of5www.stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com Healthy habits Cooks jules clancy [healthy by Julesfast] Clancy www.stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com For My Dad xx one of the least healthy cooks I know

© Jules Clancy 2011 This ebook is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this ebook may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the author.

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§ interactive index - click on the item to be taken to that page introduction

As a food lover, I’ve always found both fascinating and confusing. Even though I studied two basic nutrition subjects at university (and got distinctions in both!) I’ve struggled to understand the conflicting messages we’ve all been given over the years.

So I decided to evolve my own.

For me healthy eating is all about eating ‘more ’ and applying a little ‘moderation’. And the thing is it isn’t as hard as you think. Nor does it need to take a long time.

I’m here to teach you how you can make healthy food that tastes amazing in 15 minutes or less by applying the 5 simple habits of healthy cooks.

Because I believe that the ability to cook simple, healthy, delicious food is a basic skill, like reading, that everyone should and can have.

Enjoy! Jules x recipe index

SNACKS & SWEET TREATS § parmesan kale chips § yoghurt soaked § chocolate brownies § roast chickpeas § porridge § berry mousse § nori crisps § home ‘baked’ chickpeas § peanut butter chocolate fudge § channa marsala § bran muffins SOUPS § red lentil ‘risotto’ § amazing & cake § cuban bean soup § healthy soba noodles with peanut dressing § chocolate chip banana ice § yellow split pea stew SALADS § breakkie salad VEGGIE FRUIT § green goddess salad § irish fried eggs § super fresh ricotta with blueberries § vaguely greek salad § poached eggs with asparagus § berry smoothie § bok choy salad § mel & carlos’ green eggs § proscuitto & white bean salad § turkish eggs § minted pea salad § baked lasagne § japanese salads § beef ‘panzanella’ MEAT, FISH & POULTRY § vietnamese beef salad § healthy ‘hot dog’ § massaman curry VEGETABLES § teriyaki chicken § shredded carrot with hummus § pork satay § fibre-packed greens § skillet shepherd’s pie § tofu steaks with paprika & thyme § proscuitto baked salmon § eggplant ‘steaks’ § almost moussaka § caramelised cauliflower § pork chops with pico de gallo § roast tomatoes

§ interactive index - click on the item to be taken to that page Habit 1 video ThingsPut First First » When I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this was the habit that resonated most with me.

Habit 1. Not only from a personal productivity perspective, in pretty much all areas of life we can benefit from the simple philosophy of understanding what’s Putting first important and making that the priority. Easier said than done. In this class, we’re focusing on healthy eating and cooking and I made this things first the first habit we’d cover for two reasons. 1. To define healthy eating. There can be a lot of conflicting information out there as to what constitutes healthy eating. So it was super important to me that I made it very clear what my philosophy was. To help prioritise and define the direction that the class will take.

I think the most important point is that everyone is different. And what works for me isn’t necessarily going to be ideal for you. I hope you’ll use this class as a chance to develop your own definition of healthy eating based on what works for you

2. To cover off how to minimise waste from fresh produce going bad. If eating more fresh produce, especially vegetables is one of the goals of healthy eating, the main challenge that goes hand in hand with that is eating the veg before they go bad.

At the most basic level, my strategy to minimising waste is to be always looking in my fridge and prioritising what needs to be eaten up first.

The key is actually ‘looking’, rather than trying to do it from memory. I can’t tell you how many times when I actually look that I’ve ‘discovered’ something and saved it from the compost heap. For me, there are two different ‘levels’ when it comes to healthy eating. While both aim to make to make life and food as enjoyable as possible, I think it’s important to make the distinction between whether your goals for The difference healthy eating at the moment are towards weight maintenance OR weight loss.

In the Reclaim Your Waistline class, we focused completely on weight loss. between And if that is your number one goal at the moment, I’d really suggest starting with that class. healthy eating In a nutshell, Reclaiming Your Waistline is all about keeping the carbohydrates in your to a low level. Whereas general healthy eating, or weight maintenance is more relaxed around carbohydrates. We’ll cover and ‘reclaiming your more about the role of carbohydrates in Habit 4. 3 key differences between healthy eating waistline’ and ’reclaiming your waistline’ (RYW): 1. Grains & starches For RYW it’s important to avoid grains and starches to keep carbohydrate intake low. For healthy eating, I’d still recommend avoiding wheat, rice and corn because of their high carb levels.

Wheat in particular, also contains gluten which some people are extremely sensitive to, but causes digestion problems for most people to some extent.

I’m happy to include the occasional serving of wholegrain oats because of their high soluble fibre content. Quinoa which is technically not a and is high in protein compared to grains is something else I’m happy to eat from time to time.

Starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potato are another group I’d recommend avoiding for weight loss but including occasionally for weight maintenance. 2. Fruit While fruit can be a brilliant source of , , antioxidants and The difference fibre, it’s also packed with . Fructose, the main fruit sugar is particularly problematic from a weight loss perspective because it is broken down in our bodies in a different way to between other . Fructose is broken down in the liver and tends to be stored as quite quickly. And it is for this reason that I recommend avoiding fruit if you want healthy eating to lose weight. and ‘reclaiming your From a healthy eating perspective, however, not all fruit is created equal. I’d still leave the sweeter such as mangoes, pineapple, dates and melons for special treats.

waistline’ Bananas, oranges, grapefruit & figs still contain a healthy dose of carbs so I’d keep them to only one or two times a week. [continued] The best choices for fruit include berries especially blueberries, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries. 3. Cheat day In RYW, because the diet is more restricted and weight loss is the goal, one of the ‘rules’ is to have one day a week where you ‘cheat’ or just eat The difference whatever you feel like, regardless of the carb content.

There are 2 reasons for this. First and most importantly are the psychological between benefits. It’s much easier (and more fun!) to think I’ll have a big bowl or pasta or that chocolate cake on Saturday than telling yourself ‘never’. healthy eating Secondly, there are benefits for your as well. If we start eating less, our bodies are designed to adapt to having less fuel to burn. Our metabolism ‘slows down’. By having one day a week where you ‘spike’ your energy intake, you reset your metabolism so your body continues at and ‘reclaiming your a ‘business as usual’ level which makes it much easier to lose the weight you want. waistline’ There is a problem with the ‘cheat day’ concept. I found myself completely overdoing it and feeling ‘icky’ for a few days [continued] afterwards. Not something I enjoyed. So these days I tend to have just 1 or 2 ‘cheat ’ a week where I’ll have pasta and . This more moderate approach works best for me. And I’m finding I get the benefits of cheat day without the icky feelings. When it comes to healthy eating, it isn’t an understatement to say that veggies play a super important role. But choosing, storing and preparing fresh veg can be a little daunting. And it can be quite expensive. So it’s The simplest important to get it right. Pretty much every major class here at The Stonesoup Virtual Cookery system for School includes a module on fresh veg. In previous classes, I’ve gone into great detail about the ideal storage temperatures for each vegetable. I’ve also explained the role of ethylene gas in the ripening and shelf life of fresh produce. But thinking about it now, veg storage I may have been over complicating the message. a simplified system for veg storage.

1. If in doubt keep them in the fridge Most chemical reactions slow down at cooler temperatures. Same with micro-organism growth. So in general cooler = longer shelf life.

There are, of course, exceptions. I store the following at room temperature, in the pantry, preferable in a dark place: § potatoes – in a hessian sack – protects from light § whole avocado (sensitive to chilling injury) once cut, keep in the fridge. § garlic § onions – in a hessian sack – allows them to breathe & protects from light § tomatoes (sensitive to chilling injury) refrigeration changes their texture and dulls their flavour § bananas (sensitive to chilling injury) § anything that is under ripe § lemons – I love having a big bowl of lemons on the dining room table. They’re fine in the fridge too. Interestingly, my brother gave me his big flashy fridge a few months ago, and I’ve noticed my veg are lasting significantly longer in the new fridge than in our tiny old fridge. The simplest 2. Use the veg crisper OR store in plastic bags The refrigeration process removes moisture from the air inside your fridge, system for making it particularly drying. Because veg and fruit tend to have high water contents, they are very sensitive to drying. You know yourself, if you leave a lettuce in the fridge veg storage uncovered, it will wilt pretty quickly. The solution is to make the most of the crisper section of the fridge – and [continued] have it set to the ‘veg’ storage setting. I also tend to keep my veg wrapped in plastic bags as extra protection.

3. Don’t worry about ethylene As I mentioned above, in previous classes I’ve included a list of veg and whether they are sensitive to ethylene or not. And the thing is, in a home environment when you’re storing small amount of a wide range of veg, it doesn’t make that much of a difference.

And to be honest I hardly even think about it.

The only tip I have, is that bananas produce lots of ethylene gas as they ripen. And ethylene can speed up the ripening process in other produce. So if you have something like an avocado that you want to ripen quickly, just pop it in a paper bag with a ripe banana and it will happen in no time. ricotta with berries After many years of thinking about it, this ricotta was my first foray into home cheese making thanks to one of my students, Mark.

The only downside is you’ll have quite a bit of whey left over. Use in smoothies, baking or to ricotta & blueberries feed your pets. super fresh ricotta with blueberries serves 2 1L (4 cups) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 punnet blueberries

1. Bring the milk just to the boil, stirring occasionally and making sure it doesnt boil over.

2. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir and sit for about 2 minutes. Stir some more.

3. Strain into a colander or strainer lined with cloth (I used a clean tea towel).

4. Divide the curds between 2 bowls adding back a little whey if it looks too dry. Top with blueberrries. video » super fresh ricotta with blueberries ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide The ricotta will keep for a few days in the fridge, but you’ll loose the too bland? I like this au natural but you may like to add a little salt if super fresh title. you’re finding it too bland. The other option is to sweeten the cheese leftover potential with a little honey or sugar. Ricotta will keep in the fridge for a few days. You might like to add a too dry - the first time I made the cheese I let it drain too long and it little whey back if it dries out too much. dried out too much. The good news is you can just add back in some variations for fun of the whey to fix any driness. carnivore - skip the blueberries and serve the fresh ricotta with whey cloudy - the whey should have a ckearish yellowy colour. If finely sliced proscuitto, a little basil and some fresh tomatoes. your whey is milk looking it means your acid wasn’t strong enough and you haven’t separated all the protein. Lemons vary in their acidic vegan / dairy-free - skip the home and serve strength so sometimes you’ll need to use more. Just add a few more fresh blueberries with a generous scoop of butter. tablespoons lemon juice to the whey and let more curds form then pass through the cloth and strainer again to collect the extra curds. savoury - to make savoury ricotta season the curds with a little sea salt and scatter over some lemon zest and fresh thyme leaves. curds not forming - this means your lemon juice wasn’t strong Use anywhere you’d use fresh goats cheese. enough. Just add more and wait a few more minutes, making sure you stir well. decadent - add a few tablespoons of cream in with the milk for a richer, creamier cheese. serving suggestions figs & honey - in the Autumn (Fall) if you can get access to some Great as a light breakfast on it’s own. lovely fresh figs, swap them for the blueberries and serve with some shelled pistachios. The ricotta can be used anywhere you’d normally use regular ricotta or fresh goats cheese. berry smoothie This is a great store cupboard breakfast that’s quite decadent. All you need is canned milk and frozen berries. Too easy.

I’ve used a mixture of blueberries and raspberries, but pretty much any combination of frozen berries will work. If you happen to have a stash of fresh berries, just add in a few ice cubes to get the temperature right. berry smoothie serves 2 1 cups 2 large handfuls frozen berries

smoothie 1. Shake coconut milk can and place in a blender or food berry processor with the berries and 1 cup chilled water. 2. Whizz until smooth - a minute or so. Taste and add more berries if needed.

3. Some people might like a little bit of sugar as well. video » berry smoothie ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Smoothies loose their lovely light foaminess if left to sit for more too bland? Add more berries! than about half an hour. You could make in advance then keep in the fridge and whizz again before serving. too creamy -coconut milk varies quite a bit in concentration and fat leftover potential content. Add a little more water if you find it too rich. Will keep in the fridge for a few days. See note above re. rewhizzing too watery - again, blame your coconut milk. Add more berries if before serving. you have them or some more coconut milk.

variations for fun too hot- for me a smoothie has to be icey cold to be lovely. Here dairy-lovers - replace the coconut milk with your favourite we’re relying on the berries and the chilled water to cool down the regular milk. Goats milk would also be lovely. coconut milk. If it’s a really hot day you might like to add in a few ice cubes to help things along. Or keep your coconut milk in the fridge. coconut-free - replace coconut milk with or other milk substitute. Look out to make sure your milk substitute isn’t pre- too tart - ieven frozen berries can vary in their sweetness. Add more sweetened as that can make the smoothie too sweet. berries or a few pinches of sugar to balance out the acid.

decadent - add a few scoops of vanilla . And maybe 'off' flavour- if your berries have been floating around the freezer serve for dessert instead of breakfast. for too long, they will pick up what I call a ‘freezer off flavour’. It’s not going to hurt you but is nowhere near as pleasant as it could be. Next different fruit - feel free to use different fruit. I quite like pear & time use fresher frozen berries. vanilla smoothies - replace the berries with 2 small chopped ripe pears and add in a little vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. serving suggestions Great as a light breakfast on it’s own. OR serve as a healthy dessert. irish fried eggs My Irishman loves his eggs for breakfast in all their forms but when he’s cooking for himself, fried eggs are always the winner.

Avocado is one of his favourite egg accompaniments when he is having a break from bacon or black pudding. Hot milky Irish breakfast tea is the ultimate beverage. irish fried eggs irish fried eggs

serves 1 2 eggs 1/2 an avocado

1. Heat a small fry pan on a medium high heat.

2. Add a few tablespoons oil and break the eggs into the pan.

3. Cook on a medium high heat for about 2 minutes or until the whites are brown on the edges and no longer runny or ‘snotty’ in the middle.

4. Chop avocado into quarters and remove skins.

5. Serve eggs and avocado with lashings of salt and black pepper. video » irish fried eggs ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Fried eggs don’t reheat well. Best to make fresh and eat hot. too bland? remember to be geneous with the salt & pepper. And leftover potential maybe next time look at using better quality eggs. Eggs will keep in the fridge for a week or so. Reheat gently in a pan eggs burning - the trick with cooking eggs ‘sunny side up’ is to get over a medium heat or eat them cold. They won’t be as good as the bottoms lightly browned (but not too dark) and getting the whites when freshly cooked. cooked through. Spooning a little hot cooking oil over the whites can help speed up the process. And make sure you aren’t using too high a variations for fun heat. carnivore - fry a few rashers of bacon in the pan before cooking the eggs in the bacon fat. Avocado becomes optional. eggs rubbery - when egg whites are over cooked the protein goes rubbery. Next tine use a more gentle heat and be ready to stop vegan / egg-free - serve the avocado with a large field cooking as soon as the whites are just ‘set’. mushroom that has been pan fried on a high heat until tender. yolks too runny - if you prefer your yolks cooked all the way ultimate irish - slice some black and/or white pudding and pan through, best to go for eggs ‘pver-easy’ and flip the eggs after about fry in a little butter. Keep warm while you fry the eggs in the same 2 minutes and cook on the second side for about 30 seconds or until pan. Avocado optional. the white is just set.

chilli eggs - sprinkle eggs with a few pinches of dried chilli flakes after you break them into the pan. And give the avocado a sqeeze serving suggestions of lime juice. Don’t forget a big mug of hot strong Irish breakfast tea. We love Barry’s tea. poached eggs & asparagus For the last few months I’ve been going through a massive poached egg phase. I even order them when I’m out for breakfast at my favourite local cafe.

