Spanish gazpacho - drink your veggies

A couple of years ago we had a beautiful holiday in Andalusia, Spain.  We'd sit out in the garden and start our meal with short glass of gazpacho which you could buy in tetra packs from the supermarket.  I've come up with this recipe which gets some veggies into everyone before the meal has started.  I tend to use tomato juice (no added salt or sugar), it would be better to use real tomatoes but I can't get that lovely rich tomato flavour from the disappointing supermarket tomatoes.  The advantage of tomato juice is there is no de-seeding or peeling.  Think of it as a red green smoothie!

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Ingredients

• 2 slices crusty bread

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1/2 small garlic clove, crushed

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1L tomato juice

• 1 red capsicum, seeded, chopped

• 1 lebanese cucumber, seeded, chopped, plus extra finely chopped as a garnish

• 1/2 long red chilli, seeded

• 3 green onions, chopped

• 2 tabs olive oil

METHOD

1. Break bread into large pieces and place in a bowl (or your thermomix bowl). Pour over red wine vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes

2. Place bread in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, sugar, tomato juice, capsicum, cucumber, chilli and green onions, and blend until combined (1 minute speed 10 in thermomix). With processor running, pour in olive oil in a thin stream

3. Transfer gazpacho to a large jug, cover and refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, stir well with ice cubes and add extra finely chopped cucumber as a garnish.

Chicken fajitas

The weather is warming up in Sydney so I am making some quick chicken fajitas featuring lime and capsicum (peppers).  This recipe is adapted from Nigella Lawson's "Kitchen".  Capsicums (red peppers) are low in fat, carbs and calories and high in antioxidants such as beta-carotene a precursor to vitamin A, helping to promote vision and support a healthy immune system.  Capsicum is also packed full of vitamin C and their sweet flavour means they are a favourite with kids.

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 ingredients

• 2 skinless chicken breasts, sliced into long strips (or you can use precut stirfry chicken)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 tab extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 capsicums (red, yellow or orange) cored and cut into strips
• hot chilli sauce, avocado, baby spinach, coriander leaves, 4 soft wholegrain tortillas (to serve)

METHOD

1. Combine the chicken with the oregano, cumin and lime juice. Leave to marinade while you slice up the onion and capsicum. Pop the tortillas in a low warm oven
2. In a frying pan, saute the onion over medium heat with a little olive oil and one crushed garlic clove for five minutes.  Add the capsicum to the frypan and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and put in a bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1/2 tab of olive oil and other crushed garlic clove to the pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and its marinade. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Check that the chicken is piping hot and cooked through, then add the onions and capsicum. Stir together, then transfer them to a serving dish.
4. Take the warmed tortillas out of the oven and put them on the table alongside the chicken mixture, chilli sauce, avocado, baby spinach leaves and chopped coriander for everyone to assemble.

Thai style beef salad

This is how I like to eat in summer - a big salad topped with delicious steak.  I discovered this salad when I was pregnant as I was trying to increase my iron stores and eat lots of leafy greens.  It's now a firm family favourite and perfect for my teenage children who need zinc and iron for growth, energy and immunity.

GF, LF, FF - see below for notes

ingredients

• 400 g lean beef (I like sirloin or porterhouse)
• plenty of black pepper
• olive oil
• 2 large handfuls asian salad mix or baby spinach leaves
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 20 green beans, sugar snap peas or snow peas, blanched
• 2 red capsicums,sliced
• 2 Lebanese / Japanese cucumbers sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 small bunch coriander picked
• 1 small bunch mint picked
• Cashews to sprinkle over

Dressing

• juice from 2-3 limes
• 1 sliced red chilli (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoon palm sugar (or castor sugar)

METHOD

1. Season the steak with the pepper and cook in a hot pan with a little olive oil until medium rare. Remove from the pan, cover loosely and allow to rest for about 5 minutes then slice thinly.
2. Combine the salad leaves, tomatoes, green beans, capsicum, cucumber, onion and herbs.
3. Add the sliced beef.
4. Make the dressing by mixing the lime juice, chilli, fish sauce and sugar.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through. Top with a small handful of cashews.
6. Divide between serving bowls and enjoy. Lean chicken breast, grilled fish or grilled firm tofu can be used in place of the beef.

