Fried Rice

Coming in a close second to soup, one of the simplest meals to cook is fried rice. Basically you can throw all sorts of vegetables into the rice to create your own unique version. Here's mine to share with you.

Ingredients

2 tbsp tamari, 2 tbsp black bean sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, pinch of raw sugar, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp minced ginger, 2 cloves garlic, chopped, ½ red chilli, finely chopped, 6 pieces puff tofu, sliced, 12 green beans, chopped .5cm thick, 2 corn cobs, corn sliced off cob, ½ cup carrot, grated, 2 spring onions, finely diced, 2 cups Jasmin Rice (cooked)

Method

In a small bowl, combine the tamari, black bean sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and sugar.

Heat oil in a large wok and stir-fry ginger, garlic and chilli. Add the green beans, spring onions, corn, tofu and carrot and cook for 3 mintues. Add the rice and sauce mixture and combine.

Stir-fry until hot and serve.

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Hot Tomato

Being mid week, I take a good look at my fridge and see what has and hasn't been eaten. I am mindful that Saturday is only two days away and once again, I will be heading down to the Eveleigh markets to do my produce shopping.

Last weekend, we picked up some lovely vine tomatoes and bell peppers so tonight, I am going to roast and serve them with risotto cakes for dinner.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, lay the tomatoes and bell peppers on a non stick pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sea salt. Roast for 40 minutes checking from time to time. The tomatoes and peppers should be slightly dehydrated and look well roasted.

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Roasted tomatoes are equally delicious stirred through al dente pasta served with chopped basil.

Feeling the cold?

Day light savings may have ended and winter on its way but it seems the dreaded lurgy has already found its way into my system. I am not one for getting sick, not that I don’t mind being sick, it reminds me how good it is to be well but I rarely get sick so when I do, it’s a bit of a shock to the system.

To combat this head cold of mine, I have been drinking Highland Herbs cold and flu tea – the tonic for all colds. Ingredients such as yarrow, thyme hyssop, fennel, ginger, peppermint, echinacea and elderflower, there’s nothing in this tea that won’t help you get better fast! Along with miso soup and steamed greens my immune system is getting all the medicines it needs without the need to visit a pharmacy. Go natural this winter.

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Soupalicious

There’s a running joke in my household that when all else fails, I put a soup on the boil. I say, what’s wrong with that? Soups are comforting, satisfying, they make you feel warm and fuzzy and they have to be one of the simplest meals to make outside baked beans on toast.

I’m always a little sad when summer comes around; it’s just too hot to have soup. But now that the nights are longer, the air a little breezier, I am smiling again and the pot is poised on the stove ready for action.

My favourite soup has to be curried split pea closely followed by creamy broccoli or maybe its my leek and quinoa soup, oh this is hard.

Once you understand the basics of soups – just add water, ingredients, salt and heat, boil for 45 minutes and blend your going to go soup crazy just like me. Here’s to the chilly nights with a bowl of soup on your lap!

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Using what is available to you

We have all stood in front of our fridge, door wide open hoping for inspiration on what to cook. 9 times out of 10 you close the door and order takeaway, right? Wrong. Look in your pantry, there’s always something lurking in there!

We all have a can of chickpeas in the pantry that have been there since you can’t even remember when. There are many uses for chickpeas such as making hummus, a chickpea curry with tomatoes and ginger or even tossing them into a salad with green beans and rocket.

It’s time to start being creative and use what you already have. And remember, it’s good to deplete the stocks in the larder; it means we are using everything in our pantry not just stocking up on top of it. This is good for the bank account & our environment.

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Muffin Monday

You made it through the first day of the week, it wasn't that hard was it? If it was, remember it will get better from here.

Did you find yourself around 10:30am listening to the tones of your rumbling stomach? If so, instead of snacking on that chocolate bar, you need to snack on a Carrot and Raisin Muffin. These muffins are vegan and totally delicious....

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Sunday morning breakfast

Sunday morning is about three things: a cup of tea, the paper and most importantly breakfast.

Nothing should ever be a rush on a Sunday. You shouldn't hurry to get out of your tracksuit pants and slippers and you should do all tasks at half the speed of a Saturday, Sunday is a go slow day.

If a fry up isn't on the cards, then a breakfast consisting of avocado, fresh tomatoes, olive paste, relish, beans and home grown rocket on sourdough bread is the go. Its takes around 10 minutes to prepare and this will satisfy until you start thinking about your next meal - lunch.

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