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light meals

roast pumpkin, tofu & soba salad

January 26, 2012
light meals, low fodmap, mains, salads
4 Comments

It’s been a huge couple of weeks. Lots to think about, lots of decisions and changes to be made and life has taken a big turn (to say the least). I’ll try to race through this as quickly as possible.

So, I got accepted into university. When I think about the last 12 years and all that has gone on, I could hardly believe that I got an offer to the uni of my choice. I am still a little shocked about it all. I’m proud and overjoyed but I’m also very scared about what this means for me financially. Coming from full time work with a loan strapped tightly to me, and supporting myself, I’m worried about whether I could handle it all for the next 4 years. I’m not the best to deal with stress and having no regular/firm income is going to be tough for me. Making sure I can put in the effort of doing 4 subjects full time, while having enough money to pay everything by the month is going to be a challenge. I really want to give it a go because I have worked so hard for it. So, I did enrol. However, I’m still thinking about deferring right now because it all seems too hard/expensive right now. I’m really happy I made it to this point though. Just having a choice is a wonderful feeling in itself. So I guess I have to do a lot of soul searching and thinking and then just roll with it and hope for the best. Fingers crossed I can take the plunge. It will be worth it. I wouldn’t have to drag myself to jobs I hate anymore for one. That would be quite nice.

While I have managed to turn my life around significantly (really only over the last few years), I still have a lot of work to do. Happiness is an ongoing journey after all, isn’t it? One thing I’ve been trying very hard to achieve is staying positive. Really challenging when you’ve had such a negative mindset for such a long time. I always strive to uplift others but I don’t put enough effort into my own happiness.  I have decided it’s time to put some real effort in. I’ve been completing exercises and reading books centred towards improving my ability to think rationally and remain happy and flexible in the face of challenges. I’m going with the idea of ‘what you think, is what you feel.’

I’ve also been trying especially hard to eat well and exercise. I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and walking a lot. I’ve managed to stick out drinking a lot of water too, which has been great. I certainly feel more energised when I’ve had enough water!

Not really too much else is happening but I’ve been kept busy and I have a lot of organising to do. I created this warm salad the other night and ate it at a park with some strawberries for dessert. It turned out really well and it was very easy to make. Budget friendly, as well.

Serves 2 hungry people.

 

INGREDIENTS

extra virgin olive oil

100g of 100% buckwheat soba noodles (use whichever type of soba you like)

quarter of a small pumpkin, cut into small cubes

250g tofu, cut into small cubes

2 tbs tamari

2 tbs grated fresh ginger

1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary

large handful rocket and baby spinach

 

METHOD

Cook soba noodles according to packet directions and set aside.

Preheat oven to 200. Pop your pumpkin on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, place your ginger, tamari, some olive oil then your tofu. Mix ingredients together. Place under the grill on low-medium heat for 5 minutes.

When everything is ready, place together with the rocket and baby spinach in a large bowl and toss. Serve warm.

miso noodle & vegetable soup

January 17, 2012
light meals, lunch, mains, soup
4 Comments

I was in need of something nourishing and found a great noodle soup to play with on Green Kitchen Stories. If you’ve not yet stumbled across this beautiful blog, please head over and say hello. I have tried many recipes from there at this point and I am always impressed with how great I feel after I eat the end result!

This particular soup is packed full of vegetables and all sorts of goodness – I added some tofu and it was perfect. I’ve posted the original recipe below, with some slight editing to accommodate for my ingredients.

Enjoy!

 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 fresh chilli

2 cloves garlic

2-inches (5 cm) fresh ginger

1 stalk fresh lemongrass

1/2 leek

4 small carrots

1/2 cup broccoli

6 shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup  fennel bulb

1/2 cup green beans

8 cups water, boiled

6 tbsp miso paste

1 tbsp tamari

100g tofu

270g soba noodles

1 handful coriander

mixed sesame seeds

1 lime

 

METHOD

Preparing the vegetables: Finely slice the chili, mince garlic and ginger, cut the lemongrass in half and “bruise” it with the bottom of your chef’s knife. Finely slice leek, carrots (use a peeler) and divide the Romanesco into small pieces. Cut the brown mushroom into quarters, slice the fennel bulb and chop the fennel greens. Trim the green beans by removing the top stems.

Preparing the miso: Pour 4 cups boiling water in a pot, add miso paste and whisk. Add soy sauce, chili, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and set a side for a couple of minutes.

Preparing the noodles: Meantime, pour the remaining water (4 cups) in a new pot. Place it on the stow on medium heat, add a pinch of salt and the noodles, cook them according to the package.

Assembling the soup: When the noodles are done, place them and all the vegetables in the miso soup and reheat it with the tofu, making sure it doesn’t boil. Pour in 4 bowls and top with freshly chopped cilantro, lime juice and sesame seeds.

