Calamari loves to quickly cooked, and it doesn’t need to be deep fried to still be delicious. This recipe ticks lots of boxes for me, it’s quick, easy and all the cutting for the salsa is balance by the lack of it for the calamari.
MISO CARAMELISED EGGPLANT IN LETTUCE CUPS
I never used to be an eggplant fan. It was too often, butter, soggy or watery. I’ve learnt that when it’s cooked in certain ways it is so delicious. This is one of those ways, in this little recipe the eggplant becomes meaty and laden with umami rich flavours from the miso paste. The crisp lettuce cups are a perfect foil to this salty richness.
SPICED MINCE WITH GREEN BEANS AND HOMMUS
This might seem like a strange meal to some but it is seriously more-ish. The cucumber salad on the side brings everything together and you’ll end up licking the plate. Such a great meal to share. It’s also pretty easy to whip up and full of vegetables, protein and fibre – perfect.
BARBECUED BROCCOLI WITH ALMOND AND CHILLI
Broccoli is one of my favourite vegetables and this recipe works with both broccoli and broccolini. Over here in the southern hemisphere we’re busy barbecuing everything in sight and in my house vegetables do not escape the grill!
BEETROOT, SPINACH AND GOATS CHEESE GALETTE
All the things about this tart make me very happy. Earthy, sweet beetroot, bright green spinach, the pretty beetroot greens and the creamy goats cheese. This is a fairly classic combination, but I’ve included a few tweaks in this recipe to include more vegetables and use some of my favourite things. The result is a nutty, sweet and salty tart that I love for lunch or dinner.
SLOW ROASTED TOMATO PASTA
Healthy meals shouldn’t be difficult and sometimes you need a simple pasta dish up your sleeve. And this one is a winner. Plus it’s perfect for summer as that’s when these ingredients are at their tastiest. The key to this pasta is quality produce, you need ripe flavoursome tomatoes, fragrant basil and good quality oil and balsamic.
PEA AND ZUCCHINI SALAD WITH MOZZARELLA
This salad is fresh and delicious, the perfect thing to accompany a summer barbecue. The ribbons of zucchini curl around the juicy peas, and the sharp vinaigrette balances the creamy mozzarella and sweet peas perfectly.
FRIED RICE WITH CUCUMBER AND CORIANDER SALAD
Fried rice is one of my favourite things. Not wasting leftovers is another of my favourite things. Christmas is a time when we tend to over cater in my household, and coming up with new ways of using the leftovers is a fun post Christmas game. This fried rice is super tasty, full of veg and can use up a tonne of left over bits and pieces in your fridge.
CHICKEN, GINGER, CHILLI AND ALL THE GREEN THINGS RICE NOODLES
These noodles are full of flavour and nutrient packed ingredients! You can use any green vegetables you want, go with what’s in season. They’re also quick and easy to make as you can be as fancy or as basic as you like with your ingredient prep and using lean chicken mince means you don’t need to cut any chicken – another time saver.
VEGETARIAN DUMPLINGS WITH CRACK SAUCE
These dumplings are filled with a great mix of vegetables and slathered in a very addictive sauce. So they’re all about balance and I love that! I like them best steamed and then generously dribbled in sauce. The chilli in the sauce isn’t just tasty, it’s great for you too.