CHICKEN CURRY & POTATO PIE

Sometimes during winter you just feel like a super hearty, starchy meat pie. Unfortunately, whilst I can cook this for my respective other, I cannot eat it without suffering some serious digestive problems from the gluten & milk solids in the pastry. However, I can certainly post the recipe for others to enjoy! Whilst the cooking process is around 1 hour for this lovely pie, the manual labour is not intensive at all, as that hour consists of leaving the chicken mixture to simmer on the stove and bake in the oven. Basically all you have to do is cut up the chicken and potato. As I was running spectacularly late the night I made this pie, I did not even consider adding more vegetables, however you could add all means of ingredients to the pie, such as carrots, celery, peas, sweet potato etc.  There is nothing quite like a warm, toasty pie to eat on a chilly winter’s night. Hurry up and get baking before September comes! 

INGREDIENTS

• 400-425g potatoes (such as sebago potatoes), peeled & cut into 2cm pieces 
• 300g chicken breast, cut into even 3-4cm pieces
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock 
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (in liquid form), plus extra to grease pie tin
• 2 sheets of reduced-fat puff pastry, thawed 

COOKING 

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, adding garlic, onion and parsley. Stir well for 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add chicken to the pan and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until chicken is white in colour and cooked through. Add potato pieces, tossing to coat. Pour stock and curry powder into the pan and bring to the boil. When boiling, reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, covered. 

3. Meanwhile, grease a circular pie tin with coconut oil and gently place one thawed pastry sheet on the bottom of the tin. You may find that some of the pastry will cover half of the sides of the tin, this is ok. When the chicken mixture has simmered for 20 minutes, pour into the prepared pie tin, taking care to only pour in a quarter of the liquid stock. Cover with another thawed pastry sheet. Do not worry if some of the pastry folds over the tin, as it will shrink during baking. 

4. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until pastry crust is golden brown. Serve warm. 

Serves / 6 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 60 - 65 minutes 

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LAMB KEBABS / SKEWERS

I am endeavouring to cook with lamb more, as it is a red meat and therefore high in iron. A word to the wise; be careful with lamb as it can be super fatty if fat is not removed before cooking. Last week when I made this recipe, I needed some brightening up. Life can sometimes get us down and we all have our own unique ways of dealing with stress, anxiety or restlessness. Some people choose to drink, others to paint, shop, read, write, kick things…I choose to cook. My purple, green, red and brown lamb skewers served the all-important purpose of cheering me up on my blue day. As a plus, they were super tasty.  

INGREDIENTS

• 400g lean lamb fillet, all fat removed and cut into even 3cm pieces 
• 1 medium green or red capsicum, seeds removed & cut into even 4 - 5cm pieces
• 1/2 red onion, chopped into thin 4cm pieces
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (in liquid form)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
• 8 skewers 

COOKING 

1. Combine lamb pieces, capsicum, red onion, sumac, oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss well to combine and marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, place skewers in water for 30 minutes to soak (do not skip this step or your skewers will break whilst cooking in the oven). 

3. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Thread lamb and vegetables onto the skewers, alternating with each ingredient or making whatever pattern you like. Place skewers in the oven for 10 minutes or until lamb is cooked through and capsicum and onion are just slightly char-grilled. 

Serve warm with a yoghurt dressing or my tomato & parsley dressing (1 tomato, finely chopped, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley, tossed well). 

Serves / 4 (2 skewers each)

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes (plus 30 minutes to soak & marinade)

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

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LENTIL, TOMATO & PARSLEY SALAD

One of the simplest salads I have ever made but also one of the freshest. My mother has made this lentil salad for years, it is like her ‘ole faithful’ side dish. Fresh tomatoes and parsley are a must and around 20 minutes of chopping is required, however it is worth the arm work. I consider myself one of the most impatient women on this earth and I was able to blast some music and get through the relentless chopping. Perfect as a summer or spring salad, I served it in winter alongside warm Lamb Kebabs (recipe tomorrow!).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 400g tin of brown lentils, rinsed & drained
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 cup of fresh parsley, finely or roughly chopped & washed
• 5 small (375g) tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

PREPARATION

1. Combine the lentils, parsley, tomatoes and garlic cloves in a large serving bowl, tossing well. Drizzle lime juice on top and toss well to combine. Serve cold. 

