BEEF VEGETABLE RAMEN

A simple ramen soup choc full of vegetables with a salty soup. Dashi is a type of soup and cooking stock used in Japanese cuisine. It is made from large dried, smoked and cured bonito flakes; bonito being a type of tuna. I used bonito flavoured seasoning, which can be found at all Asian supermarkets, however if you do have time to buy this, beef stock will work just fine. 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons dashi (bonito flavoured seasoning) or 1 litre beef stock
• water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 star anise
• 1 spring onion, plus extra to serve
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets and stalk chopped
• 2 medium carrots, cut into rounds
• 1 bunch buk choy, end removed and roughly chopped
• 100g ramen / soba / somen / rice vermicelli noodles
• 225-250g eye fillet beef, thinly sliced

Cooking 

1. Combine the dashi with 4 cups of water and pour this or the beef stock into a large saucepan. Add the garlic cloves, star anise, miso paste, spring onion, sesame oil and 2 more cups of water to the pan and bring to the boil, covered. 

2. Once boiled, reduce the heat to medium, add 2 more cups of water as well as the broccoli, carrot and buk choy. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the carrot is just tender. Turn off the heat, add the beef strips and noodles and leave, covered, for 5 minutes. 

Remove the star anise from the broth. Divide into 4 soup bowls and serve warm, garnished with extra spring onion, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / around 20 minutes 

x Emily 

WARM STEAK SALAD SANDWICH

This steak salad sandwich idea came about whilst I was browsing an issue of Super Food Ideas several years ago. I love the idea that a steak sandwich can become a salad and can be eaten at dinner time without any judgement. If you are not prepared to cook your own beetroot do not use the tinned beetroot as there is so much sugar in those slices! I've listed how to cook the beetroot to make it easy, however if in a rush leave it out or cook it before that night; for example I roasted my beetroot on Sunday and used it on Tuesday. Roasting a beetroot is so simple: you let the oven do the work for 25-30 minutes and you can use this time to get the salad ready. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium beetroot, peeled, ends trimmed and cut into half 
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 400g lean eye fillet steak, cut into small even strips
• a generous handful of baby spinach leaves and/or mixed lettuce leaves, washed and drained
• 2 large tomatoes, washed and cut into wedges
• 1/2 a continental cucumber, cut into slices 
• 1 ripe avocado, cut into small pieces
• 2 slices of wholemeal or multigrain bread (or gluten-free if intolerant), toasted and torn into little pieces
• 30g of grated reduced-fat cheese 

Dressing

• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons water 
• ground black pepper

COOKING 

1. *NB: Skip this step if you are not using beetroot. 
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and wrap the beetroot halves in foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until beetroot is tender (that is, you can slice the beetroot with a knife easily). Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then slice beetroot into thin wedges. 

2. *Either perform this step once the beetroot has just been removed from the oven or start with this step. 
Heat a medium frying pan over low-medium heat, adding the oil and swirling to coat. When the pan is hot add the beef and cook, tossing often, for around 5 minutes or until the beef is cooked & browned to your liking. Remove from heat. 

3. Whilst the beetroot and/or beef is cooking, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and stirring well. 

2. Combine the baby spinach/lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, torn bread pieces, cheese and cooked beetroot in a large serving bowl. Add cooked beef to the bowl and toss well to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the top and serve. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 40 minutes if cooking the beetroot / less if not 

x Emily 

GYOZA / JAPANESE DUMPLINGS

Gyoza are a favourite dish of my husbands'; he asks for them frequently. They require patience and time so I don't make them too often for him (and I don't want him to get too used to them!). My dumplings are nowhere near as expertly folded or presented as what you would receive at a Japanese restaurant, however the way I fold my gyoza is less fiddly and works well for me! Ps please note that wonton wrappers are not gluten-free and that different wonton pastry are different sizes. I prefer to buy wonton pastry from an Asian supermarket, as they are bigger than some of the pastry for sale at the supermarket. If buying pastry from the supermarket you may need to reduce the amount of mince mixture in each gyoza by 1 teaspoon. 

