CORN, CARROT & ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

I love eating corn fritters whenever I am out for breakfast. Whenever I spy them on a menu, I cannot be persuaded to order anything else. After eating a delightful lunch of corn & zucchini fritters at a restaurant in Kirra last Friday inspiration struck me on Sunday to create my own. I have made my fritters gluten and dairy free, however you could use dairy milk and flour that is not gluten free. If you do not like corn you could use chickpeas or more zucchini and/or carrot as a filler. The herbs below are just a suggestion as is the ground coriander. I would recommend using a spice or two when you make corn fritters or you do run the risk of them tasting a little bland. 

Ingredients

• 175g zucchini, grated
• 1 x 400g canned corn or 260g fresh corn 
• 100g carrot, grated
• 2 free-range eggs, lighten beaten
• 3/4 cup almond milk or other milk
• 3/4 cup gluten-free plain flour
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, coriander and/or chives 
• rice bran oil 
• Optional toppings: diced avocado, baby spinach, extra herbs, diced tomato. 

Cooking 

1. Wrap the grated zucchini in a thin tea towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess moisture into a bowl or sink. 

2. Place the zucchini, corn, carrot, eggs, milk, flour, ground coriander, herbs and sea salt & ground black pepper in a large bowl and mix well to combine. 

3. Heat 1 tablespoon rice bran oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat. Use a 1/4 cup as a measurement for each fritter. Place the mixture in the pan and pat down with a spatula. Make sure not to crowd the fritters. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat and add more oil if needed. Repeat until all the fritters are cooked. Serve warm with any or all of the toppings listed above in the Ingredients section. 

Makes / 12 fritters

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes

Total Cooking time / around 20 minutes 

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SALAD

This is the type of food that I love to eat. Fresh, filled with vegetables and light. My family often jokes that I (and most of them) were Asian in a past life as we could eat Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The idea for this grated / shredded salad was born from the Sarah Wilson 'I Quit Sugar for Life'. She has dedicated 2 pages to grated salads and I thought to myself 'what a great idea; I can feed these types of salads to Chris (my fiancé) without him really catching on that they are in fact salads, due to the various textures and potential for meat in the dishes. If you are looking for a heartier meal, toss in some rice vermicelli noodles. 

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 x 250g (or similar size) chicken breasts
• 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage
• 2 cups finely shredded wombok
• 2 medium carrots, finely grated
• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• Optional- a generous handful of finely chopped coriander, mint, chives and/or green shallots

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• the juice of 1 large lime
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 2 tablespoons water

Cooking

1. Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. 

3. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into small pieces. 

4. Combine the chicken pieces, cabbage, wombok, carrot, sesame seeds and herbs if using in a large serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 as a light meal

Total Preparation time / 10 - 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes approx. 

x Premium Pilates 

GRATED BEETROOT, EDAMAME & BROCCOLI SALAD

Another grated salad for this week, this time featuring one of my favourite vegetables: Beetroot. I used to think that beetroot was a bit of a bitch to cook, however the health benefits of this root vegetable make its cooking time well worth it. 

Beetroot contains magnesium, iron, potassium, fibre, protein, antioxidants, vitamins A, B6, C and folic acid, among other vitamins and minerals! This purple vegetable plays a part in reducing blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and strokes due to its high content of nitrates, which create a gas called nitric oxide in the blood that increases the size of blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Beetroot also reduces the risk of osteoporosis, as it contains the mineral silica that supports the body to use calcium. This wonderful vegetable is basically fat free, low in calories and has a very low GL index, which means that it transforms into sugars very slowly in the body, hence stabilising blood sugar levels. Beetroot is comprised of soluble fibre, which has been shown to lower cholesterol. Beetroot also contains carotenoids and flavonoids, which prohibit bad cholesterol from accumulating in arteries. And an astounding benefit: a recent study revealed that the immense amount of nitrates in beetroot may be responsible for fighting the advancement of dementia, as one of the functions of nitric oxide in the blood is to increase blood flow to the brain.

