HEALTHY GLUTEN FREE MUESLI CUPS

I found the inspiration for this recipe in a 'Who' magazine that I was reading on a plane the other day. These were initially 'Vegan Quinoa & Chia Bars' however after a few experiments in the kitchen alternating the recipe it changed. If you would like to make the recipe vegan friendly, substitute the egg white for 1 tablespoon chia seeds and whisk these with 1/4 cup water, then leave to stand for at least 10 minutes or until the ingredients have become gel like. I used egg as 1. I eat eggs, 2. when cooked chia seeds lose almost all of their nutrients, and 3. in my humble opinion I think they make the muesli cups stick together more favourably. I like using puffed rice in sweet recipes as it is so light, however you could substitute for rolled oats or quinoa flakes. Take extreme care heating the egg white and other wet ingredients on the stove, as you do not want to cook the egg! These cute little sweet cups can be stored in an air tight plastic container for seven days but I seriously doubt that they will last that long in your kitchen as they are so light and moreish! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg white
• 3 generous tablespoons of honey, maple syrup or rice malt syrup
• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil
• 3 tablespoons water 
• 2 cups of puffed rice 
• 1 cup of mixed dried fruit & raw nuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut 
• patty cake holders- disposable or washable 

COOKING 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with the patty cake holders. 

2. Pour the egg white, whatever sweetener you are using, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and 3 tablespoons of water into a small pan. Heat over very low heat, making sure not to cook the egg white, stirring for just a couple minutes or until the mixture is runny and warm. 

3. In a large bowl combine the puffed rice, mixed fruit & nuts and coconut and stir. Pour in the warm liquid from step 2 and stir well to combine until all the dry ingredients are wet. If this does not occur, add a splash more of your sweetener. 

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared patty cake holders. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cups are brown in colour. Remove from heat and leave to cool completely. 

Makes / 12 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes maximum 

Total Cooking time / 30-35 minutes 

x Emily 

SIMPLE HOMEMADE POPCORN

Who doesn't love popcorn? I love eating it as a snack, especially as it tricks my brain into thinking I am consuming something akin to 'junk food', such as chips. I like making my own popcorn as it is so much cheaper than buying the packaged bags from stores. In addition, making your own means that you can control the amount of salt and oil that goes into it. The recipe below is very simple and makes a whopping 13 cups of popcorn! I put the popcorn in small zip lock bags so I can control my portion size. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil or coconut oil, melted
• 2/3 cup popping corn
• a small pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper

Cooking 

1. Heat the oil in a medium to large saucepan over medium-high heat, covered with a tight fitting lid. Swirl to coat the oil and add just 3 kernels to the oil.

2. When all 3 kernels have popped, add the remainder of the popcorn to the pan. Cover and shake the pan well so that all the kernels are coated with oil. Continue cooking the popcorn until you can no longer hear the kernels pop (this will take between 2-4 minutes, depending on your stove). 

3. Remove the kernels from the stove, place in a large serving bowl to cool and sprinkle salt & pepper on top. Toss well to combine. 

Makes / 13 cups 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 6 minutes 

x Emily 

POLENTA, PUMPKIN & TURKEY MUFFINS

These muffins are an adaptation of Sarah Wilson's 'Mexican Beef Nacho Muffins' found in her 'I Quit Sugar for Life' cookbook. I wanted to make a savoury turkey muffin equivalent using different spices and ingredients. I also used her Pumpkin Puree recipe which is incorporated below into the muffin recipe. If you have her cookbook or access her website you will see that several of her other recipes call for this prepared pumpkin puree. You could also use the leftover puree in brownies, as a pizza sauce or make it into a very simple mash by adding a few splashes of almond milk. These muffins are delicious for a breakfast on-the-go, a filling snack, or for lunch and/or dinner with a side of vegetables. 

Ingredients

Muffin

• 1 large pumpkin, deseeded, peeled & cut into small even pieces
• 3 teaspoons coconut oil, plus extra to grease
• sea salt & ground black pepper
• 60g piece of leek, finely chopped
• 500g lean turkey mince
• 2 free-range eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chilli
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 100g sweet potato, peeled & grated
• 1/2 cup polenta, plus extra to dust 

Topping

• 1 small avocado
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 200 degrees celsius.  Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Toss the pumpkin pieces with 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil and a generous pinch of salt & pepper. Place the pumpkin in a single layer on the tray and bake for 20 minutes or until tender but not burnt. 

3. Remove the cooked pumpkin from the oven and mash by hand (or use a blender) to make into a puree. You will need 1/2 cup of puree for this recipe. You can store the remainder (which should equal 2 - 2 1/2 cups) in zip-lock bags or containers in 1/2 cup quantities in the fridge or freezer. 

4. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small to medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until soft but not burnt.

5. Lightly grease a 12 hole tin muffin tin with coconut oil. 

6. Mash the avocado until smooth and stir in the lime juice. 

7. Combine the 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, cooked leek, turkey mince, eggs, spices, mustard, sweet potato, 1/2 cup polenta and a pinch of salt & pepper in a large bowl (mixing by hand works best!). Divide the meat mixture evenly into each muffin mould (you should be able to get 11-12 muffins out of this batter). Sprinkle a few teaspoons of polenta on top of the muffins. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top of each muffin is lightly browned. Use one muffin as the test muffin to check that the meat has cooked through and no pink flesh remains. 

8. Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cook completely. Serve with a small dollop of avocado topping. 

Makes / 11 

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 60 minutes / 1 hour (not including cooling time) 

x Emily 

OPEN PUMPKIN and SAGE LASAGNA

I will willingly admit that I am still trying to get over the end of My Kitchen Rules. Having never watched it before, I got involved in season 3 like a crazy addict. This dish is loosely based on the Open Pumpkin Lasagna that the contestants Josh & Andy made. Of course I did not make my own pasta like them, opting for the more convenient store bought gluten-free lasagna sheets. Sage and butter do go well together, so free feel to use that instead of coconut oil if you have it on hand, however it will not be quite so good for you. Fresh sage leaves are a must for this dish! If you cannot digest the garlic and onion due to a fructose allergy, just omit it and fry the oil with the sage. And as a major plus this dish will photograph beautifully due to its deconstructed form.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g pumpkin, thinly sliced into even-sized slices or wedges
• coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup
• sea salt & ground black pepper
• 1 medium to large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 35 - 40 fresh sage leaves, torn in half 
• 300g gluten-free lasagne sheets
• 80-100g goat's feta, crumbled into small pieces

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl mix the pumpkin slices, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (in liquid form), maple syrup, and a decent sized pinch of sea salt & pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and roast for 13-15 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Keep warm in the oven until step 4. 

2. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, bring a medium to large covered saucepan of salted water to the boil. When water has boiled, cook the lasagne sheets in batches until al dente or just tender. Remove from the pan and drain with cold water. Cut lasagne sheets in half. 

3. Whilst water is boiling, place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a medium frying pan. When melted add garlic and red onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add torn sage leaves to the pan and add slightly more oil to the pan if you need. Stir until sage leaves have just wilted and are covered with oil and remove from heat. 

4. Arrange the lasagne - you can really do this whichever way you want. I started with half a lasagne sheet, then topped that with a few pumpkin slices, a tablespoon or two of the sage, garlic and onion mixture and a few crumbed pieces of goat's feta. Repeat this arrangement twice more times to form a serving. Top with fresh sage leaves, if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

SOBA NOODLES WITH VEGETABLES & FRIED EGG

I have always wanted to cook with soba noodles, but never had the chance as I strictly stuck to gluten free rice noodles. Finding out that I can tolerate some gluten was very exciting for me; interestingly my mind instantly flickered to all the Asian noodles I could consume, instead of all the bread, pastries and pasta that were now available. Soba noodles are a very popular Japanese dish and are thin noodles made from buckwheat flour. These noodles are either served with a dipping sauce, like the recipe below, or in hot broth as a soup. As the steamy summer weather does not lend itself kindly to warm soup, I made a sauce that can be served with the noodles in the stir-fry or alongside the noodles and vegetables. My inspiration for this dish came from an Instagram idol of mine; GourmetGirlfriend, a mother of 5 boys in Melbourne who manages to cook beautifully presented and delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners whilst raising her little men and tending to her vegetable garden. Some people follow Justin Bieber, NBA stars and models, I follow cooks! 