Serves / 6 as a side

Total Preparation time / 20 - 25 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 0 minutes 

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GET YOUR CARDIO ON

Many of us will freely admit that cardiovascular exercise is not our favourite thing in the world to do. However, the benefits of cardio far outweigh our indifference to this form of exercise. Besides providing us with the much sought-after benefit of weight loss, cardio is also benefical as it reduces stress, increases bone density, provides us with stronger hearts and lungs, gives our bodies more energy, reduces our risk of heart disease and some types of cancer, sets a great example for our family members to stay active and gives us increased confidence about our bodies and appearance.

The most effective form of cardio exercise to do if you are interested in weight loss is interval training. Why, you may ask? Interval training burns more calories as it increases your metabolism and keeps your body burning fat for hours after you have finished exercising. In addition, interval training increases your fitness levels and decreases your recovery time, which enables you to stay active for longer and train harder.

One of the main reasons people do not like cardio exercise is because they find it boring and monotonous. Below is a long list of varied internal training exercises that are guaranteed to keep you interested!

Stop & Go - Interval Training

• Sprint for 30 seconds, then walk/jog for 30 seconds. Repeat this for 10- 15 minutes.
• Sprint for 15 seconds, then jog for 15 seconds, then walk for 15 seconds. Repeat this for 10 minutes.
• Swim as fast as you can for 25 metres, then swim slowly for 25 metres. Repeat this set 15 times.
• Squat as many times as you can for 30 seconds, then walk or jog for 30 seconds. 
• Lunge as many times as you can for 30 seconds, then walk or jog for another 30 seconds. Repeat these sets 5 times each.
• Pedal on a bike as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then pedal slowly for 30 seconds. Continue for 10 minutes.
• Skip at full intensity for 15 seconds, then skip at a normal pace for 15 seconds. Continue for 10 minutes.
• Walk at a high incline for 2 minutes, then decrease the incline for 1 minute. (This is best performed on a treadmill, however you can walk up a hill).

Tips to Maximise your Interval Training (and Increase your Weight Loss)

After a few weeks or months of doing your internal training you may find your body weight plateauing. Below are a few tips to avoid this from happening:

• Try to stay active and not rest during your entire cardio workout, as constant movement will provide your muscles with blood flow and oxygen. The more you move your body, the more kilojoules you will burn. Inbetween sets, mix up your workout by treating yourself to a set of pushups or abdominal curls. Try doing starjumps or jogging on the spot during sets instead of staying stationary.
• Start to increase your intervals by adding resistance to make them harder. For example, try sprinting up an incline such as a hill instead of sprinting on flat ground. If you are working out on a treadmill, increase the incline by the push of a button.
• Crank up the knob on your exercise bike to a harder level, or alternatively, bike ride up a hill.
• Lengthen your intervals to increase the amount of kilojoules that you burn during and after your cardio workout. Try running at a fast pace for 5 minutes, then jogging for 5 minutes. Whilst 5 minutes may seem like a long time, start small and build your way up, running at a speed just below a sprint for 1 minute, then 2 minutes etc until you work your way up to 5 minutes. It will take less time to build up to this lengthen of time than you think it will! Repeat this twice, then jog to cool down.
• Keep your body guessing. Mix up your intense-to-rest ratios to keep your body from getting bored and predicting what you are going to do next. When your body cannot anticipate what you are going to do next, it cannot adapt and therefore has to work harder. Hence your body stays in the fat burning zone for longer. Sprint, pedal, swim or walk fast for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Then mix this up by sprinting, pedalling, swimming or walking for 2 minutes at a fast speed, then resting for 1 minute.

To conclude

Keep your motivation up whilst doing interval training by thinking about all the kilojoules that you will burn during your workout and all the kilojoules that your body will continue to burn for hours after you finish working out! Give it a go. 




Image by http://jerseymomsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Woman-Running-on-Beach.jpg. 

POROTOS CON RIENDAS (BEANS with PASTA)

The third and final (for now) installment in the great Chorizo trilogy. Its been a lot of fun guys and three lovely, hearty, slightly fatty meals were made and enjoyed by all. But its now time to cease buying those Spanish sausage links (once again, for now) and eat some healthy meats / meals. But first, a story.