So after that considerable list of only a few of beetroot's numerous health benefits, I suggest you get some in you!  

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 medium beetroot, skin peeled and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• al foil
• 1 broccoli head, chopped into even-sized florets & stalk chopped
• 200g edamame, shelled & pods discarded
• 20g coconut flakes, toasted or raw
• 15g sunflower seeds
• 15g pepitas

Tahini Sour Dressing

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 heaped tablespoon tahini
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Wrap each beetroot half in foil and place in a medium deep baking tray with 2-3cm of water and 1 tablespoon olive oil in it. Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the beetroot halves are tender (that is, a knife can easily slide through them). Remove from the oven, remove from foil when cool enough to handle and leave to cool for a few more minutes. Once the beetroot is cool, grate the beetroot using gloves. 

2. Whilst the beetroot is roasting / cooling, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and whisking well. If the tahini is still clumpy after whisking, add a splash or two of water. 

3. Use the beetroot cooking time to shell the edamame from their pods, as well as cutting the broccoli and steaming it; bring a medium half full saucepan of water to the boil and place the broccoli florets and stalks in a sieve or colander on top of the pan. Steam for around 5 minutes, covered, or until the broccoli is just tender but not soggy. Remove from heat. 

4. Place the grated cooked beetroot, cooked broccoli, edamame, coconut, sunflower seeds and pepitas in a large serving bowl and toss to combine. Drizzle the tahini dressing over the top. 

Serves / 4 as a light meal
Total Preparation & Cooking time (as the preparation can be done whilst the cooking is happening) / around 1 hour. 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO CHIPS with LIME

I’ve made sweet potato chips numerous times since I first started cooking. The problem is that I usually make way too many and then proceed to eat the equivalent of 4 servings. This recipe serves 2 as a side dish and is approximately 188 calories per serve. These delicious chips accompanied tomorrow’s recipe, Kale & Quinoa Mix up. I’ve never made sweet potato chips with lime rind before, instead opting to use spices such as ground coriander, cumin, chilli, lemon pepper, etc…I was pleasantly surprised by how well the tangy lime flavour complimented the sweetness of the potato. My poor sweet potato chips look a tad deflated, as they were cooked about 4 hours prior to this photo being taken, however I urge you not to judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a side dish by someone’s tardy photography.

Ingredients

• 600g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm-thick chip shapes
• 1 free range eggwhite (33g)
• 1 tablespoon lime rind, finely grated
• pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. In a large bowl, toss the potato, egg white, lime rind and salt & pepper until well combined. 

3. Place the chips in a single layer on the prepared tray. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the chips are golden. 

Serves / 2 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35-40 minutes 

Calories per serve / 188 calories approx. 

x Emily 

95 CALORIE ANZAC BISCUITS (POST ANZAC DAY)

Who doesn’t love a good anzac biscuit? Especially one that you can eat without feeling guilty whilst following a healthy eating plan! These anzac biscuits are super cute and very moreish. Be mindful that they are 95 calories each, so only 1 per day as a treat. 

After giving away all of my Mini Cacao Fudge Treats that I made last week, I decided that it was time for another treat. Michelle Bridges recipe for these biscuits calls for ¼ cup brown sugar, however if you use granulated stevia you save a massive amount of calories overall. I always like to bake with gluten-free flours, however you can use plain flour if it is more accessible to you as it contains the same amount of calories. I added more cinnamon than Michelle, as I love this spice and like to really taste it in desserts. I replaced golden syrup with honey as honey is slightly lighter in calories and I am not a big fan of golden syrup, even though theres a very neglected bottle of it in my pantry that desparetly needs to be used! No doubt I'll be sharing these bad boys around so I can clear my kitchen of sweets and be able to make another treat recipe next week! 

