VERSATILE VEGGIES, BEANS & BEEF

I initially made this meal for State of Origin night a few years ago and I've made it several times since. My mother makes a similar recipe for me often when I come to hers for lunch, except that she uses more vegetables and the vegetables & mince become a delicious sauce for corn chips. You could also eat it plain as it is very filling or spooned on top of a small bed of brown rice. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 500g extra lean beef mince
• 1 medium sweet potato, roughly grated
• 2 medium zucchinis, roughly grated
• 1 large carrot, roughly grated
• 2 large tomatoes (400g), diced 
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free Worcester sauce 
• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed & drained 
• Optional - a few tablespoons of roughly chopped basil, plus extra to garnish 

COOKING 

1. Heat a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat and add oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes or until soft. Add mince and cook for 5 minutes or until the beef has browned, mashing up any lumps of meat that may appear. 

2. Add sweet potato, zucchini and carrot and stir to combine with the cooked mince for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, Worcester sauce and 2 cups (500ml) of water and stir well for another minute. Raise the heat to high, covering the pan and bringing it to the boil. When boiled, reduce to a simmer and cover for around 10-12 minutes or until almost no liquid remains. At this point add the red kidney beans, basil (if using) and a generous pinch of ground black pepper and stir into the beef. Continue to cook until the beans are warm. Remove from heat and serve warm, with corn chips, brown rice or on its own. 

Serves / 4 without rice or corn chips/ 6 with accompaniments 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

HARD BOILED EGGS

Why does breakfast always taste so damn good on Sunday? Breakfast on weekdays is often mundane and can even be described as a bit of a chore, however weekend breakfasts never lose their novelty. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that for many of us, we know that after consuming our leisurely and often naughty Saturday or Sunday breakfast we have no work commitments to attend to. If only we had the time or energy during the week to truly look forward to our breakfast, as it is the most important meal of the day. “It gets your metabolism going!’ my mother always used to say to me in my teenage years, when I sadly thought it was the cool thing to skip breakfast. Its actually incredibly uncool, as your body starts to indulge in its fat reserves and you eat more throughout the day, particularly around dinner time, the meal that should be the smallest. Definitely not the way to go to eat healthily or maintain / lose weight. So splash out and enjoy your big breakfasts!

INGREDIENTS

• 1-2 pieces of multigrain, wholemeal or gluten-free bread, toasted 
• 2 eggs (preferably free-range)
• 1 teaspoon fresh chives & fresh basil, finely chopped
• Optional- a few slices of tomato, baby spinach, 1/4 avocado 

COOKING 

1. Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and leave the eggs to sit for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and place eggs in cold water for 3 minutes. Peel eggs and place on top of toast or to the side. Sprinkle fresh herbs & ground black pepper on top. Serve with sides, such as tomato slices, fresh or steamed baby spinach and avocado slices or avocado spread onto the toast. 

Serves / 1 

Total Preparation time / 3 minutes (to toast bread & prepare herbs)

Total Cooking time / 13 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 

BIRCHER MUESLI

This bircher muesli recipe is inspired by Lola Berry's delicious 'Superfood Bircher' found in her latest cookbook, 'the Happy Cookbook'. I've adjusted the recipe to reflect my personal tastes and what ingredients were at my disposal at the time. For example, whilst I love Lola's recipe it did consist of a lot of dried fruit, which I find my body doesn't love. I've added just cranberries as my dried fruit of choice. Coconut chips have a much nicer texture than shredded coconut and are available in health food shops. I struggle to get enough protein in my diet hence the protein powder. I'm a big fan of the cinnamon flavour, however I also love adding it to breakfasts, smoothies and sweets as it reduces the rate at which food travels from your stomach to your intestine and thereby keeps you satisfied for longer and stops a post-meal slump. 

My fiancee detests chia seeds, hence the addition of flaxseeds in this bircher. You must add one of these two seeds to your muesli, as they are needed to soak up the milk and do this by expanding multiple times their size in liquid and therefore thickening liquid and making you feel full for longer. Fun fact: I only recently learnt that chia seeds and flax seeds in particular must be soaked in order to be easily digestible by the body. These seeds must be soaked prior to consumption for your body to receive all the nutritious benefits that they offer. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup / 100g rolled oats (or quinoa flakes)
• 1/4 cup / 40g goji berries
• 1/4 cup / 50g flaxseeds or chia seeds (40g)
• 1/4 cup / 50g almonds 
• 1/4 cup / 50g cashews
• 1/4 cup / 40g dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup / 50g sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup coconut chips
• 2 tablespoons pea or other type of protein powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Optional - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla 
• 4 cups / 1 litre unsweetened almond milk / oat milk / any type of milk you choose
• To serve - a small handful of blueberries 

Preparation 

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the blueberries in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Cover with glad wrap or another air tight covering and place in the fridge to soak overnight or at least three hours. Serve with a small handful of blueberries. 

