Single White Female

2012-01-12T18:23:00.000+08:00

Raw Cacao Hazelnut Fudge

I am not sure that this is really a true fudge, but it is as close as I will get/make. We make this at work, I am not sure where the recipe comes from, maybe my friend M's head? Or if you know, then please tell me and I will give them due credit. Definitely easier to make if you have access to a Thermomix, or at least a really good food processor.

1 cup cacao

1 cup of raw hazelnuts

1 cup sultanas

1/2 cup coconut oil

3 Tbs raw honey

1/2 cup shredded coconut or coconut flour (optional)

Blend hazelnuts until fine and then put into separate container. Blend remaining ingredients until it becomes a fine paste, gradually add in ground hazelnuts.

Place two long sheets of glad wrap/cling film onto counter top and place mixture in a line length ways. Roll up to form a sausage and tie one end, with the other end start twisting to compact the mixture and make into an even sausage shape. Place into freezer for 2 hours and then slice into desired thickness, serve and watch them disappear.

2012-01-12T18:09:00.001+08:00

Buckwheat Salad...Two Ways!

Happy new year, or is twelve days in too late to say that? Either way hope the year has been going great so far and good health and happiness has found you :)

I seem to go through stages with buckwheat, I love it, eat too much of it then stay away from it for a few months before the cycle goes round again. I am definitely in a love stage at the moment, hence not one but two buckwheat salads.The first is a spicy roast vegetable that perhaps has a nod to the middle east and the second a Mediterranean style with juicy ripe Roma tomatoes.

Spicy Roast Vegetable and Sesame Buckwheat Salad with Tahini Dressing

1/4 Japanese pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes

1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 large carrot, chopped into slightly smaller size than pumpkin and cauliflower

1 cup or snow peas, sliced thinly

1/2 red capsicum, sliced thinly

1 spring onion, thinly slices (white and green part)

1 cup buckwheat groats

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 tsp each of turmeric, garam masala, ground coriander, ground ginger

1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds (optional)

big handful of fresh mint leaves

half cup tahini

juice of a lemon

salt, pepper and evoo

Place pumpkin, cauliflower and carrot into roasting pan, sprinkle spices, mustard seeds, salt, pepper and evoo over the top and toss to coat. Roast in oven for half an hour on 180 degrees or until cooked. When there is 10 minutes to go on the veggies toss the sesame seeds into the roasting pan. Meanwhile simmer the buckwheat in water for 10 minutes so they retain their shape. rinse and set aside.

Mix tahini and lemon juice together and set aside. Place snow peas, capsicum, onion, mint and buckwheat into salad bowl, whilst roast vegetables and sesame seeds are still hot toss through and combine. Serve and drizzle with tahini dressing. Can be enjoyed warm or cold.

Mediterranean Buckwheat Salad

6 Swiss brown mushrooms, cleaned and cut into wedges

2 juicy ripe Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup buckwheat

2 gloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small green capsicum, thinly sliced

handful of basil, roughly chopped

salt, pepper, evoo

Simmer buckwheat for 10 minutes to retain shape, fry off mushrooms and garlic in evoo. Combine all thinly sliced ingredients madding salt, pepper and evoo to taste.

Hope you enjoy these salads, if you haven't tried buckwheat I urge you to give it a go, it is nutty and delicious and oh so easy to cook.

2011-11-27T16:22:00.001+08:00

Gluten Free, Vegan Fruit and Nut Cake Challenge

It's nice to do little challenges, I hadn't cooked with gluten free flour before, well not on its own anyway, I used this flour from the local supermarket, which was the gluten part taken care of, for the vegan part I substituted soaked chia seeds for eggs and coconut oil for butter. The result was not the most attractive muffins, but certainly very moist, fruity and nutty. Still could use some tweaking but I do believe good enough to share, the fact that I have had two and a half this afternoon is testament to that.

2 cups dates - chopped

1 cup prunes - chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots - chopped

1/2 cup cherries - whole

1/2 cup sultanas

Good splash of Cointreau

2 cups walnuts

1.5 cups cashews

1.5 cups sunflower seeds

2 Tbs chia seeds

1/2 cup water

3 cups gluten free flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp vanilla extract

125g coconut oil

juice of an orange

extra nuts and maple syrup for decoration

Put chopped fruit and Cointreau into a saucepan, cover with filtered water and simmer for 15 minutes (you can leave the fruit soaking in the Cointreau over night, I didn't have time). Mix through coconut oil and set aside.

Mix chia seeds and water together and let sit. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Roughly chop the nuts and seeds and put into a large bowl, add flour and spices and combine. Add fruits, soaked chia seeds, orange juice and vanilla and stir (I needed to add a little more water here as it was a little dry still).

Fill muffin tins with muffin cases and then add mixture, top with nuts and a drizzle of maple syrup, cook for 30-45 minutes (depends on your oven).

They don't really rise, I think that might be the chia seeds, but they are a dense fruity protein packed little cake that hit the fruitcake spot if you want to try something a little different.

2011-11-27T15:48:00.000+08:00

Waldorf Coleslaw and the Exciting Future

Well Uni has officially finished, I eagerly await my results so that I can start practising in the new year I've even managed to successfully get myself a job as a nutritionist, the future certainly looks bright and I am super excited about this next chapter in my life.

I made this salad at work and have since made it several times with slight variations, it is super healthy and keeps really well, it's the salad I am going to bring to the table at Christmas time, I hope you enjoy it.

Quarter head of cabbage (green) - finely shredded

2 sticks of celery - finely sliced on the diagonal

1 carrot - grated

1 spring onion - finely sliced

3 Tbs sultanas

Juice of one lemon

Half cup walnuts - rough chop

1 apple (or pear) - cored and thinly sliced

Tin of chickpeas (optional) - rinsed

3 Tbs fresh parsley - chopped

2 Tbs EVOO

Soak the sultanas in the lemon juice, preferably overnight, so that they plump up.

Finely slice the apple and add to the lemony sultanas to coat. Put all of the ingredients except the walnuts into a bowl and combine, sprinkle walnuts on top. Enjoy with a nice glass of aged Riesling.

Other stuff...

Me drinking a coffee at my desk on my final days of study, there was plenty of this going on.

Lunch, toasted sprouted bread, feta, tofu, tomato, avocado and spring onion open sandwich, making and photographing food was always a good distraction from study.

2011-10-26T08:06:00.004+08:00

Smooth.....eeeeee....

I have been loving smoothies for breakfast, I was never a fan as I need to go through the chewing phase when eating but then a friend, C, said make it thick and eat it with a spoon, brilliant!

I have a knock off of one of those magic bullet blenders which I bought years ago and it is so handy for smoothies, here's some of the ingredients that have been featuring in my smoothies lately...

bananas
apples
pears
nashi pears
blueberries
cherries
mangoes
nectarines
plums
raspberries
walnuts
almonds
cooked brown rice
quinoa
buckwheat
oats
pea protein powder
psyllium husks
sheep's milk yoghurt
cow's milk yoghurt
cos lettuce
avocados
lemon
baby spinach
young coconut (flesh and water)
chia seeds
sunflower and pumpkin seeds

What's your favourite combo?

2011-10-15T13:39:00.000+08:00

Spring Zing

I'm eating this salad as I type this...it makes me feel awesome!

half a tin of borlotti beans, rinsed

a spring onion, finely sliced

quarter of a red cabbage, finely sliced

a grated carrot

half a grated beetroot

ten snow peas thinly sliced

one stick of celery, finely sliced

mint leaves, shredded

dressing -

a clove of garlic, crushed

splash or red wine vinegar

splash of evoo

fresh cracked black pepper

Mix dressing together at the bottom of the bowl you will be tossing the salad into. Add all sliced veggies and washed borlotti beans and toss to coat in dressing. Serve enjoy, feel amazing!

Add avocado, green beans, green cabbage, capsicum, sweet corn, raw broccoli. use lemon instead of red wine vinegar, chickpeas, coriander...the combinations are endless and delicious.

2011-10-09T15:43:00.001+08:00

7 Weeks to Go!!!

In just seven short weeks, all going to plan I will be a qualified clinical nutrtionist, eek!

I have still found time however to take some photos and eat some awesome food, here is a glimpse of what has been happening in photos...

Amaranth, parsley, avocado, almond and broccoli salad

Baked mini rosemary ricottas

Baked maple muesli apples (serve with sheeps milk yoghurt)

Rochelle Adonis take-aways...drool

Rasberry tart

Chocolate and cherry

Pure decadence!

Sexy shoes that I can't really afford...but a girls got to have pretty things :)

2011-09-04T17:20:00.000+08:00

Decadence

What happens when three final year nutrition students get together for a wine and cheese night? Beautiful decadent, generally healthy and definitely delicious mix of food, wine and the best company a girl could ask for.

2011-07-21T11:26:00.000+08:00

"Good For You" Raw Slice

I got this recipe from M at work, she made them for our customers at the Green Bean that are raw foodies, vegans, gluten and/or lactose intolerant and I instantly fell in love with them. They are so tasty and wholesome and completely satisfy that chocolate craving whilst actually being good for you. She made them into small round biscuits after rolling them and put Goji berry flowers on top, however I did not have any cookie cutters so pressed into a tin to make a slice instead...delicious!!

1 x cup sultanas

1 x cup coconut

3/4 x cup cacao powder

1/4 x cup coconut oil

2 x Tbs Goji berries

rind of an orange (non-waxed)

1/2 x cup cacao nibs

1 x cup almonds

In food processor blend sultanas and coconut to make mushy mixture, add all other ingredients except nibs and almonds and blend until smooth. Finally add nibs and almonds and process enough so that there is still some texture in the mix. Line biscuit tin with baking paper and press mixture so it is flat, either cut into cookies or leave as slice. Refrigerate for half an hour and enjoy. I'm told it freezes well.

You may notice the beautiful blue ottoman the plate is placed on, it is courtesy of my sister V, a birthday present I had been yearning for which she remembered and made my day with. Sisters...I highly recommend them :)

2011-06-25T15:57:00.000+08:00

Lemon Coconut Chia Seed Loaf
Well exams are over and the mid-year break is upon me, which means I can get back into the kitchen and bake something, it certainly is great to have the oven going on a cold day filling the house with delicious aromas rather than having the heater on. The only problem was I didn't really feel like leaving the house to get supplies so this vegan loaf was born. I do love a citrus flavoured dense cake, preferably not to sweet so this was right up my alley, might not be up yours but you could probably add some extra sweetener (agave, extra dates, mashed banana) or a cream cheese coconut icing to jazz it up.

2/3 can Coconut cream
2 lemons juice & rind (make sure the lemons are not waxed, go and grab a couple from your neighbour)
1 cup SR wholemeal flour
2/3 cup oats
6 dates chopped
1/3 cup chia seeds
maple syrup for glazing

Mix all ingredients together and place in loaf tin lined with grease proof paper, my crappy oven took one and a half hours to cook this, yours probably won't take that long.

All ingredients as per usual are organic.

You can get your organic produce from my favourite store the Green Bean Organic Store and Cafe in Lathlain, WA.

2011-05-15T17:03:00.000+08:00

Sunday Roast...my way...

Sunday is the day where extra time can be taken to cook something delicious, traditionally that would be the Sunday roast, so I roasted, just not in the traditional way. This salad has so much going on, texture, sweetness, spice, crunch, sour, creamy, chewy, just yummy.

These measurements are not exact, just work with your senses

large sweet potato, peeled and shopped into chunks

half a head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

cup of pearl barley (cook extra to have for breakfast the next day with fruit & yoghurt)

red onion, sliced into wedges

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

olive oil

bunch of picked coriander leaves

Dressing

big spoonful of tahini

tsp plain yoghurt

juice of a lime

cumin to taste

pinch of celtic sea salt

stalks from the coriander chopped finely

filtered water for thinning if needed

Put sweet potato, cauliflower, onion and garlic into large roasting pan, sprinkle with spices and olive oil, toss to make sure all of the vegies get a kiss from the spices. Bake in moderate oven until nicely roasted. While the vegetables are roasting put the barley in a large saucepan and simmer until cooked (~hour). Drain and set aside to cool.

Make dressing and leave to permeate. Once everything is cooked put some barley in the bottom of a bowl, top with roasted vegetables, corainder leaves and drizzle with dressing.

Then the best part...eat it!!

2011-05-01T19:47:00.000+08:00

Enjoyable Eggplant Stew

Stew, casserole, one pot wonder what ever you want to call it, you will definitely call it delicious.

My friend's Mum makes this Lebanese eggplant dish which I had a hankering for, not having her recipe I decided to combine this one from Roaming Tales with this one from HowToExpo plus I felt like using mustard seeds so they made a guest appearance.

2 x medium eggplants, chopped into 1cm cubes

1 x large brown onion, chopped finely

1 x tin chickpeas

1 x tin chopped tomatoes

1tsp brown mustard seeds, popped in dry saucepan and then crushed

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp mild cayenne pepper

2 x large cloves garlic, crushed

evoo

brown rice

Heat oil in fry pan and add eggplant once browned remove and set aside on absorbent paper. In same fry pan lightly fry onions, garlic and spices, add chickpeas and fry for a minute or two, add tomatoes with another half tin of filtered water, add eggplants back into the mix, turn down heat and simmer with lid on for half an hour.

Serve with brown rice and a smile.

2011-05-01T19:20:00.000+08:00

Chips!

Sometimes I just feel like chips. But not those greasy artery clogging ones from a fast food joint, more like these bad boys.

Thinly slice potato and sweet poato, toss in olive oil with some sea salt flakes and rosemary and bake in oven until crisp. Perfect for a cool Sunday afternoon movie session.

2011-04-05T21:15:00.000+08:00

Fresh Coconut Curry

I saw some fresh coconuts for sale at my local green grocer and thought hmmm coconut rough but instead I went a more nutritious route when I found this recipe in G Magazine - a traditional Chickpea, Cauliflower and Potatoe, Red Coconut Curry from Mysore Style Cooking by V. Sandhya, India. Not the most attractive curry (are they ever attractive?) but certainly worth blogging about.

250 g bengal gram dhal (whole chickpeas)

500 ml water

salt to taste

1 Tbs oil

250g potatoes, chopped

250g cauliflower, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 small green capsicum, chopped

Ingredients for ground paste

1-2 red chillis

2 cups coconut, grated

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 cm piece ginger root, grated

1 cinnamon stick, broken up

1-2 cloves garlic crushed

water

Soak the chickpeas in water overnight, discard soaking water, place into heavy base saucepan and cover with water, cook with lid on for one hour.

I then cracked my coconut open, scraped out the flesh and put it through the grater in the food processor.

Grind the paste ingredients with some water to a fine paste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the bengal gram dhal and fry over a medium heat for a few seconds, then add the potatoes and cauliflower and fry for a few more seconds.

Add the ground paste and fry for several more seconds, and then add water and salt to taste. Mix well and cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and capsicum and fry until all the vebetables are cooked and the sauce thickened.

When it is ready transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot with rice.

One more thing...

I bought a bunch of roses, real sweet smelling roses of beautiful colours, they are bit curled up and dried now, but I actually think their beauty is even more intense...like a piece of art, so enjoy.

2011-03-11T21:33:00.001+08:00

Summer Nachos

(oops it's Autumn, oh well!)

Put your hand up if you love nachos!!

This was originally just going to be a kind of Mexican bean and corn salad on it's own, but then my friend S that I was making it for said "what, with corn chips?" and I thought "hey why not" so summer nachos is born.

2 x corn cobs, steamed and kernels cut off

3 x ripe roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

handful of sugar snap peas, chopped

handful of stringless beans, chopped

tin of organic kidney beans

half a red capsicum, diced

large handful of coriander, chopped stems and all

2 x cloves of garlic

juice of a lime

glug of e.v.o.o.

salt and pepper

organic corn chips

1/4 cup grated cheese (optional)

Chop stringless beans and peas and place in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for about 5 minutes then refresh and drain. Rinse kidney beans and set aside. Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together (minus corn chips and cheese) and leave to sit for 30 minutes to permeate (or not, whatever).

Place corn chips in bowl, top with salad and lightly with sprinkle cheese, yum yum Mexican bubble gum.

Avodado and chilli would make a tasty addition....as would a Corona with a slice of lime

2011-02-25T11:57:00.001+08:00

Fig and Feta Salad

I used to work at a cafe owned by a Greek family, this is my tweak on the fig and feta salad they used to sell there.

My darling sister V lives in the country, she is not only a fabulous gardener but also a wonderful cook. When I stay with her we cook many fantastic meals together. She has numerous established and bountiful fruit trees in her back yard and she is always making delectable jams and chutneys which I am lucky enough to take back to the city with me to last me until...next time.

The photo for this post is not the best (I took it with my iPhone and put it through the Instagram app) but it was such a beautiful salad it couldn't go unmentioned. Also there is no measurements on the dressing as I free poured everything, but you could google balsamic glaze and find the version that suits you or just wing it.

fresh figs, quartered

feta (we used hard crumbly Australian feta)

baby spinach leaves, washed

walnuts

the dressing

balsamic vinegar

raw sugar

honey

soy sauce

fresh red chili thinly slices

Put all ingredients for the dressing minus the chili into a saucepan and let it simmer away (approx 40mins), when it cools it will thicken even further. When I thought is was about right I removed it from the heat and added the chili.

Chop the figs, crumble the feta and sprinkle lightly chopped walnuts on top of the baby spinach, when ready to serve drizzle dressing and enjoy.

Easy peasy Japanesy!

2011-02-21T07:52:00.000+08:00

Quiche-ish Muffins

With the start of the new uni year upon me I thought it would be a good idea to make some muffins to freeze for a quick lunch or snack. Making muffins with lots of eggs and some lupin flour makes them pack a protein punch.

This ingredient list is rough measurements

1 1/2 cups wholemeal SR flour

2/3 cup lupin flour

7 x eggs

1 1/2 cups soy milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 brown onion finely diced

salt and pepper

Options for filling

broccolli chopped into small florets

frech corn cut off the cob

red capsicum finely chopped

tomato, seeds removed finely chopped

Place muffin cases in muffin tin and preheat oven to 180 degrees. Mix flours, eggs, milk, cheese and onion, mixture will be fairly runny.

Place variations of the chopped vegetables into the bottom of the muffin cases pour flour mixture onto it. mix lightly in to make sure the wet mixture is all through the vegies. Bake for 40 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Eat now or pop into freezer (double bagged) for up to 2 months.

2011-01-30T19:48:00.003+08:00

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

With an abundance of Lebanese cucumbers coming out of the veggie garden I had to do a bit more than tzatziki, garden salad and Pimms jugs to use them up.

I googled cucumber salad and came up with a few winners, one of them Kylie Kwong's Hot and Sour Cucumber salad (how good is Kylie!!!) and the other from Cooking Canuck who got the recipe from a friend who did a cooking class in Australia :)

So combining the two and adding a little bit more came up with such a winner I was texting photos to the boy so he knew what he was missing out on. Perfect Summer Sunday Storm weather dinner!

3 x Lebanese cucumbers, deseeded

1/2 red onion, cut into paper thin slices

1 x bunch coriander, picked and then the stems finely chopped

1 x bunch mint, picked

2 x red chillies, seeded

crushed peanuts for serving

Dressing

3 Tbs rice vinegar

1 Tbs brown sugar

1 tsp fresh ginger grated

2 x cloves of garlic crushed

3 Tbs organic soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

juice of half a lime

Add all ingredients for the dressing to a jar and shake until sugar dissolves, put to the side. After deseeding the cucumber, thinly slice, on the diagonal, along with all of the other ingredients. I also added some Fry's Chicken Style Strips for the protein portion of the meal. So good...so so good.

Oh and thanks to V for the beautiful bowl!

2011-01-23T20:06:00.000+08:00

Give 'em the Eggplant Finger

I bought some beautiful little eggplants and wanted to make a salad of some description...so I thought oregano, I thought feta and I thought brown rice...does that make it a little bit Greek? Whatever you call it, it was definitely delicious!

