BARLEY & CHICKPEA SALAD

Mix all ingredients:

1 Can Chickpeas

2 Cups Cooked Barley

Roasted Butternut

Chopped Olives, Feta & Sun dried tomatoes

Dress With Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Balsamic Vinegar

Top with a few pieces of mint

BARLEY CORN FRITTERS

1 Can of sweetcorn

1 cup barley

2 eggs

5 tablespoons gluten free flour

salt, pepper and dill (or any herbs) to taste

Mix all ingredients together and fry on a hot pan - I think I over did mine  bit, but they still tasted delish! Serve with sweet chili sauce!

COUSCOUS MUFFINS

Using the left over roasted vegetable couscous from the other night I made these tasty muffins! Perfect for our picnic brunch. Easy to make, use left over couscous, mix in 1 egg, 1/2 a cup of yogurt & 3 tablespoons of flour to combine. Put it in to muffin tins and grate a little vegetarian cheese on top! Bake in a hot oven for about 35 minutes or until brown on top.

BEAUTIFUL BARLEY & BUTTERNUT SALAD

My Cousin sent me an email the other day which reminded me about how much I love butternut! Thanks Kaz, I hope you like what I did with this roasted butternut! You will notice the next few recipes have a whole lot of barley in them - well that is because I cooked up a huge pot of it!

To make this salad

Roast thin slices of butternut in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper

Place cooked barley on the base of your serving dish, top with mixed leaves, butternut, roasted tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. Dress with a simple olive oil and balsamic dressing and serve for a light healthy lunch!

ROASTED VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

ROASTED VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

We had friends for dinner on Saturday, it was 40 degrees outside so I didn't want to be cooking in the heat- so I got up early and cooked vegetables on my griddle pan

1 x red pepper

1 x red onion

5 x zucchini

8 x medium flat mushrooms

Prepare 3 cups of couscous, I found one which already had herbs and garlic in it

Mix everything together, add a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper and the juice of one lemon, cover and put in the fridge...when the guests arrive, whip up a salad and serve with warm bread and a big bowl of fresh garlicky yogurt. The guests were very happy :)

TEMPEH & QUINOA BAKE

TEMPEH & QUINOA BAKE

Mix the following ingredients in a big bowl

1 Pack of Tempeh

1 cups quinoa

2 large eggs

1/2 an onion grated

1 cup bread crumbs or stuffing mix

Olive oil

Mix together and put in to a loaf tin, cover with silver foil and bake for 40 mins, uncover and drizzle olive oil on the top, continue baking for 20 more minutes.

Serve with fresh vegetables! I did baked butternut, brocollini and baby potatoes.

PATIPAN AND GREEN BEAN SPAGHETTI

PATIPAN AND GREEN BEAN SPAGHETTI

Enough cooked spaghetti for 2

A dash of olive oil for flying + a little extra to toss through at the end

6 x Pati Pan's

12 Cherie toms

Bunch of green beans chopped in to little pieces

Crushed Garlic

Fry all the vegetables together, add crushed garlic towards the end. Toss through the spaghetti & extra olive oil. For a little kick, serve with a dash of Tabasco!

HEARTY SALAD FOR LUNCH

Hearty Salad for Lunch

The trick with taking a packed salad to work is to start with your heavy ingredients at the bottom of the dish and work your way to the tomatoes and herbs or salad leaves at the top! Also, make sure you pack the dressing in a separate container. When you use pulses and dress the salad with yogurt, you are making yourself an extreemly healthy, high protein salad.

In this salad I have....working from the bottom up:

1/2 Tin of Chickpeas

1/2 Small tin diced beetroot

1/2 a diced yellow pepper

5 Cherry Toms

A few jalapenos for bite!

Yogurt, salt and pepper for dressing

CLEAR BROWN LENTIL SOUP

Clear Brown Lentil Soup

I was looking for something really clean to eat...so I didn't even use any oil in this soup.

Lots of Chopped Veggies - I used baby marrow, potatoes, carrots & zucchini

1 x Tin of brown lentils rinsed

4 Cups of Water

2 Tablespoons of Sea Salt

Shake of White Pepper

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Cook all vegetables in the salted water, add the drained lentils and the lemon juice at the end. Sound bland? Trust me it was very tasty indeed.

BROCCOLI, FETA & PINE NUT PASTA

Broccoli, Feta & Pine Nut Pasta

1 Head of Broccoli broken in to bite size pieces

1/2 a pack of feta cut in to little squares (I used low fat feta)

3 table spoons of toasted pine nuts

2 table spoons good olive oil

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste (does not need much salt because of the feta)

Boil a big pot of water on the stove and blanch the broccoli

In a mixing bowl add olive oil, seasoning, lemon juice and toasted pine nuts, when broccoli is cooked add to the mixing bowl and toss through the olive oil. Now cook Pasta in the boiling water, drain and add to the broccoli mix. Toss around, and serve!

EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOM ON GARLICKY PASTA

Exercise is going well by the way. I ran 6km this morning and had a short kite surfing lesson in the afternoon. Another challenge for 2011.

