Archive for March, 2012

« Older Entries  |   Newer Entries »
March 19, 2012

Porteño Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts with Lentils

Here’s a virtuous green dish, for the post-St. Paddy’s Day guilt/Guinness belly.

If you haven’t caught on and discovered the excellency of semi-caramelized Brussels sprouts, now’s your chance!

The original version of this recipe called for deep-frying the B-sprouts which I think is a brilliant idea, but I am extremely uncomfortable with the notion of deep-frying at home. I think I would at least need supervision/protective gear for my face and hands.

And plus, we’re repenting from day-long Irish festivities right?

I decided to pan-fry these babies in a little olive oil until golden brown and crispy around the edges. (Roasting would work well here, too.)
Combined with dainty French lentils and a hot mustard vinaigrette, the B-sprouts make a great side dish or main, depending on who you’re talking to.

On another day, I might top this with a few bite-sized chunks of smokey bacon.

Brussels Sprouts with Lentils
adapted from Porteño restaurant’s recipe in Sydney
(Serves 4 as a side)

- 3-4 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in half
- 1 cup cooked French lentils
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt

For dressing:
- 2 tablespoons hot English mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, until they become browned in some parts. Stir in lentils and remove from heat. Season with sea salt.

Whisk together ingredients for dressing in a small bowl or jar.

Place B-sprouts with lentils in a large bowl. Add dressing and chopped parsley, mix well to combine. Serve warm.

About these ads

Posted in Recipes | 8 Comments »

Tags: ,
March 16, 2012

Banana Berry Crumbles for Breakfast and Dessert

and they’re vegan too!

Dessert for breakfast.

It’s not even as rebellious as you might think. (Although, I do like to be rebellious.)

If it has fruit, oats, cinnamon, nuts and maple and goes well with both ice cream and yogurt it can be both, right?

I made these one night after a long and horrendous rainy-day commute home. I’m pretty sure the notion of warm, baked fruit carried me that whole extra hour it took to get to my door.

I realized that if I made a crumble on the healthy side of the dessert spectrum, it could also be a completely appropriate balanced breakfast. Win win win. All nonsense is kept to a minimum – the only sweetener is the natural fruit and a little maple syrup or honey and the result is a perfect little ramekin filled with warm, gooey berries with a crispy cinnamon-oat topping.

It can be made ahead and popped in the oven in the morning. Or whipped up quickly for a special after dinner treat.

Breakfast crumble. For breakfast or dessert. It’s totally going to become a thing.

Vegan Breakfast/Dessert Crumble
for Two
Adapted from Joy the Baker

Fruit:
- 2 small bananas, mashed
- 1 1/2 blueberries or other berries (if frozen, thawed and drained)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or honey)

Crumble:
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons of walnuts and sunflower seeds (or whatever nuts you have)

Grease 2 1 cup-sized ramekins and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.

Combine fruit with cinnamon and maple in a bowl.

In another bowl combine rolled oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and mix together. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, oil, water and vanilla. Pour maple mixture over the oats and mix well until oats are covered and a little sticky.

Divide the fruit between the two ramekins and top with the oats. Sprinkle with nuts, and extra cinnamon (and even a little brown sugar if it’s definitely dessert) if desired.

Place on a baking tray and bake for about 35 minutes.

If you’re not vegan, I strongly suggest serving this with good Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream.

Posted in Desserts, Healthy Cooking, Recipes | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , ,
March 15, 2012

Harissa Chickpea Burgers

Harissa, like sriracha, is another spicy addition to my pantry that I have no idea how I lived without. When it’s sizzling in a pan with some olive oil, the smell that drifts over the kitchen is intoxicating. That chili-garlic goodness is probably what a love potion tailored to me would smell like. It wins my heart.

I have been putting it in eggs, rice, hummus, fish, vegetables, pasta…yeah, everything. Some burgers seemed like a natural move.

Chickpea burgers, because I had some soaking.

And the rest, is history.

You can probably expect weekly harissa installments from here on out.

Unsolicited advice: if you don’t have some harissa up in your kitchen, get some. If anything, you can probably seduce someone with it. (No promises, though.)

Chickpea Burgers with Harissa
(makes 4 burgers)
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 heaping tablespoon harissa paste
- 1/4 cup parsley and/or coriander leaves
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 1 egg and 1 egg white
- 4 small green onions/scallions, white and light green parts finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Place the first 5 ingredients in a food processor with a sprinkle of salt and a good grinding of pepper. Process until the chickpeas reach a crumbly texture and the harissa is distributed throughout.

