BEEF MASSAMAN CURRY

I suppose some could say that using a pre-made Massaman curry paste is not really cooking. I may have thought that once, but sometimes shortcuts need to be taken when the hours in a day seem to be decreasing and your energy level is declining rapidly. As a very smart business owner told me just today, ‘you have to take care of yourself, as no one else will take care of you’. So one step at a time I am trying to live this way and I tell you what, its not easy. A store bought curry paste was my concession for a busy social day yesterday and I am ok with that. I also thought this curry would be extremely fitting to the dreary, relentless weather Brisbane has been home to for the last few days. My legs were warm and snuggly tucked into toasty flannelette sheets as I devoured this warm curry for lunch today.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice 
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 2 heaped tablespoons massaman curry paste 
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 1 broccoli head, cut into florets and stalk thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced into 5cm sticks
• 1 bunch of pak choy, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. Pour rice into a medium saucepan, add 3 cups of water and cover. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Set aside but keep lid on to stay warm. 

2. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add spring onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until softened but not burnt. Add beef mince to the pan, breaking up any lumps with a spoon. When beef is brown, add curry paste and stir to combine. Pour in the coconut milk and stir. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the liquid has thickened slightly. 

3. Add the broccoli florets & stalks, carrot and pak choy to the pan and cook, covered, for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Serve the curry on top of a bed of rice and sprinkled with extra spring onions if you wish. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20-25 minutes 

x Emily 

KATE RITCHIE'S BEST BODY DUE TO PILATES

Summer Bay's sweetheart Kate Ritchie sat down with Australia's WHO magazine just last week to talk exclusively about fitness and health, among other things. The magazine, out now, displays breathtaking photos of Kate posing in a white dress in a pool and her toned and trim new body is hard to miss. 

Ritchie reveals that constant persistence and increased confidence helped her to achieve her best-ever body. Well, that and Pilates. Just a few weeks away from her 35th birthday, Kate bares her sensational legs and taut arms in the photo shoot. The actress discovered Pilates classes four years ago and has stayed committed to this exercise regime ever since. Said Kate in 2009 "I recently started Pilates classes once a week and I can already see what a great discipline it is." Ritchie explains that she likes exercise that has a particular focus on core strength, such as Pilates, as it "is so important for women of all ages". 

 Ritchie also reveals that her reasons for exercising are three-fold; "As I get older I realise that exercise isn't only about fitting into my jeans, it's about longevity! And it also keeps my mind healthy which is just as important". 

As Channel Seven gets excited to air Ritchie's much-anticipated return to TV show Home & Away after five years, Kate explains that she was not always as confident in her skin as she is now. "I was the awkward, pudgy teenager, but I've slowly grown into who I am now....I did have a really hard time during puberty, but it's made me who I am now. It's nice to feel like the most positive thing I can do is to be the best version of me". We should all strive to do this daily! 

The new size eight Kate also loves to go for walks around Sydney, works out with a personal trainer and is careful with her portion sizes. "I eat very healthily during the week and save the treats for the weekend", says Ritchie. We congratulate Kate on having achieved her best body ever in a healthy and responsible way! 

Want to drop a dress size like Kate? Interested in trying a new form of exercise? Call Premium Pilates Studio today on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com 

x Emily 

VERSATILE VEGGIES, BEANS & BEEF

What a perfect night to have a hearty beef meal for dinner. As the second State of Origin airs tonight, Queensland is in full swing, supporting their troops as only the sunshine state knows how. Maroon flags flutter in the wind as they boldly peak out of car windows. The city is a sea of red shirts and for those who wear blue today, shame on you. You just may get a panicked sms from your partner asking you to bring a non-blue shirt to work for him to quickly slip into (yours truly).

I’ve never fully understood the QLD love of rugby, being a true-blue AFL girl from Melbourne, however I found myself watching the last origin game with more enthusiasm and enjoyment than I care to reveal. And what goes well with sports viewing? Well food of course. My mother makes a similar recipe for me whenever I come to hers for lunch, except that she uses more vegetables and the vegetables & mince become a delicious sauce for corn chips. You could also eat it plain as it is very filling or spooned on top of a small bed of brown rice. Hopefully me and my fiancée can eat this wholesome manly meal as we watch QLD win!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (liquid form)
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 500g extra lean or organic beef mince
• 1 medium sweet potato, roughly grated
• 2 medium zucchinis, roughly grated
• 1 large carrot, roughly grated
• 2 x 400g tin of diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcester sauce 
• 500g (2 cups) gluten-free beef or vegetable stock
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained 

COOKING 

1. Heat a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat and add oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add mince and cook for 5 minutes or until the beef has browned, mashing up any lumps of meat that may appear. 