If it isn’t asparagus season where you are, try them with a handful of baby spinach (or better yet baby kale) or other sliced raw veg. poached eggs & asparagus poached eggs with asparagus serves 1 3-4 tablespoons white vinegar 2 fresh eggs 1/2 bunch fresh asparagus

1. Bring a small saucepan of water and the vinegar to the boil on a very high heat.

2. Break an egg into a small cup and slide gently into the boiling water. Repeat with the other egg.

3. Reduce the heat to keep the eggs at a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes or until the eggs feel firm but not hard.

4. Meanwhile slice aspragus finely on the diagonal and place on a plate.

5. Drain eggs with a slotted spoon and pat dry with a clean tea towel. video » poached eggs with asparagus ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could ‘semi’ poach the eggs for two minutes then place in a too bland? Be generous with the seasoning. And make sure you’re bowl of iced water. When you’re ready to reheat poach again for using the best eggs. another 1-2 minutes. eggs messy - the fresher your eggs are, the firmer the whites and leftover potential the better they keep together. The vinegar helps keep the protein tight. Will keep in the fridge for a few days. But really they’re best when If your whites are going everywhere, it means your eggs weren’t fresh freshly poached. The asparagus will also keep for a while but won’t enough. They’ll still taste delicious though. be as nice as when it is freshly cut. vinegary flavour or watery - sometimes the egg white can trap variations for fun quite a bit of water so it’s important to pat the eggs dry with a tea carnivore - serve with crispy bacon or a few slices of finely sliced towel or kitchen paper otherwise you end up with watery vinegar on proscuitto draped over. your plate.

vegan / egg-free - poach a bunch of asparagus per person until rubbery eggs - this is a sign you’ve cooked the eggs at too high just tender (about 5 minutes) and serve with a big spoonful of vegan a temperature. Next time be more vigilant in making sure you’re only mayonnaise. using a gentle simmer once you’ve add the eggs.

different veg - a handful of baby spinach or baby kale fresh from eggs too runny - if your eggs were cold from the fridge, they’ll take the garden is my go-to poached egg accompaniment. But fresh longer than 3 minutes to cook. With practice you’ll be able to tell from veg can be lovely. If it isn’t asparagus season try raw finely sliced touching the egg when they are firm enough. For a firm yolk, you’ll zucchini, white cabbage or even snow peas. need to allow up to 5 minutes of poaching.

decadent - serve with some hollondaise sauce on top or this ‘cheat’s bernaise’ serving suggestions Great as breakfast on it’s own. green eggs Inspired by a wonderful breakfast hosted by my great Melbourne mates, Mel & Carlos. I love it when my friends cook for me and inspire a ‘why didn’t I think of that moment’. mel & carlos’ green eggs green eggs serves 2 5 eggs 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons pesto 2 handfuls baby spinach, washed

1.Heat a small fry pan on a medium high heat.

2. Break eggs into a small bowl and stir to just break up the yolks. Season.

3. Add butter to the hot pan and allow to melt a little. Add eggs and cook for about 30 seconds, turning down the heat if they are cooking too fast.

4. Scoop all the cooked egg into the middle of the pan and allow the runny egg to run to the sides.

5. Stir in pesto and continue to cook for another minute or until the eggs are no longer ‘runny’

6. Quickly serve eggs on a bed of baby spinach. video » mel & carlos’ green eggs ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Not a good idea. too bland? Use a better quality pesto next time but for now be more leftover potential generous with your salt & pepper. Eggs will keep for a few days in the fridge and you can eat them too dry / rubbery - a sign of overcooked eggs. Next time be more cold, but it’s not ideal. careful and remember the eggs will still be cooking from residual heat after you take them out of the pan. So best to remove them before variations for fun they’re completely ‘set’. green eggs & ham - make like the Dr Zeuss book and pan fry some good quality leg ham to serve under your eggs. watery eggs - if there’s lots of excess water that could mean you’ve completely overcooked the eggs so the protein is starting to weep. vegan / dairy-free - try green tofu. Crumble some firm tofu Next time use a cooler temperature and cook for a shorter time. and pan fry until warm and starting to brown in places. Stir in some dairy-free pesto such as a sicilian nut pesto made with a few soft & slimey eggs - it means your eggs are on the undercoked handfuls of instead of the parmsean. side. If it bothers you, pop them back in the pan for a little while. And next time cook for longer. budget - make your own pesto or finely chop 1/2 bunch parsley and use it instead to make your eggs green. too much garlic - if you’re senstitive to garlic, especially at breakfast, be careful of commercial pestos that are strong in garlic. decadent - add a few tablespoons of sour cream in with the eggs You might prefer to make your own pesto without garlic just for this for a richer, creamier scrambled egg experience. dish.

cheesy -serve with extra finely grated parmsean cheese. serving suggestions Great as a breakfast on its own. nut-free -replace pesto with 1/2 bunch finely chopped basil leaves and a little parmesan if you like. turkish eggs More egg inspiration from a recent trip to Melbourne. This time from the fabulous Cumulus Inc. restaurant. Here the eggs are getting some dressing up, Turkish-style with some ground cumin for spice and lovely fresh mint and goats cheese for fragrance. Will easily pass as a dinner with a green salad on the side. turkish eggs

serves 2 1 can tomatoes (400g / 14oz) 2 teaspoons ground coriander 4 eggs small handful fresh goats cheese 2 sprigs mint, leaves picked & finely sliced

1. Heat a medium fry pan on a high heat.

2. Add 4-5 tablespoons good olive oil and tomatoes and their juices and coriander.

3. Simmer, breaking the tomatoes into small chunks for about 5 minutes or until reduced a little. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

4. Make 4 holes in the tomato mixture and crack an egg into each hole. Cover with a lid and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the egg whites are just set. eggs 5. Remove from the heat and crumble over the goats cheese turkish and the mint. Season. video » turkish eggs ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could reduce the tomato sauce ahead of time and keep in the too acidic? Drizzle with some more good quality extra virgin olive oil fridge. Just reheat and add the eggs. before serving to balance out the tomato acid.

leftover potential too dry / rubbery - a sign of overcooked eggs. Next time be more Will keep for a weel or so in the fridge but the mint will wilt and it will careful and remember the eggs will still be cooking from residual heat be diffiult to reheat without over cooking the eggs. after you take them out of the pan. So best to remove them before variations for fun they’re completely ‘set’. spanish eggs - replace the ground corriander with smoked watery - sounds like the sauce wasn’t reduced enough before you paprika and swap the mint for parsley. Feel free to serve with some added the eggs. Not much can be done now as further cooking will jamon to complete the picture. just overcook the eggs. Serve with baby spinach leaves to help soak up the excess sauce. vegan - make turkish veg instead. Skip the eggs and the cheese and add roast red peppers and roasted eggplant (home made or burning on the bottom - either the temperature is too high or from the deli) and just simmer in the sauce until hot. A small handful you reduced the tomatoes too much before adding the eggs. Or you of pinenuts will work instead of the cheese. forgot to put the cover on when you added the eggs.

italian eggs - add a crushed clove of garlic to the oil and cook for eggs not cooking - either increase the temp, or make sure you’re 20 seconds before adding the tomatoes. Skip the ground coriander covering with a lid, or dig a deeper hole around the eggs so they are in . Use basil instead of the mint and grated parmesan instead of the closer contact with the heat source. goats cheese.

dairy-free - replace the goats cheese with a handful of roasted serving suggestions sliced almonds.. Great as a breakfast on its own. Or serve as a simple lunch or dinner with a green salad on the side. budget - skip the cheese or replace with a less expensive soft cheese like ricotta. And if you don’t have fresh mint in the garden, its not worth buying a whole bunch for. breakkie salad When I first met my Irishman, he wouldn’t even entertain the thought that it was possible to have salad for breakfast and enjoy it. And while I wouldn’t say he’s a raving convert, he is happy to eat something like this salad from time to time. breakkie salad breakkie salad

serves 1 4 small tomatoes 1/2 avocado 1/4 lebanese cucumber lemon juice handful of roasted almonds 1. Halve or quarter tomatoes and place in a small bowl.

2. Halve avocado and scoop out the flesh into chunks with a spoon and add to the tomato.

3. Finely slice the cucumber and add to the salad.

4. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and a tablespoon or so of your best olive oil to make an instant dressing.

5. Season generously and top with almonds. video » breakkie salad ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could prep ahead and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to too bland? avocado and tomato love seasoning so be more eat. generous with your salt & pepper. And make sure your using good quality tomatoes. If it’s outside of tomato season, ie it’s not Summer or leftover potential early Autumn use sun dried or semi dried tomatoes instead. Will keep for a few days in the fridge although the avocado will brown and the almonds will go a little soggy, they’ll still be edible. too dry - drizzle over a little more oil. variations for fun carnivore - serve with crispy bacon. serving suggestions

nut-free - the nuts are there for protein and crunch. A little goats In a bowl on it’s own. Or skip the almonds use it as a side salad to cheese or a hard boiled egg would work instead. BBQ meat or fish.

leafy -replace the cucumber with a handful of washed salad leaves.

not tomato season? - replace the fresh tomato with semi-dried or sun dried tomatoes from the deli.

greek salad - replace the almonds with crumbled salty feta and sprinkle over a pinch of dried oregano. yoghurt soaked oats Based on the Swiss bircher muesli, soaking oats makes them edible without having to cook. If soaked oats you’re worried about phytates, soaking in an acid yoghurt medium like yoghurt will help break down phytates - a little buckwheat flour will help the process as well.

I’ve used shelled pistachios and dates here but feel free to play around with different fruit and nut combinations. yoghurt soaked oats serves 2 1 cup rolled oats 2 teaspoons lindeeds ( seeds), optional 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt small handful nuts, to serve , to serve

1.Combine oats, flax seed, if using, yoghurt and 3/4 cup water in a small bowl.

2. Cover & refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

3. Serve topped with chopped dried fruit and nuts.

video » yoghurt soaked oats ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Yes! The oats will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days depending on how too bland? - it can be easy to go crazy with sweetners for oats. So if fresh your yoghurt was to being with. you find it too bland try and limit the amount of extra dried fruit and/or leftover potential honey. A pinch of salt may help. Brilliant. Make a big batch then eat it over a few days. too watery - depending on your oats, you may not need as much variations for fun water. Stir in a few dried oats to help thicken it up. vegan / dairy-free - replace the yoghurt and water with 1 cup apple juice or almond milk. serving suggestions Great as a breakfast on its own. apple - decrease the water to 1/2 cup and add one grated granny smith or other green spple in with the oats.

budget -skip the linseeds, nuts and dried fruit and serve with a banana or grated apple. And don’t worry about organic or fancy oats. Oats don’t require lots of pesticides to grow so conventional oats are likely to be pretty good.

honey & almond - the dates with a drizzle of honey and the pistachios with slmonds.

nut-free - just skip the nuts and use two different types of fruit.

low-phytate - add a few tablespoons of buckwheat flour to help break down the phytates during the soaking phase. quinoa porridge My sister, batgirl is more into skiing than cooking. But every now and then she will surprise me with a great idea. Like this quinoa porridge. I’ve gone for an all-milk affair but feel free to be more moderate like Batgirl and stick to half milk half water. porridge quinoa quinoa porridge

serves 2 1/2 cup (110g) quinoa, well rinsed 1 1/2 cups milk 1 cinnamon stick yoghurt, to serve sunflower seeds, to serve 1. Place quinoa, cinnamon and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.

2. Simmer on a low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring every now and then and making sure the mixture doesn’t boil over.

3. If the mixture dries out add more milk or a little water.

4, When the quinoa is tender but still a little chewy, remove from the heat and serve topped with yoghurt and sunflower seeds. video » quinoa porridge ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely, just reheat with a little milk. If you like to keep your too bland? Prrodge isn’t exactly meant to be a flavour explosion options open, you could boil quinoa in water like pasta for about 15 but if you find it too bland, a little dried fruit or honey may help the minutes and drain when tender then keep in the fridge and reheat situation. with plenty of milk. OR use it for savoury things like salads. too crunchy - a sign of undercooked quinoa. Add back to the pan leftover potential with some water or milk and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Great! Will keep in the fridge for at least a week. burnt / boiling over - one of the downsides to making porridge variations for fun with lots of milk is that is has a tendency to boil over or stick on vegan / dairy-free - use , almond milk or coconut milk the bottom and burn. A regular stir and keeping an eye on the or a combination of any of these instead of the cows milk. temperature will keep it all under control.

savoury - as I mentioned in the prepare ahead section, you could cook up a batch of quinoa just boiling it in water like pasta. Then serving suggestions either using it for porridge or dressing with your favourite savoury Great as a breakfast on its own. dressing for a lovely salad.

budget - use rolled oats or brown rice instead of the quinoa.

black quinoa -I used a micture of white and red quinoa in the photo but you could also use black quinoa for a really dramatic breakfast.

seed-free -skip the sunflower seeds or replace with chopped dried fruit. home 'baked’ chickpeas If I was going to play favourites, chickpeas would definitely win a place as my favourite . And I think they’re underrated as a breakfast food which is why I came up with this new take on good old baked beans. home ‘baked’ chickpeas

serves 2 1 can chickpeas (400g / 14oz), including juice 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 generous knobs butter 2 handfuls baby spinach

1. PLace chickpeas and the juice from the can in a medium saucepan on a high heat.

2. Add tomato paste, cumin and butter and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened up a little.

3. Season and serve chickpeas on a bed of baby spinach. video » home baked chickpeas ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely. Just refrigerate and reheat. too bland? Add in a little more tomato paste and cumin.

leftover potential too salty - the canned chickpeas and tomato paste are both Will keep for a week or so. Although best to keep the spinach providing quite a bit of salt. If it’s too intense, dilute with a little more separate to make the chickpeas easier to reheat. (unsalted) butter OR a few glugs of olive oil.

variations for fun watery - the sauce isn’t meant to be overly thick. But if you’re not carnivore - brown 1-2 sliced chorizo in the pan before adding the happy, keep simmering uncovered until you are. chickpeas and continuing as above. no ground cumin? - just skip it. Or try some ground coriander or vegan / dairy-free - replace the butter with a few generous smoked paprika for a different vibe. drizzles of good olive oil. too sharp - sounds like too much tomato paste and not enough hot! - add in a few ginely chopped red chillies OR some dried chilli butter. powder 1/2 - 1 teaspoon should do it.

beans - replace chickpeas with canned beans. serving suggestions budget - soak and cook dried chickpeas from scratch. Then use Great as a breakfast or a light lunch. about 1/2 cup cooking liquid and 1 1/2 cups chickpeas. video Habit 2 » theBegin End with in Mind » Having an idea or a visualisation of where we want to get to can make a big different in most aspects of life. Whether it’s building a house, planning a career or just getting dinner on the table. Begin with Knowing what we want is half the battle. Which is why I love Habit 2. Begin with the End in Mind. the end in mind shopping with the end in mind I’ve covered different techniques for weekly menu planning and shopping in previous classes. If you’re interested in learning more about this I’d highly approach to recommend exploring the links below.

I mentioned in the video this week, I’m working on a super simple system shopping for weekly menu planning based on how I currently shop. When I’m not cooking for my blog or cooking school, I rarely shop with a list. Except to remind me of which pantry items and essentials (loo paper, washing powder etc) I need.

For the rest I like to be guided by what looks good on the day. I take a little time to visualise how many dinners I need to shop for and then buy some meat and veg that should cover what we need.

It’s pretty flexible and only takes a minute or two of thought.

Some weeks we end up with too much and others I need to do a little top up because I’ve underestimated. But pretty much that’s all there is to it.

I’m still figuring out how to incorporate recipes into this planning method and translate this ‘system’ into something that anyone can use. Hoping to run a class on this around mid next year so watch this space. cooking with the end in mind

Before I start to make anything, I always take a few seconds to visualise Begin with the dish in my head before I even start chopping. I find it super useful because that ‘vision’ then guides my decision making the end in mind when it comes to what to include in the dish, how to serve it, which sides to include, the best presentation techniques. And basically how to get there as quickly and simply as possible.

approach to For you, this may be having a look at the photo that accompanies the recipe you’re about to follow. cooking More advanced cooks who are going to be tweaking the recipe or even coming up with something completely new, will also benefit from creating a little mental ‘picture’ of their creation before they begin. Having a well stocked pantry can be half the battle for being a healthy cook.

