CHICKPEA & LENTIL PATTIES

There is something so fun and enjoyable in making patties. Whether they are beef or lamb burger patties, vegetarian patties, chicken mince patties, I get very excited about cooking them. These Chickpea & Lentil Patties were made last Monday, as I was craving a substantial vegetarian meal for lunch & dinner. This past week I have started to experiment with more natural foods, such as different flours, less processed beans and lentils, unrefined oils (which will start to appear on this blog soon!), I still understand the need for lentils and other legumes etc out of a tin. We all have quite busy lives and taking shortcuts in cooking is one conceivable way to make more time for other things. However, I pose you this question; do the tinned lentils/chickpeas/diced tomatoes/black beans taste as fresh or as good as the real deal? Watch this space and come on a super natural cooking journey with me!

INGREDIENTS

• 750 sebago potatoes, sliced
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 1 x 400g tin of brown lentils, rinsed & drained 
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1/2 brown onion (60g), chopped finely
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• a pinch of black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 egg, preferably free range
• 1/2 cup polenta (70g)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons 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. Add potatoes and cook for around 15 minutes or until potatoes are quite tender. Drain well, draining with cold water. Mash in a large bowl until smooth and then leave to cool. 

3. When the mash has cooled, add the chickpeas, lentils, garlic, onion, carrot, stock, tahini, salt, pepper and all the spices. Mash well to combine, then add the egg and mash again. 

4. Taking around 1/2 a cup of the combined mixture, shape into 10-12 individual patties. Spread the polenta on a wide surface, then roll each patty into the polenta to coat. 

5. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add a 1/2 a teaspoon of olive oil at a time. Cook patties in batches, 3-4 at a time (replenishing the oil each time), for around 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 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. 

Makes around 10-12 

Serve with a salad or alone 

Serves 5-6 

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DOUBLE-CHOC BROWNIES

I learnt so much from making these brownies (adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow’s unrated cookbook ‘My Father’s Daughter’). I was introduced to Agave Nectar, a beautiful mild-tasting natural sweetener that is lighter and cleaner tasting than honey. I purchased my first jar of unrefined, organic Coconut Oil and delighted in its rich tropical smell. Coconut oil has now replaced butter for me. Lastly, I used Spelt Flour for the first time, and have decided to cease buying white, processed flour from the supermarket shelves. And did I mention that the no egg, no butter and no artificial sugar brownies tasted out of this world?

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups white spelt flour
• 1 cup high-quality cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• a pinch of fine salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup light agave nectar
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence/extract
• 1 cup high-quality dark chocolate chips 

COOKING 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease a baking dish with a small amount of coconut oil. 

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, agave nectar, maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, taking care not the overmix (as this results in tough brownies!). 

3. Pour half the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle half the chocolate chips on top. Pour the remaining batter into the baking dish and sprinkle with the rest of the chocolate chips. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer has just a small amount of chocolate on it when it is inserted into the middle of the cake. Let it cool (if you can!), then cut into squares and serve warm. 

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CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA WRAPS

 A mid-week Indian inspired dish. Surprisingly, this simple meal was the tastiest thing I had made all week (until Friday appeared and I cooked Pistachio Risotto!) All it took was a premade Indian paste, some fresh snowpea sprouts (which I highly recommend you seek out) and some natural yoghurt. I am usually not a fan of premade sauces, however by the middle of the week I allow myself one easy and convenient meal. You can choose you fixings and use lettuce, red onion, fresh mint, coriander, the list is endless. I have a bit of an obsession with snowpea sprouts (I adore them!), hence why they are on the ingredient list.


INGREDIENTS

• 500g chicken breast, cut into even strips
• 2 1/2 tablespoons tikka masala paste
• 3 tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt 
• 4 pita bread/ Lebanese bread (I used Lebanese bread 83g each in size)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 50g snowpea sprouts or washed shredded lettuce
• baking paper

Yoghurt Spread

• 1/2 cup fat-free natural yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 large Lebanese cucumber, diced 

COOKING 

1. Combine chicken strips with tikka masala paste, 3 tablespoons yoghurt and smoked paprika and marinate in the fridge for around 30 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius fan-forced and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Spread out chicken strips in a single layer and cook for 9-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked and tender. 

3. Meanwhile, combine all the yoghurt spread ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Spread the yoghurt spread over the pita bread and top with chicken and snow pea sprouts/ lettuce or whatever fixings you desire. 

