POTATO, SPINACH & ROSEMARY FRITTATA

I love making frittata's as you can throw into a pan whatever is left over in your fridge, pour some eggs & milk over the top and voila, you have yourself a filling meal. I always use almond or oat milk in my frittata's as I am allergic to dairy and I never add cheese, instead opting for dried herbs, spices and vegetables to add the flavour. As a result my frittata's are not buttery, creamy or fatty; rather they are light, stuffed to the brim with vegetables and are almost peasant-like in their simplicity. My method for cooking frittata's was adopted from Gywneth Paltrow's cookbooks and it is fool proof, therefore be precise with the cooking times! 

Ingredients

• 500g sebago potato, peeled & chopped into 3cm pieces
• 6 free-range eggs (52g each = 312g total)
• 100ml unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
• 2 large garlic cloves (8g), finely chopped
• 60g baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 
• Optional - fresh chives, finely chopped or other spices or herbs 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 190 degrees celsius. 

2. Place the chopped potato into a medium saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Once boiled, cook for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender. Remove from heat and drain in a colander until cold running water. 

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, 125ml (1/2 cup) of water and a generous pinch of ground black pepper and sea salt. 

4. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. If the potatoes stick to the pan, add a few splashes of water to the pan instead of more oil. Add the baby spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach just wilts. 

5. Pour the egg, milk & water mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle the dried rosemary on top. Leave to cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. 

6. After 5 minutes of cooking on the stove the outside of the frittata should be quite solid, however the inside will still be runny. Transfer the frittata to the oven and cook for exactly 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm, accompanied with a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper, if desired. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10-15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Approx calories / 514 per serve 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO & COCONUT SOUP

Another hearty and nourishing vegetarian soup recipe as we head into slightly cooler weather for Brisbane town. The kumara (sweet potato) and lime work beautifully together, creating a sweetness and a tartness to this soup that the coconut milk softens. Choose light coconut milk to save a huge amount of calories! The baby spinach adds more nutrients and a welcoming splash of green, but you can omit them if you want. A simple but filling soup. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• Finely grated rind & juice of one medium lime
• 750g sweet potato, peeled & cut into even cubes
• 500ml vegetable stock, preferably Massel brand 
• 1 cup water
• 400ml light coconut milk
• a large handful of baby spinach leaves, washed & drained 

COOKING

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add onion, garlic and lime rind. Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. 

2. Pour in the stock, water, coconut milk, lime juice and a generous pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 15 minutes or until the sweet potato is 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). Return the soup to the pan, add the spinach and stir until heated through. Add more salt & pepper if needed and serve into four bowls. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

SPINACH STRATA

I like to think that I’m not a huge complainer, however sometimes the no gluten & no dairy diet gets to me! I think about all the rich, soft cheeses I cannot eat (without a bloated stomach) and the sourdough, ciabatta, white and French bread that I must pass by. I initially looked at this Spinach Strata and thought there was no way that I could make this taste edible whilst being gluten & dairy free. However, after a few days of serene sunshine and uninterrupted hours of reading, I decided I was strong enough to take on the challenge. Rice milk is a wonderful alternative to fresh cow’s milk, finely grated pecorino sheep’s cheese tastes superior to feta and the new gluten-free & dairy-free bread range at Woolworths carries a pretty bright flame to stale white bread. I definitely recommend sprinkling some herbs right before baking this strata in the oven, particularly if you are cooking it GF & DF, as the extra flavour goes a long way. A perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 slices day-old & stale gluten-free bread, cut into 1cm cubes (if not stale place in a 180 degree celsius oven for 15 minutes) 
• lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 heaped cups of baby spinach, washed, drained & finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• 1/4 cup pecorino sheep's cheese
• 6 eggs, preferably free-range, lightly beaten
• 2 cups rice milk
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, plus extra to grease (liquid form)
• Optional- 1 tablespoon fresh basil/chives, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Lightly grease a cake tin/baking dish with coconut oil. Sprinkle the lemon zest evenly around the bottom of the tin and set aside. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Combine the coconut oil, mustard, a drizzle of the milk and a generous pinch of sea salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the eggs and the rest of the milk. 