Serves 4

GF - check fish sauce,

FF (FODMAP friendly) - substitute green tops of spring onion for onion, limit portion of snow peas to five pods, substitute peanuts for cashews

Cauliflower and broccolini fried rice served with pickled cucumber

A vegetable hack I've been using a lot lately is to mix in half cauliflower rice with our brown basmati.  Tonight I'm sharing my cauliflower fried rice which is a huge hit. I serve it with quickly pickled cucumber, a fried egg and some tamari almonds. I did wonder how the "rice" would be received - see picture below, but mixed in with aromatic ginger and coriander plus the colour somewhat disguised by turmeric no-one gave it a second thought!

Cauliflower is a fantastic vegetable being a source of cancer-fighting agents (glucosinolates).   I've been using a lot of turmeric in my recipes recently as the active ingredient -curcumin - as it has been linked to warding off dementia and preventing cancer.  The AIS is investigating the anti-inflammatory properties for use as a sports supplement.

(I am listing this a vegetarian, but you'll need to take out the ham)

Cauliflower and broccolini fried rice with ginger and turmeric

Serves:

4

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of cauliflower

• 1 bunch broccolini

• 200g packet of pre-cooked brown basmati rice

• 2 french shallots

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 cm piece of ginger

• 1 red chilli (seeds removed)

• 1 bunch of coriander

• 100g ham

• 2-3 tab tamari

• 2-3 tsp tomato sauce (I use sugar free)

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp paprika

• shallots to serve

• fried egg to serve

• cucumber pickle to serve

method

1. In a food processor or by hand pulse together the cauliflower florets and broccolini. Remove and set aside.

2. In food processor or by hand chop the shallots, garlic, ginger, chilli and coriander.

3. In a heavy bottom frypan or wok fry the processed shallot mixture in a tsp or so of coconut oil or olive oil. Stir fry for 3 minutes then add ham and fry for another minute or so.

4. Add pulsed cauliflower, broccolini and rice and fry for another minute.

5. Add turmeric, paprika, tamari and tomato sauce and fry for a few minutes.

6. I like to serve with a fried egg, some pickled cucumber, a squeeze of lime and some tamari almonds

7. Make a quick cucumber pickle by slicing up 2 cucumbers, pour over a little rice wine vinegar, a squeeze of lime juice and a tsp of sugar.

Have you been thinking for a while that you would love to find out more about your gut health or why your weight won’t shift no matter what you do? Or maybe you just want to feel less bloated, have more energy and understand what food you are meant to be eating?

I’m offering a free 15 minute call to work out a nutrition action plan to get you feeling your best. There are no commitments just a friendly chat so we can work out if I’m the right person to help you reach your health goals.

Rachel is a university qualified Clinical Nutritionist based in Balmain.  She is also the busy working mum of two teenagers, so is practical and realistic with her advice . Rachel offers private online or in person consultations to improve your family's health and well-being. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram for more healthy tips and tricks. 

Simon's baked beans

Having a rustle around in the freezer I found the ham bone I had saved from Christmas.  I asked my husband to make his amazing baked beans and he also wrote down the recipe as we can never quite remember how he makes them.  These make a delicious breakfast, lunch or easy dinner.  You can cook an egg in the bean mixture as well.  If you don't have a frozen ham bone left over from Christmas then you can get a ham hock from the butcher or make a vegetarian version. A diet rich in legumes such as cannellini beans  is associated with lowered blood sugar and reduced harmful LDL cholesterol.   They’ve been linked to reduced risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon and other cancers, as well as improved weight control.  Plus my kids love eating them!

