‘ave an Avocado Tart!

 

Check out this recipe from the kitchen at Swami’s Retreat – healthy, delicious and wholesome. Come along to our retreat later this month and you’ll be able to sample even more vegetarian treats!

Ingredients:

For the base:

  • 200 gr almond
  • 45 gr coconut
  • 2 tbsp cocoa
  • 115 gr maple syrup
  • 15 gr coconut

 

For the mousse:

  • 2 big avos or 4 small
  • 80 gr almond milk
  • 40 gr cocoa
  • 45 gr maple syrup
  • 45 gr coconut oil melted

Method:

For the base, blend the almonds, coconut and cacao together, when they are all crushed and in small pieces, add the maple syrup and coconut oil.

Set the ‘dough’ in the tart mould and let it rest in the fridge.

For the mousse, blend all the ingredients until smooth and set it up on top of the base. And it’s ready to eat!

(1 medium size tart, 12 small port each tart)

Enjoy!

Swami’s Turmeric Chai Latte

Check out this delicious Turmeric Chai Latte – which you’ll be sipping at our IYTA retreat! It’s a favourite at Swami’s and can be enjoyed in spring, summer, winter and autumn!

Turmeric milk has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine and offers many benefits to the body and mind. Alongside the chai spice blend, Swami’s like to add some black pepper or coconut oil to help improve the absorption of turmeric.

Turmeric milk

  • 3cups coconut milk (or another plant milk of your choice)
  • 1tbsp coconut oil
  • 2tsp ground dried turmeric

Chai Spice Blend

  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 1/2tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2-3cm grated fresh ginger
  • A few drops of vanilla extract
  • A pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tbsp sweetener of your choice (honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, etc)

  METHOD:

  1. Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and bring it to boil.
  2. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium and add all other ingredients.
  3. Whisk to combine then let infuse for 2 to 3 minutes. Bring the milk down to a low simmer.
  4. When all the spices are well infused, remove the cinnamon stick and the star anise.
  5. Turn off the heat and pour the turmeric chai latte into 2 cups. Enjoy!

 

Veggie brekkie boost

Whip up a delicious combo of eggs, fetta and spinach for the perfect way to start the day.

Ingredients

2 eggs

Knob of Butter

30grammes of fetta cheese

Cupful of spinach leaves

Sourdough toast

Optional: Butter for toast

 

Method

Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk

Add knob of butter to a non-stick fry pan

Wash spinach leaves and thinly slice

Crumble fetta cheese

When butter has melted add the eggs and stir with a wooden spoon

After a minute and the eggs are starting to scramble, add the spinach and fetta for around 30 seconds.

Toast the bread and spread butter if desired

Then top with the egg/fetta and spinach mix

Add salt/cracked pepper if desired.

Eat immediately and enjoy

Chicken soup for the soul

This chicken soup is based on a traditional Greek recipe – Avgolemono. It’s the perfect dish for when you are unwell, cold or just need some good old-fashioned comfort food!

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 4 eggs
  • chicken stock
  • cracked pepper (optional)
  • juice of one lemon
  • lemon wedges, coriander and red chilli (as a garnish)
  • one cup of white rice

 

Method:

  • Finely chop the onion, slice the celery into small pieces and grate the carrot
  • Add 8 cups of water and chicken stock to a large pan and add the chopped veggies, rice and optional cracked pepper
  • Juice the lemon and add to the soup
  • While the soup is beginning to simmer cut the chicken into 1cm cube pieces and then add to the soup. Simmer for around 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
  • Then turn off the heat and wait a few minutes. When cooled a little, add the eggs one by one and stir into the soup – ideally the soup is not too hot so the eggs gradually blend in.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy ?

 

Berry Banana Teacake

A deliciously moist teacake that never fails to impress and delight. This recipe is from Angie Cowen’s Love Life & Gluten Free and has been submitted by our ACT Rep, Katrina Hinton

 

Ingredients:
  • 2 1/2 cups almond meal
  • 2 cups desiccated coconut
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream
  • 1 cup rice malt syrup
  • 3 large bananas, mashed
  • 5 organic eggs
  • 2 cups frozen organic mixed berries
Method:
  • Preheat over to 180 degrees C and line a medium rectangle cake tin with baking paper.
  • Set aside.
  • Mash bananas in a medium-sized bowl.
  • Add eggs and beat well with a fork till creamy and light.
  • Add almond meal, desiccated coconut, coconut cream and rice malt syrup. Mix well.
  • Tip contents into prepared cake tin and sprinkle with frozen berries.
  • Bake in oven for 45-60 minutes or until the cake is cooked in the centre.
  • Leave to cool in tin, then carefully lift out and cut into squares.