INGREDIENTS

Gyoza

• 500g lean pork, beef or chicken mince
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2-3 cm fresh ginger, grated
• 2 small carrots or 1 large, grated
• 1 cup wombok (chinese cabbage), finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1 egg, preferably free range, yolk & white separated
• 1 x 330g packet of wonton pastry 
• pastry brush
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

COOKING

1. Place the mince, onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, wombok, soy sauce  and the yolk of the egg in a large bowl. Stir well to combine. 

2. Place the wonton wrappers on a clean surface. (If you are working with wrappers that have been in the freezer and are thawing, cover the wrappers with a damp tea-towel so they do not dry out). Place 2 teaspoons of the mince mixture in the centre of each wrapper. Brush the edges with egg white and fold over to close. You can pleat the edges of the wrapper with your fingers to seal or you can do as I like to do and fold the edges over each other, overlapping the edges and making a kind of rectangle. Repeat this process until all wrappers have been used or until the filling has run out. (If you end up with extra filling, roll the mince into balls and make meatballs!). 

3. Bring a large frying pan or saucepan with around 5cm of water to the boil. Once boiled, add as many gyoza as will fit without overcrowding. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover, cooking for 3 minutes. Remove the gyoza from the pan and continue this process until all gyoza is cooked. Remove the water from the pan and dry. 

4. Heat the olive oil in the same pan and swirl to coat. Cook the gyoza on just one side, for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Place the fried gyoza on paper towel to absorb the oil and continue this process until all gyoza are lightly fried. 

Serve alone or alongside a dipping sauce; I often eat these as is as they are so delicious! 

Serves / 4 as a main / 8 as an entree 
Total Preparation time / 30 - 40 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 20 minutes

x Emily 

SHEPHERD'S PIE

This recipe is actually quite simple to my Bolognese recipe, plus & minus a few ingredients and the pasta of course. The sliced potatoes on top are different from the traditional mashed potatoes, however I wanted to make the top layer fuss-free. You can add some cheese to the sliced potato and rosemary for some calcium. Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate meat dish for my husband and perfect for a winter's night.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced or minced
• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 4 small to medium tomatoes (around 500g), diced 
• 2 medium carrots, peeled & diced
• 4 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 500ml (2 cups) salt-reduced beef stock
• ground black pepper
• 1 cup peas, fresh or thawed if frozen
• 2 large or 5 small Sebago potatoes (around 500g), peeled & sliced
• 40g reduced-fat grated cheese

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a deep ovenproof pan or casserole dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil. 

2. Heat a large, deep frying pan over medium heat, adding the remaining teaspoon of oil and swirling to coat the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the onion is starting to soften. Add the beef mince and cook, breaking apart the lumps with a metal spoon, for around 5 minutes or until all mince is browned. Add the tomatoes, carrots, 2 tablespoons of rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock and a generous pinch of pepper and stir well. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the peas and simmer, covered for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. 

3. Meanwhile, place the potato slices on a large plate and cover with glad wrap. Place in the microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from the microwave. (If you do not have a microwave or do not want to use on, steam the potatoes in a boiling saucepan of water for just a couple of minutes as you want the potato to be just warmed up, not mushy). 

4. Once step 2 has been completed pour the beef and vegetable mixture into the prepared ovenproof pan and top with the sliced potatoes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of rosemary and the grated cheese (if using) on top of the sliced potatoes. Cook for 50 minutes in the oven or until potatoes are slightly golden brown. Remove from heat and serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / around 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 1 hour 25 minutes 

x Emily 

BEEF VERMICELLI SALAD

I have a strange obsession with rice vermicelli noodles. I could eat them every single day if I allowed myself. Here's a very fresh and simple beef vermicelli salad that I love to make. You can use whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand! This is a beautifully light, fresh and vibrant salad, perfect for Spring or Summer! 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g lean eye fillet beef, cut into thin strips
• 2cm fresh ginger, grated
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 100g rice vermicelli noodles 
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 medium capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 continental cucumber, finely chopped
• 2 shallots/spring onions, finely chopped
• Optional- 2 tablespoons of fresh coriander, finely chopped 

