Herby Salad Dressing

This salad dressing is bound to make any salad taste amazing. If you don't like this herb combo (trust me though it's delicious!), try it with your favourite ones!

2/3 bunch of dill
Small handful of coriander leaves
1 small clove garlic
3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all these ingredients in a small food processor and blend until smooth and combined. Pour over salad just before serving.

For a dairy free version try substituting the yoghurt with tahini this will make it a bit thicker and if you want a more runny consistency add a few tablespoons of water :)

Enjoy! :)

Nuttylicious Mousse with Banana & Raw Cacao

Mmmmm I had this for breakfast this morning! I know you might be wondering - mousse for breakfast!? But this 'mousse' which also makes for a great dessert or snack is a great way to start the day as it is packed full of nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, protein, essential fatty acids and energy :)

I have a real sweet tooth and love it that I can start my day with dessert without feeling like crap for the rest of the day :) The discovery that raw cacao powder is full of nutrition was one of the happiest food discoveries I have made :)

This is a dairy free, gluten free, sugar free, healthy, wholesome mousse that tastes delicious. If you want to make it 100% raw substitute the peanut butter for black tahini, macadamia nut butter or abc spread (nut spread made from almonds, brazil nuts and cashews).

The maca powder isn't 100% necessary but just adds some extra nutrition. You can also use regular cacao powder but try and get your hands on raw cacao as it contains twice as many nutrients and minerals than its heat processed counterpart :) I strongly recommend that when using peanut butter to make sure it is organic as conventionally farmed peanuts are heavily sprayed with all sorts of pesticides and are usually processed with added vegetable oils.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Nuttylicious Mousse

Serves 2-3

2 very ripe bananas that have been frozen, chopped
1/2 ripe avocado
1 heaped tablespoon organic peanut butter (or substitute with black tahini or other nut spread)
8 dates soaked for about 30 minutes (to speed up this process you can soak them in boiling water for a few minutes)
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon maca powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
Cacao nibs to serve

Place all ingredients in a food processor or mini whiz and blend until smooth. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with cacao nibs to serve. For raw cacao or other ingredients either visit your local health food store or check out Loving Earth online.


:) Biss X

Potato & Sage Rosti w Caramelized Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Goats Cheese served with Chilli Lemon Roast Broccoli & Zucchini

This isn't exactly low fat... But it looks and tastes good! The Rosti is nice and crunchy and the tomatoes are sweet sticky and soft. the cheese is salty but not too knock-your-socks-off strong and the greens are nice and cleansing and fresh with a bit of bite to even it all out. also its quick to make.

Ingredients

* 2 large potatoes
* 1/2 onion
* 20g butter melted
* s & p
* 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
* 3tbsn red wine or balsamic vinegar
* 1 tbsn panela or brown sugar
* oil to shallow fry
* 1tbsn chopped sage
* 2 tbsp creamed goats cheese
* 1 zucchini cut into sticks
* 1/2 bunch broccolini
* 1tspn chilli flakes
* 1 & 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Method

Grate or julienne the potato & onion, place in a sieve or colander to drain

Preheat oven to 150degrees

Place cherry tomatoes in a small baking dish and coat with a little olive oil, splash over the vinegar & sprinkle w the panela. Put in the oven

Squeeze as much liquid out of potato & onion as possible, add butter & sage & season

Toss tomatoes & return to oven
Increase temp to 180degrees

Coat broccoli and zuke w a little oil, sprinkle w chili and zest & season
Put in oven

Remove tomatoes from oven once they are soft and a little wrinkled

Remove broccoli and zuke from oven once browned and broccoli is slightly crunchy

Heat a pan with the oil (1/2cm depth)
Add a tbsp of the potato mix to the oil once it is hot enough (a piece of bread should turn golden in 15-20 seconds)

Flatten the Rosti down with a spatula. Flip once golden.
Cook the remaining mix.
Drain the Rosti on paper towel once cooked.

To serve

Layer rosti and tomatoes on a plate in a tower, serve greens on side. Top with a couple of quennelles of goats cheese on top & garnish generously with herbs


x BA

Panzanella ~ Tomato Salad

Tomatoes are a fruit of summer! This lovely flavour combination is perfect for a light lunch or dinner throughout the hot summer months... I haven't included exact quantities for this recipe, but don't be afraid to try it! Get your hands in there! Mix it up with your fingers and taste it as you go to reach your perfect balance of flavours!

8 large tomatoes, remove the core and roughly chop - try a combo of varieties, roma, field, vine ripened as well as some cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
2 good handfuls of basil roughly chopped or torn
Stale sourdough bread (or fresh!)  chopped into cubes and toasted in the oven until golden - you can also cut the bread into slices, toast them in the toaster and then tear them up (I used olive sourdough).

Combine all the above ingredients in a salad bowl, and the toasted bread, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

I served this with extra slices of toasted olive sourdough and Ela's Dill Dip.

To make Ela's Dill Dip, mix a small container of creme fraiche with 2 heaped tablespoons of Greek style yoghurt, 1 bunch of finely chopped dill, and season liberally with salt and pepper.

For a very yummy and fresh pasta dish, omit the toasted bread, and add handfuls of fresh rocket. Cooks some spaghetti, drain and stir it through the tomato and rocket salad. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

For another entree / lunch / dinner alternative, omit the toasted bread from the salad, toast some sourdough, spread the toast with labne and pile with tomato salad. For extra flavour you could also brush the toast with olive oil and rub it with garlic to make a delicious bruschetta!

tomato & artichoke cannellini beans with roasted pumpkin & roasted eggplant

This is a simple vegan, and gluten free dish you can easily make on a week night.
I roasted extra veg so i could keep it to make another weeknight meal this week to save me time.

ingredients

* roasted pumpkin wedges
* roasted eggplant wedges
* 1 tin cannellini beans
* 2 chopped tomatoes
* 2 tsp dried herbs (such as lemon myrtle ,oregano or dill)
* a handful of marinated artichoke pieces
* 1cup tomato passata
* 1/2 onion chopped fine
* handful chopped parsley
* chopped chives to garnish
* olive oil
* s & p
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 tbsp red wine vinegar


Method

* pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
rub a little olive oil and season w salt and pepper & herbs of choice. Roast pumpkin & eggplant until just cooked
* saute onion & garlic in a pot until soft, add chopped tomato and vinegar & stir for another minute, add artichoke, beans & tomato passata and simmer for another 5mins
* add half parsley & simmer for 5mins more

* arrange roast veg on each plate with some bean mix. garnish generously w chives

enjoy!

x ba

Domatokeftedes - Greek Tomato Fritters

I know we have posted a few different fritter recipes already. but i LOVE these things. Great as a snack, starter or Vego main, there are SO many varieties to be had

This recipe is from the December issue of FEAST magazine it is quick and easy to make, and tasty and summery to boot! Even my meat loving vegetable suspicious husband loves it!

This seriously took me only 10 minutes to make

ingredients

* 1kg ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
* 2 spring onions, chopped
* 2c self raising flour
* 2 tbsp mint, chopped
* 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
* 1 tsp Greek oregano
* s&p to season
* olive oil to shallow fry
* lemon wedges to serve

Method

Combine all except the last 2 ingredients in a large bowl, the mix should be wet and sticky

Heat 2cm of oil in a fry pan (heavy based is best) on medium/high heat
Drop heaped spoons of the batter into the hot oil and fry until nice and golden-brown-crunchy

drain on paper towel

serve with lemon wedges (and salad for a main)


ENJOY!

Chilli Roasted Pumpkin & Broccoli, Radish and Goats Cheese Salad w Bitey Basil and Dill Mustard Dressing

 

Happy new year !!!

I hope everyone had a great Chrissy full of family and delish food!
I know i did... And I am finally back to reality... Feeling a bit like a stuffed pig after the massive pig-out I have had over the break ... I am happy to say last night was home made dinner from my own kitchen... And for the first time in ages I didn't go to bed feeling sick.
Try this Light, but satisfying salad ! 
I made mine directly on my plate


ingredients

*Baby spinach and/or rocket
*Spanish onion, v thinly sliced
*cucumber sliced
* pumpkin sliced into thin wedges, skin on
* broccoli cut into florets
* radish
* goats cheese (creamed goats cheese)
* basil torn
* dill chopped roughly
*extra virgin olive oil
* chili flakes
*dukkah or z'ataar (optional)

Dressing
* 1 tsp Dijon mustard
* 1 tbsp chopped dill
* s & p
* 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
* 2 tbsp yoghurt
* 4 tbsp olive oil

Method

Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius
Place pumpkin on a baking tray in a single layer flat and rub with a little olive oil sprinkle w s&p on the side facing up and place in oven for 10 mins, then flip rub/drizzle a little olive on the side now facing up and sprinkle w s&p and a little dukkah . Put back in oven for 5 mins more.. Or until cooked through...soft but holding it's shape

Put broccoli in a bowl drizzle w a little olive oil to coat, sprinkle w chili flakes and s & p

Put on a baking tray in the oven until slightly browned

Once veg has cooled arrange all the ingredients on a plate, platter or large bowl
to make dressing place all dressing ingredients in a jam jar and shake until combined. Test and adjust seasoning.

Drizzle salad with dressing, or if making a large bowl serve w/ a small jug of dressing on side.