Mushrooms add such amazing flavour to a dish. this recipe uses a mixture of fresh and dried mushrooms as the intensity of the dried mushrooms adds a real umami flavour. The buckwheat ‘risotto’ has been in the works for sometime now but it took a while to get the texture and flavour just right. Hitting the stock with pureed spinach adds extra flavour and intense green to this dish. It’s a lighter version of risotto, and full of vegetables, and a magnesium boost from the buckwheat.
CHARRED BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH MISO BUTTER, CHILLI AND GARLIC
I love brussel sprouts. Four words my 10 year old self would be horrified to hear me say. Luckily that scenario is not possible! Because I don’t live in a science fiction movie (unfortunately, damn you stupid reality)- not because the statement is untrue. Brussel sprouts are up there with my favourite vegetables. And they love butter and some heavy caramelisation. They are very good friends with those two things. Add some garlic and chilli and you have brussel sprout bliss. Top that with a liberal squeeze of zingy lime and some coriander and you’ll start converting brussel haters. And did I mention that the before mentioned butter has been mixed with miso paste? No, well that part is pretty essential….
CAULIFLOWER RICE, ALMOND AND HERB SALAD
Cauliflower rice is such a great way to get an extra vegetable into your meal. It’s easy, has a lovely light texture and soaks up flavour. The flavours and textures of this salad are addictive: sweet, savoury, a little bit of heat, with chewy dried fruit, crunchy nuts and finished with fresh herbs. You can serve it warm in winter or cold at a summer barbecue.
PUMPKIN AND MANCHEGO LOAF
Yay for savoury pumpkin bread! As it’s a savoury recipe it has no added sugar, is full of added nutrients from the pumpkin and is delicious. There’s no butter in the recipe but a swipe of butter on warm pumpkin bread would be glorious. So would some avocado and radishes. The manchego cheese gives it a mild bite that is really lovely with the hint of cayenne. This is great for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
BAKED CORN CHIPS WITH GUACAMOLE
Guac and corn chips… is there any better snack? This is a favourite late afternoon nibble of mine (or as a series of nibbles with drinks, including popcorn cauliflower florets and spicy sweet potato crisps). It’s a super simple snack and you probably don’t even need the guac recipe but this is how I like mine! I know you wanted to know ha. And guess what? Baked corn chips are friggin fantastic! Skip the fried and pop some tortilla’s in the oven.
RAINBOW SALAD BOWLS
At the moment I’m all about lunch. I have a couple of go to favourite lunches. No. 1 is last night’s dinner (I am a lazy girl at heart!) and No. 2 is a rainbow salad bowl (which often involves last nights dinner ha). They’re such a great way to get loads of high nutrient unprocessed foods into your diet and are ridiculously tasty. Also, you never get bored of them because they can be varied endlessly. This post gives you a set of guidelines of what to include to be sure of a delicious and nutrient packed lunch, but remember they are guidelines, not rules, so take the reigns and make your salad bowl your own. The key is to get the balance right.
ASIAN SLAW
This is my go to slaw. It makes it into my rainbow lunch bowls, chicken burgers and is the base of my favourite chicken salad. I also love serving it with a roast chicken! I even mix around some of the ingredients in the dressing and take it more towards Mexican and add it to tacos. It’s full of flavour, texture and colour. What more could you want?
ZUCCHINI AND PEA FRITTERS
These fritters are fresh and full of flavour. The zucchini and pea can be paired with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand to give it an extra oomph but are also tasty without. They use buckwheat flour so are also grain and gluten free, but you could use any flour you like. I’ve used a mix of almond and coconut flour before too.
SPICY SWEET POTATO CRISPS
I clearly had no idea what to call these. They are sweet and tangy and crispy and fresh. And spicy. Well as spicy as you want them I guess! It’s also sort of a salad. Or a nibble. Or a side dish. Or even a bar snack, along with popcorn cauliflower florets of course! The crisps themselves are baked rather than fried and placed on a mixture of sauces (green thai curry, molasses, black vinegar). They are then topped with a light and fragrant salad of fresh herbs and spices. It’s all a bit magical and crazy really, thus the trouble with the name.
CAULIFLOWER SAUCE
Sometime beige on beige tastes anything but. The main ingredient in this sauce is cauliflower and it can be used on pasta instead of bechamel sauce, it also works well as a substitute for mashed potatoes! I’m a little addicted…