Dressing 

• the juice of half a lime (around 2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
• 1-2 tablespoons water 

COOKING 

1. Combine the beef strips with the ginger, garlic and oyster sauce and marinate in the fridge for 10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Place the vermicelli noodles in a medium heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over noodles. Stand for 2-3 minutes or until noodles are tender, then drain well in a sieve or colander. Pour cold water over the noodles and drain again. 

3. Preparing the salad: In a large bowl toss the cooked vermicelli noodles with the carrot, capsicum, cucumber, shallots and coriander, if using. 

4. Preparing the salad: Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and stirring.  If the dressing is too strong, add more water, just a splash at a time. 

5. Once the 10 minutes of marinating is up, heat the oil in a medium frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the beef strips and cook, stirring often, for around 5 minutes or until the beef is browned to your liking. Remove from heat. 

4. Add the cooked beef to the salad and drizzle the dressing over the top. Toss well and serve. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time & Cooking time / around 20 minutes 

x Emily 

ASIAN BEEF PATTIES / NAKED BURGERS

These Asian beef patties are a favourite of mine to make, as they are light, filling and delicious. I call them 'naked burgers' as you can eat them (and should eat them for dinner) without any bread; instead they can be eaten 'naked' as they are or wrapped in lettuce leaves. Make sure you consume a vegetable side when eating these as they are low in veges. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g lean minced beef
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce 
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 egg, preferably free-range 
• 2 tablespoons shallots finely chopped
• Optional - 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1/2 a small red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• Optional - Lettuce leaves (to wrap the patties in)

COOKING 

1. Combine beef, chilli, fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, egg, shallots, coriander (if using), capsicum and a pinch of ground black pepper in a large bowl. Using your hands, mould the mixture into four even-sized patties. Place on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes. 

2. When the 15 minutes is up, heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the oil, swirling to coat the pan. Place patties in the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side, covered. Check if the patties are cooked by cutting a patty in half and seeing if any red flesh remains; if it does, continue cooking. 

3. Serve warm with a vegetable side, such as a salad, steamed corn or sweet potato fries. 

Serves / 4 accompanied by a side 

Total Preparation time / 30 minutes (including 15 minutes in the fridge)

Total Cooking time / under 10 minutes 

x Emily 

STEAK with TOMATO, MUSTARD & PARSLEY SAUCE

I used to despite eating steak, however now I often find myself craving it. It is such a great late night after work dinner, as it is light on the carbs and filled with protein and iron. I can never eat steak by itself and 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. Hence the tomato, mustard and parsley sauce (still got my tomato in!). 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. If you want to add some delicious Sweet Potato Fries to accompany your steak, prepare and place the fries in the oven before starting to cook the steak. Follow my easy Sweet Potato Fry recipe by clicking on this link: http://soulfulsandwiches.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/sweet-potato-fries.html

INGREDIENTS

• 2 x 120g (150g for men) eye fillet steak, fat removed
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• Aluminium foil 
• 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 heaped tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac 
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

COOKING 

1. Combine the steaks, garlic and oil in a medium bowl and mix so that the garlic and oil coats the steak. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and cook steaks to your specification / liking. (I like steaks medium rare, so I cooked them for around 3-4 minutes each side, then cut into the side of one of the pieces to make sure that it is ready). After cooking the steaks, left them to rest for 5 minutes loosely wrapped in aluminium foil before serving. 

2. Whilst the steaks are resting combine the tomatoes, parsley, mustard, sumac, vinegar and a pinch of ground black pepper in a small bowl and stir well to combine all ingredients.  

