SWEET POTATO BOATS with CORN SALSA

This is one of my favourite dinners to eat when I know that I am going to be eating late. I love baked sweet potato and have never cared about the carbohydrate content of these; as they are low in GI (much lower than other types of potato) and therefore keep you feeling fuller for longer. Preparing corn kernels from a corn on the cob can be a little fiddly, but taste much nicer (and have a much smaller sugar content) than using canned. I know this taste article on preparing corn kernels very useful - http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/810/how+to+remove+corn+kernels. I make the salsa and bake the sweet potato during the day so that this meal is ready for me when I get home at 9pm most nights. The sweet potato do not get soggy as I wrap them individually in aluminium foil once they have cooled. And on a side note; this is one of the only vegetarian dishes that my fiancee does not complain about! So that's a win all in itself. I kept the salsa very simple as I wanted to keep the recipe low-fuss, however you could add all types of herbs to it, such as fresh chives, coriander, basil and/or spices such as ground sumac, paprika and/or pepper. 

INGREDIENTS

Sweet potato boats 

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut in half (skin not removed)
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil

Corn salsa

• 4 small to medium corn cobs (around 500g), husks / silks stripped and kernels removed (see website link above)
• 1/2 large green capsicum, seeds & membrane removed, roughly chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 medium Lebanese cucumber or 1/3 continental cucumber, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 small or 1/2 a large avocado, diced 
• the juice of 1 medium lime
• ground black pepper

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 220 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

NB: If you want to decrease the time the sweet potato cooks in the oven place the sweet potato halves on a plate covered with glad wrap in the microwave for 10 minutes. 

2. Lightly brush the cut part of the potato with rice bran oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes if you used the microwave method or 40 minutes if not, until the potato is golden and/or a fork can be inserted in the middle of the potato with little resistance. (The baking time will be longer if you do not use a microwave first or if your sweet potato halves are bigger than mine were). Remove from the oven when cooked to your satisfaction.  

3. While the sweet potato is baking, bring a small to medium pot of water to the boil over medium-high heat. When the water has boiled add the corn kernels and cook for just two minutes. The corn should be tender but not mushy. Remove from the heat and drain with cold water. Place the corn, capsicum, tomato, cucumber, spring onion, avocado and lime juice in a deep bowl and grind black pepper over the top. Toss well to combine and add any herbs or spices you would like. 

4. Leave the sweet potato halves to cool for just a few minutes after being removed from the oven so that they are able to be handled. There are two ways you can serve this dish. 
1. Scoop out some of the now soft flesh of the potato and scoop the corn salsa into this hole until overflowing. The scooped out flesh of the sweet potato can be mixed in with the salsa or can be eaten as a side. 
OR 2. Serve the sweet potato as is and plate the corn salsa as a side. 

Serves / 4 / 1 sweet potato half per person

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 - 45 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 

POACHED / SHREDDED / PULLED CHICKEN with TOPPINGS

I love poaching chicken and serving it alongside a salad for a light, low carb lunch or dinner. Poaching chicken breasts is very simple, although it was something I was a little apprehensive about initially, fearing I would cut open the chicken breasts and find uncooked areas. The poaching method in step 1 assures that the chicken will be cooked properly and that you will not have any raw meat on your hands! You can get creative with your poaching liquid and use any types of fresh or dry herbs that you like, such as rosemary, bay leaves, etc. I refrain from using stock, due to its high sodium content and use water instead. The toppings are just suggestions for what to 'sauce' the chicken with; either taste delicious, as do both together! Don't forget a side salad with your chicken. 

Ingredients

• 2 x 250g chicken breast fillets, fat removed and free range preferably
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled & thinly sliced
• 2-3cm ginger, peeled & thinly sliced 
• 4 springs of thyme, fresh or dried 

Avocado Paste 

• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or juice of 1 lime 
• pinch of sea salt & dash of ground black pepper

Pesto 

• 1 bunch basil, stems removed and leaves washed 
• 20 almonds 
• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper

Cooking

1. Place the chicken breasts, garlic, ginger and thyme in a medium saucepan and cover well with water. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes before 'shredding' the chicken (I do this with 2 forks and pull in separate directions, as you would when 'pulling' pork). Discard the poaching liquid. 