I cut the eggplant fingers length ways and fried them in olive oil with oregano

I also cooked the vegetarian sausages with them.

I cooked some brown rice, washed some spinach, chopped up some beautiful juicy red Roma tomatoes and crumbled some feta, squeezed some fresh lemon juice and voila a beautiful healthy meal that ticks all the boxes both nutritionally and deliciously....mmm that's some good tucker

2010-12-22T16:10:00.001+08:00

Ginger Lupin Biscuits

I love a ginger biscuit. There is something that just takes me back to my childhood having Arnott's Ginger Nut biscuits with a glass of cold milk after school...they were simpler times...

I was given this Lupin flour to try so I logged onto the Irwin Valley web site and found this recipe. I made a few tweaks according to what ingredients I had on hand...and these delicious delights were produced.

Ingredients

150g lupin flour
250g plain flour (I only had wholemeal self raising)
200g sugar (I used 100g of raw sugar)
1 tsp bi-carb soda (discarded due to the SR flour)
2-4tbs ground ginger (according to personal taste, I used 4)
4 tbs golden syrup or honey
150g butter
1 egg

Method

Mix dry ingredients together, add melted butter, egg and stir. Finally blend in golden syrup. Roll into balls and place on baking tray. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake in warm oven (160C) for 10-15 minutes.

From this little guy and myself have a wonderfully Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Years!!

2010-12-04T11:16:00.000+08:00

Broad Bean Felafel's

This recipe was cut from the paper a few weeks ago, it's from Margaret Johnson. I am always looking for ways to use broad beans for the very short time they are in season.

250g broad beans, podded weight fresh

1/3 cup coriander leaves

1/4 cup mint leaves

1/2 - 1 green chilli

2 tsp garlic, crushed

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

zest of a lemon

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbsp flour

olive oil for deep frying

Sauce

1 cup pot set yoghurt

1 tsp lemon rind

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp mint chopped

Make the sauce by combining the ingredients. To make the felafel's, place all of the ingredients, with the exception of the oil and flour into a food processor, process until smooth. Then add the flour to combine. Check the seasoning. Using two spoons, shape into quenelles. Deep fry in the olive oil until well browned and crisp. Serve with the sauce.

I didn't feel like frying mine so I added some olive oil to the mixture as it was processing then shaped into the quenelles and baked in the oven, turning to brown evenly.

Enjoyed as part of a platter with some home made hummus, carrot and celery sticks, some oven crisped turkish bread and a glass of Verdelho.

2010-12-03T17:39:00.000+08:00

A Date with Honey Cake

With exams and uni all done for the year it is time to cook.

I found this recipe on the side of a wholemeal self-raising packet from the Country Women's Association of NSW and thought hey...why not.

2 1/4 cups wholemeal self raising flour

1 cup honey

1 cup water

1 Tbs golden syrup

30g butter

250g chopped dates

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 chopped almonds

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp mixed spice

I also added 3 Tbs of chia seeds just for fun.

Shortened version of instructions

Preheat oven 180 degrees. Combine honey, water, golden syrup and butter in saucepan to melt butter (do no boil), leave to cool. Stir dates and nuts into honey mixture and fold in sifted dry ingredients. Pour into prepared bake tin (19cm square deep or I did 12 muffins instead), bake for 50 minutes (less for muffins). May be iced with lemon icing.

These are super sweet (obviously with that much honey) so I am going to try with some cream cheese lemon icing with no icing sugar.

Thanks C.W.A yet another recipe that I will learn to tweak to suit my own tastes

2010-11-13T21:41:00.000+08:00

Spicy Saffron Picnic Salad

Picnic at King's Park tomorrow with some friends I haven't seen in some time, bring something to share.

Here's my offering.

Saffron rice (I cheated and bought an extra one when I got Indian take-away)

half head of cauliflower

100g chopped pumpkin

4 x fresh chilli (optional) leave whole for roasting

1 x tsp cumin

1/2 tsp each of curry powder, ground coriander & black mustard seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric, celtic sea salt

2 x Tbs sesame seeds

3 x Tbs pumpkin seeds

1 x Tbs chopped fresh parsley (coriander would also be good)

organic olive oil

1/2 cup currants or sultanas

juice of half a lemon

Chop cauliflower into small florets, peel and chop pumpkin into about the same size pieces, toss in spices, chilli, seeds and olive oil, roast until tender and crispy around the edges.

Mix vegetables, rice, parsley and currants together and squeeze over lemon juice, I thinly sliced one of the chillies and mixed through and put the others on top for both decoration and warning that there is chilli in the salad. Enjoy with friends and grab a ray of sunshine.

2010-11-13T21:12:00.001+08:00

Lentil Salad with Mini Baked Ricottas

I was half-way through making my lentil salad when I realised I had no soft cheese to add, but I did have some soft ricotta, so I thought well I will give baking it a try, I popped it into a mini muffin tray and half an hour later voilà perfectly baked mini ricottas...drool...

1 x tin organic brown lentils (or fresh is you have them)

1 x zucchini cut into diagonal soldiers

3 x field mushrooms, large dice

1 x lge ripe tomato, cut into thin wedges

1 x clove of garlic thinly sliced

1 x red capsicum, roasted, skinned and thinly sliced

1 x lge handful of baby spinach

3 x baby chillies, roasted

1 x handful of sunflower seeds

1 x tsp rosemary

1 x Tbs fresh chopped parsley

1 x 25g tub of smooth ricotta

organic olive oil

paprika for sprinkling

Place mushrooms, zucchini, tomato, garlic, rosemary and chilli into baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper if desired. Roast in hot oven until tender. Spoon ricotta into baby muffin tin and sprinkle with paprika and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Bake for about half an hour or until golden on top, leave to cool for 5 minutes before trying to remove from pan. Wash lentils, finely chop parsley. Take roasted vegetables out of oven and rest. Pull out whole baby chillies and finely slice (leave out if chilli isn't your thing). Toss all ingredients together while still warm and serve with mini ricottas on top.

And there you have it, one of the best salads I have made ever (yes it was really that good!)

2010-11-07T16:45:00.000+08:00

Raw Chocolate Rawwwwrrr

This recipe has been doing the rounds at uni, if I find out where it originates from I will edit this post to give due recognition.

So C, L and I each contributed some ingredients to make this version of dark chocolate, it is quite a bitter concoction, but since I had been eating an 85% dark chocolate anyway it wasn't too bad. We added dried cherries for half of the batch, which did sweeten things.

Raw Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:
Half cup of raw cacao powder
Quarter cup of raw cacao butter
2tsp raw agave nectar
2tsp cacao nibs
Anything else you want e.g. almonds, peppermint

Method:
1. Melt cacao butter (in bowl over water; you know the score)
2. Measure cacao powder into a bowl
3. Add agave and half melted cacao butter to cacao powder and gently combine
4. Gradually add remaining butter and continue blending until all well combined
5. Add all other ingredients
6. Poor/spoon into tiny confectionery cases or ice cube moulds/tray
7. Place in freezer to set

Our cacao butter melting and nib smashing was made easier by the use of C's super duper Thermomix, affectionately called "Thermie"...he can do anything...

2010-11-07T16:04:00.003+08:00

Little Flourless Banana Blueberry Cakes

Sure you could call them muffins, but little cakes sounds like something that could be found in Alice in Wonderland so is therefore a much 'funner' name.

I wanted to use up some almond meal I had in the cupboard so decided it and the three ripe bananas on the bench would make a fantastic couple. Here's what happened.

1/3 cup buckwheat groats

1/3 cup brazil nuts

1/3 cup rolled oats (for processing)

1/3 cup rolled oats (left whole)

150g almond meal

1 tsp bicarb

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup mixed seeds (pepita, sunflower, sesame)

1/3 cup chia seeds

3 large ripe bananas

glug of maple syrup

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

Tbs plain yoghurt

soy milk for extra moisture if required

Pulse buckwheat, nuts, oats, seeds (except chia) until reasonably fine, but still with some chunks. Mix with almond meal, bicarb, chia, cinnamon and the oats. Process bananas until smooth, add maple syrup, vanilla, yoghurt and egg and combine. Mix dry and wet ingredients in together, add blueberries and soy milk if consistency is too thick. Spoon into patty cakes in small cake tin moulds. Bake in moderate oven for about 25minutes or until skewer come out clean.

These little cakes are a great protein packed snack, but they are a little crumbly so handle with love.
*UPDATE* after refrigerating overnight these babies were as firm as any other muffin, must have just needed some time to rest.

2010-10-23T15:45:00.001+08:00

Gone a Bit Nutty Fruit Loaves

Some of the girls at uni have been talking about making Christmas cakes lately, which got me thinking about the divine smell that used to drift through the house as my Mum stewed fruits for our Christmas cake. She used to put fresh apricots, peaches and tinned pineapple in hers, oh how I loved that cake.

So after calling Mum and enquiring about the fruit stewing I embarked on an epic journey to fruit and nut cake heaven.

4 cups dried fruits (I used apricots, peaches, cranberries, raisins, sultanas, glacé cherries, crystallised ginger and prunes)

1/3 cup brandy

splash of Cointreau

juice and rind of an orange (unwaxed)

125g butter

stick of cinnamon + 1 tsp powdered cinnamon

2 cups plain flour

2 cups almond meal

2 tsp bicarb

3 Tbs brown sugar (optional)

4 Tbs shredded coconut

3 cups mixed chopped nuts (I used pecans, almonds, brazil, walnut & macadamia)

3 Tbs chia seeds

4 Tbs mixed seeds (I used pumpkin, sunflower and sesame)

2 eggs (I used egg replacement equivalent)

extra glacé cherries and nuts to press on top, whole or chopped, maple syrup to glaze

Roughly chop dried fruit, I left some pieces whole so there is a big chunk of fruit every now and again, put into large saucepan and stir through brandy, Cointreau and juice and zest of orange. Leave to sit for a few minutes add cinnamon stick and cover with water. Simmer for half an hour and leave fruit to soak up liquid for an hour or so. Add butter and stir through so it melts into the fruit.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Sift flour, almond meal, bicarb, cinnamon and sugar, add chopped nuts, seeds and coconut and combine. Once fruit has cooled a little add to dry ingredients, with eggs and stir. Grease and line three loaf tins (or what ever cake tins you have on hand). Smooth mixture and top with nuts and cherries, drizzle with maple syrup and bake for approximately one and a half hours or until skewer comes out clean.

Enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and your feet up.

2010-10-17T10:16:00.001+08:00

Like a Version Zucchini Bread

As my love affair with zucchini continues I find myself looking for a reason to use it, along comes Heidi's zucchini bread (my go to recipe site) and Wholefoods Market's version, both looking so tempting and delicious with their additions of crystallised ginger and apple sauce, with these ideas in mind my version of zucchini bread was born, so thank you to Heidi and Whole foods for the inspiration.

All ingredients organic if you can get them.

2 1/2 cups plain flour

2 tsp bi-carb

3 Tbsp chia seeds

2 Tbsp raw brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp mild curry powder

1/2 cup sunflower seeds & pepitas

1 cup chopped walnuts & almonds

juice & rind of one lemon

3 zucchinis

1 apple

2 Tbs chopped crystallised ginger

3 happy eggs

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup dates

extra pepitas for sprinkling on top

maple syrup for glaze

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In food processor chop walnuts and almonds, mix all dry ingredients together. Process dates and ginger until finely chopped, grate zucchinis and apple. Mix all wet ingredients together, gradually adding in dry ingredients. Pour into two greased loaf tins, sprinkle with pepitas and drizzle with real maple syrup. Cook for about and hour or until skewer comes out clean (mine took an hour and a half because my oven isn't great).

Share with friends - enjoy a laugh

2010-10-03T19:22:00.000+08:00

Spring in Every Step

Spring has sprung and although, I love all weather, stormy, cold, sunny, hot, windy the lot, this weather certainly has given me a boost. Lazy bike rides, coffee alfresco, boot camp at 6am, friends having babies, flowers in bloom, new vegetables coming into season and a glass of wine in the afternoon. Love it.

Almond Tree in Bloom

Plum Tree Flowers

Carrot Cake from Heidi

Fennel and Tuna Salad with Mixed Greens

2010-09-12T19:40:00.002+08:00

Millet...not just birdseed!

As I take a journey along the bulk bin aisle at my organic market I came across millet, we used to feed it to out canaries and budgies when we were little, now it's my turn.

First stop, millet with beans, mushroom and seeds. Start simple.

Second stop, millet and buckwheat (al dente for some bite with beans and peas), roasted vegetables and cashew, lemon, tahini, cumin dressing. Yum.

So millet, give it a try!

2010-08-17T19:33:00.004+08:00

Vegetarian, Organic and....Low Salicylate Warm Salad

I am currently doing a food challenge, the challenge is to only consume low-salicylate foods to see if it has an impact on my constant allergies (itching ears & eyes, blocked sinuses) as recommended by a Naturopath at the student clinic at my college. The challenge goes for 22 days and then on the 23rd day I load up on salicylate foods and see what the reaction is. I'm interested in doing things like this as it may be something I recommend to a client once I am qualified (only another year and a half to go). The list that I am following is very similar to this.

Back to the salad.

1/2 Butternut pumpkin, cubed

1 x sweet potato, cubed

1/3 cup cubed feta

green stringless beans

400g tin organic 4 beans

1 x large garlic clove, crushed

pepitas and sunflower seeds to garnish

Dressing

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 x Tbs tahini

juice of one lemon, rind of half

1 x tsp maple syrup

3 x Tbs sesame seeds

water

Roast pumpkin and sweet potato with garlic and a little water until tender. Blanch green beans and wash tinned beans. In food processor blend dressing ingredients, adding water to thin to your desired consistancy. Toss all ingredients together and serve with pepitas and sunflower seeds on top.

The boy gave this 7/10, I lost points because he didn't like the maple syrup in the dressing. However I think it really added another dimension to the dish. Baby spinach or rocket would be a great fresh addition.

2010-08-07T14:10:00.002+08:00

Golden Delicious Seedy Porridge

After a big night drinking cocktails with the girls (oh my head) rather than something greasy and further liver taxing, I decided a big bowl of porridge would be the perfect accompaniment to this sunny chilly morning. Mmmm steamy...

1/3 cup organic oats (Update - I've also made, buckwheat, quinoa & millet versions and they are delish!)

1 x grated golden delicious apple (skin and all)

1 x cup water

1 x tsp cinnamon

1 x tbsp sultanas

2 x tsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower & sesame)

Put it all in a little saucepan, bring to boil, stir, serve with some soy milk. Enjoy curled up on the couch with the sun streaming in.

2010-07-28T20:09:00.012+08:00

Chocolate, Almond and Sesame Fudge

A friend gave me this recipe, I am not sure where she got it from but I tried it at her house in a more 'fudge' like form, ie pressed into a tin and cut into squares. So moorish, so energy dense.

I decided to roll them into balls instead and tweaked a few ingredients, do I ever just follow a recipe...?

I've made them twice so the first lot of tweaks are in red and the second lot in green (confused yet?)

Ingredients:

250g sesame seeds (300g)

200g almond meal half tsp ground cinnamon (tsp cinnamon)

4tbsp flaxseed (2 x tbsp flaxseed oil, 3 x tbsp chia seeds, 2 x tbsp shredded coconut, 2 x tbsp raw cacao chips)

4tbsp tahini
2tsp organic virgin coconut butter (didn't use)

25g xylitol (tbsp raw sugar)

150g plain unsweetened carob bars or dark chocolate (75% cocoa) (100g Green and Blacks dark chocolate and 50g or Green and Black's white chocolate)

Method: 1. Blend sesame seeds and flaxseed until finely ground (I didn't grind them second time around). Add almond meal and cinnamon. 2. In a pan melt together the tahini, coconut butter, xylitol and chocolate. 3. Stir in the almond and seed mixture and beat well to form a sticky paste 4. Press the mixture into a lightly greased and lined tin (apporx 30cm by 20cm) and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours until firm. Cut into small bars to serve. Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezes for up to 1 month

Really great for a snack an hour before going for a run or hitting the gym.

2010-07-28T19:36:00.003+08:00

Broccoli Quiche Loaf

Driving home late one night, hungry, I started to think what was in my fridge that might be able to make dinner.

What I had in the fridge

a head of broccoli
a tomato
small cube of edam cheese
filo pastry
4 x eggs
romano cheese

I lined a loaf tin with filo pastry and filled it with the whole head of broccoli chopped into large florets. I then added chopped tomato and pushed some cubes of cheese into the mix, covered with beaten eggs and cooked in the oven for about half an hour at 180 degrees, 5 minutes before taking out of the oven I topped with freshly grated romano cheese. Nice and easy, tasty and healthy.

2010-06-16T20:44:00.000+08:00

Souparama

There has been so much soup consumption at my place I fear, I myself, may turn into a bowl of hot and steaming warmth.

My definent favorites have been Roast Vegetable Soup

Roughly chop pumpkin (leave on skin and seeds), potato, sweet potato, jerusalem artichokes, whole peeled brown onions, cup of soaked chickpeas, 5 or so cloves of garlic peeled and squashed with hand and then sprinkle with turmeric, sweet paprika, a dash of cayenne, a sprinkly of thyme and a good glug of olive oil. I baked for an hour with a cover and then another half hour without. Then add to pot, with some good quality vegetable stock til boiling and blitz with a hand blender. Smooth but with a few chewy chunks with the pumpkin seeds and chickpeas. I've also tried adding half a cup of blanched almonds to the baking dish with the rest of the veggies which was also delish.

Mushroom Miso with Soba Noodles and Tofu

The soup name speaks for itself, fresh shitake mushrooms, tofu and soba noodles in miso soup topped with spring onion and dried seaweed.

and lastly Corn and Egg Drop Soup

Which I didn't take a photo of but it's as simple of cutting the kernels of fresh corn and blitzing in the processor, put the cleaned corn cobs and blitzed corn into a pot with some veggie stock and simmer for about half an hour. Then take the corn cobs out and slowly add beaten egg. Enjoy with some fresh cracked black pepper.

Keep warm and enjoy winter.

2010-05-01T16:48:00.000+08:00

Pledge to make a change at Days of Change

2010-05-01T16:40:00.001+08:00

Mmmmmuffins.

Cacao, coconut and macadamia muffins, made with this basic base but with egg replacement, soy milk and vanilla extract.

Yum yum eat 'em up.

2010-02-28T14:01:00.002+08:00

My New Friend...

Is from Italy

Gives me a boost in the morning

Looks cute sitting in my house

We call her Arancia or Cia for short...

She actually makes a really good coffee with good crema and the steam wand is exceptional.

Here's a double shot soy flat white example.

My Dad got her for $20 at a garage sale, 25 years old but brand new still in the box never been used, with spare parts (insert shocked expression here).

I kidnapped her so she could live a better life at my house, she's happy now and so am I.

2010-02-28T13:21:00.000+08:00

Best Big Breakfast

Just what you need on a weekend morning

2 x field mushrooms

2 x big handfuls of baby spinach

half a punnet of cherry tomatoes

half a tin of 4 bean mix, rinsed

juice of half a big lemon

half an avocado

organic evoo

fresh ground salt & pepper to taste

Slice field mushrooms and fry in a little evoo, add cherry tomatoes so they have time to collapse. Once mushrooms are ready toss in beans, baby spinach and juice of lemon, allow spinach to wilt and beans to warm though. If cherry tomatoes haven't collapsed give them a gentle push to release their juice. Serve with chopped avocado and salt & pepper is desired.

With the other half of the lemon I mixed it with equal parts apple juice and filtered water. My new favorite juice.

2010-02-28T13:05:00.003+08:00

Brown & Basmati Salad

This salad was a simple mid-week throw together which tasted great for dinner and lunch the next day.

half cup each of brown & basmati rice

1 cup of thinly sliced celery

half a red capsicum

half a bulb of fennel thinly sliced

half a punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

handful of kalamata olives, chopped

Tbs each of pepitas, sunflower seeds & pinenuts

good slosh of red wine vinegar

decent drizzle of lime infused evoo

fresh ground salt & pepper to taste

Cook rice (brown will take a little longer) & cool, chop veggies, toast seeds & nuts, toss ingredients together. Save some for lunch the next day as the flavours permeate through the rice even further & taste delicious.

2010-02-18T12:28:00.003+08:00

Summer Foods...what's been prepared in my kitchen...

Cherries, black grapes, strawberries & passion fruit with Greek yoghurt

Green & yellow zucchini fritters with a simple tomato and cucumber salad with avocado and lemon dressing

Broad bean, fresh pea, asparagus & avocado bean salad with flaked almonds & goat's fetta

Couscous salad moulded onto a lentil patty

Buckwheat salad with balsamic beetroot

Berries & yoghurt

Asparagus & potato pie with roasted mushrooms & cherry tomatoes, made by my sister V and I after seeing Jaime Oliver cook something similar.

Enjoy the photos & make some yummy healthy food for yourself and your loved ones.

2009-10-16T21:58:00.000+08:00

7 Weeks til end of semester exams and we'll be back in business!! Stay with me...
Hope everyone is happy and healthy, perhaps I should post an essay?

2009-09-10T15:56:00.007+08:00

Music to Study too. Music to croon too.

Music to keep you company. Music that feels.

Music to make you think. And smile.

Music to rev you up. Get your dance on.

Music to wind you down. Sweet sweety.

Music that makes you feel that you are not alone.

2009-09-10T14:35:00.004+08:00

Simple Satay
My blogging attendance has been very tardy of late, but who knew doing 6 units per semester at uni would be so time consuming ha!

So when it comes to meals there is generally a lot of stir-fries, brown rice concoctions or Japanese takeaway. The satay sauce in this recipe really added some excitment to what was becoming "ho hum stirfry again".

The satay sauce recipe was sourced from taste.com with a few tweaks (in red).

1 x cup each of
thinly sliced sweet potato
sliced zucchini
sliced red capsicum
chopped komatsuna (asian green that I happened to see at the market)
half a brown onion sliced
enough organic udon noodles for 2
1 Tbs evoo

Sauce
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped
70g (1/4 cup) organic crunchy peanut butter (Greenacre's Organics)
125ml (1/2 cup) water
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp brown sugar

Make up sauce and put to side, keeping warm. Prepare udon according to packet instructions. Put the oil in the wok or frying pan and add the onion and sweet potato, stirfry for a few minutes and then add zucchini and capsicum, lastly add the komatsuna (or bok choy, choy sum, gai lan etc) after a minute or so add udon and satay sauce.
Would also taste great with tofu or what ever veggies you have on hand.

Simple, easy, quick and most importantly yumaliscious.

2009-08-03T19:17:00.008+08:00

It's been a long time between posts, I don't have any excuses, I have been on uni holidays for 5 weeks and just haven't posted. I have been taking some photos with good intentions, but alas however well meaning I just haven't come through with the goods.
Since it is not the photographs fault that I am tardy I have decided to post the photos on their own as a bit of food porn :)

Roast Mushroom Ragu from stonesoup best meal of the year so far.

Field Mushroom soup................

...................picked from here.

Pumpkin and balsamic onion and mushroom, spinach and feta tarts

Roasted beetroot and cashew dip

Zucchini, squash, lentil and haloumi warm salad

Dessert I had at a friends wedding, mmmm.

2009-06-05T19:47:00.012+08:00

From Soup to Stew to Salsa
A friend of mine, G, emailed me a recipe with “I found a recipe on Anjum Anand’s website for Spinach and Lentil curry – but the flavour was too “raw” for my taste. I’ve played with the recipe and the result I think is a bit richer and gentler at least for my palette. It’s now one of my favourite soups."

To be honest I have been hitting the soup pretty hard lately, so I figured this would probably work as a stew as well, the first change begins...the changes I made are in red.

Spinach and Lentil Curry Soup

1 small onion, finely chopped

8g fresh ginger, finely chopped

3 green chillies, finely chopped (or whole for a more subtle flavour)

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

150g split red lentils (250g)

900ml chicken stock (can substitute vege stock) (800ml vege stock)

1/2 tin chopped tomatoes (whole tin)

200g baby spinach leaves (350g Home Grown Organics Frozen English Spinach)

salt to taste (optional)

1 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 rounded tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

On a medium heat, heat oil in saucepan and fry onion until translucent
Add chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander and garam masala and fry to release aromas (2 min) – Note: if leaving chilli whole do not add at this stage
Add tin of tomatoes and fry for another couple minutes stirring regularly
Add vege stock and lentils (and whole chilli) and bring to the boil
Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (by this time the lentils should be mushy... you may need to add more water at this stage if the soup is too thick)
Add spinach and allow to return to the boil
Add salt to taste
Serve hot.

The stew (or dahl) was delicious, really, really extra tasty.
The next night I wanted to do something different with it and had wanted to make nachos at some stage, so decided to put 2 and 2 together and use the dahl as the 'salsa' with some organic cheese on top.

Well what another tasty supprise this was. Mmm mmm success stories and full tummies all round.

Thanks G!!

2009-06-01T12:06:00.004+08:00

Mushroom, Kale and Barley Risotto
1/2 cup dried sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup pearl barley
1 head of kale
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 large field mushroom
2 cups chopped button mushroom (or mushrooms of your choice)
1 smll zucchini
1 cup arborio rice
vegetable stock
1 glass of white wine (optional)
1 cup Pecorino cheese (or parmesan)
goat's cheese to serve

I dry roasted the barley the day before using it (believed to make the barley have a more alkalizing effect on the body) but it is an optional step.
Soak the shiitake mushrooms and barley together, at least overnight in a litre or so of water.
Put barley and mushroom soak into saucepan, add two litres of vegetable stock and simmer.
Chop onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini (into small cubes) and kale (into chiffonade).
Saute onions, add garlic and then after a few minutes add arborio rice. Stir till the rice starts to go clear and then add glass of white wine, once wine is absorbed, add kale and stir through. Start adding a ladle full of the stock mixture whilst stiring continuously so the rice is constantly absorbing the liquid. Make sure you are getting the barley from the bottom of the saucepan as you add the liquid. Continue to stir until you are on you last ladle of stock. Add mushrooms and zucchini. Keep stirring until all stock is used up. Stir through fresh grated Pecorino cheese and serve with chunks of goat's cheese on top if desired.

Shiitake mushrooms (Letinan Edodes) are high in Lysine, Pepsin & Trypsin (aid digestion), have cholesterol lowering properties and are excellent sources of Vit A, B, C, E and D (when sun-dried)

2009-05-22T15:37:00.004+08:00

Soup, Glorious Soup.

It's raining and windy (although not quite like our East coast neighbours) so that must mean it is time to make soup.
In the last couple of weeks I have already made pumpkin and barley soup, lentil soup and pumpkin and quinoa. But today good old fashioned vegetable soup was on the cards.
I'm not particularly biased when it comes to the veggies that go into a vegetable soup, however I think carrot, celery and onion are an obvious must if you want it to taste "just like Mum's".

I used a huge onion that obviously grew very happily on the organic farm that he came from. Onions decrease inflammation and phlegm, lower cholesterol and destroy bacteria, so they are a great food for the 'cold' season that is upon us.

I also used
Carrot - high in antioxidant beta-carotene, helps protect against cancer, benefits the skin and is anti-inflammatory for the mucous membranes.
Celery - used in treating high blood pressure, high in silicon which helps renew joints, bones, arteries and connective tissue.
Cauliflower - phytochemical cruciferous indoles help fight cancer in the breast and prostate.

Parsnip - contains anti-inflammatory Phenolic acids which are useful in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.
Garlic - Mother Nature's antibiotic
Amaranth - high levels of protein and calcium (more than milk) and contains the cofactors to allow you to absorb the calcium, magnesium and silicon.

I basically threw this all intogether and then had some leftover roasted carrots, sweet potato and beetroot that I threw in. To finish it off I added some udon noodles (the dried rather than the fresh) and out came a delicious, warming soup that I enjoyed whilst watching the storm put on a fanatstic show outside.

2009-04-16T20:26:00.004+08:00

Exam Time Quick Blog
Exams are stressful, so there hasn't been too much time for blogging, when I do get to cook I try to make it nutritious and preferably freezer friendly so I have meals at the ready when I get home late. Here's a sample of what's made it to my plate lately -

Quinoa, bean, snow pea, avocado, black bean salad. Obviously not freezer friendly, but yummy.
Pumpkin curry with red capsicum and tofu. Warming food that freezes well.
Pumpkin muffins, chunky savoury muffins that are fine to freeze, but the recipe definently needs some tweaking to get it to perfection.
Mini savoury quiches, I made 24 of these with various fillings, the photo is of mushroom and sweet corn. They freeze well and are great with a few steamed veggies on the side.

So although times are a bit stressful, at least there is food on the table, for that I am thankful.

Hope everyone is well out there in the bog world :)

2009-03-24T14:40:00.004+09:00

Delicious Roll Filling - 1

FRESH roll of your choice
baby spinach
4 or 5 spears of blanched asparagus (or tinned if not available)
cottage cheese spread on the bottom roll
avocado spread on the top roll
a drizzle of tomato chutney and a crack of pepper

Served with a cup of miso soup with shredded seaweed and that is one Delicious nutritious lunch. Mmm mm.

What's your favourite filling?

2009-03-17T17:56:00.004+09:00

Vegetable Bounty and Sweet Hot Pink Coleslaw
I went to the market and what did I find? Lots of yummy vegies for me and all man-kind.

Now what to make with such bounty of fresh organic produce (aren't we so lucky in Australia)

Sweet hot pink coleslaw as an accompaniment to some delicious spicy leftover dahl.

Rough ingredient list as I was working on the fly.

half head small red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 fresh grated raw beetroots
1 grated apple
1 thinly sliced paprika
3 shallots, fine dice
2 Tbs organic sultanas
3 or 4 Tbs sunflower oil mayonnaise
splash red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl and leave to infuse for 10 minutes before enjoying as a fantastic antioxidant rich side dish.

2009-03-17T17:37:00.002+09:00

Omegas Attack Salad!!