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

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes plus 5 minutes resting time 

x Emily 

BEEF, TOMATO & BEAN STEW

Some would say that it’s not truly winter without a hearty and filling meat stew. My finance goes nuts for meat; I put it in any meal and he instantly thinks that said meal is tasty. This beef, bean and tomato stew is very simple but tastes like it has been slow cooked for a few hours. If you don’t have 5 bean mix on hand you could use red kidney beans or butter/cannellini beans. Bay leaves are imperative to this recipe and can be purchased for under $2 at any major supermarket.  I used fresh rosemary, however dried rosemary would work just fine as well.  If you like spice, add smoked paprika or chilli powder when adding in all the remaining ingredients. I enjoyed eating this on its own, but you can add it to a bed of brown rice to increase the portion size from 2 to 4. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500g lean beef, thinly sliced
• 1 x 400g tin 5 bean mix, rinsed & drained
• 3 medium (400g) tomatoes, diced
• 2 bay leaves 
• Optional- 1 teaspoon ground chilli and/or 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary 
• 1 cup salt reduced beef stock 

COOKING 

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add red onion and garlic, stirring often for 2 minutes or until the onion & garlic has softened. Next add the beef strips, cooking for 3-4 minutes or until brown. 

2. Add the beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, spices if using, rosemary and beef stock to the pan. Stir well, then cover and bring to the boil. When boiled reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed. Turn off the stove, then remove the 2 bay leaves from the stew. Stir in a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper and serve warm, sprinkled with fresh rosemary if available.

Serves / 2 / Serves 4 if 1 cup of cooked brown rice is added 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

BEEF & SWEET POTATO LASAGNE

I adapted this recipe from an Aldi magazine, which served their Beef & Eggplant Lasagne with roasted kale. Not being a big fan of eggplant (I just can not get past the texture!) I used sweet potato, which holds its shape beautifully when grilled and acts as a wonderful lasagne sheet replacement. I added lots of vegetables into the lasagne which omitted the need to make a vegetable side. I love fresh herbs, hence the addition of basil, oregano and parsley in the ingredients list. If you do not have herbs on hand or do not want to buy them, use cheaper dried options. However keep in mind that you can place herbs in a plastic zip lock bag in the fridge and/or freezer and they will keep for much longer. Also fresh herbs taste insanely better than dried herbs. You could even make this lasagne vegetarian by increasing the quantities of the vegetables and omitting the beef. This is the heartiest lasagne I have ever had and I love that I wasn't left with a 'too full' feeling that I often get after eating traditional lasagne with all the wheat and cheese. This recipe does take just shy of 2 hours to make from the prep to the eating stage, however it feeds 6-8 and is worth the time, particularly as 45 minutes of that time involves only the work of your oven! 

Ingredients

• 1 kg lean beef mince
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 a large red onion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped/crushed
• 1 large carrot, diced into even pieces
• 1 large zucchini, diced into even pieces
• 2 sticks of celery, diced into even pieces
• 1 capsicum, diced into even pieces
• 150g sliced mushrooms, diced into even pieces
• 700g passata
• Optional - 1 tablespoon Worcester sauce 
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh basil
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh oregano 
• 2 heaped tablespoons fresh parsley 
• 3 tomatoes (around 450g), diced into even pieces
• 800g sweet potato, peeled & finely sliced into even rounds
• 40 feta, crumbled 

Cooking 

1. Heat a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and cook, stirring with a strong spoon to break up the lumps, until the beef is browned. Next, add the onion, garlic, carrot, zucchini, celery, capsicum and mushrooms and stir to combine. Cover the saucepan and cook the vegetables for 5 minutes. 

2. Remove the lid and pour in the passata. Fill the pasta bottle 1/3 of the way with water and pour into the pan, along with the Worcester sauce, fresh herbs and diced tomato. Cover the pan and bring to the boil, then simmer on low with the lid just ajar for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. 

3. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

4. After you have brought the vegetables & beef to the boil, heat a grill plate/pan over medium-high heat and brush with 1 teaspoon oil. Add the sweet potato rounds and cook until grill marks appear on each side, then remove from the heat and continue until all sweet potato has been grilled. 

