BAKED ZUCCHINI CHIPS

I’ve finally found a way to cook zucchini and make it taste relatively delicious to me. Being such a bland vegetable, I struggled with eating it during my childhood as it always seemed to end up on our dinner table at least three times a week, whether it was hidden in a stir-fry, roasted or baked. My theory is that if you put garlic, a little bit of oil and fresh herbs with anything, you can make it appetizing. Add a sprinkle of chilli for those that like it fiery and a once flavourless vegetable is no more!

INGREDIENTS

• sea salt
• 1 large zucchini, very thinly sliced into rings 
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes (or more, depending on how hot you want it)
• 1 large garlic clove, very finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 heaped tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Lay the zucchini rings on a few paper towels in a single layer. Lightly toss salt over the zucchini and leave to sweat for a minimum of 25 minutes, then pat the zucchini dry with more paper towel to remove the salt and excess water. 

2. Preheat an oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

3. Combine oil, zucchini slices, chilli and garlic in a medium bowl and toss well to combine. 

4. Place the zucchini chips in a single layer on the prepared tray. Bake in the oven for around 30-35 minutes or until the chips are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before handling. 

Serve alone or with a sprinkle of fresh herbs! 

Serves / 2 as a side dish 

Total Preparation time / around 35 minutes (including the 25 minutes for the zucchini to 'sweat')

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

x Emily 

HAM, TOMATO & ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

This risotto was created out of thin air during one day when I had a double shift at work. I raced home, napped for 30 minutes, then rushed around my kitchen like a mad woman throwing together something for dinner. Being exhausted as I was and scatter brained (as I frequently am), I cooked the rice first instead of letting it cook with the stock and other ingredients. Unexpectedly this little error made the dish taste even better, as the rice became particularly tender, however not too soft. I highly recommend that everyone try to make a risotto this way at least once. The tomato, zucchini and ham were a great combination and tasted even better for lunch the next day. NB: I make my risottos with brown rice as it is better for me than white risotto rice. Brown rice has a lower GI rating than white rice and is packed with proteins, calcium, magnesium, fibre and potassium. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red onion (60-80g), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, diced 
• 1 cup salt-reduced vegetable stock 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 500g (or 5 small) tomatoes, diced 
• 2 medium zucchini (around 250g), diced 
• 100g reduced-fat ham, roughly diced
• 40g reduced-fat feta, crumbled 
• Optional- fresh chopped chives and/or parsley, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Bring the rice and 2 cups of water to the boil, covered, then simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from the stove. 

2. Whilst the rice is cooking, prepare all the other ingredients. 

3. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat and cook the garlic and red onion, stirring for 2 minutes or until onion has softened. Add the vegetable stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, zucchini and cooked rice and bring to the boil, covered. Reduce the heat to the lowest and simmer for around 10 minutes or until the rice is very tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the ham, then remove from the heat. 

Divide the risotto into four servings and top with 1/4 of the feta cheese and the herbs, if using. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time & Cooking time / approx. 35 minutes 

x Emily 

ZUCCHINI PASTA with GRILLED CHICKEN

My beautiful friend surprised me last year with a fruit & vegetable twister-processing device, after we had attended a raw cooking class and saw one of these babies in action. You can make anything into spaghetti with these nifty circular devices. The best news is that whilst they may cost up to $80 to buy in a store, they are only around $8 on ebay or on selective websites. I have used mine on several occasions, the majority being to create extremely healthy zucchini pasta. These twisting devices are quite simple to use, however if I give you one tip it is to be patient when starting out for the first time. Make sure you buy smaller zucchinis as the bigger ones will not fit into the device and halving the zucchinis will not result in nice-looking pasta. Do not try to jam the vegetable up in the cylinder or the twisting just will not happen (guilty). This zucchini pasta tricks both my and my husband's minds into thinking that we are eating actual pasta! and that's saying something as we loveeeee the real deal. If you are vegetarian, substitute the chicken for some steamed broccoli, some toasted nuts or if you are pescetarian prawns go great with this! 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 small to medium zucchini, ends removed and cut into half
• sea salt
• 250-300g free range chicken breast or thighs, cut into small, even pieces
• 1 heaped teaspoon miso paste
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• the juice of 1 medium lime
• 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 a medium ripe avocado, diced
• Optional- a handful of fresh coriander, shallots and/or chives, finely chopped
• Equipment- a twister fruit & vegetable processing device (I used the device above) or a vegetable spiraliser or two-bladed Julianne peeler. 