Simple salad made after intense cravings for salmon (it's been over a year since I had salmon).

2 x sml tins of flavoured salmon
1 lge avocado
2 big handfuls of spinach leaves
2 ice-cream scoops home-made avocado hummus
slivered almonds and crumbled feta

Mix salmon, chopped avocado and spinach (lightly chooped) and top with almonds, fetta and hummus.
Enjoy, whilst feeling a little bit guilty.
Serves 2.

2009-03-14T17:18:00.002+09:00

Helloooo!!
Well the Gold Coast was great, caught up with friends, visited the theme parks and Australia Zoo and went to a fantastic wedding. Now I am back in the thick of things with Uni, playing the catch up game after missing a week.
Uni is great (although Chemistry and Human Biology is making me sweat a little). I have been eating well to keep my energy levels up and brain functioning at it's peak, but there hasn't really been anything blog worthy.

Just wanted to say hi and hope that everyone is well :)

2009-02-27T17:55:00.000+09:00

Off to the Gold Coast for a week...be back soon...

2009-02-22T20:24:00.003+09:00

Seedy Potato and Beetroot Salad

Beetroot - Neutral thermal nature; sweet flavour; strengthens the heart, sedates the spirit, improves circulation, purifies the blood, benefits the liver, moistens the intestines and promotes menstruation (P. Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods, 3rd Edn).

I am not so sure about the promotion of menstruation...but the rest sounds pretty good to me.

And so the following salad was born.

6 x baby beetroots
1.5 cups chopped sweet potato
1 x corn cob
quarter cup mixed seeds (I used sunflower & pepitas)
2 x Tbs sunflower mayonnaise

Scrub beets without damaging skin, boil for 25 - 30 minutes. Once cooked peel with gloves on, the skin should come away easily.
Peel and chop potato into bite sized pieces, cook til tender but retaining it's shape.
Cook corn still in it's husk for 2 minutes in microwave. Leave to cool and then cut off kernals with a knife.
Dry fry seeds in frypan until they are tanned and 'pop'.
Mix beetroot, sweet potato, corn and three quarters of the seeds together with the sunflower mayo and serve with the rest of the seeds sprinkled on top.

Got the thumbs up from the boy, served with a tomato, avocado and mushroom, red wine vinegar, evoo salad. Go on give it a try.

2009-02-22T17:30:00.004+09:00

Cane Toads. Not a Nice Post.

I might say I dislike cockroaches, or can't stand spiders, but I HATE cane toads, they are such a destructive force taking over our beautiful country, killing our native wildlife.
I have been to Queensland many times, and seen the disgusting aliens all over a school oval that had their sprinklers on at dusk.
They haven't invaded WA yet, but they are close, please if you have a moment, take a look at this web site and sign the petiton, donate some money or supplies, or even buy some wine!

More info

2009-02-20T13:32:00.005+09:00

"Just One More" Ginger Cookies

I made these today after finding this recipe which sold me as it didn't require much butter.
I altered a few things as below -
1 cup of wholemeal plain flour rather than half and half
I left out the cloves and nutmeg as I didn't have any
1 tripled the glace ginger to 3 tablespoons
I cooked for 25 minutes to make them a bit crisper.

They are really delicious and actually not to bad for you at apparently 1.5g fat per biscuit.

2009-02-19T19:07:00.003+09:00

Quick Idea.
I recently bought some rice called Sun Rice Medley which is dried mushrooms with wild rice. It is really tasty, however, there were extra ingredients in the packet including flavouring and anti-caking agent. So this got me thinking...why not just mix chopped dried mushrooms with my favorite rice - short grain brown.
Cook it via the absorbtion method and you have yourself some very tasty mushroomy rice!!

2009-02-14T18:27:00.004+09:00

Once upon a time, on a beautiful summers night...

A giant zucchini was picked from my sisters garden and handed over with pride, she's had quite the abundance and therefore if you pay her a visit you will come away with a zucchini in hand. I am a huge fan of zucchini and decided it was time for me to finally make these zucchini and haloumi fritters.

I won't bother with the recipe as you can follow the link, a lot of the comments at the bottom of the page state they had problems keeping the fritters together. I did for a few until I realised the oil just wasn't hot enough, once it was at the correct temperature they worked great. It was also easier to finely dice the onion rather than grate it as it's too messy.

I paired it with a salad of tomato, cherry tomato, lebanese cucumber, mushrooms, spring onion, basil, balsamic, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper.

The fritters were a bit naughty since they contained cheese and they were fried, but they were ohhh so delicious and tasted wonderful the next day in a fresh turkish bread roll.

2009-02-13T00:22:00.006+09:00

In between breaks.

Days turn into night, nights turn into days
Holidays are days and days
Sneaky wines and favours for family
Times to remember and to embrace
To relax and relaxing right back.

A new rose to smell, it was heavenly.

2009-02-04T18:55:00.003+09:00

Not Mexican Hamburgers???

Rather than make enchiladas I decided to make a variation on quesadilla's which turned out like a Mexican hamburger. Was a yummy, quick, easy midweek meal, the boy cooked a steak outside to put in his I used textured vegetable protein.

1 x Old El Paso Enchilada Pack
1 x packet TVP
1 x sml onion
1 x tomato
shredded lettuce
grated vego cheese
sliced pickles

Chop and saute onion, add TVP and all of the sauce from the enchilada pack. Seperate corn tortillas and top with TVP mixture, grated cheese and tomato. Toast in dry fry pan until crisp on each side. Take off heat and add lettuce and pickles. Best eaten with a knife and fork as it may get messy. Not the healthiest meal, but certainly better than a take-away burger.

2009-02-04T17:30:00.003+09:00

Nourishing Lentil Stew

I went out for dinner and many drinks on my last day of work, then got up at 5:30am and went to boot camp. I worked hard but felt pretty poorly when I returned home. I laid on the couch willing my self to feel better. Then the answer popped into my head! Delicious, nutritious, wholesome food to nourish my body was to be the vital step in my recovery.

A quick search for provisions found, dried french lentils, carrot, stringless beans and tinned tomatoes. The choice was obvious.

1.5 cups of french puy lentils
1 cup stringless beans
1 x carrot
1 x lge brown onion
1 x clove garlic
1 x tin crushed tomatoes
half tsp each of cumin, chilli, thyme and rosemary
2 bay leaves
big handful of fresh basil
salt, pepper, evoo and a few cups of water
Couscous to serve

Chop onions and garlic and saute in evoo. Add dried spices and saute for a minute. Add lentils, water, chopped carrots, beans (and any other veggies in your fridge), tinned tomatoes, bay leaves and salt and pepper. Leave simmering on the stove for as long as possible, I left for 3 hours and kept adding extra water to cook the lentils further. Make up some couscous to serve and enjoy curled up on the couch.

So easy and perhaps more of a winter food, but it really did the trick to get me through the day.

2009-01-31T14:33:00.004+09:00

Busy busy busy zucchini times....

It's been a very busy time lately. The Financial Crisis gave me a slap in the face when the project I am contracted too has been shelved, meaning I am suddenly jobless. I decided (after much discussion with the boy) that it was finally time to follow my dream of becoming a Nutritionist.
So I have enrolled in Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition) and am going to be a full-time student for the next 3 years. It's not going to be easy but I am feeling really optimistic about the future, even if I won't be able to feed my shopping needs :)

Besides all of these busy times I have been eating well, so here's a few photos of what has been fuelling my body lately.
Mushroom, broccoli, zucchini, brown rice, chickpea, and quinoa with 'popped' pepitas and toasted sesame seeds.

White miso soup with beans, carrot, sweet peas, zucchini, tofu and soba noodles.
Tomato, zucchini, onion and mushroom pizza's on organic base.
Can you see the common ingredient here? I just love zucchini.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Australia Day, Chinese New Year and the Triple J Hottest 100.

2009-01-14T19:51:00.004+09:00

Chickpea & Radish Salad with Avocado Dressing

I bought some radishes.

Now what do I do with them? I took a bite out of a raw one and didn't particularly like it. I read that you can cook them in butter, which I didn't want to do but thought if I saute them lightly in some olive oil that should take the edge of them.

8 x radishes
1 x lebanese cucumber
1 x carrot
1/3 sml red onion
1 x tomato
1 x tin chickpeas
mixed lettuce leaves
1/3 avocado
juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup Evoo
salt & pepper

Method Madness
Make the dressing by putting the avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper and evoo in a shaker. Shake until the avocado 'dissolves'.
Thinly slice the radishes and saute. Very thinly slice the cucumber, onion and carrot. Rinse chickpeas. Finely chop tomato so it goes through the whole salad.
Mix all ingredients except mixed lettuce leaves together and leave to sit for 10 minutes so it infuses. Arrange lettuce in bowl and top with mixed ingredients.
Serve with a glass of chardonnay eating ourside to enjoy the beautiful weather.

2009-01-08T19:57:00.003+09:00

Green Tuxedo Pasta

Don't you think bow-tie pasta is cute :)
With these hot summer nights I don't generally feel like cooking, we went out for dinner last night and I made a plate of raw veggies with some beetroot dip the night before.
Tonight I really had to use these baby courgettes that were starting to look a little sad and a bag of spinach (there's always that rogue bag of spinach floating around the fridge).
So after a quick search through the cupboards I decided on a green veggies dressed up with bow-ties.

1 x brown onion
6 x baby courgettes
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 head of broccoli
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 x Tbs slivered almonds
2 cloves garlic
1/2 bag bow tie pasta
Pecorino Cheese (make sure it doesn't contain animal derived rennet)
Evoo, salt and pepper

Method in the Madness
Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
Finely chop onion and saute in evoo, slice broccoli into small florets and courgettes on the diagonal. Add to onion.
Finely chop spinach, garlic, basil and almonds to make a pesto. I think making the pesto by hand really makes a difference to the taste and reccommend it highly as seen here.
Drain pasta, reserving some of the liquid and add to saute pan, add pesto and stir. Add fresh grated pecorino, salt and pepper and toss.
I left mine to cool a bit so it was only warm when we ate it, it was really tasty and fairly healthy and there is enough left over for lunch tomorrow :)

As usual all ingredients, including the cheese and pasta, are all organic and try to be locally sourced.

