CARAMELISED PORK with APPLES & SWEET POTATO MASH

Another simple yet tasty recipe from Michelle Bridges’ body transformation program. Pork is not something I usually eat, unless it is Christmas time. However, ‘it is a very lean protein’, as my fiancée Chris and Michelle Bridges inform me. So I stepped out of my comfort zone to make this dish. The teaspoon of kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) is all you require for a light caramelisation of the pork and apples. I adapted this recipe to include a smaller amount of apple and a greater amount of green beans, as vegetables really fill me up at meals. I also added the spices, as they are zero calories and needed to lift the plain sweet potato mash. This meal was very filling for only 471 calories. Unfortunately there is no vegetarian equivalent to this dish, however stay tuned for tomorrow’s meal: Beetroot Risotto.

Ingredients

• 350g sweet potato, peeled & cut into small even pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 heaped teaspoon kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 450g free range lean pork fillet, fat removed 
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil
• 1 red apple (150g), cored and cut into 8 even sized wedges
• 200g green beans, trimmed 

Cooking 

1. Bring a small to medium saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. When water has boiled add the sweet potato pieces and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, drain and mash the potato well with the ground coriander & cumin. 

2. Meanwhile, brush kecap manis over the fillets. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pork and cook for 4 minutes each side or until just cooked through (you can check this by cutting the biggest fillet in half and checking that no pink flesh is visible). Remove from the heat and cover the fillets in al foil to stay warm. 

3. Place the apple wedges in the previous pork frying pan and cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes per side, then remove from heat. 

4. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil (or place the beans in with the sweet potato in step 1 at the 7-8 minute of boiling) and add the green beans. Cook for 2 minutes or until bright green and just tender. Remove from heat and drain. 

5. Divide the sweet potato mash, pork, apple wedges and beans between two plates and serve warm. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes  

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

Calories / 471 per serve 

x Emily 

CHICKEN VERMICELLI SALAD

I had a truly lovely Vermicelli Chicken Salad at ‘Sings’ restaurant in Brisbane last Monday night and was extremely eager to make my own. I was so incredibly eager that I rocked up to the restaurant again for Sunday lunch, however to my dismay it was closed. How selfish of those workers, I thought, to not be open when I needed them most. I therefore had to rely on my distant memory of the dish from a week ago. Whilst my salad did not taste as authentic as my restaurant experience, I was quite happy with the end result. If you are a lover of spicy food, add more sweet chilli sauce to the dish. Play around with different vegetables, such as boy choy or galangal. An easy, no-fuss midweek dinner. 

INGREDIENTS

• 250g rice vermicelli noodles
• 400g chicken breast fillets, cut into even 4cm pieces
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 400g bean sprouts
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons teriyaki chicken sauce 

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup gluten-free sweet chilli sauce 
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Combine the chicken pieces, oil, 2 spring onions and teriyaki sauce in a medium bowl. Refrigerate to marinade for 30 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, place noodles in a boiling large bowl or pot of water. Make sure all noodles are covered by water. Leave for 5 minutes, then drain well with cold water. Set aside. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and whisking to combine. 

3. Heat a wok over medium heat. Add marinaded chicken, stirring often until chicken is cooked through and no pink colour remains. Add bean sprouts to the wok, stirring well to combine for 2 minutes. Then add cooked noodles, stirring well for another 2 minutes until noodles are coated with the marinade. Remove from heat. 

4. Place chicken and noodles in a large serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top of the noodles and toss to combine. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 - 6 

Total Preparation time / 40 minutes (including refrigeration time)

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x E

HONEY SOY CHICKEN

After a long day, there is no easier dinner to make than an Asian stir-fry. I remember my mother swearing by them when we were younger. She would somehow manage to cook a minimum of 9 vegetables in her well-used wok along with tender chicken. I am ashamed to admit that I got sick of those stir-fries and begged for any other meal whilst I lived at home. Nowadays, having been out of home for years, fending for myself in the wild, I relish the chance to sit down with her perfected stir-fries. Whilst my attempts never include as many vegetables as hers did (my fridge is simply not big enough to store kilos of wombok, beans and broccoli) I try to make the sauce different each time so that my oblivious boyfriend has no idea that the dinner is basically the same as last week….

INGREDIENTS

• 440g rice noodles (gluten-free)
• 500g chicken breast, cut into 3cm pieces and all fat removed
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and stems
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 150g green beans, trimmed and cut in half
• 1/2 a carrot, grated
• 2cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons honey soy marinade (gluten-free)

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons honey soy marinade
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free fish sauce 
• 1 tablespoon tamari sauce 

COOKING 

1. Marinade chicken with 3 tablespoons honey soy marinade and leave in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

2. Heat sesame oil in a large ok and swirl wok around to coat. Add garlic and ginger to the wok and stir for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add chicken breast and cook, stirring often, until chicken is coloured and cooked through (this will be when no pink flesh is visible). Add broccoli, beans and carrot and stir frequently, cooking the vegetables through. This may take around 6-7 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, cook rice noodles by placing them in a saucepan or large heatproof bowl with boiling water. Gently break the noodles apart with a fork to separate. Drain well. 

4. Make the dressing by combining the three ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. 

5. Add the noodles to the wok and stir for 30 seconds to combine noodles, chicken and vegetables. Remove from heat and place in a large serving bowl. Drizzle dressing on top and toss to combine. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes (plus 30 refrigeration time)

Total Cooking time /  20 minutes 

x E

CHICKEN & PEA CURRY

A warm curry for a chilly winter’s night. I have recently been trying to make more of an effort to cook with legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils, as they are incredibly good for us (they are super rich in protein, calcium, prevent food cravings and protect the body against some of the nastier diseases). Yesterday’s dinner consisted of 1 cup of yellow split peas (as they were very cheap at the supermarket and I was interested to know what they tasted like). If you have ever eaten Indian Dhal, a lentil rich vegetable dish, this is what yellow split peas taste like – delicious and bursting with flavour when combined with exotic spices. Whilst this curry takes a while to cook (45 minutes), it is definitely worth it. Perhaps better to make on a rainy weekend, rather than a busy weeknight.

INGREDIENTS


Homemade curry paste

• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground madras curry
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 2 teaspoons water 

Chicken Curry

• 500g chicken breast fillets, cut into even sized pieces
• 1 cup yellow split peas 
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups doongara rice 
• a pinch of ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 

COOKING 

1. Make curry paste by combining all ingredients in a mortal & pestle or small bowl and mixing well to combine. Set aside for later. 

2. Cook yellow split peas by placing in a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 15-20 minutes or until peas are tender (you will need to taste test a few peas to judge this!). Remove from heat and keep warm. 

3. Meanwhile, cook doongara rice by bringing rice and 3 cups of water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of turmeric to colour the rice yellow. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until rice is tender and all water is absorbed. Remove from heat. 

4. Cook chicken pieces in a large saucepan with sesame oil over medium-low heat. When chicken is white in colour and cooked through, add curry paste and stir well to coat all the chicken. Add the cooked split peas and coconut milk to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has thickened somewhat. Serve warm on a bed of cooked yellow rice. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

x E