My dad, Santiago, was born in Chile many moons ago. So many moons ago in fact that he does not know his actual birthday. He claims that he has never had a birth certificate and was told by this mother that his birthday is most likely July 16 1954. Since this confirmation we have celebrated July 16^th as the birth of my family, Jim, James or traditionally named Santiago, after the city he was born in. My dad has retained some of his Chilean roots, these being a love for spicy foods, fluent in the language of Spanish and dark olive skin. What he hasn’t held onto is the Chilean cuisine. I doubt he could name one authentic Chilean dish if I asked him. As I reading the Feast July edition, the very last page featured a Chilean born man who revealed his mother’s recipe for Porotos Con Riendas or Beans with Pasta. Apparently this dish is a very famous Chilean bean soup. I have altered it somewhat, such as using sweet potato instead of pumpkin and turning it into a pasta dish not a soup, however it turned out beautifully  and my father and brother inhaled it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 2 chorizo sausages (around 340g), finely sliced
• 500g sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 3cm pieces 
• 800g canned red kidney beans, drained
• 500g gluten-free pasta 
• 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock 

COOKING 

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add coconut oil, swirling to coat pan. Add onion, garlic and chorizo to the pan and stir frequently, for around 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the sweet potato pieces and vegetable stock to just cover the potato. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, covered. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the sweet potato is just tender. 

2. Meanwhile, bring another large saucepan of water to the boil with a pinch of salt in it. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is tender or just al dente (so the pasta is firm but not hard). Drain well with cold water. 

3. When sweet potato is tender, add the red kidney beans to the saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are cooked through and stock is absorbed. 

4. Place cooked pasta in a large serving bowl and add sweet potato, chorizo & bean mixture. Mix well to combine all ingredients. 

Serve warm. 

Serves / 6 - 8

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

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SWEET POTATO & YELLOW SPLIT PEA MASH

Whilst this is a side dish, it does take a while to prepare due to the 1 hour that you have let the split peas sit in water. However, if you are preparing sometime else in the meantime, or happen to have a quick second to dump the peas in some water, its really not so bad. I will tell you an embarrassing secret, I actually started out cooking this dish with the intention for it to turn out as Dhal (a thick, often vegetarian Indian stew). However, after 20 minutes of boiling the lentils and sweet potato, I realized that I had not added enough water / stock to create that specific dhal consistency. Instead of trying to add more liquid and risking burning my lovely saucepan, I decided to roll with the punches and turn the dish into a Sweet potato & pea mash (so daring!). It is quite a bit of work for a side dish but trust me when I say that it is an excellent source of protein (it has a protein content comparable to meat) and is virtually fat free. And delicious. Madras curry powder is sold at many big supermarkets or Indian specialty stores and is a spiced mixture of turmeric, coriander, cumin, cloves, chilli, allspice, black pepper, fenugreek and curry leaves. The spices used will differ from brand to brand. Try to track down a medium or mild tasting one, as the hot brands are not for the faint-hearted.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g yellow split peas
• 300g sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder 
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil 

COOKING 

1. Rinse peas, then place in a medium bowl. Pour enough water over the peas to cover them. Let sit for one hour, then drain well. 

2. Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped red onion and cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Remove from heat and keep warm. 

3. Bring vegetable stock and 1 cup (250ml) of water to the boil. Add peas, sweet potato and madras curry powder and boil, covered, for 20-22 minutes or until all stock / water is absorbed and peas are tender. Remove from heat and place mash in a large bowl. Mash well with a large spoon or potato masher until all sweet potato is smooth. Add red onion and sage and stir well to combine. 

Serve warm as a side. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes (plus 1 hour for the peas to sit)

Total Cooking time / 32-34 minutes 

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STEAK WITH TOMATO, MUSTARD & PARSLEY SAUCE

Those who know me know that I am not one to crave steak often. However, I have realized that it can be quite nice for my iron level and me once in a while. Whilst out at breakfast today a friend rattled off the perpetual saying ‘Eat like a King for breakfast, a Queen for lunch and a Pauper for dinner’. I had this clearly embedded in my mind as I decided what to make for lunch. Steak seemed like a good choice, as whilst it is filling it is not too filling to result in a sneaky afternoon siesta.

