Black lentil, quinoa, apple and goats curd salad

Most of you have probably met the lovely little quinoa since its popularity soared just a couple of years ago. Now lets just clear one thing up before we move on…it is pronounced keen-wah NOT kwin-oah. This ancient little grain (well, its technically a seed) that features on many modern menus has become a staple in many households, including my own.

There are many reasons why I do love this little grain and why I invited it into our household.

The dietitian side of me loves that it is a complete protein source, is gluten free for those who require a gluten free diet and has a low Glycemic Index (GI), meaning it can stabolise blood glucose levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

The foodie side of me just loves its aesthetic appeal and nutty texture.

I can’t say that I love quinoa for its taste and flavour (as it really doesn’t have any) but I love that it is a blank canvas for many different flavour combinations.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1/3 of a cup of white quinoa (this will yield ~1 cup cooked)

1/3 of a cup of red quinoa (this will yield ~1 cup cooked)

½ of a cup of black lentils (this will yield ~ 1 cup cooked)

1 small pink lady apple, thinly sliced with skin on

1/4 cup of roasted almonds, chopped

1 large handful of rocket or baby spinach 

1/4 bunch of flat leaf parsley finely, chopped

¼ cup of olive oil

Juice of one small lemon

goats curd

Method

Cook lentils - bring water to a boil and add the lentils. Boil for 2-3 minutes and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until tender (~25-30 minutes). Lentils must not be overcooked or they will become soft and mushy.

While the lentils are cooking, rinse the white and red quinoa and cook in plenty of water. Just add the quinoa to the cold water, bring to the boil then simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes - once the germ turns opaque and splits from the seed (this will resembles little curls).

Cut the apple and make the dressing while the lentils and quinoa are cooking. To make the dressing just combine the lemon juice, olive oil and chopped parsley (it can be blended in a small food processor).

Once the lentils and quinoa are cooked, combine them with the rocket, apple, roasted almonds and the dressing.

Top the salad with a few teaspoons of goats cheese as I have done in the image.

I love this recipe because it is aesthetically beautiful and the textures and flavours are just lovely. I am sure it will impress all of your family and friends and it is so easy to create.

Bon Appetit!

pumpkin & bean spiced soup

Ingredients (serves 6)

Olive oil for drizzling (also anti-inflammatory)

1 large butternut pumpkin, chopped into chunks (about 2-3cm x 2-3cm)

2 medium carrots, chopped length ways and again in 2 cm pieces

1 small red capsicum, chopped into chunks (about 2-3cm x 2-3 cm)

4 cloves of garlic

1 brown onion, chopped into chunks 

800g (2 large tins) of cannellini beans (you can use any white bean or chick peas) 

1L of vegetable stock

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

2 teaspoons of ground coriander

4 tablespoons of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Thick Greek yoghurt to serve 

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degree.

Line two baking dishes with baking paper and add all vegetables to the tray, drizzle with olive oil.

Cook vegetables in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft and starting to get some nice colour.

Add vegetables to a large saucepan and add beans, spices and stock, heat over a high heat until starting to bubble. Meanwhile, heat a small pan with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat and toast the pepitas. As soon as they start to become fragrant remove them from the heat so they don't burn. Set aside to cool. 

Turning back to the soup, turn of the heat and puree using a bamix blender (you could also put the mix in your blender but you will just have to do this in batches). 

Divide soup between bowls and top with a big dollop of thick Greek yoghurt and the pepitas. 

Enjoy as a family with some crusty sourdough bread.

Make sure you sign up for regular email updates and recipes below!

Nutrition (without the bread)

Kilojoules 1650 Protein 17g Carbs 40g Fat 16g Saturated fat 4g Fibre 14g Sodium 680mg

This dish also gluten free for those requiring a gluten free diet. 

Macadamia and herb crusted salmon

Not only does this dish boast healthy fats for cardiovascular health, it is quick to prepare and tastes sensational. The whole family will be impressed. 

