POTATO BURGERS

I wish I could say that I came up with this amazingly creative ‘Potato Burger’ recipe, but sadly I did not. (The June Issue of Food Ideas can take that credit). As long as the potatoes are kept at a medium size, they are a healthier alternative to bread or hamburger buns and are also gluten & dairy-free. If this recipe terrifies you due to the amount of carbs in it, try it for a Saturday or Sunday lunch instead. It really is a delicious substitute for bread and is also more fun to make and more aesthetically pleasing. Minus the cheese and other condiments, this recipe is quite low in fat. If you have an hour on your hands, this would be a way to really impress lunch / dinner guests. Damn Food Ideas for coming up with it and not me!

INGREDIENTS

• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 4 medium (150g each) sebago potatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or minced
• 3 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
• 1 medium tomato, finely sliced
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil (liquid)
• a handful of baby spinach leaves, washed
• Optional- light grated cheese 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Scrub potatoes well, with a brush, under cold water. Dry gently with a tea-towel and place on the baking tray. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender, if is, a knife can easily be inserted into the middle without any resistance. 

2. Whilst the potatoes are baking, combine the mince, herbs, tomato paste, onion and garlic in a large bowl, mixing well. With damp hands, shape the mince mixture into 4 even sized beef patties and flatten slightly. 

3. Heat  coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the patties, spacing them apart. Cook the burgers for 4 to 5 minutes on either side, making sure that no red colour remains (you may need to cut one patty apart to see this).  When beef is cooked, remove from heat. 

4. When potatoes are cooked, gently cut each in half. Place baby spinach and tomato on top of the potato base, along with a cooked beef patty and another potato half. You may need to use toothpicks to hold the burgers together. Serve with mayonnaise, tomato relish or tomato sauce if you wish. You are welcome to add cheese if not dairy intolerant. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 60 minutes / 1 hour 

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BLACK BEAN TACO BAKE

I’ve gone crazy for black beans recently. I’m so glad they have come in my life as they are fast becoming my substitute for rice or other grains. Today’s dinner was a dish I invented whilst walking my little puppy Buddy this afternoon. I suppose it’s similar to nachos. Whilst the recipe does seem detailed and time-consuming, there are a few shortcuts that you can take- for example, you can buy already cooked black beans instead of soaking them for 4 hours first and then cooking for 30 minutes. You can buy pre-made taco seasoning if you do have the spices to make your own. You can add cheese and/or light sour cream if you do not have a dairy allergy, however this does increase the calories. One tip- keep an eye on the oven as the taco shells do crumble quickly and can become mashed. Do not watch sex and the city and leave them for a whole episode- whoops!

INGREDIENTS


Filling

• 8-10 jumbo tacos, roughly torn 
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium green capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 x 800g tin diced tomatoes 
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• coconut oil, liquid form
• 1 cup black beans (either raw black beans or 400g tin cooked black beans)
• 3 cups vegetable stock 
• Optional- light grated cheese
• Optional- a few slices of gluten free ham, finely torn

Taco seasoning 

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4 sea salt 

Guacamole

• 1 ripe avocado, 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• sea salt to season

COOKING 

1. If using raw black beans, soak in a large saucepan overnight or for at least 4 hours, making sure that there is three times as much water as beans. After soaking, drain well. (If you are using already cooked black beans, skip step 1 & 2). 

2. Heat 3 cups vegetable stock in a medium saucepan with the black beans. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until beans are cooked and tender. Remove from heat and drain. (Tip- taste 4-5 beans to make sure that they are all tender). 

3. Whilst performing step 1 & 2, preheat fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a deep overproof pan with coconut oil. Add torn taco shells, tomatoes, red onion, ham and capsicum. Make taco seasoning or use pre-made taco seasoning. Combine taco seasoning with drained black beans and toss to combine. Pour beans over the vegetable mixture and toss well. Sprinkle cheese over the top, if not dairy intolerant. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then serve with homemade guacamole and shallots sprinkled on top. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 4 hrs 30 minutes (if cooking black beans from scratch) / 30 minutes

Total Cooking time / cooking black beans from scratch - 50-55 minutes / already prepared black beans - 20-25 minutes