‘lively up yourself’ lentil soup

January 15, 2012
light meals, lunch, mains, soup
1 Comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a big week at work and I was glad to see the end of the Friday working day. I spent my evening with family, helping look after one special little girl with some others, while her baby brother was being welcomed into the world and settling in with his parents at hospital. On Saturday I got to meet the new little family member and it was just about one of the most exciting things I’ve experienced in my life.

I have never held a one day old baby before and I was a little nervous. It was a lovely experience either way though. I felt a little teary for some reason and it was a lovely moment – everyone in the room sharing such an important occasion. I came home and had a big sleep, as I was knackered out.

Today we went back for another little visit and this gorgeous little boy fell asleep on me for some time. I could feel his chest rising ever so quickly with each of his precious breaths. His facial expression changed almost constantly for a while, then he fell into a deep sleep with his hands and face scrunched against my chest, occasionally making small noises. I felt so calm around this little guy. It made me think of the importance of being there for others – helping them grow, being there for a cuddle and all the rest. I also had a bit of a think this afternoon about what it means to be a good person and decided that I’d create an ongoing life time goal for myself: being the best person I can be. I want to be consistently kind to people and make others happy. To not judge people and to have a better understanding of where people are coming from. I feel as though I can be such a socially awkward person sometimes and I want to put in a bit more effort to change this. So I have a bit to think through!

Anyhow, to the food. I needed something nourishing and remembered this gorgeous recipe from Heidi’s wonderful blog, that I tried last year. It is oh so tasty and so very nourishing. Also very easy. This recipe serves 6 people. I have added/changed a few things according to what I had but it’s essentially the same as the original.

 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups French lentils, picked over and rinsed

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 large brown onion, chopped

1 700g jar crushed tomatoes (100% with no additives)

1 large roma tomato, chopped into large chunks

2 cups water

3 cups of a big leafy silverbeet/chard, rinsed well, deveined, finely chopped

Saffron Yogurt

a pinch of saffron (30-40 threads)

1 tablespoon boiling water

1/2 cup low fat Greek Yogurt

 

METHOD

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

While the lentils are cooking, make the saffron yogurt by combining the saffron threads and boiling water in a tiny cup. Let the saffron steep for a few minutes. Now stir the saffron along with the liquid into the yogurt. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and saute for a couple of minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Ladle into bowls, and serve with a dollop of the saffron yogurt.

 

(Source)

soba mango salad with tofu & eggplant roast

November 15, 2011
light meals, lunch, mains, salads
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This is a perfect Summer week night dinner. I’ve not baked tofu before and it’s gorgeous. I’m probably going to set the dressing recipe aside to use in the future for different dishes as well. I love toasted sesame! This recipe has been taken and tweaked ever so slightly from my favourite Australian blog, One Small Kitchen.

Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium-sized eggplant (aubergine), diced
1 medium-sized mango, diced
180g firm tofu, diced
large handful of chives, chopped
180g soba noodles
splash of olive oil

Dressing
3 tbs toasted sesame seeds (just fry over a pan for a minute or so)
2.5 tbs mirin
1.5 tbs tamari
1.5 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp crushed chilli
2 tbs water

METHOD

Combine dressing ingredients except water in a small bowl. Taste and adjust as required before adding water to thin out.

Slug a bit of olive oil onto an oven tray and arrange eggplant and tofu atop, mixing to roughly coat with oil. Drizzle half of the dressing over the lot and bake at 180 degrees celcius for 30 minutes, or until browned.

Cook soba noodles as per packet directions.

Plunge noodles in cold water and drain, and wait for eggplant and tofu to cool if serving chilled. Divide noodles between bowls and add tofu and eggplant mix, mango and herbs. Spoon remaining dressing over.

 

(Source)

tomato, ginger & orange chutney

November 10, 2011
chutney, light meals, preserves
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As I mentioned a while back, I was given some jars and decided I’d try my hand at chutney and jam. I made a tomato & capsicum chutney and then a couple of jams. Yesterday, I stumbled across a great looking recipe and decided that I may as well make the most of the rest of the empty jars I had. Although it took quite a while chopping the ginger and garlic, it’s well worth it. It looks fantastic and tastes even better. Orange peel was listed as optional in the recipe but I personally think it’s essential. Such a lovely sweet contrast to the salty, more sour ingredients. If you want a bit more kick, just add some more cayenne towards the end before you place it in jars.

I’ve given a few jars away as gifts and I enjoyed the rest of it with my dinner tonight: some grilled chicken, brown rice, mango and a fresh side salad. I’ll be making this one again for sure. It’s THAT good.

Makes around 1.4 litres.

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup finely-julienned peeled ginger

1/2 cup thinly sliced garlic

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups raw sugar

1 1/2 tbs cayenne pepper

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

1 tsp salt

grated peel of one orange

METHOD

Place all the ingredients except the orange peel (start with the smaller amounts given) in a heavy pot and bring to a boil, stirring so everything gets well combined.

Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the chutney reaches the consistency of a soft jam. It will be around 2 hours until it’s ready. Keep closer to the stove towards the end as it will start to get sticky.

Add the orange peel and more cayenne if you want a bit more kick.

 

Proceed with your favorite canning method.

Otherwise, it can be stored in the fridge in a container for a few weeks.

(Source)

Nicoise salmon salad

August 24, 2011
light meals, lunch, mains
1 Comment

 

I was lucky enough to have this cooked for me tonight. Rupert thought it was pretty good as well; I left the room for about 30 seconds and caught him trying to steal it. Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

3 organic free-range eggs

4 small waxy potatoes, peeled

100g round green beans, trimmed

1 garlic clove

2 anchovy fillets

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 lime, juiced

125ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil

2 salmon fillets

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

10 heirloom tomatoes,  halved

6 pitted kalamata olives

1 tbs chives, chopped

 

METHOD

Place the eggs in a pan of cold water and cook over high heat for five minutes. Drain, allow to cool, then peel and set aside.

Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water for 8-10 minutes until tender. Set aside to cool, then slice. Blanch the beans for one minute in boiling, salted water. Refresh and set aside to cool.

Place the remaining raw egg, garlic, anchovies, mustard and lime juice in a food processor and mix to combine. Gradually add half of the oil until thickened. Set aside.

Preheat grill to high. Brush the salmon with oil and season, then cook for two minutes each side until crisp but still rare. Combine remaining oil and vinegar and season. Quarter the eggs and place in a bowl. Add tomato, beans, potatoes, olives and half the chives. Toss with oil and vinegar.

Divide between bowls, break salmon into pieces and add to each bowl.

Drizzle with the dressing and garnish with remaining chives and black pepper.

ginger soy crusted salmon

August 14, 2011
light meals, mains, seafood
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I try to have salmon once a week. I love it.  This is very much a perfect week night meal for anyone that might be time poor, like I currently am. Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup brown basmati rice

1 tsp sesame oil

2cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated

3/4 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tsp reduced-salt tamari sauce

1 tsp macadamia oil

2 salmon fillets

2 small bunches bok choy

1 medium zucchini

1 medium sized carrot

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

lime wedges, to serve

METHOD

Cook brown rice according to packet directions, drain and set aside.

Combine sesame oil, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl.

Heat macadamia oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry salmon until cooked through and crispy. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add bok choy to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. pan.  Add zucchini, carrot and spring onion. Cook until greens are wilted.

Toss the rice, oil mixture and vegetables in a bowl. Dish out into plates.

Top with the salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serve with lime wedges.

soba & vegetables with toasted walnut, nori and lemon tahini dressing

August 5, 2011
light meals, mains
2 Comments

So, I love Fridays. Especially stress/work free Fridays. I worked from home for a couple of hours today and then I spent the rest of my day enjoying myself and taking a breather. I really needed it. I had a beautiful breakfast and then spent a lot of time singing as loudly as I possibly could, dancing and cleaning out clutter. From my mind and around my room.

I was blessed with another wonderful sunny day and I took advantage of it by grabbing my hula hoop and heading outside to give my abs a bit of a work out, sun dancing on my skin. I haven’t been exercising nearly half as much as I would like, so it’s great having the hoop handy when I want to sneak in a fun 20 minute session of light working out.

I used to spend a lot of time out on the weekends. Nowadays, I’m so much more content to stay in, watch a film, cook a beautiful meal and get a good night’s sleep so that I can enjoy my Saturday without feeling the effects of ‘Friday night drinks’. I’m really pleased with what I put together tonight. My cat was extremely enthusiastic about the toasted nori which made my dinner experience pretty hilarious. He was desperate to share my food with me and tried everything he possibly could to be included. This recipe serves 2 but if you’re super hungry like I was, it’s 1 nice big serve.

INGREDIENTS

kernels from one small corn cob

handful of broccoli florets

1 small carrot, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup spinach/silverbeet

90g soba noodles

small sheet of nori, broken into pieces

handful of walnuts, chopped

1 tbs tamari sauce

1 tbs tahini

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 small dash brown rice vinegar

2 tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp furikake (optional)

METHOD

In a small pan, toast walnuts and nori for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan every so often. The nuts can burn quite easily, so keep a close eye on them. Set aside.

Blanch carrot and broccoli and set aside.

In a small bowl mix the tahini, tamari, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and brown rice vinegar. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

Cook your soba noodles according to packet directions and drain.

Heat a medium frying pan. Place all of the vegetables, the soba noodles and dressing in the pan cook gently for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and remove from heat.

Serve it up and garnish with the toasted walnuts, nori and furikake.

Enjoy!

x

chopped miso salad

August 4, 2011
light meals, lunch, salads
4 Comments

I am pretty much obsessed with anything miso at the moment. I’ll be having this for lunch tomorrow and I can’t wait. The dressing is really lovely. Makes 2 servings.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup spring onions, thinly sliced

splash of extra-virgin olive oil for cooking shallots

pinch of salt

1 tbs miso paste

1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard

1 tbs good quality pure honey

1/8 cup brown rice vinegar

1/6 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 of a purple cabbage

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 medium red onion, diced

200g tofu, chopped into small cubes

1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets

METHOD

Cook the shallots, olive oil and a touch of sea salt in a frying pan over medium heat. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until they get crisp and brown (this will take around 10-15 minutes). Set the spring onions aside and cook tofu in the same pan for 5 minutes, or until browned.

Mix the miso paste, mustard powder, honey and rice wine vinegar until smooth. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.

Boil some water and blanch the broccoli pieces for a couple of minutes. Drain and set aside.

Shred the cabbage, discarding the core. Gently toss all ingredients, covering them evenly with the miso dressing.

(Adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Quesadillas (with home-made spelt tortillas)

July 31, 2011
light meals, lunch, mains
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These quesadillas are the bomb.

Before I go into the recipe, I’ll fill you in on my day. I woke up to my creepy cat sitting on my bedside table staring right at me and got up for some cereal and cartoons. I really enjoyed watching cartoons over breakfast as a little person and I love it just as much now. So much that I have made a pact with myself to do it far more often.

I grabbed a coffee and sat at the park near my house, reading and people watching.  For the first time in a long while, it was warm enough for me to walk around barefoot and sunbathe in the park. A perfect morning. I then came home and listened to some classical music (I’ve been enjoying this genre as of late) while I cleaned out our bookshelf. I have been meaning to tidy it for a while, as the clutter was driving me a little batty. It was a fun exercise but now it all looks a little too structured for me and things don’t fit in there!

I decided to have a go of Heidi’s quesadilla recipe for tonight’s dinner. I did change a couple of things, the first being that I didn’t use store bought tortillas. I had some leftover spelt flour, so I thought I’d make my own. It was a fairly simple process in spite of it being a little fiddly. They are cheap to make and I thought tastier than store bought tortillas. They would probably taste even better with some herbs through them.

The only thing I’d change about my evening is that I would pay a little more attention in the kitchen. I somehow managed to light the whole box of matches I had in my hand on fire, which resulted in my throwing them everywhere in a panic. It was a bit of a pain having to pick a gazillion scattered matches up off the floor while trying to prep my meal. Anyhow, this was a great dinner that I will certainly be making again. Very simple, tasty and versatile. Here is my version, which makes 4 very filling quesadillas.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup wholemeal spelt flour

3/4 tsp gluten free baking powder

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil + extra for frying

1 cup hot water (you may need a touch more if your dough is on the dry side)

zest and a touch of juice from one large lemon

4 tbs natural yoghurt

4 large tbs capers

4 organic free range eggs

1/2 cup grated pecorino/fresh parmesan cheese

large handful fresh chives, chopped

1/2 red onion, sliced

baby spinach leaves, to serve

METHOD

For the tortillas

Mix the spelt flour, baking powder, oil and hot water in a medium sized bowl. If the mixture is a little dry, try adding an extra 1 or 2 tbs of hot water. Divide the dough into 4 equal sized balls, then allow to rest, covered, for around 30 minutes.

Preheat frying pan over medium-high heat. Roll each ball of dough into very thin, flat 15-17cm circles. Cook one at a time in the pan for about 60 seconds, flipping half-way through when bubbles start to pop up and a few brown spots have shown. Keep warm and soft by storing them in plastic wrap, with wet paper towels on the top and bottom of the stack. Set aside.

Now for the rest:

Mix the yoghurt with the lemon zest and a touch of juice. Set aside.

Pan fry your capers over medium-high heat for approx 1 min. Set aside.

Beat your eggs and a touch of cracked black pepper in a small bowl.

Heat a small dash of oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 portion of your egg and let it cook for around 10 seconds. Place a tortilla straight over the top and when the egg has stuck to the tortilla and seems set, flip it over.

Pop some cheese, red onion and chives onto the egg and continue to cook until the cheese has just started to melt. Repeat for remaining 3 tortillas/egg portions.

Fold the cooked tortilla in half and plate it up. Garnish with yoghurt, baby spinach, capers and any leftover chives and lemon zest that you might have.

Enjoy! xx

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