cumin roasted cauliflower + tahini + herbs

This is one of those flavour combinations that just works. I'm not a huge cauliflower fan but when it's charred under the grill and combined with big flavours like cumin and tahini, something special happens (in my opinion). Add some fresh herbs, and you've got a winner.

This recipe works well as a side dish alongside grilled meat, chicken or fish. You can serve it warm or cold. If you're vegetarian or vegan, it could be a good lunch option with some raw nuts and seeds tossed through for added nutrition. The tahini adds creaminess without any dairy and it's full of flavour. All good things.

I haven't given exact quantities in the recipe below, as it doesn't really matter. You just chop up as much cauliflower as you want and then dress with the other ingredients accordingly. If you're not familiar with tahini, it's a paste made from ground sesame seeds.  You can buy it at most supermarkets and at health food stores. I prefer hulled tahini (made from hulled sesame seeds) because unhulled tahini has a slightly more bitter flavour.

ingredients

• cauliflower
• ground cumin
• sea salt
• tahini
• fresh parsley 
• extra virgin olive oil (optional)

preparation

1. Preheat the grill in your oven to a high heat.

2. Chop the cauliflower into florets and lightly steam until just tender.*

3. Tip the cauliflower onto a large baking tray and sprinkle generously with cumin and a good pinch of sea salt (I use a couple of teaspoons of cumin and one teaspoon of fine sea salt for one large head of cauliflower). Toss well so that all the florets are nicely coated. Spread the florets out on the tray so that they form one layer.

4. Place the tray under the grill (making sure that the tray is on the rack closest to the grill element). Once the cauliflower florets are starting to char, take the tray out of the oven, flip the florets over and return to the oven to char the other side.

5. Once the florets are nicely charred, tip them into a bowl, toss in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional) and then drizzle over some tahini and top with chopped parsley to serve.

* You could skip steaming the cauliflower and just char it under the grill, but I prefer to steam it first as cauliflower is a goitrogenic vegetable that may interfere with thyroid function when eaten raw. Steaming or boiling goitrogenic vegetables apparently reduces the the goitrogens (and will also make the vegetables easier to digest).

middle eastern spiced cauli-rice

Have you tried cauliflower 'rice'? I know I'm a bit late to the party (it's been a long-time favourite in the paleo community), but it's so good! It's made by whizzing cauliflower in a food processor to break it up into little rice-like pieces. If you cook it up in some coconut oil and spices, it's delicious. And great for soaking up juices from curries or stews. 

It's is a nice low starch alternative to normal rice. It also provides more nutrients. I'm happy to eat normal rice when I feel like it, but I'm just as happy with this spiced cauli-rice. And who's going to complain about getting some more vegetables into their diet?

As a side note, I'm careful not to go too low carb with my eating. I make sure I get enough starchy carbs from vegetables like sweet potato, peas, carrots and butternut squash (particularly when I'm exercising a lot). I don't mind a bit of quinoa or oats on occasion either.

In the recipe below, I've given approximate measurements for the spices and salt. The amount will depend on the size of your cauliflower (some are small, others are enormous). I would recommend starting with the lower measurement and then tasting and adjusting accordingly.

Turning the cauliflower florets into 'rice'.

ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil
• �-1 tsp ground cinnamon
• �-1 tsp ground cumin
• 1-2 tsp fine Himalayan crystal salt or sea salt
• Fresh parsley or coriander to serve

preparation

1. Wash cauliflower and break it into florets. Throw the florets into a food processor and whiz until it resembles rice. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your food processor. If you have one of those killer fancy food processors, you can probably get away with leaving the florets pretty large. I only have a little stab mixer, so I chop the florets into slices before whizzing and do it in a few batches (see photo above).

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large frypan over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the spices and stir into the oil. Tip the cauliflower into the pan and move it around in the oil and spices until evenly coated. Season with the salt and stir again. I then leave it for about a minute, then come back and stir again, repeating this until the cauliflower has softened and lightly browned. Taste for seasoning (being careful not to burn your mouth) and add more salt or spices if needed.

3. Tip the cauliflower into a bowl and top with fresh herbs, such as parsley or coriander, to serve. It would also be nice with some chopped, toasted almonds stirred through for crunch. I store it covered in the fridge for a couple of days to add to my meals.