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GOIUVARLAKIA GREEK SOUP

 I was in Melbourne last weekend for 24 hours; for a family gathering and an AFL game (two guesses where I was born?). I went down with my boyfriend Chris, who likes to take life kinda slowly and in his stride. I am the complete opposite. I seem to cut, scratch, spill, trip, wound or fall down on a regular occurrence as I am going too fast to notice inanimate objects around me. On Sunday morning, I was up and ready to start the 2 degree day, however Chris was not. So I pottered down to the hotel reception and picked up the first magazine I found- ‘Feast’ by SBS. And I fell in love. Who could not after skimming a magazine about food from cultures all over the globe? And the most mouth-watering, aesthetic photos of food. Long story short, I took/stole the magazine and poured over it on the flight home, immediately purchasing a year-long subscription online. My first recipe from Feast was Giouvarlakia Greek Soup, which is a scrumptious soup that contains beef & rice meatballs and a soup foundation made from avgolemono- a lemon and egg mixture. A truly remarkable soup, unlike anything I have tasted before - try it! 

(The Feast recipe has been altered somewhat below).

INGREDIENTS

• 500g extra lean minced beef
• 3 eggs
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/2 a cup finely chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to serve 
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 
• 1/2 cup long-grain rice (I used doongara rice)
• 1 litre (4 cups) beef stock
• 1 litre (4 cups) water
• 2 teaspoons oil (I used grapeseed oil)
• 1 lemon, squeezed/juiced
• sea salt & black pepper

COOKING 

1.Place minced beef, 1 egg (lightly beaten), onion, garlic, parsley, rosemary, 1 teaspoon oil and sea salt & pepper in a large bowl. Using your hands, combine the ingredients until mixed well. With slightly wet hands, form the beef mixture into 24-30 even sized meatballs. Place these on a large plate/tray and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

2. After the meatballs have been in the fridge for 10 minutes, place water, beef stock, 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Leave the liquid boiling for a few minutes and then reduce heat to simmer. Gently add meatballs and cook, covered, for around 15 minutes or until beef is all cooked through. Remove the saucepan from heat. 

3. Whisk 2 eggs and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add 60ml of the hot soup (a little over 1/4 cup) and whisk until mixed well. Stir the egg & lemon mixture into the big saucepan and return the pan to low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Take care not to let the soup boil, as the eggs will start to solidify. Remove from heat when cooked through and sprinkle with extra parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

Serves / 4 - 6 

Total Preparation time / 35 minutes (including refrigeration time)

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

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SHEPHERD'S PIE

Today was a blissful day. The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming and I was cooking up a storm. I have been wanting to make a Shepherd’s Pie for a few weeks now, but have not had enough time to form a recipe and bake. This recipe is actually quite simple to my Bolognese recipe, minus /plus a few different ingredients and the pasta of course. The sliced potatoes on top are different from the traditional mashed potatoes, however I wanted to avoid using any milk, cheese or butter / margarine. Shepherd’s pie to me is the ultimate comfort food and perfect for a frosty night like tonight.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 3 large sebago potatoes, peeled & sliced
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced or minced
• 1 x 800g tin diced tomatoes
• 1 medium carrot, peeled & finely chopped
• 1 cup peas, fresh or thawed if frozen
• 500ml (2 cups) beef stock
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary, plus extra to sprinkle over potatoes
• sea salt & black pepper
• coconut oil (liquid form)

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Heat a large, deep frying pan over medium heat, adding 1 teaspoon coconut oil (liquid form) and swirling to coat pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add beef mince and cook, breaking apart lumps with a metal spoon, until all mince is browned. Add carrots, tomatoes, rosemary and beef stock and stir well. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, add the peas and simmer, covered for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. 

3. Meanwhile, place potato slices in a large plate and cover with glad wrap. Place in the microwave on high for 8 minutes. Remove from the microwave.

4. Lightly grease a deep ovenproof pan with coconut oil. Pour the beef and vegetable mixture into the pan and top with the sliced potatoes. Sprinkle more rosemary on top of the potatoes if you desire. Cook for 40 minutes in the oven or until potatoes become golden brown. Remove from heat and serve warm. 

Serves / 4 - 6

Total Preparation time / 17 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 1 hour 25 minutes 

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BACON & TOMATO BAKED BEANS

Do you have someone in your life who thinks that a meal is not really complete without ample amounts of meat in it? My boyfriend Chris is such a person and it aggravates me so much, particularly when I was going through my various failed attempts at being a vegetarian.  Whenever Chris comes home from work at night, he opens the apartment door and smells the kitchen air expectantly to see if meat made the dinner menu. It’s infuriating! I do understand that we all need meat, or at least need the protein and particularly iron that we get from meat products. I just don’t see why I have to cook it every meal. Last night I was running late to see a dear friend and needed to whip up dinner fast. Homemade baked beans seemed like a simple, no-fuss touch. The preparation time was minimal and I threw all the ingredients in a frying pan and left it to stew and become flavourful for 30 minutes. For something so modest, the beans tasted smoky, slightly spicy and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

• 100g weight watchers or low-fat bacon, fat removed, cut into small cubes
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
• 1 teaspoon grape seed oil
• 1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans
• 1 x 400g tin of mexican chilli beans 
• 1 x 810g tin of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water 
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• sea salt & black pepper
• Optional - chopped fresh parsley to serve 

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat and add onion & garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until onion has softened. Add bacon pieces, beans, tomatoes, honey and water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally so that beans do not stick to the pan. Remove from heat and season with sea salt, pepper and fresh chopped parsley if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 7 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 40 minutes 

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POTATO, LEEK & CANNELLINI BEAN SOUP

This recipe was inspired from a Coles Winter Magazine that I picked up the other day during my grocery ventures. Whilst the temperature at night has dropped substantially in Brisbane, there is only a small window for soups before spring arrives. Now is the time to make soup, the true winter comfort food. I somehow manage to accumulate ample amounts of potato, sweet & regular, every week, hence they were thrown into the soup, along with some fresh garlic, market leeks and a can of cannellini beans that had been in my pantry for the better part of 2012. It made a delicious soup that really should feed 6 instead of 4! As far as soups go, this one is quite easy to make. Enjoy. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large leeks, washed & finely chopped
• 1 medium leek, washed & finely chopped
• 1/2 a large garlic bulb, cloves finely chopped
• 2 medium regular potatoes, peeled & roughly chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled & roughly chopped
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups water 
• 400g cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• coconut oil 

COOKING 

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Add 2 of the chopped large leeks and the garlic, stirring for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add chopped potato, sweet potato and dried thyme and stir to coat. Pour in stock and water, bringing to the boil. When boiled, reduce to a simmer and add the beans. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potato is tender. 

2. Remove soup from heat. Using a blender or food processor, blend/ process soup until smooth (this should only take a few seconds). 

3. To make fried leek, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the medium leek pieces and cook for 2 minutes, or until crisp. 

4. Pour soup into bowls and add fried leek on top if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

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CHICKEN STOCK STIR-FRY

Another stir-fry for your viewing/reading pleasure. This stir-fry was meant to be a soup, however it appeared throughout the cooking process that I did not use enough stock, hence the stir-fry was born. As I was heading to Melbourne for the weekend for a royal eat-a-thon with my extended family, I decided that a simple vegetable chicken dinner would be a nice detoxing meal before the epic feeding. Super easy to make, add 2 more cups of chicken or vegetable stock to make a soup instead. If you like more sauce, drizzle tamari sauce on top (or soy sauce for you lucky non-gluten intolerance people!).

INGREDIENTS

• 400g chicken breast, cut into even strips
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 100g green beans, trimmed & cut in half
• 1 medium green capsicum, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1 broccoli head, florets & stalks chopped
• 2 cups chicken/vegetable stock 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Optional- tamari sauce to serve 

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large wok over medium heat, swirling to coat the surface. Add chicken and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no pink colour remains. Add stock and cut up vegetables,  and stir occasionally for 6-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 

2. Whilst vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add rice noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes, separating the noodles. Remove from heat when noodles are tender but not soggy and drain well with cold water. 

3. Add drained noodles to the wok and toss with the chicken and cooked vegetables for 1-2 minutes, until all combined. Serve warm, with a drizzle of tamari sauce if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

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