TURKEY & POTATO SALAD

Summer has almost come to Brisbane! Time to crowd the beaches, work on our tans and host Sunday afternoon bbq’s.  Time, as well, for many of us to change our palates. I don’t know about you, but if the temperature outside is above 30 degrees, I cannot stomach hot food very well. All my meals have to be refrigerated and take on the form of ‘salads’. Simple to prepare, this turkey & potato salad would make an excellent dish for a lazy bbq on a Sunday afternoon.

INGREDIENTS 

• 550g (1 large) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 400g turkey breast/fillet, cut into even 3-4cm pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• the juice of 1 lemon 
• 150g pickles, roughly chopped 
• 1-2 handful/s of fresh spring onions, chives, parsley and/or coriander, finely chopped 
• 40g reduced-fat feta, crumbled

COOKING 

1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan half filled with water and bring to the boil. Boil for around 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not mushy. Drain well in a colander over cold running water. 

2. Whilst the potatoes are cooling, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium to large frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Stir for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, then add the turkey. Cook, stirring often for around 6 minutes or until all pieces are coloured and no pink flesh remains. Turn off the heat and leave the turkey in the pan, covered, to rest for 5 minutes. 

3. Stir the remaining teaspoon of oil, lemon juice, ground paprika and a splash of water in a small bowl or cup. 

4. Place the potato in a large serving bowl and add the turkey, pickles, fresh herb/s, feta and a generous pinch of ground black pepper. Drizzle the dressing from step 3 over the top and divide into four bowls. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily 

VEGETARIAN POTATO PATTIES TWO WAYS

There is something so fun and enjoyable in making patties. I've made these vegetarian patties a few times and after careful experimenting I have split them into two different, yet quite similar, recipes; Potato & Lentil Patties and Sweet Potato & Chickpea Patties. I like to make both recipes so that I have a large batch of 16 patties to serve for lunch and dinner for several days. Whilst this recipe does take over one hour to prepare and cook, if you've got the time it is a great way to use up old potatoes and is a very hearty vegetarian meal that can be frozen for later use. As for the tinned chickpeas and lentils, this is all I'll say; whilst it would be wonderful if we could all take an extra 45 minutes to one hour out of our days to cook legumes from scratch, this is first and foremost an easily accessible blog, hence the recipes should reflect that and therefore I have gone with the shortcut option out of a tin. 

INGREDIENTS for Potato & Lentil Patties 

• 800 sebago potatoes, roughly chopped into small pieces
• 1 x 400g tin of brown lentils, rinsed & drained 
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1/2 brown onion (60g), chopped finely
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 egg, preferably free range
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

INGREDIENTS for Sweet Potato & Chickpea Patties 

• 800 sweet potato, roughly chopped into small pieces
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed & drained  
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1/2 brown onion (60g), chopped finely
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 egg, preferably free range
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

COOKING

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

2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with the type of potato you chose, covered. Once boiled, cook for around 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain well in a colander with cold water. Mash in a large bowl until smooth. 

3. Add the chickpeas OR lentils, carrot, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, tahini and a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper. Mash well to combine, then add the egg and mash again. 

4. Taking around a heaped 1/3 of a cup of the combined mixture, shape into 8 individual patties. 

5. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil at a time. Cook patties in two batches, 4 at a time (replenishing the oil each time), for around 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Make sure to press the patties down with a spatula when you first place them in the pan. NB: Take extreme care when flipping the patties, as they are fragile and can break easily. 

6. When all patties have been browned, place on the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until they are heated through. Serve with a side salad. 

Makes / 8 large patties 
Serves / 4 = 2 large patties each alongside a side salad 

x Emily 

SHEPHERD'S PIE

This recipe is actually quite simple to my Bolognese recipe, plus & minus a few ingredients and the pasta of course. The sliced potatoes on top are different from the traditional mashed potatoes, however I wanted to make the top layer fuss-free. You can add some cheese to the sliced potato and rosemary for some calcium. Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate meat dish for my husband and perfect for a winter's night.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced or minced
• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 4 small to medium tomatoes (around 500g), diced 
• 2 medium carrots, peeled & diced
• 4 tablespoons fresh or dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 500ml (2 cups) salt-reduced beef stock
• ground black pepper
• 1 cup peas, fresh or thawed if frozen
• 2 large or 5 small Sebago potatoes (around 500g), peeled & sliced
• 40g reduced-fat grated cheese

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a deep ovenproof pan or casserole dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil. 

2. Heat a large, deep frying pan over medium heat, adding the remaining teaspoon of oil and swirling to coat the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the onion is starting to soften. Add the beef mince and cook, breaking apart the lumps with a metal spoon, for around 5 minutes or until all mince is browned. Add the tomatoes, carrots, 2 tablespoons of rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock and a generous pinch of pepper and stir well. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the peas and simmer, covered for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. 

3. Meanwhile, place the potato slices on a large plate and cover with glad wrap. Place in the microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from the microwave. (If you do not have a microwave or do not want to use on, steam the potatoes in a boiling saucepan of water for just a couple of minutes as you want the potato to be just warmed up, not mushy). 

4. Once step 2 has been completed pour the beef and vegetable mixture into the prepared ovenproof pan and top with the sliced potatoes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of rosemary and the grated cheese (if using) on top of the sliced potatoes. Cook for 50 minutes in the oven or until potatoes are slightly golden brown. Remove from heat and serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / around 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 1 hour 25 minutes 

x Emily 

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 

POTATO & LEEK SOUP

I’m wishing autumn away and hoping that winter comes soon with this leek & potato soup. Whilst I love the sun, there’s nothing I love more than hearty winter meals. Leek & potato may sound like a bland combination, but when paired with thyme it is just magical. Thank you to Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans for the inspiration and for all your hearty & humble recipes. I love a filling meat-less dinner and what better way to start a week than with a filling, wholesome vegetable meal. Evans makes his own vegetable stock for this recipe, which I greatly admire (but did not 2 plus hours to do yesterday!). Hence I used water and unsweetened almond milk instead of stock, due its high sodium content. I further adjusted the recipe with a chunk less butter, less oil and less ingredients for a no-fuss soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 small tablespoons Nutalex or rice bran oil 
• 2 leeks, white part only, washed & finely chopped
• 1 handful of fresh thyme springs, stems discarded or 2 tablespoons dried thyme 
• 2 heaped tablespoons garlic or regular chives, finely chopped 
• 700g low-carb potatoes, such as Kestrels, peeled & chopped evenly into small cubes
• 1 handful of fresh thyme springs, stems discarded or 2 tablespoons dried thyme 
• 1 litre (4 cups) water 
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk 
• a generous pinch of ground black pepper 
• roughly chopped almonds & finely chopped thyme & chives, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Melt the Nutalex or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When just melted add the leeks, thyme and garlic chives and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes or until the leeks are soft but not burnt. 

2. Add the potato cubes, water, almond milk and pepper and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer, lid on, for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender and are falling apart when touched with a utensil. 

3. Pour the soup into a blender / food processor and blend / process into a puree. 

Serve with a few almonds, thyme and/or chives sprinkled on top. 

Serve warm or cold. 

Serves / 4 as a main 

Preparation time / 15 minutes 

From pot to plate  / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

POTATO, SPINACH & ROSEMARY FRITTATA

I love making frittata's as you can throw into a pan whatever is left over in your fridge, pour some eggs & milk over the top and voila, you have yourself a filling meal. I always use almond or oat milk in my frittata's as I am allergic to dairy and I never add cheese, instead opting for dried herbs, spices and vegetables to add the flavour. As a result my frittata's are not buttery, creamy or fatty; rather they are light, stuffed to the brim with vegetables and are almost peasant-like in their simplicity. My method for cooking frittata's was adopted from Gywneth Paltrow's cookbooks and it is fool proof, therefore be precise with the cooking times! 

Ingredients

• 500g sebago potato, peeled & chopped into 3cm pieces
• 6 free-range eggs (52g each = 312g total)
• 100ml unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
• 2 large garlic cloves (8g), finely chopped
• 60g baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 
• Optional - fresh chives, finely chopped or other spices or herbs 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 190 degrees celsius. 

2. Place the chopped potato into a medium saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Once boiled, cook for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender. Remove from heat and drain in a colander until cold running water. 

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, 125ml (1/2 cup) of water and a generous pinch of ground black pepper and sea salt. 

4. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. If the potatoes stick to the pan, add a few splashes of water to the pan instead of more oil. Add the baby spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach just wilts. 

5. Pour the egg, milk & water mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle the dried rosemary on top. Leave to cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. 

6. After 5 minutes of cooking on the stove the outside of the frittata should be quite solid, however the inside will still be runny. Transfer the frittata to the oven and cook for exactly 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm, accompanied with a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper, if desired. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10-15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Approx calories / 514 per serve 

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 

NO-FUSS LEEK & POTATO SOUP

I’m wishing autumn away and hoping that winter comes soon with this leek & potato soup. Whilst I love the sun, there’s nothing I love more than hearty winter meals. Luckily, this soup actually tastes just as good cold as it does steaming hot (if not better). Leek & potato may sound like a bland combination, but when paired with thyme it is just magical. Thankyou to Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans for the inspiration and for all your hearty & humble recipes. I love a meat-less Monday and what better way to start a week than with a filling, wholesome vegetable meal. Evans makes his own vegetable stock for this recipe, which I greatly admire (but did not 2 hours to do yesterday!). For Matthew’s recipe, pick up a copy of Feast magazine, April edition. I adjusted the recipe with a chunk less butter, less oil and less ingredients for a no-fuss soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 small tablespoons Nutalex or coconut oil 
• 2 leeks, washed & finely chopped
• 600g low-carb potatoes, such as Kestrels, peeled & chopped evenly into small cubes
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1.5 litres Massel vegetable stock or homemade 
• roughly chopped almonds & finely chopped thyme & chives, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Melt the Nutalex or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When just melted add the leeks and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes or until the leeks are soft but not burnt. 

2. Add the potato cubes, thyme sprigs and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer, lid on, for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender and are falling apart when touched with a utensil. 

3. Discard the thyme sprigs and pour the soup into a blender and blend into a puree. 

Serve with a few almonds, thyme and chives sprinkled on top. 

Serve warm or cold. 

Serves / 6 as a side / 3-4 as a main 

Preparation time / 15 minutes 

From pot to plate  / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

PUMPKIN TOMATO GNOCCHI

This was initially a dinner I cooked solely for my finance, in an effort to make good use of the leftover pumpkin and pasta sauce we had in the fridge. I taste-tested the sauce along the way and could not believe how well the pumpkin and tomato went together - it was like a dream. Therefore I had to devour a few small bowls of it and it only served us for one dinner and a lunch, instead of four meals for him. A very basic sauce with massive flavour, this is definitely a recipe i'll be making again. Make sure you don’t forget to add the the ½ cup of water to the sauce in step 2 as this is essential to the consistency of the sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 scant tablespoon of dairy-free butter (such as Nutalex)
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 300g pumpkin, skin & seeds removed and cut into even small pieces
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 250g of any type of tomato based, dairy-free pasta sauce 
• 500g gluten-free or regular gnocchi, ready made (or the gnocchi recipe from my blog!)

COOKING 

1. Bring a large covered saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add the pre-made gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes or until all the gnocchi has risen to the surface. Remove from the stove and drain well. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin pieces and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, a pinch of sea salt & pepper and 1/2 a cup of water. Bring to the boil, covered, the simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly. (If the sauce looks a tad too thick throughout the simmering, add some more water to the pan). Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan and stir well to combine with the sauce. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 - 25 minutes 

x Emily