The tomato, mustard and parsley sauce has a little story behind it as well. I 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. As I still needed a sauce to go on my steak, I pulled out some tomatoes from the fridge that had seen better days, as well as some fresh parsley and mustard, because come on, you need a little mustard to zest up a steak. 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.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 x 130g eye fillet steak, fat removed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (in liquid form)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 heaped tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons sumac 
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

COOKING 

1. Combine tomatoes, parsley, mustard, sumac and vinegar in a small bowl and toss well to combine all ingredients. Add a pinch of sea salt & refrigerate until steaks are cooked. 

2. Combine steaks, garlic and oil in a medium bowl and mix so garlic and oil coats all the steak. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook steaks to your specification / liking. (I like steaks medium rare, so I cooked them for around 4-5 minutes each side, then cut into the side of one of the pieces to make sure that it was ready). 

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

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

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LAMB SOUVLAKI WRAP

Isn’t Souvlaki one of the best meals in the world? Whenever I go out to West End in Brisbane I love to go to Greek restaurants, however I usually can’t go past chicken souvlaki. On Saturday lunch I decided to try my hand at cooking with lamb. Now, if you are a regular reader of the blog, you know that I rarely cook with lamb. Very, very rarely. However, sometimes you must explore the unfamiliar. A very simple recipe, the most difficult part being that you have to marinade the lamb for 30 minutes. Unfortunately it is not dairy-free, as I have yet to figure out how to make tzatziki dairy-free (but I will find a way!). 

INGREDIENTS


Lamb

• 350g lean lamb, cut into small 3cm pieces
• 3 teaspoons dukkah (any mix will do, I used almond dukkah)
• 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• a handful of washed lettuce
• 1 tomato, finely sliced into thin wedges
• 4 x Gluten-free wraps or 4 x Pita Bread

Yoghurt tzatziki 

• 1/2 cup natural yoghurt, 99% fat free
• 1 large lebanese cucumber, finely grated
• 1/8 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• pinch of sea salt 

COOKING 

1. Combine the lamb pieces, dukkah, red onion and garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

2. After grating the cucumber finely, place the cucumber in a tea towel tightly. Rinse the excess moisture from the tea towel, then place the cucumber in a small bowl. Add the yoghurt, chilli, coriander and sea salt and stir well to combine. Add 2 tablespoons water to thin out the tzatziki. 

3. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread lamb around the tray. Cook for around 10 minutes or until lamb is browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven. 

4. On each wrap / pita bread, spread tzatziki and top with cooked lamb, tomato and lettuce. Serve whilst lamb is warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 30 minutes (inclusive of refrigeration time)

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

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THE BEGINNING.

It all began in Bali.

On the flight home to Brisbane from Bali, to be exact.

I was flipping through Vogue and out of the blue was hit with an intense desire to start a blog, a passionate need for people to view my writing. I had no idea what form I wanted the blog to take, but I knew that I just had to start one on my arrival home. I woke up my sleeping boyfriend, Chris, to tell him what I had decided to take on. He just smiled and said ‘great’, as he has learnt to do with all of my wacky, spontaneous ideas. But this particular aspiration stuck.

The blog has taken on a few forms over the past 10 months. Initially, it started as a fashion / lifestyle / cooking / motivation quotes blog with a best friend of mine, then changed to a purely cooking blog, then to a purely gluten-free, wheat-free & dairy-free blog. Currently the blog is taking a more holistic approach to healthy living and will focus on healthy & natural cooking, as well as fitness / exercise, nutrition and accounts from my life under the category ‘my story’, for when I feel truly indulgent. Healthy living and eating has become a vital part of my life in the past year, and the path that this passion takes changes daily. One day I will rave about my fondness of and nutritional properties of black beans, the next day I will explore the ancient grain / seed quinoa, the next 3 days I will lock myself in my kitchen cooking curries. The vast, imaginative and colourful world of food beckons me daily and I enjoy the ride with every fibre of my being. I welcome you to come along for the journey.

A blogger. A writer. A learner. A dreamer. And most importantly, a cook.