HOMEMADE VEGETABLE STOCK

This recipe comes straight out of the My Petite Kitchen Cookbook, by Eleanor Ozich. A lovely client photocopied Eleanor’s home-made vegetable and chicken stock recipes for me, as she is on a wholefood eating journey herself. After making this stock on the weekend I am going to run out and buy Ozich’s book for myself. Eleanor adopted a simple, clean way of eating as a solution to her young daughter’s incurable eczema and behavioural issues and her cookbook reflects how this change has transformed her daughter’s health and her life for the better.

As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I have been eager to make my own stock as I use it in spades during winter and worry about all the salt and unknown ingredients in the prepackaged powder and liquid stock on the supermarket shelves. I am always guilty of buying a little too much produce at the market every weekend and this recipe is an ingenious way to use up unwanted, sad vegetables and herbs in your fridge. For the time poor, cooking this stock did not take up much of my weekend. I put the stock on the boil on Sunday afternoon, went about my business around my home for 2 and a half hours, checking the stock every half an hour for a maximum of 30 seconds each time. The end result was approximately 3.5 litres (14 cups) of home-made, low salt and extremely flavoursome vegetable stock. Keep following the blog for the chicken stock recipe or buy Eleanor’s wholefoods' cookbook to accompany your healthy eating lifestyle. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons nutalex or coconut oil
• 1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
• 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 large celery stalks and leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a large fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic bulb, each clove peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 large handfuls of fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage, stems removed
• 3 bay leaves 
• 2 teaspoons sea salt 
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

COOKING 

1. Melt the nutalex or oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. 

2. Add the fresh herbs, bay leaves and salt & pepper to the pan. Cover generously with water and bring to the boil. 

3. When the stock has boiled, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 2 hours or longer if possible. Check the stock every 30 minutes and add more water as it evaporates. 

4. After 2 + hours of simmering, taste the stock and add more salt & pepper if needed. Strain the stock through a large sieve, into a very large clean saucepan or bowl. Discard the vegetables and herbs or use for a soup or stew. 

5. Let the stock cool completely, then pour into smaller containers. The stock will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 6 months, provided that the containers are freezer-proof. 

Makes / 3-4 litres / 12-16 cups

Total Preparation time / 15-25 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 2 hours 30 minutes minimum 

x Emily 

GLUTEN FREE & LACTOSE FREE BANANA MUFFINS

Adapted from the amazing glutenfreescallywag.com this recipe was a banana birthday cake for a loved one on Friday night and a tray of muffins on an idyllic Sunday afternoon. I love making gluten and lactose free treats, as they are difficult to get right, but when you do you feel like you have really accomplished baking. I suggest using maple syrup as you can really taste this delectable flavour in the finished product. Hopefully these muffins last me all week!! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup liquid coconut oil, plus extra to grease muffin holes
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour
• 1 cup gluten free self-raising flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
• 2 heaped teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup almond meal 
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1/4 cup stevia or natural sweetener of your choice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence 
• 1 heaped cup mashed banana (2 large ripe bananas)

COOKING / BAKING 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 160 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin with coconut oil. 

2. Sift the two flours, baking powder and cinnamon into a medium-sized bowl. Add the almond meal and stir to combine. 

3. In a separate large bowl add the eggs, stevia and syrup and whisk well until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla and mashed banana to the bowl and stir well. 

4. Fold the flour mixture into the egg, sugar and banana mixture gently. Evenly spoon the batter into the 12 prepared muffin holes and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked. 

Makes / 12

Total Preparation time / 10-15 minutes 

Total Baking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily 

POLENTA CHICKEN PATTIES / NUGGETS

I’ve been cooking these chicken patties for a few weeks now, as they are a great dinner / lunch for my fiancée Chris and me. I usually make them in the afternoon, place them in the fridge and cook them when we get home late at night. I love using polenta as it holds the patties together in the place of breadcrumbs. Chris once likened these chicken patties to tasting similar to chicken ‘nuggets’ hence the name. I use this method of frying in a pan and then baking in the oven when I make any patties. Use free-range chicken mince as it tastes the best!