Knowing that you have the makings for a healthy at your disposal can The simplest take the stress out of planning and save you from the takeout trap’. I’ve covered quite a bit of detail on pantry management and cooking in system for other classes and have included the links below. But I wanted to break down my pantry management system into it’s pantry management simplest form to make it as easy as possible for you.. Pantry management in 3 easy steps:

1. Organise Have a cleanout of your pantry every 6 months or so and get rid of anything that’s out of date or looks a little ‘past it’. Then group your pantry into ‘like items’. So I have my oils together, then the vinegars and sauces on another shelf, spices in my spice box, canned goods together, baking items together, sweet treats together.. you get the drift.

This makes it easy to find things but more importantly I can tell at a glance if we’re getting low on a particular type of item.

2. Stock up Choose a time frame that works for you. It could be once a month, or every few months and have a little pantry audit. Then schedule a shopping trip to stock up on items you’re low on. At a bare minimum, I always have at least one of each of the following items The simplest § salt § pepper § olive oil or other oil system for § vinegar (sherry or rice wine) § soy sauce § canned tomatoes § canned legumes (chickpeas / lentils / or beans) pantry management § canned fish (usually tuna in oil) § dried legumes (usually french style green lentils) § frozen veg (usually peas or spinach) [continued] § parmesan cheese 3. Top up Then every time you’re planning a shopping trip, just take a couple of seconds to see if you’ve run out of anything or if you’re getting low and add these to your list.

Too easy. 1. Order. Develop some sort of order to your pantry that works for you. I find keeping 7 Pantry like ingredients together helps. 2. Rotate. When you put your shopping away, remember to rotate. Add newly Management Tips purchased items to the back of the stack or row and use front items first. 3. Seal. Get a system for sealing open packets – either glass canisters or pegs or rubber bands – open packets are an invitation to insects and moths.

4. Schedule a pantry stockup. Think about your shopping habits. Decide on the best frequency for you to have a dedicated ‘pantry’ shop – it could only be once a month where you write a list and do a big stockup. Or it might be something you do once a week.

5. Create a template. Take notice of what you like to have on hand and create a ‘pantry shopping list template’. This can be either mental or written.

6. List it. Decide whether it would be helpful to have a list that you create ‘as you go’ near the pantry or on the fridge. (I don’t but my Mum used to live by her list)

7. Spring clean. Every 6 months or so, have a pantry ‘spring clean’. Take everything off the shelves and wipe each shelf and container down. This is a great time to discard any out of date items that can’t be used or get rid of items that you aren’t ever going to cook with in the foreseeable future. healthy hot dog When I asked for requests for recipes to include in this class, I used ‘healthy hot dog’ as an example. So of course, I had a couple of people take me up on the challenge. And here it is!

ALthough the picture only has one ‘dog’ on the plate, I think most people would need 2 given that they aren’t super filling. healthy hot dog healthy hot dog

serves 2 4 thick pork 1 can tomatoes (400g / 14oz) 2 generous knobs butter 1 baby cos (little gem) lettuce

1. Place a medium frying pan on a high heat and add a little oil. Add the sausages and when they start to sizzle, turn the heat down to medium low.

2. Cook sausages, turning every few minutes for about 20 minutes or until well browned and cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, place tomatoes and their juices in a small saucepan along with the butter. Cook on a high heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until thickened into a sauce.

4. Serve sausages wrapped in leaves with sauce on top. video » healthy hot dog ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could poach the sausages for 20 minutes in gently simmering too bland? Give the sauce a little more seasoning. And next time water then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve and reheat in a pan look at using sausages or ‘dogs’ from a different supplier. on a medium high heat. The sauce can be made ahead of time too. too salty - your butter and tomatoes both provide quite a bit of salt. leftover potential If it’s too intense, dilute with some unsalted butter OR a few glugs of The sausages and sauce will keep for a week or so in the fridge but olive oil. the lettuce won’t last that long. short on time - for a super fast version use a commercial ketchup variations for fun or tomato sauce instead of making your own and cook the sausages hard-core dog - feel free to use regular ‘dogs’ instead of the on a high heat, turning them often. sausages. Best to heat them in gently simmering water for about 15 minutes or until hot. sauce too sharp - sounds like not enough butter. A pinch of sugar or two may help the situation as well. dairy-free - replace the butter in the sauce with a few generous drizzles of good olive oil. serving suggestions vegetarian - if you like ‘veggie’ give them a go. For me this is best with cold, crips lettuce and hot sausages slathered in sauce, but you could serve it all cold as well. vegan - try a hot eggplant dog. Cut an medium eggplant into quarters lengthwise and cook on a medium heat, being more generous with the oil and covering the pan with a lid. And replace the butter in the sauce with olive oil - be generous.

hot! - add in a few ginely chopped red chillies OR some dried chilli powder 1/2 - 1 teaspoon should do it to the sauce.

can't be bothered making sauce? - replace it with your favourite ketchup instead.

mustard - if you like mustard with your dog... feel free to use it. green goddess salad This salad was a bit of an accidental discovery. I had some snow peas (mange tout) in the fridge that needed using up so I just finely sliced them and popped them in a green salad. I just love the crunch and freshness the snowpeas add. To make it more of a substantial lunch I’ve added in some green goddess salad avocado and shelled pistachios. green goddess salad

serves 2 2 tablespoons rice wine or sherry vinegar 2 handfuls snow peas (mange tout) 1 avocado 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley small handful shelled pistachios

1. Combine vinegar with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl. Season.

2. Trim and string snowpeas. Then finely slice them into julienne strips (think long and skinny).

3. Toss snowpeas in the dressing.

4. Halve avocado and scoop flesh into the salad.

5. Roughly chop parsley toss in. 6. Scatter over pistachios. video » green goddess salad ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide This is one of the few salads that is OK after a night in the fridge. too bland? Give the sauce a little more seasoning. And a splash Although the avocado may start to brown. Leave the pistachios until more vinegar or lemon juice. the last minute so they keep their crunch. too oily / too much dressing - Just transfer the salad to a clean leftover potential bowl, leaving behind as much of the dressing as possible, then toss in Will keep for a week or so in the fridge but is better the fresher it is. the new bowl to rub some of the dressing off onto the sides. If things variations for fun are really bad a bit of judicious paper towel blotting will help. carnivore - skip the avocado and serve as a side dish to roast short on time - skip the snowpea chopping. chicken. Or shred some cooked chicken breast and toss into the salad with or without avocado. dressing too sharp - sharpness will vary with your vinegar, so don’t be afraid to balance it out with a little more olive oil. nut-free - replace the pistachios with a few tablespoons of finely diced raw red onion. serving suggestions Great as a super fresh lunch on its own. WIll even survive in a can't find rice wine or sherry vinegar? - No problem. Lemon lunchbox, provided you can keep in in a fridge. juice would be just as good, if not better. Add in the lemon zest as well, if you like.

different peas - replace the snowpeas with sugar snap peas or raw shelled fresh peas or a mixture of all of the above. If you have some pea shoots, you could use them instead of as well as the parsley. greek salad I’ve eaten some pretty ordinary Greek salads in my time and wanted to freshen up this classic dish. By including ribbons of cucumber and serving the feta as a generous chunk in the middle we’re adding a new element.

Sardines are something I adore, but I understand they’re not for everyone. Traditionalists might prefer to replace the sardines with black olives. vaguely greek salad

serves 2 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 punnet cherry tomatoes (250g / 1/2lb) 1 lebanese cucumber 1 can sardines (100g/3.5oz), optional hunk feta (150g / 7oz) 1. Combine lemon juice with 2 tablespoons exra virgin olive salad oil in a small bowl. Don’t worry about salt... the feta will do greek that job. 2. Chop tomatoes into halves or thirds and arrange on a platter or 2 plates. Shave cucumber with a vegetable peeler and scatter ribbons over. Discard the cucumber seeds.

3. Drain sardines, if using, and scatter over the platter or plates.

4. Drizzle over the dressing and top with the hunk of feta. video » vaguely greek salad ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could prep the tomatoes and cucumber ahead of time if you too bland? Season with a little more salt & pepper. Next time look for had to but it’s not ideal. ripes tomatoes & try a different brand of sardines.

leftover potential too salty - some feta can be extremely salty. If yours is, soaking for a Will keep for a few days in the fridge but the tomato will chnge few minutes in cold water then drying can make a difference. texture and lose flavour. short on time - just chop the cucumber instead of messing around variations for fun with the vegetable peeler. And leave the tomatoes whole. carnivore - skip the sardines and serve as a side salad to a slow roast shoulder or lamb. don't like sardines? - I did a ‘sardine’ tasting with my Dad and there was a massive difference in size and flavour between different dairy-free - replace the feta with a couple of roast or grilled field brands. We found the ones from the mediterranean to be more mushrooms. strongly flavoured whereas the Scandanavian sardines tended to be smaller and milder. So it’s worthwhile trying a few different brands. vegetarian - replace the sardines with a handful of black olives, preferable greek kalamatas. serving suggestions vegan - Replace feta with mushrooms and sardines with olives. Great as a salad on it’s own. I like to serve in the middle so we can just pick from the platter. more greek - sprinkle over a little greek dried oregano. Also a wonderful side salad without the sardines and maybe with the budget - use a cheaper cheese instead of feta. And it will be fine olives. Serve with fish, chicken or lamb. to reduce the amount of cheese, even halve it.

fresh sardines - grill or pan fry about 10 small fresh sardine fillets and use them instead of the canned variety. bok choy salad The whole idea for serving bok choy raw in a salad came about, as most of my best ideas do. I had some bok choy that needed eating up and I felt bok choy salad like salad. To easy. I just love the texture of raw bok choy. It’s super fresh and crunchy without being too watery. . bok choy salad

serves 2 1 tablespoon rice wine or sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 bunch bok choy, well washed 1 can tuna in oil (185g / 6oz), drained

1. Combine vinegar and mustard with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season.

2. Dry bok choy on paper towel and slice super fine, crosswise. Toss in the dressing

3. Flake tuna over the salad and serve. video » bok choy salad ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide The bok choy will wilt but not as quickly as lettuce so this could be too bland? Give the dressing a little more seasoning. And don’t be made hours ahead and kept in the fridge. afraid to go for more mustard.

leftover potential short on time - just roughly chop the bok choy instead. Will keep for a week or so in the fridge. The texture will change but it will still be edible. can't find sherry or rice wine vinegar - lemon juice is a great variations for fun substitute or any white wine or champagne vinegar. carnivore - replace the tuna with shredded cooked chicken breast gritty salad - bok choy likes to harbour bits of dirt in between the or a BBQ chicken. leaves so be extra careful to thoroughly was the leaves.

vegan / vegetarian - avocado would be my first veggie choice in this salad. Or try replaceing the tuna with grilled eggplant. serving suggestions Great as a simple lunch salad. You could also skip the tuna and serve more substantial - hungry people might like to use two cans of as a fresh crunchy side salad as a change from a boring old green tuna instead of just one. salad.

different greens - try other asian greens such as pack choy or chinese broccoli. Or go for kale or baby spinach as your greens instead.

chilli - I like to use tuna canned in chilli oil and toss the chillies into the salad for a hot surprise. carrot salad with hummus The humble carrot can be so much more exciting when grated and turned into a salad. Just add a handful of almonds for some crunch and serve on a bed of hummus for a delicious portable lunch. carrot salad with hummus

serves 2 2 medium carrots, grated 1 teaspoon carraway or cumin seeds 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup hummus, to serve handful roasted almonds

1. Combine grated carrot, seeds, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. Taste & season.

2. Spread hummus over the base of 2 plates and top with carrots and almonds. carrot salad with hummus video » carrot salad with hummus ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Yes! Although best to leave the almonds to the last minute so they too bland? Be more generous with the salt and try a splash more keep their crunch. lemon juice. If you’ve used a commercial hummus, try another brand leftover potential or make your own. Will keep for over a week in the fridge. too dry - if your carrots are on the large side, or your grater is quite fine, you’ll have more surface area that needs covering so add in a variations for fun little more olive oil and lemon juice. carnivore - serve as a side dish to some lamb or beef kebabs or brown some minced (ground) beef in a little olive oil - about 250g short on time - grate the carrots using your food processor. (1/2 lb) and sprinkle this over the salad instead of the almonds.

nut-free - serve with two hard boiled eggs chopped into quarters serving suggestions instead of the almonds. Wonderful as a simple vegetarian lunch or serve as a side dish as part of a middle eastern mezze spread. home made hummus - Whizz a drained can of chickpeas with 3 tablespoons each of canning liquid, lemon juice, tahini and 1-2 cloves garlic. When you have a smooth paste season.

sesame-free - make your own chickpea puree as per the recipe above but replacing the tahini with extra virgin olive oil. japanese salads My friend Cait put me on to these sesame salad dressings from Japan. They’re completely delicious but loaded full of sugar and quite expensive. So I wanted to create a similar tasting dressing made with simple ingredients.

In my first attempts I used soy sauce to season but I’ve since found I prefer the cleaner flavours of seasoning simply with salt. japanese salads

serves 1 1 tablespoon rice or sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon tahini 1 teaspoon sugar 2 handfuls chopped raw veg 1 handful baby spinach leaves

1. Combine vinegar and tahini in a small bowl. Mixing until smooth, which will take longer than you’d think.

2. Add sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Mix again until smooth. Taste and season generously with salt.

3. Place veg and spinach leaves on a plate and drizzle over japanese salads the dressing. Serve with chopsticks to complete the vibe. video » japanese salads ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Prep the veg and make the dressing ahead. Keep veg in the fridge too dry? Depending on your veg you may like to mix up another and dressing at room temp then just combine the two before batch of dressing to enjoy if you’re finding it too dry.. serving. bland - it’s important to season this one generously. A little soy sauce leftover potential may help. The commercial Japanese dressings are quite sweet, so The dressing will keep for a few weeks but the veg will depend on add more sugar if you think it needs a boost. how fresh they were and the type of veg. can't find tahini? -most health food shops (and the health food variations for fun section of supermarkets) will have it, But if not, try a nut butter like carnivore - brown a small piece of eye fillet of beef so still very almond butter, or even PB. rare in the middle. Finely slice and serve on top of the salad. no rice wine vinegar? - sherry vinegar would be the next best bet sesame-free - make a miso dressing instead - replace tahini with followed by white wine vinegar or lemon juice. white miso paste.

different veg - I just used some carrot and red capsicum (pepper) but pretty much any veg you like that tastes great crunchy and raw serving suggestions will work. In a big bowl with your chopsticks.

sashimi salad - upgrade this little salad with a few slices of ultra- fresh sashimi grade tuna or other sashimi fish. cuban bean soup This was a specific request for the class, but I’m afraid I didn’t capture the name of the requestee. Feel free to be more authentic and use black beans instead of the white beans I’ve used here.

In Cuba, the soup would be made with rice as well, but I’ve kept it simple (and lower carb) by just focusing on the beans. cuban bean soup cuban bean soup serves 3 1 red onion, diced 1 red capsicum (pepper), diced 2 cans beans (400g / 14oz, each) 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons lime juice + zest large handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves 1. Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and pepper and cook, covered on a medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until soft but not browned.

2. Add the beans and the liquid from the cans as well as 1/2 cup water and the tomato paste and zest of 1 lime. Simmer for a few minutes.

