VERSATILE VEGGIES, BEANS & BEEF

I initially made this meal for State of Origin night a few years ago and I've made it several times since. My mother makes a similar recipe for me often when 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. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 1 medium sweet potato, roughly grated
• 2 medium zucchinis, roughly grated
• 1 large carrot, roughly grated
• 2 large tomatoes (400g), diced 
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free Worcester sauce 
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained 
• Optional - a few tablespoons of roughly chopped basil, plus extra to garnish 

COOKING 

1. Heat a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat and add oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 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, Worcester sauce and 2 cups (500ml) of water 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 10-12 minutes or until almost no liquid remains. At this point add the red kidney beans, basil (if using) and a generous pinch of ground 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 without rice or corn chips/ 6 with accompaniments 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

HARD BOILED EGGS

Why does breakfast always taste so damn good on Sunday? Breakfast on weekdays is often mundane and can even be described as a bit of a chore, however weekend breakfasts never lose their novelty. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that for many of us, we know that after consuming our leisurely and often naughty Saturday or Sunday breakfast we have no work commitments to attend to. If only we had the time or energy during the week to truly look forward to our breakfast, as it is the most important meal of the day. “It gets your metabolism going!’ my mother always used to say to me in my teenage years, when I sadly thought it was the cool thing to skip breakfast. Its actually incredibly uncool, as your body starts to indulge in its fat reserves and you eat more throughout the day, particularly around dinner time, the meal that should be the smallest. Definitely not the way to go to eat healthily or maintain / lose weight. So splash out and enjoy your big breakfasts!

INGREDIENTS

• 1-2 pieces of multigrain, wholemeal or gluten-free bread, toasted 
• 2 eggs (preferably free-range)
• 1 teaspoon fresh chives & fresh basil, finely chopped
• Optional- a few slices of tomato, baby spinach, 1/4 avocado 

COOKING 

1. Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and leave the eggs to sit for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and place eggs in cold water for 3 minutes. Peel eggs and place on top of toast or to the side. Sprinkle fresh herbs & ground black pepper on top. Serve with sides, such as tomato slices, fresh or steamed baby spinach and avocado slices or avocado spread onto the toast. 

Serves / 1 

Total Preparation time / 3 minutes (to toast bread & prepare herbs)

Total Cooking time / 13 minutes 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO BOATS with CORN SALSA

This is one of my favourite dinners to eat when I know that I am going to be eating late. I love baked sweet potato and have never cared about the carbohydrate content of these; as they are low in GI (much lower than other types of potato) and therefore keep you feeling fuller for longer. Preparing corn kernels from a corn on the cob can be a little fiddly, but taste much nicer (and have a much smaller sugar content) than using canned. I know this taste article on preparing corn kernels very useful - http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/810/how+to+remove+corn+kernels. I make the salsa and bake the sweet potato during the day so that this meal is ready for me when I get home at 9pm most nights. The sweet potato do not get soggy as I wrap them individually in aluminium foil once they have cooled. And on a side note; this is one of the only vegetarian dishes that my fiancee does not complain about! So that's a win all in itself. I kept the salsa very simple as I wanted to keep the recipe low-fuss, however you could add all types of herbs to it, such as fresh chives, coriander, basil and/or spices such as ground sumac, paprika and/or pepper. 

INGREDIENTS

Sweet potato boats 

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut in half (skin not removed)
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil

Corn salsa

• 4 small to medium corn cobs (around 500g), husks / silks stripped and kernels removed (see website link above)
• 1/2 large green capsicum, seeds & membrane removed, roughly chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 medium Lebanese cucumber or 1/3 continental cucumber, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 small or 1/2 a large avocado, diced 
• the juice of 1 medium lime
• ground black pepper

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 220 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

NB: If you want to decrease the time the sweet potato cooks in the oven place the sweet potato halves on a plate covered with glad wrap in the microwave for 10 minutes. 

2. Lightly brush the cut part of the potato with rice bran oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes if you used the microwave method or 40 minutes if not, until the potato is golden and/or a fork can be inserted in the middle of the potato with little resistance. (The baking time will be longer if you do not use a microwave first or if your sweet potato halves are bigger than mine were). Remove from the oven when cooked to your satisfaction.  

3. While the sweet potato is baking, bring a small to medium pot of water to the boil over medium-high heat. When the water has boiled add the corn kernels and cook for just two minutes. The corn should be tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat and drain with cold water. Place the corn, capsicum, tomato, cucumber, spring onion, avocado and lime juice in a deep bowl and grind black pepper over the top. Toss well to combine and add any herbs or spices you would like. 

4. Leave the sweet potato halves to cool for just a few minutes after being removed from the oven so that they are able to be handled. There are two ways you can serve this dish. 
1. Scoop out some of the now soft flesh of the potato and scoop the corn salsa into this hole until overflowing. The scooped out flesh of the sweet potato can be mixed in with the salsa or can be eaten as a side. 
OR 2. Serve the sweet potato as is and plate the corn salsa as a side. 

Serves / 4 / 1 sweet potato half per person

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 - 45 minutes 

x Emily 

BIRCHER MUESLI

This bircher muesli recipe is inspired by Lola Berry's delicious 'Superfood Bircher' found in her latest cookbook, 'the Happy Cookbook'. I've adjusted the recipe to reflect my personal tastes and what ingredients were at my disposal at the time. For example, whilst I love Lola's recipe it did consist of a lot of dried fruit, which I find my body doesn't love. I've added just cranberries as my dried fruit of choice. Coconut chips have a much nicer texture than shredded coconut and are available in health food shops. I struggle to get enough protein in my diet hence the protein powder. I'm a big fan of the cinnamon flavour, however I also love adding it to breakfasts, smoothies and sweets as it reduces the rate at which food travels from your stomach to your intestine and thereby keeps you satisfied for longer and stops a post-meal slump. 

My fiancee detests chia seeds, hence the addition of flaxseeds in this bircher. You must add one of these two seeds to your muesli, as they are needed to soak up the milk and do this by expanding multiple times their size in liquid and therefore thickening liquid and making you feel full for longer. Fun fact: I only recently learnt that chia seeds and flax seeds in particular must be soaked in order to be easily digestible by the body. These seeds must be soaked prior to consumption for your body to receive all the nutritious benefits that they offer. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup / 100g rolled oats (or quinoa flakes)
• 1/4 cup / 40g goji berries
• 1/4 cup / 50g flaxseeds or chia seeds (40g)
• 1/4 cup / 50g almonds 
• 1/4 cup / 50g cashews
• 1/4 cup / 40g dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup / 50g sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup coconut chips
• 2 tablespoons pea or other type of protein powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Optional - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla 
• 4 cups / 1 litre unsweetened almond milk / oat milk / any type of milk you choose
• To serve - a small handful of blueberries 

Preparation 

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the blueberries in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Cover with glad wrap or another air tight covering and place in the fridge to soak overnight or at least three hours. Serve with a small handful of blueberries. 

Serves / 5-6 

x Emily 

SUSHI SALAD BOWL

I love fresh, bright and quick to prepare meals, hence this Sushi Salad Bowl is a favourite of mine. Having tried my hand at making sushi before, this is a much quicker and less painstaking process which tastes like the inside of my ideal sushi roll. You can play with the ingredients and add lemon, daikon, salmon, toasted seaweed, coriander etc or remove any ingredients below that you do not like/have on hand. I kept my sushi salad bowl very simple (it was Sunday night after all). 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / sesame oil 
• 2 green shallots, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
• Optional - 15cm stick fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 300g free range chicken breast, cut into 3cm even pieces 
• 150g green beans, cut into 2cm pieces 
• 150g red cabbage or wombok or a mixture of bowl, shredded 
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 1 Lebanese cucumber or 1/2 continental cucumber, diced 
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced 
• 4 teaspoons white /black or a mixture of both (1 teaspoon for each serving) 

Dressing

• the juice of 1 medium lime 
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

COOKING 

1. Place rice and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover for around 12-15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and add the rice wine vinegar, then fluff the rice with a fork to stir it in. 

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, lemongrass (if using) and ginger and stir for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the ingredients. Then add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring often for approximately 4-5minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 

3. Remove the chicken with the shallots, lemongrass and ginger from the pan and now add the beans and cabbage. Stir for around 3 minutes or until beans are slightly tender. 

