Warm Mexican Bean & Rice Salad

With the vibrant colours, interesting textures and obvious nourishing ingredients, this recipe speaks for itself. Please don't be alarmed by the long ingredients list, this dish is so quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients (serves 4)

2/3 cup of uncooked brown, black or wild rice

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large red capsicum, diced

1 large red onion, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

1 teaspoon of paprika

2 teaspoons of cumin

1 large zucchini, diced into small pieced

Kernels from one cob of corn (you can use a small tin for convenience if needed)

1 large (400g can) of black beans or kidney beans

1 fresh chilli, seeds removed and thinly sliced 

1/2 bunch of coriander, leaves picked and stems chopped 

Juice from 2 limes

To top

1 tomato or 1 cup of cherry tomatoes (when in season), diced

1 avocado, mashed

1/4 cup of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 

Cracked pepper to season

Method

Start cooking rice (remember brown rice takes double the amount of time to cook than white rice).

Meanwhile, heat pepitas with a big pinch of cumin over a low-medium heat in a dry pan. When the pepitas start to become fragrant remove them from the heat - they are easy to burn! 

When there is about 5 minutes left for rice to cook, heat olive oil in a frying pan or heavy saucepan over a medium heat.

Add onion and capsicum and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add garlic, zucchini and corn and cook over a high heat for 1-2 minutes, or until zucchini starts to become tender.

Stir through spices, chilli, beans and half of the lime juice and cook for a further minute. 

Remove from heat and stir through coriander and rice.

Serve in bowls, and top with avocado, pepitas, tomato and an extra squeeze of lime juice. 

Serve this dish hot, cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition information per serve Energy 2370kJ (564cal), protein 20g, fat 28g, saturated fat 5g, carbohydrate 50g, sugars 6g, fibre 17g, sodium 21mg

Notes

This dish is great for lunch or dinner and don't forget to save some for leftovers!

Have a smaller serving size and match with some fried egg, grilled chicken tenderloins or a small lean steak. 

Turmeric spiced zucchini salmon patties with a zesty dill yoghurt

Easter is a great time to enjoy the company of friends and family, and celebrate with good food.

Although my family are not particularly religious we have always embraced the tradition of no red meat on Good Friday. Considering my dad is a bit of a fisherman and I was lucky enough to grow up on beautiful Lake Macquarie in NSW, we have always been spoilt with an abundance of fresh fish and seafood. Living in Adelaide, I am equally spoilt for great seafood.

Although fresh is often on the menu, salmon patties using tinned salmon often featured during our Good Friday celebrations. Tinned salmon is a fantastic alternative to fresh fish, providing a convenient and versatile option with the added benefits of oily fish.

Oily fish like salmon, tuna and sardines and other seafood (such as mussels and squid) supply omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats help to lower circulating levels blood fats called triglycerides. They also help to reduce inflammation, which damages blood vessels, increasing a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Recommendations for most of the Australian population are to enjoy two to three 150g servings of oily fish weekly. Some recent studies have also suggested that supplementing these omega-3 fats instead of eating the real thing do not provide us with the benefits as once thought...

Food has a complex nature and you just can’t beat the real thing!

As we approached this Easter break I was thinking about the salmon patties that we used to have barbecuing during our Good Friday celebrations. I thought it would be nice to recreate these old favourites in my kitchen. So here is a modern twist to an old favourite.

This nutrient dense recipe is also gluten free for those who require a gluten free diet. Breadcrumbs can be substituted for the almond meal if desired; however this option will not be gluten free.

Other health benefits of some of the ingredients include:

• Salmon – high in omega-3 fats to reduce inflammation, triglyceride levels and improve your overall cardiovascular health
• Salmon and almond meal – high in protein to help build and repair muscles and tissues and enhance satiety after meals
• Turmeric – may help to reduce inflammation
• Zucchini – is currently in season (Summer and Autumn months) and will be providing you with antioxidants and fibre
• Greek yoghurt and the bones in the salmon – will help to bump up your daily calcium intake, and
• Dill (herb) – may help to relax muscles and fight bacteria.

Ingredients for patties

Large can (415g) of salmon

1 cup of almond meal

1 egg

1 large zucchini, grated – use paper-towel to absorb water from the grated zucchini

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of turmeric

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to season

Olive oil to cook

Method

Put salmon in a bowl and mash until skin and bones have been crushed and mixed through – this will increase the calcium and omega-3 content of the recipe.

Add ¾ cup of almond meal, egg, zucchini, lemon juice, turmeric, garlic, parsley and season with salt and pepper, mix until combined.

Use a 1/2 cup measurement to measure out and make 6 salmon patties.

Dust in remaining almond meal.

Put in fridge for about half an hour to firm if desired.

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over low-medium heat.

Cook each side over low-medium heat for approximately 4 minutes each side.

Zesty dill yoghurt

Ingredients

½ cup of low fat Greek yoghurt

Juice from ½ a lemon

½ cup of finely chopped dill

Pepper to season

Method

1. Mix all ingredients and season with pepper.

2. Use as a dipping sauce or top each pattie with some zesty, dill sauce.

fig, apple & gorgonzola cheese salad

This is a beautiful recipe for fig season (generally around feb-March). Take it to your next BBQ or match with some white fish and/or crusty bread. 

Ingredients 

2-3 cups of baby spinach and rocket

Half an apple, thinly sliced

3 fresh figs, halved

A drizzle of olive oil

A squeeze of fresh lemon

Gorgonzola cheese (amount as preferred – it can be quiet strong for some)

Method 

1. Combine apple, rocket and baby spinach

2. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon

3. Spread the halved figs around the salad (as in the image)

4. Top with small chunks of gorgonzola cheese

Bon Appetit

FROZEN MANGO & STRAWBERRY YOGHURT CUPS

These frozen yoghurt cups are the perfect summer snack - the kids will love them! 

Ingredients

1 large mango (or two small mangos)

300g of Greek, plain or vanilla yoghurt (my favourite is Chobani Greek yoghurt)

1 tablespoon of honey

approximately 4 large strawberries, thinly sliced

you will also need some (preferably reusable) plastic or paper cups and some paddle pop sticks

Method                                                                                          

Blend mango, yoghurt and honey until all ingredients have been blended to an even consistency.

Line the bottom and sides of the cup with the sliced strawberries (approximately one strawberry per cup).

Pour 100g of the mango/yoghurt mixture into each cup.

Place in the freezer until frozen (cover each with a piece of foil).

Tip

You can try any fruit and yoghurt blend! Next week I might try yoghurt, mashed banana and cinnamon.

Enjoy!