BEEF LETTUCE CUPS

I love this meal because it is fresh, light and oh so easy to make! This dish could also be called San Choy Bau, however I often make my Bau with either chicken or pork mince or a combination of both. I'm not going to lie to you; eating these cups is messy! However it is also very fun and is an incredibly light meal. Make sure to use extra lean beef mince to save on the calories. 

INGREDIENTS

Beef 

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 spring onion, finely chopped

500g extra lean beef mince  

Fillings

•  2 medium carrots, grated
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 Lebanese cucumber or 1/3 of a Continental cucumber, finely diced
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 2 baby cos lettuces, each leaf washed and gently removed from the core so as not to break the leaf

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 - 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce or tamari
• the juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

COOKING 

1. Swirl 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a medium fry pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and spring onion and cook for 1-2 minutes or until just starting to soften. Add the mince and cook, breaking up the lumps with a large spoon, for around 5 minutes or until the mince is browned and no red flesh remains. Remove from the heat. 

2. Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients with a few tablespoons of water and stirring well. 

3. Pour the carrots, tomatoes, cucumber and spring onion into the cooked beef and stir well to combine. You can either pour the dressing on top and toss well or you can individually serve the dressing in step 4. 

4. Assemble the cups by simply spooning the filling into each cup and pouring the dressing on top of each cup, if you have not followed step 3. Depending on how many lettuce leaves you have and on how much filling you serve into each cup, each person should be served 4-5 lettuce cups. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / max 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 7-8 minutes 

x Premium Pilates 

VEGETARIAN (or not) OMELETTE

Eggs are a great way to get your protein and good fat hit. I don't think of omelettes or eggs for that matter as exclusively for breakfast; they are a wonderful late night dinner idea, as they are low in carbs and full of flavour. I have always been a little apprehensive about cooking omelettes, however after several attempts over the years I am confident with my recipe below. The finished product may not look as fancy as what would appear on your plate at a cafe, but it is tasty, nutritious and simple to make. I prefer this omelette sans meat, however I do realise that will not like this, hence the optional addition of bacon or ham. Ground or smoked paprika is also optional- if this is not in your pantry just use more ground black pepper. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive / rice bran oil
• 1/4 small red onion (30g), finely chopped 
• 1/2 a small red capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a small green capsicum, roughly chopped
• Optional - 1/2 teaspoon ground or smoked paprika 
• Optional- 80g bacon or 100g ham, roughly chopped
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup water 
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, roughly chopped, plus extra, to serve 
• ground black pepper 
• 20g feta, crumbled 
• a small handful of baby spinach 

COOKING 

1. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 2 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add the capsicum and the paprika and/or meat if using and stir for 2 minutes or until well combined and the capsicum is just al dente (still slightly crunchy). If you are cooking bacon or ham this step may take slightly longer, depending on how you like your meat cooked. Remove from the pan when cooked and keep warm. 

2. Whisk the eggs, water, chives and a generous pinch of pepper in a deep bowl or jug. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a medium frying pan on low to medium heat and swirl to coat. Pour in half of the omelette mixture and leave until the egg is set around the edges; this should take around 2-3 minutes. Carefully fold one half of the omelette over the other and leave to cook for another minute or until the the omelette has just set.  Remove the omelette from the pan, place on a serving plate and add half of the capsicum mixture, topping with feta and half of the baby spinach. Repeat the cooking process with the remainder of the egg mixture. 

Serves / 2 
Total Preparation time / max 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 15 minutes 

x Emily 

ASIAN INSPIRED CHICKEN NOODLE SALAD

Brisbane's Brown Dog cafés’ delectable Cashew Noodle Salad inspired this recipe. I was lunching there with a dear friend last week and this Asian-inspired salad and lime tea was the perfectly light lunch. I have made this recipe twice since then, perfecting the dressing ingredients and quantities (actually remembering to write them down helps, which I do not often do!). It looks like a lot of steps, however if you do not muck around you have had this salad ready in 30 minutes. I love the idea of baking meat in the oven instead of pan-frying it, as your meat is cooked much more evenly and always comes out insatiably tender. Also, the oven warms up my un-insulated house in winter.