4. Pour the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or mug along with 2 tablespoons water and stir well. 

5. Distribute the rice, carrot, cucumber, avocado, chicken and beans & cabbage into four bowls. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sesame seeds over each bowl and drizzle dressing over the top and serve. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / maximum 25 minutes 

x Emily 

TOMATO, ALMOND & BASIL PESTO PASTA

This deliciously quick pesto pasta recipe is sadly not one of my own. My favourite cooking magazine, Feast, published this recipe in its March 2015 edition. Unfortunately, the magazine is no longer in business. I was devastated to hear of this, as I learnt so much of what I know about cooking through pouring over my monthly Feast fix. Over the 30 editions of the magazine in my possession, the eating traditions and recipes of almost every single culture of the world was brought to light. I intend to treasure this incredible magazine through replicating its diverse recipes every so often on my blog. Thankyou for all you taught me Feast magazine, you truly instilled in me a deep love and respect for good food. 

Ingredients

• 400g gluten-free pasta (any type of pasta, however spaghetti works well)
• 60g almonds, roughly chopped
• 400g tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup densely packed basil, roughly chopped
• 50g feta
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley or chives (chives must be roughly chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Cooking 

1. Bring a large saucepan of boiling and lightly salted water to the boil. Once boiled add the pasta and cook until pasta is to your liking. Drain pasta in a colander over cold running water, keeping 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. 

2. Meanwhile, put all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until the ingredients make a textured paste. 

3. Return the pasta to the saucepan over low heat and pour in the reserved cooking liquid. Add the paste and stir well to combine. Season with ground black pepper and serve with extra basil leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

POLENTA CHICKEN PATTIES

I devised these little polenta patties after looking at an old Asian chicken patty recipe of mine. You can make this patty a little more Mexican by adding some ground or fresh chilli, if you can handle it! I love creating simple recipes like this that can be eaten as a snack or as a main meal. Make sure you let the patties rest after cooking them on the stove, as the chicken continues to cook during this time. 

Ingredients

• 500g free range chicken mince
• 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup polenta
• 1 medium carrot, grated 
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 a medium capsicum (any colour), finely chopped 
• 3 teaspoons taco seasoning 
• pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil 
• Optional - 1 medium avocado, 2 tomatoes, sliced and a few generous handfuls of baby spinach leaves 

Cooking 

1. Combine the mince, egg, polenta, carrot, spring onion, capsicum, taco seasoning and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix well to combine all ingredients (using your hands works best!). 

2. Shape the mixture into 8 even sized patties. 

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the patties to the pan, making sure to flatten each one down with a spatula. Cook for one side for 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. Remove the patties from the stove and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Serve warm on a bed of baby spinach, tomato and a quarter of an avocado each. 

Serves / 4 / 2 patties each + a serving of salad 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

x Emily 

POTATO & LEEK SOUP

I’m wishing autumn away and hoping that winter comes soon with this leek & potato soup. Whilst I love the sun, there’s nothing I love more than hearty winter meals. Leek & potato may sound like a bland combination, but when paired with thyme it is just magical. Thank you to Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans for the inspiration and for all your hearty & humble recipes. I love a filling meat-less dinner and what better way to start a week than with a filling, wholesome vegetable meal. Evans makes his own vegetable stock for this recipe, which I greatly admire (but did not 2 plus hours to do yesterday!). Hence I used water and unsweetened almond milk instead of stock, due its high sodium content. I further adjusted the recipe with a chunk less butter, less oil and less ingredients for a no-fuss soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 small tablespoons Nutalex or rice bran oil 
• 2 leeks, white part only, washed & finely chopped
• 1 handful of fresh thyme springs, stems discarded or 2 tablespoons dried thyme 
• 2 heaped tablespoons garlic or regular chives, finely chopped 
• 700g low-carb potatoes, such as Kestrels, peeled & chopped evenly into small cubes
• 1 handful of fresh thyme springs, stems discarded or 2 tablespoons dried thyme 
• 1 litre (4 cups) water 
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk 
• a generous pinch of ground black pepper 
• roughly chopped almonds & finely chopped thyme & chives, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Melt the Nutalex or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When just melted add the leeks, thyme and garlic chives and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes or until the leeks are soft but not burnt. 

2. Add the potato cubes, water, almond milk and pepper and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer, lid on, for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender and are falling apart when touched with a utensil. 

3. Pour the soup into a blender / food processor and blend / process into a puree. 

Serve with a few almonds, thyme and/or chives sprinkled on top. 

Serve warm or cold. 

Serves / 4 as a main 

Preparation time / 15 minutes 

From pot to plate  / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

QUINOA & TURKEY SALAD

This recipe just came to me as I was shopping for turkey mince this morning. Nothing makes me feel as full as quinoa, due to its high protein content. This wonder seed is also full of iron, magnesium and fibre, which makes it a great choice for vegetarians out there. The fresh or dried thyme is optional, however I urge you to include it, as this herb is a perfect paring with the turkey. Use ground black pepper instead of salt to flavour the turkey. You could add more vegetables to this salad if you wish, such as cucumber, green beans, etc. I find that with the avocado and herb/s in the dish there is no need for a dressing. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained twice
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 500g lean turkey mince
• Optional - 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
• a generous pinch of ground black pepper
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 150g baby spinach, washed & drained 
• 1 small avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives and/or coriander 

Cooking 

1. In a saucepan cover the quinoa with 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork, then leave to cool slightly for a few minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the turkey mince to the pan along with the thyme (if using). Stir often, breaking down any lumps that form in the mince, until the mince is just cooked. Sprinkle the pepper on top and stir well, then leave to sit for 2 minutes. 

3. Prepare the salad by combining the tomatoes, baby spinach, avocado and herb/s in a large salad/serving bowl. When the quinoa and turkey are ready, add to the bowl and toss well to combine. Serve warm, with a pinch more pepper if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

SWEET POTATO and COCONUT SOUP

As soon as slightly cooler weather arrives in Brisbane, I crave soup. Perhaps this intense desire to cook soup stems from the knowledge that the winter weeks are fleeting in this town. The chilly mornings hit this past Tuesday am, as I reached for a jumper when I woke at 4:30am for work. At that moment, I knew in my very bones that it was time for soup. 

Sweet potato (kumara) lends itself beautifully to soup, hence my first soup of 2015 was a no brainer. If you do not have fresh thyme on hand, use dried thyme. Fresh or ground sage works wonderfully as well, as would fresh basil. The function of whatever herb or herbs you use to is assign a strong flavour to the soup, as sweet potato and coconut can be a tad bland without any help. Some days I use coconut cream for a thicker consistency and sometimes I use coconut milk for a slightly more liquid soup. I try to never use stock in my soups, unless I make the stock myself, as it is almost always drowned in salt. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
• 1 small leek, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 800g sweet potato, peeled & cut into even cubes
• 2 cups water
• 400ml light coconut cream or milk
• 2 tablespoons of whatever herb you choose to use, stems removed and washed  (I used fresh thyme) 
• ground black pepper 

COOKING

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add leek, garlic and chilli flakes. Cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes or until the leek is transparent. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. 

2. Pour in the water, coconut cream/milk, herb/s and a generous pinch of ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 10 minutes or until the sweet potato is quite tender.

3. Pour the soup into a food processor or blender and process/blend on high for just a few seconds until smooth (or almost smooth if you like a little more texture in your soup). Ladle into 4 soup bowls and top with more herbs and extra chilli flakes, to garnish. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / maximum 25 minutes 

x Emily 

BROWN FRIED RICE

This brown fried rice can be vegetarian or not, with the addition of bacon. I like to mix up the ingredients and use whatever I have in fridge, such as the vegetables in the ingredients list below or  Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, buk choy, broccoli, etc. I remember my mother used to put little dices of ham into our fried rice when we were younger, probably so my brothers would see the meat and not get freaked out that they were eating a meat-free dish. The optional bacon in this dish is for my fiancee Chris, who can't seem to go one meal without meat! The flavour of the egg, bacon (if using), various vegetables and lime juice should be enough for you to not need to use extra soy sauce/tamari, but if you are craving more flavour add a dash of ground black pepper to your rice! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 eggs, preferably free range, lightly beaten
• Optional - 100g bacon, fat removed, roughly chopped
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup peas 
• 1 large zucchini, roughly chopped 
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped 
• 1 medium green capsicum, roughly chopped 
• 2 tablespoons reduced salt soy sauce or tamari 
• 1 large lime, cut into 4 wedges 

COOKING 

1. Pour the rice into a medium saucepan and add 2 1/4 cups of water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, covered, for around 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

2. While the rice is cooking, add 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil to a wok and swirl to coat over medium heat. Add beaten eggs with 1 tablespoon water to the wok and let cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, or until the outside of the omelette is set. Flip the thin omelette over and cook on the other side until just cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to cool then chop the fried egg roughly into small pieces. 

