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• Baby Spinach and Artichoke Salad with Spiced Brazil Nuts
• Baked Blueberry Apples
• Chicken Raspberry Dijon
• Chocolate Fondue
• Fruit Crumble
• Orange and Almond Cake
• Tangy Glazed Chicken
• Turkey Pâté with Cranberry Relish
• Winter Soups |
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Baby Spinach and Artichoke Salad with Spiced Brazil Nuts
 Makes: 4 servings.
• Cooking spray, extra-virgin olive oil (or preferably coconut oil)
• 1 tsp garam masala (grind your own if you can)
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 150g Brazil nuts
• 100g baby spinach
• 150g artichoke, halved
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 150g oven roasted capsicum, skin removed and sliced
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Salt
In a lightly-oiled frying pan, cook the garam masala, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt for 1 minute over medium heat until fragrant. Add the Brazil nuts and stir for 2 minutes until the nuts are coated. Place on a plate to cool. In a salad bowl, add the baby spinach, artichoke, tomatoes, capsicum and parsley and toss gently.
Serve the salad sprinkled with the nuts and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: the Brazil nuts can be replaced with cooked chickpeas in cases of nut allergies. This salad would also be great with rocket instead of (or in addition to) baby spinach.
From Insight Magazine December 2008 Issue | top
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Baked Blueberry and Apple
 Makes: 4 servings.
Baked Apples:
• 2 apples (large), halved and cored
• 1 tsp allspice
Blueberry Jam:
• 230ml water
• 200g blueberries
• Stevia, natural sugar substitute (equivalent to 2 tsp of raw brown sugar)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 5 cardamom pods, crushed
• ½ vanilla pod, split and scraped
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the water, blueberries, Stevia, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla in a heavy saucepan. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until fruit is partially broken down.
Place apple halves on a baking tray, cut sides up. Sprinkle with allspice; cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until soft. Place apple halves into a serving dish and top with blueberry jam.
Serve immediately.
From Insight Magazine February 2009 Issue | top
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Chicken Raspberry Dijon
 Makes: 4 servings.
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 organic chicken thighs (125 g each), boneless, skinless and
trimmed of excess fat
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, gluten-free
• 2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, to taste
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
In a lightly oiled frying pan, cook the chicken (covered) over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let rest. In the same frying pan, add the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and water to the pan and bring to a boil.
Serve the chicken immediately, topped with the sauce and sprinkled with parsley.
From Insight Magazine February 2009 Issue | top |
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Decadent Easter Chocolate Fondue
 Makes: 4 servings.
• 300ml organic double cream
• 2 tbsp Cointreau liqueur (optional) or 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 300g organic dark chocolate, finely chopped
• fresh fruit of your choice. Great options include blueberries, strawberries,
banana, raspberries and kiwifruit. Marshmallows are a great treat as well!
Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling. Stir in vanilla essence or Cointreau. Place organic dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Pour hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Stir with a metal spoon until melted and smooth. Pour into a warm bowl or small fondue.
Dip in! (If there is any chocolate left over, you can put it in small chocolate moulds and refrigerate for a gooey treat.)
From Insight Magazine April 2009 Issue | top
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Fruit Crumble
 Makes: 4 servings.
Crumble:
• 90 g rolled oats
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp macadamia nut or grape-seed oil
• 1 tbsp walnuts, halved (optional)
Fruit:
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and sliced
• 3 tbsp water
• Stevia – natural sugar substitute (equivalent to 2 tbsp raw brown sugar), can be purchased from most health food stores
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Pulp of 3 passionfruit
• 6 apricots, halved
Preheat oven to 180 °C.
In a bowl, combine the oats, maple syrup, macadamia nut, oil and walnut halves. Set aside.
In a saucepan, add the sliced pears, water, stevia and vanilla and cook for 5-8 minutes until the pears have softened. Remove from the heat and combine with the passionfruit and apricot halves. Divide the mixture between 4 individual oven-safe dishes. Sprinkle the crumble over the pears and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden.
Serve warm.
From Insight Magazine December 2008 Issue | top
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Orange and Almond Cake
 Cooking time: 2 hours
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 40-60 minutes
• 3 medium or 2 large oranges (preferably organic)
• 6 eggs
• 250g sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 250g whole, raw almonds
Wash and boil unpeeled oranges in a little water for 2 hours. Start with approximately 1-2 cups of water in the pan. The water will evaporate throughout the cooking period, and at the end you should have close to no water left in the pot. Check periodically to make sure you have enough so as not to burn.
In a food processor grind all the almonds and set aside.
After 2 hours, cut the oranges open, remove pips and let them cool. Once cool, pulp oranges in the food processor, then add ground almonds, sugar and baking powder, and blend further.
Pour cake mix into a buttered tin with a removable base and bake in a pre-heated oven at about 200?C for at least 40 minutes. Poke with a skewer; if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Serve with double-cream and ice-cream if you wish.
It’s a wonderful treat!
From Insight Magazine March 2009 Issue | top
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 Makes: 4 servings.
• 600g organic chicken breast, boneless, skinless and cut into strips
• 2 oranges, juiced
• Zest of ½ an orange
• 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
• Stevia, natural sugar substitute (equivalent to ½ tsp of sugar - use approximately 3-4 drops) - optional
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon coriander, chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil (or preferably coconut oil)
• 600g of Asian vegetables
• Coriander and sliced chilli to garnish
Place orange juice, zest, ginger, Stevia, salt, black pepper and coriander in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken breast to the bowl, coating each piece thoroughly. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
Drain chicken well, reserving the marinade. In a frying pan or wok, heat the olive oil (or coconut oil) on a high heat and cook the chicken for approximately three-four minutes. Remove from wok. Add the Asian vegetables to the wok as well as the reserved marinade and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with coriander and sliced chilli.
From Insight Magazine May 2009 Issue | top
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Turkey Pâté with Cranberry Relish
 Makes: 4 servings.
Turkey Pâté:
• 560g turkey breast minced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• ¼ onion, chopped
• 2tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Salt
• Cooking spray, extra virgin olive oil
• 200g silverbeet, steamed, lightly wilted
• 400g zucchini, ribboned
• (Baking paper)
Relish:
• 100g cranberries
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 240ml of water
• 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 drops of Stevia, natural sugar substitute
Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl, combine the turkey mince, garlic, onion and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Coat an oven-safe loaf pan with cooking spray and line the pan with silverbeet, overlapping to cover the base and sides and leaving enough to cover the top. Add half the turkey mince mixture to the base of the pan, pressing the mixture into the corners gently. Add a layer of zucchini ribbons and top with the remaining turkey mince mixture. Fold over the edges of silverbeet. Cover with parchment or baking paper and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the paper and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Invert the pan to remove the pâté and cut it into thick slices.
In a small saucepan, prepare the relish by adding the cranberries, lemon, water, balsamic vinegar, and sugar substitute and simmering for 30 minutes.
Serve turkey on serving plates with a dollop of relish.
From Insight Magazine February 2009 Issue | top
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Winter Soups
Homemade Vegetable Soup Makes: 4 servings.
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (or preferably coconut oil)
• 1 large onion, diced, 1 small chilli, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons coriander, ground, 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1 litre vegetable stock or water, 800g extra ripe tomatoes, diced
• 200g mushrooms, sliced, 250g green lentils, 125g celery, sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced, 1 red capsicum, diced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion, chilli, coriander, and cumin over low heat for three-four minutes. Add the vegetable stock or water, tomatoes, mushrooms, lentils, celery, carrot and capsicum. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25-35 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Lentil cooking times can vary between brands and types, so be sure to check the lentils towards the end of the cooking time. The lentils should be soft, but not turned to mash. Serve the soup in large bowls and sprinkle with parsley. |
Tomato Basil Fish Soup Makes: 4 servings.
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or preferably coconut oil)
• 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced and washed
• 2 celery stalks, sliced, 20g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced, 500ml fish stock
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g extra ripe tomatoes, diced
• 800g fish fillets (blue-eye, flathead or ling) cut into 4 cm pieces
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
In a heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add leek, celery, garlic and fennel and cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add stock and tomatoes to the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the fish and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice gently, reserving a little parsley and zest to garnish. Season to taste.
Variations: Replace the fish stock with chicken or vegetable stock. |
Osso Bucco and Chickpea Soup Makes: 4 servings.
• 200g chickpeas, dried, 3 litres water, 400g osso bucco
• 1 onion, sliced, 2 rosemary sprigs, 2 bay leaves, 1 large carrot, sliced
• 3 large sprigs of parsley, 1 small sweet potato, peeled and sliced,
• 1 parsnip, peeled and sliced, 1 leek, white part only, washed and sliced
• 800g extra ripe tomatoes, diced
• 125g tomato paste (concentrated puree)
• 300g broccoli florets, 200g green beans, sliced
Place the chickpeas and one litre of water into a large saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, cover and cook for one minute. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for one hour. Drain the chickpeas and add one litre of fresh water.
Bring the water to a boil again and then add the osso bucco, onion and herbs. Cover and simmer gently for one and a half
hours. Remove, discard the bay leaves and herbs. Refrigerate the soup so that any fat will rise to the surface. Skim the fat from the top of the soup and remove the osso bucco. Remove the meat from the bones and set aside.
Return soup to the stovetop, adding the carrot, potato, parsnip, leek, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Add the osso bucco meat, broccoli and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Prepare this soup a day in advance and leave to enhance the flavours. Serve in large bowls.
Variations: Thin the soup with extra water or stock, if desired.
You can use vegetables other than the ones listed.
For a vegetarian soup, simply do not use osso bucco. |
From Insight Magazine June 2009 Issue | top |
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