Roast pumpkin, sun dried tomato and spinach risotto

 

As the weather warms up in some parts of the world, it is cooling down in Australia! We are in crisp, Autumn beauty right now and a warming risotto is just what is needed!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup Arborio rice

5 cups vegetable stock

2 cups roasted, cubed pumpkin pieces

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomato pieces

1 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup white wine

1 leek, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

dried italian herbs

chilli flakes

 

Directions:

Saute the leek, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs until soft. Stir in Arborio rice (until coated with oil film from the sauté).

Stir through white wine (to cook off the alcohol content).

Using hot vegetable stock, pour in 1/2 cup of stock at a time and continue stirring the risotto. It is the slow addition of hot stock that absorbs that makes the risotto creamy. When the 1/2 cup addition has absorbed each time, add another one. After 3 cups of stock have been added, stir in the pumpkin pieces, sun dried tomato and spinach leaves and continue with the stock process until all absorbed.

Caramelized pumpkin, beetroot and hazelnut salad

Caramelized pumpkin, beetroot and hazelnut salad

Happy happy salady days in the warm weather (Australia)! Thankfully this is also a great salad for those snowed in at the moment because you can serve it as a warm salad which has that hearty feel as well.

Ingredients:

3 cups baby spinach

1 cup rocket leaves

2 cups  pumpkin pieces

1 cup  beetroot pieces

2 spanish onions, chopped roughly

1 cup roasted hazelnuts

1/2 cup slithered mint leaves

1/2 cup oil

Balsamic vinegar

Firstly, mix 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or coconut) and 1/4 cup balsamic to toss the pumpkin pieces in. Then place them on a baking tray and put them in a 200 deg C oven. Toss the beetroot pieces in the balsamic and oil mix, and place them on a separate tray and roast. Thirdly, toss the chopped purple (spanish) onion through the mix and put it on a 3rd tray into the oven. Roast each until cooked through – note, the onions will cook through and caramelise first, the pumpkin pieces second, and the beetroot generally takes a LONG time depending on how large your pieces are. Test them with a fork to check they are soft. Then they are ready.

Once roasted and cooled, add to a bed of spinach leaves and rocket. Sprinkle roasted hazelnuts on top and chopped mint leaves. Drizzle any remaining oil/balsamic mix that remains over the top and enjoy!

It looks festive, doesn’t it!

Fruity ginger green smoothie

Fruity ginger green smoothie

Each time I post a smoothie recipe I feel the need to reassure everyone that I am not a hard core green smoothie person. Yes, this smoothie looks thick and lush green. But no, I’m not really into kale (even though I probably *should* be) and I do.not.like beetroot in drinks. No thanks!

But I do enjoy the buzz that green smoothies give the body and I am becoming more and more in tune with when my body needs one and how it will help. So that’s good. This is a beauty if you are a newbie to green smoothies because it is just SO drinkable. It has 3 pieces of fruit so I guess that helps.

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1 ripe pear

1 green apple

1 peeled orange

1-2cm knob fresh ginger, peeled

1 handful fresh mint leaves

1 cup water

1/2 cup ice

Blend away. I tend to add the water in later because our blender works better with less liquid to purify the ingredients. But this will depend on what sort of machine you  have.

Refreshing and zingy and perfectly drinkable! Enjoy!

Green Iron booster smoothie

Green Iron Booster smoothie

This is a variation of an Iron smoothie a friend posted on Facebook recently. The pineapple adds a sweetness to this. You could also throw in a fresh date if you need more too. But I love pineapple and mint as a combination and this smoothie, with the zingy lemon and mellow spinach leaves is awesome. I was feeling very flat this afternoon and decided to make this and see if it would help. Guess what? It did!

Throw out the chocolate and pick up the green smoothie. Yes. Will have to listen to myself more often 😉 (Not that I really eat chocolate anymore but you get the gist…).

1 cup spinach

1/2 lemon

1 green apple

1/2 cup pineapple

handful fresh mint leaves

1 T sesame seeds

1 cup water

handful ice

Blend away.

It is rare that I enjoy smoothies. Especially green ones. I only post ones that I REALLY like and this is one of them 🙂

Cauliflower and lentil korma pilaf

Cauliflower and lentil korma pilaf with spinach

Oooo heaven 🙂

First, let me share with you this korma paste recipe. It is based on Jamie Oliver’s and I don’t think you can go too wrong with his use of herbs and flavours! I just altered it a little for ease but it doesn’t change the flavour or ingredients really.

Paste:

2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 fresh green chilies (Or use dried flakes if need be, or leave it out if you are chilli-shy)
3 tablespoons unsweetened dried shredded coconut
2 tablespoons almond meal (or add a handful of almonds and they will grind in the process)
1 small bunch fresh cilantro

Dry fry the cumin and ground coriander until fragrant, then tip into a food processor with the other ingredients. Process until a smooth paste.

I know. It looks freakishly like mince, with the tomato paste pinkish tinge. I swear, it’s all herbs and spices and nuts and it smells divine! The left over korma paste I have placed in the freezer for our next round.

Pilaf:

1 small onion
1/2 cauliflower  into florets
1 1/4 cups basmati rice (250g)
1 cup brown lentils, cooked
1 cup baby spinach
3 cups vege stock or water
1 cinnamon stick
2 T korma paste (see above)
1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped

Saute onion for a few minutes until it begins to soften and brown.
Add cauliflower and rice and cook for 2 minutes until rice is coated in oil.
Add curry paste and cook for another minute.
Add stock or water and cinnamon stick and bring to the boil.Then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
When liquid has been absorbed, fluff with a fork and stir in lentils and baby spinach.

Serve with fresh coriander on top! And in fact, we served it chopped fresh broccoli and snow peas – because we are green freaks and there needs to be as much green as rice! 😉 But that’s up to you.

Thanks to Valli Little via Delicious for the inspiration 🙂

PS If you want to give your pilaf that yellow look, add some turmeric to your spices.

Mint choc green smoothie

Mint choc green smoothie

Happy St Patricks Day all. In honour of the Irish, I’m blogging a second post today that’s a green one.

This is one of the absolute best green smoothies I’ve had. It feels extravagant and dessert-ish but is fresh and healthy. It helps that I adore mint chocolate (and I know not everyone likes mint!). So for those of you out there who are mint freaks like me, this one is for you. And for what it’s worth, our 5 year old demolished this smoothie! Go spinach, go!

2 bananas (frozen if you have them)

3 cups baby spinach

1 handful fresh mint

2 medjool pitted dates

1 capful of peppermint essence

1 capful vanilla extract

2 cups almond/soy/rice milk

1/2 cup ice
Only you will know if you have a machine that will blend dates well enough for a smoothie. If not, leave them out. They add extra sweetness but are not critical, especially if your bananas are very ripe.

Blend everything except milk and ice until a gorgeous green puree.

Then add the ice and milk and blend some more. Add a sprinkling of cacao nibs on top before serving, and a fresh mint leaf. Enjoy!

Thanks to Yummy Mummy for the inspiration.