INGREDIENTS

• 270g soba noodles
• 2 cups red cabbage, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus 1 tablespoon extra to serve 
• 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce 
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons mirin seasoning or rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce 
• 4 free-range eggs, fried
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• 1 small lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced 
• Optional- coriander leaves, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water twice. 

2. Meanwhile, combine sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, mirin seasoning, fish sauce and tamari/soy sauce in a small bowl and whisk well. 

3. (You can start this step whilst you are completing step 1). Heat sesame oil in a wok over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add carrot and cabbage and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until just tender. Add noodles and sesame seeds to the wok and stir well. Pour in sauce from step 2 and toss well to combine the stir-fry. When noodles are warm and sauce is combined, remove from heat. Serve with cucumber, the last of the sesame seeds, one fried egg and coriander leaves if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 18 minutes (not including frying the eggs) 

x Emily 

THAI BEEF SALAD

I have made so many different Thai Beef Salad's over the years; some with vermicelli noodles, some with kelp noodles, some with wildly different vegetables and some that were frankly just a soggy mess. After much fine tuning, I stick to the below recipe, only adapting slightly if need be. It is simple, extremely fresh and quick to make. I love cooking this meal when I've been a little off the rails with my food choices as this light dish helps me get back on track. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 100g rice vermicelli noodles 
• 350g lean eye fillet steak, thinly sliced 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 small tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 medium Lebanese cucumber or 1/2 a large continental cucumber, finely chopped
• 3 heaped tablespoons fresh chives and/or coriander, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 

Dressing 

• the juice of 1 medium lime
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds 

COOKING 

1. Soak noodles in boiling hot water for five minutes, then drain well with cold water. Place in a large serving bowl. 

2. Whilst noodles are soaking, combine tomato, cucumber, herb/s and chill flakes in the large serving bowl and toss well to combine. 

3. Make the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, including 2 tablespoons of water and stirring well. 

3. Heat the sesame oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and add beef slices. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is just browned and cooked to your liking (rare, medium-rare, etc). Taste regularly whilst cooking so you do not overcook beef and make it too chewy. Remove from heat when cooked and add the beef to the top of the salad. Drizzle dressing over the top and toss well to combine all ingredients. Serve while beef is warm and tender. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10-12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes maximum 

x Emily 

SPICY CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN SALAD

I’ve found a good pal in organic black beans in a tin, which can be found at Wray Organic health stores. As I am about to head into yet another renovation for my partner and my business, time is getting more and more precious! Whilst I’d love to spend all my free time not instructing at home cooking up a storm, I have been told that this is not going to fly for the next couple of weeks. Therefore, shortcuts have become my new best friends. And I must admit that you can not even tell the difference between these canned beans and the real  raw deal. Give them a try when you are short on time; It will save you around 45- 60 minutes of cooking! 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 handfuls of baby spinach or iceberg lettuce, washed & drained 
• 500g chicken breast fillets, preferably free range, diced into even 4cm pieces
• 1/2 - 1 packet taco seasoning (35g) (depending on how spicy you want the dish)
• 150g cherry tomatoes or regular tomatoes, finely diced 
• 1/2 ripe avocado, cut into rough pieces and tossed with a dash of fresh lemon juice
• 1 x 400g tin cooked black beans, rinsed & drained 
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Prepare chicken by tossing together chicken pieces, taco seasoning, garlic and coconut oil in a medium bowl.

2. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat and add chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, until no pink flesh is visible. The chicken may start to stick to the pan due to the seasoning, so you can add slightly more oil or water, 1 tablespoon at a time. When chicken is cooked, lower heat to a simmer and toss in drained black beans for 1 minute or until beans are warm. Remove from heat. 

3. Place baby spinach or lettuce in a large serving bowl or on a large serving plate. Add cooked chicken and black beans, then tomatoes. Top with chives and avocado. Sprinkle some fresh lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper on top if you desire. Toss gently and serve warm.

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

x Emily