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 500g free-range chicken breast, thinly sliced into even 5cm pieces
• 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce 
• 375g rice stick noodles (pad thai thickness)
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped / crushed
• 250g cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into even small pieces
• 1/4-1/2 cup tightly packed fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped, plus extra leaves (optional)
• 1/2 cup cashews 
• Optional- fresh Chinese shallots, finely chopped 

Dressing

• the juice of 1 large lime
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the chicken, sweet chilli sauce and garlic in a medium bowl and stir well to combine. Place in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 10 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water just over 1/2 full to the boil. When boiled add the noodles to the pan and cook, stirring frequently so they do not stick, for 5-6 minutes or until the noodles are just tender. Remove from the stove and drain & rinse well in a colander under cold water. 

4. Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking well to combine. 

5. If the chicken has been marinating for at least 10 minutes, place it on the prepared baking tray in a single layer. Cook for 8 minutes and then remove from the oven, leaving to sit and continue cooking for at least 2 minutes. Cut into the biggest piece of chicken you can see to make sure that it is no longer pink inside and is instead white in colour. 

6. Whilst the chicken is baking, dry-fry the cashews on a low heat in a small frying pan on the stove. Stir regularly to make sure that they do not burn. 

7. Combine the noodles, chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, coriander and toasted cashews in a large serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the noodles and toss well to combine. Top with extra coriander and/or chinese shallots, if you wish. 

Serves / 4 - 6 

From fridge to plate  / 30 minutes if you are fast / 40 for the more leisurely 

x Emily 

PITAYA (DRAGONFRUIT) BOWL

Pitaya or more commonly called dragonfruit has rapidly become all the rage around health food restaurants and stores. Its now all about the pitaya bowl, as it swiftly takes the limelight away from the acai bowl. But what about dragonfruit is so amazing? I found out that there’s much more to love about this funny looking fruit that its intense red colour, such as that it is;

·      Low in Cholesterol,

·      Has a very high amount of vitamin C and other nutrients,

·      Is a great source of antioxidants (we love antioxidants as they assist in inhibiting free radicals from causing cancer and other illnesses in the body),

·      Contains a small amount of GOOD fat and protein, which are found in the hundreds of tiny black seeds amongst the flesh of the pitaya. Many fruits we consume have the seeds removed, such as peaches, apples, apricots etc which therefore means that most fruit is completely fat and protein free, which isn't good, AND lastly the pitaya is

·      Filled with fibre

Still not convinced? Try making a bowl or smoothie for yourself at home, using the recipe below!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large red flesh pitaya (dragon fruit), cut into half and flesh scooped out
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/4 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup frozen fruit other than banana i.e; mixed frozen berries / frozen mango 
• Optional toppings- sliced kiwifruit, shredded coconut, chia seeds, goji berries, granola, hemp seeds etc. 

PREPARATION

1. Blend all the ingredients except for the toppings in a large, fast speed blender. (If the mixture is too thick, pour in additional small amounts of coconut water). If the mixture is too runny, add another frozen banana  and / or ice cubes. Serve topped with whatever toppings you like (that are healthy!). 

Serves / 2 or 1 big appetite!

From fridge / freezer to bowl / 5 minutes maximum 

x Emily 

BANANA, FIG & DATE SMOOTHIE

I saw this recipe on instagram and thought to myself; ‘nope I don’t see that combination of flavours working at all’. I was so intrigued by this abnormal blend of ingredients that I decided to try my hand at making this smoothie yesterday afternoon. Luckily for me, I had all the ingredients in my cupboard; don’t stress if you don’t have the psyllium husk as it is optional. I was very pleasantly surprised by how delicious this little drink was and how prevalent the fig, date and cinnamon flavour was in every sip. Definitely a humble moment for me; never again will I judge a smoothie until I make it myself. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 frozen banana (skin peeled)
• 5 dried figs (or fresh, if available)
• 2 fresh dates, stones/pips removed 
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (powder)
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk 
• ice cubes
• 1 teaspoon white/black chia seeds 

PREPARATION 

1. Blend all ingredients in a fast-speed blender until combined. Serve topped with a cinnamon stick, more chia seeds and goji berries (cinnamon stick just for decoration). 

Serves / 1-2 
Total Fridge to Glass time / 5 minutes 

x Emily