As always, lots of options, but I’m going for maximum comfort, convenience and an opportunity to slip in as many vegetables as possible!
‘Moussaka’ with cavolo nero, kumara and cauliflower 'bechamel'
So ‘technically’ speaking this may not be the most traditional of moussakas, but it is definitely a tasty and nutritious variation!
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 190ºC.Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat; add the onion and sauté until tender, then the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the mince and stir to brown all over. Add the tomatoes and the carrots and turn the heat down to medium-low for about an hour.
Serve with a fresh cos lettuce and avocado salad or some wilted Winter Greens.
(If you love cauliflower so much that you are not willing to sacrifice it for a sauce then how about a cauliflower and broccolini gratin or a roasted cauliflower, sautéed cavolo nero, roasted tomato and feta stuffed kumara?)
]]>This week with all the greens, ginger, lime and coriander I can’t help but lean towards a few Asian style dishes.
Before I arrange my vegetables, which is never the difficult part, I’ll have to organise some meaty numbers. I know I can whip up a yummy Teriyaki inspired marinade which will go with fish/chicken/pork/lamb/beef/mushrooms/eggplant..you name it! It’s a simple one that will last a good few days in the fridge and unlike the traditional sticky Teriyaki sauce, it’s lighter in texture but still brings lots of flavour, especially if the protein is left to marinade overnight.
Ingredients
(Makes 1 cup for 4 Servings)
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. You can literally pop this into a ziplock bag along with the protein of your choice and forget about until the next day when it’s ready to grill or bake!
To go with my Teriyaki meal I’m going to go with a soba noodle chow mein using a good few of my organic greens and ginger. Click here for the recipe! Te Manaia Organic green kale, carrot, ginger soba noodle Chow Mein.
I'm still left with lots of choices..
And when it comes to mid week and I'm a bit over it all I'll most likely braise my zucchinis in a tomato sauce with some white beans, olives topped and finish off with some chunky Kingsmeade Feta and a bit too much olive oil!
]]>
Ingredients
Serves 4
Method
Cook the soba noodles as per packet instructions, drain well and set aside. Toss lightly with a little sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.
In a small bowl, whisk together the stock, arrowroot powder, tamari and sesame oil and set aside.
In a pan or a wok heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat and fry the garlic, ginger and onion until the onion is translucent, add the mung beans and the shredded kale, cabbage and carrot ribbons and continue cooking for two minutes, add the ‘broth’ and cook for a further two minutes until the kale has wilted and the sauce has thickened. Quickly add the noodles and give a good (but gentle!) toss on the heat so they are thoroughly coated in the sauce and then serve immediately. Maybe slice some of your fish, chicken or pork and serve on top with a wedge of lime and a few coriander leaves and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or peanuts.
*Arrowroot is a thickening agent which has a slightly lighter appearance and texture to cornflour. If you don’t have any you can sub in cornflour, but you may wish to add in an extra tbspoon of water and take care of the lumps…or you could miss it out and have a runnier sauce!
]]>
I know immediately when I see the Mushrooms that I’ll make stuffed mushrooms, Baby Spinach will either be a fresh salad or thrown into a spiced Cauliflower and lentil soup. I’ll use the other half of the Zoe’s Garden Cauliflower to make Gratin, Red onions, I will use everywhere because I love them. Zoe’s Winter Greens will most likely get sautéed and tossed through some fried brown rice. The Te Manaia Cavolo Nero and Zoe’s Garden Butternut throw me into a quick tail spin though. Such a winning combo; with these two together, options are plentiful. Cavolo Nero and pumpkin pizza? Pumpkin and white bean mash? Beef Lasagne with Cavolo Nero and roasted pumpkin? I make a decision and commit to it. Cavolo Nero and Feta meatballs with some roasted pumpkin, roasted red onion and sautéed winter greens with brown rice. Requires a bit more than one pot, but I think it’s my turn to have someone clear up after me!
Cavolo Nero and Feta Meatballs with special fried Brown Rice
Serves 4 (with rice left over for stuffing mushrooms!!)
For the meatballs
For the rice
For the sauce
1 Bongusto Arrabiata Pasta Sauce
Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients. Once the vegetables are prepared it’s simple. Just make sure you have an empty dishwasher and a willing extra pair of hands.
]]>
My nerdy, vegetable loving heart skips a beat when I see that Te Manaia Organic Red Kale is back in the box this week; earthy Beetroot to be eaten raw or roasted, Te Manaia Organic sprout combo for punch and protein, Avocado for creamy goodness (makes a great vegan mayo!) and more, there’s still so much more! Generally speaking, we seem to have a perfect box of textures, colours and flavours to put together some seriously yummy salad ensembles that can win over even the most carnivorous creature! In the winter months Ceres Organics Red Quinoa, Farro and Brown Basmati rice are my three favourites to tie my salads together.
Hearty Winter Green Salad
(Serves 4 generously or 6-8 modest portions)
Ingredients
1 Zoe’s Garden Broccoli (cut florets into mouthful size pieces)
150g of Zoe’s Garden Spinach stems finely chopped
Te Manaia Red Kale stems removed, roughly chopped
1 raw Beetroot, peeled and julienned/grated/finely shaved
1 Avocado
2 Cups of Ceres Organics Farro, Freekeh or Quinoa
2 Lemons zest and juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
If you like a bit more ‘dressing’ this Mandarin Vinaigrette is really vibrant and works particularly well with earthy salads;
¼ of a cup of cider vinegar
¼ of a cup of mandarin juice (about 2 Mandarins)
½ tspoon of balsamic or red vine vinegar
½ tspoon of brown sugar
Pinch of salt to taste
1/3 cup of olive oil
(Makes a cup)
Put all of the ingredients except the olive oil into a little food processor and whizz for a minute, then trickle in olive oil to emulsify. That’s it! Yum.
A few more suggestions...
]]>
This dish has many incarnations, I make it a few times a month (I never get bored of these classic flavours) and always manage a smug ‘high five’ to myself for slipping everyone a serious amount of Vitamin C :)
Just as it is in a bowl with a serious glug of really good olive oil and shaved parmesan is crowd pleaser enough..but for nights that require a little more comfort this stew is the 'bones' for a fantastic pie!
I use a skillet because I like the rustic look and it cooks really well, but you can spoon your stew into whatever pie dish you have; put a 'lid' on it and away you go. Choose a good quality frozen puff or flakey because it is more forgiving and the crunchy top with a juicy filling is just yummy. The centre is already cooked, so you just need to cook the pastry. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees place the pie in the middle of the oven and turn down to 180 degrees and cook for about 15 minutes until golden. Serve with some Te Manaia Purple Sprouting Broccoli and crumbled Kingsmead Castlepoint Feta.
To make the filling simply click on the Kale and White Bean Stew link
Another colourful and GF option to spread the Kale stew love around..Red, green or yellow peppers, whatever you find in your 500g Mixed Peppers will compliment the flavours of this 'stuffing' This stew recipe is enough to fill 6 peppers to bursting..
Slice the tops off your peppers, try and keep the stalks in tact as they look so much prettier..Scoop out the seeds and fill (about 3/4 cup) each pepper, sticking the lids back on.
Place in a roasting dish that is just big enough so they are a snug fit. I like to brush the sides of my peppers with olive oil for an extra taste of sunshine and bake for about an hour at 180 degrees until bursting. A simple Zoe's Garden baby spinach salad with some toasted seeds and raisins is all you need to complete this taste of Mediterranean goodness!
]]>
This little vegetable gets a bit of a bum deal, but this is largely due to over cooking; what it really needs is some tender loving care …luckily I’m just the gal for the job.
This is one of my favourite winter recipes. It’s colourful, sweet and nutty and even the fussiest of little eaters will gobble it down before you can say mid-winter Christmas. Perfect for a roasted Cameron Harris Chicken.
Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pumpkin and Hazelnuts
Serves 2 as a main dish with spelt berries, barley or Quinoa or 4 as a side dish with your favourite Sunday roast.
Ingredients
Method
Serve warm and scatter with roasted nuts of your choice.
Now everybody knows that Bacon and Brussels are best of friends so if you feel like a little extra texture then try sprinkling some bacon crumb over the top! Naughty!
Bacon Crumb
Ingredients
Combine the crostini and bacon in a food processor and blitz until desired consistency.
]]>
Te Manaia Purple Sprouting Broccoli has to be up there with reasons to get out of bed on a rainy day. Keep the stems long, roast and toss them in sesame oil, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and dunk in garlicky hummus for a sesame fiesta.
Or maybe a quick and colourful comfort dinner of sweet, earthy Beetroot grated with lime, salt, pepper; add some avocado, roasted pumpkin seeds and jam into a baked Kumara with a few healthy chunks of Kingsmeade feta.
There are even more luscious greens from Zoes Garden to stir fry, steam, or add to soups and stews, Tomatoes to confit, Rocket for salads, sandwiches and pesto.
Te Manaia Cavolo Nero, is my ultimate green hero this week. Sauté with chilli and lemon and pair with pan fried Fish Factory fillets and a large glass of dry Riesling.
Oh, so much to choose from..
But this week I have to talk about cauliflower, because were it not for me, in our house it would either get put into a plant pot and watered or pushed to the back of the fridge in the hope it would morph into cheese or chocolate. I just don’t understand why!
It makes deliIcate and sophisticated soups, wonderful GF alternatives and is hearty and robust when roasted and let’s not forget about cauliflower cheese. It seems I have to do an awful lot of ‘pimping’ to get ‘cauli’ on our dining table without hisses and boos. Thankfully this Tandoori Cauliflower gets it passed my biggest critics every time.
Tandoori Cauliflower with coriander and coconut chutney
Serves 4-6
But I could eat a whole one..
For the Cauliflower
Rinse and dry the cauliflower and cut off the leaves and core.
In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the cauliflower.
Brush the yogurt mixture all over the cauliflower. This is a fun job for a small person.
Put the cauliflower in Dutch oven/casserole dish or on a baking tray and pop in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour, but overnight or all day (if you can do it before work) really locks in the flavour.
When you’re ready to cook the cauliflower, preheat the oven to 220 or gas mark 7 (HOT)!
Transfer the cauliflower to the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes until a knife inserted into the middle goes in easily.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving and devour with some coriander coconut chutney.
For the chutney
Pop all the ingredients, except for the lemon juice, into a food processor and blitz.
