Friday night special - asparagus, zucchini and mushroom spaghetti

Last night was such a rainy, stormy night here in Newcastle. We aren't used to these wicked storms that end a humid day, because these are totally non-existent in Adelaide.

Anyway,  last night was stormy, really stormy. We are still living with my parents until our new home in Newcastle is ready (just a few more days), and the whole house hold felt like spaghetti - maybe it was the weather? For Nigel this was a given as this is his 'night before a game' ritual, and he has plenty of bolognese sauce frozen ready to go.  But I  seriously cannot stomach the stuff after almost 11 years. So, we needed an alternative. 

Don't you just love when you do a big shop at the start of the week and you still have some beautiful fresh veggies left at the end? Well, we had some asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms and parsley. I had also been given a whole bag of lemons from the Fruit Brothers (in Hamilton) for our stand at the Oyster Festival last week end (did you catch our pics on Facebook and onInstagram)?

Anyway, back to what I came up with. This vegetarian spaghetti dish was a winner and it took 15 minuets to make! 

This is a totally authentic quick snap (with poor lighting and styling) with my iPhone - no studio photography seen here.

Ingredients (serves 4)

250g dried spaghetti

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for drizzling

7 (100g) button mushrooms, thickly sliced (leave skin on)

1 bunch (120g) asparagus, woody ends removed and chopped into 3cm pieces

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1 large (250g) zucchini, use the vegetable peel to make zucchini strips

1 bunch of parsley, leaves removed and finely chopped 

1 long red chilli, seeds removed and thinly sliced (leave seeds if you like it hot) 

Zest and juice of 1 lemon 

Shaved parmesan and cracked pepper for serving 

Method

Put spaghetti on to boil.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat and cook mushrooms on each side for about 2 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, then set aside. - Intentionally cooking the mushrooms on each side versus stirring them around the pan will help them turn nice and brown/golden and prevent them from becoming watery. This will give a nice taste and texture for the pasta.

Wipe the frying pan out then with approximately 1-2 minutes until the spaghetti is ready heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive over a medium to high heat, add the asparagus and pine nuts and cook for approximately 1 minute.

Drain the spaghetti (reserving some water from the saucepan).

Add the zucchini strips, parsley, chilli and mushrooms to the frying pan and stir, heating through for approximately 30 seconds.

Add the lemon zest and juice, spaghetti and reserved water and stir through for another 30 seconds or until heated through.

Serve in bowls with shaved parmesan, cracked pepper and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

I promise this is the perfect Friday night spaghetti dish - ENJOY!!!

Vegetable Quinoa Fried 'Rice'

Photo by A_Lein/iStock / Getty Images

This nutrient dense quinoa recipe is delicious and a nice change from the traditional fried rice dish.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 tablespoon of rice bran or peanut oil

3 cups of cooked quinoa (1 cup dried yields 3 cups) colour of choice

6 large eggs

2 garlic cloves

1 medium-large red onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 large red capsicum, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 cup of frozen peas

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of salt-reduced soy sauce (choose a soy sauce labelled 'gluten free' if you require a gluten free diet) 

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

1/4 cup of roasted almonds, chopped

Method

Cook quinoa and let cool.

Whisk the eggs together in small bowl and set aside.

Heat (rice bran or peanut) oil in a wok over a medium to high heat.

Sautee onion, garlic and carrot for approximately 2 minutes.

Add zucchini, spring onions and capsicum and cook for approximately 2 minutes, continually stirring.

Add cooked quinoa and frozen peas and stir through vegetables.

Make a well in the middle of the quinoa and pour the egg in well. Scramble the egg.

Once the egg is cooked add the almonds, soy sauce and sesame oil and stir altogether.

Nutrition information per serve Energy 1658kJ (394cal), protein 20g, fat 21g, saturated fat 4g, carbohydrate 28g, sugars 5g, fibre 8g, sodium 469mg

Reblogged from Nov 2013

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.