3. Place the cubed bread into the prepared tin and sprinkle the cut spinach and half of the cheese on top. Gently toss the ingredients, just so everything is combined. Slowly drizzle the egg & milk mixture over the top of the bread and sprinkle the remaining cheese and optional herbs on top. Bake in the top part of the oven for 45-55 minutes, until the egg is completely set in the middle and the edges of the strata are browned, but not burnt. This can be a little tricky to tell; therefore you may need to poke around the strata with a skewer or knife to determine that the egg is set. 

Serve warm, with extra cheese or more herbs if desired. 

Serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 55-65 minutes 

x E

FRESH PASTA SALAD WITH PARSLEY & LEMON

The weather in Brisbane has been solemn and dreary at best this week. The sun teases up, peeking ever so slightly out of the clouds, then disappearing behind them again, playing an abysmal game of peek-a-boo. But I am not letting that dampen my cooking. Over the past 6 weeks or so, I have experimented with lots of soups, curry’s and warm rice dishes, and I have to say, whilst I enjoy comfort food, I am so ready for spring/summer and the delicious food it brings with it. I was sitting on my couch, watching the rain patter down my windows this afternoon and could only think of summer. Bbq’s, bright summer salads, cold chicken cuts and an array of sorbets flashed across my mind. To take myself out of this summer lovin funk I was experiencing, I made the incredibly simple, yet tasty dish below.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g gluten-free pasta 
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach, washed and drained
• 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, finely sliced
• 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, washed & drained well
• sea salt & cracked black pepper

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons 99% fat free mayonnaise (Praise makes a gluten-free & dairy-free one)
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• water, around 2 tablespoons

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water and a few sprinkles of salt to the boil, covered. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, uncovered, for around 6-7 minutes or until pasta is tender. (You may need to taste test to find out when pasta is cooked). Remove from heat and drain well, rinsing with cold water twice. 

2. Meanwhile, combine cut tomatoes, beans and baby spinach in a large serving bowl. Make salad dressing by coming the three ingredients and stirring well to combine. Add water to the dressing to decrease the thickness of the mayonnaise. 

3. Pour cooked pasta into the salad serving bowl, toss with the vegetables and sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper. Drizzle dressing on tip and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 6 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12-13 minutes (including time to boil the water)

x E

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 

x E

FETTA & SWEET POTATO FRITTATA

This is easily one of the best tasting frittata's I have ever cooked. Whilst sweet potato and feta may sound a little strange as a combination, they work incredibly well together in this dish. It may have something to do with the honeyed taste of the sweet potato and the sharp flavour of the cheese. You know what they say, opposites attract. After cooking countless frittatas (the majority which will never appear on this blog due to their dodgy appearance!) I am happy to say that I think I have finally mastered the skill of making them, which I believe is two-fold. Step 1- use a few tablespoons of a fresh herb, such as parsley, chives or coriander. Step 2- cook the frittata on the stove until the edges have set, then place in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the egg has just set. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 800g sweet potato, peeled and sliced into thin, even slices
• 9 eggs, free-range preferably, beaten
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley and/or chives, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / coconut oil 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• a handful of baby spinach, washed and roughly chopped 
• 50g reduced-fat feta, crumbed or cut into small pieces

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 160 degrees. 

2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add sweet potato and cook for around 5 minutes or until almost tender. Drain in a colander.

3. Meanwhile, combine the beaten eggs, 3/4 cup of water and the parsley and/or chives in a large bowl or jug. Season with a pinch of ground black pepper. 

4. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the spinach to the pan and cook until it has wilted. Add the cooked sweet potato to the pan, scattering it around evenly. 

5. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the vegetables in the pan. Scatter the pieces of feta over the top of the egg. Continue to cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the edges of the frittata have set. 

6. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until egg has completely set. Serve whilst warm. 

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

x Emily