mains

I love chicken noodle soup. If I’m feeling at all under the weather, it always picks me up! This is a pretty easy recipe to get together. You can use whatever noodles you wish – I used tini amaranth and rice penne, which I thought was a perfect addition to the meal. If you feel like a bit of extra kick, add some crushed chilli. Enjoy!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

olive oil

2 small stalks celery, chopped

2 small carrots, diced

6 cups of chicken stock

300g noodles of your choice, cooked and drained

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

two large handfuls of parsley

1 tsp crushed chilli (optional)

METHOD

Heat oil over medium heat, adding the celery and carrot. Season well and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to get soft.

Pop in your stock and bring to a boil. Throw in the noodles, chicken and parsley and once heated through, serve!

10 minute chicken & spinach curry

February 8, 2012

low fodmap, mains

2 Comments

Today was cruisy. I signed up to trial a gym out, so I spent an hour exercising and I’m pretty sore at the moment! It felt great and this afternoon, I managed to feel alert enough to read for a few hours without too much trouble concentrating. I watched some basketball tonight and because I’m working at 7am tomorrow and came home late, decided to cook something easy and low maintenance. I’ve been wanting a curry for a while and I had some leftover chicken, so it seemed like a good opportunity to throw something quick together – no curry paste, long wait or effort required. While it’s not a very rich/thick sauce and requires pretty much no simmering time, it tastes great and isn’t too heavy on the belly. I intentionally left out onions and garlic, for those people out there with allergies, and the flavour was not compromised. Leave out the mushrooms if you’re on a low fodmap diet.

This serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup water

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp tumeric

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

1/2 tsp crushed chilli

250g chicken, cut into 3cm pieces

100g silverbeet (chard), chopped rougly

4 mushrooms, quartered

cooked brown basmati rice, to serve

METHOD

Heat olive in a non stick frying pan.

Add the spices, chilli and ginger, along with 1/2 cup water.

Cook until aromatic, then add the chicken and mushrooms.

Cook for 5-6 minutes, adding water if necessary.

Add chopped spinach, then cook for another 4 minutes.

Serve atop brown rice, garnished with coriander.

barramundi with carrot, parsley & lime salad

February 7, 2012

low fodmap, mains, seafood

2 Comments

I can’t get enough of seafood. I don’t have anything fancy up my sleeve but this really is a perfect no fuss midweek meal – easy to whip up, healthy, light and fresh. Perfect for Summer and I’m a sucker for anything that tastes like lime. The carrot salad is delicious and could be used with a number of dishes, or as a sandwich filling. I served the salad and fish up with steamed bokchoy, brown rice and squash – you can do whatever you wish, I just thought of this as an idea, rather than a firm recipe.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 x barramundi fillets (or fish of your choice)

1 cup cooked brown rice, to serve

vegetables of your choice, to serve

2/4 lime, to serve

Carrot & Parsley Salad

2 small carrots, grated

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped

4 tbs garlic infused olive oil

1 tsp cracked pepper

large pinch of cumin

METHOD

Place your fish under the grill, after slightly brushing it with olive oil. It should take around ten minutes to cook.

Meanwhile, mix the carrots and parsley. In another bowl, mix the remaining ingredients for the carrot salad and then stir through.

Throw your vegetables in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Drain.

When fish is cooked, serve up with carrot salad, vegetables and brown rice.

Enjoy!

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)

spelt pasta with tomato, mushroom & tuna sauce

January 14, 2012

mains, pasta, seafood

world’s greatest chicken and vegetable pie

January 9, 2012

lunch, mains, pies

4 Comments

I know I overdid it with the headline but I am pretty excited about tonight’s cooking effort. I’ve made this pie around ten times now and tonight was definitely my most successful attempt. The mix of vegetables was perfect, as was the top of the pie. I doubled up on the pastry sheets and it came out perfectly – crusty and thick, just as pie pastry should be. My taste tester gave the pie a 9.5/10 rating, which I’m pretty chuffed about and I have to say I agree. Maybe it’s wrong to praise your own cooking but tonight I am going to let myself get away with it.

