Month: October 2015

Haloumi and Pomegranate Salad

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After a few late night ‘ready in 5 minute’ dinners, we all really needed a big fresh vege boost tonight. Enter a version of my Big-Ass Salad; the thing I throw together whenever scurvy threatens. This rendition has 7 servings of fresh veg, with nuts, halloumi and a beautiful sweet/sour dressing to keep things interesting. The ingredients are very fluid; mix and match to use what’s in the fridge. If you’ve had a big workout or an active day, you could serve this with a wholemeal bread roll or a potato baked in its skin.

pomegranate salad

For the salad:

4 cups mixed salad greens

4 asparagus spears, boiled/steamed and cut into 1 cm pieces

1 big handful coriander leaves, chopped

4 radishes, thinly sliced

1 cup snow peas, sliced

1 avocado, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

To sprinkle over the top:

1 packet haloumi cheese

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

Half a pomegranate

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses

Toss or layer all the salad ingredients in a big platter. Slice the haloumi and fry, then dice into .5 cm cubes, cool, and add to salad. Sprinkle the toasted walnuts over the top. Mix the vinegar, oil and molasses in a bottle or jar and shake until well blended, then pour over the salad. Squeeze the seeds from the pomegranate half all over the salad, then knock the back of the pomegranate with the back of a spoon to get the rest of the seeds out.

Thai Chicken Meatballs with Spinach Rice and Quinoa

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Another one from the ‘how to use up silverbeet from the garden’ files…

In amongst the current low-carb craze, it’s easy to forget that athletes and active people need carbs to replace energy, as well as protein for strength and muscle-building. Find out more about why athletes need carbs here. This recipe provides both, along with plenty of fresh greens, in a perfect ratio.

meatballs

For the meatballs:

350 grams chicken or turkey mince

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sweet chilli sauce

1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves and stems, chopped

1/2 cup coconut cream

1 tablespoon self-raising flour

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together. Scoop teaspoons of mixture into greased mini-muffin pans (you should get about 20), and bake until firm and brown, about 15-20 minutes.

For the rice:

1 cup brown rice and quinoa mix (or plain brown rice)

1 lemon, cut in half

1 star anise

3 cloves

1 cup fresh spinach/silverbeet, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Put the rice and quinoa mix into a saucepan with the 2 lemon halves, the star anise, cloves, and 2 cups of water. Cook according to packet instructions. When cooked through and fluffy, remove the extras, add the spinach and stir through. Leave the lid on for a couple of minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and squeeze the extra lemon juice from the cooked lemon through.

Serve with a big green salad and some extra sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

Rice, Quinoa and Vegetable Tart

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As silverbeet is about the only thing growing in my garden, (and it’s going completely mad) I thought I’d better find a cunning way to include it in some meals without being too obvious, because let’s face it, no one rates silverbeet very high in their favourite vegetable rankings.

Being green and leafy, silverbeet has the right to call itself a superfood. It’s full of vitamin C, A and K as well as iron and a list of other minerals. It’s even better for you when it’s freshly picked as it hasn’t had a chance to lose any of those valuable nutrients.

This tart makes a versatile meal for taking to pot-luck dinners or on picnics, because it’s gluten-free and vegetarian (You could add chopped bacon or ham if you’re feeling especially carnivorous). This one’s going to be cut into slices and put in tomorrow’s lunchboxes, but would make a delicious dinner hot from the oven and served with a green salad.

rice tart

1 cup brown rice & quinoa mix (you can buy it in bags at the supermarket)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, cruched

1 carrot, finely diced

4 free range eggs

2 cups raw silverbeet, finely chopped (spinach would work just as well)

1 cup mushrooms finely chopped (if you have mushroom-haters, you can grate the mushrooms and they’ll never know!)

Zest 1 lemon

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for topping

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Cook the rice and quinoa according to packet directions. Cool. In a large pan, heat the oil and gently cook the onion, garlic and carrot until soft but not too brown. Stir the vegetable mixture through the cooled rice along with the rest of the ingredients.

Pour into a well-greased baking tin (or pie dish), push down with the back of a spoon, and sprinkle over a couple of teaspoons of extra parmesan, salt and pepper.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and crispy.

The vegetables in the recipe are a guide only; you could use anything that you have in the fridge. For extra zing, add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and sliced olives.

Chocolate SMIZ Balls

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The most common question I get asked when I mention that I tend to avoid red meat is, “but how do you get enough iron?” Well, there are lots of ways, but nuts and seeds are a great start. Did you know that 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds contain 4.4 mg of iron, which is 3/4 of a woman’s RDI? I’ve rounded up a bunch of super-hero ingredients which provide a  treasure trove of essential minerals, and created a delicious snack. Brazil nuts famously contain selenium, and almonds and pumpkin seeds provide high levels of magnesium, iron and zinc, or S.M.I.Z (see what I did there?)

These little balls make a wonderfully filling snack, especially if you are craving chocolate (around 3 o’clock in the afternoon maybe?)

SMIZ balls

1/3 cup each Brazil nuts, Cashew nuts, Pumpkin seeds and Almonds

1/3 cup desiccated coconut plus extra for coating

7-8 dates

1 tablespoon cacao (or good quality cocoa) powder

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Blitz all the nuts and seeds in a high-speed blender until they have the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add the coconut, dates, cacao and vanilla and blend again until the mixture forms a paste. Add the coconut oil and blend until smooth and creamy, but stop before the oils begin to separate.

Roll teaspoon sized amounts into balls and coat in the extra coconut. My batch made 12, but I’m greedy; you might get more if you make the balls a little smaller! Refrigerate until set, then keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Creamy Red Lentil Dhal with Spinach and Lime

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Dhal and rice has been eaten for centuries across India; maybe because it packs a nutritional punch of protein, carbohydrate and minerals, or maybe because it tastes so damn good at any time of day! This is my take on a classic. It contains a couple of extra -servings of vegetables to help you get your five-plus, as well coconut cream to give it a bit more oomph. The fresh lime juice cuts through the earthy flavour of the lentils and is the real  star of the show.

Dhal

4 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

¼ teaspoon chilli powder

1.5 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely grated

1 ½ cups red lentils, rinsed

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

¼ teaspoon asafoetida

2 dry curry leaves (optional)

½ cup coconut cream

2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped (or ½ cup of frozen, cooked spinach)

Juice of 2 limes

Salt to taste

Yogurt and chopped coriander to garnish (optional)

Heat the ghee or coconut oil over a medium heat in a large, deep pan. Add the turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, chilli powder and ginger and cook, stirring, until you can hear the mustard seeds begin to pop.

Mix in the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, over a medium heat until soft but not brown.

Add  the lentils and stir, then add 3 ½  cups of water, the asafoetida, and crumble in the curry leaves if using. Combine, then leave to simmer uncovered  for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add extra water if the dhal starts to become dry.

Once the lentils are soft and the dhal has a soupy consistency, stir in the coconut cream and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the chopped spinach and cook just long enough for the spinach to wilt and reduce. Season with salt and lime juice, then leave to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend and mellow.

Dot with yogurt and sprinkle with coriander if using.

Serve with rice and naan bread.

Serves 4

For a less creamy dhal, you can omit the coconut cream and add an extra ½ cup of water.