PREPARATION & COOKING

1. Combine the chicken pieces, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons water and miso paste in a medium bowl. Stir well to combine, adding more water if the paste does not mix well with the chicken. Place in the refrigerator to marinade whilst you prepare the pasta. 

2. Twist the zucchini through the twister device, one half at a time and let the noodles fall into a large bowl. When all the zucchini has been made into noodles lay them out on an absorbent paper towel or tea towel. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of sea salt and leave for a few minutes whilst you grill/fry the chicken. This will give the salt time to absorb some of the water from the zucchini so you are not serving watery noodles. 

3. Remove the chicken from the fridge. Heat a grill plate or medium frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until all the chicken is cooked. Remove from heat.  

Optional step: Once the chicken has been removed from the pan, dry fry the zucchini pasta gently for a few minutes, just to warm them up and improve the texture. This is optional, but I find I prefer the noodles very lightly fried. 

4. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, sesame seeds and a tablespoon of water in a small jug or bowl. Stir to combine and taste, adding more water if it is too tart for you. Place the noodles, chicken or extra vegetables, tomato, avocado and herbs (if using) in a medium bowl and drizzle the dressing over the top. Divide into two bowls.  

Serves / 2

Total Preparation time (inc. making the noodles) 20 -25 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

x Emily 

CORN & ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

I love eating corn fritters whenever I am out for breakfast. Whenever I spy them on a menu, I cannot be persuaded to order anything else. After eating a delightful lunch of corn & zucchini fritters at a restaurant in Kirra last Friday inspiration struck me on Sunday to create my own. I have made my fritters gluten and dairy free, however you could use dairy milk and flour that is not gluten free. If you do not like corn you could use chickpeas or more zucchini and/or carrot as a filler. The herbs below are just a suggestion as is the ground coriander. I would recommend using a spice or two when you make corn fritters or you do run the risk of them tasting a little bland. 

Ingredients

• 300g zucchini, grated
• 260g fresh corn or 1 x 400g canned corn 
• Optional: 100g carrot, grated
• 2 free-range eggs, lighten beaten
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or other milk
• 1/2 cup gluten-free plain flour
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, coriander and/or chives 
• rice bran oil 
• Optional toppings: diced avocado, baby spinach, extra herbs, diced tomato or combine all these toppings into a side salad 

Cooking 

1. Wrap the grated zucchini in a thin tea towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess moisture into a bowl or sink. 

2. Place the zucchini, corn, carrot (if using), eggs, milk, flour, ground coriander, herbs and ground black pepper in a large bowl and mix well to combine. 

3. Heat 1 teaspoon rice bran oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat. Use a 1/4 cup as a measurement for each fritter. Place the mixture in the pan and pat down with a spatula. Make sure not to crowd the fritters. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat and repeat until all the fritters are cooked, only adding more oil if needed. Serve warm with any or all of the toppings listed above in the Ingredients section. 

Makes / 12  
Serves / 4 / 3 fritters each 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes

Total Cooking time / around 20 minutes 

x Emily 

ZUCCHINI & CHICKEN PASTA

My beautiful friend surprised me with a fruit & vegetable twister-processing device a few weeks back, after we had attended a raw cooking class and saw one of these babies in action. You can make anything into spaghetti with these nifty circular devices. The best news is that whilst they may cost up to $80 to buy in a store, they are only around $8 on ebay or on selective websites. I used mine just this morning to create extremely healthy raw zucchini pasta (however the chicken ruined that ‘raw’ title for this dish). These twisting devices are quite simple to use, however if I give you one tip it is to be patient when starting out for the first time. Make sure you cut the vegetable in half or even into thirds so that you can fit the zucchini/carrot/whatever into the device comfortably. Do not try to jam the vegetable up in the cylinder or the twisting just will not happen (guilty). I’m hoping that this zucchini pasta will trick my mind into thinking I am eating actual gluten-free pasta and will cure me of my dangerous portion control issues when eating the real deal...

INGREDIENTS

• 4 small to medium zucchini, ends removed and cut into half
• sea salt
• 250-300g chicken, cut into small pieces
• 1 heaped teaspoon miso paste
• sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white & 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• 1 tomato, sliced into thin wedges
• Equipment- a twister fruit & vegetable processing device (I used the device above) or a vegetable spiraliser or two-bladed Julianne peeler. 

PREPARATION & COOKING

1. Combine the chicken pieces, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon water and miso paste in a medium bowl. Stir well to combine, adding more water if the paste does not mix in well with the chicken. Place in the refrigerator to marinade. 

