COUSCOUS AND ROASTED VEGETABLES
Servings: 1 For the Weight Watchers:.
Preparation Time: 15 min POINTS® Value: 5.5
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Works with Simply Filling
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1 X 3 second spray Always Fresh Olive Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray |
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150 g fresh pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes |
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1/4 medium onion, (preferably red), sliced |
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1/4 whole capsicum, deseeded, sliced |
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125 g canned drained red kidney beans, rinsed |
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2 tbs (s) skim plain yoghurt |
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1/8 tsp (s) ground cinnamon |
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1 tbs (s) fresh coriander, chopped |
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1 tbs (s) fresh mint, chopped |
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1/4 cup (s) dry couscous |
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1/2 clove garlic, crushed
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Preheat oven to 200C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.Place pumpkin, onion and capsicum on the tray. Spray with oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender, then transfer to a bowl. Stir in kidney beans, yoghurt, cinnamon, coriander and mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Meanwhile, combine couscous, garlic, salt and 1/2 cup boiling water in a bowl. Cover with a lid and stand for 5 minutes. Toss through the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.This recipe can also be served as a salad. Just allow the vegetables and couscous to cool before serving. This is a good recipe to make into a double quantity. Serve the remaining half the next day. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days, though you may need to toss through some extra fresh herbs before servingEven though the vegetables might take a little while to cook, the rest is super quick and easy! This couscous is great as a salad to accompany grilled meat or simply to enjoy on its own as a main.
Organic Chicken Stock.
A dish for all seasons ,an elixir for comfort during illness, it will warm your heart & soul. Organic Chicken stock can be made in bulk & frozen for when you require. The key to a well-flavoured chicken stock is the bones. Bones from organic chickens will impart a good solid, nutritious flavour, essential for a natural chicken soup. Ingredients4x carcasses raw organic chicken or 4 x bones of roasted/cooked organic chicken3 litres water and 2 large onionsPan juices from roasted chickens if availablePrepare stock by placing chicken bones & onion in a larger saucepan with water. Bring to boil & turn down & simmer for 2 hours skimming froth off the top with a spoon. Strain stock & discard bones.If you roasted chickens add the pan juices to stock for a really good flavour.Cool & refrigerate or freeze for later use.
Gaspaucho - a cold soup for a hot season.
Ingredients: 1 large cucumber, 3 large ripe red tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 red capsican,1 teaspoon brown sugar, two pinches of salt.
Method: Put all in your blender, chill and serve as a cold soup. Garnish with whole cherry tomatoes floating, parsley, rocket or hardboiled eggs.
Serves 2-3
May you enjoy our beautiful hot season!
Red Beef Curry
1.5kg Blade Steak – chopped to 5cm
1 Lge Onion- chopped to 2cm
1 Red Capsicum – chopped to 2cm
1 Lge Pink sweet potato – chopped to 2cm
3 Carrots – chopped to 2cm chunks
2 tblsp (or appx 90g) Thai Red Curry Paste
500ml Coconut Milk
3 Cloves Garlic – crushed
1 Knob ginger – peeled & grated
Ghee
Put a couple of tablespoons of ghee in a large heavy based saucepan. Melt on not quite high heat and add onion and capsicum. Stir while cooking for about 5 minutes, till onion is browned a bit, and capsicum is softened. Add garlic & ginger and stir for 1 minute only (Garlic burns very easily and tastes bitter if overcooked!!), add curry paste and stir till bubbling for a couple of minutes. Add beef and stir till meat is coated and is slightly browned (appx 4 minutes). Add coconut milk and stir thoroughly till bubbling. Cover with a lid and cook for ¾ hour on very low heat, stirring occasionally. Curry should be bubbling very slightly only.Add carrots and sweet potato and stir into curry. Continue to cook on very low for another hour, stirring occasionally, till beef is really tender (this takes somewhere between 1 ½ and 2 hours in total).Serve with jasmine or basmati rice…..Serves 6.
Wheat & Gluten Free Ideas
Batter for deep frying
1 Cup Gluten Free Plain Flour pre-mix
Sea salt and white pepper
1 Cup Soda Water
* Sift the flour into a bowl & generously season with salt and pepper.
* Add the soda water and whisk until the mix forms a slightly lumpy batter. (makes approx 1 and 1/2 cups)
This batter is sufficient to coat 4 pieces of fish. It also makes a delicious light batter for vegetables, marinated tofu or left over roast meat.
Cheese Sauce
2 Tablespoons gluten free cornflour
400ml milk
1/2 Cup grated cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
* Blend the cornflour with 1/4 cup of milk
* Pour the remaining milk into pan and heat until almost boiling.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornflour mix.
Return to medium heat and cook stirring constantly until the sauce boils and thickens.
* Add the cheese and cook stirring until the cheese has melted and the suace thickened. Season with S&P. (Makes approx 400ml)
You can use reduced or low fat milk and cheese. Omit the cheese for a basic white sauce.
Gravy
1 and 1/2 tablespoons pan juices from your roast
1 teaspoon gluten free yeast extract spread
2 tablespoons gluten free plain flour pre mix
1 cup gluten free chicken stock (Massel)
* Once the roast has been removed add the yeast extract spread and flour and stir.
* Remove the pan from heat and gradually add the stock whisking until smooth
* Return to the heat and cook stirring constantly until the gravy boils and thickens.
(Makes approx 1 cup)
Stir Fry Sauce
2 Tablespoons gluten free chicken stock
2 Tablespoons gluten free tamari
2 Tablespoons gluten free sweet chilli sauce
* Whisk together the stock, tamaro and chilli sauce.
* Pour into a wok and stir over heat until the sauce boils and thickens
(Makes approx 1/2 cup)
For a thicker sauce add 2 teaspoons gluten free cornflour to the mix before adding to the wok.The sauce may be added to any meat, vegetable of tofu stir-fry.
Old Style Beef Stew
1kg Blade beef roast, cut into 2.5cm cubes
3 slices nitrate-free bacon, diced (optional)
2 tblsp plain flour
Pinch salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 large onions, chopped to 1cm x 1.5cm
200g mushrooms cut in half (or quarters)
2 lge potatoes, peeled & cut into 2cm pieces
2-3 med carrots, peeled & sliced
1-2 med parsnips, peeled & sliced
3 sticks celery, sliced
1 med zucchini, sliced
¾ to 1 litre beef stock (see below)
1 cup red wine (and one for the cook!)
2 whole bay leaves½ tsp thyme
Finely chopped leaves from the celery
Mix the salt, pepper & flour together in a paper bag. Add half chopped beef and shake around till all pieces of beef are covered. Heat small amount of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the first half of the beef.Brown beef on all sides, but do not cook through. Put beef into bowl or plate and repeat with second half of the beef.Add more olive oil to empty saucepan and add onions and bacon. Cook, stirring over med-high heat for a few minutes till the onion is softened and the bacon is sizzling.Add mushrooms and cook, stirring for a few minutes till they are also softened.Return beef to saucepan and add potatoes, carrots, celery, stock, wine, bay leaves & thyme. Give a really good stir and stir till boiling.Reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Cook for 1 hour on very low, stirring occasionally.Add parsnips, stir and cover & cook for 15 minutes, then add zucchini and stir, cover & cook for another 15 minutes and until all vegetables are tender.Remove bay leaves and add in chopped celery leaves and stir through till wilted.Can be served on its own, or great with rice, flat pasta ribbons or salad on the side.
Serves 4-6
Simple Beef Stock - Cover 2kg beef stock bones with water in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer gently for about 2 hours with a lid on, stirring occasionally. Strain and use amount required. Freeze leftover stock in 250ml – 500ml portions.
***Can also be done with chicken frames
***Can be added to soups, gravies, stews, etc.
Pea & Ham Soup
375g Green Split Peas
600g Ham bones or ham hock
2 Lge Onions – diced to 2cm x 1cm
2 Lge Carrots – peeled & sliced
3 Sticks Celery – sliced
8 – 10 Cups water
2 Chicken Stock Cubes
2 Bay Leaves
Freshly Ground Pepper
Rinse peas and soak overnight covered in water (ok to do this in the morning before work – needs to soak for at least 8 hours). Drain and rinse peas a couple of times.
In a large stockpot put peas, ham bones, onions, carrots, celery and 8 cups water (reserve extra water till later if needed). Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.
When boiling, give a good stir; add crumbled stock cubes, bay leaves and about a dozen grinds of pepper. Stir thoroughly. Cover with a lid.
Cook for about 1.5 – 2 hours on a very slow simmer (just bubbling), stirring occasionally. If after about an hour soup needs more water, add the extra 2 cups of water, and bring back to the boil before simmering. Cover again and cook for remaining time. If using whole ham hock, soup will need to cook for whole 2 hours, otherwise cook for 1.5 hours.
Remove bay leaves and ham bones. Allow bones to cool a bit before handling. Take meat off the bone and chop into small pieces. Put back into soup, and give a final stir.
Serves at least 6 people.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
3/4 cup canola or olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sultanas
1 cup gluten free self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing:
2 tablespoons fat reduced cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons margarine - mono or polyunsaturated
3/4 cup pure icing sugar (gluten free)
Method:
Place oil, sugar and vanilla in bowl and beat with electric mixer until well combined
Add eggs and continue to beat until light & creamy
Stir through carrots, sultanas & walnuts
Sift flour, baking powder & cinnamon into mixture and mix well
Spoon mixture into a lightly greased & lined 21cm ring tin
Bake in moderate oven (180c) for 50-55mins or until skewer inserted into cake comes out dry
Stand for 5 mins before turning out onto wire rack
Icing:
Beat cream cheese, margarine & extra vanilla together in bowl
Add icing sugar & mix well
Spread icing over cake once cake has cooled
Notes: I have made this carrot cake and it was delicious and extremely easy to make!
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