Coleslaw Salad

From a young age I have always enjoyed eating coleslaw, especially on a warm summer’s night when we had barbecues. However, coleslaw as you know it is full of mayonnaise, and not very good for you. This coleslaw is a fresh healthy take on the old classic, but still hits the spot.

Ingredients:
¼ white cabbage, thinly sliced
¼ red cabbage, thinly sliced
5 gherkins, diced
¼ cup dill, chopped

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Using
a food processor, mandolin or knife thinly slice the white and red cabbage.
Prepare gherkins and dill and toss it all together.
Add dressing ingredients to salad and mix well.

Serves 4-6

Broccoli Salad with Vegan Mayonnaise

Sometimes what makes a salad is the dressing, and I would say that this is true for this one. The salad only has a handful of ingredients, but the creamy vegan mayonnaise dressing makes it absolutely delicious. It’s slightly more complicated than some of my other recipes, but definitely worth the effort.

Ingredients:
2 heads of broccoli
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Dressing:
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
2.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon celtic seas salt
2.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2.5 tablespoons raw honey

Vegan Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 2 hours)
1/4 cup raw cauliflower
1 1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard (like you put on hot dogs)
1 teaspoon raw coconut sugar or 1 chopped pitted date
3 tablespoons lemon juice or more to taste
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt or more to taste

Method:
Make vegan mayonnaise first by placing all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Chop broccoli to fine pieces or place in blender for 3-5 seconds until you get the size that you want.
Place broccoli on serving platter and add additional ingredients.
Continue to make the dressing using the vegan mayonnaise that was prepared earlier.
Pour enough dressing on the salad to make sure that it is all coated.

Serves 4-6

Rainbow Salad

Not only does a rainbow salad look great but it provides our body with the best sources of nutrients to maintain long term health. The vibrant colours of fruits and vegetables come from phytonutrients, which are healing plant chemicals and each colour carries its own unique disease fighting nutrients. This is why when we put together a salad we should endeavour to include fruits and veggies from all the different coloured groups. This is how my rainbow salad came about.

Ingredients:
3 medium sized zucchinis, grated
1 red capsicum, sliced
¼ purple cabbage, sliced thinly
150g orange cherry tomatoes, halved
2 spring onions, sliced diagonally
handful parsley chopped

Dressing:
80 ml lime juice
80 ml coconut aminos or tamari
½ teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
Prepare dressing and set aside.
Grate zucchini and place in colander to remove excess liquid.
Combine all ingredients in salad bowl and dress prior to serving.

Serves 6

Chicken San Choi Bao

These make delicious little appetisers or tapas for when you are entertaining, or can be a quick and easy meal to prepare for dinner. I used chicken this time, but there is no reason why you can't change the protein or even have it purely vegetarian. The best thing about this recipe is that you can add any vegetables that you have in your fridge at the time.

Ingredients:

1 cos or iceburg lettuce
1 tablespoon coconut oil
600g chicken mince
1 zucchini
5 shitake mushrooms
100g snow peas
2 small bunches bok choy

Marinade:

½ cup tamari
¼ cup raw honey
1 garlic clove, minced

Method:

Prepare marinade and set aside.
Finely dice all vegetables.
Heat coconut oil in hot wok.
Add chicken mince and as it is cooking break it up into small pieces. Once chicken is mostly cooked, add diced vegetables and marinade. Mix well and cover with lid.
Whilst mixture is cooking, gently peel leaves of lettuce so that they remain whole. Wash well, dry and set aside.
Cook mixture for about 10-15 minutes until all vegetables are soft and have absorbed flavour of marinade.
Place 2-3 heaped tablespoons of the mixture in the lettuce cups and enjoy.

Serves 4-6 people

Cauliflower Puree

I love using cauliflower as an alternative to mashed potatoes. This accompaniment works great with chicken, beef, and fish, and the velvety and creaminess of this recipe may transform you into excluding mashed potatoes from your regular dinner menu forever!

Ingredients:

1 medium sized cauliflower head
¼ cup coconut cream
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Bring large pot of water on stove to a boil.
Wash
cauliflower and cut into small florets.
Add cauliflower to boiling water and return to simmer for 15-20 minutes until cauliflower is soft.
Drain water and place in high speed blender together with coconut cream. Blend for 30-60 seconds (depending on blender strength) until puree is smooth and creamy.
Adjust with seasoning as required.

Serves 4-6

Eggplant Bruschetta

I love the flavour combinations of Italian food and it is so good to know that eliminating bread and pasta from my diet doesn't mean that I have to miss out on some amazing flavour combinations. This eggplant bruschetta is such a great option to have either when you’re entertaining or just wanting a light meal for yourself. The flavour combination of tomato and basil goes a long way and having this with your anti-oxidant rich eggplant leaves you salivating for more.

Ingredients:
2 eggplants
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
¼ red onion, diced
Handful fresh basil leaves, sliced
Goats cheese (optional)

Dressing:
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Organic Coconut Vinegar (Balsamic Style)
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Slice eggplant length ways and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for approximately 30 minutes for eggplant to soften.
In the meantime, combine tomatoes, onion and basil.
Add dressing ingredients to tomato mixture and set aside until eggplant is ready.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
After 30 minutes, rinse and pat dry eggplant. Place on tray and top with prepared tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper and if using Goats cheese, place small pieces over tomato mixture.
Cook in oven for approximately 40 minutes.

Makes approximately 6-8 slices

Kale and Spinach Juice

Detoxification is a process that goes on inside us all day every day. It is essential to remove any substance in that we ingest that could be harmful to our body. One of the best ways to support our natural detoxification is through drinking juices as it allows our digestive system to have a break from working hard to break down our food whilst still absorbing essential nutrients. Kale is recognised as providing comprehensive support to our detoxification system and although it can be bitter in taste, adding pineapple makes this juice a delicious drink to have.

Ingredients:
¼ pineapple, peeled
handful spinach
handful kale, washed and de-stemmed
200ml filtered water or coconut water

Method:
Place pineapple, kale and spinach through a juicer and then add water at the end.
Alternatively, place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
You may want to strain the juicer prior to drinking to remove excess pulp.

Serves 1

Almond Pulp Macaroons

There is no reason to throw away the pulp when making your almond mylk. One of the benefits of making your own almond mylk is then being able to use the left over pulp for another dish, either by drying out and making almond flour or in this case directly from the nut bag.

Ingredients:
1 cup almond pulp
6 dates, pitted
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Combine
pulp and dates in high speed blender until smooth.
Pulse in the remainder of the ingredients.
Using a tablespoon, place mixture onto tray lined with baking paper and shape into macaroons.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden brown.
Best to allow macaroons to cool prior to serving.
Can be stored in air-tight container for 1 week.

Makes 16-20 macaroons

Satay Beef Skewers

I absolutely love to entertain. Entertaining does not have to be difficult, complex or very time consuming. Having some quick and easy dishes up your sleeve always makes this process easier. These Beef Satay Skewers are a great option as the sauce can be prepared a day in advance and the longer you leave the meat to marinade, the tastier they will be. My recipe is quite mild so that my children can enjoy them too, but there is no reason why you can’t give the sauce a little more oomph by adding some fresh chilli or a little more curry powder.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon ginger, minced
1 can full cream coconut milk
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons, smooth peanut butter
½ teaspoon salt
8 bamboo skewers
600g diced beef

Method:
Soak bamboo skewers in water for approximately 30 minutes so that they won’t burn.
Place the diced beef on the bamboo skewers, 4-5 pieces on each one. Otherwise you can buy pre-skewered beef from your local butcher.
Heat oil in pan on medium heat on stove then add garlic and ginger, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer for approximately 5 minutes until all the peanut butter has dissolved. You may need to stir occasionally to ensure that everything mixes well and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Remove from heat to allow sauce to cool.
Brush marinade onto beef skewers and place on tray. You may reserve some marinade as a dipping sauce.
Skewers can be cooked either in the oven, grill or on the bbq.

Makes 8 skewers.

Chicken and Cauliflower Bake

How good is it to only need one dish to prepare a whole meal? Just throwing all the ingredients into a tray and just leaving it to bake in the oven is not only satisfying, but leaves you wondering what to do with all the time you have saved! Cauliflower is known for its cancer fighting abilities and is also jam packed with so many other nutritional benefits. It is an excellent source of dietary fibre, Vitamin C and folates which are essential in the metabolism of fat, protein and carbohydrates. I found this recipe on the website Elana’s Pantry and my family and I enjoy it thoroughly every time.

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs, bone and skin removed
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 bunch of thyme
1 cup black olives, pitted

Marinade:
1 lemon, juiced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ red onion chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Prepare marinade and set aside
Place thyme scattered at the bottom of your tray and lay chicken pieces on top.
Scatter cauliflower florets and olives around chicken.
Pour marinade over chicken and bake for 40-50 minutes.

Serves 8

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