INGREDIENTS

• 500g free-range chicken mince
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 1 medium zucchini, finely grated and excess water squeezed out using a cloth 
• 2 heaped tablespoons black sesame seeds
• 2 heaped tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 2/3 cup polenta,  1/3 cup for mixture & 1/3 cup to coat 
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Optional - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, roughly chopped, to garnish 

COOKING 

1. Combine the mince, egg, soy sauce, spring onion, carrot, zucchini, sesame seeds and 1/3 cup polenta in a large mixing bowl. Mix using clean hands to combine all ingredients. 

2. Shape into even sized patties (I like to make 8 patties; you may want to make smaller or bigger ones). Have a large plate with the 1/3 cup of polenta spread out on it and coat each of the patties well with the polenta, placing them side by side on a clean large plate once they have been coated. Wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

3. Once the 30 minutes (or longer) has passed, preheat a fan force oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

4. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat on the stove and add coconut oil, swirling to coat the pan. Place the patties in the pan and cook for three minutes each side, then remove from the pan and place the patties side by side on the prepared baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (you will need to cut the largest patty in half to make sure that no pink flesh remains). 

Makes / 8 medium patties 

Total Preparation time / maximum 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 55 minutes (including 30 minutes refrigeration time) 

x Emily 

SIMPLE PUMPKIN SOUP

This is a very simple, no fuss pumpkin soup recipe for those craving a hearty vegetarian meal. I have recently tried to replace store bought stock with water in soups, as I do become a little concerned with the amount of salt in non-homemade stock. I do, on occasion, make my own homemade stock, however this requires more than 2 hours cooking time and I was without that time last Sunday. The water and coconut milk worked well to create a smooth, slightly creamy soup. I like to season this soup with quite a generous dash of ground black pepper (as this adds flavour and removes the need for salt) and chilli flakes. You can add fried bacon pieces to the soup to 'meat it up', as the picture shows.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / coconut oil
• 1 large leek, finely chopped
• 700g pumpkin, skin peeled, seeds removed and cut into small, even pieces
• 3 teaspoons ground sage
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 1 x 400ml tin light coconut milk
• 2 cups (500ml) water
• Optional; to garnish - fresh chives or fresh sage, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and stir constantly for a few minutes, making sure the leek does not burn. 

2. When the leek has become transparent, add the pumpkin pieces to the pan and stir well, until the pumpkin is coated with the leek and oil. If the ingredients start to stick to the pan, add a splash of water. Pour in the ground and fresh sage, nutmeg and chilli flakes and stir quickly to combine.

3. Pour in the coconut milk and water and bring the heat to high, covering the saucepan with a lid. When the liquid comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and keep the lid on. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender, then remove from the heat. 

4. Pour the liquid in a good blender or food processor and blend / process until all the ingredients have been pureed. Divide into four bowls and top with chopped fresh chives or sage. Season with ground black pepper to taste. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily 

APRICOT BLISS BALLS

I have been craving sweets as the weather gets chiller and thought that it was high time to make some bliss / goodie balls. I usually make these with dates as a base, however I thought apricots might be an interesting way to go this time around. The ingredients may sound a little strange but combined together they form a nutritious, naturally sweet and filling little goodie ball. You can also add any form of chopped nuts to this recipe or if you really like citrus lemon zest would be a nice addition along with the lemon juice. I just love the vibrant colour of these bliss balls!

INGREDIENTS

• 500g dried apricots
• 3 heaped tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 heaped tablespoons LSA 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
• 1 heaped tablespoon organic peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup roughly shredded coconut 
• To coat: cacoa powder & finely shredded coconut 

PREPARATION 

1. Place all the ingredients except for the coating ingredients in a food processor and process until mixed well and all ingredients are combined. (If the mixture is too sticky, add some water sparingly). 

2. Form mixture into 16 even-sized bliss balls with your hands. Coat in cacoa powder, finely shredded coconut and leave some bliss balls uncoated. Keep covered in the refrigerator and eat immediately when removed. 

Makes / 16

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

x Emily