Thai Spring Salad

This is a beautiful spicy thai salad. A great side to a beef or chicken stir fry, thai greens or rice paper rolls. 

Ingredients
1/2 purple cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 bunch of mint
1/2 bunch of thai basil 
1 small chilli 
Sesame seeds

Dressing 
3 tsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil
A dash of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of honey
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
1. Chop all veggies into desired pieces. I choose julienne carrots because I like the crunch.
2. In a separate small bowl add dressing ingredients and mix well.
3. Add dressing to salad and wholah you have a beautiful salad. 

Whole Snapper with Fennel

After coming home from the markets I am super inspired to cook new and exciting dishes. This is a market dish that will defiantly please a crowd. It is perfect winter to include some fresh ingredients. Fennel is one of my favourite foods. It full of antioxidants and vitamin C. It is full of folate, potassium, and fiber for cardiovascular health. Left over snapper will go well in a leftover salad.

Ingredients
2 whole snapper

1 purple onion

2 large fennels

1 corn on the cob

2 carrots
1/2 squeezed lemon

3 cloves of garlic ( or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.Shred the carrot add salt and pepper and set aside. 
2.Chop garlic, onions, fennel to small pieces. Include all of the fennel right up the the furry tops. Chop the corn fresh of the cob and set aside.
3. Get your fishmonger to open the snapper up for you or you can do it yourself.
4. In a large baking dish stuff the snapper with the shredded carrot, fennel, garlic salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle the reaming ingredients over the top of the fish and place in the oven. 
6.Cook for 40 - 50 mins or till fish is cooked through.

Leftover Salad

A quick salad using leftovers and produce that is commonly in your fridge. I usually make more fish especially so I can put into a salad for work or uni the next day. Make some extra roasted vegetables and you have yourself a great salad for work. This I made when I was at home but can easily be made the night before and taken to work.

I put radish in this salad, radish is one of my favorite vegetables. It is incredibly detoxifying combined with rocket and you have yourself a great detox salad.

Ingredients
1 fillet of leftover salmon (or any kind of fish)

2 handfuls of rocket

3 small radish

1 onion
Handful of cherry tomatoes

Dressing

2tsb olive oil

1 tsb coconut oil
1/2 tsb apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste
Squeeze lemon juice

Turmeric Lentil Patties

Lentil's compared to other beans and quick and easy to prepare. They do not need as much time soaking and cooking takes only a few minutes. I still soak lentils overnight but your really only need to soak them 10 hours. There are many different varieties so change it up. Use different kinds of lentil's for different dishes and don't be scared to try new kinds. I used small brown ones for this recipe but any kind would do. Lentil's are high in fibre helping to regulate blood sugar levels. They also contain many trace mineral such as B vitamins and a good amount of protein.

Ingredients 

Lentils:

1 cup of lentils (soaked overnight)
3 eggs beaten

2 tsp of tumeric

1 tsp of dried chilli
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic finely chopped
1 tsp of flour ( I used coconut flour)
Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut oil for frying

Yogurt dressing:
1/2 cup of greek style yogurt
1 small cucumber
1/4 bunch of mint leaves

Method
1. Soak lentils overnight
2. Cook on a moderate heat for roughly 10 minutes.
3. Allow to cool slightly. In a separate bowl whisk eggs together  and add spices.
4. Stir the eggy mixture in with the lentils in a large bowl and make sure it is mixed in well. It should have a very wet consistency if need be add another egg.
5. Heat the pan on a high heat. With a large spoon get about half a handful sized saucepans and drop into the coconut oil. Don't worry if its runny it will stick together.
6. Cook for 3 minutes and then flip over to cook the other side. Repeat the process till you have finished the mixture.
7. While the lentils are cooking chop cucumber and mint and add with the yogurt, mix well. Add fresh mint for garnish.

Broccoli Salad

Summer is well on it’s way! The flowers have bloomed, the sun is shining and the new seasons produce is out and about. It is now time to introduce more raw food to encourage your body’s natural cleaning process.

Broccoli is in season and its beautiful green florets are a perfect for eating raw, steamed or baked. Broccoli is one of the vegetables included in the “dirty dozen” so make sure it is organic to avoid toxic chemical exposure. 

Why you should eat broccoli:

• Broccoli is from the Brassica family that includes kale, cauliflower and cabbage; known for their anti cancer properties.
• Contains chlorophyll the substance that gives plants their green colour, a powerful substance that helps clear your liver as well as having many other amazing benefits.
• Helps with your bodies own detoxification system by activating detoxification enzymes in your system.
• Broccoli also has anti-inflammatory properties.

  Raw Broccoli Salad

1 bunch of broccoli

½ onion (either Spanish or white)

Black and white toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

2 tsp of tamari

1 tsp of olive oil

2 tsp sesame oil 

1 tsp brown rice vinegar

1 tsp of raw honey

Method

1. Break the broccoli into tiny florets
2. Chop the onion into very small pieces
3. Toss together with sesame seeds
4. Mix the dressing together in a small bowl and pour over the salad
5. Garnish with sesame seeds

Inspiration

NOTE: These are not all my images just some beautiful images I selected from a variety of blogs, websites and some of my own.

Heirloom Radish and Garden herbs

After spending a week in the Blue Mountains I am starting to get back in the swing of things. I have been taking care of chickens, ducks and the most amazing garden, I defiantly miss it! This is a beautiful salad  I made from the garden and the local co op. I saw these heirloom radishes at the co op grown by local growers and I just had to buy them. I used fresh garden herbs and rocket and the combination is a perfect mix of bitter herbs. The slight bitterness of the salad help to digest fats and simulate digestion. Serve this with a fatty friend like meat or cheese and you will not feel bloated after.

Radishes are an undervalued vegetable in my eyes. This humble root veg is packet full of vitamin C and is a powerful anti congestive.  This means is helps with asthma and other respiratory conditions. It also improves metabolism and improves blood circulation. A fun fact is that it is a great breath freshener, so no need for nasty breath mints that are loaded with aspartame.I have always loved radishes, it bring back memories of my child hood. My mum used to make sandwiches with cottage cheese and radishes when I came home from school. Coming from europe  she grew up with it so she used to it all the time in her cooking. The nostalgia of them make my heart warm and fuzzy. Include a little radish into your life you will be delighted with the taste and health benefits.

Ingredients

2 large handfuls of rocket

1 handful of parsley

1 handful of mint

Handful of dandelions

Couple of butter head lettuce leaves  

1 bunch of heirloom radishes

Method

Pick herbs from garden :)

Cut radishes into thin slices.

Toss and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Beet Salad

This recipe is courtesy of my friend who brought this dish over the other night when I invited her over for dinner. It was so delish I had to post it. 

1 cup of quinoa (soaked overnight)

1 large beetroot

1 medium onion

Handful of sunflower seeds

2 handfuls of rocket

1/2 bunch of coriander

Coconut oil

Splash of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Bake beetroot in the oven for about an hour or till tender

2. While the beetroot is baking, chop onions into thin stripes and gently caramelise on a low heat with a spoonful of coconut oil.

3. On a dry pan, pan fry  pre-soaked sunflower seeds till they start to pop like pop corn. Keep your eye on these, they don't take long and burn quickly.

4. Boil a cup of water and place quinoa in rapid boiling water. Boil for 5 - 10 mins.

5. When the beetroots are ready cut into small pieces and chop coriander.

6. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. This can be served warm or at room temperature if you want it served at room temperature wait till ingredients have cooled down then toss.

7. Dress with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Lentil Salad

 Lentils are an excellent source of fibre and iron. They also contain a considerable amount of protein with 1 cup having approximately 18 grams. Lentil are also a delicious source of folate which is needed to help protect against birth defects. So why do the rest of us need folate? Well folate is needed to help with brain function and helping in preventing conditions such as depression. It is also needed for the production of red blood cells which will help prevent against anaemia and heart related conditions. Eat some lentils and reap the benefits!

1 cup of cooked lentils
2 carrots
1/2 onion finely chopped
Coriander
Cold pressed olive oil
Lemon

Cook lentil till soft.
Set aside and let them cool.
Finely chop carrots, onions and coriander.
Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice and toss.

Rice Paper Rolls

Ingredients

Rice paper rolls

Carrots julienne

Cucumber Julienne

Avocado

Savoy Cabbage

Sprouts

Sesame Seeds

Mint

Directions

1. Cut all your veggies so they are ready to go

2. Fill a small bowl with hot water

3. Place the rice paper in the warm water for a few seconds

4. Transfer the rice paper to a board or plate and start to fill the wrap with the ingredients. Don't over do it put just enough so it will still wrap around.

5.Fold the top half first then fold in the sides and then wrap around. 

Braised Fennel and Radish Salad

Ingredients

Couple of carrots

1 fennel bulb

Bunch of radish

Spinach

Dressing

Olive oil

Rosemary

Agave Nectar

Salt and pepper

Lemon

Method

Mix the Dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk

Chop the carrots and radish

Mix radish and carrots in with the dressing

Pan Fry the radish and carrots

Chop the fennel and char on the pan, only use a small amount of oil to caramelise. Both sides should be blackened slightly. 

Place in a bowl with salt and pepper and your done!