Transfer to a bowl, pour over lemon juice and stir.
]]>
A Salad Nicoise, just add some Bennicks Free Range eggs and juicy Plentiful Kalamata Olives
Red Pepper Pesto with any Bongusto Fresh Pasta you fancy
Roasted Greek Salad with some Ceres Organics Basmati Rice, just remember to pick up some Kingsmeade Castlepoint Feta
‘Eco Pork’ loin chops with creamy mushrooms and spinach
Broccoli and feta fritters with lemony carrot and roasted pepper salad
Or…
If like me, you are still revelling in your winter woollies and embracing comforting, wholesome meals then you will love this EASY but supremely tasty Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa ‘Risotto’. I love this dish because I love quinoa, I love spinach and I love mushrooms but what I really LOVE is not having to stir the quinoa like a crazy person. A purist would say this is not really risotto, but I don’t care, I feel no shame, because it is delish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large or 2 small red onions
2 cups of sliced button mushrooms
1/2 cup of white wine
1 1/2 cups of Ceres Organics quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups of stock..(2 if you’d rather drink the wine than cook with it)
300g of chopped Zoes Garden spinach, (stalks removed)
A drizzle of some really lovely olive oil and some generous shavings of parmesan.
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Sauté the onions and mushrooms in the olive oil over high heat. Stir in the white wine, and when the wine is absorbed, add the quinoa and the stock. Stir to combine and lower the heat as low as possible. Cover the pan and let simmer for 20-25 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Add the fresh spinach to the top, cover, and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until spinach is cooked. Stir to combine.
And that really is it!!! I love mine just as it is, but if you need to ‘beef’ it up, mushrooms and spinach are such versatile companions you can eat this with any one of your favourite proteins. Should you have any 'leftovers' it would make a quick salad lunch or a more substantial stuffing for a roasted kumara x
]]>Chicken with Chorizo, Chickpeas and Kale
This easy, wholesome and super satisfying meal can be served as a rustic stew with a lovely thick wedge of Leeds Street Bakery Rosemary and Polenta bread or you could ‘pimp’ it up by serving it with some Zoes Garden Cauliflower 'Couscous' (Simply chop your cauli florets into smallish pieces and pulse in the food processor until they resemble course breadcrumbs. Turn out into a clean tea towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Heat the couscous in a pan with a little olive oil and serve!)
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 200C. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish. Add the chicken thighs/drumsticks and brown them thoroughly on both sides. Make sure the skin is crisp and brown. Remove the chicken from the dish and set it aside, make sure you pour out the excess chicken fat.
Add the slices of chorizo to the casserole dish and brown them for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan and pat off any excess fat. Add the onion to the casserole and fry gently for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the chickpeas, pumpkin and tomatoes and stir well to combine. Pop in the sprig of thyme, pour the stock over the top and season with salt and pepper. Pile the kale on top and then arrange the chicken and chorizo on top. A little more seasoning :)
Pop the lid on the casserole dish and place the dish in the oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
However, there is a lot to love this week in our Petite Produce Box and with a few extra pantry staples and some free range proteins all your bases are covered for some yummy nights in. A few suggestions if you haven't already planned the fate of your fabulous vegetables!
Roast Eco Pork fillets with braised cabbage and apple and pumpkin mash
Rocket and Almond Pesto tossed through some Bongusto fresh pasta
Pan Fried Factory Fish Fillets with roast beetroot, kale, roast tomato and puy lentil salad
Garlicky Cauliflower Soup
‘Whatever’s in the Fridge’ Friday Frittata with rocket, pear and avocado salad
]]>
Ginger, lime and chili are a little hint of the exotic; add some coconut here and there and you have yourself a tropical mini break all in the comfort of your own home. These core ingredients can brighten up mostly anything, but we have paired them with veg that will make the most of their lively characteristics.
A few ideas to inspire you..
Raw Carrot and Coriander Salad with fresh lime and shaved coconut
Chilli pepper, blueberry, kale and coconut smoothie
Ginger, spring onion and chilli marinated lamb steaks
Golden Kumara and ginger mash
Bok choy in everything because it is darn right delicious
However, my plat du jour has to be Fish En Papiollote. Quick, easy and can be prepared well ahead of time and even though it shouldn’t matter, it sounds fancy doesn’t it?
En Papiollote literally means ‘in parchment’ , but don’t fret if you haven’t got baking paper, aluminium foil works just as well, you just need to create a little parcel. The result is perfectly cooked fish infused with the flavours of your choosing. This week my choosing is something fresh and aromatic.
Fragrant Fish En Papiollte
Serves 4
2 limes, juice and zest
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 thumb (2 inches) ginger, peeled and julienned
1 small bunch of spring onions
2 red chilies, halved, deseeded and chopped
4 Fish Factory Fillets
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ bunch of coriander
Preheat your oven to 220 degrees (HOT). Mix the lime zest and juice, garlic, ginger, spring onions, and chilies in a bowl. Fold four 20-inch pieces of baking paper in half lengthwise. Unfold, and pop 1 fillet along each crease. Rub with 2 tablespoons of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with some of the chilli mixture and coriander.
Fold the paper/foil over the fish, making small overlapping folds along the edges and seal by using a paper clip, string or tucking.
Pop the fillets on a baking tray and roast until paper puffs. About 10 to 12 minutes.
We gobbled up ours with some stir fried rice, tamari almonds and Asian greens, but you might like a refreshing light salad of grated carrot, coriander and lime with some spicy golden kumara chips for a bit of a play on an old classic.
]]>
You may be deliriously happy with a good old bowl of sautéed kale doused with extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice. You may also fancy some crunchy broccoli with fresh chilli and feta (pop some warm chickpeas through for a yummy salad), or perhaps buttery braised leeks to stir through some white beans; add some dill, lemon and baby spinach and your fish supper is complete.
But, if it’s a green fiesta you’re after, look no further. Winter Greens Lasagne with Blue Cheese and Rosemary is the ultimate family meal of gooey goodness.
Serves 6 or 4 very hungry people
Ingredients
For the filling
1 Broccoli cut into small florets
3 Te Manaia Leeks sliced
1 Bunch of Te Manaia Curly Green Kale stems removed and roughly chopped
1 Bunch of Te Manaia Cavolo Nero (optional) stems removed and roughly chopped
2 cloves of sliced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Bechamel
60g Butter
60g Flour
900ml of Milk
110 Whitestone Windsor Blue cheese
2 loose tablespoons of fresh rosemary
Couple of fresh Bay leaves (optional)
6 lasagne sheets (shop bought, unless you are a moonlighting super hero)
Method
First make the green filling. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat and add the sliced garlic. When the oil is hot but not sizzling push the garlic around once or twice add the leeks and a tablespoon of flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Stir gently once or twice and sauté for about 5 mins or until leeks are looking soft and a little opaque. Add broccoli and toss gently, cook for a few minutes and stir through your kale. Pop the lid on and cook until the kale has wilted. Check seasoning, take off the heat and when cool enough transfer veggies into a bowl.
Scald 900ml of milk (heat until just bubbling and steaming) and set aside for a few minutes. In the same pan you used for your greens, add the butter. When melted add the flour and stir with a spatula until well incorporated. Cook out your roux for about a minute until you see little bubbles forming and then gradually add your hot milk. Whisk to avoid lumps and keep whisking until you can no longer see any trace of your roux. Bring to the boil and add the crumbled blue cheese and rosemary, a pinch of salt and pepper and keep whisking until the béchamel is thick and glossy.
In your lasagne dish, ladle in some béchamel and start layering! I prefer more ‘filling’ to pasta so I like two voluptuous layers of greens, two layers of pasta and lashings of béchamel and a few bay leaves and rosemary sprigs on top, but this is your lasagne so you decide! If you live in a house of hungry carnivores, you could try layering in some prosciutto or cooked slices of Cameron Harris Middle bacon.
(For a gluten free option, you can substitute the lasagne sheets for potato. 1-2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced length ways about 1/2 cm think should layer nicely. Blanch for a few minutes before using)
Cook in a preheated oven (175 degrees) for 1 hour with a foil cover and 15 minutes without the foil to brown the top. Eat when hot and gooey and serve with a baby spinach, avocado and parmesan salad.
See, winters not so bad :)
]]>This Thai inspired ‘curry in a hurry’ is my go to pick me up meal. The broth or curry sauce will lend itself to all vegetables so you can keep reinventing it to suit you. This week, Romanesco broccoli, carrots and squeaky beans are your companions. We eat ours with Cameron Harris Free Range chicken breast, but Fish Factory fillets would be just as delicious. Dollop a generous ladle on top of some Ceres Brown Basmati Rice and you have yourself a meal of good times. To tone down the ‘zing’, you can leave out the chilli. Alternatively you could pour yourself a refreshing Pale Ale or a glass of Dry Riesling :)
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Paste
1 bunch of Coriander stalks
3 Cloves of garlic
1 ‘thumb’ of ginger
1 small brown onion (or half a large one)
1 green chilli pepper
2 Tablespoons of your favourite Green Curry Paste
For the Curry
4 Cameron Harris Free Range Chicken Breasts or 600g of Fish Factory Fish
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 Kaffir Lime leaf (or Lime Zest)
1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1 can of full fat Coconut Cream
2 Cups of Chicken Stock
½ head of Zoes Garden Romanesco Broccoli cut into small florets
2 Carrots chopped into batons
200g of Green Beans topped, tailed and halved
A few sprigs of Basil (Thai if you’re feeling fancy) or Coriander
Method
First make the paste. Pop everything into a food processor and blitz that baby until everything is the same consistency.
In the same medium to large pan you will be cooking the curry in, heat 2 tablespoons of sesame or peanut oil, place the chicken in the pan and lightly brown on both sides. Remove from the pan.
Add the paste to the hot pan and fry for a 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the stock, coconut cream, lime, fish sauce and sugar and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken breasts and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook for a few minutes until tender.
Garnish with coriander or basil. Enjoy!
(If you are going to make a fish curry instead add the fish and vegetables together at the 10 minute mark and cook for about 5 mins)
]]>A serious Sunday morning brunch! I grew up with raisin bread considered a real treat in my family. Eaten simply as bread or toasted (but always with lashings of butter!), it is a fond food memory for me. Raisin loaf, with a bit of ‘French Toast’ treatment, works wonderfully well with delicious bacon from Harrington’s Smallgoods and caramelised apples from Pernel Fruitworld.
Makes 6 portions
Step 1. Honey Cinnamon Butter
Ingredients:
1t ground cinnamon
2t ground ginger
250 gms unsalted butter (softened)
4T honey
Method:
Place the butter, honey, cinnamon and ginger into a medium sized bowl and beat until butter is combined and smooth. Refrigerate until required.
Step 2: Caramelised apples
Ingredients:
3 cored, peeled & halved Pernel apples
1 cup caster sugar
Method:
Cut the apple halves into thin evenly sliced pieces.
Place the sugar in a large skillet or similar. Cook sugar on high heat until bubbling caramel. Immediately add the sliced apples to the caramel and reduce to a medium heat. Continue to cook until soft through (2 or 3 minutes). Remove from heat and place the apples along with the caramel in a bowl. Refrigerate until required.
Step 3: Cooking & Serving
Ingredients:
Harrington’s dry loin bacon (6 slices)
300ml Anchor cream
5 x Benniks free range eggs
12 slices of raisin loaf
Butter
Caramelised apple
Honey Cinnamon Butter
Honey (runny)
Method:
Preheat your oven to 100 degrees.
In a skillet or saute pan cook the bacon over medium high heat until golden and slightly crisp. Place on plate with absorbent paper and keep warm in the oven.
In a medium sized bowl add the cream and eggs. Beat to combine.
Place a skillet or nonslip pan on medium heat. Add a little butter. Once melted dip a piece of raisin loaf in the egg and cream mix then place in the pan. Cook until golden on each side. Place in the oven to keep warm as you continue cooking the rest of the slices until all completed.
Serve the apple at room temperature or gently heat through in a pan or in the microwave.
To serve, place a couple of pieces of the French toast in the centre of each plate, add a portion of bacon, some apple, then top with a dollop of the honey cinnamon butter to melt over all. Finish with a drizzle of the runny honey. Yum!
]]>Inspired by one of my favourite bed time stories, this is a great spin on a classic brunch dish.
Serves 6
Step 1. Pesto Hollandaise
Ingredients:
4 Benniks free range egg yolks
2T lemon juice
350g butter (melted warm)
5T of basil pesto
1 handful of baby spinach (washed & stems removed)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Blitz the egg yolks, lemon juice and sugar for a few seconds with a hand held wand blender or food processor and then in a slow steady stream add the warm melted butter until it is all incorporated creating a rich thick hollandaise. Now add the pesto and spinach continuing until hollandaise is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep in a warm spot until serving.
Step 2: Cooking & serving
Ingredients:
Hot salted water
2T white wine vinegar
6 English muffins
Canola oil
12 slices of Harrington’s sliced leg ham
6 handfuls of baby spinach
12 Benniks free range eggs
Pesto Hollandaise
Method:
Preheat the oven to 100 degrees.
Place a saucepan of hot salted water with the white vinegar on the heat and bring up to the boil.
Toast the English muffins and keep warm in the oven.
Heat a skillet to medium to high heat on the stovetop. Add the oil and saute the ham until golden brown and crispy around the edges. Hold in the warm oven.
Using the same skillet you cooked the ham in wilt the spinach on a medium heat. Add tablespoon of water to aid the process. Cook until leaves just become soft. Hold in the pan and season with a little salt and pepper.
Turn the water down to a gentle simmer. Poach your eggs to desired doneness (3 mins is usually plenty for soft runny yolks).
For plating, place the English muffins on warm plates. Top with ham wilted spinach poached eggs and finally coat everything with a liberal helping of hollandaise. Add a coffee or a glass of The Daily Squeeze Orange Juice and you’re good to go.
]]>
Using kale as a substitute for cos in this classic salad is yet another way to get your fix. Add some soft boiled eggs and avocado for a nourishing and energising meal.
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 bunch of Green Curly Kale or Red Kale
1/4 cup roughly crunched crostini
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra for sprinkling over salad
1/2 cup roasted garlic Caesar dressing
Roasted Garlic Dressing
Roasting the garlic gives the dressing a sweet nutty flavour which works really well with the robust flavour of kale.
Ingredients
1 bulb of garlic
1/3 cup of Olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp. capers
2 anchovy filets
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Method
Keeping the bulb whole, remove the outer layers of skin from the bulb so that the individual cloves are exposed. 'Top' the bulb so you can see the raw cloves within their skins.Place the bulb on a small sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap into a packet. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until the cloves are soft to the touch. Remove from the foil packet and cool.
When the garlic is cool enough, squeeze the cloves out of their skins and add to a food processor. Puree the garlic along with the rest of the ingredients and 1/3 cup olive oil. Taste and add more oil as necessary to reach the consistency you like. (This should be a thick dressing, with a punch of acidity.)
This hearty Irish potato dish is a cunning way to slip some kale to the non belivers. Enjoy Colcannon on it's own; as a topping for a fish pie, or along side some sausages for the ultimate 'Bangers and Mash'.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Method
Get your potatoes on first.
Place your potatoes In a large pot, cover them with plenty of water and a healthy pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
In a medium saucepan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until softened. Add kale then cover and cook until tender, stirring often, about 25 minutes.
In a third saucepan combine milk, 2 tablespoons of butter and bay leaf. Bring to simmer and remove from the heat.
