Cauliflower cous cous salad with rocket and goat’s cheese

by Leave a Comment

cauliflour-rocket-moroccan-salad
This salad is another mid week star. It’s delicious, quick and easy to make and loaded with nutrition plus it’s wonderful for the digestive system thanks to the cumin seeds and fresh mint leaves.

I’ve written lots of posts on this blog about the health benefits of cauliflower. It’s a cruciferous vegetable that’s high in vitamin C, rich in antioxidants and has been credited for its cancer fighting properties.

Rocket/arugula is a lesser known cruciferous vegetable that contains some of the common compounds that give cruciferous vegetables their bitter taste. It’s thought that these compounds (glucosinolates) may be key to their cancer fighting properties. Rocket also contains high nitrate levels which are thought to help lower blood pressure.

Add this dish to your repertoire of recipes to help support your body in obtaining nutrients from a wide range of unprocessed foods.

Ingredients

  • Half a small to medium cauliflower
  • Half a medium sized onion (choose brown or red), finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 100g/3.5 oz rocket/arugala
  • Good handful of fresh mint leaves
  • Good handful of fresh coriander leaves
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 60g/2oz good quality goat’s cheese
  • Palmful of tamari almonds (around 30g or 1oz) – roughly chopped
  • OPTIONAL: palmful of dried currants (around 30g or 1oz)

Method

  1. Trim the cauliflower florets from the stem and place in a food processor. Whizz until the cauliflower resembles the consistency of cous cous
  2. Heat a frying pan to a medium-high heat and add the olive oil then fry the onion and cumin seeds until translucent
  3. Add the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper and fry for around 5 minutes until the cauliflower is tender (taste it – it should taste lightly cooked). Add a little water if the pan starts to get dry
  4. Remove the mixture from the heat and place in a large mixing bowl, allowing to cool slightly
  5. Add the rocket, mint and coriander to the cauliflower mixture and dress with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice
  6. Crumble the goat’s cheese and mix through – if using currants add them at this time also
  7. Sprinkle with the choped tamari almonds and serve

Delicious topped with poached chicken or served with white fish

Serves 2

Paleo friendly strawberry and coconut muffins

by Leave a Comment

almond-strawberry-paleo-muffin
I’ve been playing around with paleo muffin recipes trying to find something that tastes good but is relatively low in sugar.

Rice malt syrup (also known as rice syrup and brown rice syrup) has become popular in Australia over the last few years thanks to the I Quit Sugar program.

According to the Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar for Life, rice malt syrup is “a relatively slow-releasing sweetener so it doesn’t dump on the liver as much as pure glucose”.

The challenge when cooking with rice malt syrup is that it’s not as sweet as regular sweeteners so does take a little adjusting to if you’re just starting out on the path of sugar reduction. In this recipe, I’ve given the option to substitute with a little honey if you prefer or are strictly paleo.

In place of regular flour I use almond meal which is delicious but can be a little heavy so to balance this and make the texture of the muffins as light as possible, I whisk the egg whites separately and fold them in at the end. Be sure not to skip this step.

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 220g/7.75 oz/2 cups almond meal
  • 150 ml/5 fl oz rice malt syrup (if you prefer a little sweeter, substitute 2 tablespoons of rice malt syrup with 2 tablespoons of honey) OR for strictly paleo use half a cup of honey instead of the rice malt syrup
  • 125 ml/4.25 fl oz/half a cup of coconut oil
  • 60g/2oz/half cup shredded coconut
  • 4 tablespoons coconut cream
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda (or I use substitute with half a teaspoon of bicarb of soda and quarter of a teaspoon of cream of tartar)
  • Couple of drops of natural vanilla essence
  • 12-16 strawberries (depending on the size)

Method

  1. If the coconut oil is solid, place the container over a pot of hot water until the oil becomes runny
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius/340 degrees Fahrenheit
  3. Trim the tops from the strawberries and cut into quarters (or more if using large strawberries)
  4. Separate the eggs and place into two separate bowls
  5. Add the rice malt syrup to the egg yolks and beat for 2 minutes at a high setting, then add the almond meal, baking powder (or substitute), cinnamon, shredded coconut, coconut oil and coconut cream and blend again until mixed well
  6. Stir through the strawberries
  7. Separate, whisk the egg whites for a couple of minutes until peaks start to form
  8. Gently fold the egg whites through the muffin batter mixture and pour into paper muffin cups (you’ll need about 12 large muffin cups)
  9. Bake for 35 minutes then test – if firm to the touch, insert a skewer and if it comes out dry remove from the oven. Otherwise bake for an additional 5 minutes or so until cooked through.

Makes 12 large muffins – suitable for freezing

Sesame crusted tuna salad with tamarind dressing

by Leave a Comment

sesame-crusted-tuna
This tuna salad is another one of my mid week staples.

It’s light, tasty and can be made in around 15 minutes so is perfect as a healthy after-work meal when you have little time or energy to cook.

Fresh tuna is rich in omega 3 essential fatty acids which promotes heart health and is particularly beneficial for those with high blood pressure. It’s an excellent source of high quality protein and contains selenium – an essential mineral that plays an important role in supporting the body’s immune system. Sesame seeds are loaded with minerals and also contain a good amount of selenium, making this a great dish to help the body maintain optimal health.

I’ve paired it here with a light salad and tamarind dressing but it also works well with a garden salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sized fresh tuna steak
  • 4 tablespoons white sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Salad

  • 3 cups mixed lettuce
  • 1/2 avocado
  • generous handful of coriander/cilantro leaves
  • 1 lebanese cucumber
  • generous handful of cashews

Tamarind dressing

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (should be about the juice of one lime)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1.5 tablespoon rice malt syrup
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind puree

Method

  1. Make the salad dressing by adding the ingredients to a small glass jar with a lid and shaking well
  2. Place the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl and keep the cashews set aside
  3. Mix the sesame seeds on a plate and season with a little salt and pepper then coat the tuna steaks with the mixture
  4. Bring a heavy based stainless steel frying pan to a high heat and add the olive oil
  5. Fry the tuna steaks for a couple of minutes each side so that they are seared. If you prefer your tuna cooked through, cook for around double the time but keep an eye on the fish as cooking time will depend on the thickness of the tuna steak and you don’t want to over-cook
  6. While the tuna is cooking, pour the dressing over the salad (you may not need the whole lot so be careful not to overdo it) then split between two bowls and sprinkle the cashews over the top
  7. Once the tuna steaks are cooked to your liking serve immediately

Serves 2

Note: as tuna is a large fish, it’s generally recommended to not consumer more than two serves a week due to the potential risk of mercury contamination.

Apricot coconut delight balls

by Leave a Comment

apricot-coconut-delight

Bliss balls are my go-to when I need a sweet treat.

Blending the dried fruit with twice the quantity of nuts reduces the concentration of sugar and lowers the glycemic index meaning that the sugar is more slowly absorbed by the body.

Dried apricots are rich in potassium which helps the body maintain healthy blood pressure. They are also high in beta carotene which the body converts to vitamin A – a powerful antioxidant that regenerates cells and supports eye health. Almonds and cashews are rich in vitamins and minerals, and provide a good plant-based source of protein.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 50g shredded coconut
  • 50ml coconut milk or coconut cream
  • 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut for rolling

Method

Add the nuts, dried apricots, shredded coconut and coconut milk/cream to a food processor and blend until all ingredients are well mixed but the nuts remain in small chunks resembling large breadcrumbs.

Remove the mixture and roll in the desiccated coconut creating balls – around 12 to 15 depending on how big you like them.

Protein Injection

To inject some extra protein, simply add a couple of tablespoons of your favourite vanilla protein powder plus a little extra coconut milk/cream when making the mixture.

 

Baba Ghanoush

by Leave a Comment

baba-ghanoush
Baba ghanoush is a smoked eggplant/aubergine dish popular throughout the middle east. This particular style of baba ghanoush – made with tahini, garlic and lemon juice has its roots in Egyptian cuisine and is served with bread, however I love to eat it as a dip with fresh vegetables such as carrot, cucumber and capsicum.

Eggplants are high in phytonutrients and have powerful antioxidant qualities. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods, eggplants contain significant amounts of chlorogenic acid which is credited for its cancer fighting properties and is also said to lower bad cholesterol and promote antiviral and antimicrobial functions within the body. Tahini is rich in minerals – particularly calcium and is said to aid the body with liver detoxification.

Enjoy this dish as a starter or a snack with fresh vegetables and you’ll be loading your body with vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-large sized eggplant
  • 4 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 2 large cloves of garlic
  • juice of one lemon (should be approximately 4 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Method

  • Heat a BBQ, chargrill or regular grill on your oven to a medium to high heat
  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Take a fork and make incisions throughout the eggplant (around 10). This is a critical step – I’ve forgotten to do it one time and the eggplant exploded in my oven
  • Place the eggplant/aubergine on the bbq/chargrill or under the grill on your oven and allow the skin to blacken and wrinkle all over – this should take around 15 minutes
  • Place the eggplant in the oven and roast for 20 minutes until soft
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then peel (the skin should easily lift off at this stage)
  • Place the eggplant flesh and other ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth

Enjoy as is or drizzle with a little olive oil and some chilli.