Inspiration for recipes usually come to me when I am wandering through my local green grocer, something usually catches my eye. Sweet mangos, a nice big bunch of the greenest kale or more recently a little guy yelling at the top of his lungs “peach, pe ach, peach, muuuum, peach…..” This inspiration for this recipe however…
Drain lychees and add to a blender along with the watermelon, water and mint if using. Blend until smooth. (Depending on your type of blender you may have to strain the mixture with a fine sieve to remove any pulp). Pour into metal tray and freeze until partially set, about 3 hours. After 3 hours break up the ice that has formed with a fork and repeat this step every 30 minutes or so, for the next couple of hours until the granita has formed ice crystals
You could use any fruit in this recipe and if you like it a little sweeter add some sugar syrup to the mix.
I have been a little sweet potato mad lately – but it has to be roasted. Something really magical happens when veggies are roasted and I can’t get enough of them.
H on the other hand has decided he likes everything served raw. Now I’m not complaining. He will happily sit down and eat a bowl of raw carrot, broccoli stems, capsicum, cucumber, tomatoes, and even cauliflower but he has recently developed at hatred for pumpkin and sweet potato.
I thought I may be able to fool him with this roasted sweet potato dish by serving it topped with chickpeas and tahini but if I’m truthful he wasn’t overly impressed. He had a taste, put a few more tablespoons of tahini on top, tried it again, picked the chickpeas off and ate them and that was about it.
I thought it was really delicious which is why I’m posting it, and its a great meatless meal option with ingredients that you probably have on hand. I hope you like it. xx
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2 small sweet potatoes
2 tbls finely chopped mint
2 tbls finely chopped parsley
Sumac to garnish
1 tin chickpeas
1 tablespoon oil
2 tsp sumac
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic; minced
salt to taste
Pre-heat oven to 200c / 400F. Give the sweet potatoes a good scrub (leave skin on ). Cut in half lengthways and place on a baking tray. Brush with oil and baked for about 30 minutes or until tender.
Drain, rince and dry the chickpeas; add to a heat proof dish. Mix the remaining ingredients and add to the chickpeas and toss to coat. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Once cooked add half the parsley and mint and combine.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Place your sweet potatoes on a serving tray and using a spoon make a little dent in the sweet potato so you can pile your chickpeas on (alternatively scoop out a little of the flesh). Top with chickpeas a good dollop of tahini, the left over herbs and a sprinkle of sumac. Serve
Serves 4 as a side (half a sweet potato each). Double the recipe to serve as a main or if you are super hungry
Strawberries and orange blossom water is a match made in heaven. Add to that ice cream and you have a huge winner! This is a simple ice cream recipe that is egg free, therefore doesn’t require you to make a custard. Simply whisk the ingredients by hand, then churn in an ice cream maker.
The countdown is on and I’m super excited this year. H and I were chatting about getting a photo with Santa the other day – or more accurately I was trying to convince him it was a good idea… Me: What are you going to ask Santa for? H: A drum and a flower Me: Who…
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We celebrated my babies 2nd Birthday on the weekend – can’t believe he is two already! H had a wonderful time with his cousins and everyone was super surprised when we cut into his Birthday cake to reveal the colours of the rainbow. My original idea was to create a checkerboard cake out of…
I used a combination of purple and green asparagus here. H and I were at the green grocer when he spotted purple asparagus and got super excited – like jumping up and down excited, I wish I could have recorded him. It was super cute and me loving his enthusiasm for good food ended up buying a lot of asparagus…
So with all the asparagus I ended up buying, I decided to make asparagus and saffron risotto with the intention of making it a two for one meal, by using the leftovers the following night to make arancini – bonus!
For those of you with little munchkins running around I know risotto seems like an impossible task – so instead of standing in front of the stove for 30 or so minutes stirring away, add a few ladles at a time and then cover and come back in 5-10 minutes, give it a stir, add more stock and repeat until it has been all absorbed. It may not be quite as creamy but it will be delicious.
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3 bunches or asparagus (500g)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 french shallots or 1 onion; finely chopped
1 clove garlic; finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice (400g)
1 cup white wine
Pinch of saffron
6-8 cups stock (veggie or whatever you like)
1 cup parmesan cheese + extra to serve
3 tablespoons butter
Heat your stock in large saucepan and keep it warm. Break the woody ends off the asparagus and discard; then chop the asparagus into 2 or 3 (depending on the size of your asparagus). Set the asparagus tips to the side.
Add the oil, garlic and shallot to a large frying pan and sauté until softened. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. Add the wine and stir until it has absorbed. Add asparagus (expect the tips), saffron and a few ladles of stock and stir until absorbed. Continue adding a ladle at a time. Toward the end of cooking add the asparagus tips. The risotto is ready when all the stock is gone or the risotto is creamy and cooked through – but not mushy. About 25 minutes or so.
Add the butter and parmesan and stir until melted through. Serve with extra parmesan on top.
Homemade fresh tomato sauce is so handy to have on hand. I make a large batch and freeze it for a lazy day. I use it to add to pasta, as a pizza sauce, meatballs, a quick ragout, ratatouille, etc. So next time you go to the farmers markets grab a few kilos and make it fresh, it’s…
This recipe is adapted from Movida restaurant in Melbourne and it is so good! It would make an impressive side dish, light lunch, or even main course. The rich flavours are balanced beautifully by the sharpness of the quince and although it does take a little time to prepare, I promise it will be worth it…
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1/4 cup olive oil + extra for roasting pumpkin
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 large quince
1 Lebanese eggplant , chopped into 1/2 inch dice
1/4 jap pumpkin , pealed and chopped into small 1 inch dice
1 green capsicum , chopped
1 small onion , diced
1 tomato , diced
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
pinch of salt
Handful of chopped parsley
Pomegranate seeds to garnish
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Cook the quinoa according to the packet directions and then spread on a tray to cool; refrigerate until ready to use.
Wash and dry quince and place on a baking tray, bake for 1 hour, or until soft. While that is cooking, spread pumpkin on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat, and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until tender (you want it to hold its shape)
Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat and cook the eggplant until golden and tender. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out eggplant and drain on paper towel. Now add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in the capsicum, bay leaves, and cumin and reduce heat to low-medium; cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the roasted quince and cut into 1 inch dice.
Add the tomato and tomato paste to the capsicum mixture and cook for a few minutes. Add the roasted pumpkin, quince, eggplant, quinoa and parsley and gently mix together. Season to taste, add to a large bowl and garnish with pomegranate seeds
Increase the cumin to a couple of teaspoons if you enjoy the taste. I kept it very mild for the little dude…
This really is a deliciously healthy snack, dessert or even breakfast. Mango, Pineapple, Lime and Coconut Tapioca is also perfect to freeze. I simply warmed the mixture a little and it was perfect. So double the recipe if you like and freeze what you don’t use for another day – enjoy…
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