Drain the potatoes and return them to their pot. Add in the warm milk and 'mash' to your preferred consistency. Fold in the kale. Season with salt and pepper and if your feeling really naughty, add in an extra knob of butter.
This is essentially a thicker, heartier version of my favourite winter Soup. Ribbolita. Should you want to make a more ‘soupy’ version simply add a few carrots (chopped!) and a couple of sticks of chopped celery when you are cooking off the onions. Add an extra 2 cups of stock and simmer for 20 minutes after boiling.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
Sea salt
Pinch of chilli flakes
5 bay leaves
1 tsp smoked paprika
6 cloves garlic, sliced
Cracked black pepper
2 ½ cups cooked white beans (you choose your favourite)
4 cooked chorizo sausages
2 heaped cups of shredded kale leaves
2 cups of vegetable/chicken stock
1 can (400 g) whole tomatoes
Extra Virgin olive oil to garnish
½ cup of shaved parmesan
½ cup of roughly chopped fresh herbs (Italian Parsley and Basil)
Method
This is super dooper simple and a delicious way to ensure you get every last nutrtional nugget from your kale. I also like to crumble feta over the top of mine. For an easy bowl of wholesome goodness add some roasted orange kumara, brown rice and toasted seeds. Eat warm or save for a salad.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
10-12 kale stems, picked clean of the leaves and chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon tamari
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
½ teaspoon of your favourite hot sauce
Sea salt, to taste
pinch of dried chilli flakes
(1/3 cup of crumbled/diced feta)
Method
Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan over medium high heat.
Add the kale stems and onion and sauté until the kale stems have softened ( about 5 mins) but still have a little crunch.
Remove from the heat and stir through the tamari, honey or maple syrup, hot sauce, chilli flakes and season to taste with sea salt. Enjoy!
Like all great dishes, even a simple Cheese Burger rises out of the ordinary when you use great products in its preparation. These burgers will quickly become a classic family favourite.
Step 1. Beef Patties
1 kg Harrington's premium beef mince
4 T of Zoe's Garden Spiced Tomato Jam
1 Benniks free range egg
1 Benniks free range egg yolk
1 cup of bread crumbs
1 onion
Sea salt & fresh black pepper
Method:
Place the beef mince, tomato jam, whole egg and yolk along with the bread crumbs and diced onion in a bowl. Add a liberal amount of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Using your clean hands mix the ingredients thoroughly until well combined. Portion out 8 even balls of the mix.
To form the burger patties toss the portioned balls back and forth between your hands to help bind the pattie so it stays together when you cook it. Then slam it down on a clean bench or board and form into a circle burger pattie. Take a knife slide under the pattie to remove off the surface and place on oiled tray. Repeat until all are formed. Refrigerate until required.
Step 2. Burger Set up
8 x Brumby's Scotch Rolls
2 x red onions
3 x large tomatoes
1 x iceberg lettuce
300g halloumi or other cheese. I like Kingmeade Emmental personally.
Zoe's Garden Red pepper relish or a tomato relish
Good quality mayonnaise or aioli
Slice the burger buns through the centre. For the red onions, slice into rings. For the tomatoes slice into thickish circles and for the lettuce break down into individual leaves. Cut the halloumi in thin slices if using.
Step 3. Cooking and serving
Cooking oil
Burger Patties
Burger Buns & ingredients.
Preheat the oven if cooking the burgers on the stove top. Heat up the flat top of the bbq or a skillet on medium high heat. Season the patties with salt & pepper. Cook 4 at a time. Once golden brown on the first side turn and place a couple of slices of Halloumi (or other cheese) on top of each pattie. Close the bbq lid or place the burgers in the oven to finish cooking and to help melt the cheese. Keep warm while you repeat with the remaining patties.
Heat up the burger buns. To put together, slice the buns, spread some mayo or aioli on the underside of all the burger bun halves. Place the bases down on a clean surface and add a couple of lettuce leaves then place the cooked patties on top. Add a dollop of the relish then finish by adding the red onion rings and tomato rounds. Lastly add the top half of the buns, pass them about & get stuck in!
]]>I have made this dish twice in the last week. It came about solely because I had some romesco sauce left in the fridge from another dish I made recently. With fresh asparagus and the warm runny egg, it’s seriously good and would make a great Xmas or Boxing Day brunch!
Step 1. Romesco Sauce
Ingredients:
1/3cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup stale crusty baguette (diced)
3 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
2 red peppers (roasted, peeled and rough chopped)
4 ripe tomatoes (blanched, deseeded and rough chopped)
1/2 cup almonds (toasted and skins removed)
3Tbsp sherry vinegar
¼ cup Italian parsley (finely chopped)
1tsp smoked paprika (Dulce/Sweet)
1 pinch hot chilli powder
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Method:
Heat a large non-stick pan, cook bread in olive oil till lightly golden. Add garlic, capsicum, tomato, and cook over medium heat till soft. Add almonds, sherry vinegar and heat through. Finally add the parsley and remove from the heat.
Place ingredients a food processor or similar, and pulse until almost smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season with spices, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until required.
Step 2. Cooking and Serving
Ingredients:
6 Benniks free range eggs
36 spears of asparagus (woody ends snapped off)
Romesco Sauce (room temperature)
Parmesan cheese (shaved)
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Method:
Bring two medium to large saucepans up to the boil with salted water.
First, place the asparagus into one of the saucepans and cook for about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain and keep warm.
Now add the eggs to the other saucepan and poach until just soft.
To serve, divvy out the asparagus onto warm plates. Top with a dollop of romesco sauce. Carefully add an egg to each then finish with shaved fresh parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Serve now.
]]>This is a delicious vegetarian pizza. Roasting asparagus on top of a pizza in a super-hot oven makes it deliciously tender and a bit caramelised. You can use a gluten free pizza base too to accommodate those with gluten intolerances or allergies.
Serves 3-4 (makes 2 pizzas)
Ingredients:
Pizza bases (we like 58 Base pizza bases best!)
3 T olive oil, plus a little extra to trickle over.
500g asparagus, trimmed
2 onions, finely sliced
2 cups grated mozarella cheese
3/4 cup grated mature gouda cheese
Salt & pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven at 200C. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions. Once sizzling, reduce the heat to low and cook gently, stirring from time to time, until they are soft & golden, about 15 minutes. Season with salt & pepper.
2. Spread half of the onions over each pizza bases, then arrange the asparagus over the top. Scatter the mozzarella cheese & grated gouda over the asparagus. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Add a generous trickle of oil over the pizza and bake for 10-12 minutes until the base is crisp and the asparagus tender.
4. Serve hot, cut into slices.
]]>This is a quick and healthy meal. Organic chicken boneless thighs are sautéed with asparagus and soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli and freshly chopped garlic. Simply serve on a bed of rice.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
500g free range boneless chicken thigh cutlets, cut into bit-sized pieces
250g asparagus, cut into 5cm pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red chilli (optional), seed removed and chopped
2T soy sauce
2 T fish sauce
1 T water
2 T Canola oil
Jasmine rice (to serve)
Method:
1. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Turn the heat down slightly.
3. Add the chicken and sauté for 2 minutes until partially cooked. Remove chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a plate.
4. Add the asparagus to the pan along with soy sauce, fish sauce and 1 T water. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and remaining 1 T soy sauce. Stir fry for another 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Add the chilli (optional) and cook for another 30 seconds.
6. Serve on a bed of rice.
]]>Serves 4
Ingredients:
250g (1 punnet) cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup olive oil
2 zucchini
500g asparagus
150g halloumi, sliced
Salt & black pepper
For the basil oil
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic cloves, chopped
25g fresh basil
A pinch of salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Method:
1. Snap the woody bases of the asparagus off and blanch for 4 minutes in boiling water. Drain & refresh under cold water, making sure the spears are completely cold. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss in 2 T of the olive oil and some salt & pepper.
2. Slice the zucchini very thinly lengthwise (use a mandolin if you have one, or a vegetable peeler). Mix with 1 T of the olive oil & season with salt & pepper.
3. Place a large griddle pan on the stove over high heat for a few minutes until very hot. Brush with olive oil. Grill the zucchini & asparagus, turning them over after a minute. You want to get nice char marks on all sides. Remove and leave to cool.
4. Heat 2-3 T of olive oil on the griddle pan and fry the halloumi cheese and cherry tomatoes for a 2 minutes on each side or until the cheese is golden.
5. To make the basil oil, blitz all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. You might want to double the quantity for some blender blades to be effective. Keep any extra oil for future salads.
6. To serve, place the zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes & halloumi cheese on serving plates. Drizzle the basil oil and serve.
]]>Today, Quinoa is known as a 'super grain' befitting its amazing nutrition profile. Quinoa is a balanced-amino acid source of high quality protein. It is naturally gluten-free, wheat-free, easy to digest and is among the least allergenic foods available. A versatile product, quinoa can be substituted for almost any grain in almost any recipe.
Ingredients:
500ml water
150g quinoa (either black, white or a mixture)
2 bunches asparagus (about 500g)
1 red onions diced into thin half moons (but these in a bowl with ice water for 10minutes to take the bitterness out of them)
1/2 cup crumbled Kingsmeade Castlepoint Feta
40g toasted almonds or Sunflower seeds
2T freshly cut parsley, chopped
2T lemon juice
2T olive oil
1t paprika
100g rocket from Zoe's Garden
Method:
Combine water and quinoa in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat a large chargrill on high. Spray lightly with oil. Cook the asparagus for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Once cool, chop these into salad size bits.
Add the asparagus, feta, sunflower seed or almonds, onion and parsley to the quinoa.
Whisk the lemon juice, honey, oil and paprika in a small bowl until well combined. Add the dressing and rocket to the quinoa mixture. Season with pepper and toss to combine.
]]>This is a simple and delicious recipe using asparagus. Perfectly light, fresh and tangy thai chicken salad.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Chicken breasts 500g, sliced
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Juice from 2 lemons
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
250g asparagus, trimmed & halved
½ telegraph cucumbers, sliced
½ punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
Method:
1. Place the chicken, chilli, lemon juice, fish sauce and sugar in a bowl and toss to combine.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken and marinade. Cook, covered, for 4 minutes, and stir through and cook for another 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken.
3. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain & rinse under icy cold water.
4. Toss the asparagus, cucumber, cherry tomato in a bowl. Top with the chicken and spoon over pan juices.
]]>This salad is the perfect contrast of salty blue cheese, sweet pear, fresh mizuna and the crunchy texture and deep nutty flavour of the walnuts. Serve this as a side dish or a terrific first course.
Step 1. Crispy Walnuts
Ingredients…
Canola Oil
150 gm walnuts
Method…
Pour the oil into a small saucepan and heat to a medium temperature.
Add the walnuts and fry until they have a light golden brown colour. Stir often. Remove the walnuts from the oil before they reach your desired colour, as they will continue to cook slightly once removed. Place on a paper towel lined dish to cool. Store in airtight container until required.
Step 2. Pear and Fennel Seed Vinaigrette
Ingredients…
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (toasted and ground)
3 Tbs shallots (finely diced)
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 ½ tsp sugar
3 Tbs pear vinegar
1/2 cup walnut oil (or other nut oil)
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Method…
Place the ground fennel seeds, diced shallots, mustard, sugar and vinegar in a medium sized mixing bowl. Bring ingredients together with a whisk. Drizzle in the walnut oil whisking continuously. Once combined, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate until required.
Step 3. Preparing and Serving
Ingredients…
3 large packham pears (peeled, quartered, then cut into 4 slices)
1 bag Zoe's Garden Mizuna
1 bag Zoe's Garden Rocket
1 pot of watercress (leaves picked)
1 bag of Zoe's Garden Miner's Lettuce
Crispy Walnuts
Pear and Fennel Seed Vinaigrette
150 gm Whitestone Windsor Blue Cheese
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Method…
Heat a large non-stick pan to a high temperature. Cook the pears quickly on both sides until they obtain a caramel colour. Remove and cool. Repeat process until all the pears are cooked. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Take a large mixing bowl and combine the salad leaves, walnuts and pear. Coat with a generous quantity of vinaigrette and mix through gently.
Serve salad onto plates or bowls and finish with some freshly shaved windsor blue cheese and a crack of black pepper.
]]>This is a light meal perfect for mid-week. The quinoa is light and delicate in contrast with the bread. If the tomatoes are sweet and juicy enough you may not need as much dressing to perk them up. Leave the salad to sit a little so the bread croutons soften up – unless you want them crunchy.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/3 cup quinoa
3 slices of Zaida Bakery San Fransisco Sourdough bread
4 tbp olive oil, plus extra to brush the bread
2 tomatoes, cut into roughly 2cm dice
½ telegraph cucumber, cut into roughly 2 cm dice
½ small red onion , thinly sliced
1 tbp chopped mint
2 tbp chopped Italian Parsley
Juice from 1 lemon
¾ tsp balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt & pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions (place quinoa in a 2/3 cup water and bring to boil, simmer for another 10 minutes or until tender).
2. Brush the bread with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with some salt. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, turning them over halfway. The bread should be completely dry and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down, then break by hand into different sized pieces.
3. Put the diced tomatoes and cucumber in a mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients, including the quinoa and croutons, and stir gently until everything is mixed well together. Season with salt & pepper.
]]>Chimichurri is an Argentinian herb sauce used for grilled meats. Tart, herbaceous, and absolutely addictive it is a perfect match for rich, beefy steak, giving it a Spring like lift.
It is also quite flexible use-wise. Put it on top of your grilled steak, use it to marinade some pork or vegetable kebabs, or stir some through your vegetable soup. It is a great recipe to have in your cooking reportoire. You can also experiment with different combinations of herbs.
1 chilli, diced
1/2 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
2 C coriander leaves
2 T mint leaves
6 T of olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Easy peasy.
]]>Lamb, beetroot and feta, is one of those heavenly combinations that is just a perfect marriage of flavours. The lamb backstraps, Te Manaia beetroot and Kingsmeade Castlepoint Feta used in this dish combine beautifully to create a delicious Winter salad.
Serves 6
Step 1. Cooking Beetroot
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Remove any leafy tops off 2 bunches of baby beetroot (or 500g of big beetroot) and discard. Place them in a small oven proof dish, pour over 1/3 cup canola oil along with 1/3 cup water. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for an hour or so until the beetroot are soft through. Remove and cool before peeling and discarding the outer skin. Slice beets into quarters, then refrigerate until required.
Step 2. Cooking and Serving
Ingredients…
600 gm lamb backstraps
Sea Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Canola oil
Cooked baby beetroot
1 bunch watercress (leaves picked roughly)
1 cup green peas (cooked)
1 cup basil leaves (torn) \
100 gm Kingsmeade Castlepoint Feta
4 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Method…
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Bring the lamb up to room temperature.
Season the pieces of lamb liberally with sea salt and fresh black pepper.
Place a skillet or similar on high heat, once hot add a little oil followed immediately by the pieces of lamb. Cook for a minute or two on both sides until nicely caramelised, then place in the oven .
Finish cooking for another 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and then rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
To serve, place the beetroot, watercress, feta, peas and basil in a large mixing bowl. Mix the olive oil, sugar and balsamic vinegar in a separate bowl until combined. Pour dressing onto beet salad and toss gently until coated. Arrange the salad on serving plates.
Slice the lamb into half centimetre thick slices. Top the salad with the lamb and serve immediately.
]]>