Place in a bowl and stir in the egg, egg white and green onions into the chickpeas until completely combined. Use your hands to form equal-sized patties, being careful not to make them too large. (About 3 inches/7.5 cm across)

Heat olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Cook patties until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes on each side). Serve warm.

Suggestions:
Serve in pitas, small buns or over a salad.
I served mine with avocado, arugula and Greek yogurt spiced with cumin, garlic and chopped fresh coriander.
I also had one with this roasted red pepper sauce and some cucumber and tomato. Go nuts!


Posted in Healthy Cooking, Recipes | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , ,
March 14, 2012

Roasted Red Pepper, Chili and Cashew Dip

A fun fact about me: I am a huge klutz. Like, textbook definition of clumsy, uncoordinated, and awkward. It’s kind of unfortunate.

I’m terrible at all sports, so I generally try to stay away from those.

Other things are not so easily avoided. I knock over full cups of liquid almost daily, I carelessly cut and burn myself while cooking (we need to keep a first aid kit in the kitchen), and I knock my shin into the bedpost pretty much every time I walk past it.

Family members sarcastically call me Grace.

I’ve tripped while jogging, resulting in serious cuts on my hands and knees. Which was pretty painful and embarrassing. I did that twice. The second time, I cut and scraped the exact. same. places. WHO DOES THAT?

Gauche. So gauche.

Something I cannot manage to screw up: this dip. Pantry staples + food processor = accomplishment without injury (thanks, largely in part, to the advanced safety features on my food processor.)

The sweet and smokey peppers, the crunchy sweetness of the cashews, and the salty Parmesan are tied together perfectly by the chili. You can control the spiciness with the amount of chili paste you use. A half a tablespoon is a good place to start. I used a whole tablespoon – which gives it a definite edge without overwhelming the whole operation.

Dip it, spread it, mix it. It’s excellent with eggs, roasted veggies, toast, avocado, rice or quinoa, on crackers or pitas, with chicken or fish…you get the idea.

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Cashew Dip
- 3-4 large whole roasted red peppers (or 1 cup of chopped roasted red peppers)
- 1/3 cup toasted, unsalted cashews, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili paste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- sea salt, to taste

Combine ingredients in a food processor and blitz until everything is finely chopped but not completely pureed. Adjust seasoning. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes:
Cashews: You could use dry roasted or raw cashews and toast them yourself.
To toast: place cashews in a dry pan over a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, tossing frequently, until golden. Allow to cool before using.

Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments »

Tags: , , ,
March 13, 2012

Grape and Goat Cheese Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

It’s lovely to have a weekend away. An entire weekend of seeing new things.

Eating at new and exciting places for every meal.

Finding new inspiration.

Escaping your routine.

Walking new places.

Getting lost.

You know, shaking it up a little.

After a relaxing weekend of eating and drinking in Melbourne, it’s nice to be home.

Back to my bed. Back to my routine.

A routine of morning jogs, writing in the evenings, and lunchtime salads. My routine isn’t special, but I like having it to come home to. These are the simple things in my day that never fail to make me feel good.

         

Grapes are in season! The red ones have been particularly crunchy and sweet. I usually just keep a big bowl in the fridge and grab a handful of them in between meals. But I love using them in savory salads for extra texture and juiciness, too. I used a honey vinaigrette to compliment the fruit, nuts and cheese.

Red Grape and Goat Cheese Salad
(serves 2)
- 3-4 big handfuls of baby arugula, washed and dried
- 1 cup red grapes, cut in half
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
- 1/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, chopped

Honey Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon good quality honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Place all ingredients for the dressing in a jar with a lid. Shake it up well to make sure all that honey blends with the oil and vinegar.

Pour dressing over salad, toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

Posted in Healthy Cooking, Recipes | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , ,
March 9, 2012

Good Things

Here are a few things that were good this week.

…

Carrot cake oatmeal

A visit to Bourke Street Bakery…a perfect croissant found in Sydney.

…

These big ol’ leaves that I see every day. I kind of love them.

…

Tried a new bread from Organic Republic Bakery: Carrot and Pepita – look at all those seeds!

…

Sunrise on a morning run. It reminded me of that old saying that still gets thrown around in my family:

Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning.

…

Still working on perfecting my honey-roasting technique. These taste right, but they’re too sticky!

…

I loved the colorful cup and saucer – and it matched my book.

…

Peanut butter, Nutella and sea salt. A beautiful and dangerous combination.

…

And carrot cake oatmeal. Because, why not?

Carrot Cake Oatmeal
(serves 2)
- 1 cup traditional oats
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of powdered ginger
- 1 tablespoon honey
Toppings:
- raisins
- toasted walnuts or pecans
- toasted coconut flakes

Place oats, water and coconut milk in a medium saucepan – bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and stir in carrots, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and honey.

Cook for about 8-10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and it’s the consistency is how you like it.

Top with raisins, nuts, and coconut. Serve immediately.

Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »

March 8, 2012

Zucchini, Garlic and Rosemary Soup

Dang, if ever there was a soup day in Sydney – today is it.

Each day I’ve been trying to write down 3 things that I am thankful for. It doesn’t matter how big or small, I just throw them in an Evernote list as I think of them. It’s supposed to be a practice in positivity. I learned it from a TED talk, so it must be a good idea.

A lot of times, I find myself thinking of  things I am grateful for in times of frustration, which makes me think that it’s working.

Stuck at the bus stop for 45 minutes in the rain? I am thankful for a warm, dry home to go to, fresh banana bread on the counter and a slack tea with my favorite guy.

I have also noticed that a lot of my gratitudes are weather-dependent. You can usually tell what type of day it was by at least one item of the three.

Today’s thankful three would look something like: sweatpants, cookbooks and soup. (Food is another common theme, as you might have guessed. I’ve mentioned important things like cheese, popcorn at the movies, curry and banoffee pie.)

I usually have a couple of zucchini kicking around in my fridge this time of year. Most of the time, I just roast them with heaps of seasoning until they taste like candy. But I thought I’d branch out when I saw a recipe for zucchini and mint soup in Gourmet Traveller. I decided to swap the mint for rosemary to justify the addition of cheese. I also doubled the amount of garlic, just because.

And that is what I call good decision-making.

Zucchini Soup with Rosemary and Chili
inspired by Gourmet Traveller

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 4 medium zucchini, diced into 1 inch/ 2.5 cm pieces
- 3 small chat potatoes, diced very small into .3 inch/1 cm pieces
- 600 ml of hot vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup Parmesan, plus an extra to garnish
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- sprinkling of toasted almonds to garnish

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic and chilli and stir occasionally until tender, about 5-6 minutes.

Add zucchini, potatoes some fresh ground pepper and sprinkle of salt. Stir occasionally until the zucchini is bright green, about 4-5 minutes.

Add hot stock, increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium, simmer until zucchini is just tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Let cool for about 5 minutes. Process with a hand-held blender or in a standing blender until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the pureed soup back up to a boil. Stir in Parmesan.

Serve warm with more Parmesan and toasted almonds.

Posted in Healthy Cooking, Recipes | 3 Comments »

Tags: , , , ,
March 7, 2012

Cauliflower and White Bean Salad

I’ve learned that when I’m lacking inspiration with my cooking the best thing I can do is take stock of my fridge and pantry, then immediately leave the house. I run or walk. (For exercise, not like a crazy lady.)

I took a quick look inside my crisper drawer just before I hit the pavement this morning.  It’s becoming a habit.

While I’m moving, I let my thoughts drift and casually think about food. (Probably not what I should be thinking about whilst exercising, but whatever.) Sometimes these thoughts become ideas that involve what I have at home already. It works 80% of the time, every time.

Sometimes I’ll even jot a note down on my phone. This is hard when you’re trying to maintain a jogging pace. I wouldn’t recommend this method of note taking. It’s potentially very dangerous.

I think the note for this one looked something like: “Caulifower wit paprika white jens alludes and raisins.”

I hate auto correct up in my business more than my sloppy typing. But it works…sorta.

This salad totally works. Roasted cauliflower, with white beans sauteed in onions and two paprikas, along with some crunchy almonds and sweet little sultanas.

Cauliflower and White Bean Salad
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided. Plus more for drizzling
- 1 small head of cauliflower or 1/2 of a large head of cauliflower, chipped into small florets
- 1 can of white beans, rinsed and drained well
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 teaspoons smokey paprika x2
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- sea salt
- 2 tablespoons slivered toasted almonds
- 2 tablespoons raisins
-1 handful of chopped parsley and/or coriander/cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 F/ 205 C.

Combine cauliflower, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon smoky paprika, cumin and a sprinkle of salt, toss well to coat the cauliflower and spread out on a baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add white beans, the other 1/4 teaspoon smoky paprika and the sweet paprika. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the beans are warmed through and coated in the spices, onion and olive oil. Remove from heat.

When the cauliflower is done, combine with white beans and onions. Top with toasted almonds, raisins, herbs and more salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments »

Tags: , , , , ,
« Older Entries  |   Newer Entries »
%d bloggers like this: