BREAKFAST PITA

BREAKFAST PITA

I call this a breakfast pita - but it would be delicious any time of the day. Fill a home made or store bought pita with poached eggs, tomatoes herbs, hummus and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serve with a smile and a hot cup of coffee.

DELICIOUS QUNIOA BREAKFAST

DELICIOUS QUINOA BREAKFAST

This high protein breakfast was full of tasty nutty goodness, I guess it would be best served in winter - but who says we can't eat porridge when it is summer? My trainer will be delighted that I have found an alternative to toast for breakfast.

Ingredients

Quinoa

Water

Mix of seeds and nuts

(I used; crushed almonds, sunflower, almonds, pistachio's sesame seeds, coconut pieces)

Maple Syrup

Milk to serve

Directions

Prepare a mix of nuts and seeds, spread on a baking sheet and toast in a hot oven for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Prepare Quinoa according to the instructions on the pack, then drain, mix through some maple syrup to taste and spread on a baking sheet and pop in the oven to dry out a little - takes about 5 minutes in a warm oven.

Mix quinoa, nuts and seeds and some chopped prunes or other dried fruit

and serve with your favorite type of milk

BREAKFAST BASKETS

BREAKFAST BASKETS

These little tasty breakky baskets are perfect for an easy breakfast, or picnic.

Ingredients

Sliced bread, crusts removed - 1 per basket

Free range eggs - about 1 per basket

Grated Cheese - about a teaspoon per basket

Chopped fresh herbs, salt & pepper

Directions

Use a rolling pin to roll out and flatten the bread

Make bread baskets by moulding in to a greased muffin tray.

Place a teaspoon of grated cheese at the bottom of each basket.

Mix eggs as if you would for scrambled eggs - or crack whole eggs in to each basket,

top with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.

Bake in a hot oven until egg part has risen and has a turned a touch golden.  

It took about 18 minutes in my oven.  

RAW PIZZA ATTEMPT

RAW PIZZA ATTEMPT

Now, I assure you - I am no raw food guru, but since I am on holiday and I have the time, I decided to try a "Raw Food" pizza. The base was a mix of flax seeds, red pepper, garlic and sundried tomatoes, whizzed up in a blender, I dried this in my newly purchased dehydrator - but it could easily be done in the oven on a very low heat for a few hours. In the mean time, I made Cashew "Cheese" which is really more like a cashew nut dip - soak your cashews overnight then blend with a clove of garlic, half a red pepper and some herb salt. When your pizza base is ready, cut in to pizza type slices, spread the nut sauce over and then top with lots of fresh salad type ingredients. It really was quite yummy and I felt so proud eating it.

MINI CRUST LESS QUICHE WITH SALAD

MINI CRUST LESS QUICHE WITH SALAD

These quick and easy quiches are so yummy, they can be kept in the fridge so that you can take a couple to work for high protein snacking or easy lunches.

Ingredients

6 Eggs

3 small zucchini grated

1 cup grated vegetarian cheese

3 tablespoons self raising flower

1 Tin creamed corn

1 tin corn

3 spring onions chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients and bake in a muffin tray for about 25 minutes in a medium oven.

Serve hot or cold  with salad.

CHINESE CABBAGE SALAD WITH HONEY ROASTED PEANUTS

CHINESE CABBAGE SALAD WITH HONEY ROASTED PEANUTS

Ingredients

1/2 a Chinese Cabbage thinly sliced

1 and a half cups of bean sprouts

1 cup of sugar snap peas sliced

1/2 a red pepper sliced

1/2 a cup of honey roasted peanuts

Dressing Ingredients

4 tablespoons peanut oil

a few drops of sesame oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic crushed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss through the salad dressing,

this should be enough to serve 3 or 4 - depending on how hungry your guests are!

If you are preparing the salad ahead of time, hold off on adding the dressing

until just before you serve.

RETRO MANGO FROGURT

RETRO MANGO FROGURT

A delightfully fruity frozen yoghurt.

Ingredients

Frozen plain Greek yoghurt (see above, simply freeze in a snap lock bag)

Frozen diced mangoes (see above)

Honey

You can make as much or as little as you like, just have equal parts of fruit to yoghurt and sweeten with honey to your taste.

Directions

Blitz in thermomix or blender on speed 10 until smooth and glossy. Serve in a retro glass with a fresh cherry or strawberry on top!

EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI CURRY

EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI CURRY

This delicious curry is inspired by my beautiful mentor

Jenny from http://two-days-at-a-time.blogspot.com/

Jen has a glut of eggplant at the moment, so I hope she can use this recipe to use them up!

Ingredients

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam marsarla

2 dried chillies

4 curry leaves crumbled

1 thumb of ginger grated

Oil for frying and for baking eggplant

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 onion diced

6 small zucchini

1 eggplant

5 Vine ripened tomatoes

1 tin organic coconut milk

1/2 a cup of vegetable stock

Directions

Lightly fry onions, garlic, ginger and spices

Meanwhile, peel the eggplant and slice in to bite size pieces, bake in a 250 degree oven drizzled with olive oil until tender - turn every 8 minutes to ensure they are evenly cooked.

Slice zucchini in to rounds and cut tomatoes in to quarters. Add coconut milk and vegetable stock to the onions, garlic and spices, warm through. Place cooked eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes in to a casserole dish and cover with the curry sauce, bake in a hot oven for about 25 minutes. Allow to sit in the oven for a further 15 minutes then serve with fluffy rice, Greek yoghurt and fresh coriander.

PIZZA NIGHT

PIZZA NIGHT

Home made pizza is soooo good, if you have the time!

My Dough ingredients are as follows:

280g skim milk

1 Sachet instant yeast

20g Olive Oil

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon sugar

500g Self Raising Flour

Allow at least 30 minutes for the dough to rise, then roll it out in to pizza type shapes - should make 4 fairly large pizza's

Top with delicious fresh ingredients, mushrooms, zucchini, capers, pine nuts, cherry tomatoes...the choice is yours, I added a drizzle of truffle oil to the mushroom one which was outstanding!

NOT SO NAUGHTY CHRISTMAS TREATS

NOT SO NAUGHTY CHRISTMAS TREATS

100g Nuts - I used macadamias

250g pitted dates

100g shredded coconut

Blitz in a food processor and roll in to balls.

Simple, tasty, healthy, Christmas treats.

POLENTA APPETISER

POLENTA APPETISER

I always feel very clever when I make these little polenta rounds...they are great for cocktail parties and you can let your creative side go wild with toppings.

Simply prepare polenta according to packet insturctions - but use a little less water, add some olive oil and some Parmesan cheese. When polenta is cooked, pour it in to a greased tray, let it cool, cover and place in the fridge for a few hours to set. I use a champagne glass to cut rounds in to the polenta then top them with sliced cherry tomatoes, goats feta and herbs with a dash of balsamic glaze.

SESAME BERRY BLITZ

BERRY BLITZ

The berries are so beautiful and affordable at the moment, I can't get enough of them! I have also saved some in ziplock bags in the freezer for when the price rises again. 

Frozen fruit makes great icy cold smoothies right through the year.  

Ingredients

1/2 a cup almond or soya milk

1 frozen banana

2 large strawberries chopped

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

10 blue berries

Directions

Throw everything in to a blender and blitz well. Serve with a few fresh berries on the side.

BEAUTIFUL BREAKFAST BREAD

BEAUTIFUL BREAKFAST BREAD

Ingredients

290g Milk

1 Sachet yeast

20g Olive Oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp brown sugar

500g organic self raising flower

Directions

Throw all ingredients together and knead.... I used my fancy thermomix

to do the kneading on this bread - but it can absolutely be done

in a normal food processor, or by hand,

just take your frustration out on the dough and

knead, knead, knead!

Form the dough in to a ball and let it rest for 30 minutes in an oiled bowl.

When the mix has risen (the self raising flour plus yeast makes it really rise!) punch down, knead a couple more times, then shape in to a fancy loaf - I split the dough in to 3, rolled out long sausages and plaited them. Brush the top of the loaf with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a hot oven - 220 degrees for about 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it as you don't want to burn it.  You can test if the bread is ready by poking a wooden skewer in to the middle of the loaf, if it comes out clean, it is ready! Serve the bread hot with organic butter and preserves.