5. In a deep oven proof dish layer the lasagne; start by pouring 1/2 of the sauce on the bottom, then cover with 1/2 of the sweet potato rounds then repeat this layer. Sprinkle the crumbled feta on top. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the feta is golden brown and the sweet potato on the top layer is tender but not mushy. 

Serve with ground black pepper and more herbs, if desired. 

Serves / 6-8
Total Preparation time / 20-25 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 1 hr 30 minutes 

x Emily 

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 

MINCE, BASIL & RED KIDNEY BEANS

This is what I would call a classic Chris meal (my fiancee) as it contains only two major ingredients: meat and vegetables. Not a fan of lamb myself (I personally do not like the taste) I prefer this simple, low carb dinner with beef however after grabbing lamb mince by accident the other day I had no choice but to cook with it. Chris informed me that lamb works just as well in this recipe. I love the colours of this dish; the bright orange of the carrot, the deep purple of the kidney beans, the vibrant red of the tomatoes and the striking green of the basil. 

The secret ingredient here is smoked ground paprika- you must add it! It gives the dish a woody yet mildly spicy aroma. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed and drained well
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly diced
• 1 medium red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 500g extra lean beef / lamb mince
• 2 teaspoons smoked ground paprika 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, plus extra to serve 

COOKING 

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat well. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute or until garlic is soft. Add mince, smoked paprika and 2 tablespoons chopped basil and stir continuously until the beef has browned and no meat lumps remain. 

2. Add carrot and capsicum and stir to combine, then cover for 3 minutes to cook. Remove from heat and place in a large serving bowl. Add red kidney beans and tomato and toss to combine. Top with basil leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily 

THAI BEEF SALAD

My fiancee Chris bought me Pete Evans' cookbook 'Healthy Every Day' last week and since then I have been madly trying out as many of the recipes as I possibly can. My favourite so far: the desserts, snacks and this Thai Beef Salad. Evans uses kelp noodles, which are made of kelp, a sea vegetable, sodium alginate (sodium salt extracted from brown seaweed) and water. This recipe is very similar to Pete's, with a few changes to the dressing. I just happened to have kelp noodles in my pantry from an outing to Wray Organic months ago. Now I will level with you; kelp noodles are not cheap, however they are very low in carbs and calories and contains calcium, potassium, iodine and magnesium, among other essential minerals. You can use rice noodles, such as rice vermicelli, however I would strongly advise splashing out on the kelp noodles as they are rich in nutrients, have a very interesting texture and require no cooking! I ate this for lunch today and can not remember the last time a salad filled me up as much as this one. 

Ingredients

Salad

• 340g kelp noodles 
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 600g grass fed eye fillet steak, fat trimmed and cut into even slabs (around 4-6 pieces)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 large handful fresh coriander

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons coriander stems, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes or 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
• the juice of 1 medium lime 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• water 

Cooking 

1. Soak the kelp noodles in a medium bowl of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain with cold water and set aside. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the salt and pepper and sprinkle on a plate. Evenly roll the eye fillet pieces in this mixture. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and swirl the coconut oil in the pan. Cook the steak for 3-4 minutes each side, then remove from the heat and wrap loosely in foil for 10 minutes to rest. 

3. Whilst the meat is resting make the dressing by combining all the  dressing ingredients and stirring to combine. Add a few splashes to water to thin out the dressing. 