3. When hot, taste and season with the lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve topped with coriander leaves. video » cuban bean soup ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely. Just leave the coriander for the last minute. too bland? Give the soup a little more seasoning with salt, pepper leftover potential AND lime juice. Great! Will keep in the fridge for a few weeks or so. short on time - for a super fast version, skip the onion and replace the bean canning liquid and water with 2 cups vegetable or chicken variations for fun stock. Bung the drained beans, stock and pepper in the pot and bring carnivore - stir in some shredded cooked chicken at the end, or to a simmer. Season with the lime juice and salt. add some finely sliced chicken after the beans and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. limes too expensive? - replace with lemon juice instead.

tomato-free - skip the tomato paste and replace the bean serving suggestions canning liquid and the 1/2 cup water with 2 cups vegetable or In deep soup bowls. chicken stock.

hot! - add in a few ginely chopped red chillies OR some dried chilli powder 1/2 - 1 teaspoon should do it to the sauce.

prefer to use home cooked beans - soak and simmer in lots of boiling water until tender. Can take from 40 minutes to a few hours depending on your beans. Then use 2 cuos cooking liquid and 450g (1lb) drained beans instead of the canned beans above. proscuitto & white bean salad When I spent a month living in the beautiful city of Barcelona, I got to eat plenty of jamon - the Spanish equivalent of jamon every day. And I didn’t get sick of it. So when I was thinking about lunches, I just had to include a recipe with some cured pork. proscuitto & white bean salad serves 2 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1 can white beans (400g / 14oz), drained 2 large handfuls baby spinach 100g (3.5oz) finely sliced proscuitto

1. Combine mustard, vinegar and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl. Season, remembering the proscuitto will be quite salty.

2. Toss beans and spinach in the dressing and transfer the salad to a platter or 2 plates.

3. Teas proscuitto and scatter over the salad. proscuitto & white bean video » proscuitto & white bean salad ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Best when freshly made. too bland? Add an extra splash of mustard.

leftover potential too dry - drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil. Will keep in the fridge for a week or so but the spinach will wilt and not look as pretty. Still edible though. serving suggestions variations for fun Great on its own. vegetarian - replace the proscuitto with your favourite cheese. A nice creamy blue would be lovely or some shaved parmesan.

vegan - Replace the proscuitto with a few handfuls of roasted nuts such as pecans or walnuts OR try it with some roasted baby beets.

bean-free - replace the beans with a punnet of halved cherry tomatoes.

budget - use sliced ham instead of the proscuitto. minted pea salad It’s hard to beat frozen peas as a convenient, delicious and not to mention, inexpensive vegetable.

I just love how they sit waiting patiently in the freezer until there’s a need for some greens in a hurry. minted pea salad

serves 2 250g (1/2 lb) frozen peas 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 sprigs mint, leaves picked large handful grated parmesan cheese large handful roasted almonds, chopped

1. Place peas in a strainer and run hot water from the tap over them for a minute or so, to just defrost them.

2. Pat peas dry with paper towel.

3. Combine lemon juice and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl. Season.

4. Toss in peas, mint and parmesan. video » minted pea salad ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide The peas will sit happily in the dressing for a few hours. But best to watery - It’s important to dry the peas after rinsing them. add the mint at the last minute so it doesn’t wilt. If you’re making it for a lunch box just pack the salad and sprinkle the mint leaves on peas crunchy - sounds like they’re still a little frozen. Let them sit for top and they’ll be fine. a few minutes to warm up. leftover potential Will keep for a week or so in the fridge. serving suggestions Great as a packed lunch. Or skip the almonds and serve as a classic variations for fun side salad to a roast chicken or bangers and mash. carnivore - replace the almonds with finely sliced salami.

dairy-free / vegan - replace the parmesan with a tablespoon of mustard in the dressing and double the mint.

more substantial - toss in a drained can of lentils and increase the salad dressing.

parsley - replace the mint with 1/2 bunch chopped flat leaf parsley or add it in along with the mint.

warm salad - heat the peas up in a small saucepan on a high heat for a few minutes then proceed as per the recipe. video Habit 3 » VegetablesLove Your » In Habit 1, we looked at the simplest system for veg storage. Which basically has 3 parts to it: 1. If in doubt keep them in the fridge 2. Use the veg crisper OR store in plastic bags A hierarchy of 3. Don’t worry about ethylene And while this is a great system to follow once you’ve got your veg home, vegetable it doesn’t help when it comes to choosing and shopping for vegetables. The thing is not all veg are created equal when it comes to how long they life expectancy generally last. Just like people. Some veg fall in the ‘live fast, die young’ category, others will have the average life expectancy, and others are more happy hanging out with the octogenarian crowd.

So when you’re shopping for veg, the type of veg you choose can make a massive difference to how often you’ll have fatalities in the fridge and have to throw out the james dean vegetables These are the veg that I try to eat up as soon as I can. I put them on the priority eating list, if you will. Some will be OK only for a few days, others are fine for 4-5 days.

§ coriander (cilantro) § basil § mint § lettuce § loose salad leaves § avocado § tomatoes § spinach § chard (silverbeet) § kale § collard greens § corn (more for loss of flavour) § peas (more for loss of flavour) § asparagus § broad beans (loss of flavour) § mushrooms average life expectancy veg These veg will hang around in the fridge for at least a week without any apparent ill effects. Sometimes you’ll even get more than 2 weeks out of them. A hierarchy of § flat leaf parsley § woody herbs – rosemary, thyme, oregano § broccoli vegetable § cauliflower § snow peas § sugar snap peas § fresh beans life expectancy § bok choy § other asian greens § capsicum (peppers) § eggplant (aubergine) § zucchini § summer squash § chillies § brussels sprouts the long livers I’ve often kept the veg in this group for longer than a month, sometimes months. Of course if stored incorrectly, they are still perishable so make sure you show them a little care and you’ll be well rewarded. § cabbage § celery § carrots § beets (although the leaves will wilt) § potatoes § sweet potato § onion § green onions (scallions) § garlic § pumpkin (winter squash) § swedes & rutabagas further notes on veg shelf life expectancies A hierarchy of One of the biggest determining factors in how long your veg will keep is how old they are when you took them home. If you find yourself prematurely throwing out ‘veg gone bad’ even when you’ve been organised and stored vegetable them correctly, it might be time to change vegetable suppliers. Sometimes it’s worth paying a little more for super fresh veg from the markets if it means they’ll last longer. life expectancy I’ve also noticed that since I got a new fridge a few months ago, my veg have been lasting far longer than I previously would have expected. My philosophy is, as long as you’re eating a wide range of veggies, you’ll be getting all the things you body needs and minimising harmful components. Nutrient density But when I was in the US earlier in the year, I came across an interesting concept at Whole Markets. of vegetables It’s called ANDI, or Aggregate Nutrient Density Index. Basically someone has come up with a way of ranking veg based on the amount of nutrients they contain v’s the amount of calories or energy. The theory is, the higher the score, the more nutrients dense the food, and therefore better for you.

One one hand, I’m not a big fan of ‘ranking systems’ but I did find it interesting so wanted to share it here.

If you’d listened to my nutrition professor at university, you’d be able to predict the outcome. The top spots overall (highest numbers) are dominated by ‘green leafy veg’. Who would have guessed? the ANDI top 10 green leafy veg 1. Mustard/Turnip/Collard Greens (1000) 2. Kale (1000) 3. Watercress (1000) 4. Bok Choy/Baby Bok Choy (824) 5. Spinach (739) 6. Broccoli Rabe (715) 7. Chinese/Napa Cabbage (704) 8. Brussels Sprouts (672) 9. Swiss Chard (silverbeet) (670) 10. Arugula (rocket) (559) the ANDI top 10 non green veg Nutrient density 1. Radish (554) 2. Bean Sprouts (444) 3. Red Pepper (366) of vegetables 4. Radicchio (359) 5. Turnip (337) 6. Carrot (336) 7. Cauliflower (295) [continued] 8. Artichoke (244) 9. Tomato (190) 10. Butternut Squash (156)

Source: Whole Foods. (number in brackets) = ANDI score channa marsala Inspired by the lovely Molly Wizenberg over at Orangette

I don’t think I will ever get tired of eating chickpeas. Especially when I think of dishes like this Indian-inspired bundle of goodness. If you can’t find garam marsala, substitute in your favourite curry powder or keep it simple with a mixture of ground cumin and coriander. channa marsala channa marsala

serves 2 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon garam marsala 1 can tomatoes (400g / 14oz) 1 can chickpeas (400g / 14oz), drained natural yoghurt, to serve

1. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large fry pan or skillet. Add onion and cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes or until the onion is very soft and well browned.

2. Add spices and stir for 30 seconds before adding the tomatoes and their juices. Break up tomato a little.

3. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes or until it has thickened and reduced a little.

4. Add chickpeas and heat for another minute or so. Taste & season. 5. Serve with yoghurt. video » channa marsala ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely. A great dish for making in large quantities and reheating watery -Keep reducing the tomato until you have a consistency you as needed. Keep the yoghurt separately. like.

leftover potential bland - add a little more garam marsala and be generous with the Will keep for more than a week in the fridge. And will freeze fine. seasoning.

variations for fun short on time - skip the onion and add a large knob of butter with carnivore - after the onion has browned add some ground beef the tomatoes to make up for lack of onion sweetness. and brown before adding the spices and continuing.

dairy-free / vegan - serve with fresh limes and a bunch of torn serving suggestions coriander (cilantro). Like this best served on a bed of veg such as baby spinach leaves or steamed broccoli. onion-free - skip the onion and add a large knob of butter with the tomatoes to make up for lack of onion sweetness. You could serve as part of an Indian banquet with other curries.

more veg - serve on a bed of cauliflower rice (finely grated raw cauliflower) or baby spinach leaves, or cooked broccoli or all three.

home cooked chickpeas - replace the canned chickpeas with 240g (1/2lb) home cooked, drained chickpeas.

different spices - replace the garam marsala with your favourite curry powder or a combination of equal parts ground cumin and coriander. red lentil ’risotto’ One of the requests for this class was for healthy ‘comfort’ food. For me it doesn’t get more comforting than a good risotto. Which gave me an idea to experiment with non-rice based risotto- style dishes.

I couldn’t be happier with how this red lentil ‘risotto’ turned out. All the oozy goodness with lots more protein and fibre than your boring old rice risotto. red lentil risotto serves 2-3 3 knobs butter 1 onion, diced 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock 200g (7oz) red lentils 2 handfuls grated parmesan + extra to serve

1. Heat half the butter butter in a medium saucepan and add onion. Cover and cook on a medium low heat, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes or until onion is soft.

2. Meanwhile place stock in another pan and bring to a simmer.

3. When the onion is soft, add the unwashed lentils and increase the heat to medium high. Stir for a minute.

4. Add 2 ladels of stock. Stir well then simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the stock is absorbed.

5. Repeat until the lentils are tender and oozy. If you run out of stock, red lentil ’risotto’ use water. 6. Add remaining butter and cheese and stir until combined. Taste and season. video Serve with extra parmesan shaved over. » red lentil risotto ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Like rice risotto this is best when freshly made. You could par cook watery - you’ve gone too far! Next time stop adding stock and the risotto, adding about half the stock then refrigerate until you’re cooking when the lentils are no longer crunchy but still have a bit of ready. Resheat and keep adding stock, you’ll probably need more texute - like al dente pasta. than you think. too salty - with all the stock, cheese and butter it can be easy to leftover potential have a salt overdose. I’ve used salt-reduced stock and butter and then Will keep for a week or so in the fridge but the texture is best when added salt at the end to taste. fresh. You could use it to make ‘risotto cakes’ bland - if you’re using supermarket stock, jazz things up a bit by variations for fun adding an onion and some roughly chopped carrots and celery to the carnivore - crumble some pork sausages and brown in the pan stock and let it simmer away for a few minutes - or 1/2 hour if you with the onions. A splash of red wine might be nice. have the time.

dairy-free / vegan - tp be honest I can’t imagine risotto without short on time - skip the onion and add a little more cheese to make the butter and cheese. But if you’re willing to give it a go use olive up for it. oil to fry the onion and finish with a tablespoon of tomato paste and more olive oil. serving suggestions budget - the stock really makes this dish. If you must use a cheap Serve however you’d normally serve risotto. I think a green salad or bullion cube, follow the tips for ‘bland’ in the troubleshooting guide something light is essential to balance all that heavy richness. And go to boost the flavour. for small portions.

use your imagination - pretty much any rice risotto can be adapted to the lentils. Just remember the lentils don’t need quite as much liquid as arborio rice. healthy soba noodles One of the requests for the 5 Habits class was for ‘healthy noodles’. Unfortunately I forgot to collect the name of the requestee. This is my take on healthy noodles.

We’re using Japanese soba noodles combined with some carrot and zucchini ‘noodles’. This give brilliant colour and crunch and keeps it lower carb than straight noodles. healthy soba noodles

serves 2 6 tablespoons peanut butter 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 90g (3oz) soba noodles 1 medium carrot 2 medium zucchini 1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil.

2. Combine peanut butter, soy, vinegar and a few tablespoons of water in a large bowl. Add more water if the dressing is too thick. Taste and season with more soy or with a pinh of sugar if some sweetness is needed.

3. Add noodles to the water and cook for 4 minutes.

4. Finely slice carrot & zucchini into ribbons using a mandoline or sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Then chop the ribbons into thin ‘noodles’.

5. Drain noodles and cool under running healthy noodles water. Toss noodles and veg into video soba the dressing. » healthy soba noodles prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could make this salad in advance and keep in the fridge until watery - Be careful when thinning the dressing with water that you you’re ready to serve. don’t go too far.

leftover potential too sweet - different peanut butters will have different sugar levels. If Will keep for a week or so in the fridge. you find the salad too sweet, sprinkle over a splash more soy sauce to variations for fun balance out. carnivore - toss in some hard boiled eggs or shredded cooked flavour out of balance - peanut based sauces tend to taste better chicken breast. when they’re a little bit sweet for some reason. If you’re not happy try adding in a teapoon of brown sugar. peanut-free - If sesame is OK, replace the peanut butter with tahini (about 4 tablespoons should do it). Otherwise try a coconut noodles sticking together or gluey - it’s important to stir the dressing and replace the peanut butter with coconut milk - and skip noodles after you add them to the pot to avoid sticking. Draining the the water. noodles in cold water also helps to keep them separate and avoid any ‘gluey’ texture. gluten-free - replace the soba noodles with rice noodles and change the cooking time accordingly. Or skip the noodles and noodles falling apart - soba noodles go from under to overcooked increase the carrot and zucchini ‘noodles’. very quickly. If they’re falling apart you’ve ented the over cooked zone. Next time cook less and be quick in draining them under the cold warm salad - drain the noodles and toss the hot noodles into the water to stop dressing without cooling them first.

can't find soba noodles - replace with whatever noodles you serving suggestions can find (adjusting the cooking time to the packet directions of Chopsticks are a must! And if you have small noodle bowls they’re your chosen noodles) OR try spaghetti for something completely best to make for easier eating. unorthodox (again adjust the cooking time).

herby - feel free to freshen this up with a few handfuls of mint leaves or coriander (cilantro) or both. tofu lasagne Robyn requested something bake with tofu because her huaband it a little tired of tofu stir fries. Which got me thinking... why not slice the tofu and use it instead of lasagne sheets? Brilliant (if I do say so myself)!

Feel free to add in veggies like grilled eggplant or zucchini or spinach for that matter. tofu lasagne

serves 4 6 cups tomato passata or puree 100g (3.5oz) butter 600g (21oz) firm tofu, finely sliced 500g (1lb) full cream ricotta 3 large handfuls grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

2. Place a large fry pan or skillet on a high heat. Add passata or puree and butter and simmer to reduce for about 10 minutes.