The Top Dozen Pesticide-Laden Produce + The Top Fifteen Cleanest Produce

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released a list of produce containing the most pesticides (yuck!) ... and the least.  Do you want to know which of these foods are going into your body?  Check out the below list.  (For more information, including details on certain produce, check out this EWG page.)

THE 2014 "DIRTY DOZEN PLUS"
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet bell peppers
Nectarines (imported)
Cucumbers
Cherry tomatoes
Snap peas (imported)
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Kale

THE 2014 "CLEAN FIFTEEN" 
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Cabbage
Sweet peas (frozen)
Onions
Asparagus
Mangoes
Papayas
Kiwi
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower
Sweet potatoes

For more information, including details on certain produce, check out this EWG page.

sweet potato pancakes

Got leftover sweet potato? Make these! I came up with them one afternoon when I had some leftover roasted sweet potato from the night before. They�re naturally gluten-free and don�t contain any sugar or sweetener. They�re also a great alternative to the grain-free pancakes made with nut meals for people who can't tolerate nuts.

Make them sweet, topped with coconut, dark chocolate and mixed berries. Or have them savoury, topped with poached eggs, avocado and fresh herbs.

Hot tip: make them small so they�re easier to flip (I make mine about 3cm wide). And use roasted sweet potato (not boiled), otherwise they can turn out too �wet�. To roast sweet potato, I just put the sweet potatoes in a hot oven on a piece of foil (whole, with skins on) and bake until soft inside. Then all you have to do is peel off the skin and scoop out the insides (and eat any leftovers warm with a little organic butter and sea salt � heaven).

ingredients

• 1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (for sweet pancakes)
• Pinch of salt (for savoury pancakes)
• Coconut oil or butter for frying

preparation

1. Heat a little coconut oil or butter in a fry pan over a medium heat.

2. Place the sweet potato and eggs in a bowl and beat until well combined and smooth (you could also whiz it in a food processor). Stir through the cinnamon or salt.

3. Drop small spoonfuls of the batter into the pan, spreading out into discs with the back of a spoon (the mixture will be quite thick). Once set on the bottom, carefully flip with a spatula and cook on the second side for another minute or so. If you keep them small, they will be easier to flip. If you�re having trouble getting the spatula under the pancakes to flip them, use a second spatula or spoon to push the pancake onto the flipping spatula.

frittata with greens + lemon

The combination of green vegetables and lemon (zest and juice) in this frittata gives a light, summery vibe. It�s quick and easy and generates leftovers for breakfast or lunch the next day.

I used zucchini and green beans here, and served it with a simple salad. But you could easily substitute whatever greens you have on hand. Once it�s cooled, I cut the leftovers up into wedges and store in the fridge.

ingredients

• 1 red onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 zucchini
• Large handful of green beans
• 1 lemon
• 12 eggs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil 

preparation

1. Preheat the grill in your oven to high. 

2. Heat a 26cm ovenproof frypan* on a medium heat. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Use a vegetable peeler to finely slice the zucchini lengthways. Top and tail the green beans and chop in half. Grate the zest off the lemon and set aside (keeping the lemon for its juice later). Crack the eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and whisk with a fork to combine.

3. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan and fry the onion until starting to soften. Add the garlic, then the green beans and fry for a few minutes. Add the zucchini, lemon zest and squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pan. Stir everything around for about a minute.

4. Pour the whisked eggs into the pan over the vegetables and turn the heat up to high. Keep pulling the egg mixture from the sides of the pan into the centre, moving it around the pan until the bottom of the frittata starts to set.

5. Once the bottom and sides of the frittata are set, place the pan in the oven for a few minutes until the top is set.

6. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil over the top.

Serves 4-6.

* You can use a difference sized pan - it will just vary the thickness and cooking time of the frittata (i.e. if you have a larger frypan, the frittata will be thinner and will cook slightly faster).

salt + vinegar kale chips

I first came across the concept of baked �kale chips� in Sarah Wilson�s I Quit Sugar Cookbook. They are delicately crispy and a great vehicle for carrying flavours, like my favourite combination - salt and vinegar!

I won�t lie; kale can be an acquired taste. I know a lot of people who have tried store-bought kale chips (usually dehydrated) and the reaction has been �tastes like dirty cardboard�. If this is you, I would still say try this baked version. My boyfriend, who does not hesitate to tell me if something I cook tastes �too healthy�, actually loves these. It�s a great way to get some greens in. The only thing I would say is be careful not to burn them, as they will go bitter if overcooked. You want them to crisp up but not go brown. I find they only take 3-5 minutes, so keep an eye on them (I open the oven door every minute or so to check on them).

As far as salt goes, I use Himalayan crystal salt because it�s high in minerals. It sounds wanky, but it is much better for you than standard processed table salt. You could also use sea salt, if you prefer.

ingredients

• Bunch of kale
• Olive oil
• Vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar)
• Salt (Himalayan crystal salt or sea salt)

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 200�C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Remove the stalks from the kale, tear the leaves into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl.

3. Drizzle the kale with some olive oil, a splash of vinegar and a good sprinkle of salt. Toss well so that each leaf is coated in the oil, vinegar and salt.

4. Place the leaves on the baking tray in one layer. If they don�t all fit in one layer, do them in batches (if you pile them on top of each other they won�t crisp up).

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 3-5 minutes until just crispy, but not brown.

smoked trout with avocado + greens

This salad doesn't really need a recipe, but I love the combination of flavours so I thought I'd share it as a bit of inspiration. It's the kind of meal you can throw together when your brain has given up for the day (often at lunchtime).

I always keep a packet of smoked trout or smoked salmon in the fridge for quick meals like this. Smoked fish has so much flavour, so it's the perfect ingredient to make an otherwise boring salad tasty. It also adds a good dose of healthy fats and protein (useful for brain function, if you're having one of those days).

ingredients

• 50-100g smoked trout (or smoked salmon)
• Half an avocado
• Various greens, such as a couple of handfuls of rocket or baby spinach and some leftover broccoli
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper

preparation

1. Grab the bowl you want to eat from. Scoop out the avocado, in chunks, into the bowl. Throw in the greens. Drizzle with some olive oil and a little pinch of salt. Toss to combine (with your hands - if you want to keep washing up to a minimum).

2. Top with the smoked trout and season with cracked black pepper.

Serves 1.

zucchini noodles with tomato, olives + rocket

Thanks to two lovely friends from my CrossFit gym, I was given some homegrown zucchini and loan of a vegetable spiraliser. So I had a go at zucchini noodles. Zucchini noodles, or 'zoodles', can be used as a substitute for spaghetti (to the horror of many Italians, I'm sure). You just push the zucchini through the spiraliser and watch the string of zoodles come out the other end. 

As it's summer here in Australia, I decided to do a fresh uncooked 'sauce' for the zoodles. I like the combination of peppery rocket, sweet tomato and salty olives, but you can add/substitute ingredients to suit what you have in your fridge. I've given rough quantities to serve one, but you can easily multiply the quantities for more people. You could also add some flaked tuna or salmon if you want to up the protein.

You can eat the zoodles raw or blanch them by pouring some hot water over the top (if you heat them too much they will go to mush). If you don't have a spiraliser, you can just use a simple vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini lengthways into fettuccine-like strips.

ingredients

• 1 zucchini
• Handful of mini Roma or cherry tomatoes
• Handful of black olives
• Handful of rocket
• Handful of fresh parsley
• Extra virgin olive oil
• White wine vinegar

preparation

1. Pass the zucchini through a spiraliser or slice it into strips with a vegetable peeler. Place the zoodles in a colander or sieve and put some water on to boil.

2. While the water is coming to a boil, chop up the tomatoes and olives, roughly chop the rocket and parsley and place it all in a bowl. Drizzle with some olive oil and a splash of vinegar and toss to combine.

3. Pour the boiled water over the zucchini, draining well straight away. Toss the zucchini with the tomato, olive and rocket mixture and serve.

Serves 1.

carrot + tahini balls

If you're a fan of carrots dipped in tahini, these are for you. The natural sweetness of carrots works really well with tahini. I love a carrot stick/tahini dipping session, but if I feel like mixing things up a bit, I make these balls.

It's also a good recipe for kids to help with. They can easily do the rolling into balls and coating in the sesame seeds (why not benefit from a bit of child labour in the kitchen?). And the flavours are pretty simple, so hopefully they'll enjoy eating them too.

ingredients

• 2 cups grated carrot (from about 4 medium carrots)
• ? cup tahini*
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp almond meal
• Sesame seeds for coating

preparation

1. Place the carrot, tahini and chia seeds in a food processor and process until well combined. (If you don't have a food processor, you can simply mix in a bowl. The texture of the balls won't be as smooth, but it will still work well).

2. Stir through the almond meal. If the mixture is still overly sticky, add a little more almond meal.

3. Roll the mixture into balls, then coat in sesame seeds. Store them in the fridge.

* I use hulled tahini (unhulled tahini, made from unhulled sesame seeds, has a more bitter flavour).

sardines with pumpkin + silverbeet

This makes a wonderfully nutritious and filling lunch or dinner (or breakfast if you're like me and enjoy slightly unusual breakfasts). I made it for lunch today with my leftover Paprika Roast Pumpkin. 

It doesn't really need a recipe, but I thought I'd share it as more of an idea for you to play with because I really love the flavour combination. Sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are also low in mercury, so they're one of the better fish options. I use sardines tinned in olive oil. 

ingredients

• Tin of sardines in olive oil
• A couple of large handfuls of silverbeet
• Leftover Paprika Roast Pumpkin

preparation

1. Remove the stalks from the silverbeet and roughly chop the leaves. Steam or boil the leaves until just tender, then drain well.

2. Remove the sardines from the tin, draining the oil. Place the silverbeet in a bowl and top with a handful of the leftover Paprika Roast Pumpkin and the sardines. (I don't dress the silverbeet with any oil as the sardines are quite oily).

Serves 1.

paprika roast pumpkin

This is one of my favourite ways to eat pumpkin. I regularly roast a tray of it to go with dinner, then add the leftovers cold to eggs in the morning or a salad at lunch.

I usually use butternut pumpkin (butternut squash) because its texture is smoother and less fibrous than other varieties of pumpkin. I haven't given exact quantities because it will depend on the size of your baking tray. You want enough pumpkin to cover your baking tray in a single layer, without overcrowding.

ingredients

• Butternut pumpkin
• Paprika
• Salt
• Coconut oil, melted

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 200�C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin. Cut the remaining flesh into 2cm cubes. (I cut the pumpkin into small cubes to reduce the cooking time and also to improve the paprika coating to pumpkin ratio). 

3. Place the pumpkin cubes in a bowl and shake over a generous amount of paprika, some salt and a good drizzle of melted coconut oil. Toss everything together so that each pumpkin cube is nicely coated.

4. Spread the cubes out onto the baking tray in a single layer, allowing a little bit of space between each cube. 

5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 - 30 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked through. If you have cut the pumpkin into larger cubes, it will need longer in the oven. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

quick lemon + garlic chicken with kale

This meal takes me 15 minutes to make and it only uses one pan. Sometimes the thought of having to wash multiple pots and pans puts me off cooking, and I'll end up eating a less than ideal "picked from the pantry" dinner consisting of handfuls of whatever I can find (usually eaten whilst still standing in the pantry). 

When I'm in a cooking mood, I'm all for marinating a chicken for a few hours. But when you need a quick dinner, this recipe provides the lemon/garlic flavour in a very short amount of time. I like to serve it with kale because it's incredibly nutrient dense (I used curly kale in the photo above), but you could substitute silver-beet or spinach. 

I cook this meal in olive oil because I cook it over a medium heat only and I prefer the flavour of olive oil with lemon and garlic. (When cooking over a higher heat, I use saturated fats like coconut oil because they remain stable at high temperatures).

ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts (or a few thighs)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Half a lemon
• Salt
• Pepper
• Bunch of kale
• Handful of flaked almonds
• Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• Olive oil

preparation

1. Cut the chicken into strips about 2cm thick (this speeds up the cooking time).

2. Heat a frypan over a medium heat and finely slice the garlic. Fry the garlic in a teaspoon of olive oil in the pan for a minute or so, then add the chicken. 

3. Sear the chicken pieces on both sides, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid or some foil and leave it to simmer until the chicken is just cooked through. 

4. While chicken is cooking, remove the stalks from the kale and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces.

5. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken and the garlic from the pan, leaving the juices in the pan. (I tip the chicken and garlic onto the plate I'm going to eat off - more saving on dishes).

6. Throw the kale into the pan, adding a little more olive oil if needed, and move it around the pan in the chicken juices until it is slightly tender and wilted. Throw the chicken and garlic back into the pan and stir everything around. Top with the flaked almonds and parsley.

Serves 2.

green eggs

 

My version of green eggs is scrambled eggs pimped with greens and served with a fresh green salad for added textural interest. It's a great way to add extra nutrients to eggs in the morning. I also often eat it for a quick lunch or dinner.

It's so simple it barely needs a recipe. If you have any leftover vegetables in the fridge, throw them into the scramble too. Kale is a great addition. Or spinach that is starting to pass its prime. Just chop it up and saut� with the zucchini before adding the eggs.

ingredients

for the scramble:

• 1 tsp raw virgin coconut oil
• 2-3 eggs
• 1 zucchini
• Salt *
• Pepper
• Fresh parsley, roughly chopped

for the green salad:

• Large handful of leafy greens, such as baby spinach, rocket or valeriana
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt *

 

preparation

 

1. Heat the coconut oil in a frypan over a low heat.

 

2. While the frypan is warming up, beat the eggs together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Grate the zucchini.

 

3. Throw the grated zucchini into the pan and saut� in the oil until it starts to soften and the moisture starts to evaporate.

 

4. Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and stir into the zucchini. Keep moving the egg and zucchini mixture around the pan until the eggs are just cooked through. I usually take the pan off the heat just before the eggs are done and finish them off with the residual heat in the pan. This way you're less likely to overcook the eggs.

 

5. For the salad, simply toss the leafy greens in a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt.

 

6. Serve the scramble on a plate with the salad, and top with the fresh parsley.

 

Serves 1.

 

* I use Himalayan crystal salt because it's high in minerals.

basic frittata

I'm a frittata fiend. I make them a lot because they are easy, portable, nice hot or cold, cheap to make (although I always buy organic, free-range eggs for ethical reasons), they result in leftovers (unless you're ravenous or have an unusually small frypan) and you can throw in whatever you have lying around. 

 

I like to add vegetables into the mix and often mince, chicken or salmon as well for added flavour and protein. This one includes broccolini, beef mince and artichoke. But throw in whatever you have. The frittata is very forgiving.

ingredients

• 400g beef mince *
• Bunch of broccolini, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 8 eggs
• 4-5 marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
• Salt
• Pepper

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 180�C and heat an ovenproof frypan on a medium heat. I use a 24cm frypan. Once the pan is hot, throw in the beef mince and fry, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through. I don't use any cooking oil, but if your mince is very lean, you could fry it in a teaspoon of coconut oil.

2. Remove the mince from the pan, then throw the broccolini into the pan and briefly saut� it in the leftover mince juices.

3. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the mince back into the pan and stir it around with the broccolini so that everything is evenly distributed.

4. Pour the whisked eggs over the mince and broccolini, tilting the pan slightly to evenly distribute the eggs. Leave the pan on a medium heat for about 10 minutes.

5. Sprinkle the chopped artichoke hearts over the frittata, then place the pan in the preheated oven for a final 10 minutes until the top of the frittata is set.

* Grass-fed meat is best if you can get it.

zucchini fritters with tahini + parsley

This is one of my favourite snacks. Tahini and parsley work so well together, and it can't get much better than on top of a zucchini fritter. The fritters are delicious warm or cold. You could use them to make a grain-free sandwich or burger, or serve them with eggs and other accompaniments for breakfast. They're so versatile and they carry other flavours well. 

I love the fritters with hulled tahini, which is made from sesame seeds that have had the outer husk removed (usually via a water processing method). Hulled tahini is milder in flavour than unhulled tahini. Unhulled tahini is made from the whole sesame seed and has a slightly bitter taste. It's worth trying both varieties to see which one you prefer.

ingredients

• 2 medium-sized zucchini
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• Coconut oil or butter for frying
• Tahini
• Fresh parsley, roughly chopped

preparation

1. Grate the zucchini. Taking handfuls of the grated zucchini, squeeze out the excess moisture and place in a bowl.

2. Push the zucchini to one side in the bowl, crack the eggs into the cleared space, whisk them briefly with a fork then stir through the zucchini. Stir through the coconut flour.

3. Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil or butter in a fry pan on a medium heat. Once hot, drop spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the pan and fry on both sides until golden brown. Repeat with remaining zucchini mixture.

4. Once cooled, spread the fritters with tahini and top with the fresh parsley. You can store any leftover fritters in the fridge for a day or so.

NB: I use a 20ml tbsp. If you have a 15ml tbsp (if you're in the US or UK), you can measure out 4 tsp in place of each tbsp.