4. Pour half the dressing on the drained noodles and toss to combine (this will further soften the noodles). 

5. Thinly slice the cooked beef. Arrange the noodles, sliced beef, spring onions and coriander leaves in a large bowl and toss to combine. Pour the remaining half of the dressing over the top and toss again. Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

Serves / 4 

Total Cooking time / 35-40 minutes (prep time is included in cooking time)

x Emily 

CHILLI BEEF & BEAN BOWL

This was pure heaven for my very hungover fiancé on Sunday night. He looked terminally ill when he arrived home from an epic Saturday day & night bachelor party  and I knew that a Kale & Quinoa salad, however hearty it may have been, would not cut it for this boy. He needed meat and lots of it. Hence Chilli Beef & Bean Bowls was on the menu for Sunday night and Monday night, as I chose to make 4 servings. The amount of rice per serve is small and did shock me at first, however as this is based on a Michelle Bridges recipe calories must be counted and the sizeable amount of beef mince, tomatoes and beans does not leave much room for starchy carbs. I suggest you use brown rice over white, as brown rice fills you for longer. Don’t be tempted to rack up more calories by adding a dollop of sour cream or cheese on top of this bowl, as there is flavour enough without adding in dairy.

Ingredients

• 2.5g rice bran oil / olive oil (1/2 teaspoon)
• 3 garlic cloves (9g), finely chopped or crushed
• 1 medium red capsicum (200g), finely chopped
• 400g lean beef mince
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (20g)
• 2 x 400g can diced tomatoes 
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 x 400g four bean mix, rinsed & drained
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil or coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cup of fresh lettuce (iceberg, cos, butter), washed, drained & roughly chopped
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Cooking 

1. Bring a small saucepan of rice and 1 cup of water to the boil with a pinch of sea salt. Once boiled reduce to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed and the rice is soft. Set aside. 

2.  Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic and capsicum to the pan and cook, stirring often for 2-3 minutes, until the capsicum is just becoming soft. Be careful not to overcook the garlic and burn it. 

3. Increase the heat to high and add the mince and taco seasoning. Cook, breaking up the lumps in the mince with a strong large spoon, for 4-5 minutes or until the beef is brown. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup (250ml) of water, then cover and bring to the boil. Once boiled reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. 

4. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, add the beans to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or until the tomato sauce has reduced (thickened) slightly. 

5. Divide the cooked rice into 4 bowls, then add the chilli beef & beans. Place 1 lime wedge, the chopped lettuce and the basil on top of each chilli bowl. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Calories / approx. 570 per serve / recipe makes 4 serves 

x Emily 

BEEF with CORN & AVOCADO SALSA

Fresh corn is so much tastier than canned corn, so make sure you use the good old garden-fresh stuff when making this recipe. This is a great dinner, as it is light on the carbs and heavy on the vegetables (or fruit if you consider avocado and tomato vegetables). I added in some brown lentils for extra protein, however this did up the calorie count substantially to 599 per serving (it was 511 calories per serve without the lentils). You could use less lentils or slightly less steak for a lighter meal. This was a very simple, faintly Mexican meal to make. For vegetarians, I’d suggest using another corn on the cob and more lentils or beans to get the protein up! 

Ingredients

• 1 large corn on the cob (250g) 
• 2 medium tomatoes (155g), finely diced
• 1 x 400g tin brown lentils, rinsed & drained 
• 80g ripe avocado, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander (6g), roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons lime juice (10g)
• 400g lean beef steak (fillet or rump), fat removed
• 1/2 teaspoon rice bran oil
• pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 lime (50g) cut into wedges 

Cooking 

1. Microwave the corn on high for 3 minutes, covered in glad wrap, then set aside to cool for a few minutes. Once cool enough to hand, remove the husk and silk. Place the corn cob upright on a chopping board and cut down the cob vertically, using a sharp knife, to remove all the kernels. 

2. Combine the tomatoes, corn kernels, lentils, avocado, coriander and lime juice in a medium bowl. 

3. Brush the steaks with oil and dust with pepper. Heat a medium fry-pan or chill grill over medium high and cook steaks for 2-3 minutes per side or cooked to your preference. Remove from heat and leave to sit on a plate, loosely wrapped in al foil for a few minutes to rest. Slice meat to your liking. 

4. Divide the steak between two plates and top with salsa and lime wedges 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

Total Calories / approx. 599 per serve 

x Emily