All the ingredients in the pasta dish below were purchased at the farmers market on Saturday. The taste is out of this world. My husband keeps saying "mmm yummy"
EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOM ON GARLICKY PASTA
3 x Baby Eggplant thinly sliced in to rounds
5 x brown flat mushrooms (or any mushrooms) sliced
5 x Basil leaves chopped
1/2 a piece of garlic
Juice of 1 lime
5 x Tablespoons of olive oil
Enough pasta for 2
Fresh pasta is best for this dish, I used a really fat ribbon type which really added to the flavour
Put a big pot of water on the stove and bring to the boil for the pasta, meanwhile heat the olive oil in the frying pan and add the eggplant. Fry and turn until golden and delicious. Once cooked put them in a large mixing bowl and add the lime juice & a 1/4 crushed garlic clove (just need a taste not to overwhelm the dish). Next, cook the mushrooms in the same pan then add to the mixing bowl. Add basil and turn to dress. Cook the pasta, drain, add the other 1/4 of garlic and a dash of olive oil...plate up. Enjoy!

Now to freshen up after all that Garlic - we had my 
LIME AND LITCHEE GRANITA (which I prepared earlier)
The easiest desert in the world - blend up 1 tin of Lychee's in Syrup with juice of half a lime. Pop in to a container, place in the freezer, take out and run a fork over the mix every couple of hours - I did that about 4 times. Tastes like summer!

CORN AND BEAN SALSA WITH PITA POCKETS

CORN AND BEAN SALSA WITH PITA POCKETS

I soaked black beans overnight for this recipe but you can use canned beans of any sort. I also made home made pita pockets - but you can buy these from the shop if you prefer! Below is the salsa recipe.

 1 x Heaped Cup Cooked Black Beans (or tin of beans)

1 x Tin of Sweet Corn

2 x Big Fat Red Tomatoes

1/2 an onion

1 x Lime

3 x Tablespoons good olive oil

6 x Basil Leaves

Pinch sea salt

Grate the onion in to the bottom of a big mixing bowl, add juice of one lime, sea salt, olive oil and chopped basil leaves. Drain and add the sweet corn, chopped tom's and black beans. Mix and let sit for at least 5 Min's! Serve with pita pockets, hot peppers and plain yogurt. Oh yum, the above is now in my tum!

BIRTHDAY

Today is my birthday....I had....um, I don't think I should tell you what I ate!!! Tomorrow is another day.

SPICY SOUR SOUP

My favorite easy throw together.....
SPICY SOUR SOUP
2 Tablespoons of canola oil
1 x potato sliced
1 x carrot chopped
1 x zucchini or other marrow chopped
1 x red pepper chopped
1 x Onion diced
1 x garlic clove crushed
Juice of one lime
3 cups water
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons of Thai red curry or green curry paste

Fry up the onions and garlic with the curry paste, add everything in to the pot and boil until the potatoes are soft - dish up, serve and feel totally guilt free for the rest of the night!!!!

ANTIPASTO PASTA

Weight Update.....I have lost 2 KG's Yippi! I notice that I have been slipping back in to the high carb meals though so I'll have to keep an eye on that. Here are some tasty treats from the last few days:

ANTIPASTO PASTA
10 x Olives sliced

6 x Artichoke hearts chopped in half
1 x Tin Chickpeas
Chopped Fresh Herbs
8 x Sundried tomatoes chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
1 whole lemon squeezed
10 x Cherrie toms sliced in to quarters
1/2 tub of crunchy sprouts
two cups cooked pasta
Combine the garlic, seasoning (sea salt and pepper is all you need) & lemon juice in the bottom of a bowl, then chuck everything else in, mix

TOFU & GREEN OLIVE BURGER

I know, I know - this sounds very hippy! Trust me, it is tasty.

1 pack marinated tofu, or make up your own:

slice firm tofu in to burger size pieces and marinate it

in lemon juice, garlic and soy sauce and bit of sesame oil

Whole grain rolls

Stuffed Green Olives

Fresh chopped tomatoes

Fry up the tofu and assemble the burger as you please

Indulge with a swipe of mayo on the roll...naughty!

I'll end off today's post with a picture from my favorite farmers market in Subiaco......I love Saturday's



BAKED POTATOES

I have been totally distracted recently.  Isn't it funny how relaxed we are after the holidays? We think we are going to do so much with the new year! The first week back at work seems easy, the second begins to drag, going in to the third...you start wishing you won the lotto. So forgive me for not posting blogs in the last few days, I blame it entirely on the fact that I have to work instead of blog. Having said that, I have been taking pictures of some meals for you. The food I have been preparing has had to be very quick and easy! Here are some of the creations!

BAKED SWEET POTATO WITH PINEAPPLE COLESLAW

BAKED POTATO WITH COTTAGE CHEESE AND SALAD

 

BAKED POLENTA ASPARAGUS, MUSHROOMS AND CHERRY TOMATOES



PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

6km walk + failed kite surfing lesson. Boo hoo. Wish I didn't give up so easily! Food was good though, lunch was a PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD:  Rocket, Spinach, Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Pears with a wholegrain mustard dressing.