2009-01-05T20:45:00.004+09:00

Curry Rice Salad

I had some leftover cooked basmati rice so thought I would mix it with some chopped up spinach, tomato, cucumber, slivered almonds and avocado mixed with lime juice as dressing, left over night it infused beautifully for lunch the next day. After this success I decided with the rest of the left over rice I would make a curried rice salad. I thought I would again just wing it and see what happens.

Again it was another healthy, yummy, filling salad. I will definently make this again as it had a lovely balance, I suspect you could use any veggies on hand.

2 x cups cooked basmati rice
1 x cup chopped spinach
2 sml grated carrots
4 x spears asparagus
1 x Lebanese cucumber
4 Tbs pepitas
1/2 cup organic sultanas
Vegetarian sausages

Dressing
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp cumin
3 x tsp mango chutney (I used Mason FarmYard)

Method in the Madness
Mix ingredients for dressing together, making sure honey is dissolved. Put to the side.
Cook sausages, and add pepitas so they pop. In the last minute, add the chopped asparagus.
Finely chop spinach, grate carrots, cube cucumber and add to rice. Mix all ingredients together with dressing and leave to stand for 1/2 hour. Serve with Vegetarian sausages.

2009-01-05T12:44:00.004+09:00

New Years Resolutions

I've been reading quite a few posts lately about New Years resolutions, so I thought I would throw my hat into the ring, make the declarations public, and maybe, just maybe I might actually follow through with them. Some may be considered goals rather than resolutions, but either way it's something to work towards.

Boot Camp – starts 12 January 2009, signed up and paid for, 6am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 4 weeks, there is no getting out of it now.
Start cycling with the Boy. I bought him a bike for Christmas; mine is booked in for a service. The only reason not to go at least once a week is laziness (jeepers I am in boot camp mode already!)
Sort my wardrobe out. I have more clothes than a family of dressmakers. It is time to give the Boy some wardrobe space.
Learn to use all of the 'fancy' features on my new Canon EOS 1000D.
Get my Recreational Skipper’s Ticket so I can safely and legally skipper a boat.
Last one is a “will try and do” – stop being so anal about house cleaning – it’s okay to leave the dishes til later (every now and again anyway) and the Boy's vacuuming is just fine.

Happy New Years to you all, what's your resolution to declare?

2009-01-02T15:26:00.004+09:00

Oaty Banana and Almond Biscuits

It probably wasn't the best day for baking being 37 degrees out.
But when I weighed up the positives and negatives I decided to go ahead with it. After all I had quite a few good excuses, my 5 neices and nephews were coming to stay tomorrow night and I needed something for them to snack on, I had 4 overripe bananas begging not to go into the worm farm and I felt like baking something. I decided biscuits would be a good idea as they don't take very long to bake and therefore the oven wouldn't be on for so long.

I perused the net for some inspiration and found these biscuits on kidspot. They were close to what I wanted so I did the usual tweaks and ended up with this slightly healthier version.

4 x large ripe bananas
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 & half cups wholemeal flour (or spelt)
1 & half cups oats
1 x egg (I used egg replacement)
1/4 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
1/2 cup slivered almonds (extra for the top)
100g butter
1/2 tsp baking soda

Method in the Madness
Using beater, mix up banana, sugar, butter and egg replacement until fluffy. Add sifted flour, oats, almonds, cinnamon and baking soda and beat further.
Drop tablespoons of mixture onto trays lined with baking paper. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy. These are very sweet soft biscuits that kids will (hopefully) love.

2008-12-31T15:55:00.002+09:00

We LOVE Summer

2008-12-24T10:21:00.003+09:00

Finally nailed it glass noodle salad!!
I have been experimenting with Asian salads for quite some time. They are often quite enjoyable but I often find that they are lacking something. Well I think I have finally done it this time. Soon as I had my first mouthful I knew I wanted more, for gosh darn it I had done it!
The small problem is that I don’t measure things so the following recipe is a basic guide.
I can’t wait to have it for lunch today!

1 x packet glass noodles (also known as mung bean or cellophane)
2 x small carrots – julienned
1 x small capsicum – julienned (I used yellow)
2 x cups bean sprouts
10 x snow peas – julienned
1 x bunch asparagus – sliced on the diagonal
2 x cups lightly chopped coriander
1 x onion
1 x packet honey tofu
Tbs honey
2 x Tbs sesame seeds
Quarter cup chopped peanuts
For the dressing
1 x small lime – juiced and zested
Splash of chinese rice wine
3 x Tbs Soy sauce
1 x tsp sesame oil
1 x Tbs grated ginger
1 x 1tsp chopped red chilli
2 cloves chopped garlic

Method in the Madness
Cut onion into thin strips, sauté in a little olive oil to soften. Julienne honey tofu and add to onion. Add honey and sesame seeds and coat tofu and onion, set aside to cool.
Cook glass noodles in boiling water when just about done throw in the asparagus. Leave for 1 minute and then rinse under cold water. Leave in colander to drain and cool.
Mix up all ingredients for dressing and set aside whilst you cut up the vegetables.
Toss together, capsicum, bean sprouts, carrot, coriander, noodles, asparagus, tofu and onions and then pour over dressing, toss some more and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
Serve with peanuts sprinkled over the top.
Tip: make enough for lunch the next day, it’s that yummy :)

2008-12-20T19:11:00.005+09:00

Necessity Potato and Chickpea Salad

This recipe was an absolute delight after being borne from necessity - the necessity being - must use the vegies that have been sitting in the fridge or they will have to go in the worm farm.

I had also been soaking some chickpeas for 4 days, changing the water daily. I had originally planned to make hummus, but I just wasn't feeling it.

Obviously you can put other vegies in here depending on whats in your fridge. All ingredients as usual are organic.

10 x purple baby potatoes
1 x large ripe tomato
1 x bunch asparagus
1 x Lebanese cucumber
8 x string less beans
1 x bag spinach
2 x cups cooked chickpeas
quarter cup sunflower oil mayonnaise
2 x tsp mango chutney
half tsp Dijon mustard
half a lemon
salt, pepper and evoo

Method in the Madness

Simmer chickpeas after soaking overnight for about 45 minutes. Clean potatoes and boil with skin on.
Make a cross on the bottom of the tomato and place into boiling water (put it in with the potatoes) for about 30 seconds. Remove and skin will easily peel off, de-seed and slice into thin strips.
Cut cucumber in half and de-seed.
Cut beans and asparagus into roughly the same size pieces. Blanch for 3 minutes and refresh under cold water.
Drain potatoes and chickpeas. Cut potatoes in half.
Mix together the sunflower oil mayo, mango chutney, Dijon, salt, pepper and a splash of evoo to thin it out.
Toss potato, chickpeas, asparagus, beans, cucumber and tomato together with dressing and arrange on some chopped up baby spinach (of course!!). Squeeze a little lemon over the top for some tang.
Enjoy with a glass of mixed organic pomegranate juice and water and pat yourself on the back.

2008-12-14T11:33:00.003+09:00

Fresh Beetroot & Lentil Salad

I went to this great restaurant in Mt Hawthorn a few weeks ago called Divido. For my entree I had a beetroot, lentil and goats cheese salad, it was a beautiful combination of flavours which I immediatly new I would recreate - albeit with a Catherine twist.

If you've seen any of my previous salads you will see that I like to start with a baby spinach or rocket base, this gives the salad a bit more goodness and also fills the bowl out.
I used fresh beetroot with canned lentils as I only decided I would make it 2 hours before going to a barbeque. Next time I will soak and cook my own lentils as I think they have a better bite to them.

8 x baby beets
half block feta (or chevre)
1 x tin brown lentils
1 x bag baby spinach
juice of half lemon
evoo
salt and pepper

Method in the Madness

Boil whole baby beets, not trimmed, for about 40 minutes. Once cooked get some kitchen gloves and the skin will simply rub off.

Cut the beets in quarters. Wash the lentils and place them with the beets into a bowl. Add lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper and gently combine.

Lay out the spinach on a serving plate, add some beetroot lentil mix then sprinkle with crumbled feta.

Enjoy the sweetness of the beetroot, the lemon flavoured lentils, the crunch of the spinach and the saltiness of the feta with a cold cider.

2008-12-10T13:04:00.004+09:00

In other good news.
I gave blood on Monday after Johanna's post reminded me that I hadn't been in over 10 months. When you go to the Red Cross blood service they test your haemoblobin by pricking your finger to ensure your haemoglobin level is within a healthy range.
I was worried my haemoglobin levels may have decreased since becoming vegetarian, however it was quite the opposite and I recorded the highest level I have ever at a very robust 143.

Information from the Red Cross Website -
It is estimated that one in three Australians will need blood or a blood products at some point in their lives, but only one in 30 Australians (about three per cent of the population) currently donates blood.
If you are aged between 16 and 70, weigh more than 45kg (50kg if under 18) and are in good general health, you may be able to give blood. If you have a query about your eligibility, call 13 14 95 or visit donateblood.com.au

Go on, if you can help, why wouldn't you?

2008-12-10T12:10:00.004+09:00

Cooking for the Cousin.
I told my cousin I would make him dinner for his birthday. "So got any special requests?" "Hmm that pumpkin salad and something with mushrooms" came the reply.

The pumpkin salad was no problems - basically 4 ingredients. As for something with mushrooms, well the world was my oyster (mushroom) as to what to come up with, I browsed a few of my favorite blogs and found Heidi's Mushroom Casserole here.
I would probably describe the taste as more of a baked risotto than casserole. It was delicious and well received by all. I will definitely make this again with some variations.
I didn't get any photos last night as I was too busy after coming home from the gym, cooking, cleaning, showering and drinking red wine. But alas I had leftovers for lunch today so I took a quick snap.

I'll let you follow the link to Heidi's page to get the mushroom recipe, the only thing I altered was I used ricotta instead of cottage cheese and omitted the eggs. To speed things up a bit I cooked the brown rice and cut and peeled the pumkin the night before.

Roast Pumpkin and Rocket Salad
This is a simple but really tasty salad that is often requested for family events. Take it to your next barbecue and be adored.

1 x bag organic baby rocket
3 x cups even diced pumpkin
half block of low fat feta
quarter cup pine nuts
evoo
1 x tsp thyme

Method in the Madness
Cut pumpkin in to even bite sized pieces. Put into roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and toss to coat. Roast in moderate oven for about half an hour.
In the last 5 minutes of the pumpkin cooking time put pinenuts into an oven proof dish and place in the bottom of the oven.
Leave pumpkin to cool for 10 minutes or so.
Put rocket leaves in salad bowl, drizzle a little olive oil to coat the leaves, place pumpkin on top, crumble feta onto pumpkin then sprinkle with pinenuts.

Enjoy with friends and a glass of wine sitting outside on a summer evening.

2008-12-05T15:13:00.002+09:00

What do you do?
When you do
what you do

2008-12-03T11:56:00.004+09:00

Eyes drooping. Blink blink.
Large skinny flat white.
Pot of tea.
Nope.
Next step lolly town.
My dentist will like that.
My bottom won't.
Wish I had a pillow.
To rest my weary head.
Not self inflicted.
The boy's on call.
Eyes drooping.
Slow Blinking.

2008-11-27T12:36:00.007+09:00

Black Bean and Fresh Corn Salsa

I had been soaking some black beans for 2 days and decided the time had come to stop peering longingly at them and to actually do something with them. I had never bought dried black beans and I didn't want to just do my usual throw together. I looked through some blogs and found this recipe on vegconcoctions which was the basis for the version as follows.

1.5 cups black beans (or one can)
2 cobs of corn (or one can, but I think fresh is better)
1/4 cup quinoa
1 cup broad beans
bunch of fresh coriander
1 clove pickled garlic (my ingredient of the moment)

juice of 1 lemon

splash of olive oil
cracked black pepper

Method in the Madness
The black beans - soak for 2 days, changing the water regularly. Simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours.
In the last 25 minutes of cooking throw the quinoa in, in the last 10 minutes throw the broad beans in (I am the one pot wonder queen).

Pop the corn still in it's husk in the microwave for about 4 minutes (depending on your microwave). When done leave to cool for a few minutes and then cut the kernels off the cob.

De shell broad beans, chop coriander, mix in with beans, quinoa and corn, squeeze lemon over the top with a splash of olive oil and some fresh cracked pepper.
I served mine with Chickpea and Spinach sausages and fried Haloumi, but one of these probably would have been sufficient, I just couldn't decide :)

Recommended Chickpea and Spinach Sausages mmmm mmm

Black Bean benefits found here.

2008-11-26T12:41:00.005+09:00

Lip-Smacking Pepita and Couscous Salad

I had accidently bought some more pepitas (pumpkin seeds) when I already had a jar in the cupboard. What's a girl to do? Make a throw together pepita salad of course!! I love dry frying pepitas, I love the sound that they make when they pop, I love their puffyness.

1 x bag rocket leaves
1 x punnet grape tomatoes
5 x mushrooms
1 cup couscous
1 cup pepitas (or more)
3 x cloves pickled garlic (or less of fresh)
1 Tbs pine nuts
extra virgin olive oil
splash red wine vinegar

Method in the Madness
Dry fry pepitas until they start to pop and brown on low heat. Once done put them into a bowl so they continue to pop as they cosy up to each other.

Put couscous into jug/bowl and cover with about one and a half cups of boiling water, cover with tea towel to steam.
Slice the mushrooms and fry in a little olive oil.

Roughly chop the rocket, finely chop the garlic and pinenuts together. Toss together to make a large cut pesto.

Cut tomatoes in half, mix in with rocket mixture and toss through a splash of olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Fluff couscous.

Mix all ingredients together and leave to stand for a couple of minutes to let flavours marry.

Bon Appétit

2008-11-25T13:38:00.006+09:00

What's been floating my boat lately....

Spring Vegetable Soup
Pickled Garlic
Budding Agapanthus
Peanut M&M's
Chive flowers

2008-11-25T13:21:00.004+09:00

Making Pasta

A friend of mine recently offered to show a group of us how to make pasta. She has the know how, the pasta machine and most importantly a really big kitchen bench!!

We made spinach and feta ravioli and tagliatelle. It was a delicious and fun day which ended with a flour filled kitchen, full bellies and empty bottles of wine. Ahh friends, you got to love them.

2008-11-16T09:39:00.006+09:00

Walk Against Warming. Perth Edition.

Where? Cottesloe Beach.

When? Saturday 15th November 2008.

Why? Using people power to help save the world.

Organisers?http://www.getup.org.au/

2008-11-16T09:24:00.006+09:00

Pizza that doesn't make you feel guilty.

Friday night pizza night.

When the moon hits your eye.

Cold pizza for breakfast.

Zucchini, broccoli, feta, onion.

Mushroom, mozarella, onion.

Half and half, the rest is in the belly.

2008-11-11T12:31:00.007+09:00

Big Weekend Forgiveness Salad

After a big weekend I like to appoligise to my body by having something chockful of vegies. In the colder months this would usually mean an 'all vegies in the fridge' laden brown rice concoction, as it is getting warmer it turns into an all vegies salad.

Last nights delicious roast mushroom salad was the perfect detoxifying mix for my abused body.

4 large field mushrooms

Baby spinach

Snow peas

Asparagus

Lebanese cucumber - seeds removed

2 tomatoes - cut into quarters.

Half an avocado

Feta

Balsamic or Red Wine vinegar

Olive Oil

Fresh basil and coriander

Nuts of choice

Method in the Madness

Clean mushrooms, cut tomatoes, put in baking pan with drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. Bake in moderate oven for about half an hour.

Prepare asparagus, snowpeas, avocado and cucumber.

Whilst waiting, crank some music up and dance around the kitchen.

When mushrooms are looking sensational, blanch snow peas and asparagus for about 3 minutes then rinse under cold water.

Put spinach in bowls and then arrange the other ingredients on top, leaving the mushroom til last to be the centre piece of the salad. Sprinkle with feta, fresh herbs and raw nuts.

Voila. Body is happy. Forgiveness is granted.

I know it's quite similar to the "Yay Spring is Here" Green Salad but it was just so damned tasty I had to post.

Also......

After reading about Cindy and Michael's Chilli and lime roasted chickpeas on where's the beef? I had a go on Sunday night and turned out some really yummy little morsels of snacky goodness.

http://herestheveg.blogspot.com/2008/11/october-26-2008-chilli-lime-roasted.html

The basics - I soaked for 2 days, simmered for an hour, then baked with Morrocan spices, chilli flakes and olive oil for about half an hour. Some where moist and some crunchy. I ate the lot and skipped dinner. Mmm mmm :)

2008-11-10T13:56:00.005+09:00

We decided to attack the degusation with wine with vigour. I had the vegetarian version, the boy the meat lovers. I can only speak from the vegetarian side of things since I obviously did not taste the meat. Each morsel that I tasted (including but I can't remember all of them), roasted pumpkin with beetroot cubes, pea soup with truffle oil, truffle risotto, spiced chickpeas and apple pie was - beautifully matched with the wine - an almost overwhelming explosion of flavour - sometimes a suprising combination of flavours - a wild party in my mouth. We could not stop praising the food as we waited eagerly for the next course to arrive, when it finished we were sad to leave.

Service: The main waiter that served us was happy to chat about the wine and when I pressed him further with questions or his thoughts he was very knowledgeable. Was not left wanting at any stage. The white gloves are a bit of a laugh.

Ambience: Low light, enough soft furnishings to absorb chatter, colours reflecting from perspex hangings and chilled out beats.

Overall: It certainly wan't a cheap evening. However since we arrived at 7pm and left after 11pm it was more of an experience rather than a mere dinner out. I almost felt like I should have hugged 'our' waiter when we left.

Jackson's Restaurant
483 Beaufort StHighgate, WA 6003
T (08) 9328-1177
F (08) 9228-1144
Open 7pm-late Monday - Saturday

**I went here before I started this blog, I will try in future reviews to snap some of the food before it disappears forever.**

2008-11-08T14:19:00.005+09:00

The boy is away, so the Cat will play.

Meet friends for drinks. Cocktails, wine, wine, wine.

Palak paneer and steamed rice.

Delivered home by capable driver.

Missed calls and text messages from the boy :(

Sleep. Wake. Sleep. Wake.

He's not on his side of the bed.

Put Carole on. Refill water bottle. Bed.

Think seriously about getting up.

Open windows. Fresh breeze.

Paint toenails pretty pink.

Paint fingernails midnight blue.

The nights possibilities are endless.

The boy's away so the Cat will play...

2008-11-07T12:50:00.003+09:00

Knock off work. Meet a girlfriend. Chat, talk, natter, gossip, reminisce, drink wine, eat Twisties.

Wander through the deserted city street in search of sustanence.

Find Mexican. 1 x Spinach and potato buritto. Filled a hole.

Walk home. Sleep. Wake early. Slowly get ready for work. Too slow, running late.

Stare at monitors. Blink blink. Reports, surveys, blergh.

Walk to record store. Carole King, Janis Joplin and Regina Spektor walk back with me.

The perfect Friday/hangover lunch.

Nearly weekend time again. Come swiftly sweet one.

Come swiftly.

2008-11-05T13:07:00.010+09:00

Work work work for the money and the brain stimulus.

Food for the tastebuds, sustenance and the obsession.

Gym for the bottom size, general health and the food obsession.

Music for the ears, foot tapping and soul.

This weeks musical favorites.

The Audreys - When the Flood Comes

Country infused roots music. Great live. Extra bonus - lead singer knows her way around a stylish dress.

Abbe May - Howl and Moan

Perth rock chick with more balls than you or I will ever have. Love love love it.

Radiohead - In Rainbows

And old favorite that is a new favorite. Thom Yorke's voice leaves me breathless.

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Listen for the passion and emotion of Skinny Love

2008-11-04T11:08:00.004+09:00

Every woman's favorite shoe.

Adaptable - can be turned into a flat or peep-toe.
Made of chocolate.
One size fits all.
Will never hurt your feet.
Affordable.
Goes with everything.
Made of chocolate.