2. Twist the zucchini through the twister device, one half at a time and let the noodles fall into a large bowl. When all the zucchini has been made into noodles, sprinkle with a generous pinch of sea salt & toss well. Leave the salt to absorb some of the water. 

3. Remove the chicken from the fridge. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until all the chicken is cooked and browning slightly. Remove from heat and add to the pasta. 

4. Combine the lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a small jug or bowl. Whisk to combine and then pour onto the noodles and chicken. Add the sesame seeds and toss well to mix all the ingredients together. Add sliced tomato as a garnish. 

Serves / 2

Total Preparation time (including making the noodles) / 15- 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

x Emily 

GREEN VEGETABLE SOUP

This Green Vegetable Soup was adapted from Sarah Wilson’s (author of the I Quit Sugar cookbook) Cheesy Green Mish-Mash Soup. I added all the green vegetables I could find in my fridge, plus some potatoes to thicken the soup somewhat and add some healthy starch. No dairy was used in this soup. The colour may put some diners off but the taste of this soup is divine and oh-so-healthy. Definitely up there as one of my favourite winter soups. On a side note- use the WHOLE broccoli, stalks and all! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1 medium brown onion, roughly chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 medium broccoli heads, stalks sliced thinly and florets roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 bok choy, roughly chopped
• 3 small white potatoes, peeled & diced
• 1.25 litres (5 cups) vegetable stock (preferably Massell brand)
• sea salt & pepper
• the juice of 1/2 a lemon

COOKING 

1. Add oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until onion is starting to soften. Add the broccoli, celery, zucchini, bok choy and potatoes to the pan and stir well to combine. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, covered, then reduce to a simmer for 12-15 minutes. Add the salt & pepper and stir well. 

2. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend/process the soup until it becomes a smooth consistency. Stir in the lemon juice and serve warm. 

Serves / 4 - 6

Total Preparation/Chopping time / 15-18 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily 

FRIED GARLIC & CHILLI ZUCCHINI

I’ve finally found a way to cook zucchini and make it taste relatively delicious to me. Being such a bland vegetable, I struggled with eating it during my childhood as it always seemed to end up on our dinner table at least three times a week, whether it was hidden in a stir-fry, roasted or baked. My theory is that if you put garlic and fresh herbs with anything, you can make it appetizing. Add a sprinkle of chilli for those that like it fiery and a once flavourless vegetable is no more!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced into rings 
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes (depending on how hot you want it)
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 heaped tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• coconut oil

COOKING 

1. Combine 1 tablespoon liquid coconut oil, zucchini slices, chilli and garlic in a medium bowl and toss well to combine. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. When pan is warm add zucchini slices to pan so that there is no overlapping. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until slices are slightly golden. Repeat until all zucchini is cooked, then serve warm. 

Serves / 4 as a side dish 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily 

PRAWN, CELERY & PARSLEY RISOTTO

I have to give a great deal of thanks to my mother and her mammoth cookbook collection for my inspiration in the kitchen. I swear every time I go to my parents’ house, my mother has a new cookbook that she’s obsessed with. She has dog-eared the pages, placed post-its on every recipe she wants to make (which is 100 out of 105 recipes most of the time, so I have never fully understood the point of this) and is bursting at the seams to tell me about the meals that she has / is planning to make. Its really sweet. The idea for this risotto came from a recent Weight Watcher’s ‘Takeaway’ cookbook that was shared with me as mum’s ‘new favourite’. Now, I adore risottos however they often are too rich or heavy for me to eat at night. This is why I particularly love this dish. No cream, no cheese, no butter and no fuss.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g peeled prawns, tailed removed
• 3 stalks celery, washed & finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups arborio cup
• 3 cups gluten-free vegetable stock 
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• sea salt 
• coconut oil 

COOKING 

1. Bring vegetable stock to the boil and simmer, covered, until required. 

2. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, adding onion and garlic when pan is heated. Stir for 4 minutes or until onion is soft. Add rice to the pan and cook, stirring, for one minute. Reduce the heat to low and add the hot stock, one ladle (1/2 a cup) at a time, stirring constantly until all the rice is absorbed. (This should take around 15-20 minutes depending on the heat of your stove). 

3. Stir in the prawns and celery and season with sea salt. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until prawns are pink in colour and are cooked and heated through. Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley, stirring this through if you like. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes (add more time if you are peeled & de-tailed the prawns yourself)

Total Cooking time / 27-32 minutes 

x E