Monday, November 18, 2013

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
Dash of Macadamia Nut Oil
3 cloves of garlic
3 tins of coconut milk
3 carrots
1/2 bunch of kale
1 brown onion
1/2 bunch of spring onion
1 capsicum
2 small zuccini

1 broccoli head
1/2 cauliflower
Additional dried garlic, curry, tumeric - to taste

Method:

Chop and cook the chicken in a wok or huge frying pan.

After a few minutes add the onion and 1 tin of coconut milk.

Blitz the garlic and add.

Blitz the carrot, broccoli and cauliflower in a blender until they are fairly small chunks, but not tiny, add them, stir in a bit.

Blitz kale and add.

Add another tin of coconut milk.

Add other herbs and spices.

Blitz capsicum, and zuccini and add (if you wanted more veg then you could add eggplant and/or mushroom here - especially if you want a vegan version.)

Stir in final tin of coconut milk.

Cook for a few more minutes, and then it should be done.  (taste test - curry amounts vary on the strength of the curry and the stomach of the person eating it.)

This can easily be vegan, just skip the chicken, and it should still be just as delicious.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Menu Plan

I've been meaning to create one of these for months.  I just couldn't work it out.  However, the power of procrastination, plus lots of exposure to foodies, al etc., has combined to bring me my first ever menu plan, and gosh, I want to make it all and sample it all, all at once.  It's okay.  I have self control and can wait.  Anyhow, for anyone else who is struggling and perhaps hasn't got the combined powers behind them here is my plan for a start... and for those friends visiting for tea... now you know what you're in for - for the next 2 weeks anyway.  ;)  I aim to take photos (except of all those salad & chicken meals) and post recipes.  As I'm liable to forget - if you want something in particular let me know/remind me... 


















Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Lunch
Salad & Chicken
Salad & Tuna
Salad & Chicken
Salad & hake/dory battered with pysllium husk
Salad & Chicken
Salad &chicken/legumes
Salad & Salmon
Tea
Pizza (chicken)
Spag bog with mung bean pasta
Roast chicken
Salad & Lamb chops
Apricot Chicken
Beef Stew
Re-heated/Leftovers
Lunch
Chicken/Salmon Salad
Salad & Tuna
Left over Mexican wraps
Turkey rissoles & Salad
Stir Fry
Left over chicken with wraps
Salad & Salmon
Tea
Home made Pizza
Mexican: Beans w mince on cc, salad chopped, covered with chilli tomato, avo & cashew cream
Turkey rissoles with cooked veg
Shepherd’s Pie
Roast Lemon Pepper Chicken
Meat Pie with peas
Re-heated/Leftovers

Other ideas: Lasagne, pumpkin soup, veggie soup, cabbage rolls, stuffed capsicum, meatloaf, crunchy chicken noodles, cold rolls, home-made bread & BBQ;
Sweets ideas: fruit crumble, fruit toast, fruit salad, frozen fruit cake, coconut chocolate icecream;

Friday, October 25, 2013

Shepherd's Pie

One of my favourite recipes is Shepherd's pie.  The normal version has potato and butter and milk and nasty things I can't eat, but this version is amazing and contains none of those things.  You can make this using leftovers or you can make it from scratch.

Ingredients:
500gm of mince - preferably lamb
1 onion (finely chopped if using stove, not if using a kitchen aid)
Half a cauliflower
Approx 2.5 kg of other veggies (carrots, peas, beans, cabbage - green or purple, zucchini, eggplant, spinach, broccoli,pumpkin etc.)
Organ veggie gravy
Gluten free beef stock (I use Massels)
Cheese, soy cheese or a nut based replacement cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Keeping cauliflower separate, cook vegetables on the stove by either boiling or steaming for approx 15-20 minutes until soft.

If you have a Bellini, Thermomix or Thermochef, etc. you can cook the mince and onion in that on speed 3, heat 90 - 100, with a good dash of water and oil each, for 20 minutes.  After about ten minutes add gravy and 2 teaspoons of stock.  You can add other flavourings if you like such as garlic, rosemary, or whatever herbs suit your fancy.  So easy as it cooks it for you and you don't have to worry about stirring.

On the stove method: cook mince in a pot on a lowish heat with a small dash of oil and/or water. Once it has browned a little, add the herbs, etc and onion.  When it is fully cooked add gravy stirring continuously until it has thickened, and then take off the heat.

Assemble veggies into your oven dish in layers.  I usually put chunky stuff at the bottom, but really veggies can go in any order or even mixed through except your cauliflower.

Add mince with gravy on top of veggies.

Mash the cauliflower well and add a dash of olive oil to it for texture.  You can add salt and pepper to it also or leave that out if you're keeping the salt low.

Add the cauliflower mash to the top and smooth over.

(If you want to freeze it unmade this is the best point to do so)

Put your cheese or fake cheese on, and zip in the oven.

If everything is already hot it will only take a few minutes, but if you have prepared ahead and then stored in the fridge or freezer then it will take 40 minutes in the oven from defrosted.  Just check it has heated all the way through.

Delish!

City to Bay - What Actually Happened?

So, a few months back I was doing the city to bay... and that's all I said of it.  I completed all 12 km in under 2 hours, so was very happy with that time.  I believe it was approx 1:47.  I also finished 10th in my category, which is nothing to sneeze at since there were over 40,500 people who participated.

Just went to prove to me that I had more ability than I gave myself credit for, and it was a pretty amazing experience really.  (aside from the sunburn)

So yes, absolutely doing it again next year.  Yes, I fully plan to beat my time. (Might even be dreaming of coming in the top three for my section!)  I'm even thinking about running next year, but not entirely sure I will do that. 

It was tough.  There were points when I asked what I had signed myself up for, but when I passed the 7km to go it actually got easier from there on in.  I'm glad I didn't sign up for only 6 km, as I wouldn't have pushed myself as hard and wouldn't have felt the incredible victory of having done something I thought was completely impossible a year ago.  I could barely walk by the end of it, and yes, I was incredibly sore the next day, but it was one of the best experiences of my life!

If you get the opportunity absolutely do it.  Just don't forget your safety pins, sunscreen and hat.  ;)

And if you're wondering, I still have my old training sheets up, and I'm still walking regularly... got to keep in shape for next year.  ;)  See you at the finish line!

Roast Capsicum and Semi-dried Tomato Dip

This dip is another great starter, and fairly easy if you just buy the ingredients from a jar, however if you had leftover roast capsicum that would also work quite nicely in here.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup roast capsicum
1/3 cup semi-dried tomato

Method:
Blend well with a stick mixer or in a blender.

If you're unsure about it you can sample it at this point to check you are happy with the taste combination.

Serve with crackers or veggie sticks.

Semi-Dried Tomato and Olive Dip

This is another favourite.  I love this stuff, and once you make it, I'm sure you will also love it.  Even my friend who doesn't like olives thinks this is great!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup high quality pitted olives  (You can buy non pitted and pit yourself if you prefer.)
1/4 cup semi-dried tomatoes

Method:
Blend with stick mixer or in a blender.
Check it's not poisonous and tastes okay.  ;)
Make more, because you ate it lots before the guests came...


Avocado Dip

This is one of my favourite recipes and very quick and easy:

Ingredients:

One ripe large avocado
One fresh spring Onion
Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

Mash the avocado with a fork, or you can blend it with a stick mixer if you prefer.
Finely chop the spring onion, again this can be pulverised by a stick mixer.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crackers, veggie stick or whatever you so desire.  The only issue with this is that is disappears so quickly...  ;)