2. Add sweet potato, zucchini and carrot and stir to combine with the cooked mince for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and Worcester sauce and stir well for another minute.  Raise the heat to high, covering the pan and bringing it to the boil. When boiled, reduce to a simmer and cover for around 20 minutes or until almost no liquid remains. At this point add the red kidney beans and a pinch of sea salt & black pepper and stir into the beef. Continue to cook until the beans are warm. Remove from heat and serve warm, with corn chips, brown rice or on its own. 

Serves / 4 - 6

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

WHITE BEAN DIP

My friends and I were talking about how nice cannellini beans, garlic and lemon juice would taste as a dip just yesterday afternoon and I raced home after work today to make it. It is a very refreshing change from the copious amounts of homemade hummus and guacamole that I make. You could also try it with lemon zest or other herbs besides chives, such as parsley or basil. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 tablespoon tahini 
• the juice of 1 medium lemon 
• 2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
•  a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper
• 2 large carrots, peeled & cut into sticks 

PREPARATION / COOKING

1. Place all the ingredients except for the carrot in a food processor or blender and blitz on high until well combined. Add a splash of water at a time if need be. Serve with carrots. 

Makes / 1 cup of dip

Total Preparation time / 8-10 minutes 

x Emily 

THAI FRIED RICE

Janella Purcell’s cookbook ‘Janella’s Wholefood Kitchen’ has really assisted me in getting back into cooking this week. Last night’s recipe was Thai Fried Rice and it was the tastiest fried rice I had ever eaten. The paste and sauce does require a bit of grunt work with the chopping and preparing, but the flavour is definitely worth it. Add more chillies to really achieve the spicy tang; I was a wuss with 1 large chilli. I added chicken for a little more protein; you could add beef or more vegetables. If you do not have black sesame seeds, go get some at your local health food store- I add them to most stir-fry / Asian dishes. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 400g prawns, peeled and deveined
• 250g chicken breast, cooked and cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
• 4 cups brown rice, cooled
• Optional- asian greens, such as buk choy / broccoli, roughly chopped
• 250g bean sprouts
• 1 cup loosely packed coriander leaves, plus extra to serve 
• 2 tablespoons of white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons of black sesame seeds

Paste 

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup firmly packed coriander stems, finely chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon tamarind paste 

Sauce

• 1 large red chilli, roughly chopped (more chilli if you like spice)
• the juice of 1 large lime
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fish sauce 

PREPARATION 

1. Cook the rice by combining 2 cups brown rice and 4 cups water in a small - medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 25-27 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the water. Then transfer the rice to a low set bowl or large plate to cool. Start cooking the rice before you start preparing the paste items. 

COOKING 

1. To make the paste: combine the ingredients in a mortar and pestle and pound until it has formed a paste. Set aside. 

2. To make the sauce: combine all the ingredients in a food processor or use a stick blender and blitz together. Set aside. 

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Pour in the beaten eggs and form a thin omelette. Remove from heat, cut into small strips and cover to stay warm. 

4. Heat another tablespoon of sesame oil in the wok and add the paste, stirring constantly so it does not stick. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the prawns and stir. The prawns will be cooked when they have changed colour and become a pink pearly colour. When cooked, add the cooked chicken, soy sauce or tamari, rice and asian greens if using. Toss well to combine, then add the bean sprouts, coriander leaves, sesame seeds and omelette strips and stir to combine. (If cooking with asian greens, continue to toss until they are cooked. If omitting the asian greens, toss only until everything is combined and the rice is warm). 

5. Divide amongst 4 serving bowls, topping with more coriander leaves and lime juice if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 30 minutes (including preparing the rice)

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes (or longer if cooking asian greens)

x Emily 

JAPANESE SWEET POTATO

I eat sweet potato a lot; tossed into salads, roasted, cut into wedges, you name it, I’ve tried it. What I hadn’t tried until yesterday was sweet potato with a Japanese style dressing and once again I have Janella Purcell, author of ‘Janella’s Wholefood Kitchen’ to thank for that. I was pleasantly surprised by how well sweet potato, vinegar and soy sauce went together. For a little bit of crunch Janella adds 1 cup of cashews but the potato is magnificent on its own with the Asian style dressing.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into 4cm pieces
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil (in liquid form)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup or honey 
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Toss the chopped sweet potato with oil and then bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden and tender. 

2. Whilst the potato is roasting, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, mirin and syrup / honey in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. 

3. When the sweet potato is tender, remove from the oven and place in a serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and scatter with coriander and spring onion. 

Serves / 2 as a main or 4 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily