RAW SNICKERS SLICE

I love nothing more than experimenting in my kitchen, except when the food is scattered everywhere, the sink overflows and half of the experiment is on the floor and on my clothes. Unfortunately this happens more often than not! But when I construct a recipe and get the ingredients just right I forget about all the chaos. This raw snickers slice has been adapted from a Donna Hay recipe, which I made without much success (don't you just hate that when you follow a recipe to the letter and the end result is not like the picture?!). You can add more coconut oil for a less crumbly base but I like using as little as I can get away with! With a few tweaks here is my take on a healthier version of a snickers! 

INGREDIENTS

• 300g dried dates, pitted and roughly chopped (Medjool dates will work well too but dried is much lighter on a budget!)
• 1/3 cup all-natural smooth peanut butter (I make my own from processing unsalted raw peanuts until smooth)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus extra, to brush 
• 1/3 cup unsalted raw peanuts
• 1 cup puffed rice
• 100g 70% dark chocolate, melted

COOKING

1. Combine the dates, peanut butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon coconut oil into a food processor. Process for a minute or two until a solid paste is formed. If this doesn't happen add one splash of water at a time until the consistency is right. 

2. Add the peanuts and process for a few seconds until they are chopped. 

3. Remove the date mixture from the processor and place in a large bowl, adding 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and the puffed rice. Stir well to combine. 

4. Lightly brush a 10cm x 20 cm loaf tin with coconut oil and line with baking paper. Firmly press the date mixture into the tin (I use a strong wet spoon to assist with this). Pour the melted chocolate over the base and spread evenly. 

Freeze in the freezer for 20 minutes or until set. I like to freeze the slice as I want to eat it straight away! It can be kept in the fridge or freezer. If you are keeping it in the freezer take it over five minutes before slicing it. 

Enjoy! I bet this slice won't last long in your house! 

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ROAST VEGETABLE SALAD

This colourful vegetable salad was inspired by a roast salad my beautiful cousin made for me whilst I was visiting her in Perth. Her salad was similar to this one and was paired with tender lamb and a divine homemade dressing. You are the inspiration for this meal Anne! This is also the ONLY way that I can get my fussy husband to eat a 'salad'- by roasting vegetables and serving it alongside a big hunk of meat. I have made this salad numerous times since and love eating it by itself. You can use any vegetables that you have on hand to roast as well, so its a wonderful way to clean out your fridge! 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 700g sweet potato, peeled & cut into 4cm pieces 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 medium garlic cloves, 1 unpeeled, the other peeled & finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• ground black pepper & sea salt
• 2 zucchini, ends removed and chopped into 3-4cm rounds
• 1 head of broccoli, florets & stalk cut into even sided pieces
• 1 medium red onion, finely sliced
• several stems of fresh thyme, leaves removed & stems discarded, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 100g sliced mushrooms
• 3 large handfuls of baby spinach or mixed salad leaves 

Dressing

• 1 medium roasted garlic clove (see step 2. of cooking)
• 1 heaped tablespoon seeded mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• the juice of 1 medium lemon or lime
• water 

COOKING 

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

2. Combine the sweet potato, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, a pinch of sea salt & pepper and the unpeeled garlic clove in a large bowl and toss well. Using as little of the tray as possible, place the sweet potato and garlic clove in a single layer. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. 

3. Whilst the potato is cooking, use the same large bowl to combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, the zucchini, broccoli and red onion and toss well. 

4. Depending on how much time you have this step could be done before or after Step 5 - Heat the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a small to medium frying pan over medium-low heat and swirl to coat. Add the chopped garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, reducing the heat down to low. Cook the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes or until wilted. Remove from heat. 

5. Once the 15 minutes are up, remove the sweet potato tray from the oven and lower the heat to 180. Add the zucchini, broccoli & onion to the tray alongside the sweet potato, trying to keep the vegetables in a single tight layer if you can. If not you may need to use another oven tray. Return the tray to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, then remove. The sweet potato, zucchini and onion should be tender but not mushy and the broccoli should be just slightly firm and charred.

6. Make the dressing. Remove the roast garlic clove from the oven tray and carefully squeeze the garlic out of the peel and mash it. In a screw top jar combine all the dressing ingredients including a splash of water and shake well to combine. I like to add a little more water to thin out the dressing and make it last. 

Place the roast vegetables in a large serving bowl and add the spinach leaves, tossing well to combine. Drizzle the dressing on to your liking. 