Dinner was CRAZY PIZZA MIX - I know, I know, lots of carbs...but it was a specific Saturday request from my darling, so what could I do? Using a base of beer and self raising flower, roll out, place on your baking tray, score in to small pieces and top with whatever you can find! Refer to the picture for ideas.





AVO AND CHERRI TOM'S ON TOAST

AVO AND CHERRI TOM'S ON TOAST for lunch, followed by dinner with friends at an Italian - good food but rubbish service! I ate gnocchi which was really tasty but I was not impressed with the serving - I know that I am on diet, but who told the chef????

ADAM'S SPINACH RELISH ON SOFT POLENTA

I have identified a flaw in my diet - it is called "Wine" I drank too much of it last night and had trouble getting up for a run this morning! I have made a mental note to avoid wine in the future! Thank goodness lunch was sorted (last nights leftovers) and my gorgeous husband offered to cook dinner, so while I sat at the hairdresser he whipped up the tastiest dish of the week:

ADAM'S SPINACH RELISH ON SOFT POLENTA

Cook Polenta as per instructions - but keep to a mashed potato consistency

Relish Ingredients:

1 x Big bunch of spinach

5 x Brown Mushrooms

1 x Onion

1 x Clove of garlic

7 x Tomatoes

1 x Heaped teaspoon of Vegemite

Fry onions and garlic, add brown mushrooms, chop tomatoes and cook down a little then add finely chopped spinach. Finally add the heaped tablespoon of Vegemite then let bubble and boil, stirring every now and then for about 15 or 20 mins then turn down for 10 mins, then turn off and wait for wife to come home

from the hairdresser! Thank you my love, this was superb, delicious and full of vitamins!

EMERGENCY PASTA

According to my GPS Watch - I ran 6km around the river this morning. I was starving when I got home - but there is nothing unhealthy in the fridge so I had a piece of rye toast, some grapes and an apple for breakfast while I made lunch.....hmm, what to make for lunch. Given how hungry I was - I decided to whip up an EMERGENCY PASTA this is easy - just use one cup of pasta per person - add some chopped mushrooms, olives, peppers, sun dried tomatoes....whatever you have in the fridge, squeeze in some lemon juice, grind on salt pepper and dash in some extra virgin olive oil  - perfect! Trick is to keep to a small portion when you are trying to lose weight.

By dinner time...I am so hungry I want to eat a tofu factory! However, I decided to make:
SPICY ROAST VEGETABLES ON QUINOA
Quinoa is a delicious grain and very good for vegetarians as it has a very high protein content.
To make this dish:

Chop up loads of vegetables - use whatever you have,  I used:

2 x Carrots

Half a Butternut

1 x Red Pepper

2 x Red Potatoes

2 x Turnips

3 x Courgettes

Place in a roasting dish and sprinkle on some Garam Marsala, Garlic Salt and Cumin Seeds & Some ground chili if you like a kick! Cook in the oven covered for 25 mins, then uncovered for 25 mins - depending on your oven and what vegetables you have used - just check to see they are ready before serving, nothing worse than raw potatoes!

Follow the cooking instructions on the Quinoa packet (easy peasy cooks in no time at all).

Plate up your delicious dish, top with low fat plain yogurt and fresh coriander. Yum, a low fat, high protein vegetable dish!

CHICKPEA SALAD

Lunch: First day back at work...got up at 5.30am and went to the gym. Made a packed lunch CHICKPEA SALAD of Half a can of Chickpeas, half a can of Corn, Radishes, Fresh herbs, baby tomatoes and a fat free dressing of Dijon Mustard, rice wine vinegar and a dash of soy sauce.....I need this today as a friend has just invited me to Mexican for dinner. Hope I have the will power to pass on the sour cream!

 Dinner: Managed to keep to vegetables at the Mexican restaurant, I only had a little rice and as promised... I skipped the sour cream - Here is a picture to prove it! Had to have a couple of glasses of wine though - that might hurt when I go for a run tomorrow morning!

BAKED POTATOES WITH MUSHROOMS AND BEANS

Yummy - I cooked a medium sized Baked Potato in the microwave, 4mins on each side. In the mean time in a little oil I cooked up: Half an Onion, A little Garlic, Half a teaspoon of fresh Ginger, when the onion was glassy, I added about 8 chopped mushrooms & 1 tin of organic kidney beans (rinse first!!) salt, pepper and chili powder....topped the potato with the bean mix and garnished with fresh coriander and a side salad of tomatoes and basil. Yummy!

WHAT THIS BLOG IS ALL ABOUT

Hi This is Sue and my new Blog "Sue's Vegetarian Food" I plan to cook and eat my way through healthy Vegetarian food all year - in the past I have been eating too much high carb, high fat foods, so this year.....I will put my cooking and nutrition experience to the test - I aim to share my food and experience with everyone who is interested - and hopefully I will drop 7kg's in the process. I refuse to eat anything unless it is totally yummy. Here is hoping that I can add at least one thing to the blog for you every day! Viva la Delishy Veggie!!! I hope I inspire you to try some tasty vegetables too! So - Day one....77kg's and hungry!