Date Slice
750 gms dates/sultanas etc.
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup coconut
250 gms butter
250 gms honey
Combine fruit and cover with water. Cook slowly until all water is absorbed, set aside. Melt butter with honey. Mix dry ingredients, add honey / butter mixture and stir until well combined. Place a layer of oats mixture in greased baking dish. Cover with a thick layer of fruit mixture. Place remainder of oats mixture on top, press down firmly.
Bake at 180 for 1/2 an hour or until golden brown. Serve with yoghurt or cream.
Something light like this is so easy to throw together and is great for the waist line as well. Some people think that you would not cook with pastry in February, well I’m here to prove them wrong and what better way to use up the end of all that stone fruit. Also, frozen berries are so handy and I am not lying when I say that you will always find at least three boxes in my freezer. I use them in everything from smoothies for breakfast or a healthy snack, my bircher muesli, juices, salads, muffins and for quick desserts like this. This makes enough to feed a hungry mob of 8-10 so if it’s just a few of you, make two and send the other off to another good home. Food is always best when shared!
Baked raspberry and peach strudel
Serves 4-5
150g filo pastry, thawed
70g unsalted butter, melted for brushing the pastry
(light oil spray can be used instead of butter for lower fat version)
icing sugar, for dusting
250g Greek style yoghurt for serving
For the filling
1 ½ cups (150g) frozen raspberries,
1 fresh peach, seeded and diced in 1cm cubes
¼ cup (50g) pecan nuts, roughly chopped
1 cup (100g) digestive sweet biscuits, crushed
2 tbsp (35g) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup (60g) sugar
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp (50g) light sour cream
Preheat the oven to 180 c
- For the filling, place the berries in a strainer and defrost if frozen, reserving the liquid for use in fruit salad, masking cordial or in a smoothie.
- Into the berries, add in the peaches, pecans, crushed biscuits, butter, sugar and grated lemon rind. Stir through the sour cream.
- Lay 2 sheets of filo pastry on a clean surface and brush with melted butter. Place another 2 sheets on top, and brush again with butter, continue another 2 times until there are 8 layers in all.
- With the longest side of the pastry closest to you, spoon the berry and peach mix on the pastry, allowing a 4cm border on the sides.
- Fold in the two shorter sides to enclose the filling, then roll up like a Swiss roll. Place the strudel on a lightly buttered tray or a sheet of baking paper on a tray.
- Brush the top of the strudel with a little more butter butter. Bake for 30minutes or until golden brown.
- Leave the strudel to cool before dusting with icing sugar and cutting. Serve in thick diagonal slices with a dollop of fresh natural yoghurt or ice cream.
There is something about smoked paprika and beef that makes me like beef just that little bit more . This is a Spanish inspired recipe that I have chopped, changed, and added a little zing of lemon zest, ground cumin and loads of olive oil, parsley and garlic. The result is a tender, garlicky and delicious bee skewer which leaves those store bought ones way back in the race.
Try these at your next picnic and the great thing about these is that they are still tasty cold.
BBQ smoked paprika skewers
Serves 4-6
½ cup parsley, chopped finely
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of ½ lemon
1 good tsp smoked paprika
1 good tsp ground cumin
¼ cup of oil
Good pinch of salt and pepper
500g diced lamb, chicken or beef
Combine all ingredients except the meat, in a food processor and blend until well combined. You can also use a mortar and pestle or simple mix everything in a bowl. Add in the diced beef and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. Skewer onto wet bamboo sticks and bbq for 3-4 min on each side or until done.
Another great salad for a BBQ or get together lunch. Easy on the back pocket with ingredients and the dressing is lovely and light with that bite of the pepper and the flavours of the Cajun spice start to rub off into the rest of the ingredients. I have added a recipe for Cajun spice at the bottom of this recipe, it’s so easy to make and you can toss it over everything. As well as crusting your fish, chicken, or beef sticks in it, try adding a couple of spoons of the Cajun spice into your next lot of burger mince, or stirred through yoghurt and lemon juice for a zingy potato salad. A great healthy snack idea is to add a good dessert spoon of the spice into your next hummus or bowl of thickened yoghurt and grated cucumber for something a little different.
Cajun chicken and black bean salad with creole, buttermilk and black pepper dressing
Serves 6
2 chicken breasts
4 tsp Cajun spice
2 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 200c
Pound out the chicken and brush with the olive oil. Roll in the Cajun spice and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until done, or pan fry over moderate heat until golden brown and chicken is cooked. Slice into strips and set aside.
Black bean salad
250g black beans, rinsed and soaked over night
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 green capsicum, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 firm tomatoes, deseeded and diced
½ tsp ground chilli
1 tsp ground cumin
½ cup chopped coriander
Cook the black beans until softened, drain and set aside. In a medium sized fry pan add the olive oil and heat over a moderate flame.
Add in the onion, capsicum, celery, jalapeno pepper and the garlic and fry until softened.
Toss the onion and celery mixture with the drained beans and toss through the tomatoes, spices and chopped coriander. Dress with ½ cup of pepper dressing and adjust the seasoning. Add in the chicken and stir again. Serve garnished with a squeeze of lime.
Dressing
Makes 1 cup
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 tbsp mustard
3 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp horseradish
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together and store in the fridge.
Cajun Spice Blend
Makes about 42g of Cajun Spice Blend. The Cajun Spice Blend
may be stored in a tightly sealed jar in a cool, dark place for
several months.
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp onion flakes
1 tsp dried garlic
1 tsp mustard seed
½ tsp whole white pepper-corns
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
½ tbsp dried thyme
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground sage
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Add coriander, onion, garlic, mustard seed and peppercorns.
Process at HI speed until seeds are finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients and process at HI speed to blend well, about 30 seconds.
Noodle and Asian vegetable salads like this are so suited for our hot climate and this recipe will get you feeling cool and comfortable in no time. Its a wonderful way to incorporate a variety of vegetables into your meal and you can substitute the beef for chicken, lamb, fish or tofu and the salad can be prepared up to a day ahead without the dressing. It’s a great lunch box salad for work and you can toss the whole lot together for easy transportation. Take your chop stix along as well and make it a real occasion.
BBQ Thai chilli beef and crispy noodle salad
Serves 4
Chilli Beef marinade
600g beef fillet cut into 2-3cm thin slices
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon grass, sliced finely
2 tsp minced garlic
1 dsp minced chilli
2 tsp caster sugar
1 dsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp freshly ground pepper
Salad
2 Lebanese cucumber, diced
3 spring onions, sliced diagonally
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup bean sprouts
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup coriander leaves
1/3 cup Thai/Asian Basil
2 cups crispy noodles
For the dressing
4 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Prepare dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl; mix well. Set aside.
Combine all the marinade ingredients with the beef and allow marinating for 1 hour or overnight for better flavour. Heat a wok or grill plate until very hot, cook the beef in batches, browning on both sides until done. Toss the beef with the vegetables and the dressing, then mix in the crispy noodles. Serve with chop stix and a smile.
It’s salads like these that I could live on. Fragrant, fresh flavored and utterly deliciously healthy! You can’t go wrong and we don’t poach enough. Poaching fish or chicken is such a healthy way of cooking. It locks in the juices and through adding aromatics into the poaching liquid, you can impart so many wonderful flavours.
You could also use prawns and calamari and turn it into a real seafood salad. The noodles you can make well ahead of time and the salad undressed will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.
Poached cod and noodle salad with Asian flavours
Serves 4
Poaching the fish
300g Blue eye Travalla or Blue eye Cod fillets
½ cup brown onion, sliced
2 tsp ginger, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp lemon grass, crushed
4 tbsp coriander roots
3 cups fish or chicken stock just to cover the fish
For the salad
200g rice noodles soaked in hot water until softened and drained
1 cup red capsicum thinly sliced
1 long red chili, deseeded and thinly sliced
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cucumber, thinly shredded
½ cup bean sprouts
1 cups white cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrot, sliced in match sticks or grated
½ cup coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
½ cup picked mint
For the dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of ginger, minced
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp flaxseed oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ tsp sugar (optional)
Method
Place all the poaching ingredients except the fish into a fry pan and pour in enough stock to just cover the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and place the fish in the liquid, the liquid must cover the fish, poach the fish for 10 – 15 minutes or until a knife inserted into the fish can pull the flesh apart.
Remove the fish from the liquid and allow to cool slightly.
Drain the vegetables out of the liquid reserving the liquid and bring it back to the boil to cook the noodles.
Cook the noodles as per directed on the packet , drain and rinse in cold water, toss with a few drops of oil and set aside. The cooking liquid can be frozen and kept as a stock for a seafood soup.
For the dressing
Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor and set aside.
Place all the prepared vegetables into a large salad bowl, toss through the noodles and pour over a little of the dressing, flake in the barramundi and toss over the sesame seeds. Divide the salad into individual bowls and drizzle over a little more dressing.
I love salads like this, crunchy broccolini, toasted nuts and that sharp taste of the parmesan. This makes a lovely addition to any meal and feel free to substitute the broccolini for zucchini, squash, fennel, leeks and even mushrooms. You may need to adjust the blanching times for some of these vegetables or even grill or roast the vegetables before smothering them in this lovely dressing. Verjuice for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, is a the juice of unfermented grapes and I would have to say one of the most beautiful additions to your pantries staples that you can have. Although once opened, you need to keep it in the fridge. Verjuice has a slightly acidic taste but with a subtle sweetness so unlike vinegar or lemon juice it is also compliments poaching fruits, basting chicken, turkey and hams, it is wonderful stirred through risotto or in pasta sauces. As a favorite of mine, I love it with a squeeze of fresh lime, vodka and soda or mixed into a summer cocktail. Next time you are in the supermarket, look out for it in the vinegar section and grab yourself a bottle. Have a taste on its own when you get home and you will then be able to understand how to incorporate it into your cooking.
Broccoli and green bean salad w parmesan and almonds
Serves 4-6
400g Broccoli florets
400g Green Beans
½ red capsicum finely sliced
80g parmesan cheese, shaved
¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted
For the dressing
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tblsp white wine vinegar
3 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp verjuice
Salt and pepper
Boil broccolini and beans in salted water until aldente, approximately 4 minutes. Drain and submerge in ice water until cold. Drain again and set aside. Toss the beans and broccoli with the sliced capsicum, parmesan and the roasted almonds.
For the dressing, whisk together the minced garlic, olive oil, vinegar, verjuice and pour it Over the greens, adjust the seasoning and serve.
Marinated Tofu and Vegetable Gratin
Serves 6-8
2 x 200g blocks firm tofu
3 cloves garlic
1 cup Italian parsley
1 tbsp minced basil
3 tbsp capers
½ tsp salt
Zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½
¼ cup olive oil
Cut the tofu into 1 ½ cm squares and combine with the blended marinade. Leave in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
Vegetable Gratin
200g asparagus, trimmed
1 large bulb of fennel, trimmed and cut into slices
3 leek stalks, washed, trimmed and cut into 3cm slices
1 medium cauliflower, stalk trimmed and cut into florets
30g butter or 30ml olive oil
30g plain flour or rice flour
650ml milk/skim milk/or milk substitute
1 stalk of rosemary
120g tasty cheese, grated/soy cheese or ricotta
Salt and pepper
Bread crumbs
Olive oil
½ cup chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 190c
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil add in the asparagus for 3-4 minutes until aldente and remove, refresh in cold water. Follow with the fennel for approximately 10 minutes, cauliflower for 8 minutes and the leeks for an extra 5 minutes until all vegetables are tender. Drain and discard the liquid. Place all the vegetables into a casserole dish, scatter over the tofu and pour over the marinade.
For the sauce
Heat a medium saucepan and add in the butter, when the butter is melted add in the flour and combine with the butter until a wet sand texture is achieved. In a small stream, slowly pour in the milk, stirring vigorously so that no lumps form. As the sauce starts to thicken, continue pouring the milk and stirring until the sauce becomes a smooth texture. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the grated cheese. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and top with the breadcrumbs mixed with the parsley and olive oil. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden.
There is something about vegetable cakes that I find sneakily good for me even though I usually don’t stop at one piece. Pumpkin pie, chocolate and beetroot cake, carrot cake, yes they are all reasonably good for you and if you watch the icing and well ok, the size of the slice, well then why not indulge a little. This zucchini cake is no different and is beautifully complimented by a rich date and cream cheese icing, use lite cream cheese if you are keeping an eye on the Kj or you can leave it out all together and just use the pureed dates. Just try and stop at one slice.
Spiced zucchini and walnut cake w date and orange icing
Serve 10 Makes 1 round 20cm tin
100g walnuts
500g zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
185ml sunflower oil
375g caster sugar
3 eggs large, separated and whites beaten until fluffy
165g plain flour, sifted
150g almond meal
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
125g chopped dates
Icing
In a food processor blend 125g dates softened in a ½ cup orange juice, Zest of 1 orange, 125g cream cheese until smooth. Spread onto cooled cake and top with 120g of whole walnuts.
Preheat the oven to 180c
Grease and line a 20cm round spring form tin. Blend the walnuts in a food processor until chopped finely. Place the squeezed zucchini into a bowl and add in the sugar, oil and egg yolks and beat together. Combine the flour, almond meal, baking powder, bicarb soda, cinnamon and allspice and fold into the flour the chopped walnuts and dates. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold through, add in the firm egg whites and fold through until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 70 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin for 15 minutes; take the cake out of the tin and cool for a further 20 minutes before icing.
Wild rice is still a little expensive so if the budget is stretch, buy a small pkt of wild rice and blend it with a basmati rice. The wild rice has such a wonderful chew about it, looks fabulous in a dish and I feel is far more filling, so you eat less, giving you more room for the vegetables. Again with this and all my recipes, feel free to substitute your favourite herbs, nuts and seasonings.
Wild Rice Pilaf
Serves 4-6
2 tbsp Olive Oil
I onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch dried thyme
2 cup wild Rice preferably whole, not broken
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp salt
Freshly Ground black Pepper
1 cup almonds, roasted and chopped
1 cup chopped parsley
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, lemon zest, and thyme, swirl the pan until the onions and garlic are beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the wild rice and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetable stock and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check the texture of the rice and, if needed, continue simmering until tender. Add more liquid if the rice starts to dry out. The rice should only just begin to crack when done. If it begins to curl it is overcooked. Remove the rice from the heat, scatter the chopped almonds over the surface, fluff with a fork, and stir through the parsley. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