Anyhow, please make this. It is everything a pie should be and I wish I could eat it every day. I want to make my own spelt pastry next time and see how that goes.

Makes1 big pie, which serves 4 hungry people. I served it with sweet potato mash on the side.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs butter

500g free-range chicken breast fillet, cut into 3cm pieces

1 large leek, white part only, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbs wholemeal flour

1/3 cup water

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup low fat cooking cream

1 tbs dried tarragon

1 large carrot, diced

2 medium sized parsnips, diced

kernels off one corn cob

250g mushrooms, quartered

1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets

1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets

1 large zucchini, diced

pepper, to season

2 sheets shortcrust pastry, thawed

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 organic free-range egg, lightly beaten

METHOD

Steam all of your chopped vegetables, drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large fry pan and cook the chicken pieces until lightly browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside for a moment. Add the leek and garlic to the pan and cook until softened slightly. Add flour and cook for a minute. Add water and bring to the boil, then pour in the stock and cream and cook stirring for 5 minutes. Add tarragon.

Pop your chicken back into the pan with the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Season well and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius

Lightly butter a medium sized baking pan (make sure it’s deep enough to fit all of the filling in).

Line the bottom and sides with shortcrust pastry.

Pour filling in.

Place a double layer of puff pastry on the top. Place small cuts throughout the top with a fork.

Brush with a beaten egg and bake for 35 minutes, or until it’s a gorgeous golden colour

salmon with black bean & roasted tomato salad

January 3, 2012

mains, seafood

8 Comments

So, today I discovered just how hideously unfit I have become. I went for a bike ride and lasted all of 15 minutes before I felt as though I was about to die. I spent the last 15 minutes walking – I was just too tired. I have constructed a goal list on Day Zero Project and one of my goals is to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, for a minimum of 6 months. Sounds easy, right? Well, not so much for me. I do very little exercise and I barely even go on walks at the moment. It’s something I’m not happy with, so I am going to make some big lifestyle changes. I have periods where I’ll get heavily into exercise but they never last long so this time I’m going to try and make it a life time thing. I have bought a diary so I can measure how I’m doing with it all. The other thing I added to my goals list was drinking more water. I’m terrible with that too.

Anyhow, I love to-do lists and I love the feeling of ticking them off. Day Zero came recommended by a friend. Basically, you construct a list of 101 things you’d like to achieve and you have 1001 days to do it. A huge thing but I like the idea of it. It’s fun and will likely motivate me, if only because I am like a kid in some respects. “Look ma, I completed all of my homework”.

Tonight I cooked something simple and tasty. I had a bad experience making chutney this morning (which I have considered a failed experiment), so I decided to take it easy with dinner. The result was pretty awesome. I love anything with a touch of lime. I presoaked and cooked my own dried beans but you could easily use a 400g can of black beans for this, if you’re time deprived.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 tbs olive oil

400g can sweet corn, rinsed and drained

400g cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

250g truss cherry tomatoes

handful chopped coriander

juice of 1/2 lime

juice of 1/2 lemon

large pinch of cumin

1 small glove garlic, crushed

1 small avocado

2 pieces of skinless/boneless salmon

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place truss tomatoes in oven for 10 minutes, or until they split open. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients through, including roasted tomatoes.

Place some slits in your salmon and place it under the grill for 3 minutes, each side.

Serve salad with salmon on top. Season well.

—Scrambled Megs

Archive

mains

vegetarian lasagna with capsicum, ricotta and spinach (gf)

chicken noodle soup (gf)

10 minute chicken & spinach curry

barramundi with carrot, parsley & lime salad

roast pumpkin, tofu & soba salad

miso noodle & vegetable soup

‘lively up yourself’ lentil soup

spelt pasta with tomato, mushroom & tuna sauce

world’s greatest chicken and vegetable pie

salmon with black bean & roasted tomato salad

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