Serves / 5-6 

x Emily 

SUSHI SALAD BOWL

I love fresh, bright and quick to prepare meals, hence this Sushi Salad Bowl is a favourite of mine. Having tried my hand at making sushi before, this is a much quicker and less painstaking process which tastes like the inside of my ideal sushi roll. You can play with the ingredients and add lemon, daikon, salmon, toasted seaweed, coriander etc or remove any ingredients below that you do not like/have on hand. I kept my sushi salad bowl very simple (it was Sunday night after all). 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / sesame oil 
• 2 green shallots, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
• Optional - 15cm stick fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 300g free range chicken breast, cut into 3cm even pieces 
• 150g green beans, cut into 2cm pieces 
• 150g red cabbage or wombok or a mixture of bowl, shredded 
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 1 Lebanese cucumber or 1/2 continental cucumber, diced 
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced 
• 4 teaspoons white /black or a mixture of both (1 teaspoon for each serving) 

Dressing

• the juice of 1 medium lime 
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

COOKING 

1. Place rice and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover for around 12-15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and add the rice wine vinegar, then fluff the rice with a fork to stir it in. 

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, lemongrass (if using) and ginger and stir for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the ingredients. Then add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring often for approximately 4-5minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 

3. Remove the chicken with the shallots, lemongrass and ginger from the pan and now add the beans and cabbage. Stir for around 3 minutes or until beans are slightly tender. 

4. Pour the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or mug along with 2 tablespoons water and stir well. 

5. Distribute the rice, carrot, cucumber, avocado, chicken and beans & cabbage into four bowls. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sesame seeds over each bowl and drizzle dressing over the top and serve. 

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

x Emily 

TOMATO, ALMOND & BASIL PESTO PASTA

This deliciously quick pesto pasta recipe is sadly not one of my own. My favourite cooking magazine, Feast, published this recipe in its March 2015 edition. Unfortunately, the magazine is no longer in business. I was devastated to hear of this, as I learnt so much of what I know about cooking through pouring over my monthly Feast fix. Over the 30 editions of the magazine in my possession, the eating traditions and recipes of almost every single culture of the world was brought to light. I intend to treasure this incredible magazine through replicating its diverse recipes every so often on my blog. Thankyou for all you taught me Feast magazine, you truly instilled in me a deep love and respect for good food. 

Ingredients

• 400g gluten-free pasta (any type of pasta, however spaghetti works well)
• 60g almonds, roughly chopped
• 400g tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup densely packed basil, roughly chopped
• 50g feta
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley or chives (chives must be roughly chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Cooking 

1. Bring a large saucepan of boiling and lightly salted water to the boil. Once boiled add the pasta and cook until pasta is to your liking. Drain pasta in a colander over cold running water, keeping 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. 

2. Meanwhile, put all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until the ingredients make a textured paste. 

3. Return the pasta to the saucepan over low heat and pour in the reserved cooking liquid. Add the paste and stir well to combine. Season with ground black pepper and serve with extra basil leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

POLENTA CHICKEN PATTIES

I devised these little polenta patties after looking at an old Asian chicken patty recipe of mine. You can make this patty a little more Mexican by adding some ground or fresh chilli, if you can handle it! I love creating simple recipes like this that can be eaten as a snack or as a main meal. Make sure you let the patties rest after cooking them on the stove, as the chicken continues to cook during this time. 

Ingredients

• 500g free range chicken mince
• 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup polenta
• 1 medium carrot, grated 
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 a medium capsicum (any colour), finely chopped 
• 3 teaspoons taco seasoning 
• pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil 
• Optional - 1 medium avocado, 2 tomatoes, sliced and a few generous handfuls of baby spinach leaves 

Cooking 

1. Combine the mince, egg, polenta, carrot, spring onion, capsicum, taco seasoning and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix well to combine all ingredients (using your hands works best!). 

2. Shape the mixture into 8 even sized patties. 

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the patties to the pan, making sure to flatten each one down with a spatula. Cook for one side for 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. Remove the patties from the stove and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Serve warm on a bed of baby spinach, tomato and a quarter of an avocado each. 

Serves / 4 / 2 patties each + a serving of salad 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

x Emily