Ingredients

•   1 1/2 cups rolled oats (150g)

•   1/2 cup gluten-free plain flour, plus extra (75g)

•   1/2 cup desiccated coconut (45g)

•   2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (8g)

•   1/4 cup granulated stevia 

•   1/4 cup honey (85g)

•   1/4 cup olive oil / rice bran oil (60g)

•   1 teaspoon bicarb of soda (5g)

Baking  

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon and stevia in a large bowl and stir well. 

3. Pour the honey, oil and 1/4 cup water (60g) into a small saucepan and heat over low-medium heat, stirring until all ingredients are mixed. Stir in the bicarb of soda and once the mixture has foamed, remove from heat. 

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and stir until well combined. To shape the biscuits, make sure your hands are slightly wet (you will need to re-lubricate your hands a few times).   Roll heaped tablespoons of the mixture and place on the prepared tray 2cm apart. Press each ball lightly with a fork covered in flour, just to flatten the biscuits slightly. 

5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on the tray (during this cooling time the biscuits will harden slightly, so do not worry if they are a little soft when you remove the tray from the oven). 

Makes  / 20 

Each biscuit / 95 calories

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Baking time / 10-12 minutes 

x Emily 

MINI CACAO FUDGE TREATS

This treat recipe from Michelle Bridges’s recipe collection (originally from Melissa Ambrosini) I did not need to adapt at all. At 80 calories each, these mini treats seem super indulgent after a day of healthy food. I love that no additional oil is added to these little snacks. I would strongly suggest that you opt for fresh Medjool dates, as they are the king of all dates. These are super addictive so just take ONE out of the fridge at a time and eat SLOWLY. I’m set for my next 30 desserts!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup fresh Medjool dates (235g), pits removed and roughly chopped
• 1 cup walnuts (127g)
• 1/2 cup cacao powder (45g) 

Preparation 

1. Place the dates, walnuts and cacao in a food processor and process for 1 minute or until finely ground. The mixture should look similar to cake crumbs but should be able to easily stick together. 

2. Firmly press the mixture into ice cube moulds, making sure to fill them to the brim. Depending on the size of your moulds, this recipe should make between 20-30 mini treats. 

3. Place in the fridge until ready to eat. 

Makes / 20-30

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes including moulding

Total Calories / 80 

x Emily 

PUMPKIN, BROCCOLI & COCONUT MIXUP

I have been trying to incorporate more vegetables into my daily intake recently. It’s been a bit of a struggle. Don’t get me wrong, I do honestly like vegetables, but as they can take some time to prepare I find myself reaching for rice or corn cakes to curb my appetite. And whilst these aren’t bad for you in moderation, I find that when I increase my weekly vegetable intake I build up a fierce immunity to winter illnesses (and also feel really healthy and energised!). As some of my readers may know, I seem to go through food phases and right now its all about vegetables to ward off those nasty winter flus. Because no one has the time for these. I hope you enjoy this pumpkin, broccoli and coconut dish as much as I did…throw in some walnuts and/or another herb if you want added flavour. And don't throw away the broccoli stalk- they taste so good in this dish. 

INGREDIENTS

•   1 tablespoon coconut oil 

•   1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

•   1/2 medium pumpkin or 1/4 large pumpkin, skin & seeds removed and cut into even pieces

•   sea salt 

•   1 head of broccoli, cut into even florets & stalk cut into even slices 

•   1/2 cup gluten-free vegetable stock 

•   1/2 cup shredded coconut 

•   1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, pumpkin and a pinch of salt to the pan and cook, stirring frequently to sauté, for 4-5 minutes or until pumpkin is almost tender and slightly golden. Add broccoli and chicken stock and keep stirring often for a few minutes or until stock has reduced completely. Remove from pan and place in a medium serving bowl. Place shredded coconut in the pan and cook for just 30 seconds to a 1 minute or until coconut is toasted and just golden. Remove from heat and sprinkle over the pumpkin and broccoli and scatter fresh parsley on top. Serve warm. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily