Zuccini, Tomato & Basil Frittata Muffins

I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Inverloch, a lovely little coastal town, south east of Melbourne, Australia.

My Bestie moved there permanently last year and I miss her like crazy.

One of my other beautiful clients, Nola, moved nearby & we stopped in for a cuppa & a catch-up on the way home.

Look at what she gifted me!

Zuccuni, apple cucumbers, cherry tomatoes & a great big bunch of herbs, parsley, basil, lemon verbena & thai basil - all home grown!!

So naturally I got busy.

This frittata is easy, healthy & delicious; you can just use any veggies you have in the fridge, I often use broccoli, capsicum and mushrooms as well.

I made a dozen muffins so used a few eggs but adapt to the size of your pan.

They also make a great lunchbox addition.
Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Zuccini, washed & sliced

2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved

10 eggs

1 cup grated parmesan 

2 cups ricotta

2 handfuls of spinach/rocket

handful of basil, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/350F

Line muffin tray with baking paper squares

Precook zucchini slices & tomatoes in a pan and set aside

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, parmesan & 2/3 of the ricotta until smooth. 

Season with salt & pepper and stir in rocket & basil

Spoon zucchini & tomato mixture into muffin tray, ladle the egg mixture in and dot with the remaining ricotta.

Bake for 20 minutes or until firm & golden brown.

Getting More Veggies into Your Weekly Meals

Eating more vegetables is always recommended, not just by me, but by nutritionists & dieticians across the board.

For some reason, we were duped into thinking vegetables are 'boring' or 'tasteless' when we were kids.

Now let's just think about that for a moment.

Was it our parents?  (who also grew up with overcooked & bland range of vegetables?)

Was it the junk food advertisers?  (who have a seriously vested interest in making us think their snack food is better?)

Was is partly us, as kids, who were all about the chips & lollies are a reward?  (without realising the epidemic of diabetes & heart disease on the horizon?)

Whatever the reason, I am here to tell you that HEALTHY FOOD DOES NOT HAVE TO BE DULL OR TASTELESS!!

You can enjoy salad, stir fry (which is pretty much hot salad, right?) and any other healthy meal, without feeling taste-deprived or lacking in sensation.

You just need to start thinking about the composition of your meals, what you put in your shopping basket & how you & your family like to eat.

Trust me.
This is not hard.
(Despite what food manufacturers try to make you believe)

Here's a couple of easy ways to get more veg, more fibre, more greens, into your weekly meals.

Coleslaw.

This gal is a hero for gut-health & only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Thinly slice cabbage & grate some carrots or buy the pre-made pack.
I always use natural yoghurt with a dash of mayo as the dressing.

Cabbage is an excellent source of fibre & a rich source of vitamin C and vitamin K, containing 44% and 72%, respectively, of the Daily Value (DV) per 100 gram amount.Cabbage is also a moderate source (10–19% DV) of vitamin B6 and folate, with no other nutrients having significant content per 100 gram serving (table).

Carrots get their characteristic, bright orange colour from β-carotene, and lesser amounts of α-carotene, γ-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin.^[63] α- and β-carotenes are partly metabolized into vitamin A, providing more than 100% of the Daily Value (DV) per 100 g serving of carrots. Carrots are also a good source of vitamin K (13% DV) and vitamin B6 (11% DV), but otherwise have modest content of other essential nutrients. 

Salsa.

If you enjoy tomatoes, cucumber & onion, doused in olive oil & balsamic, this salad makes a beautifully fresh accompaniment to most summer dishes.

Chop tomatoes, cucumber & red onion into small pieces, splash with olive oil, salt & balsamic to taste. This is a great accompaniment to homemade burgers or tacos.

Chicken Stir Fry 2.0

I posted a similar recipe years ago but stir fry is still a solid player in my meal rotation.

I'm one of those weirdo's who has pretty much the same thing every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, etc.

Tuesday's are always different because I go out to dinner with dear friends & we take turns in choosing the restaurant. Eating out is less healthy than cooking at home but my Tuesday Crew & I have been friends for so long & they helped me out at the lowest point of my life, that the health-giving benefits of these meals is not measured in calories, sugar or fat - but in Love.

Never underestimate the health benefits of dining with treasured friends.

I digress.

I'm always banging on about easy, healthy, home cooked meals that don't take a lot of time to prepare.

If it takes longer than 20 minutes from pulling the ingredients from the fridge, to dinner on the table, I'm unlikely to get excited about that.

I'm a busy working mum, running my own business, so call it what you will, laziness*, Life-hacks, whatever - I call it Efficiency.

Before we start, here's a Top Tip:
- buy your chicken (or red meat) stir fry in bulk.
I generally get enough to make a week's worth of meals by checking the weight on the packet (200g/pp, half that for kids)

- take 15 minutes at home to portion it up, cut/slice to requirements & add whatever sauce or flavour you enjoy to the zip-lock back with a dash of olive oil & salt.
I like adding soy, oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoi sin, chilli or sriacha

- freeze & defrost in fridge the night before, so dinner is good to go.

Preparation is key:
Having the veggies in the fridge means you don't even have to think about what to make, you use what's there & chopping veggies into similar sized pieces means everything cooks together.

Use these nutritional gems and/or add your own preferences.

* broccoli
* onion
* carrot
* green beans
* frozen peas
* capsicum
* cauliflower
* bok choy
* corn (cut off the cob)
* snow peas
* cabbage (thinly sliced)
* zucchini
* any vegetables you enjoy

Here's my easy-peasy stir-fry-not-greasy 6 Veggie Dinner in under 20 Minutes...

Cook the meat for about 5 minutes or until browned.
Remove from the pan.

Add the veggies & cook until almost soft.
Add the meat back in & mix well for another 5 minutes.

Serve this as is or with a small portion of rice or noodles.

Enjoy with family & friends.


*May I say, I don't actually know any lazy women.
I know women who work hard, are exhausted, raise amazing families, do what they need to do to make that work & may not always have time to bake or make fancy meals.
Me too, Honey. This is why I share what I do with you. 

Cauliflower Rice

You may have heard of cauliflower rice and perhaps had the thought, "what the..???"

I'm here to tell you it is delicious AND on the whole, better for you than regular rice, especially for keeping blood sugar balanced.

Rice is a starchy carbohydrate, and like bread, pasta & potatoes, has received a bit of a bad rap in the past few years.

Let me explain a little about that.

Starchy carbs are ones that your body converts to glucose very easily give you a blood sugar spike, causing your pancreas releases insulin to bring down blood glucose.

This drop in blood sugar from high to normal can leave you feeling sluggish and sometimes hungry again - what most people describe as 'low blood sugar'. 
It's not low, it's the dramatic drop that causes this feeling

Insulin is a fat storage hormone, so any extra energy will be easily stored as fat.
Eating to keep blood sugar more stable is becoming more important as more of our population is affected by metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes.

This recipe is an easy substitution for rice and is delicious with stir-fry.

1/2 head of cauliflower, grated or processed

1/2 red capsicum, diced

1 small broccoli head, sectioned & steamed

1 handful of green beans, steamed

1 cup frozen peas

1 tbspn olive oil

Pre-heat a large pan, medium heat with olive oil and add the cauliflower.

Stir for a couple of minutes and add the other vegetables.

Cook until vegetables have softened and serve as you would rice.

Simply Eat

I enjoy cooking.

I also enjoy eating, so I'm always on the look out for tasty, healthy recipes that are pretty easy to make.

My favourite are meals that can be batch-cooked & freeze well or which take less than 20 minutes to get on the table.

My exception to quick meals is Monday Roast, where I have a slow roast cooking most of the day while I Get Stuff Done.

Pop the veggies in an hour before it's ready & it feels like I've gone to trouble; the bonus is I have leftover meat for lunches the rest of the week!

I'm not really one for sticking precisely to recipes either. 

I make do and adapt to what I have or taste preferences and I encourage you to creative in the kitchen too.

Here's some easy-peasy recipes you may also enjoy...

Flu-Fighting Chicken soup - adaptations include beef instead of chicken, sriracha sauce instead of chillies because that what I had in the pantry.

Winter Soups - from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program

Healthy Burgers - get the kids involved with this one - so tasty!

Best Breakfast - get 3 veggies in your brekkie omelette and feel great.

Spinach & Ricotta Pie - I made my own pastry for this one & it's also vegan

Chicken Stir Fry - so easy & fun to see how many veggies you can get into it!

Potato Salad - did you know that cooked & cooled potatoes have a much more beneficial effect on both blood glucose and gut bacteria? Plus this is delish 

Sensational Salads - these take 10 minutes each & are a great addition to any meal.


Bon appetite! 

Chicken & Spuds a’la Hobbs

My beautiful friend Shellee Hobbs gave me this recipe, it’s easy and delicious.
It doesn’t take too much effort & is such a hearty winter warmer or dinner party hit that feels like you went to So Much Trouble!

Ingredients:

6-8 chicken thighs, skin on
3 red capsicums
5 red onions
2 heads of garlic, separated & skin on
Dried & fresh thyme

Method:

Marinate chicken in a few teaspoons of dried thyme, olive oil, salt flakes & pepper
(I use a large ziplock bag to smoosh all the ingredients together to coat the chicken)

Part boil the spuds till they start to split.
Chop up capsicums & onions into wedges.

Drain spuds & once cool enough to squish with your hands, throw in a bit of butter & salt.

Place spuds in a roasting pan, chuck in capsicum, onion & garlic.
Drizzle with oil and place chicken & fresh thyme on top.

Bake at 200 degrees for an hour, drizzling pan juices over the top halfway through.
Serve with steamed greens & enjoy!

Winter Soup Recipes

Soup is the perfect winter meal.
These delicious soups from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program are easy to make and a hit with kids and adults alike.

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

25g butter
I leek, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 cauliflower, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled & chopped
750ml vegetable stock
500ml milk
150ml cream
4 - 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed from stalks
salt & pepper

Method:

Melt butter in a saucpan over low heat.
Add the leek, garlic, thyme & bay leaf and cook 5 - 8 minutes until leek has softened.
Add the cauliflower, potato, stock & milk and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat until cauliflower and potato are soft.
Remove from heat and blend until smooth.
Add cream, slat and pepper to taste.


Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 butternut pumpkin, chopped into small cubes
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 green apple, peeled and sliced
1 litre vegetable stock  
1 tablespoon butter

Method:

In a deep pot, fry onion in butter until golden.
Add pumpkin, apple and vegetable stock - boil until soft.
Blend and serve.


Enjoy!

 

Sensational Salads II

Tomato & Bocconcini Balsamic Salad
serves 6  preparation 10 mins

Ingredients
2 x 400g tomato medley
1 large red onion sliced
200g tub of bocconcicni, drained and torn in half
1/2 cup pitted balck olives
1 cup basil leaves
Dressing
3 tblspns olive oil or flaxseed oil
2 tblspns balsamic vinegar

Combine oil and balsamic
Arrange tomatoes, onion, bocconcini, olives and basil on a serving platter, drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

Salmon and Asparagus Salad
serves 4  preparation 20 mins  cooking 10 mins

Ingredients
400g skinless, boneless salmon fillets
1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
100g snow peas
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
125g Brie cut into thin wedges
Dressing
1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp finely chopped dill
1 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan-forced.
Line an over tray with baking paper. Place salmon on baking tray and cover with another sheet. Bake for 10 mins until just cooked. Set aside to cool.
2. Place asparagus and snow peas in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 1 min then lift out and plunge into iced water. Stand for 1 - 2 mins then drain and pat dry.
3. Cut asparagus and snow peas in half lengthways. Break salmon into large flakes and arrange on a platter with asparagus, snow peas, beans and brie.
4. For the dressing, combine ingredients well and season to taste. Drizzle over salad and serve.

Tomato and Olive Salad
serves 6  preparation 10 mins

6 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 small red onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp chopped parsely
1/4 cup pitted green olives, halved
2 tbsp each Red wine vinegar and olive oil

Arrange tomato slices on a serving platter and top with onion. Scatter parsley and olives.
Drizzle vinegar and oil over the salad, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir Fried Greens with Char Sui

This recipe is more complicated than I like to cook everyday but tastes so good it is worth doing for a special occasion, or just substitute those hard-to-find ingredients for a deliciously quick dinner.

Cooking Time Prep time 15 mins, cook 5 mins

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp ginger, cut into julienne
1 garlic clove, crushed
150 gm firm tofu, cut into cubes
½ quantity char siu, hung overnight in the fridge

1 bunch Chinese greens such as Chinese kale, coarsely chopped
50 gm black fungi, coarsely torn
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp each oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine
1 tsp Chinese roasted chilli paste (see note)
For seasoning: few drops of sesame oil and a pinch of white pepper, for seasoning 
 
Heat oil in a wok over high heat, add ginger and garlic, stir-fry until fragrant (10 seconds), add tofu and toss to coat, add char siu and greens, stir-fry until greens wilt (1-2 minutes). 
 
Add fungi, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing and chilli paste, stir-fry to combine (1 minute).
Transfer to a platter, season with oil and white pepper.
Serves 4

Note Chinese roasted chilli paste is roasted chilli flakes in oil; it’s available from Asian grocers.
The paste is also sold with added salted black beans, dried fish or peanuts; you can use any of these pastes.

By Lisa Featherby

Cabbage, pea, mint, chilli and parmesan salad

Add some chicken or fish to this salad for a delicious summer meal.

Cooking Time Prep time 10 mins, cook 5 mins

Ingredients:
100 gm peas, podded (about 250gm unpodded)
400 gm cabbage, shredded
150 gm small radishes, thinly sliced lengthways
1 cup each (loosely packed) mint and flat-leaf parsley, torn
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
80 gm parmesan, finely grated

Lemon dressing
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
50 ml lemon juice

 
Blanch peas until bright green (1-2 minutes), drain and refresh, drain again and reserve. 
 
For lemon dressing, whisk ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and set aside. 
 
Combine peas, cabbage, radish, herbs, chilli and half the parmesan in a large bowl and toss to combine. 
Add lemon dressing, season to taste and mix until cabbage begins to wilt (1-2 minutes). 

Adjust seasoning and serve salad scattered with remaining parmesan.
Serves 4 

By Karen Martini, Mr Wolf

Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients:
2 Lebanese cucumbers
1 carrot
Large handful bean sprouts
Handful baby spinach leaves
1 red capsicum, finely sliced
2 spring onions, chopped
½ red chilli (optional)
Small bunch coriander or Thai basil
Bunch mint leaves, chopped
400g grilled chicken or tempeh
1 tsp ground flax seed (linseed)

Dressing
Juice from 2 limes
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp wheat-free tamari soy sauce
Few drops stevia
2 tsp tahini

Use a peeler or mandolin to slice vegetables into long noodle-like strips. Combine all the ingredients except flax seed in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the dressing ingredients and pour over salad just before eating. Sprinkle with flax seed and serve.
Serves 2

By Teresa Cutter

Asparagus with Garlic

When you saute or roast asparagus in hot olive oil, the asparagus will have a much more concentrated flavour than it would if steamed or blanched.

Add the garlic to the pan once the asparagus is just about done, so that the garlic cooks only long enough to soften and sweeten.

This dish is delicious with eggs - poached or scrambled. The asparagus can be hard to resist but it is very nutritious and healthy, so treat yourself!

Ingredients:
1 small bulb of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
500g asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 5cm lengths
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method:
Separate the garlic into cloves, remove the skins and cut into think slices

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pan.

Add the asparagus and salt to taste and saute until asparagus is tender and the skin has shriveled slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and continue to saute for another minute until garlic is translucent.
Adjust salt if required and add pepper and parsley and serve.

Serves 4
This is best when served right away.

Martha Rose Schulman "The Very Best of Recipes for Health"
From The New York Times.

Slow Cooking Saves Time, Adds Flavour

Try these delicious slow cooked meals that take minutes to prepare while you make breakfast, and cook all day, while you do other things.

When you're ready to eat, steam some greens and serve.

Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced/pureed
1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (fresh fennel works too and is in season)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 teaspoon salt
5 chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oil, add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes.

Add garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add wine, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
Add tomatoes and their juice and salt; stir well.

Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker and pour the tomato mixture over the chicken.
Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 3 hours on High or 6 hours on Low.

Serves 5
Per serving: 260 calories; 13 g fat ( 4 g sat , 5 g mono ); 88 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 492 mg sodium; 392 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C & Zinc (18% daily value)

Slow Cooked Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound dried beans, such as cannellini beans, black beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, great northern beans or pinto beans
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
5 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Use the quick-soak method: Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.)

Drain the beans and place them in a slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Pour in boiling water. Cook, covered, on high until beans are tender, 2 to 3 1/2 hours. Add salt, cover, and cook for 15 minutes more.

6 cups/serves
Per cup: 260 calories; 1 g fat ( 0 g sat , 0 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 15 g protein; 19 g fiber; 201 mg sodium; 726 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Folate (61% daily value), Iron (25% dv), Magnesium (24% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Calcium (15% dv).

Winter Warmer - Potato, Leek & Garlic Soup

This winter warmer soup is so velvety and full of goodness.

Garlic contains allicin, vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and selenium and has antibacterial & antimicrobial properties.

Mostly it's just delicious so use the Gorgeous Garlic recipe to make a sweet puree that you can add to this dish.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 leeks, green stalk removed, sliced
2 tablespoons of garlic puree
2 celery sticks, diced
700ml stock or water
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add the leeks, garlic & celery and a pinch of salt, cook gently for 5 - 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened but not colored.

Add the potatoes, water or stock and salt to taste.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Puree the soup using a stick wizz until all solids have been liquidised.
Taste and adjust salt & pepper to suit.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley, chervil or tarragon.

Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Salad

WARNING!! Actual dinner is even more delicious than it appears!!

I made this last night with homemade turkey burgers and Husband asked where I got the burgers from :)

Roast veggies are delicious cold in a salad and the carrots & sweet potato work well with the crunch and flavours of the green salad

As always, substitute your fresh vegetable preferences so that it is delicious for YOU!


Ingredients:

1 roasted sweet potato
2 roasted carrots
4 generous handfuls of mixed salad leaves
4 mushrooms, pre-cooked
6 slow roasted tomato slices*
1 lebanese cucumber, sliced
1/2 an avocado
sprinkling of sunflower & pumpkin seeds

300g turkey mince
2 small leeks & 2 small carrots, chopped finely in a food processor
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons cumin

Method:

Mix mince, finely chopped carrot & leek, Worcestershire and cumin, by hand and season lightly
Form into patties and fry in a non stick pan

Use the salad leaves as a base and add layers of vegetables, finishing with a sprinkling of seeds.

Top with turkey burgers and enjoy each and every bite!



Serves 2

Tasty Tomatoes & Gorgeous Garlic

These two recipes can be cooked together in the same oven, slowly roasting over an hour, leaving you free to do something fun and have roasted tomatoes & sweet garlic that store in the fridge for a week.




Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Pre heat your oven to about 120C and put some baking paper on a tray for the tomatoes.

Ingredients:
1kg of tomatoes (I use the cheapest I can find, as the end result is still delicious)

4 - 5 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped

fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon of olive oil

a pinch of salt


Method:

Slice tomatoes in half, remove the flesh and place on the baking tray, skin down

In each tomato half, sprinkle some garlic, and a basil leaf

Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt over the entire tray


Slow Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

2 - 3 garlic bulbs (yes, the entire bulb)
Olive oil

Method:

Place each garlic bulb into a square of cooking foil & drizzle with olive oil

Seal the foil into a ball and place into oven pre-heated as for tomatoes.

Remove both tomatoes and garlic from the oven after an hour, leave to cool and chop tomatoes and store in an air-tight container.

Squeeze garlic out of cloves into an air-tight container and they will both keep well for a week, saving time while adding flavour to your dishes all week long.

Perfect Potato Salad

Ingredients:

4 large desiree potatoes
2 spring onions, finely chopped

2 large handfuls of green beans, par cooked & chopped

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

1 small tub of natural yoghurt

1 tablespoon of horseradish paste or wasabi (optional)

Method:

Wash & dry the potatoes and chop into chunks.

Leave the skin on as it contains most of the nutritional goodness of the potato.

Boil in a saucepan of water for about 10 minutes or until you can easily put a fork into the potato. For convenience, you could par-cook the green beans in the same pot, but remove the beans after 5 minutes.

Drain and put into a bowl to cool in the fridge.

Add onions, celery & beans to the potatoes and spoon in the yoghurt (and horseradish or wasabi) a tablespoon at a time until all ingredients are nicely coated.

Serves 4.

Sensational Salads

This gorgeous spring weather has inspired me to get out and about with my family, riding bikes, swimming and running around in our local park.

Top Tip: if you have kids and want a cardio boost, start a game of chasey, you'll have fun & get a quick burst of exercise as well.

I'm also looking forward to summer for the great range of fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season, most of which can be included in a salad.

Salad does not have to be boring, tasteless or as a side to your main meal; a salad can be a meal in itself, especially if losing body fat and keeping blood glucose levels stable are among your health goals.

You can include as many vegetables as you like and be sure to top with a handful of lean protein as well like beans, lean meat, canned tuna or salmon, or tofu to ensure nutritional balance in your meal.

Start with salad leaves or spinach as a base, chop up some crunchy veggies like cucumber, capsicum, celery, snow peas, green beans or spring onions and sprinkle them generously over the leaves.

Tomatoes of all shapes & sizes add juicy flavor, especially if you use this recipe.

Grated carrot is gives a lovely sweet flavour and added to shredded cabbage, with some natural yoghurt mixed through, makes a wonderful coleslaw. Supermarkets usually have a pre-made coleslaw bag and pre-washed leaves in the salad section, saving you time.

Lightly cook some veggies like carrots, green beans to soften them slightly and keep them in the fridge to use later, but a good general principle is to go for as much color as you can for maximum taste and nutritional value.

Spring and Summer are the perfect seasons to lighten your load at dinner time and get adventurous with your salad selections.

Chicken Stir Fry

Quick, easy, healthy & packed full of nutrients.

What more could you ask of dinner?

Except maybe that someone else is doing the cooking :)

I've included this recipe idea before, but this is so simple, even the non-cook of the household can make it work.

Ingredients:

500g lean chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite sized pieces
(use Tofu/mock chicken alternative if you're vegetarian)

1/2 onion, diced
1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 zucchini, diced
1 handful of snow peas, cut into bite sized pieces
1 handful green beans, cut into bite sized pieces
1 corn cob, slice the kernels off
4 large mushrooms, sliced
1/2 capsicum, cut into bite sized pieces

1 tbspn hoi sin sauce
1 tbspn soy sauce

Method:

Heat a non-stick pan and add chicken/tofu & when cooked, add the sauces & mix to coat.

Remove meat from pan and set aside.

Add onion, broccoli, beans, peas & capsicum and cook for a few minutes.
Add zucchini, corn & mushrooms and stir well for 5 minutes, add the chicken back in and it's done!

Serve on it's own or with half a handful of rice or noodles (that would be half of YOUR hand, people!)

Look at YOU eating 8 vegetables for dinner!

Serves 4.

The Perfect Omlette

This omlette recipe is so versatile you can fill it with any veggies you like and eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner (but not all in one day! ;)

Ingredients:
2 - 3 eggs, one yolk
1 - 2 cups in total of vegetables, chopped/diced to same size pieces
small sprinkling of grated cheese (optional)

Choose from mushrooms, celery, bok/pak choy, tomato, capsicum, coleslaw mix (yes it's great cooked!) spinach, zucchini, onion, or any other vegetable you can chop up and put in it.

Some tips and tricks for the perfect omlette, every time:

• Whisk or beat your egg mixture until there are bubbles sitting on top
• Make sure your pan, preferably non-stick with a spray of olive oil, is hot.
• Pre-cook the veggies as they won't cook through in the omlette.

Set vegetable aside, wipe the pan and re-spray with olive oil

Reduce the heat to medium and add the egg mixture to the pan.

Use your spatula to gently scrape the middle of the omlette, allowing the mixture to fill in the spaces.

Give the egg a couple of minutes to cook then add the veggie mix to one half of the omlette, sprinkle the cheese and flip the other side over to cover the veggies.

Turn off the heat, give it another couple of minutes and serve.

As Julia Childs, played by Meryl Streep, would say... "Bon appetite!"