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Serves / 4 

Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Cooking time / 12 minutes 

Adapted from The AWW Low-Fat Food for Life

POTATO & BEAN TACOS WITH HOMEMADE SEASONING

I dearly wish that I could take credit for this unique recipe, but unfortunately I must admit that the idea of this creation came from the cookbook ‘LivWise’ (by Olivia Newton John).  Whilst I did tweak the ingredients a little, the potato and red kidney bean mixture is all Olivia. For anyone that wants a break from meat but still wants to eat a protein packed and filling dinner, this is the meal for you. Whilst making your own taco seasoning may not appeal to everyone, you can of course use a prepackaged taco/burrito seasoning. As I have far too many spices lying around in my pantry and on my disorganized spice rack, I love utilizing these and making something truly homemade. However, if time is not your friend, a preprepared seasoning will do just fine. Go light on the cheese and sour cream! Less is more people.

INGREDIENTS


Filling

• 600 sebago potatoes, washed and diced into 3cm pieces 
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 60g red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 10 taco shells, warmed for 5 minutes in a 200 degree celsius oven right before serving
• Optional:
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges 
• 50g snow pea sprouts or shredded lettuce 
• Reduced-fat grated cheese (your choice of quantity, but remember that less is better, calorie wise!)
• a small dollop of extra-light sour cream 

Homemade Taco Seasoning 

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder 
• 1 teaspoon garlic flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

COOKING 

1. Place all the taco seasoning ingredients in a small bowl or container and mix to combine. Store in a container with a lid until step 3. 

2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

3. Bring a medium to large saucepan of water to the boil. Add diced potato pieces and cook for around 12 minutes or until potato is tender but not mushy (A fork should be able to slide through a piece of potato easily without the potato crumbling). Remove the potato from the heat and drain well, pouring cold water over the potato and draining again. Place the potato in a medium bowl, add olive oil and 3/4 of the taco seasoning. Toss around until the potato is well covered in seasoning and oil. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until potato is golden. 

4. Place the kidney beans, lime juice, red onion, remaining taco seasoning and garlic cloves in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for around 5 minutes or until ingredients are heated through. 

5. Serve the warmed taco shells with cooked potato, warmed bean mixture and optional toppings. 

Makes / 10 tacos 

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BEEF & BEAN RICE SALAD

The recipe below is very similar to the ‘Tex Mex Chicken Rice Salad’ that I made a few months ago, but with different meat and a unique assortment of spices & herbs. Do not panic if you do not have the exact spices listed in the ingredients section, as you can have fun mixing up the seasonings, and adding dried oregano, chill flakes or powder, ground cumin, taco seasoning etc. The spices and herbs I came up with are quite a bizarre combination, however the mince tasted awesome. I need beef to taste extremely good to me, as I would count red meat as one of my least favourite things to eat. However, if you have been an avid reader of this blog, an increase of red meat recipes is beginning to appear recently as I become more iron-conscious. Relish making your own assortment of spices & herbs and happy cooking! 


INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice 
• 3 cups water
• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 1 small red onion (80g), chopped finely
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons mixed herbs
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• pinch of sea salt 
• Optional- 
  • 1 medium tomato, cut into thin wedges
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Pour brown rice into a medium to large saucepan and add 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat, simmering for around 15-20 minutes or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is tend.r 

2. Meanwhile, combine the beef mince, red onion, garlic, olive oil, sea salt and all the herbs and spices in a medium bowl and mix well. Heat a medium to large frying pan and cook the mince mixture, stirring constantly, until no lumps are visible and the mince is browned. Remove from heat and keep warm. 

3. Combine the cooked rice and cooked mince in a large serving bowl. Top with tomatoes and chives if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

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QUINOA SALAD

My very first time making quinoa took place this weekend. Being a ‘superfood’ and the grain with the highest amount of protein in it, quinoa has been getting a lot of press recently. My father, a bit of a self-confessed health nut, mentioned this grain to me several months ago, however I did not give it much thought until I started the 12 Week Challenge and noticed that every 3^rd recipe seemed to contain this mysterious grain. Super super easy to cook, double the amount of water to ratio of quinoa is added is cooked much like rice. Make sure that you add a pinch of sea salt to the quinoa and water before it boils to bring out the flavour. Quinoa can be a little bland on its own, therefore it is best served with a dressing, sauce or spice. Quinoa is interesting in appearance and texture, as it looks like couscous but its texture is slightly rougher. The benefits of quinoa are extensive and after researching and cooking just one meal with quinoa, I strongly believe that this grain should be an addition to everyone’s pantry. Have a read of this useful link to find out more about this superfood: http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/06/12-things-you-should-know-about-quinoa/

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa (200g)
• 2 cups water (500ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 large lebanese cucumber, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 handful of any lettuce, washed & drained (I used butter lettuce)

Dressing- Vinaigrette 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water (possibly more depending on the consistency)
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijion mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

COOKING 

1. Place the quinoa, sea salt and water in a medium saucepan on high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the quinoa is soft and tender and no water remains. Remove from the heat and cool. 

2. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by combining all of the ingredients in a screw-top jar with a lid and shaking until combined. (If the dressing is a little thick, add some more water). 

3. Place the cooked quinoa, the lettuce, cucumber, chives and tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette  over the top and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 

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