Serves / 6-8 as a side / 3- 4 as a main 
Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 35 minutes 

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MEXICAN SWEET POTATO POCKETS

This recipe was adapted from one I found in the 'Lookbook Cookbook', a very hip cookbook filled with Vegan & Gluten-free meals. This book was surprisingly given to me by my meat-loving husband for my birthday! I've adapted this recipe to include dairy in the form of feta cheese, however if you wanted to keep it lactose-free and / or vegan, substitute the cheese for 1 medium avocado. Remember that whilst avocados are incredibly amazing, they do contain a lot of fat, so you have a bit of a Sophie's choice decision on hand: either avocado or feta cheese! Or perhaps half half! 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into eight even pieces or 4 medium sweet potato, each cut in half, washed and dried (need around 1.2 kilo of sweet potato)
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 of a large red onion, finely chopped 
• 1 x 400g tin of four or five bean mix, drained & rinsed
• 150g green or red capsicum or a mixture of both, diced
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
• 100g reduced-fat feta, crumbled or finely diced
• 1/4 - 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 large tomato, diced
• the juice of 1 lime 

COOKING 

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Using a knife poke several holes into each piece of sweet potato (this will speed up the roasting process). Lightly brush the whole of each piece of potato with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the potato pieces are tender. 

2. Meanwhile, make the potato pocket filling. As the potato takes a while to cook, use this time to cut and prepare all the vegetables. Then combine the onion, beans, capsicum, 1 spring onion, feta,  chilli, paprika, tomato, lime juice and a generous sprinkle of ground black pepper. Stir well to combine and place in the fridge to marinate. NB: if you are using avocado do not add to the sweet potato until the last step. 

3. Once the potatoes are tender, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly so that you are able to handle them. Leave the oven on if you want to further roast the potatoes; see step 5. 

4. Once cool, scoop out the potato 'flesh', leaving just the skin of the potato. Take the filling out of the fridge and stir the cooked sweet potato in, chopping up the pieces if they are too big. 

5. You could now serve the sweet potato pockets by filling each potato skin with the filling and topping with extra spring onion and avocado, if using. Or if you would like your potato skin crisper, fill each potato skin with the filling and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the sweet potato skin is crispy. Remove from the oven and top with spring onion and avocado, if using. I've eaten these pockets both ways and I honestly like them both ways; it often comes down to how hungry you are!

Serves / 8 

Total Preparation time / just a few minutes as most of the prep is done during the cooking time. 

Total Cooking time / 1 hour - 1 hour 20 minutes 

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VEGETARIAN BUDDHA BOWL

I learnt about this amazing bowls from a vego friend. I love the fact that you can combine any type of grain or bean, lentil or legume and as many cooked and raw veges as you want and call it a 'Buddha Bowl'. It is such a perfect way to use up whatever vegetables that are reaching their use-by date in the fridge. I have made this recipe twice in the last week and each time this dish lasted me 4 plus serves and left me feeling full but not stuffed. I encourage to get creative and use whatever you have on hand. Here's a few ideas: 

Protein - can be a grain, seed, bean, lentil, legume or soy product. You can throw 1 or 2 of the following:

Tofu, Tempeh, Chickpeas, any type of Lentil, Cannellini beans, Four Bean Mix, Red Kidney Beans, Any type of Rice (Brown, Wild, Black, Red), Quinoa, Couscous, Farro, Freekeh, Amaranth.  

Cooked Vegetables: roast pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, mushrooms. 

Raw Vegetables: tomato, cucumber, red cabbage, capsicum, baby spinach, kale, any type of lettuce, avocado. 

And a dressing that you have made or 1 medium avocado, cut into small pieces. I often go for the avocado option, as it really rounds out the salad! 

Heres my recipe: 

INGREDIENTS

• 350g sweet potato, cut into even, small pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 heaped teaspoons ground cumin, coriander or smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 cup water 
• 1 head of broccoli, stalk and florets evenly chopped
• 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed 
• 225g firm tofu in a block 
• 1/2 a medium red capsicum, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 a medium green capsicum, cut into thin strips
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach, baby kale and mixed lettuce
• 1 medium avocado, cut into small pieces 

COOKING

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

2. Place the tofu between two chopping boards or plates with a weight on top (I used a jar of nuts). Raise one end (I placed a small scale underneath one side of the chopping board) and sit for 25 minutes to drain. Once drained, cut into even thin strips. 