Ingredients for salmon

½ cup of macadamia nuts

Rind of 1 lemon (finely grated)

Garlic clove, crushed

½ cup chopped parsley

Small amount of salt to season

4 x 150g salmon fillets with skin on

Lemon wedges to serve

 Methods for salmon

Preheat oven to 220ºC.

Place macadamia nuts, lemon rind, parsley, garlic and salt in a food processor and process until combine.

Place the salmon flesh side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread the paste evenly over the fleshy part of the salmon, press on evenly using your fingers.

Cook salmon for ~15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Nutrition information (per serve): Kilojoules: 2000kJ (476cal) Protein: 44g Carbohydrate: 1g Fat: 32g Saturated fat: 6g Fibre: 2g Sodium: 83mg

FISH & SWEET PoTATO CHIPS WITH ITALIAN SLAW

This is a new family friendly recipe to add to your culinary repertoire.  

When I think about family friendly recipes they obviously need to be appealing to the kids. Kids are impressionable and eat with their senses - meaning, make healthy food appealing to their senses and they will consider loving it for life (well...consider). In order to appeal to their senses meals need to:

• look good - be colourful and have different shapes and textures,
• taste good - add simple dressings and herbs and cook with healthy fats to make vegetables taste good,
• smell good - no one likes the smell of boiling vegetables, and
• feel good in their mouth - incorporating different textures and adding a crunch can help with this versus serving soggy vegetables.

Kids also like to touch their food and eat with their hands - think how much they love a Mexican feast!

Getting them involved in the cooking process will also teach them more about food and nutrition and encourage them to try new foods – this recipe is great for that. Kids are often proud of the meals that they prepare and excited to eat it...Hallelujah they just tried 2 new vegetables and ate dinner with the family without a fuss!

I feel like this recipe ticks all of these boxes and more:

• It contains lots of different vitamins, minerals, fibres and antioxidants through the vegetables.
• The simple homemade dressing makes the vegetables taste good and encourages everyone to eat them (without an abundant of additives and preservatives).
• The salad is crunchy and colourful (and may introduce the kids to some new vegetables).
• The sweet potato ‘chips’ provide a healthier alternative to chips and the kids can pick them up and eat them with their hands.
• The fish adds important healthy fats and protein to the whole diet. It can be flaked and served with the salad and a spread of avocado in a soft taco shell as an alternative.
• This is a balanced meal – some protein, healthy fats, a small serve of quality carbs and lots of veg.
• This is a gluten free meal for those requiring a gluten free diet.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 Pieces of snapper with the skin on (you could also use salmon or any fish you like and are comfortable cooking with)

2 Medium-large sweet potatoes cut into ‘chips’ (leave skin on)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil for the fish + some extra for drizzling on ‘chips’

1 Large carrot, grated

½ Fennel bulb, thinly sliced

¼ Red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 Large kale leaf, thinly sliced

Lemon wedges to serve 

Dressing ingredients

¼ Cup of olive oil

• ½ Teaspoon of dried oregano

• 1/8 Cup of apple cidar vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon of honey

• ½ Tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Methods

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Place sweet potato ‘chips’ on a tray lined with baking paper and drizzle with olive oil, lightly season with salt and place in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, mix dressing ingredients together in a small bowl (one of the kids could do this) and combine the carrot, fennel, cabbage and kale in a larger bowl (one of the kids could do the grating and mixing). Toss the dressing through the salad mix

Season the fish skin with pepper and a little bit of salt – this helps to get it crispy.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a high heat (this heat is fine for olive oil but you could use rice bran oil as an alternative). Place the fish skin side down and gently press on the fish while it starts to cook with the back of a spatula so it starts to cook evening on the bottom. Cook for approximately 5 minutes then turn the fish, turn the heat down to a medium heat and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until the fish has cooked through. This will really depend on the size of the fish.

Serve the fish with lemon wedges, sweet potato chips and Italian slaw and enjoy as a family sitting at the table.

Notes

You may need to increase or decrease ingredients depending on the size of your family and their appetites!

Taste the dressing and adjust ingredients to taste

ENJOY!