Ingredients

• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 red onions roughly chopped.
• Splash of olive oil
• Ham bone (frozen from after Christmas) or ham hock.
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 x 400gm tin of crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbsp of maple syrup
• 2 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp of smokey paprika
• 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes (this gives it just a hint of heat but up to you)
• 1 tsp of dry mustard powder
• 4 x 400gm tins of Cannellini Beans (drained and rinse beans from 3 of the tins, but use liquid and beans from 4th)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160 deg C.
2. Fry up garlic, onions and oil over a medium to high heat (choose a big pot that is also able to go in oven). Whack in the ham bone. Pour in 2 tins of tomatoes and the bay leaves. Then add the maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, and spices.
3. Drain the beans in a sieve and rinse off the briney liquid from 3 of the tins, but chuck liquid and beans from the 4th. Give it all a stir.
4. Check seasoning but probably could do with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Cover and put the pot in the oven for a 1 1/2 hrs.
6. I like to cook it the beans long enough so that the meat has fallen off the ham bone but not so long the dish becomes too dry. I switch off oven and just leave the pot in until I'm ready to serve.
7. Dish it up with crusty bread and green salad

You can also cook this in the slow cooker on low for 4 hours.  

Serves 8

Oven baked sausages with ratatouille

This is a fabulous recipe for a night where you are tired - the oven can do all the work.  Our oven has a reliable oven timer so I often pop this on to cook while I am driving around to pick the kids up from rugby practice etc.  It won't spoil if you leave it in the oven for 10 more minutes.  You can vary the veggies depending on what the team will eat and also add a tin of cannellini beans to make a cheats' cassoulet.

This is lactose-free and gluten-free, but I also have a low FODMAP ratatouille recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 red onion

• 1 whole head garlic

• 1 medium eggplant

• 2 zucchinis

• 2 red capsicums

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 x 400g tins canned tomatoes

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme and rosemary leaves

• sea salt

• black pepper

• 6 good quality pork sausages

• 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans (optional)

• 12 kalamata olives, unpitted

• fresh rosemary and thyme for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200C

2. Cut the onion into quarters, and the head of garlic in half crosswise.

3. Cut the eggplant into half and then rounds, the zucchinis into diagonal slices and the capsicums into thick slices, discarding core and seeds.

4. Arrange all the veggies except the zucchinis in a large oiled baking tray, burying the garlic halves cut-side down. Add the canned tomatoes and their juices, and a dash of water.

5. Tuck in the pricked sausages, drizzle with olive oil and scatter with thyme and rosemary, sea salt and pepper.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, then add the zucchini and cannellini beans (if using) and turn the sausages. Cook for another 15 minutes, until the veggies are cooked and sausages are browned.

7. To serve, scatter with olives, rosemary and thyme. Squeeze the roasted garlic on top, and drizzle with the pan juices.

Serves 4

Calories: 290 Fat:16g Saturated fat:4 Carbohydrates:28g Fiber:9g Protein:12g

Roasted tomato and white bean soup

Today I've got two sick children so I'm making soup for dinner.  Soup, particularly vegetable based soups are a great option nutritionally as they combine lots of key nutrients including vitamins and minerals for relatively few calories.  Tonight's soup is full of tomatoes, my son is happy to eat this although he will "never, ever eat a tomato". Tomatoes are a wonderful source of vitamin B6, C, K, beta-carotene, potassium and manganese. The lycopene in tomatoes has been linked to lower rates of heart disease and cancer.

Ingredients

• 1kg tomatoes, quartered or halved depending on size. I like a mixture of truss and romas.

• 1 red onion, peeled and quartered

• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tab maple syrup

• 400g tin cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

• 250 - 500 ml water to taste

• Pesto to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200degrees.

2. Put tomatoes, garlic and onion in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup. Season to taste.

3. Roast for 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft

4. Squish garlic out of skin, and discard skin. Add all vegetables and juice to saucepan.

5. Add the canellini beans and process the mixture with a stick blender.

6. Add water (I tend to use closer to 250 ml as I like a thick soup) and heat through gently.

7. Serve with a dollop of pesto

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Lamb with lentils, feta and mint

IMG_4519

Given the choice I am sure everyone in my family would be able to eat at least 4 or 5 lamb cutlets at a go.  However they are expensive and we just don't need to be eating such large amounts of protein at the expense of vegetables and pulses.  Lentils are a great way to balance out the proportion of meat to non-meat on your plate.  This is a delicious quick dinner and if you are having vegetarian guests you can increase the lentil salad size.  While you are prepping dinner you can add another tin of lentils and increase the quantities of tomatoes, cucumbers and feta and prepare a quick lentil salad for lunch the next day.

Lamb with lentils, feta and mint

Author:

rachel

Prep time:

10 mins

Cook time:

15 mins

Total time:

25 mins

Serves:

4

Ingredients

• 250g punnet cherry tomatoes

• 2 tab olive oil

• 12 kalamata olives, pitted

• 12 lamb cutlets, frenched

• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

• 400g can lentils, rinsed, drained

• 1 lebanese cucumber diced

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 50g sheeps' milk feta, crumbled

• 2 tablespoons mint leaves

• 200g baby spinach

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.

2. Toss tomatoes in 2 teaspoons oil, season and place on a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes until soft.

3. Meanwhile, rub lamb with rosemary and 2 teaspoons oil. Season, then cook in a frypan over medium-high heat for 4 minutes or until browned. Turn and cook for a further 3 minutes for medium-rare, or until done to your liking.

4. Rest the lamb, covered loosely in foil, while you warm lentils in a small pan of simmering water for 5 minutes. Drain lentils and toss with diced cucumber, lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of oil. Season.

5. To serve, place baby spinach on platter, scatter lentils on top, top with slices of lamb and scatter with feta, tomatoes, olives and fresh mint.

Calories:

405 (1704 kJ)

Fat:

25

Saturated fat:

7

Carbohydrates:

13.7

Sodium:

382

Fiber:

6.3

Protein:

29

3.3.3077

Rosemary chicken with pesto pasta

My basil plant is looking very healthy at the moment and as soon as I brush past and smell it I immediately think of pesto.  A huge bowl of pasta topped with an oily pesto isn't a great dinner, but in his "15 minute meals" Jamie Oliver has a wonderful pesto pasta served with chicken and a wide variety of veggies which is a much better balance for dinner.  I have changed this recipe around a bit as I find in the 15 and 30 minute meals Jamie jumps all over the place and I need to cook in a more orderly fashion!  This is a meal that my children adore and I like to serve it the night before a cross country carnival or rugby comp.  I often add in some zucchini noodles along with the pasta. Green beans and spinach are a wonderful source of dietary fibre which help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels and helps prevent bowel cancer, diabetes and heart disease.  Best of all fibre helps you feel fuller for longer, helping you manage your weight more easily.   Chicken breast, almonds and parmesan are all good sources of protein which keeps you feeling fuller for longer.

taken from Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals

Rosemary chicken with pesto pasta

Adapted from Jamie Oliver 15 Minute Meals, Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2x 200g skinless chicken breasts

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 4- 5 cloves of garlic

• punnet ripe cherry tomatoes

  Pasta & Pesto

• 250g green beans

• 1 big bunch of fresh basil

• 50g blanched almonds

• 50g parmesan cheese

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 lemon

• 1 clove of garlic

• 250g dried pasta, pappardelle is nice

• 200g baby spinach

METHOD

1. Put the basil leaves, almonds, parmesan, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice into a food processor and blitz until smooth. You might need a spoonful of pasta cooking water (see step 5) to loosen.

2. Cut the chicken breast horizontally in half so that it is butterflied out. Season your chicken with salt, pepper, fennel seeds and rosemary leaves over greaseproof paper and then bash to flatten with a rolling pin. Put it in to the frying pan with your olive oil and the bashed, unpeeled garlic cloves. You will need to turn it after about 4 minutes and cook until golden.

3. Cook your pasta in a large saucepan according to packet directions. Trim your beans, and add them to the pasta for the last 5 minutes.

4. Halve your cherry tomatoes, add them to the chicken and shake the pan. Stir the spinach into your pasta pan and drain but reserve a little of the water.

5. Return everything to the pan, pour in your pesto and splash in the water until smooth and silky. Slice your chicken breasts in half and serve with the tomatoes on top.

Rachel is a university qualified Clinical Nutritionist based in Balmain.  She is also the busy working mum of two teenagers, so is practical and realistic with her advice . Rachel offers in person or online consultations to improve your family's health and well-being. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram for more healthy tips and tricks. 

Teriyaki salmon with soba noodles and greens

My children are really not great fish lovers, to get them to eat fish I need to come up with a sauce that disguises the flavour somewhat.  We all love teriyaki flavour and the fish is delicious served with soba noodles made from buckwheat flour.  Salmon is high in healthy long chain omega-3s essential fatty acids that are needed for heart and brain health.  The body can't make essential fatty acids so you have to eat them, I try to serve fish a couple of times a week. Be careful when you buy mirin, a lot of brands are full of high fructose corn syrup - I found the spiral brand doesn't contain HFCS.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterbean/4642551334

Teriyaki salmon with soba noodles and greens

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp tamari or salt reduced soy sauce

• 2 tbsp sake

• 1 tbsp mirin

• 4 salmon fillets (about 120g each)

• 2 tsp olive oil

• greens of your choice, I like a mixture of asparagus, sugar snap peas and broccollini

• 270 g packet soba noodles

• 2 greens onions sliced on the diagonal

METHOD

1. Combine the tamari, sake and mirin in a small saucepan and bring to the boil for a minute or so. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes

2. Place the salmon in a glass or ceramic bowl. Pour over soy mixture and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drain salmon from marinade, reserving marinade. Add salmon and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate.

4. Stir fry mixed greens for 2 minutes or until just tender. Add reserved marinade and bring to the boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

5. Meanwhile, cook noodles following packet directions. Drain. Divide noodles among serving bowls. Top with veggie mixture and salmon. Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately.

Lower carb hamburger

This is a great easy meal that the children love.  The burger recipe comes from Nigella, although I've altered the quantities a little.  I was a bit dubious about whether or not the burgers would stick together, but they work just fine.  To lower the calories for me, I use a Michelle Bridges trick, which is to serve the burger on 1/2 a roll and hollow out the middle and fill it up with salad.  The kids, and my husband get a full bun, plus salad.

for 5 burgers, which is dinner for 4 and then a quick lunch for the next day

Ingredients

• 500g extra lean minced beef

• 2 tablespoon caramelised onions (I use Beerenberg)

• 3 teaspoons buttermilk or natural yoghurt

• 3 teaspoons salt reduced soy-sauce or tamari

• 3 teaspoons BBQ or Worcestershire sauce

• pepper

• olive oil spray

• small wholemeal burger buns (in Australia, cape seed rolls from Baker's delight are delicious)

• baby spinach

• tomato sliced

METHOD

1. Mix the minced beef with onions, buttermilk, soy and BBQ sauce. Season with pepper and divide into 5 portions. Shape by hand into burgers. I like to put them in the fridge for half an hour to firm up.

2. Lightly spray a non-stick frypan and heat on medium. Cook the patties for 5 minutes a side until browned and cooked through.

3. Toast the bun halves, line each bun with baby spinach leaves. Top with a patty and tomato.

4. Did you notice there are no fries on the side? You can have extra salad though!

5. I like to cook an extra patty for lunch the next day, to serve on a mountain bread wrap with relish, salad and tomato.

Serving size:

1 burger and bun

Calories:

319 (1342 kJ) Fat:7g  Saturated fat:2.4g Carbohydrates:30g Sugar:3.7g Sodium:677 Fiber:4g Protein:31g