3. Whilst the tofu is draining, toss the sweet potato in a medium bowl with one tablespoon oil and one of the spices. Arrange the potato pieces in a single layer on the prepared tray. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender and golden. 

4. Once the sweet potato is in the oven, place the brown rice and water in a medium saucepan, covered, and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to a simmer and leave to cook for around 10 minutes or until all water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and place rice in a large serving bowl to cook. 

5. Return the same saucepan to the stove, filled halfway with water and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled add the broccoli and leave to steam for four minutes before pouring in the peas. Leave to steam for one further minute, before draining in a sieve/colander over cold running water. Pour the cooked vegetables into the serving bowl with the cooked rice. 

6. Swirl the remaining one tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tofu pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, covered. Remove from heat and place in the serving bowl. 

7. By now the sweet potato should be cooked. Remove from the oven and place in the serving bowl. Add the raw vegetables; in this case the capsicum, baby spinach, kale and lettuce and avocado pieces or dressing, if using, and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / around 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 30-40 minutes 

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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 

GREEN VEGETABLE SOUP

This Green Vegetable Soup was adapted from Sarah Wilson’s (author of the I Quit Sugar cookbook) Cheesy Green Mish-Mash Soup. I added all the green vegetables I could find in my fridge, plus some potatoes to thicken the soup somewhat and add some healthy starch. No dairy was used in this soup. The colour may put some diners off but the taste of this soup is divine and oh-so-healthy. Definitely up there as one of my favourite winter soups. On a side note- use the WHOLE broccoli, stalks and all! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1 medium brown onion, roughly chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 medium broccoli heads, stalks sliced thinly and florets roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 bok choy, roughly chopped
• 3 small white potatoes, peeled & diced
• 1.25 litres (5 cups) vegetable stock (preferably Massell brand)
• sea salt & pepper
• the juice of 1/2 a lemon

COOKING 

1. Add oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until onion is starting to soften. Add the broccoli, celery, zucchini, bok choy and potatoes to the pan and stir well to combine. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, covered, then reduce to a simmer for 12-15 minutes. Add the salt & pepper and stir well. 

2. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend/process the soup until it becomes a smooth consistency. Stir in the lemon juice and serve warm. 

Serves / 4 - 6

Total Preparation/Chopping time / 15-18 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO BOATS with LIME CORN SALSA

This is one of my favourite dinners to eat when I know that I am going to be eating late. I love baked sweet potato and have never cared about the carbohydrate content of these; as they are low in GI (much lower than other types of potato) and therefore keep you feeling fuller for longer. Preparing corn kernels from a corn on the cob can be a little fiddly, but taste much nicer (and have a much smaller sugar content) than using canned. I know this taste article on preparing corn kernels very useful - http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/810/how+to+remove+corn+kernels. I make the salsa and bake the sweet potato during the day so that this meal is ready for me when I get home at 9pm most nights. The sweet potato do not get soggy as I wrap them individually in aluminium foil once they have cooled. And on a side note; this is one of the only vegetarian dishes that my fiancee does not complain about! So that's a win all in itself. I kept the salsa very simple as I wanted to keep the recipe low-fuss, however you could add all types of herbs to it, such as fresh chives, coriander, basil and/or spices such as ground sumac, paprika and/or pepper. 

INGREDIENTS

Sweet potato boats 

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut in half 
• coconut oil
• sea salt 

Lime corn salsa

• 4 small to medium corn cobs, husks / silks stripped and kernels removed (see website link above)
• 1/2 large green capsicum, seeds & membrane removed, roughly chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 medium lebanese cucumber, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• the juice of 1 medium lime
• sea salt

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 220 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

NB: If you want to decrease the time the sweet potato cooks in the oven place the sweet potato halves on a plate covered with glad wrap in the microwave for five minutes. 

2. Lightly brush the cut part of the potato with coconut oil and sprinkle a small amount of salt on top. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes, until the potato is golden and/or a fork can be inserted in the middle of the potato with little resistance. (The baking time will be longer if you do not use a microwave first or if your sweet potato halves are bigger than mine were). Remove from the oven when cooked to your satisfaction.  

3. Whilst the sweet potato is baking, bring a small to medium pot of lightly salted water to the boil over medium-high heat. When the water has boiled add the corn kernels and cook for just a few minutes, making sure to taste the corn every so often. When the corn is tender but not mushy remove from the heat and drain with cold water. Place the corn, capsicum, tomato, cucumber, spring onion and lime in a medium bowl and sprinkle a small amount of salt on top. Toss well to combine. 

4. Leave the sweet potato halves to cool for just a few minutes so that they are able to be handled. Scoop out some of the now soft flesh of the potato and scoop the corn salsa into this hole until overflowing. The scooped out flesh of the sweet potato can be mixed in with the salsa or can be eaten as a side. 

Serves / 4 / 1 sweet potato half per person

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 40 minutes maximum 

x Emily 

MEATLESS MONDAY - SILVERBEET & CHICKPEAS with TAHINI DRESSING

Janella Purcell’s Wholefood Kitchen is one of my all time favourite cookbooks. It got a little misplaced in our big house move, so I was so happy to dig it up the other day and immediately started tagging away at the recipes I wanted to make. First up is this vegetarian delight Silverbeet & Chickpeas with Tahini Dressing. If you are not a fan of silverbeet or have none on hand, Janella suggests using kale. Purcell writes that this dish has Lebanese origins and is one that she grew up on. The spices & salt really liven up the taste of the silverbeet and chickpeas, so make sure to use them. What a perfectly fitting recipe for meatless Monday.

INGREDIENTS

Silverbeet & Chickpeas

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 brown onion, finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 5 generous handfuls of silverbeet, stems removed, washed & roughly chopped
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, washed & drained
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Dressing

• 1/2 cup hulled tahini 
• juice of 1 medium lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• sea salt 
• water 

COOKING 

1. Heat a large deep frying pan or saucepan over medium heat and swirl the oil to coat. When the oil is warm add the onion and garlic, stirring frequently until the onion is transparent. Add in the cumin and coriander, adding a few splash of water if the spices stick to the pan. Stir in the spices, then toss the silverbeet into the pan. Toss the silverbeet in with the other ingredients until it is well combined. Place the lid on the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the silverbeet has wilted. Change the stove to low heat, add the chickpeas to the pan and mash a little until the chickpeas are slightly deformed. Remove from heat, add the salt and season to taste. 

2. To make the tahini dressing; first stir the tahini so that the oil no longer separates from the tahini paste. Combine all ingredients except for the water and stir/whisk to combine. Add small splashes of water (or more lemon juice if you like a sour taste) until the dressing is smooth and runny. 

3. To serve; place the silverbeet and chickpeas in a bowl/plate and drizzle the tahini dressing on top. 

Total Preparation time / 12-15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 
Serves / 4 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO & COCONUT CURRY

I’m loving the cooler weather we are having at the moment, as it means that I get to use my stove without sweat in profusely. I have had so much sweet potato to get rid of this week that I decided a big curry would be the best way to utilise it. A very simple curry to make, the spices really are essential here as otherwise this dish could be considered bland. Garam masala is a strong blend of spices that is used in Indian cuisine. The spices that are often used to make this fusion are coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. I usually use around ½ a teaspoon of this spice with every 500g of meat or vegetables I cook as it is an intense combination of flavours. You can find ground garam masala, ground turmeric and ground coriander from your local big supermarket.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice 
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil 
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped / crushed
• 700g sweet potato, peeled & chopped into even cubes
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground garam masala 
• 2 cups Massel vegetable stock (or 2 cups water)
• 325 - 400ml light coconut milk
• 1 head of broccoli, florets cut evenly and stalk roughly chopped
• extra chopped spring onions & coriander leaves, to serve 

COOKING

1. Place the rice in a saucepan with 2 cups of water and a generous pinch of sea salt. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat, then simmer when boiled for 20 - 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the water is absorbed. Remove from heat. 

2. Whilst the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. After 1 minute add the spring onions and garlic and stir, cooking for 2 minutes or until the spring onions begin to wilt slightly. 

3. Add the sweet potato and stir to coat in with the oil, onion and garlic. Add the ground coriander, ground turmeric and ground garam masala to the pan and stir vigorously to combine so the spices do not stick to the pan. 

4. Pour in the stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered for 4 - 5 minutes, then add in the chopped broccoli and cover again for another 5 - 7 minutes. After 5 minutes check the tenderness of the sweet potato and broccoli by sticking a fork into the vegetable (if the fork slides in smoothly, then the curry can be taken off the stove; if the fork meets resistance, keep simmering for another few minutes before checking again). When the vegetables are tender remove from heat. 

Serve the curry on a bed of brown rice, topped with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves. 

Serves / 4 - 6

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes (including cooking the brown rice)

x Emily