3. Place a layer of sauce in the base of a small lasagne dish. Cover with a layer of tofu slices then top with more sauce, a little ricotta and parmesan. Repeat until you’ve used up all tofu the ingredients (you may not need all the sauce). Finishing lasagne with the cheese. 4. Bake, uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until well browned and bubbling. video » tofu lasagne ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Feel free to make this a week in advance and bake when you’re watery / sloppy - if you use too much tomato puree it can give ready. If baking straight from the fridge, add and extra 5-10 mins. you a sloppy lasagne. As it cools it will firm up a little. If you’re really leftover potential worried about it, try patting out the excess moisture with paper towels. Will keep for a week or longer in the fridge. bland - the tofu isn’t bringing much to the party by the way of flavour. Serve with heaps of extra parmesan to give it a flavour boost. Next variations for fun time spend more time reducing the tomato sauce or try using more of carnivore - replace the tomato sauce with your favourite the sauce. It’s also important to slice the tofu into the thinnest sheets bolognese sauce. Or brown 500g (1lb) ground or minced beef in you can so the tofu gets evenly dispersed with the the skillet before adding the tomato puree. If using meat, you won’t need as much butter. too sharp - if the flavour from the tomato is too acidic and sharp, balance it out with a judicious sprinkling of olive oil and/or more dairy-free / vegan - replace the ricotta and parmesan with parmesan. grilled eggplant slices from the deli (you’ll need about 16 slices.) Serve with finely grated brazil nuts and fresh basil. And soften an short on time? - skip the sauce cooking step and replace the puree onion in olive oil before adding the tomato puree to replace the and butter with your favourite tomato pasta sauce. butter .

more substantial - toss in 2 drained cans of lentils with the serving suggestions tomato passata. Best when hot with a crisp green salad on the side. A little extra grated parmesan might also be nice. more veg- layer in grilled slices of eggplant or zucchini. Or try some wilted spinach.

herby - serve with fresh basil leaves sprinkled over. fiber-packed greens Someone requested a high fiber dish for the class. So I researched the highest fibre veg. Surprisingly avocado and flax seeds (linseeds) came up trumps. No surprises that leafy greens supply heaps of fiber as well.

Onions are interesting because they contain lots of innulin - a soluble fiber that works as a ‘pre- boitic’. This means to good bacteria in our guts like eating it so it’s great for digestive health. fiber packed greens serves 2 2 onions, sliced into 1/2 moons 1 large bunch greens - I used silverbeet (chard) 1 avocado, optional 1 lemon 2 tablespoons ground linseeds (flaxseeds)

1. Heat a large skilled or frying pan on a medium heat. Add a generous lug of olive oil and the onions.

2. Cook onions, stirring occasionally for 7-8 minutes or until softened and a little brown.

3. Wash greens well and chop crosswise into ribbons about 1cm (1/2 in) thick. Add to the pan and cover with a lid.

4. After 2 minutes, stir the greens then recover and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until greens are wilted and tender.

5. Remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper and a little fiber-packed greens lemon juice. 6. Scoop avocado flesh into chunks, video if using and scatter over along with the flax seeds.» fibre packed greens ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide The greens are great prepared ahead. Just wait until the last minute gritty - It’s important to be super vigilant when washing your greens to add the avocado or it will brown. as they like to harbour bits of dirt and no-one likes gritty greens.

leftover potential bland - remember to be generous with the seasoning and don’t Greens will keep for a week or so in the fridge but the avocado forget the lemon juice to freshen things up. won’t fare that well. too tart - be careful with the lemon juice. I’ve often ruined a perfectly variations for fun good dish of greens by being too generous with the lemon juice and carnivore - skip the avocado and serve as a side to roast chicken living to regret it. or grilled chicken breast. Or a really good steak. greens tough / difficult to chew - different greens vary in texure. avocado-free - I have friends who struggle with the thought of Some need quite a bit of cooking to soften them. Good idea to sample avocado in warm dishes. If you’re one of those people, feel free to some before you take them off the heat to make sure they’re cooked replace the avocado with a generous handful of roast almonds or to your liking. Cutting tough greens more finely can also make a some chunks of parmesan or goats cheese. massive difference.

more substantial - toss in a drained can of lentils or beans. short on time? - skip the onion all together. And chop the greens as finely as possible to minimise their cooking time. different greens - This is a great method for cooking pretty much any green. The onions add a sweet complexity that is a little unexpected. Feel free to try it with kale, collard greens, mustard serving suggestions greens, spinach or cavalo nero. I’m happy to eat this straight from the pot. It’s also great as a side dish with or without the avocado. can't find flax seeds - skip or replace with sunflower or sesame seeds. tofu steaks with paprika & thyme Tofu needs a helping hand in the flavour department. Enter one of my favourite spices, smoked paprika and thyme, the most fragrant herb.

I love this method of cooking tofu to celebrate its meaty texture, rather than hiding it in a stir fry. tofu steaks with paprika & thyme serves 2 300g (10oz) firm tofu 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons thyme leaves baby spinach leaves, to serve

1. Heat a medium skillet on a high heat. Chop tofu into two steaks and pat dry.

2. Add a little oil to the pan and sear steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side or until well browned.

3. Meanwhile, combine paprika, vinegar, thyme and 3 tofu tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Taste and season. Adding steaks more oil or vinegar if you think it needs it.

4. Divide tofu between 2 plates and top with the dressing and spinach leaves. video » tofu steaks ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could make the dressing in advance and keep it in the fridge. burnt tofu - Keep an eye on the tofu and if it’s browning too quickly, There’s really no point in pre-cooking the tofu as it will take just as turn the heat down. long to reheat it. tofu sticking to the pan - make sure the pan is hot before you leftover potential add the tofu and be generous with the oil. Although not too generous Will keep for a week or so in the fridge. excess oil can smoke as the steaks cook, especially if your pan is large and there’s quite a bit of excess surface area not covered by the variations for fun tofu. carnivore - replace the tofu with beef steaks or lamb chops. bland - always a risk with tofu so make sure your dressing is well soy-free - replace the tofu with field mushrooms or eggplant seasoned and has enough vinegar so the flavours sing. More thyme sliced thickly. If using eggplant cover when cooking and use a will help with the aromatics. medium heat. WIll take about 15 minutes. short on time? - cut the tofu into 4 thin ‘minute steaks’ and cook more substantial - serve with a more veg intensive salad or the for a minute on each side - ot until brown enough for you. fibre packed greens.

can't find smoked paprika? - replace with regular paprika or serving suggestions use a little cayenne pepper (start with 1/2 teaspoon) instead. A quick meal on its own.. Feel free to serve with a more elaborate vegetable or salad side dish. hot - add in 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried chilli powder. miso eggplant ’steaks’ The secret to silky eggplant texture is to cook the ‘steaks’ with the lid on so they steam as well as brown.

White miso is the most delicately flavoured of the miso pastes. If you can only find darker coloured miso, start with half the amount and add to taste. miso eggplant ’steaks’ miso eggplant ‘steaks’

serves 2 1 large eggplant 2 tablespoons white miso 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar baby spinach leaves, to serve

1. Heat a large frying pan or skillet on a medium high heat.

2. Slice eggplant into 4 thick steaks. Add oil to the pan and sear eggplant, covered for about 15 minutes all up. Turning every 5 minutes and keeping the pan covered. IF the eggplan starts to burn, reduce the heat.

3. Meanwhile, combine miso, vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. A few minutes before the eggplant is cooked, place a little of the dressing on each steak.

4. Serve steaks on a bed of baby spinach with extra miso dressing drizzled over. video » miso eggplant steaks ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Theis reheats surprisingly well. So feel free to make in advance and eggplant burning - It’s important to keep an eye on the steaks reheat in the oven, uncovered for 10-15 minutes. as they cook and reduce the heat if they’re burning or cooking too fast. Adding a splash of water can help calm the burning and help the leftover potential steaming as well. Make sure the steaks are well covered as they cook Will keep for a week or so in the fridge. to help the steaming process.

variations for fun eggplant crunchy - one of my pet hates is undercooked eggplant. carnivore - replace the eggplant with regular beef steaks and Make sure it is meltingly tender before taking it off the heat. If you find cook as per your normal steak technique. Also lovely with chicken it underdone.. best to return to the pan for a lttle while. breasts or thighs. short on time? - cut the eggplant into thinner ‘minute steaks’ which soy-free / can't find miso paste - skip the miso dressing and will cook more quickly. serve ‘steaks’ with a generous dollup of basil pesto. bland - it’s important to get the miso dressing flavour balance right.. more substantial - serve on a bed of cooked lentils or taste and tweak with more sugar / vinegar / miso until the flavours ‘cauliflower rice’ (finely grated raw cauliflower. sing.

herby - if you can find some shiso leaves, sometimes called too salty - it’s easy to over salt with intensely salty ingredients like japanese mint, toss them in with the baby spinach. Otherwise a miso. If you’ve overdone it, balance out the dressing with a little more bunch of regular mint will do the trick. sugar and some olive oil.

baked - a longer but lower maintenance method is to roast the serving suggestions eggplant slices for about 30 minutes until very soft before finishing Great as light veggie dinner on its own. Or serve as part of a Japanese with the miso dressing. spread. caramelised cauliflower Inspired by the lovely Molly Wizenberg from Orangette. This is my new favourite way to cook cauliflower. It may not seem like a big deal, but slicing the cauli into thin sheets makes all the difference. We’re talking lovely caramelised flavours. So good with pinenuts and hummus. caramelised cauliflower serves 2 1 head cauliflower 1 tablespoon cumin seeds handful pine nuts hummus, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

2. Slice cauliflower into 1cm (1/2in) slices. Place on a baking tray and drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin seeds. Season.

3. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until cauli is tender and deeply golden brown around the edges.

4. Add pine nuts and pop back in the oven for another minute or so. caramelised cauliflower 5. Serve with hummus. video » caramelised cauliflower ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely. roast the cauli ahead of time and keep in the fridge. Best cauliflower burning - We want the cauli well browned but not if reheated before serving, although it may be lovely cold on a hot burnt to a cinder. Keep an eye on it and cover with foil if you think it’s Summer’s day. burning prematurely.

leftover potential cauli crunchy - the secret to this dish is getting the cauliflower really Will keep for a week or so in the fridge. well cooked and caramelised to concentrate the flavours. Make sure variations for fun it’s super tender before getting it out of the oven. carnivore - serve with ground beef that has been cooked in a little short on time? - you could pan fry the cauli in oil over a high heat olive oil with a little all spice until well browned. OR serve as a side with the lid on. Add in a splash of water if it starts to burn. The finer vegtable to spicy sausages. you chop the cauli, the quicker it will cook.

nut-free - replace the pine nuts with 1/4 red onion finely chopped bland - cauli needs a generous hand with the seasoning. A splash of and serve with a sesame-free hummus made by whizzing a can lemon juice can also help to brighten the flavours. of chickpeas with 3 tablespoons each olive oil, lemon juice and canning liquid + a clove of garlic. serving suggestions more substantial - toss in a drained can of lentils to heat up with Great as a veggie main course served with tabouleh or other greens the pine nuts. on the side.

home made hummus - whizz a can of chickpeas with 3 Or serve as part of a mezze spread with things like babaganoush, tablespoons each tahini, lemon juice and canning liquid + a clove of roast eggplant & tabbouleh. garlic.

greener - serve with flat leaf parsley or mint leaves scattered over OR try it with a side of tabouleh.

different spices - replace the cumin seeds wtih coriander seeds or sumac. yellow split pea stew I’ve really been getting into split peas of late. The good news is that unlike dried beans, it isn’t yellow stew critical that you soak them overnight. It does split pea decrease the cooking the cooking time, though if you can be bothered. I love to cook up a big batch of these to serve in different guises during the week. yellow split pea stew

makes heaps 500g (1lb) split peas, soaked overnight if you like 2 onions, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 stick celery, chopped 3 tablespoons vinegar 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 bunch kale, chopped, optional 1. Heat some olive oil in a large pot. Add onions, carrots & celery and cook, covered over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the veg are softened but not browned.

2. Drain peas and place in a the pot. Cover with water by about 1cm and bring to the boil.

3. Simmer, uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until peas are tender but with a little bight like al dente pasta. If the pot dried out, add a little more water.

4. Season with vinegar, soy and 3 tablespoons olve oil.

5. If using the kale, add to the pot and cook until just wilted. Taste & season. video » yellow split pea stew ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely! Make a big batch on the weekend without the kale to watery - If the peas are cooked and there is still lots of water, feel use for different lunches and dinners during the week. free to drain them and return to the pan before adding the vinegar, soy leftover potential and oil. Will keep for over a week in the fridge. split peas crunchy - sounds like they’re undercooked. Pop them variations for fun back in the pot with more water and keep simmering until tender. carnivore - serve as a side dish to roast lamb or lamb chops. Or split peas mushy - the other end of the spectrum, we’re talking brown some sliced chorizo in a pan and stir through the split peas. overcooked peas. Not the end of the world but a good opportunity to make a split pea hummus or a smoothish soup. ham & peas - pop a ham hock in with the peas to simmer away. bland - don’t forget to be generous with the seasoning. A little more beans - dried beans can be cooked in this way as well. Best to soy and vinegar can help boost the flavour as well. soak them in water overnight first and then simmer until tender - cooking time depends on the beans but can be up to a few hours. short on time? - skip the soaking step and also skip cooking the veg in oil. Just bung everything in the pot and boil away until the peas green - use green split peas instead. are tender.

herbs - feel free to pop a few bay leaves, a sprig of rosemary or a serving suggestions few sprigs of thyme in the pot to simmer away with the peas. Use anywhere that calls for drained canned lentils or beans. 250g (1/2lb) cooked split peas is the same as one normal sized can.

Great as a breakfast side to poached or fried eggs.

OR serve with the kale as a stew on its own. video Habit 4» RoleUnderstand of Carbs the » When we eat carbohydrates, like bread and pasta our bodies release insulin. This insulin is in our system means we are in fat-storing mode. It’s actually impossible for us to burn fat for fuel when insulin is around. The role of carbs in But when the insulin subsides, we start burning our fat cells for energy. Yay! weight maintenance This means that when we eat carbohydrates and have insulin in our system, we aren’t physically able to burn our fat for fuel. All we can do is store the carbohydrates as fat in our fat cells.

& loss So too many carbohydrates = too much insulin = fat bodies.

Of course it’s not that simple.

Different factors effect the rate at which carbohydrates change our blood sugar and insulin. I’ve covered these in Factors governing the effect of carbs in our bodies. so what is insulin? Insulin is a hormone that regulates our blood sugar levels.

Too much sugar and too little sugar are both bad things. So when our blood sugar gets too high, insulin is released to facilitate the storage of the excess sugar in our bodies as fat. isn’t insulin what diabetics inject? Correct. People with type 1 diabetes aren’t able to produce enough insulin to regulate their blood sugar levels. So they are encouraged to manage their blood sugar by diet and also by injecting insulin. what other factors can influence whether we get fat? what other factors can influence whether we get fat?

cortisol: The role of carbs in Blood sugar levels and insulin play the major part in controlling whether we store or burn fat. But there can be other factors. When we are stressed or anxious, our bodies produce the hormone cortisol. Cortisol can work to weight maintenance both burn fat and store fat. When insulin is present, cortisol acts to magnify the effect of insulin in storing fat. When insulin is absent, cortisol magnifies our ability to burn fat. & loss So by keeping insulin low, we minimise the negative impact of stress on our waistline.

other hormones: Other hormones such as growth hormones, sex hormones and adrenaline have the ability to help us use our fat cells for fuel. The thing is when insulin is high, it trumps the action of the other hormones, making it difficult for them to facilitate fat burning. So they aren’t important compared with insulin.

our personal insulin sensitivity: Some people are naturally more sensitive to insulin than others.

This means that for the same amount and type of carbohydrate, the less sensitive people produce more insulin and so spend more time in Storing Fat mode (one of the reasons why some people are more likely to put on weight than others). Also as we age, we become less sensitive to insulin (hello middle-aged spread). carbohydrates for weight maintenance v’s weight loss The role of carbs in In simple terms, eyeryone is different and has different goals around healthy eating. weight maintenance If your goal is weight maintenance and you’re achieving that goal, there’s no need to restrict or change the types and amounts of carbohydrates in your diet. & loss If, on the other hand, you’re not getting the weight loss results you’re after, it’s important to look at reducing your carbohydrate intake. And choosing carbs that are less likely to cause blood sugar spikes.

So focus on eating vegetables and ‘slow carbs’ such as beans and lentils. Of course, not all carbohydrates are created equally.

The speed at which carbohydrates go from being food to increasing our Factors governing blood sugar levels varies depending on a number of factors. Such as: physical state of the carbohydrate In simple terms, liquids get digested far more rapidly than solids. So the the effect of carbs carbohydrates in beer or fruit juice enter our blood stream much more quickly than if we ate the same as a piece of bread or fruit. in our bodies A good reason to avoid ‘drinking your calories’. the type of carbohydrate There are two types of carbohydrate. Simple sugars such as glucose, sucrose (table sugar), fructose and . And so called ‘complex carbohydrates’ which are the starches found in bread and pasta.

For carbs to enter out blood stream to be used for fuel (or stored as fat) they must be converted to the simple sugar ‘glucose’.

You’d think that the complex carbohydrates, which are large molecules, would take longer to be converted to glucose and be absorbed into our blood streams. But they are actually just made up of lots of little ‘glucoses’ so it actually happens quite quickly.

Table sugar, on the other hand is made up of one glucose + a fructose. So when we digest it, half goes into the blood stream quickly but the other half, the fructose gets processed by our livers.

For example, if we compare regular corn flakes breakfast (made up of corn = complex carbohydrate) to frosted flakes (the same corn coated with as much sugar as possible). The regular flakes actually increase our blood sugar more quickly than the frosted flakes.

This is because the sugar contains half fructose, which is digested differently to the glucose in the corn. the speed we eat Quickly wolfing food down, will increase blood sugar levels more quickly than a more leisurely approach to eating. It also makes it more difficult to Factors governing stop eating when we are full. our personal insulin sensitivity the effect of carbs Everyone is different in how sensitive their bodies are to insulin. People who are very sensitive tend to be thinner because when they do eat lots of carbs and their blood sugar increases, insulin gets released, in our bodies their bodies are sensitive to the insulin and quickly brings their blood sugar back to normal. So insulin goes away quickly and they start burning fat for fuel. Happy days.

Other people aren’t so lucky. The less sensitive to insulin we are, the more insulin needs to be released to do the same job. This means insulin is in our blood streams for longer periods so we spend more time storing fat and less time burning fat. You can guess the effect of that on our waistlines.

The other thing to note is as we age, we become less sensitive to insulin. It’s a cruel world the speed we eat Quickly wolfing food down, will increase blood sugar levels more quickly Factors governing than a more leisurely approach to eating. It also makes it more difficult to stop eating when we are full. the effect of carbs our personal insulin sensitivity Everyone is different in how sensitive their bodies are to insulin.

People who are very sensitive tend to be thinner because when they do in our bodies eat lots of carbs and their blood sugar increases, insulin gets released, their bodies are sensitive to the insulin and quickly brings their blood sugar back to normal. So insulin goes away quickly and they start burning fat for fuel. Happy days.

Other people aren’t so lucky. The less sensitive to insulin we are, the more insulin needs to be released to do the same job. This means insulin is in our blood streams for longer periods so we spend more time storing fat and less time burning fat. You can guess the effect of that on our waistlines.

The other thing to note is as we age, we become less sensitive to insulin. It’s a cruel world teriyaki chicken I’ve never been a fan of commercial ‘teriyaki’ sauces. But after making my own, I’ve completely changed my mind about this Japanese staple. For a more authentic vibe use mirin instead of the white wine. teriyaki chicken

serves 2 2-3 chicken thigh fillets 5 tablespoons white wine teriyaki chicken 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons caster sugar 2 green onions 1/2 small cauliflower

1. Heat a pan on a high heat. Meanwhile, trim excess fat from the chicken and bash out with your fist so the fillets are an even thickness.

2. Add a little oil to the pan and cook chicken for 3 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, combine wine, soy and sugar. Taste and balance the flavours with a little more soy or sugar, if needed.

4. Finely chop onion and cauliflower and divide between 2 plates.

5. Turn chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Place on top of the cauliflower mixture.

6. Add sauce to the hot pan and cook for a minute or so to burn off the alcohol and reduce the sauce. video 7. Pour hot sauce over the chicken. » teriyaki chicken ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide The sauce can be made in advance. But best to make everything dry chicken - If the chicken is overcooked it will dry out. Next time else fresh. cook on a lower heat or for less time. For now, be generous with the leftover potential sauce. Will keep for a week in the fridge. too salty - with the soy it can be easy to overdo the salt. Balance it variations for fun out with a little more sugar. Next time back off on the soy a little. vegetarian / vegan - make teriyaki eggplant. Slice an eggplant boozy - it’s important to cook the sauce for long enough to get rid of into 1cm (1/2in) slices and cook in a frying pan over a medium heat the alcohol flavour. with plenty of oil until tender and super soft. short on time? - chop the chicken into small ribbons and stir fry for beef teriyaki - replace the chicken with two steaks. a few minutes or until just cooked. Add the sauce to the chicken in the pan. rice - serve with steamed rice instead of the ‘cauliflower rice’. serving suggestions budget - used chicken drumsticks or wings and roast in a hot Serve the chicken on a bed of cauliflower rice with the sauce poured oven for 30 minutes or until golden. over the top. If you’d like more greens, toss in a handful of baby spinach with the cauliflower. honey - replace the sugar with honey for a more well rounded flavour.

alcohol-free - replace the wine with grape juice, apple juice or water. pork satay Peanut butter fans will love this spicy Malaysian peanut based sauce. While it’s brilliant with pork or chicken skewers, it’s also delicious slathered over grilled or roast veggies. And makes a surprisingly good accompaniment to seafood. pork satay pork satay serves 2 2 pork fillets 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1/4 cup peanut butter 1-2 teaspoons red curry paste fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve 1. Cut pork into bight sized cubes and place in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons soy sauce.

2. Place a skillet or frying pan on a high heat.

3. Combine peanut butter, curry paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoons oil. Taste and add more curry paste if you need more.

4. Thread pork onto 4 bamboo skewers.

5. Add a little oil to the pan and cook pork for 3 minutes on the first side. Turn then cook for another 2-3 minutes or until just cooked. I prefer to leave it slightly pink in the middle to avoid drying out.

5. Serve skewers with satay sauce drizzled over and coriander leaves. video » satay pork ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide The sauce can be made a week in advance. The pork is best when pork dry - it’s important not to overcook the pork as it easily dries freshly cooked but could be marinated in the fridge over night. out. Best to err on the side of slightly undercooked.

leftover potential too salty - if your satay sauce is too salty or too hot, balance the Will keep for over a week in the fridge. flavour out with a little brown sugar.

variations for fun sauce too stiff - stir in a little more oil or a splash of water to make chicken or beef - replace the pork with chicken breasts of beef for a more fluid sauce. filllet. bland - add a little more soy or curry paste to boost the flavour of the vegetarian / vegan - try tofu skewers instead of the pork. And satay sauce. make sure your curry paste doesn’t contain fish sauce. You can also add some veg to the skewers such as red peppers (capsicum), short on time? - skip the threading onto the skewers and just stir fry mushrooms or zucchini. the cubes or pork until just cooked and serve drizzled with the peanut sauce. can't find curry paste? - replace it with some freshly chopped red chillies and add a little more oil to the satay sauce. serving suggestions Serve with some of the sauce drizzled over and extra sauce on the budget - use a cheaper cut of meat such as pork neck or pork side. Good with a green salad as well as the coriander (cilantro). shoulder but be careful not to overcook to avoid tough meat. OR replace half the meat with vegetables such as red peppers (capsicum), mushrooms or zucchini. vietnamese beef salad This is one of my go-to dinners when I’m looking for something fast and fresh. I just love the combo of lime juice and fish sauce for bringing boring old steak to life.

I’ve just used salad leaves here but feel free to add in fresh herbs, especially mint and coriander (cilantro). vietnamese beef salad

serves 2 vietnamese salad beef 2 steaks 5 tablespoons fish sauce 6 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes, or fresh chilli 4 handfuls salad leaves

1. Drizzle 2 tablespoons fish sauce over the steak and allow to marinate while you heat a pan on a high heat.

2. Pan fry the steaks for about 3 minutes on each side until cooked to your liking.

3. Meanwhile, combine lime juice with remaining 3 tablespoons fish sauce and the chilli.

4. When the beef is cooked, transfer to the dressing and rest for a few minutes.

5. Finely slice the steaks and return to the dressing. Toss in the salad leaves and serve immediately. video » vietnamese beef salad ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could either marinate the raw beef in fish sauce for a day or so steak too tough - it could just be the steak, or it’s ovecooked. Next in the fridge. Or cook the beef and let it rest in the fridge for a day or time try a different cut OR a different butcher. so before serving cold with the leaves tossed through. too salty - different brands of fish sauce vary in their intensity. If leftover potential it’s too much, balance out with a little more lime juice and a pinch of Will keep for over a week in the fridge - the salad leaves will wilt but sugar. it will still be edible. bland - add in a little more fish sauce or some salt. More chilli will help variations for fun liven things up as well. carnivore - serve as a side dish to roast lamb or lamb chops. Or brown some sliced chorizo in a pan and stir through the split peas. short on time? - slice the raw beef into strips and stir fry for a few minutes until just browned. vegetarian / vegan - replace the fish sauce with soy sauce (2 tablespoons should do it). And stir fry sliced mushrooms to use in serving suggestions place of the beef. Great as a light, fresh dinner on it’s own. Or serve as part of an Asian banquet with a curry and possibly another stir fry. herby - add in fresh coriander (cilantro) or mint leaves as well as or instead of the salad leaves.

budget - replace the steak with ground (minced) beef. Brown it well then toss into the dressing.

more substantial - serve with cauliflower ‘rice’ or steamed rice or toss in some rice noodles cooked as per the packed directions. skillet shepherds pie I had a request from someone looking for healthy dishes with ‘hidden vegetables’. This shepherds pie fits the bill. We’re pureeing our veg in the food processor so they fit ‘incognito’ into a meaty looking shepherds pie. skillet shepherd’s pie

serves 4-5 4 medium potatoes, scrubbed 500g (1lb) minced (ground) beef 1 onion 1 carrot 1 zucchini 2 cans tomatoes, (400g / 14oz each) 2 large knobs butter 1. Place potatoes in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes or until very tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a skillet (frying pan) and brown the beef well for about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, puree the onion, carrot and zucchini in your food processor. Or grate using a box grater.

4. Add the veg puree to the beef and continue to cook for another few minutes.

5. Add tomatoes and break them up then simmer the sauce until the potatoes are tender. Add half the butter to the meat. Taste & season

6. Preheat your overhead grill (broiler). 7. Remove meat from the heat and smooth the video skillet pie surface. Mash the potatoes in a ricer over the top of the» meat. shepherds 8. Dot with the remaining butter and place under the grill for 5 minutes or until golden brown. skillet shepherd’s pie ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely! Make ahead and then just reheat in the oven for 15-20 watery - If the meat sauce hasn’t reduced enough, you’ll end up with minutes before serving. a sloppy, watery pie. Next time cook for longer before topping with the mash. leftover potential no potato ricer? - If you like mash, I highly recommend investing Will keep for over a week in the fridge. in a potato ricer because it saves having to peel the spuds. But you could always peel the spuds before boiling them and mash using your variations for fun preferred mashing implement. Then spread over the top of the pie as real shepherds pie - use lamb mince (ground lamb) instead of per the recipe. the beef. not browning - depending on how hot your grill /broiler is, you may vegetarian - replace the beef with crumbled firm tofu - about need to cook for longer. Adding more butter or a drizzle of olive oil will 300g (10oz) should do it - and double the veg. help speed up the cooking process.

vegan - replace the beef with tofu as per the vegetarian option and bland / tastes too healthy - add in a few tablespoons of tomato replace the butter with olive oil. paste to boost the tomatoey flavour and disguise the veg. And don’t forget to season. less stealthy - chop the veg instead of using the food processor. short on time? - instead of the spuds, try using a couple of cans of dairy-free -replace the butter with olive oil. white beans. Drain and mash in a bowl before spreading over the pie in place of the mash. serving suggestions With the hidden veg it’s a meal on it’s own. Although I prefer it with a green salad on the side. massaman curry Massaman curry is a Malaysian curry that’s normally slow cooked with beef and potatoes. We’re lightening it up and speeding it up by using chicken thigh fillets and serving on a bed of baby spinach instead of the spuds. massaman curry massaman curry serves 2-3 500g (1lb) chicken thigh fillets 4-6 tablespoons massaman curry paste 400mL (14oz) coconut milk 1/2 cup roasted peanuts 4-6 sprigs fresh curry leaves, optional 4 handfuls baby spinach, to serve

1. Heat some olive oil in a large pot. Finely slice chicken and stir fry over a high heat for a few minutes or until no longer pink.

2. Add curry paste and stir fry for another 30 seconds before adding the coconut milk and curry leaves, if using.

3. Bring to a simmer and cook for another few minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. video » massaman curry ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely! Will keep in the fridge for over a week and reheats really watery - If you prefer a thicker curry, simmer for longer to reduce the well. sauce.

leftover potential can't find fresh curry leaves - frozen are good if you can find Will keep for over a week in the fridge. them. Or just skip them all together and keep it simple.

variations for fun can't find massaman curry paste? - replace with a Thai red carnivore - replace the chicken with beef chuck or stewing steak. curry paste OR make your own red curry paste using the recipe over Simmer gently for an hour or until the beef is tender. HERE.

nut-free - just skip the peanuts and serve with fresh coriander bland - don’t forget to be generous with the seasoning. A little more leaves (cilantro) instead. curry paste will help.

vegetarian - replace the chicken breast with firm tofu chopped serving suggestions finely and some fresh cauliflower chopped into florettes. Simmer I like this as a simple dinner on its own. Or serve as part of an Asian curry until the cauli is tender - 10 minutes or so. banquet with a stir fry and some steamed rice or cauliflower rice.

vegan - replace the chicken with 2 cans drained lentils.

budget - serve with steamed rice to stretch the curry to 4 servings or stir in a few handfuls of cooked potatoes. proscuitto baked salmon Salmon wrapped with proscuitto was the first Jamie Oliver recipe I ever made. Jamie serves his salmon on a bed of ‘herby lentils’ but I prefer to keep it simple and serve on a bed of baby spinach.

This is agreat way to cook fish if you want to avoid ‘fishy’ smells in your apartment. proscuitto baked salmon

serves 2 2 salmon fillets 4 slices proscuitto 2 large handfuls baby spinach 4-6 tablespoons natural yoghurt

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F).

2. IF the salmon has skin, use a sharp knife to remove the skin,

3. Wrap each fillet with two slices of proscuitto and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until proscuitto is starting to brown and the salmon is cooked but still pink in the middle.

5. Serve salmon on a bed of baby spinach drizzled with yoghurt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. proscuitto baked salmon video » proscuitto baked salmon ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could bake the salmon ahead of time and then serve chilled dry salmon - this is tough to achieve. But sounds like your salmon or reheat in the oven for 5 minutes or so. Wait until the last minute is overcooked. Next time cook for less. For now be generous with the before adding the yoghurt and greens. yoghurt.

leftover potential unevenly cooked salmon - if your salmon fillets are quite different Will keep for a few days in the fridge. in size and shape it can be difficult to get them to cook evenly. Not much you can do now. but next time try to choose fillets from the variations for fun middle of the fish rather than the tail end. carnivore - Try wrapping chicken breasts with proscuitto. Will take a little longer to bake than the salmon, In the 15-20 minute range. bland - next time try a different fishmonger for your salmon. For now be more generous with the salt & pepper and try a squeeze of lemon salmon & peas - while the salmon is baking, cook some frozen to freshen things up. peas in a pan with a little olive oil until hot and serve with the salmon either instead of or as well as the baby spinach. short on time? - pan fry the wrapped salmon instead. It will take 3-4 minutes on each side. pescatarian - skip the proscuitto and season the salmon with lots of salt & pepper. serving suggestions Great as is. no oven? - pan fry the wrapped salmon instead. It will take 3-4 minutes on each side.

vegetarian - roast mushrooms in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender and serve on a bed of baby spinach with the yohgurt sauce.

vegan - roast mushrooms as per the vegetarian recipe and serve with spinach & lentils. Mix a drained can of lentils in with the spinach and season with lemon juice and a little olive oil. almost moussaka This is a great example of where I use one of the ‘variations’ from my own recipes. Instead of using eggplant to make a free-form moussaka, as planned. I ended up using mushrooms. Not exactly traditional but delicious none-the-less. almost almost moussaka moussaka serves 2 4 field mushrooms 250g (1/2 lb) minced (ground) beef or lamb 5 tablespoons tomato paste 4 sprigs oregano, leaves picked 4-6 tablespoons ricotta, to serve

1. Preheat your overhead grill (broiler) on its highest setting.

2. Trim mushroom stalks and place on a baking tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil.

3. Grill for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

4. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan (skillet) on a high heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil and brown the beef.

5. Add tomato paste and oregano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, Taste & season.

6. Serve mushrooms with the beef sauce and ricotta. video » almost moussaka ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely! Just leave the ricotta until you’ve reheated the mushrooms crunchy- make sure the mushrooms are cooked mushrooms and beef. through before serving.

leftover potential beef too dry - if you’re using ‘lean’ beef, there may not be enough Will keep for over a week in the fridge. natural fat to keep the sauce lovely and moist. Remedy the situation variations for fun with a generous knob of butter or drizzle of olive oil. carnivore - just skip the mushrooms and ricotta and serve a plate not enough veg - serve with a green salad or some steamed of meat :) just kidding broccoli or a minted pea salad.

vegetarian - replace the ground beef with a drained can of lentils. bland - don’t forget to be generous with the seasoning.

dairy-free - grill a combination of sliced eggplant and mushrooms short on time? - cook the mushrooms in a hot skillet, turning every and skip the ricotta. few minutes until tender. Should take about 8 minutes. Cook the beef in a separate skilled. vegan - combine the vegetarian and dairy-free suggestions. serving suggestions budget - use equal amounts of beef and cooked lentils and I’d serve with a green salad OR try the ‘vaguely greek salad’ without increase the serving size to 3 or 4. the sardines.

more moussaka - replace the mushrooms with and eggplant sliced into 1cm (1/2in) slices and drizzled generously with oil. Eggplant may take more like 15-20 minutes until cooked and tender. beef 'panzanella’ This was inspired by the Tuscan salad of bread and tomato. In this ‘healthier’ version we’ve swapped the bread for some finely sliced beef, to turn it into more of a main course salad. beef 'panzanella’ beef ‘panzanella’

serves 1-2 1 large steak 1 tablespoon lemon juice 250g (1/2 lb) cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cucumber, finely sliced into rounds 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves picked

1. Heat a skillet or frying pan on a very high heat for a few minutes.

2. Scatter a thin layer of fine salt over the base of the pan and add the steak, Sear for 4 minutes on the first side.

3. Combine lemon juice with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season.

4. Toss the tomato & cucumber into the dressing and place the parsley on top.

5. Turn the steaks and cook for another 3-4 minutes for medium-rare.

6. Remove steaks from the pan and finely slice into strips, discarding any excess fat or sinew. Toss into the salad. video » beef ‘panzanella’ ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide You could make this salad in advance and serve cold from the too dry - not enough dressing! Drizzle over a little more olive oil and a fridge. But I think it’s nicer with the hot beef and cool salad squeeze of lemon. ingredients. beef dry or tough - you can either blame the beef or call it leftover potential overcooked. If it’s still pink, thats a good sign that it’s the beef’s fault Will keep for over a week in the fridge. and not the cook. Either way, chopping the beef as finely as possible will help and adding a little more oil to keep things moist. Next time try variations for fun a different cut of steak or a different butcher. vegetarian / vegan - Go for a classic panzanella and use a few handfuls of torn rustic bread instead of the beef. The bread will be too salty - the danger of cooking meat on a salt crust like this is that much drier so double the dressing ingredients. you end up with too much salt. If you detect excess salt before you toss the beef in the salad, you can try wiping the surface with a clean mushroom panzanella - pan fry a couple of handfuls of button damp paper towel. Otherwise, just dilute the salt with more dressing. mushrooms in a little butter until browned and tender. Toss into the Next time be more sparing in the salt layer. salad instead of the beef bland - don’t forget to be generous with the seasoning. basil -while flat leaf parsley is lovely, I’ve just realised that fresh basil leaves would take this salad to a new level. short on time? - finely slice the raw beef into strips and stir fry in a little oil instead of the salt crust cooking method. budget - use half steak and half torn stale bread. You could also double the cucumber to bulk it out a bit more. For a slower carb serving suggestions budget option, use drained canned white beans instead of the Great on it’s own. bread. pork chops Pork chops aren’t something I cook very often, but when I do I always wish I cooked them more frequently! Pico de gallo is a mexican salsa that also works well with chicken or fish. pork chops with pico de gallo serves 2 2 pork chops 2 teaspoons ground coriander bunch green onions (scallions) 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1-2 tablespoons chopped jalapenos

1. Heat a pan on a very high heat. Rub the chops with HALF the coriander, a little salt. Drizzle one side with a dash of oil.

2. Cook the chops, oiled side down for 4 minutes.

3. Trim green onions. Keep 2 aside and chop the remainder of the bunch into lengths about 10cm (4in) long. Add these to the pan with the pork. pork chops 4. Finely slice remaining green onions and combine in a small bowl with the remaining coriander, vinegar, jalapenos and 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Taste & season adding extra chilli if you think it needs a kick.

5. Turn chops and cook for another 4 minutes or until to your liking. video » pork chops with pico de gallo ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide The salsa could be made a few days ahead but I think the pork is pork dry - modern ‘lean pork’ tends to be quite dry. Overcooking best when freshly cooked. won’t help the situation but even perfectly cooked pork can be disappointing, Try a different butcher next time, preferably one who leftover potential specialised in ‘rare breed’ pigs. The good new is that the salsa is Will keep for over a week in the fridge. designed to moisten less than perfect pork.

variations for fun too hot - if you’re sensitive to chilli or not sure about your guests. chicken - replace the pork chops with chicken breast or thigh Err on the lower side for the chilli and serve a little bowl of chopped fillets. Or serve the pico de gallo as a salsa for roast chicken. jalapenos separately for everyone to add their own.

vegetarian - a bit cross cultural, but serve the pico de gallo with pork a little rare - I don’t mind eating pork a little on the rare side sliced halloumi that has been pan fried for a ew minutes until golden as it doesn’t have the salmonella risk associated with undercooked on both sides. chicken. But if feeding pregnant ladies or the elderly or children, I’d pop it back in the pan for a few minutes. vegan - pan fry a couple of tofu ‘chops’ to serve with the salsa. bland - don’t forget to be generous with the seasoning. And up the BBQ - cook the chops on your BBQ along with a couple of ears of level of jalapenos. corn on the cob. short on time? - bash the chops out with your fist to flatten them budget - Instead of expensive pork cutlets like I used, try different about half their original thickness so they’ll cook in half the time. cheaper pork chops or even pork belly sliced into chop size pieces. serving suggestions more authentic - chop a couple of raw tomatillos in the salsa. This needs something to go with. A green salad or a salad like the beef panzanella without the beef would be a good place to start.

Or serve on a bed of lovely lentils spiked with flat leaf parsley. Or go for a more mexican vibe and make a salad of drained canned black beans and coriander (cilantro) leaves - make a little extra salsa to use as a dressing. Habit 5 video ModerationEmbrace » » ‘Embracing moderation’ doesn’t sound that exciting. There’s something very home spun and ‘common sense’ about it. Benefits of But don’t let that put you off… This simple ‘habit’ is really the key to finding the balance of a embracing that’s also fun. As Dr John Tickell said… ‘Everything in moderation except laughter, sex, vegetables and fish. But moderation not all at the same time.” So what are the benefits of embracing moderation?

1. Moderation encourages us to avoid over eating By embracing moderation we avoid that aweful ‘overstuffed’ feeling.

2. Moderation allows us to enjoy all the foods we love I’ve often heard nutritionists talk about there being no ‘bad foods’ only ‘bad diets’. So by embracing moderation we make sure we get to enjoy all the foods we love, regardless of their nutritional credentials, without falling into the trap of over indulging and ending up in ‘bad diet’ territory.

3. Moderation releases us from the impossible goal of trying to always ‘eat less’ By embracing moderation we set the aim at eating until we are comfortably full rather than always striving to deny ourselves and ‘eat less’.

4. Moderation encourages a healthy relationship with food It also encourages us to see food as a wonderful source of fuel and goodness for our bodies. Rather than something sinful and bad that must be controlled and dominated. Of course, as I know full well the reality of ‘embracing moderation’ is much easier said than done. 5 tips for SO here are 5 tips to help you embrace the habit of moderation. 1. eat slowly Eating more slowly also helps your body to let you know that it is full so you embracing can stop accordingly. Try taking at least 30 minutes to eat lunch and dinner. Either divide your meal into three on your plate and allow 5 minutes between eating each moderation third. Or commit to chewing each mouthful at least 20 times.

2. drink water with meals This helps slow down the pace of the meal and makes it easier to apply moderation and stop eating when we are full.

3. eat until you are full After years of always trying to ‘eat less’, it can be scary to make the change to learning to listen to your body and eat until you are full. But take the leap and you’ll be well rewarded.

4. eat mindfully Set aside time to enjoy your meals, rather than trying to do work, watch TV or read the paper. It’s much easier to embrace moderation when you are focused on eating.

5. apply the 80/20 rule As Oscar Wilde said, ‘Everything in moderation, including moderation’.

The aim isn’t to be 100% ‘moderate’ at all times. You’ll get the lions share of the benefits by aiming to embrace moderation about 80% of the time. And this more realistic goal will also make you far less likely to get discouraged and give up on moderation all together. Earlier in the year I read a book called Influencer by Kerry Patterson. To my surprise, I learned a lot more than the gentle art of influence. experiments in There are two studies related to ‘embracing moderation’ discussed in the book that I wanted to share with you. moderation Both are examples that when it comes to eating until we are full, there is more going on than just the feelings in our stomachs.

1. the bottomless soup bowl experiment Basically in this study, researchers observed two groups of people. The first group were asked to eat a bowl of soup and then stop when they were full.

The second group were asked to perform the same task, but without their knowing it, the researchers were able to fill the bowl from the bottom as they ate.

The study found that people in the second group ate on average 3/4 cup more soup than the control group who had the visual cues that they were getting to the bottom of the bowl.

2. the marked potato chip experiment In another experiment, researchers asked a group of people to snack on stacked potato chips in a can while they did other activities. A second group was asked to do the same thing but their potato chips were different in that every 10th chip was an odd colour. The other 9 chips would be normal and then there would be one coloured differently. The second group weren’t told that there was anything different about their chips. experiments in Interestingly, the group that had the coloured chips consumed on average 37% fewer chips than the control group who had no indication of how many chips they had eaten. Showing that the group that had a visual cue moderation as to how many chips they had eaten modified they behaviour and ate less.

and the takeaway? We unconsciously look for many external signals to know when we are full and when we should stop eating.

So it’s important to be conscious of this and be more mindful when we’re making decisions about when to stop eating. We need to pay attention to our bodies, rather than blindly chowing down more than we need. parmesan kale chips I got slightly addicted to a commercial version of these sold at Whole Foods when I was in New York earlier in the year. If only I’d known how easy they were to make myself, I would have saved a fortune. Feel free to play around with the flavourings. I love this cheesy version but they’re also delicious with a hit of dried chilli powder parmesan kale chips or flakes. parmesan kale chips

serves 2 as a snack 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1 bunch kale (about 8 leaves) small handful finely grated parmsean 1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F).

2. Combine vinegar with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl. Season.

3. Tear kale into large pieces and toss in the dressing and arrange on a baking tray in a single layer. Scatter over half the parmesan,

4. Bake for 5 minutes then turn and scatter over the remaining parmesan.

5. Bake for another 5-6 minutes or until the chips are crisp and the cheese is melted.

6. Cool on the tray and eat asap. Or store in an airtight container. video » parmesan kale chips ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely. Will keep in an airtight container for a few days. Although chips bitter - If the leaves get over cooked they can taste bitter. Not best on the day they were made. much you can do now but next time take out of the oven earlier.

leftover potential too salty - next time back off on the seasoning. Will keep in an airtight container for a few days or possibly a week. Although to be honest they haven’t ever hung around here for long too oily - if you’re finding the chips a little oily, leave them to sit on enough. paper towel to get rid of the excess.

variations for fun soggy chips - pop them back in the oven and keep cooking until vegan - skip the parmsean and season more generously with sea crisp. If the chips have picked up moisture over time, a quick flash in salt flakes. the oven will also help.

salt & vinegar - replace the sherry vinegar with brown malt difficult to chew - if you kale or greens have a large stalk or vein, vinegar or balsami and skip the cheese. Serve sprinkled with sea this can be difficult to chew even when the chips are cooked. Best to salt flakes. chop the offending stalk out before cooking.

chilli chips - toss in 1/2-1 teaspoon chilli powder or chilli flakes in short on time? - cook the chips under an overhead grill (broiler) but with the oil. Or try finely chopped fresh chilli. be very careful not to burn them.

different greens - pretty much any robust greens can be used serving suggestions in place of the kale. Silverbeet (chard), cavalo nero, collard greens Lovely as a healthy pre dinner snack. OR you could serve as or even spinach. IF the greens have really coarse stems it might be something a bit different instead of crackers on a cheese plate. a good idea to chop them to remove. I’m thinking cabbage chips might also be lovely. roast chickpeas These are a brilliant ‘slow carb’ alternative for lovers of the humble potato chip. And the thing is they’re just as versatile in terms of flavourings. roast chickpeas Let your imagination go wild! roast chickpeas

serves 2-3 as a snack 1 can chickpeas (400g /14oz), drained 1 sprig rosemary 3 cloves garlic

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F).

2. Pat chickpeas dry with paper towel and scatter over a roasting pan.

3. Pick leaves from the rosemary and scatter over. Lightly smash garlic cloves and add to the pan.

4. Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss. Season.

5. Roast for 10 minutes or until chickpeas are golden and crisp on the outsides.

6. Serve hot or place on paper towel and serve cold. video » roast chickpeas ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Will keep in an airtight container for a few days. Although best on too salty - next time back off on the seasoning. the day they were made. too oily - if you’re finding the chickpeas a little oily, leave them to sit leftover potential on paper towel to get rid of the excess. Will keep in an airtight container for a few days or possibly a week. But they will lose their crispness so best to freshen up back in the soggy chickpeas - This means the chickpeas weren’t dry enough oven before serving. before putting them in the oven. Pop them back in the oven and keep variations for fun cooking until crisp. smoky - toss the chickpeas with a few teaspoons of smoked short on time? - cook the chickpeas in a hot frying pan on a high paprika before popping in the roasting tray. Skip the rosemary and heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning. garlic. serving suggestions cheesy - skip the rosemary and garlic and scatter the chickpeas Lovely as a healthy pre dinner snack. OR you could serve as with freshly grated parmesan before popping in the oven. something a bit different instead of flat bread on a mezze plate.

chilli chickpeas - toss in 1/2-1 teaspoon chilli powder or chilli flakes in with the oil. Or try finely chopped fresh chilli.

budget - you could use home cooked chickpeas and replace the olive oil with a cheaper oil - since they’re going to be cooked the flavour of the oil isn’t important. nori crisps Nori, the Japanese dried seaweed used to make sushi rolls is a favourite snack of mine straight out of the packet. But it also makes a wonderful cheesy crisp when sprinkled with a little parmesan and popped under the grill. nori crisps

serves 2 as a snack 2 sheets dried nori small handful freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat your overhead grill (broiler) on its highest setting. nori 2. Tear nori into bight sized squares and spread on a baking crisps tray. Scatter over parmesan. 3. Grill for about 60seconds, or until nori is curled up and the cheese has melted. Be careful not to burn, it happens quickly.

video » nori crisps ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Will keep in an airtight container for a few days. Although best on chips bitter - If the nori get over cooked they can taste bitter. Not the day they were made. much you can do now but next time take out earlier.

leftover potential too salty - next time use less cheese or try a different brand of nori. Will keep in an airtight container for a few days or possibly a week. can't find nori? - make parmesan crisps but placing thin piles of variations for fun grated parmesan in circles on a baking tray lined with paper. Grill as vegan / dairy-free - skip the parmesan. drizzle the nori with per the nori crisps until the parmesan has melted - possibly 2 minutes some chilli oil or other flavoured oil and grill until curled & crisp. or so. Cool on the tray before using.

sesame - sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the top of the short on time? - just eat the nori straight out of the packet. parmesan before grilling. serving suggestions chilli chips - scatter a litte chilli powder over the nori before Lovely as a healthy pre dinner snack. sprinling the parmesan.

other cheese - pretty much any harder grating cheese will work well here. roast tomatoes This is one of those things that you can vary your cooking time to match your schedule. I think they taste best of cooked at lower temps for longer. The flavour is more intensely tomato without the more caramelized action of shorter higher temp cooking.

roast tomatoes makes heaps 1kg (2lb) smallish tomatoes, halved lengthwise 2 teaspoons sea salt flakes 3 teaspoons sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 150C (300F) if you have time or 200C (400F) if you’re in a rush.

2. Place tomato halves cut side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

3. Combine salt and sugar with a little black pepper and scatter over the tomatoes.

4. Bake for 1 1/2 – 2hrs if using the slow method or 30 – 50 minutes roast if fast tracking. tomatoes 5. Eat straight away or store in the fridge covered with a little olive oil for up to a couple of weeks. video » roasted tomatoes ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Yes! Will keep for a few weeks or longer in the fridge. Place in an bland - the quality and ripeness of your tomatoes will make a difference airtight container and cover with good quality olive oil. - so use the best you can get your hands on. If the flavour isn’t there, variations for fun cooking for a little longer may help, or try some more salt. Feel free to double or halve this recipe. Just keep the tomatoes in a too salty - Dilute with some more olive oil. Or balance with a little more single layer on your baking tray. If you need to spread them over two sugar. trays just bake on different shelves in the oven, swapping over half way. too sweet - add a little more salt to balance the flavour. garlic -pop a head of garlic on the tray to roast with the tomatoes. short on time - leave the tomatoes whole and ‘fast roast’ them by Peel the cooked cloves and scatter in with the tomatoes. placing on a tray under a hot grill (broiler) for 10-15 minutes or until a little softened. Or just serve raw tomatoes drizzled with a good olive oil. thyme - scatter some sprigs of thyme over the tomatoes before baking. rosemary - scatter some sprigs of rosemary over the tomatoes leftover potential before baking. Great! Will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Use in salads, sandwiches or anywhere a little tomato flavour burst would work. chilli - either roast some whole chillies in with the tomatoes, or mix in some chilli powder or dried chilli flakes with the salt & sugar mixture. I’d start with 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chilli.. whole - if you have some nice cherry tomatoes on the vine.. just pop them in the oven whole without the sugar & salt mixture. chocolate brownies You may think these are ‘stretching the friendship’ in the healthy snack arena. But I’ve included these chocolate brownies because they are absolutely delicious. brownies They’re also super rich and squidgy which means it can be easy to practice ‘moderation’ and limit yourself to one small square. They’re also gluten- free and are sweetened with honey rather than sugar. chocolate brownies

makes 16-20 small squares 300mL (1 1/4 cups) whipping cream 200g (7oz) dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped 100g (3.5oz) honey 2 eggs 130g (4oz) pecans, chopped 1. Preheat your oven to 150C (300F). Line the base and sides of a loaf pan with baking paper or foil.

2. Place about half the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add chocolate chunks. Stand for a few minutes.

3. When the chocolate has melted, stir the mixture then add the honey. Stir in the remaining cream and add the eggs, one at a time. Finish by stirring in the pecans.

4. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the brownies feel firm on the sides but still a little wobbly in the middle.

5. Cool in the tin then refrigerate for a few hours before chopping into tiny squares. video » chocolate brownies ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide A must! These brownies are best if they’ve had a night in the fridge brownies not setting / difficult to cut - sound like they’re a little to firm up before cutting and serving. underbaked, Make sure you chill them well in the fridge or freezer to leftover potential get them to firm up. Brilliant. Will keep in the fridge for over a week. chocolate 'splitting' - if the melted chocolate splits or goes all grainy looking, this means it’s been exposed to too high a variations for fun temperature. Quickly stir in the cold cream and the eggs and this vegan - replace the cream with coconut milk and replace the should bring it back to normal. Although if it doesn’t there’s not much honey with brown sugar. And instead of the eggs, mash two ripe you can do. Next time make sure the cream only just simmers before bananas and stir through the melted chocolate. removing from the heat and adding the chocolate.

dairy-free - replace the cream with coconut milk or other non- not chocolatey enough - next time use a better quality chocolate dairy milk such as soy or milk. with at least 70% cocoa solids.

nut-free - just skip the nuts or replace with 4-5 tablespoons of oat short on time? - turn these into ‘no bake’ brownies by skipping the bran for some interesting texture. eggs and honey and allowing the mixture to chlll for an hour or so in the freezer. egg-free - replace the eggs with two ripe mashed bananas.

budget - replace the honey with white sugar and skip the nuts. serving suggestions Consider using a chocolate with a lower cocoa solids content but Serve in small squares on their own. try and keep it to 50% or above. berry mousse This super quick dessert is great for when you feel like whipping up something sweet after your main course. Feel free to play around with different berries - either frozen or fresh. berry mousse berry mousse serves 4 300mL (1 1/4cups) whipping cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 250g (9oz) mixed berries

1. Whip cream until you have soft peaks. Add in vanilla.

2. Mash berries with a fork until you have a rough puree.

3. Fold the berries through the cream, leaving it a little unmixed or ‘swirled’.

4. Divide between 4 small glasses and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready.

video » berry mousse ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely. Will keep in the fridge for a few days. not sweet enough - this is really relying on the ripeness of the berries to give enough sweetness. Serve with a little icing sugar leftover potential (powdered) sugar for people to adjust the sweetness level if you’re Great. Keep in the fridge for a few days, possibly longer. worried about it.

variations for fun watery - sounds like the cream wasn’t whipped enough OR the vegan / dairy-free - try berry sorbet instead, Whizz frozen berries weren’t ripe enough. Change the name to ‘berry soup’. :) berries in a food processor until you have a lovely ‘sorbet’ texture. About 300g (10oz) berries will serve 3-4. grainy - be careful when whipping the cream not to take it too far to the ‘grainy’ stage. The fruit will help or berry & coconut - chill 2 cans of coonut milk. Remove the lid and whip the solid coconut ‘cream’ leaving behind the watery liquid. short on time? - use an electric mixer to whip the cream or if you’re Swirl in berry puree as above. really desperate try out of a can...or better yet, serve the berries with some commercial vanilla ice cream. rhubarb mousse - sprinkle about 500g (1lb) generously with sugar and roast for 20 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Fold serving suggestions through the cream instead of the berry puree. Lovely as is in small, pretty glasses with teaspoons.

stonefruit mousse - remove the seeds from 4 ripe peaches or Some cruched meringues sprinkled over or stirred through will add 8 apricots and puree the fruit in the food processor. Swirl through interesting texture and ‘crunch’. cream instead of the berries.

even healthier mousse - whip only half the cream and stir in natural yoghurt to make up the remaining half. peanut butter chocolate fudge Fudge isn’t something you’d normally associate with healthy treats. But this version is super special, with no added sugar and hidden ‘fiber’ in the form of oat bran. peanut butter chocolate fudge peanut butter chocolate fudge makes 16-20 squares 200g (7oz) coconut milk 200g (7oz) dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped 100g (3.5oz) peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons oat bran, optional

1. Bring coconut milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, line a loaf pan with foil or baking paper.

2. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stand for a few minutes so the chocolate melts.

3. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and oat bran, if using.

4. Transfer fudge mixture to the prepared tin and refrigerate for a few hours, or until set.

5. Chop into small squares. video » peanut butter chocolate fudge ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Essential. You need at least 2-3 hours to get the mixture to set in not setting - We’re relying on the cocoa butter in the chocolate the fridge. to ‘set’ the fudge. If you’ve left it until well chilled and it’s still runny it means your chocolate didn’t have enough cocoa solids. Next time leftover potential make sure your chocolate has at least 70% cocoa solids. Will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. chocolate 'splitting' - if the melted chocolate splits or goes variations for fun all grainy looking, this means it’s been exposed to too high a nut-free - just skip the peanut butter. temperature. Quickly stir in the cold cream and the eggs and this should bring it back to normal. Although if it doesn’t there’s not much dairy lovers - replace the coconut milk with regular whipping you can do. Next time make sure the cream only just simmers before cream. removing from the heat and adding the chocolate.

fiber plus - double the level of oat bran in the recipe. not chocolatey enough - next time use a better quality chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids. budget - skip the vanilla extract. short on time? - chill in the freezer. super crunchy - mix in a handfuls or roasted peanut halves. serving suggestions Small squares please! bran muffins Some may think that bran muffins = boring. But the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

Supermoist from the almond meal, the oat bran provide interesting texture without the mouth drying sensation you’d get from wheat bean . bran muffins makes 12 250g (9oz) pitted dates, chopped 150g (5oz) butter 125g (4.5oz)oat bran 125g (4.5oz)almond meal 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 eggs bran 1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Line a 12 hole muffin tray with muffins papers. 2. Place dates in a bowl and cover with 2/3 cup boiling water.

3. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the oat bran, almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon and eggs.

4. Add the dates and water and mix until just combined.

5. Divide mixture between the prepared muffin holes.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. video » bran muffins ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely. Will keep in an airtight container for a few days. too dry - sounds like over baked muffins. Serve with butter or cream ALthough also lovely fresh out of the oven. or natural yoghurt and next time get them out of the oven earlier.

leftover potential not sweet enough - we’re relying on the dates to give our sweet Will keep in an airtight container for a few days or possibly a week. flavour so these muffins aren’t meant to be really sweet. Sprinkle Although to be honest they haven’t ever hung around here for long with a little icing (powdered) sugar or serve with honey if you need a enough. sweeter muffin. Next time stir in 1/4cup sugar with the eggs. variations for fun vegan - replace the butter with vegetable oil (no need to melt) and serving suggestions replace the eggs with 2 mashed ripe bananas. Serve as is or with butter. Some people might like theirs with honey or jam. dairy-free - replace the butter with vegetable oil.

egg-free - replace the eggs with 2 ripe mashed bananas.

nut-free - replace the almond meal with regular all purpose flour. Be careful not to overmix.

different fruit - pretty much any dried fruit will work here. Raisins, dried apricots or sultanas or a mixture would be all lovely. amazing fruit & vegetable cake If you’re worried the healthy name of this cake is going to turn some people off, feel free to use it’s alter-ego ‘the supermoist vanilla cake’. the amazing fruit & amazing fruit & vegetable cake vegetable cake serves 6-8 2 ripe bananas 250g (9oz) almond meal 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 eggs 250g (9oz) carrots, grated

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Line the base of a 20cm (8in) springform pan with baking paper. And grease well with butter or oil.

2. Mash the bananas into the almond meal and stir in the vanilla, carrots and eggs.

3. Place in the prepared tin and smooth the top.

4. Pop on a baking tray and then bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and feels firm. Cool in the tin. video » the amazing fruit & vegetable cake ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Absolutely. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week too dry - This cake is naturally moist from the banana and carrot so if or so. ALthough it is really lovely still a little warm from the oven. you’re finding it too dry it could be over baked. Next time try adding in leftover potential 1/4 cup vegetable oil to keep things lubricated. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or so. not sweet enough - next time use more vanilla and make sure your bananas are really ripe. For now serve drizzled with honey or sprinkled variations for fun with icing (powdered) sugar. vegan - try replacing the eggs with 1/2 cup vegetable oil and short on time? - use a food processor to grate the carrots and bake increasing the bananas to 4. Not sure how it will go though.. in perpared muffin pans instead of as a large cake. Will probably only take 20 minutes as a muffin. nut-free - replace the almond meal with all purpose (plain) flour. serving suggestions zucchini - replace the carrot with grated zucchini. ALthough this cake is lovely and moist, I think it’s better with a little cream or sour cream or natural yoghurt. budget - replace the almond meal with flour and consider skipping the vanilla. chocolate chip banana ice cream This is easily the healthiest ‘ice cream’ recipe I know. I’ve made it a little more decadent here with the addition of dark chocolate chunks. But really chocolate chip banana ice cream it tastes far more indulgent than it actually is. chocolate chip banana ice cream

serves 2 2 bananas 1 teaspoon vanilla extract handful dark chocolate

1. Peel and chop bananas and freeze overnight or for at least 6 hours.

2. When you’re ready to eat, pop the bananas in your food processor with vanilla and a few tablespoons water.

3. Chop chocolate into chunks or shavings - whatever you feel like.

4. Whizz banana until smooth and ‘ice creamy’.

5. Pulse in the chocolate and serve ASAP. video » chocolate chip banana ice cream ..... prepare ahead? problem solving guide Best if freshly made. banana not whizzing - it can take a little while for the banana to leftover potential melt enough to puree. Add a little more water and be patient. Freeze leftovers in a small container. Pop back in the food bland - we’re relying on the bananas here. Next time use ripe processor to whizz again and get rid of any ice crystals before bananas. For now a little more chocolate and vanilla can help. serving again.. short on time? - don’t be tempted to freeze the bananas without variations for fun peeling them first - it’s far more difficult to chop and peel a frozen vegan - make sure you’re using a chocolate without any milk banana (although not impossible, I’ve learned form experience). solids. serving suggestions double choc - add a few tablespoons cooca powder with the Best in individual bowls served with teaspoons. bananas.

honey - skip the chocolate and serve ice cream drizzled with a little honey instead.

budget - skip the chocolate and vanillla and serve the banana straight up. The author of this e-cookbook is Jules Clancy.

I’m a qualified Food Scientist, and the creator of the simple food about blog Stonesoup and the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School. I’ve been writing my blog since 2005 because I believe that the the author ability to cook simple, healthy, delicious food is a basic skill, like reading, that everyone should and can have.

When I’m not cooking, writing about food or taking photographs [of food], I can be found indulging my passions for long boozy lunches, travel, running, cookbooks, growing my own veggies, cheese, red shoes and Irishmen, [OK one Irishman in particular].

You can contact me at: [email protected]