YUMMMMMM! Carrot cake, but healthy? Yes please! I am a big carrot cake fan (thus these carrot cake waffles) and also a big bliss balls fan. These guys came about as a treat to take on the plane with me and a way to use a carrot I had left in the fridge.
DIPS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR SNACKING FOR THE BETTER
Eating the recommended intake of vegetables gets a whole lot easier when you’re including them in your snacks. Not a snacker? Then use these dips as part of a delicious lunch spread instead. They are loaded with goodness from vegetables, healthy fats and nuts and are great spread on crackers, rice cakes or sticks of vegetables. Not only that, both are full of flavour.
SWEET POTATO AND CRISPY KALE FRITTERS
I’m really into making delicious meals out of what’s in the fridge and pantry at the moment rather than going and buying specific ingredients. It’s all in an effort to waste less and be more economical but it’s also kind of fun. Like playing ‘mystery box challenge’ with yourself – wow what a sad sentence! Anyway out of this habit has come some really great meals and this was one of them. Flavoured with ginger and turmeric and full of crispy edges and just tender sweet potato these are a great breakfast, lunch or light dinner idea. I highly recommend serving them with tangy greek yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon.
GREEN WINTER SLAW
If you’ve been following my blog or Instagram for a while now you may have noticed that I quite like slaw. And by quite like I mean I like it a lot. I like that it’s so easy to do and adds crunch and vibrancy to any meal. It’s also super versatile and can be Asian inspired or lean towards Mexican or even italian. This slaw is fresh and crunchy and uses ingredients that are in season in Melbourne at the moment. Fresh crunchy salads aren’t only for summer they can add a lightness and crunch to delicious winter comfort food. This slaw uses snow peas, kohlrabi and cabbage and is dressed very simply. You could use an avocado dressing if you’re more into mayonnaise with your slaw (but ti’s not actually mayo!).
ROAST CARROTS WITH TAHINI YOGHURT SAUCE
‘Tis the season for all things orange: pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots and… well… oranges! I’ve been mucking around with different incarnations of this roast carrot recipe for a few weeks now and this is by far my favourite combination. The fat soluble vitamins in carrots are easily digested due to the oil they’re roasted in and the sauce they are served with so you’re getting the most out of these little guys. try to buy organic carrots when possible so that you can eat the skins without worrying about the nasties that could be on them. I got lucky and found some locally grown, organic baby carrots at my local grocer. With a simple side like this the quality of your ingredients is so important.
SWEDE AND KOHLRABI FRITTERS
It’s root vegetable season and I’m getting into it in a serious way. I’m trying different ways of cooking my favourite root vegetables (helllooooo Parsnip Fries) as well as trying some that I wouldn’t normally eat loads of. I’m definitely a lover of fritters and was craving a more wintery version of what I would normally make… and this is what happened. Do you use kohlrabi much? It has a texture that’s not dissimilar to broccoli stem and it tastes a bit like that mixed with a turnip. I’ve found it has more flavour if you cook it with the skin on so that’s what I’ve done here. I’ve added the Swedes because I love their slight sweetness and they give great golden colour and smooth texture to the fritters. Fritters are such a great breakfast or lunch food as they allow you to get lots more veg! Served with a simple side salad and maybe a dipping sauce these make the perfect lunch or breakfast.
PARSNIP FRIES WITH HARISSA DIPPING SAUCE
Is there anything better than fries? That crisp outside and instant dippability (it’s a word, shut up spell check). Actually anything that you can dip into a tasty sauce is pretty fabulous in my book (sweet potato crisps, popcorn cauliflower). These parsnip fries have a lot going from them, parsnips natural ability to caramelise is definitely one of them. The natural sweetness of the parsnip is so good with the spicy harissa sauce. 
SPINACH, LEEK AND LEMON BUCKWHEAT ‘RISOTTO’ WITH THYME MUSHROOMS
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.
AVOCADO, BASIL AND YOGHURT DRESSING (AKA SHREK SAUCE)
I have to thank my mum for this little creation, a few weeks ago she asked me to make a green salad for a Sunday feast we were having (these are a weekly event, Dad cooks entree and mains and Mum comes in with a spectacular dessert – it’s a wonder I’m not obese!), and I decided to take her very literally haha. Everything I put in the salad was green (cos lettuce, cucumber, finely sliced celery, parsley, pumpkin seeds etc) and to up the greenness I wanted to make a bright green dressing. And voila, this happened. It is super tasty, full of nutrients and oh so creamy.
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.