PUMPKIN, BROCCOLI & TOFU FRITTATA

This frittata was inspired from a quiche recipe I found in a Weight Watchers book a few weeks ago. I am a big fan of tofu and am making a big effort to add it to more dishes for added protein. Even my meat-loving husband loved this frittata! Which sadly meant less for me. A delicious, simple and filling vegetarian meal. 

Ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil 
• 450g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into small even pieces
• 1 medium head of broccoli, cut into small florets and stalk chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 6 eggs, preferably free range, whisked 
• 300g firm tofu, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat cows milk (or if dairy intolerant or allergic, substitute for lactose-free, soy or unsweetened almond milk). 
• 1/4 cup grated light / reduced-fat cheese
• ground black pepper 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius or 200 degrees for a non fan-forced oven. Lightly grease a circular cake mould with olive oil. 

2. Bring a medium saucepan filled halfway with water to the boil, covered. Use this time to cut the pumpkin and broccoli. Once the water has boiled add the pumpkin and cook for seven minutes, then add the broccoli and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bright green. Remove from heat and drain the pumpkin and broccoli in a colander under cold water. 

3. Meanwhile, cut up all the herbs. Combine the whisked eggs, tofu, milk, herbs, cheese and a generous pinch of pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooked vegetables and stir well to combine all ingredients. 

4. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared mould and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until the egg is almost set and the top of the frittata is lightly golden. Remove from heat and leave to cool before cutting into slices. Serve with extra herbs on top, if desired.

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / 50 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 

ROASTED BEETROOT & POTATO HERB SALAD with WASABI MAYO

This recipe is yet another product of inspiration from the Arthur street kitchen Community cookbook (as all my recipes this past week have been). I altered the original recipe ‘roasted beetroot with caramelized turnips, edamame beans and wasabi mayo’ in an attempt to turn it into more of a Russian salad. I remember eating oodles of beetroot and potato as a child and one bite of these ingredients takes me right back. The rosemary and thyme goes beautifully with the root vegetables and Chinese shallots and add additional layers of flavour. The wasabi mayo is an acquired, nose-clearing taste and may not be for everyone. I find that this roasted salad tastes delicious both with and without the mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 900g beetroot (4 large beetroots), peeled & cut into 2cm even pieces 
• 700g potatoes (sebago or low-carb kestrel potatoes), peeled & cut into 3cm even pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and the sprig discarded
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and the sprig discarded
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Japanese mayo
• juice of 1 large lime
• 1 tablespoon fine wine vinegar 
• 1/2-1 scant teaspoon wasabi paste
• 1 cup loosely packed Chinese shallots 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line 2 medium/large baking trays with baking paper. 

2. Toss the beetroot with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sea salt & pepper and half of the thyme, rosemary and garlic in a bowl, then place in a single layer on one of the prepared trays. Toss the potato with the same ingredients and place in a single layer on the other prepared tray. Place the beetroot tray at the top of the oven and the potato tray slightly lower. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until tender. (The potato may cook slightly faster than the beetroot, so check the trays regularly as you approach the 40 minute mark). 

3. Meanwhile, make the wasabi mayo by combining the Japanese mayo, lime juice, vinegar, wasabi paste and a pinch of sea salt in a small bowl and whisking well to combine. Word of warning: if you are not a big fan of wasabi add a tiny amount of wasabi paste at a time and taste test before adding more. If the mayo is too thick, add a few splashes of water or more lime juice. 

4. Combine the cooked beetroot & potato with the Chinese shallots in a medium serving bowl and toss to mix. Add a few small dollops of the wasabi mayo and stir well to combine, then enjoy! 

