COOKED BEETROOT SALAD

There is nothing better than cooked beetroot. After baking fresh beetroot you will never want to go back to beetroot in a tin/can, as it tastes highly sweetened and processed in comparison. Fresh beetroot does take around 40-45 minutes to cook, however all the labour it requires is turning the oven on. I was unable to eat this entire salad (as my meat-loving boyfriend did not want to help) therefore I used the leftovers to make beetroot dip – blog post up tomorrow!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large beetroots, peeled & cut in half
• 1/3 cup of fresh chives & fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin of brown lentils (or fresh), drained and rinsed 
• 2 handfuls of mixed lettuce leaves, washed
• lemon juice

COOKING 

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Peel and cut beetroots in half and wrap halves in foil. Cook for 40-45 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 5-10 minutes, then slice beetroot into thin slices or wedges. 

2. Place lettuce, lentils, herbs and beetroot in a large serving bowl and toss. Drizzle fresh lemon juice on top and serve. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 55 minutes maximum 

x E

HOW to POACH AN EGG

In this breakfast dish I describe the fine art behind poaching eggs (or at least what I have picking up from my partner, cooking magazines and my mother). Do not be afraid to try this recipe because of the detailed 3^rd step, as this detail is designed to help, not hinder your cooking. Best of luck! I think if you can poach an egg and serve it in a somewhat 'pretty' condition, you can do pretty much anything in the kitchen (besides perhaps de-boning a duck or killing a live lobster).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 free range eggs 
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar 
• 1/2 a small avocado, generously spread onto the toasted bread
• 2 pieces of multigrain, wholemeal or gluten-free bread, toasted 
• 1 handful washed baby spinach
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• Optional- a squeeze of lemon and a tablespoon or 2 of chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, etc. 

COOKING 

1. Bring the eggs to room temperature as warm eggs will take less time to poach. Crack one egg into a small cup and add 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Repeat in a separate cup with the other egg. (I use vinegar as this helps to set the egg). 

2. Fill a large saucepan/ frying pan with 8cm of water. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer. (You will know the water is simmering when you can see small bubbles at the base of the pan). Use a wooden spoon or whisk to stir the water in one direction, creating a whirlpool. Pour in one egg at a time, making sure to pour the egg as close to the water surface as possible, in the middle of the whirlpool. (The whirlpool motion is essential as it makes the egg white wrap around the egg yolk to form a round shape). Cook for 2-3 minutes for a semi-soft yolk or 3-4 minutes for a firmer yolk. NB- Do not stir the water once the egg is cooking. 

3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg on top of your toast (which can be 'buttered' with avocado). Serve the poached eggs with baby spinach, tomato, lemon juice and fresh chives piled on top or on the side. 

Serves / 1 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily 

CHICKEN, ALMOND & BASIL OPEN SANDWICH

When I found out that my life would consist of no wheat/gluten, you would think that buttery croissants, cakes, cookies and pasta may have first crossed my mind in a sad sorrow. However, I mostly left hollow that eating sandwiches were no longer an option. If you know me well, you will know that I spend the first 2 years living out of home surviving on purely sandwiches for lunch and dinner. Looking back, it may have been the immense consumption of whole-meal and multigrain bread that led to my gluten intolerance. Anyways, no sandwiches felt like a death sentence (or how I could imagine one in my head). Until my father introduced me to gluten-free bread, which over recent years has become much tastier than it started out as. Toasting gluten free bread and eating it with avocado and sea salt has become my new vice, after I was specified no-dairy no-wheat existence. Today for lunch I mixed it up with some cucumber, celery and almonds.

INGREDIENTS

• 300g chicken breast, cut into even bite size pieces
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1/4 cup roasted slivered/flaked almonds
• 2 tablespoons 99% fat free mayonnaise
• 1 lebanese cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• sea salt & pepper
• 4-6 pieces gluten-free bread, toasted

COOKING 

1. Heat a small frying pan with sesame oil and swirl to coat. Cook chicken over medium heat until chicken is lightly golden and no red flesh remains. Remove from heat. 

2. Combine chopped celery, cucumber, basil, almonds and chicken. Season to taste with salt & pepper and place over toasted bread. Serve with hard boiled egg if you wish. 

Serves / 2 - 3 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 6-8 minutes 

x E

BEEF MEATBALLS

I have never been a huge fan of meat, particularly red meat. 

However, when doctors, friends and family all hassle you relentlessly to eat more of something, you do end up listening to them. My challenge is to make red meat cooking fun and taste unlike a dead poor cow. I was reading a food magazine last weekend when I came across an article in a food magazine titled ’10 Top Meatballs’. Looking through this wide selection of pork, veal, chicken, lamb and beef meatballs, I formed my own recipe. I've kept it very simple, however you could certainly add more herbs and spices, if you have these on hand. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g lean beef mince
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (amounts to 2 slices of gluten-free bread or 1 multigrain/wholemeal roll, processed in a blender)
• 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano 
• pinch of ground black pepper
• Optional- 30g feta cheese, chopped or crumbled into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil

COOKING 

1. Combine the beef, garlic, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, egg, oregano, pinch of ground black pepper and feta, if using, in a large bowl. To shape the meatballs, take around 2 tablespoons of mixture and shape into a circular ball. This is best done with your hands. Repeat to make around 24 (6 per serve) meatballs, placing them on a large plate. 

2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the oil . Place as many meatballs as you can without crowding them into the pan and cook, for around 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden-brown and no red flesh remains. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to cool and remove excess oil. Repeat this process until all meatballs are cooked.

Serve with a filling salad. 

Serves / 4 

Makes / approx 24 meatballs

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes

Total Cooking time / 10-15 minutes 

x Emily 

WILD RICE

I have always wanted to try wild rice but never got around to buying it until last week. I have recently been spending a lot of my free time at my local organic store, as food is a real passion of mine (if you haven’t already worked that out!). I saw some wild rice for $45 a kilo, not cheap but not too expensive to put me off it. I purchased a decent amount of it, enough to fill exactly one cup and skipped on home with my puppy in tow to cook. When I got home I faced a dilemma; what to eat wild rice with? The cooking is easy enough, I assume that it is similar to cooking white/ brown rice, however since I had no idea what wild rice tasted like I decided to go for the less is more approach and just added doongara rice & fresh chives. The vegetable stock gave the wild rice a creamy flavour, which juxtaposed nicely with the nutty taste of the wild rice. Definitely something to try if you have not experienced wild rice before. A friend of mine recently combined wild rice with cranberries, balsamic vinegar and aioli…maybe not too good on the waistline but it does sound amazing.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained 
• 1 cup doongara rice
• 2 cups Massel vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Cook wild rice first by placing 1 cup rice and 2 cups stock in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, simmering for around 30-35 minutes or until the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender to taste. Remove from heat. 

2. Cook the doongara rice by placing 1 cup rice and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil and the reduce the heat, simmering for around 10-12 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat. 

3. Place both types of rice in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with freshly cut chives. Serve as a side. 

Serves / 6- 8 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 50 minutes 

x E

PEANUT, LIME & HERB SALAD

Another recipe from Super Natural Cooking! This roasted yet zesty peanut salad is a wonderful accompaniment for any meal. Simple to make, the lime juice really makes the salad. Make sure you only add the peanuts right before serving or you will be consuming some super soggy nuts (as I found out for lunch today!). Mix the recipe up, adding different nuts or different herbs, such as mint or parsley. Coriander & chives just happened to be in my fridge last night, begging to be used. Go crazy with the lime juice, as I did by adding 3 tablespoons.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted raw peanuts
• 4 fresh tomatoes, washed, with seeds removed and cut into small pieces
• a handful of fresh coriander, roughly shredded
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon grape seed oil
• a large pinch of sea salt 
• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice

COOKING 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and place the peanuts in a single layer on top. Roast for 6-8 minutes or until the peanuts are slightly brown. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, coriander and chives in a serving bowl. Whisk the lime juice, grape seed oil and sea salt in a separate bowl. Drizzle this dressing over the tomato mixture and toss carefully to combine. Taste, adding more lime juice if need be. Right before serving, gently fold in the peanuts. Serve immediately, as the peanuts will become soggy after sitting around for a short while. 

Serves / 4 to 6 as a side or snack 

Recipe adapted from 'Super Natural Cooking' by Heidi Swanson

x E