2. Whilst the chicken is cooking, make one or both of the toppings:

• To make the avocado paste mash the avocado well and then combine all ingredients together in a small bowl, seasoning to taste. 
• To make the pesto, place the basil leaves, almonds and garlic in a food processor and process until combined. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Season to taste. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / approx. 25-30 minutes 

x Emily 

LOW CARB BANANA CHOC MUFFINS

These muffins were adapted from a recipe a client gave me. You can add 2 scoops of protein powder to the batter if you desire. I prefer to add an overripe banana. These dairy muffins are very easy to make and require no flour whatsoever. I made these on Friday and again today and have tweaked the recipe somewhat. The batter will appear quite runny before the muffins are cooked, however it is meant to look like this. I used dairy-free Lindt 70% dark chocolate for this recipe, however you can use whatever dark chocolate you have on hand or replace the chocolate with nuts. I chose this recipe for today as it is WORLD CHOCOLATE DAY! Celebrate with a small, delicious piece of dark chocolate or by baking with this delicious ingredient, as I did.

Ingredients

• coconut oil, in liquid form 
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup LSA (ground linseed, sunflower & almond)
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons white chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons flaxseeds 
• 1 small ripe banana, mashed well
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk, such as oat, rice or almond milk.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract/essence
• 50g Lindt dark chocolate (4 squares), cut into small pieces
• 4 free-range eggs, whisked 

Baking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Lightly grease a 12 slot muffin tin with coconut oil. 

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine the dry and wet ingredients. 

4. Spoon around 2 1/2 heaped tablespoons of batter into each prepared muffin slot. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer or knife is inserted into the middle of a muffin and comes out clean. 

5. Leave the muffins to cool in their slots for 15 minutes, then remove onto a wire rack or tray and leave to cool completely. 

Makes / 12

From bowl to muffin / 35-40 minutes (plus cooling time)

x Emily 

ARTICHOKE & FETA FRITTATA

The inspiration for this frittata came from none other than Gwyneth Paltrow, the actress and founder of GOOP.com as well as the author of some scrumptious cookbooks. Say what you will about Gwyneth but this woman clearly knows how to cook a delicious frittata. Whilst it’s not my style to regurgitate recipes exactly as I find them, I did follow Gwyneth’s stern rule to stick the frittata in the oven for exactly 8 minutes. This has given me a whole new perspective on frittata’s, as I realized that I have been overcooking them for months! No matter what unique ingredients you put in your frittata at home, follow Gwyneth’s cooking instructions and you cannot go wrong. To give you some idea, I also like using other vegetables & herbs in my frittatas including silverbeet, leek, tomato, broccoli, different types of potato, rosemary, thyme, basil etc. Frittatas are my go to dish when I get home late at night from work, as they are a low carbohydrate dream! I make this recipe with and without chicken and it is filling either way. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / coconut oil 
• Optional- 250g chicken breast, cut into small 3cm pieces
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mixture of fresh chives and shallots (green onion), finely chopped, plus extra, to serve 
• 1 x 400g tinned artichokes, rinsed, drained & roughly chopped
• 1 large handful baby spinach, washed
• 7 eggs, preferably free range
• 3/4 cup milk of choice (unsweetened almond, oat, full cream)
• 50g reduced-fat feta, crumbled or cut into small pieces

COOKING 

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius fan-forced. 

2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until all pieces have just turned white. Remove from the heat. 

3. Add the garlic, shallots, chives, artichokes and baby spinach to the now empty pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often so that the ingredients do not brown. 

3. Meanwhile, whisk the 7 eggs, milk and 1/2 cup water together in a large bowl or large jug (a large jug works very well). Pour this egg and milk mixture over the pan ingredients. Let it cook, covered, for around 5 minutes, or until the edges of the frittata are set but the middle is still runny. 

4. Scatter the feta cheese evenly on the top of the frittata and place in the pre-heated oven, covered, for exactly 8 minutes; this is all the time that the frittata needs to set perfectly. Remove from the oven and scatter with extra herbs, if desired. Serve warm, accompanied with a salad. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily