HAM & TURKEY DIJON SALAD

I've become a great fan of super light dinners, as I do not get home any earlier than at least 8:45 four nights a week. This simple salad is such a dish. It is light, full of protein and vegetables and has a very zingy dressing. Even my salad hating fiancee Chris ate it and loved it! 

This salad is also great to eat on a terribly hot summers day, as the prep time is minimal and you don't have to slave in a hot kitchen. If you have other lean meats on hand you are welcome to use them. The mustard dressing is my favourite part of this dish. Ever since my dad started to make his own salad dressings, I have enthusiastically followed suit. The difference between homemade and store bought dressing is vast, as homemade dressing tastes a million times fresher. Try it out for yourself!

INGREDIENTS

Dijon Dressing 

• the juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped 
• 1 tablespoon water 

Salad

• 100g lean sliced turkey breast, chopped roughly into small pieces
• 100g lean sliced ham, chopped roughly into small pieces
• 100g cucumber, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced 
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach 
• 1 handful of iceberg lettuce, torn 
• 50g low-fat feta, chopped into small pieces
• Optional- garnish with fresh herbs, such as finely chopped chives 

METHOD  

1. Place all dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to combine. 

2. Place all salad ingredients in a medium serving bowl and toss well to combine. Drizzle mustard dressing over the top of the salad and enjoy! 

Serves / 2 
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes max

SOBA NOODLES with PORK & BROCCOLI

I'm not a massive fan of pork, however I do like to eat it occasionally, as I find it even more filling than chicken. I am, however, a huge fan of all things noodles and have an immense love of broccoli, which explains how those ingredients found their way into this dish. I've recently started to use apple cider vinegar to tenderise and marinate meat prior to cooking instead of using extra oil. Do not be put off by the smell of apple cider vinegar, as you do not taste it after cooking. This dish was able to spread itself over both lunch and dinner for 2 very hungry people so you know its going to be filling!

 
Ingredients

• 270g soba noodles 
• 400-430g lean pork fillet, fat removed and cut into even sized 3cm pieces 
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salt reduced soy sauce 
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 1 large head of broccoli, cut into small, even sized florets and stalk chopped 
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (or if cannot find, add another tablespoon of white sesame seeds)
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves 

Cooking 

1. Combine the pork pieces and apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl and toss well. Place in the fridge to marinate for 10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil and then add the soba noodles for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice to make sure they do not clump. Drain and rinse the noodles in a colander under lukewarm water. 

3. Whilst the pork is marinating, whisk the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water. 

4. Heat the rice bran oil in a large, deep fry pan or wok over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add the pork to the pan and toss the pork frequently so that all pork pieces become white in colour. This will take around 5 minutes. (If the pork starts to stick to the pan, add a splash of water at a time). Remove the pork from the pan and place in a medium empty bowl. 

5. Add the broccoli to the pan and continue to stir often. If the broccoli starts to stick to the pan again use a small amount water. Cover the pan for 5 minutes or until the broccoli has become less hard. Return the pork to the pan and pour in the liquid sauce from step 3. Toss the pork and broccoli with the sauce until combined. Add the cooked noodles to the pan and toss well. 

Remove from the stove, add the shallots, fresh coriander and sesame seeds and stir to combine. Divide between four bowls and enjoy! 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 10-12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily 

ASIAN CHICKEN BURGERS

What a fresh, easy & simple recipe to kick off the new year! I hope you all had a great New Years Eve and that your New Year's Day hangovers are a thing of the past! I wish you all a happy, prosperous and FUN 2015. 

To be completely honest, I found this recipe hidden away in my saved drafts and realised I had never posted it. It's one of my favourite quick meals and is perfect for a summer feed. So what is my version of an Asian chicken burger? A very simple chicken patty made with brown rice instead of flour. Ideally these burgers would be served alongside a salad, as they contain no vegetables. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500ml chicken mince, preferably free range 
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup brown rice, cooked and cooled
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce 
• coconut oil

COOKING 

1. Combine all ingredients bar the oil in a large bowl (tossing with clean fingers is the best way to go). Shape the mixture into even sized burgers. Cover with glad wrap and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

2. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

3. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large frying and swirl to coat pan. Place a few patties in the pan, taking care not to overcrowd them. Push the burgers down a little with a spatula and cook for a few minutes each side until browned. When all burgers are brown, transfer them to the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until no pink flesh remains in the middle of the burger. (Remember that everyone's oven temperature is a little different, so keep checking the burgers). Serve warm, drizzled with fresh lime juice if desired. 

Makes / 8-10 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes (plus time to cook and cool the rice)

Total Cooking time / 15-17 minutes (plus refrigeration time)

x Emily 

VEGETABLE & TURKEY BAKED CASSEROLE

This recipe is loosely adapted from the Breakfast Casserole recipe in the 'I Quit Sugar' cookbook by Sarah Wilson. Whilst I could happily consume this casserole for breakfast, it only saw lunch and dinner at my house. I love this recipe because it is so easy; I just stuck it in the oven for 45 minutes and went for a run whilst it was baking. There are a fair few ingredients in this casserole, however I encourage you to substitute the ingredients that you do not have available to you in your kitchen for ones you have on hand. For example, if you do not have turkey fillets, use chicken breast instead. If you do not have fresh chives or spring onions, use what you do have on hand, such as fresh parsley or even dried herbs will work. Regular potato will work in place of sweet potato and zucchini can be substituted for carrot. If you are not lactose-free like myself, add some real cheese on top! 

Ingredients

• 500g sweet potato, peeled & grated
• 250g zucchini, cut into small cubes
• 1 broccoli head, cut into small florets & stalk roughly chopped
• 500g turkey fillet, cut into small even pieces 
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder
• a generous pinch of salt & pepper
• coconut oil spray 
• 10 eggs, preferably free-range 
• Optional- small handful of grated lactose-free or other cheese

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 190 degrees celsius and lightly grease a ceramic or glass baking dish with coconut oil spray.

2. Spray a medium frying pan with coconut oil and heat over medium heat. Add the turkey to the pan and just cook until white / par cooked.  

3. Combine all the ingredients except for the oil, eggs and cheese in a large bowl and mix well. 

4. Whisk the eggs and 1/3 cup of water in a separate bowl or jug. 

5. Place the combined ingredients into the prepared dish, taking care to spread out the vegetables evenly. Carefully pour the egg mixture on top of the vegetables until covered. Sprinkle the cheese on top if using. 

6. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes so that it sets before you start serving. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 

Total Cooking time / 60 minutes (including cooling time)

x Emily 

POWER PACKED SWEET POTATO SALAD

This isn't so much of a salad as a kind of boiled, washed and toasted mixup of sweet potato, baby spinach, avocado, sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut and nuts. However, if I made that the title of this meal I'm sure you wouldn't still be reading! This is my new favourite lunch to make; it fills me up, gets my daily vegetable intake soaring and gives me ample amounts of energy to tackle the rest of my day. I love it so much I've made it several times in the past two weeks, even though its been as humid as hell in my non a/c kitchen. What I especially love about this meal is that you can substitute any ingredients that you have on hand. One day I toasted chopped walnuts instead of pine nuts, another day I used fresh chives and basil in the place of parsley. And not being an avid measurer in the kitchen, I love the fact that I can place 'a handful' of most of the ingredients into this salad and have the dish still taste delicious! 

Ingredients

Salad

• 200g sweet potato, weighed after being peeled & cut into small, even pieces
• a handful of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• a handful of sunflower seeds
• a handful of almonds/walnuts, roughly chopped
• a handful of roughly shredded coconut 
• a handful of pine nuts 
• large handful of baby spinach
• 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley/chives/basil, finely chopped

Avocado paste/dressing

• 1/2 a large or 1 small avocado
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped/crushed
• salt & pepper
• water

Cooking 

1. Place the sweet potato in a small to medium saucepan with enough water to cover the potato. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 6 -7 minutes or until the potato is tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and drain in cold water. 

2. Whilst the potato is cooking, place the pepitas, sunflower seeds, nuts and coconut in a small to medium frypan over low heat. Stir often, toasting the ingredients until fragrant and/or until the coconut pieces begin to brown. Turn off the heat and leave to sit for a little longer on the stove, as the ingredients will continue to toast. 

3. Make the avocado dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mash the avocado until smooth and add a splash of water at a time to get the dressing to your desired consistency. (I like my dressing to be like a paste; you may prefer yours runnier). 

4. Combine the cooked sweet potato, toasted nuts, baby spinach and herbs in a medium serving bowl. Add the avocado paste/dressing and extra salt & pepper if desired. Serve warm. 

Serves / 1 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

QUINOA SUSHI 3 WAYS

I've always wanted to try my hand at making quinoa sushi and yesterday was the day. I have made rice sushi numerous times and whilst I love the end result, it has always seemed like an immense undertaking. The prep and rolling of this quinoa sushi felt very different however; easy, fuss-free and fun! 

I have included 3 different ways to make the sushi; theres a vegetarian option, a tuna filling and a beef roll (this was specially for my fiancee, who will eat anything if it has red meat in it). My personal favourite? The vegetarian. These fillings are just a guide and I encourage you to roll whatever ingredients you think will work in your sushi. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well in cold water twice
• 2 1/2 cups water 
• 3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar, plus extra, to brush onto the seaweed sheets 
• 1 large carrot, grated 
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, sliced into long, thin pieces
• 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
• White or black (or a mixture of both) sesame seeds 
• 8 seaweed sheets 
• gluten-free soy sauce or tamari 

Tuna Sushi

• 2 x 95g tuna in brine, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chilli
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• grated carrot
• spring onion
• avocado or cucumber slices 
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Vegetarian Sushi

• grated carrot
• spring onion
• avocado slices
• cucumber slices
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Beef Sushi

• 250g beef mince
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• grated carrot or cucumber slices 
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 

Cooking 

1. Place the quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Once boiled, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 -15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and place on a large plate to cool. 

2. Meanwhile, cook the beef by swirling the sesame oil in a small to medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the mince and cook, stirring frequently to break up the lumps, until the beef is browned and cooked. Remove from heat and place on a plate to cool. 

3. Make the tuna sushi by combining the tuna, chilli and sesame oil in a small bowl and stirring well to combine. 

4. If you have any extra time whilst the quinoa is cooked and then cooling down, use it to grate the carrot, slice the cucumber and avocado and finely chop the spring onion. 

5. Once the quinoa has cooled, stir the brown rice vinegar into the cooked quinoa. 

6. To make the sushi - lay out 1 seaweed sheet on a flat surface. Spoon quinoa evenly onto the bottom 1/3 of the sheet closest to you, leaving a few centimetres of seaweed bare at the very bottom. Make sure to flatten the quinoa with the back of the spoon. Then add the toppings from above directly on top of the quinoa. You should be able to make 3 of two types of sushi rolls and 2 of the other type of roll. Once the toppings have been added, brush the top 1/3 of the sheet with rice wine vinegar and the bottom few centimetres of seaweed that you left bare. Then tightly roll the sushi, starting with the bottom end, all the way to the top end. Place in the fridge when finished rolling. 

7. When you are ready to eat the sushi, remove from the fridge and trim the ends of the sushi with a sharp knife brushed with rice wine vinegar. Then cut the sushi rolls in half and half again to make 4 sushi rounds per roll. 

Serves / 4 / 2 sushi rolls each or 8 sushi rounds

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 45-60 minutes 

x Emily 

FRUIT ICEBLOCKS

What better than another popsicle/ice block recipe to celebrate the very first day of summer in Australia?! Regardless of the fact that Queensland has been feeling the summer heat for the past two months, I except this December, January and February to be absolute scorchers! And what better way to cool down than with a refreshing, guilt-free fruit ice block? Besides jumping in the pool that is;) Below are my four favourite fruit iceblock recipes! I encourage you to get creative and blend whatever fruit you have in the fridge with some no sugar coconut water for a low calorie treat! 

Mango Coconut 

Ingredients

• 200g fresh or frozen mango 
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut 
• 1 cup (250ml) unsweetened almond milk / coconut milk / whatever milk you wish
• 1/2 cup water 
• 6 popsicle/ice block moulds

Method

1. Place the mango, coconut, milk and water in a blender and blend until smooth. 

2. Pour the mango mixture evenly between the 6 moulds.

3. Freeze for a few hours (minimum of 4) before serving. To remove the popsicle from its mould, run under boiling hot water for a few seconds. 

Makes / 6 iceblocks 

Watermelon & Kiwifruit 

Ingredients

• 200g fresh or frozen watermelon, no black seeds
• the flesh of 2 medium kiwifruit or 100g 
• 1 cup coconut water 
• 6 popsicle/ice block moulds 

Method 

1. Combine the watermelon, kiwi and coconut water in a blender and blend until smooth. 

2. Pour the mixture evenly between the 6 moulds. 

3. Freeze for a few hours (minimum of 4) before serving. To remove the popsicle from its mould, run under boiling hot water for a few seconds. 

Makes / 6 iceblocks 

Tropical

Ingredients

• 150g fresh or frozen mango 
• 150g fresh or frozen pineapple
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 1/2 cups no sugar coconut water 
• 6-7 popsicle/ice block moulds 

Method 

1. Combine the mango, pineapple, banana and coconut water in a blender and blend until smooth. 

2. Pour the mango mixture evenly between the 6 moulds. This recipe fills a little more than 6 moulds; if you do not have any more iceblock moulds you can freeze it in a small bowl. 

3. Freeze for a few hours (minimum of 4) before serving. To remove the popsicle from its mould, run under boiling hot water for a few seconds. 

Makes / 6-7 iceblocks 

Raspberry & Rockmelon

Ingredients 

• 100g raspberries, fresh or frozen 
• 200g rockmelon pieces, fresh or frozen 
• 1 cup coconut water 

Method

1. Combine the raspberries, rockmelon and coconut water in a blender and blend until smooth. 

2. Pour the mixture evenly between the 6 moulds. This recipe fills a little more than 6 moulds; if you do not have any more iceblock moulds you can freeze it in a small bowl. 

3. Freeze for a few hours (minimum of 4) before serving. To remove the popsicle from its mould, run under boiling hot water for a few seconds. 

Makes 6 / 7 iceblocks 

x Emily