cooking. 

3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg on top of your toast (which can be 'buttered' with avocado). Serve the poached eggs with baby spinach, tomato, lemon juice and fresh chives piled on top or on the side. 

Serves / 1 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily 

CHICKEN, ALMOND & BASIL OPEN SANDWICH

When I found out that my life would consist of no wheat/gluten, you would think that buttery croissants, cakes, cookies and pasta may have first crossed my mind in a sad sorrow. However, I mostly left hollow that eating sandwiches were no longer an option. If you know me well, you will know that I spend the first 2 years living out of home surviving on purely sandwiches for lunch and dinner. Looking back, it may have been the immense consumption of whole-meal and multigrain bread that led to my gluten intolerance. Anyways, no sandwiches felt like a death sentence (or how I could imagine one in my head). Until my father introduced me to gluten-free bread, which over recent years has become much tastier than it started out as. Toasting gluten free bread and eating it with avocado and sea salt has become my new vice, after I was specified no-dairy no-wheat existence. Today for lunch I mixed it up with some cucumber, celery and almonds.

INGREDIENTS

• 300g chicken breast, cut into even bite size pieces
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1/4 cup roasted slivered/flaked almonds
• 2 tablespoons 99% fat free mayonnaise
• 1 lebanese cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• sea salt & pepper
• 4-6 pieces gluten-free bread, toasted

COOKING 

1. Heat a small frying pan with sesame oil and swirl to coat. Cook chicken over medium heat until chicken is lightly golden and no red flesh remains. Remove from heat. 

2. Combine chopped celery, cucumber, basil, almonds and chicken. Season to taste with salt & pepper and place over toasted bread. Serve with hard boiled egg if you wish. 

Serves / 2 - 3 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 6-8 minutes 

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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)

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MIXED RICE

As a Nutritional & Exercise coach at work (the ‘Results’ Coach), I like to think that I eat pretty healthily. However, when Studio Pilates commenced their 12 week challenge this past Monday and I gave a talk to over 30 people about exactly what they should and shouldn’t be eating, I realized that I would have to follow the eating & exercise pattern to the letter for 3 months so I would truly understand what they were going through. Hence the healthier recipes that will appear. You may also notice that many of the recipes are simpler and easier to make, an added bonus! For anyone trying to make better eating choices for life, these recipes are for you (and me!).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups doongara rice
• 200g brown lentils, rinsed & drained
• 200g red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• sea salt & black pepper

COOKING 

1. Cook rice by bringing rice and 3 cups water to the boil, then simmering for 10-12 minutes over low heat until water is absorbed. Stir in lentils and kidney beans for 1 minute before removing rice from heat. 

2. Place rice in a large serving bowl and mix green onions & basil in well to combine. Season with sea salt & pepper. 

Serves / 2 as a main / 4 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

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