Freezes well.

Serves nine

Homemade vegie sausage rolls

I’ve never enjoyed shop-bought sausage rolls, but I love these “healthier” versions of the popular snack. It’s the perfect food for cool Autumnal evenings…

  Ingredients

  •   400g – 500g of TVP (textured vegetable protein) (if using 500g you will definitely need 3 sheets of puff pastry!) you can also use turkey mince
  • 2 -3 tbs tomato paste
  • Splash of Worcester sauce
  • 1 egg
  • I large carrot
  • 1 bunch of coriander
  • 2 x tablespoon chia seeds
  • 2 sheets of puff pastry
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Turn on the oven to preheat at 200 C
  2. Take two sheets of puff pastry out of the freezer (if you are adding a lot of veggies you may need three sheets).
  3. Wash and then roughly chop a carrot and then either finely chop or put into a Thermomix or high speed blender at speed 7 for 10 seconds
  4. Wash then then finely chop a bunch of coriander
  5. Add the TVP to a large mixing bowl, then add carrot, coriander, tomato paste, chia seeds and egg until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Cut the pastry sheets in half and then spoon the sausage mix into the pastry
  7. Brush the finished sausage rolls with milk
  8. Cook for 20 minutes or until golden
  9. Allow to cool, then cut up and serve with a big dollop of tomato sauce!
  10. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Don’t forget to try Natalie’s savoury treat Zucchini Polenta Cheese Muffins

 

 

Zucchini polenta & cheese muffins

As we move into the cooler weather you’ll love baking these savoury treats – thanks to our Tassie rep, Natalie Purden for the recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain flour ( I use gluten free self raising & add 1 table tapioca flour)
  • 1 cup instant polenta (Marco Polo brand is a good texture)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dried basil (or fresh if you have it!)
  • 2 medium zucchinis, 320 to 350 grams thermied speed 5.5 or grated.
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, ricotta or mozzarella grated
  • 1 cup rice milk
  • 2 eggs

Method

  • Preheat oven to 175-180°C.
  • Chop zucchini in Thermomix speed 5 (or high speed blender) until grated texture (or grated). Put aside.
  • Add flour, polenta, baking powder, basil and salt & combine reversed speed 3. (or mix with wooden spoon in a bowl)
  • Add cheese, egg & rice milk until just combined – avoid over mixing.
  • Add zucchini & mix reverse speed 3 until just mixed (or mix with wooden spoon)
  • Spoon 1/4 cup sizes evenly into greased 24-hole muffin tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through.

These can be frozen or eaten straight away!

 

 

Sharron’s date and coconut bliss balls

Check out this recipe from our President, Sharron Williams. Just four ingredients – including super spice: cardamom – which is anti-inflammatory and helps aid digestion.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pitted dates
  • 1 cup desiccated coconut
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil 

Method:

Finely chop your dates. Pop them in a mixing bowl and soak them in boiled water for about 30 seconds, then drain.

Now add the coconut, cardamom and ghee and gently knead into a “dough” being careful not to burn yourself on the hot dates!

Next, simply roll the “dough” into small balls about the size of a walnut.

Roll each ball in some dried coconut, when you’re done, pop them in the fridge to harden.

OPTION: To make them chocolatey, add 1-2 tsp of organic raw cacao powder at the same time as the coconut etc.

Makes approx. 10 balls: GF, Vegan Option

 

Surya’s Green smoothie

Most mornings our Treasurer, Surya (Sarah) Tetlow wanders around her garden selecting herbs and leaves for her delicious daily green smoothie!

 

Ingredients:

Smoothie Base

1 banana

½ ripe avocado

Dollop of organic yoghurt

Glass of almond milk

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

½ teaspoon of nutmeg

Squeeze of lemon

Dash of raw honey

Leaves:

Include a few from the following list:

Kale

Swiss chard

Silverbeet

Pak choi

Lettuce

Thai basil

Basil

Rocket

Endives

Vietnamese mint

Spearmint

Mustard greens

In our pictured smoothie most of these leaves were included

If you are feeling decadent add organic cacao (but then it’s not green…!)

 

Method.

Make the base and then add the leaves and drink immediately

Breakfast Berry Smoothie

brekkie smoothie

This nutritious smoothie fills you up and is a delicious brekkie option!

  Ingredients:  

½ cup of rolled oats (if you have a high speed blender – grind them up on the top speed which gives you a smoother smoothie!)

1 cup of frozen organic mixed berries

1 large glass of oat milk

1 teaspoon of honey

1 large ripe banana 

Method:

Grind up the oats (if you prefer)

Add in all other ingredients

Whizz on high speed for 30 seconds

If you prefer a thicker consistency then add another ½ banana, for a runnier consistency add more oat milk.

  Drink straight away and enjoy

 

Looking for more Spring ideas? Here is a delicious Spring Veggie Couscous

Search for more healthy spring recipes!

 

Sour Cream Date Scones

sour cream date scones

When our ACT IYTA rep, Martha Luksza was in lockdown she decided to cook up a storm with some left over sour cream… the resulting scones didn’t last too long with her three teenage sons and husband in the house, which is why there are only two scones in the photo!

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 2 cup self-raising flour sifted
  • 2 tbs milk to coat

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Mix sour cream and cold water together.
  3. Sift flour (you could use whole meal) into a bowl and make a well in the flour.
  4. Add the sour cream mixture and gently stir mixture until combined. Then add chopped dates.
  5. Knead dough gently on a floured surface.
  6. Roll out dough until 2.5 cm thick.
  7. Cut out scones and put on a lightly greased oven tray
  8. Brush scones with milk and bake for 10-12 minutes.

If you have a household with hungry teenagers like Martha, then the advice is to make double the batch and freeze any leftovers (not that there are likely to be any!)

Feeling in the mood for more baking? Why not try these tasty Chia, Banana and Date Muffins

 

 

Seeds are the new nuts!

IYTA Yoga teacher, Rebecca Lean goes nuts for seeds! Check out her seed mix – which she adds to yoghurts, soups and salads…

 

For years as a vegetarian I have been a huge fan of nuts (well we are what we eat) and in the past I’ve been opportunistic in my approach to incorporate them wherever I can.

Recently though, I’ve been experimenting with the benefits of using seeds.

 

Personally, for my ayurvedic constitution, nuts can be hard to digest unless soaked, and what’s more it is so easy to eat more of them than necessary or even recommended.

 

For my community, with schools and child-care centers no longer allowing nuts due to them being fairly common allergens, it also just feels thoughtful and inclusive to turn to seeds and seed mixes as an alternative.

 

After a few queries online and at my local healthfood store, and I discovered a seed mix that is high in omega 3 and 6, which is beneficial to the health of the heart, brain, eyes, bones and joints as well as having positive impact on inflammation, auto-immune disease, diabetes and depression.

 

This mix is now added to my yogurt, salads, soups and in baking and I hope you will enjoys seeing where they work in your favourite dishes too.

 

I found this recipe online and I can recommend sourcing the seeds from bulk wholefood suppliers such as Scoop, The Source or Naked Foods. This way you are only buying the half a cup of each the recipe requires and you can avoid the expense and waste of a cupboard full of half used bags of seeds. It also means that you can play with the ratios according to your taste and budget.

 

  • ½ Cup Sunflower Seeds
  • ½ Cup Pumpkin Seeds
  • ½ Cup Flax Seeds
  • ½ Cup Chia Seeds

 

Mix the seeds together and store in an airtight container. Depending on how fresh the seeds are to begin with, this keeps for 1-2 months in a cool, dark space.

 

Happy cooking!

 

Rebecca Lean

Chia, banana and date muffins

These delicious muffins are the perfect lockdown treat – thanks to Julia Willoughby* who baked these for our Canberra Restorative Yoga Workshop!  

Ingredients:

Dry:

2 cups of almond meal

¾ cup roughly chopped walnuts

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

A pinch of sea salt

Wet:

1 cup of fresh dates, pitted and chopped

3 organic eggs

2 large, ripe bananas

¼ cup virgin organic coconut oil or rice bran oil

1 tsp chia seeds

 

Method:

 

#1: preheat the oven to 180 C (160C fan forced)

#2 in a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients

#3: in a food processor or high speed blender, combine the dates, eggs, bananas and coconut oil or rice bran oil

#4: add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well. Divide into around 8 paper lined muffin-tin holes and top with chia seeds

#5: bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

 

*visit Julia Willoughby’s yoga website

Find more healthy muffin recipes here

Karmic Korma

This recipe (by Lee Holmes of Super Charged Food) has been sent in by IYTA pre-natal yoga lecturer, Julia Willoughby. This delicious mild curry is Julia’s favourite soup as it’s easy to digest, nutritious, filling and tasty.

Ingredients

105 g natural cashews

1 tablespoon ground coriander

3 tablespoons curry powder

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon red chilli flakes

¾ teaspoon ground fennel

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

400ml tin additive-free coconut milk

1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil or 3 teaspoons ghee

1 onion chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 large tomato, diced

½ medium cauliflower, cut into florets

1 large turnip, peeled and diced

150g green peas (fresh or frozen)

250ml filtered water

Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1 handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves optional to serve.

 

 

Method:

Soak the cashews in hot filtered water for 30 minutes. Drain.

Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside.

Whiz the cashews with the coconut milk in a food processor until smooth.

Melt the oil or ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes or until starting to soften.

Add the spices and cook, stirring frequently for one minute or until the spices are aromatic. Add the tomato and cook, stirring frequently for a further minute. Add the remaining vegetables, the water and the cashew mixture, then stir to combine and cook for a further ten minutes. Add a little more filtered water if necessary.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 35 minutes adding more filtered water if the sauce starts to reduce too much.

Remove from the heat and season to taste, then allow to cool slightly. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth. Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves.

If you liked this recipe you’ll love others by Lee Holmes. Check out her websites here:

www.superchargedfood.com

www.superchargeyourgut.com

 

Spiced Winter Porridge

This quick and easy warming porridge is perfect for breakfast (or anytime of the day) to give you energy and vitality during the winter

Ingredients:

2 cups of oats

2 cups of water

1 cup (or more) depending on your preferred consistency unhomogenised milk

1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup of raisins

3 tablespoons of almonds, 2 tablespoons of pepitas

(you can use any combination of chopped nuts and seeds)

maple syrup/ honey – optional

Method:

Heat oats and water in a pan

Add milk as required, but ensure it doesn’t boil

Stir regularly as you add in raisins, cardamom and cinnamon

After a few minutes turn off heat and sprinkle in seeds and nuts.

Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. If using honey ensure the porridge has cooled. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Kitcheree – the perfect food for Autumn

Give your tastebuds and digestion a treat with this delicious Ayurvedic dish. Kiitcheree (also spelt kitchari) is known as a healing food as it is so easy to digest and the perfect blend of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. This recipe is from our IYTA Social Media expert, Karen Mallinson

Ingredients:

1 cup mung beans (soaked overnight)

1 cup basmati rice

½ cup Sunflower oil (can use “ghee” but it won’t be vegan)

1 ½ inch piece of fresh ginger (pealed & chopped fine)

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp black pepper powder

2 bay leaves

1 stick of cinnamon (if small use 2)

4 cloves

4 whole cardamon pods (split)

½ tsp Asafoetida (hing) (Asafoetida can be found in good Indian grocery stores, if you don’t have it, it can be left out).

½ tsp cayenne

Salt (to taste)

6 cups Vegetarian stock or water (heated)

2 cups of carrots (small dices)

2 cups of broccoli or cauliflower (small florets)

You can add any other vegetables, like potato/sweet potato or pumpkin.

Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped

 

Method:

  • Soak the mung beans overnight, it will help to aid the digestion process.
  • Make a vegetarian stock with vegetable scraps and peelings. (If you don’t have time you can use a store-based vegetable stock or use hot water).
  • Wash the mung beans and the basmati rice until the water is clear.
  • Heat a pot on medium heat and add the oil (or ghee). Then add ginger, stir for a moment and then add the black mustards and cumin seeds. When they start to pop-up add turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon barks, cloves, cardamon and hing.
  • Stir for a couple of minutes and add the rice and the mung beans, stirring very well until all is mixed together.
  • Add the hot vegetarian stock (or the water), cover and bring to boil, let it boil for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat very low to a simmer. Lightly cover the pan.
  • Make sure you give the mixture a stir every 5 minutes, so it doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  • After 15 minutes of simmering, add the carrots, continue to keep stirring every 5 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes more add the broccoli or cauliflower. Keep a close eye on it for another minutes.
  • You can add a little more stock of water if it is needed or if you want a runnier consistency.
  • Add salt to taste and turn it off the heat. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve.

 

SERVING OPTIONS:

  • You can serve on its own, or with a dollop of yoghurt, (we use coconut yoghurt) and a squeeze of lemon.
  • IF you are using Ghee, it’s also nice to serve with a little melted ghee on top.
  • We also serve ours with Sauerkraut or a nice tomato Kasundi.
  • You can serve with a leaf salad.

 

Baba Ganoush and Feast for Freedom

Combine great food with raising money and awareness for a good cause with Feast for Freedom.
Feast for Freedom is a shared food experience in aid of people seeking asylum. Sign up and host a Feast in your home or workplace using recipes gifted from the program. Details below.
Our recipe is Aheda’s Smoky Baba Ganoush

Aheda was a chef in Palestine and has been seeking asylum in Australia since 2018. Aheda is a Palestinian cuisine traditionalist and has dreams of one day opening a food truck to share her love of traditional Palestinian food and culture. You can also currently find Aheda delivering immersive cooking experiences and sharing her cultural traditions through Melbourne-based social enterprise ‘Free to Feed’.

See more on Aheda and register to receive her gifted recipes here

Smoky Baba Ganoush
Ingredients:
  • 1 very large eggplant
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced using mortar and pestle
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • Juice of 1 – 2 lemons (to your taste)
  • 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Pinch of sumac
  • Parsley to garnish
  • Optional: pita bread or lavash flatbread

Method:

  1. If using a gas cooktop, place strips of foil around the base of the gas hob to catch the juice of the eggplant. Using a moderate to high flame, place the eggplant directly onto the gas burner and roast for 20-25 minutes or until well charred and the flesh is soft. Use metal tongs to rotate the eggplant over the flame occasionally to ensure an even char. Once the skin is flaky and charred and the eggplant is soft and juicy, remove it from heat and allow to cool slightly on a tray. If the eggplant is still not cooked inside, place on a lined baking tray and finish under a hot grill. Alternatively, to cook the eggplant in an oven, prick holes in eggplant with a fork and place on a lined baking tray and cook under a hot grill for approx one hour, turning occasionally.
  2. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, make an incision into the eggplant and scoop out the soft flesh (tip: the flesh should be white but cooked). Discard the eggplant skin. Place the eggplant on a large chopping board and roughly chop. The eggplant should be very soft and juicy. Add the crushed garlic, lemon juice, tahini and pink Himalayan salt and continue chopping and folding the mixture until well combined and desired texture is achieved. Alternatively you can blitz the mixture lightly in a food processor.
  3. Once well combined, place the mixture on a plate or in a flat bowl and drizzle with olive oil, pinch of sumac and parsley to garnish. Serve with fresh or pickled vegetables and flatbread.

Listen to Aheda’s story HERE

How to become involved with Feast for Freedom:

Register at www.feastforfreedom.org.au – become a Host and choose anytime during March 2021 to host your Feast.
The ASRC team will then email you a personal fundraising page where your guests can RSVP and you can receive donations towards your fundraising goal.
Choose your cuisine – Sri Lankan, Palestinian or maybe something from the archives from previous years
After registration a FREE ‘Feast Host Kit; will be sent to you including a collectible recipe book with gifted recipes, a Feast shopping totem a wooden spoon, a shopping list and conversation cards to use with your guests. Register before 14th February and receive a FREE Feast tea towel.
Host your Feast in your home or workplace, raise funds and celebrate what unites us – food and community!
This year’s Feast will feature recipes gifted by refugee cooks from Palestine and Sri Lanka lovingly gifted by ASRC member and ASRC Foodbank volunteer Aheda as well as Tamil refugee and chef, Niro.

Five minute salad

Need something healthy, quick and delicious? Then try this five minute salad!

Ingredients:

1 rice cup (available from supermarkets – I had brown rice and quinoa)

if you have more time, then use quinoa or rice cooked from scratch

1 sweetcorn

1/2 capsicum

1/2 cup snowpeas

1 hard boiled egg

leftover cooked veggies – I used potato

1 cup spinach

 

Method:

Cook rice

cook corn (and then cut off kernels)

chop up veggies and cut hard boiled egg into quarters

Add everything to a bowl

add dressing of balsamic and olive oil and salt and pepper as required.

 

This is a super versatile salad, so please add leftover roasted veggies, herbs and other raw veggies you may have. Enjoy ?

Looking for more healthy recipes, try the broccoli, raisin and sunflower salad

 

 

Brekkie Veggie Gumbo

Busy morning with back-to-back yoga classes? Then tuck into this wholesome breakfast dish which should keep you going till lunch!

Ingredients:

1 x can of black or kidney beans (or soak 2 cups of your choice of legumes overnight)

1 red capsicum

1 can of tinned cherry tomatoes

1 onion

1 leek

2 cups of spinach

1 egg

 

Method:

This meal is so versatile – you can substitute almost all the ingredients depending on taste and what you have in your fridge!

Chop the onion, leek and capsicum into

Add a drizzle of olive oil to a frying pan or wok and cook onion and leek until soft

Add tomatoes and red capsicum – simmer for 3-4 minutes. While these are simmering, you may wish to poach an egg. Turn off heat

Stir through spinach leaves until wilted.

Add egg and cracked pepper if desired. You may also like to add finely chopped chilli if you like spicy dishes.

 

 

Summer Berry mocktail

Savour the sunset with this delicious alcohol-free mocktail

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of frozen strawberries

2 cups of frozen watermelon

200ml of cranberry juice

Optional: 2-3 sprigs of fresh mint

  • aim to have equal amounts of the watermelon and strawberries and use enough cranberry juice to create a smooth consistency

 

Method

I prefer to have fresh strawberries and watermelon and then freeze, but you can always buy the ready frozen variety. You might also like to mix it up with raspberries and blueberries!

Put all ingredients into a high speed blender or Thermomix and blend until smooth.

Drink immediately and serve with an extra sprig of mint. Enjoy ?

Christmas Chocolate, Pistachio & Raspberry Slice

Indulge your senses and tastebuds with this delicious festive treat by our NSW IYTA State Rep, Alexi Pallpratt

Ingredients

1 x 100gms block of dark chocolate 70% ( Alexi used Lindt).

3 tbsp of Almond Butter

1 tbsp of coconut oil

1 tbsp of Maple syrup

100gms of fresh raspberries

¾ cup of Pistachio’s

1 tsp Vanilla essence

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Method

On a very low heat melt the bar of chocolate then remove from the heat.

Add the almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup. Mix together well.

When all combined, add ½ cup of the Pistachios into the mixture.

Then place the raspberries at the bottom on a lined small slice tin.

Poor over the chocolate nut mixture & then place the remaining pistachio’s on top for decoration.

Put in the fridge for 1 hour to set and slice up when ready to serve.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

 

 

 

Citrus Poppyseed Buttons

Enjoy these light and delicious biscuits from our President, Astrid Pickup – perfect for an end of class sweet treat!
Ingredients
200g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons poppyseeds
1 teaspoon grated rind of any citrus fruit
Icing:
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon citrus juice
Method:
  • Beat margarine, sugar, rind and egg until very light in colour.
  • Add flour in batches then stir in poppyseeds.
  • Refrigerate covered mixture for 1/2 hour or so.
  • Place balls of mixture on baking paper, flatten slightly.
  • Bake in 180C over for 8-12 minutes until very lightly browned.
  • When cool drizzle icing across biscuits in thin lines and allow to set.
  • Dust with icing sugar to finish (optional).

Broccoli, raisin and sunflower salad

Asked to bring a salad to a BBQ or just keen for a new take on broccoli? Then you’ll love this easy-to-prepare salad

Ingredients:

2 heads of broccoli

1 cup of raisins

½ cup of sunflower seeds (or slivered almonds)

Dressing:

3/4 cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of white vinegar

Pinch of white sugar

Optional – squeeze of lemon

 

Method

Finely chop broccoli including the stalks and put into a large bowl. Then add raisins and sunflower seeds.

In a separate bowl mix all the ingredients for the dressing, then add to the main bowl.

Mix thoroughly and either eat immediately or swap to an airtight container and place in fridge.

Spring veggie couscous

This versatile couscous dish is delicious as a side or as a main meal. It’s light, nutritious and perfect to pack in a lunchbox!

Ingredients:

Red onion

2 large carrots

2 cups of couscous

3 cups of water

1 cube of vegetable stock

2 beetroots

1 tomato

1 block of halloumi cheese (cut into 1cm strips)

3-4 sprigs of mint

3 cups of baby spinach leaves

Handful of walnuts

Lemon for garnish and Greek yoghurt if desired

 

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 200C

Chop the red onion into wedges, the carrots into 1cm batons and the beetroot into 1cm cubes

Then place veggies on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil

Place in oven for 25 minutes or until golden

While the veggies are baking, cook the couscous – bring water to the boil in a pan and crumble in the stock.

Then add the couscous and set aside (with lid on the pan) for 5 minutes.

When couscous has absorbed all the water, fluff up with a fork.

Then add a drizzle of oil to a medium frying pan and cook halloumi until golden on both side. When cooled cut into 1cm squares.

Chop up the tomato, mint and spinach leaves and add this to a large bowl. Then add couscous and halloumi – stir to mix up and then add walnuts and roasted veggies.

You may wish to garnish with lemon wedges and add Greek yoghurt to taste. Enjoy!

Build a bowl

Bowls are IN – and somehow (not sure why!) but there is something more appealing about healthy food in a bowl than on a plate ?

And the great thing about bowls is that as long as there is variety – and colour – you can vary the theme each time, so it never gets boring! You can use any grain as a base, plenty of herbs, throw in a few beans and pop a poached egg on top for extra protein.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of tri-colour quinoa
  • 1 cup of frozen peas (this ratio of quinoa and peas will make enough for around 4 bowls)
  • Spring of mint leaves
  • 1 block of halloumi cheese
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 egg – for topping
  • Slice of lemon to garnish

Method:

  • Bring 2.5 cups of water to the boil in a saucepan, then add the 2 cups of quinoa, cover the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes add the peas to the quinoa
  • While the quinoa is cooking slice halloumi and fry until golden on both sides.
  • Chops the mint and smash the avocado
  • Poach the egg
  • Drain the quinoa and peas.

Then have fun building your bowl! You can also add sauerkraut, vegies and herbs to taste – enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Hearty Adzuki and Vegie Soup

One of the fabulous things about winter is cooking up a nourishing soup – here is one of Patricia Wigley’s Ayurvedic-inspired recipes to enjoy.

 

  • 1 cup adzuki beans
  • 1 cup rice or spelt pasta
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 knob ginger finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • Pinch asafoetida (hing), Black pepper, rock or sea salt
  • 1tsp each turmeric, coriander, mustard seeds
  • 1 carrot
  • Handful beans
  • 1 stick celery
  • 1 small or 1 cup of sweet potato
  • Small head broccoli
  • 1 tbsp olive oil 6-8 cups water .

Method:

  • Saute onion, ginger, garlic , mustard seeds in olive oil 1-2 minutes.
  • Add adzuki beans, turmeric, asafoetida, chopped veggies and stir to coat.
  • Add water, pepper, salt, coriander and bring to boil.
  • Stir and reduce to simmer for 1 hour.
  • Add rice and continue to simmer another 30 minutes or pasta for another 10 minutes.

 

Serves 4

Warm spiced porridge with poached pears and nutmeg

One of the best things about winter is waking up to a warm bowl of spiced porridge. This easy-to-make breakfast dish will fuel you up for the day!

Ingredients:

1 cup of rolled oats

2 tablespoons of sultanas

half a cup of water (or unhomogenised milk)

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground cardamom

2 teaspoons of raw sugar

unhomogenised milk – to add after cooking depending on your preference for thick, creamy porridge or not!

1 pear – to poach/stew

a sprinkling of nutmeg – garnish for the pear

drizzle of maple syrup – optional

Method:

1: Put water/ milk in the pan with the oats on a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon.

2: After a minute or so add the sultanas, spiced herbs and sugar

3: Continue to stir and keep on a low heat and while this is simmering peel and cut the pear into thin slices. Add to a pan of water (just enough to coat the pears) and heat until the pears are soft.

4: Serve the porridge in bowls, add milk if you wish to make the porridge extra creamy. Add the pears and spinkle with nutmeg and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Enjoy. Store in an airtight container and this will keep in the fridge for up to two days. The flavours will infuse and be even more delicious – which will give you extra time for a lie-in!