Happy baking everyone.

BUTTERNUT, ALMOND AND SUNDRIED TOMATO CANNELLONI

BUTTERNUT, ALMOND AND SUNDRIED TOMATO CANNELLONI

This recipe is for my beautiful friend Irene. It is a great vegetarian option for Christmas Dinner parties if you serve it with loads of salad and garlic bread.
INGREDIENTS
1 packet of Latina fresh lasagna sheets (or make your own if you are super clever)
1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup drained sundried tomato strips
1 butternut, peeled, diced and baked in the oven with a little olive oil until soft
1 red onion diced and baked with the butternut
1 tub low fat cottage cheese
Cheese for the sauce and to top the bake
Home made cheese sauce (I use 2 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons of cornflour, 2 cups of milk a dash of salt and pepper and one cup of low fat cheese - i forget to stir it enough and it always goes lumpy, so I let it cool and whack it in the blender and blitz it for a couple of seconds until it is silky smooth!)
METHOD
Once everything has been prepared, it is super easy to construct your dish. Mix the butternut, onions, almonds, sundried tomatoes and cottage cheese together - don't mush up too much, you want it kind of rough, season the mix as much as you like.  Spoon some cheese sauce in to the base of your baking dish. Cut the lasagna sheets in half, dip them in some water, place the butternut mix along the one end and roll, place the cannelloni in the dish with the open side down, repeat until you have a full dish (I like to stick to one layer) Pour over the rest of your cheese sauce and top with further grated cheese if you like. Bake in a hot oven for 40 minutes or until brown and bubbling on the top. A little bit naughty - but nice for a treat!
Irene...ring me if you need assistance :)

ITALIAN FLAG STICKS

ITALIAN FLAG STICKS

Tasty little snacks - simply cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls and basil on toothpicks drizzled with good quality olive oil and balsamic glaze.

CRUNCHY KALE "CHIPS"

CRUNCHY KALE "CHIPS"

Kale is a beautiful dark leafy vegetable, which makes the most delightfully, light and tasty crunchy treat instead of fatty deep fried chips!

If you are in Perth check out Subi farmers market on a Saturday

8am - 12pm for great organic Kale http://subifarmersmarket.com.au )

Ingredients

1 bunch of Kale, wash very well, dry very well, chop in to slightly larger than bite size pieces

Garlic or herb salt

Good quality olive oil

1 Lemon

Directions

Place grease proof paper on the bottom of your oven tray, place an oven rack on top of that and spread the kale evenly over the rack. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic or herb salt. Bake in a warm oven, about 200 degrees, for about 15 - 20 minutes, checking every 5 minutes, and shuffle the pieces around a bit. Don't let the kale burn, but you do want it to be crispy, so test a piece every now and then, you will know when it is ready! Serve with a wedge of lemon. Happy crunchy munching everyone.

HUNGRY HULK JUICE

HUNGRY HULK JUICE

Freshly squeezed juice of one orange, 1 small hand full of baby spinach, 1 small mango, peeled and diced, 3 ice cubes. Pop all ingredients in your blender, whizz them up and drink straight away (don't let it sit because the ingredients begin to separate!). Make sure your blender can handle ice cubes, they are quite essential to the recipe. I don't currently have a hangover...but if I did, I'm pretty sure this juice would cure it!

ASPARAGUS SALAD

Asparagus Salad

Need something simple for lunch? Try this quick and health salad of asparagus, tomatoes and avo - drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. I was lucky enough to get all the fresh organic ingredients from the Subiaco Farmers Market. Non vegans can add some fetta.

VEGAN BREAKFAST FRY UP

VEGAN BREAKFAST FRY UP

Sweet potatoes (cooked), red pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, coriander...fry in a little olive oil....yum, breakfast is ready. 

MAGNIFICENT MUSHROOMS!!!!!

MAGNIFICENT MUSHROOMS

I am so delighted with these mushrooms, purchased from the Subiaco Farmers Market this morning! The farmer was so proud....now, what to make with them?