Serves / 4 as a side

Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45-50 minutes 

x Emily 

KALE PESTO/GREMOLATA

Another recipe from my beloved cookbook of the moment; “I Quit Sugar”. The author Sarah Wilson makes her Kale Pesto by steaming the kale first, which I assume gives the pesto a creamier and smoother quality. I personally like a more textured pesto and the less oil the better. Hence my Kale Pesto could also be construed as a twist on a Gremolata, a finely chopped herb condiment traditionally made with lemon juice and or zest, garlic and parsley or other herbs. I actually used this pesto as a topping over plain rice and really enjoyed the zesty flavours. I have to say I am very impressed with this extremely popular superfood. Must try my hand at cooking oven-baked Kale chips that are popping up in cookbooks and food blogs everywhere. Stay tuned.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch kale, washed & stems removed 
• 3 green shallots, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• juice of 1 small lime
• 2 tablespoons finely grated sheep's pecorino cheese, plus extra to serve 

COOKING 

1. Place all ingredients and a pinch of sea salt in a food processor or blender and process/blend for a few minutes until ingredients are well combined. You will need to stop the processor / blender several times to scape the edges of the processor/blender so that all ingredients are evenly mixed. Serve with extra grated cheese if desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. 

Serve spread on top of rice/corn thins/cakes, as an accompaniment to a salad, as a topping/sauce for pasta or even to flavour a plain bowl of rice. 

Makes / around 1 1/2 cups 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 5 minutes maximum 

x Emily 

PUMPKIN WEDGES WITH HERBS

Yet another vegetarian recipe adapted from the genius Yotam Ottolenghi from his cookbook ‘Plenty’. The crust on these wedges is similar to stuffing and is therefore quite versatile. Other vegetables such as sweet potato, parsnips, eggplant and regular potato can be used as a base instead of pumpkin. As Ottolenghi suggests, these wedges would work nicely as a vegetable course at Christmas time. Feel free to get creative and change the herbs and spices in the topping.

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin Wedges

• 600g pumpkin, sliced into 1cm thin slices (with skin left on)
• 40g gluten-free breadcrumbs (one can easily make by placing 2 slices of GF bread in a blender or food processor for 15-20 seconds)
• 25g sheep's pecorino cheese, finely grated (or if not dairy intolerant use finely grated parmesan cheese)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes 
• coconut oil 

Dipping Sauce (if dairy-intolerant omit dipping sauce)

• 100g extra light sour cream
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Lay the pumpkin slices down on the tray, trying not to overlap them. Brush the pumpkin lightly with coconut oil. 

2. To make the crust/topping, place breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, chilli flakes and cheese in a medium bowl, mixing well to combine. Sprinkle the pumpkin slices with this mixture, making sure each slice is covered. Pat the crust down gently. 

3. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes or until pumpkin is tender but not mushy. If you find that the crust becomes quite dark during the roasting, gently place foil over the pumpkin. 

4. To make dipping sauce, combine the garlic and the parsley in a mortar & pestle and crush to combine. Add the sour cream, lime juice and a pinch of sea salt and combine well. Serve alongside the wedges. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30-35 minutes 

x E

AVOCADO & MUSTARD DIP

Another one of Heidi Swanson’s super natural recipes for you. Heidi makes this dip with curry powder, however I substituted ground coriander instead for a more subtle taste. This dip only takes around 15 minutes to make and involves no processing, blending or fiddling. It is a fun way to spice up plain and monotonous avocado dip. Make sure you use ripe avocados and fresh herbs for the best success with your dip. Mustard seeds are quite foreign to me; however using them added a pleasant boost of flavour. A perfect snack for a sunny Spring Saturday.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ripe avocados, cut in half and pits removed 
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoons yellow / black / brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1/2 of a mixture of finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, coriander, chives, parsley. 
• sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 

COOKING 

1. Place the avocado flesh in a small bowl. Add the lime juice, salt and the herbs. Mash the avocado gently with a fork, making sure to not over-mash, as you want the dip to be chunky. Set aside. 

2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot add the mustard seeds, making sure to cover the pan with a lid as the seeds will scatter when they pop. When the popping ceases, after 1-2 minutes, add the onion and stir well for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, ground coriander and chilli flakes to the pan, stirring well to combine. After 30 seconds remove from heat. Add the mustard mixture to the mashed avocado, gently stirring to just combine. Serve warm with crackers and/or cut vegetables. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 8 minutes

Total Cooking time / 8 minutes 

x E