3. If not adding bacon, skip this step. Once the omelette has been removed from the wok, add the bacon to the wok and stir for a few minutes until slightly brown. Remove from heat. 

4. Keep the wok over medium heat and add 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, making sure to swirl the oil to coat as much of the bottom and sides of the wok as possible. Add the chilli and spring onion and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the peas, zucchini, carrot and capsicum to the pan, stir-frying for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are bright in colour and warmed through. (If at any point the vegetables stick to the wok, add a splash of water- try to do this instead of adding more oil). Add the cooked rice to the pan, followed by the soy sauce and the chopped egg pieces (and the cooked bacon if using), stirring well to combine all ingredients. Serve warm, with lime juice drizzled on top. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO MIXUP

This isn't so much of a salad as a kind of boiled, washed and toasted mixup of sweet potato, baby spinach, avocado, sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut and nuts. However, if I made that the title of this meal I'm sure you wouldn't still be reading! This is my new favourite lunch to make; it fills me up, gets my daily vegetable intake soaring and gives me ample amounts of energy to tackle the rest of my day. I love it so much I've made it several times in the past two weeks, even though its been as humid as hell in my non a/c kitchen. What I especially love about this meal is that you can substitute any ingredients that you have on hand. One day I toasted chopped walnuts instead of almonds, another day I used fresh chives and basil in the place of parsley. And not being an avid measurer in the kitchen, I love the fact that I can place 'a handful' of most of the ingredients into this salad and I know that the dish will still taste delicious! 

Ingredients

Salad

• 800g sweet potato, weighed after being peeled & cut into small, even pieces
• a large handful of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• a large handful of sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup almonds/walnuts, roughly chopped
• a large handful of roughly shredded coconut 
• 1 large handful of baby spinach
• 1 large handful of rocket
• 1 large handful of any type of lettuce 
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley/chives/and or basil, finely chopped

Avocado paste/dressing

• 2 medium avocados
• the juice of 1 large lime or 2 medium limes 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped/crushed

Cooking 

1. Place the sweet potato in a small to medium saucepan with enough water to cover the potato. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 6 -7 minutes or until the potato is tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and drain in cold water. 

2. Whilst the potato is cooking, place the pepitas, sunflower seeds, nuts and coconut in a small to medium frypan over low heat. Stir often, toasting the ingredients until fragrant and/or until the coconut pieces begin to brown. Turn off the heat and leave to sit for a little longer on the stove, as the ingredients will continue to toast. 

3. Make the avocado dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mash the avocado until smooth and add a splash of water at a time to get the dressing to your desired consistency. (I like my dressing to be like a paste; you may prefer yours runnier). Season to taste. 

4. Combine the cooked sweet potato, toasted nuts, baby spinach and herbs in a medium serving bowl. Dollop the avocado paste/dressing on top and serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

CHICKEN MUFFINS

Such an easy recipe that is tasty hot or cold. Just be careful as these cakes are very moreish and you will end up eating 4-5 per person. Great for a snack at work or for kids for school lunches. Make sure you buy a nice chicken mince and feel free to add whatever herbs you like; chives work nicely as does parsley or basil. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g chicken mince (preferably free-range)
• 1 large garlic clove or 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 cup baby spinach, washed & drained, roughly chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (preferably free-range)
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• a pinch of ground black pepper
• rice bran oil for greasing 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 180 degrees celsius. Prepare 10 muffin holes (1/2 cup /125ml deep) by lightly greasing with rice bran oil. 

2. Stir all ingredients until well combined. You can even use your hands to really mix the ingredients, just make sure that they are clean! Spoon mixture evenly into prepared muffin holes. 

3. Bake for 25 minutes or until mini cakes are golden and firm. Serve alongside a side salad. 

Makes / 10 / around 2 1/2 per person 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily