One Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls

One Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls

450g sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
1 cup chopped sweet bell peppers
1 cup white rice
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (vegetable for a vegetarian meal)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, optional
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, for topping
Optional: chopped coriander, chopped avocado or guacamole, 1 small roma tomato, chopped


Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into small pieces.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, combine two tablespoons olive oil with all of the sweet potatoes. If you don't like any amount of crunch to your sweet peppers, add them after the sweet potatoes have been cooking for about 6-8 minutes.
Saute the sweet potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until pretty tender. Add in remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the rice.
Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes at medium heat.
Add in the undrained diced tomatoes, drained & rinsed black beans, frozen corn, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and vegetable or chicken broth. Give everything a really good stir, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a little bit above low, but not quite to medium heat.
Cover the skillet with a lid and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all the liquid is drained and the rice is cooked through.
Remove the lid and stir in the lime juice. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese and then cover the pot with the skillet for 1-2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
Top your burrito bowls with sour cream, a chopped tomato, chopped coriander, chopped avocado or guacamole, or any other desired toppings.

Mini Mushroom Tarts

Mini Mushroom Tarts

10 brown mushrooms
1 rectangular sheet of puff pastry
80g Philadelphia cream cheese
2 tbsp sour cream
50g asiago cheese
2 tbsp grated parmesan
2 eggs ( one beaten for the pastry and the other for the cheese)
salt
pepper
chives
2 cloves of garlic
parsley
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 190°C
Cut the pastry sheet in four rectangles; brush each of them with the beaten egg; fold the edges (1cm) and brush them with beaten egg. Use a knife to cut through the folded edges and corners. Prick the inside of the tarts shells with a fork and bake them about 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. In case the pastry puffed too much inside the shells press it down before it become cold
Turn down the oven to 175°.
In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, egg and grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil with the garlic ( remove the garlic after the oil gets flavored) in a non stick pan and slightly fry the mushrooms. Add the chopped parsley and remove from the flame.
Pour the cheese mixture in each tart shell, add the mushrooms, some grated asiago, fresh ground pepper and bake for 15 minutes.

Sweet Potato, Kale and Quinoa Fritters

Sweet Potato, Kale and Quinoa Fritters


(Makes 18-20 5cm mini patties)

1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes steamed and pureed. Makes about 3 cups
2 cups cooked Quinoa Approximately 1 cup of uncooked quinoa yields 2.25 cups when cooked.
2 cups kale finely chopped
2 eggs
½ cup breadcrumbs
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 good pinch paprika or smoked paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 tablespoons grape seed oil, peanut oil, or coconut oil  to pan fry them.

Devein the Kale, make it into a tight roll and chop chiffonade style.
In a medium size bowl, place all ingredients and mix well.
In a medium size pan heat up about 4-6 tablespoons of grape seed oil, peanut oil or coconut oil.
With a small Ice cream scooper scoop about 6 patties into the pan and slightly flatten the tops.
Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Cool them on a rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pasta with Kale, Lemon and toasted Walnuts

Pasta with Kale, Lemon and toasted Walnuts500g spaghetti
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic (approx 3 large cloves), minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced
pinch of sea salt
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and then broken into small pieces

Wash, de-stem and thinly slice the kale.
Mince garlic cloves, and zest and juice the lemon.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and then drain.

Meanwhile, when the pasta has about 5 minutes left to cook, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until tender and fragrant. Add in the sliced kale along with a pinch of sea salt, and cook, tossing and moving the kale around so that it doesn’t burn, as well as making sure that it gets coated in the olive oil and garlic mixture, until wilted and tender, about 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add in the lemon zest and juice, and give it all a good toss to combine.

Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Add in some of the reserved pasta water to create a thin sauce.

Add in the 1/2 cup grated cheese and toss to combine.

Serve the pasta up into individual bowls and top each bowl of pasta with the toasted walnuts and the grated cheese.

Eggplant, olive and feta patties

Olive oil cooking spray
1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups pitted kalamata olives, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
100g feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
Vegetable oil, to shallow-fry
Rocket and lemon wedges, to serve

Spray a frying pan with oil. Heat over high heat. Cook eggplant, in batches, for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Cool. Finely chop.

Place eggplant in a bowl. Add olives, breadcrumbs, parmesan, feta, egg, basil and chilli. Using ¼ cup mixture per patty, shape into 12 patties. Dip 1 patty in flour. Place on a baking tray. Repeat with remaining patties.

 

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve with rocket and lemon wedges.

Zucchini, Ricotta and Lentil Lasagne

Zucchini, Ricotta and Lentil Lasagne

Olive oil spray
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs no-added-salt tomato paste
400g can no-added-salt chopped tomatoes
400g can no-added-salt brown lentils, rinsed, drained
400g low-fat ricotta
125ml (1/2 cup) skim milk
1 egg, lightly whisked
3 fresh lasagne sheets
2 large zucchini, trimmed, thinly sliced lengthways
2 tbs finely grated parmesan

Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat. Spray with oil. Cook the onion, carrot and celery, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or until soft. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

 

Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and lentils. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool slightly.

 

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Spray a 2L (8-cup) capacity baking dish with oil. Combine the ricotta, milk and egg in a bowl.

 

Place 80ml (1/3 cup) of lentil mixture in the dish. Top with 1 lasagne sheet, half the remaining lentil mixture, half the zucchini and one-third of the ricotta mixture. Continue layering with another lasagne sheet, remaining lentil mixture, remaining zucchini and half the remaining ricotta mixture. Top with the remaining lasagne sheet and ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Cherry tomato and rocket tartlets

Cherry tomato and rocket tartlets

Frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
Rocket and oil, to serve


Preheat oven to 200°c. Line four 12cm (base measurement) fluted tart tins, with removable bases, with pastry and trim excess. Line with non-stick baking paper and fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 8 minutes then remove weights or rice and paper. Bake for 5 minutes or until light golden. combine ricotta, basil and parmesan in a bowl. Divide among cases and top with cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with oil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Top with rocket and drizzle with more oil.

Jerk sweet potatoes

Jerk sweet potatoes

2 sweet potatoes
1 red onion
1 red chilli, deseeded
a handful of cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp sugar
generous pinch of allspice
1 lemon
a large knob of butter (40g)
1 lime
1 star anise
a small knob of ginger, grated
a small handful of parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Prick the potatoes all over and place directly on the oven shelf and bake for 45 minutes. Peel and dice the red onion and chop the chilli.
Chuck the onion, chilli, tomatoes, sugar, allspice and oil into a pan. Fry for a few minutes. Zest and juice the lemon into the pan.
Boil the tomato mixture then turn down to a medium heat and bubble until the tomatoes have almost broken down to a mush. Add the butter to another pan along with the zest of the lime, star anise and grated ginger.Melt the butter over a low heat, then remove the star anise.
Remove the potatoes once cooked, slice down the length but not right to the ends and push in the sides so that the opening becomes wider.
Fluff up the potato a little with a fork then pour over a little butter. Mash some more before adding the piquant tomatoes. Scatter over some parsley and serve with extra butter.

Winter Veggie Bake

Winter Veggie Bake


1 mug of long grain rice
1 butternut squash
glug of olive oil
sprig of fresh rosemary
sprig of fresh thyme
1 large courgette
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 eggs
chunk of hard Italian cheese, grated
handful of pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 200°C and bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Tip the rice into the water and cook for 10 minutes until plump and cooked, as per packet instructions.
Strip the leaves from the rosemary and thyme and finely chop. Peel, deseed and dice the squash into thumb-nail sized pieces and bung into a roasting tray with a splash of olive oil, salt, pepper and the chopped herbs. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
Slice the courgette into rounds as thick as your finger and toss in a little salt, pepper and oil in a bowl. :ay them on a baking tray so there is no overlapping and roast for 15 minutes, or char-grill them on a hot, cast iron griddle for a minute or so on either side. Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic and gently sweat off in a frying pan for 10 minutes so that they are soft and sweet. Drain the cooked rice and tip into the bowl you used to toss the courgettes in oil. Stir in the grated cheese and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Crack the eggs into the rice and mix together with the cooked onions and garlic.
Press the rice into the bottom of a baking dish, then cover in a layer of courgette slices and scatter the top with the roasted squash. Finish with a handful of pinenuts and return to the oven for 10 minutes before serving.

Butternut squash soup

Butternut squash soup

1 large butternut squash
3 potatoes
1 leek
3 vegetable stock cubes
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Cut cleaned butternut squash and potatoes in cubes. Slice the leek. Put everything in a large pot with the stock cubes and fill with water until the vegetables are just covered.
Cook until the vegetables are tender, then puree the soup. Add the ginger and cumin and salt and pepper if needed.

Roast squash with goats’ cheese

Roast squash with goats’ cheese

1 small butternut squash
75g vegetarian goats' cheese, sliced from a small log
1 x 200g tin whole plum tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
few sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme
1tbsp freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 180 C, 160 C fan, 350 F, gas 4. Cut the squash in half just where the fat bulbous part goes thinner. Use the thinner bit to roast on the side. Scoop out the seeds of the fat part with a spoon - you may need a small, sharp knife to get you started - and discard. Put a few goats' cheese slices in the cavity. Drain the tomatoes and add to the cavity with the garlic, herbs and some seasoning, and end with the rest of the goats' cheese. Then sprinkle over the Parmesan.

Place on a large double sheet of foil and scrunch up the edges. Bake for 1 hour or until the squash is tender and the cheese has browned and melted.

French Onion Green Bean Casserole

French Onion Green Bean Casserole


For the onions:
2 tbsp butter
2 or 3 yellow onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the white sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 1/2 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
pinch of nutmeg
cayenne to taste
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

For the topping:
2/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp melted butter

For the rest:
900g green beans, trimmed, blanched
salt and pepper to taste
115g grated Gruyere cheese, divided
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the caramelised onions, slice the onions thinly. Once sliced, saute them over medium heat in some melted butter with a pinch of salt until they are caramelised (about 15 minutes). Add the vinegar. Set aside.

For the white sauce, melt some butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook the butter/flour mixture for 3 minutes. Then slowly whisk in the cold milk, keep whisking constantly. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, dried thyme and nutmeg. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it simmers, once it has come to a simmer let it cook for 2-3 minutes, then set aside.

Wash and trim the beans, then blanch them in salted water for about 3 minutes. Drain well.

In a casserole dish (35x25 cm) spread out half of the onion mixture. Spread the beans on top, season with salt and pepper. Spread the white sauce evenly over the beans. Spread half of the gruyere over the top. Top it with the rest of the onions and spread evenly. Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Finally, top with the rest of the gruyere and some parmesan.

Bake at 190°C for 30 minutes.
Let sit for 10-15 minutes and serve.

As seen on www.foodwishes.com

Roast Spicy Squash

Roast Spicy Squash

2 large butternut squash, halved and deseeded
1 tsp (or more) dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp coriander, ground
1 tbsp cinnamon, ground
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cut the squash into chunks. Mix together the spices with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place the squash in a roasting tray, drizzle over some olive oil, sprinkle over the spices and toss until the squash is coated. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Tart

Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Tart

 

400g cooked beetroot

 

1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour

100g chilled butter, chopped

1 tsp thyme leaves

 

30g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup (60ml) balsamic vinegar

2 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs

1 tbsp caster sugar
 

150g soft goat's cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

150ml thickened cream

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Cut the beetroot into thin slices.

 

For the pastry, place flour, butter, thyme and a pinch salt in a food processor and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 1/4 cup (60ml) chilled water, then process until the mixture comes together in a ball. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Lightly grease a 30cm loose-bottomed tart pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 5mm thick, then use to line the tart pan. Chill for 15 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, then bake for 5 minutes or until dry and pale golden.

 

Heat the butter and oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add onions and 1 tsp salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add vinegar, thyme and sugar, then cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until thickened and syrupy. Spread onion mixture over the tart base, top with the beetroot slices, then crumble over cheese.

 

Whisk egg, cream and nutmeg together and pour over the tart. Scatter with extra thyme. Bake for 35 minutes or until set.

 

Serve warm.

Falafel balls

Falafel balls

2 cans of chickpeas, drained (400g each)
handful of fresh parsley
handful of fresh chives
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp of chilli flakes
1 tsp Tahini
juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp of plain flour

Place all the ingredients in a food processor (or finely chop everything and mash together) and blitz until it forms a lumpy mix, season with salt and pepper to your taste preference.
Roll the mix into small balls just smaller than a golf ball… use slightly wet hands to avoid getting messy.
Fry the falafels in a hot pan with oil until crispy on the outside and hot right through.

Makes about 16 falafels.