Zucchini, almond and flaxseed Rosti with Dill dressing

Playing with a fritter recipe by reducing the flour and adding some nuts and seeds, I was able to create this crunchy healthy zucchini Rosti. The crisp crunch is a beautiful contrast to the soft juicy inside. Easy to make, it's a wonderful way to enjoy zucchini. Eat it as a side dish, or on its own as a snack or small meal. 

Ingredients

2 zucchini, sliced julienne 

2 stalks of spring onion, chopped finely

2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

1 sprig dill, chopped finely

2 tbsp sliced almonds

2 tbsp flaxseeds

2 tbsp powdered Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp self raising flour

1 egg

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Method

Mix all ingredients except the egg and oil in a large bowl. Mix well, add the egg and mix until the mixture starts to stick together. It should be dry but sticky when pushed with a spoon. If it's too dry, leave to sit for half an hour, moisture will come out of the zucchini. If the mixture is too wet it will become more like a fritter than a Rosti. 

Heat a large frying pan with a few dashes of olive oil, and spoon the mixture onto the pan, about the size of a piklet or small pancake. Press the mixture together with the spoon or spatula in the pan to ensure it sticks together. Repeat until the pan is full. Keep the temperature on high until the bottom seals and browns. Turn them gently and squash down with the spatula. Lower heat and cook for 3-4 minutes. The outside should be crispy, and the inside moist and juicy. Serve as a side dish or on its own with dill mayonnaise. 

Easy dill dressing

2 tbsp mayonnaise

Juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1/2 tbsp grainy mustard

Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together. 

Mango Cheesecake

I hate to digress from the healthy-eating plan, but as Mangoes are nearing the end of the season, I thought it best to post my favourite mango cheesecake recipe.
Everyone in our family is a mango-lover, so I was lucky I was able to save the last mangoes off the tree for this dessert. Before I try a new recipe, I like to look in all my books and compare them for the one I think would be the tastiest recipe. I also look to see how much trouble they will be! Then, I take bits out of all the recipes and make my own. This made a memorable dessert that was popular with all the family (except the fruit despisers...).
Base
Ingreds:
250g packet of gingernut biscuits (I tried mixing choc ripple biscuits with them the second time I made it, but these made the crust harder. A softer crust is more delicious so stick to the ginger nuts. They complement the mango flavour beautifully)
100g melted butter
Process the biscuits in a mixer or food processor and mix with butter, kneading it with your fingers. Press into a 20cm springform cake tin. Chill.
Filling
Ingreds:
750g Cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
200ml cream
3 tbsp lime juice (I used Lime juice cordial due to limes being out of season)
3-4 large mangoes, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 160 degrees centigrade.
In a large bowl beat cream cheese, and sugar until smooth. TIP: I have tried many ways to beat cream cheese successfully, most of them ending in frustration. The best way I have found so far is to use one of those hand held electric mixers. I never believed they were worth the money until I tried my friend's. They are the fastest way to mix or blend anything without the mess of a blender. If you don't have one, invest in one now!

Add eggs one at a time, then lime juice. Slowly add cream and blend until smooth. Add 2 mangoes and blend until mixed in well. Add another mango and mix it so that large chunks remain. Save the last mango for decoration. Pour onto base.
Bake for 1 and a half hours, until just set. The cake should rise a little and change colour, but do not brown. Cool for 30 mins, then refridgerate overnight. Top with mango slices to serve.
TIP: The first time I made this I followed a recipe that said cook for 40 mins but this was not long enough. I was in a hurry and served the cake while it was still a little warm, and it collapsed all over the plate! It really needs the time in the refrigerator to set properly. I have made this without the cream, but the texture is a little firmer and not as fluffy. Either way, the taste is divine! Enjoy!

Tuna Patties with Crisp Veggies and Satay sauce

This recipe is adapted from the ASN Body Transformation recipe list. I liked it because it was mainly tuna and tasted great! A very easy tasty recipe. I have only ever made fish cakes with lots of fillers like potato or flour, but this one relied mostly on tuna, so it seemed more like a 'patty' rather than a 'cake'. 

Delicious!

Ingredients (Makes 9 large patties)

Patties:

2 large cans (425g) tuna (I used tuna in olive oil, but the recipe recommended tuna in spring water for obvious reasons)

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp ginger

1 small grated carrot 

3 eggs

Pinch of Chilli flakes or powder

3 tbsp cornflour

Vegetables:

1/2 bunch broccoli

2 zucchini

2 carrots

1/2 red pepper

1/2 red onion

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp ginger

Salt and pepper

Satay Sauce:

1 cup coconut milk (substitute cottage cheese for a healthier option)

3 tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp each turmeric, coriander, cumin, curry powder

Method

Drain the tuna, then mix all patty ingredients well. 

Form into patties.

Cook patties in a pan with a little oil. 

In the meantime, cut carrot and zucchini into sticks, and chop broccoli into small florets. Slice onion and red pepper thinly. Fry in a small amount of oil with crushed garlic and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Divide onto plates.

Make the sauce:

Place coconut milk (or cottage cheese), peanut butter and spices into a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat for a short time, until sauce melts together. Remove immediately to prevent the sauce becoming sticky. Pour the sauce over the veggies and place tuna patties on top. 

Beef Chilli with Quinoa

This one's for Robyn, as she wants to make it tonight. :)
This is a mixture of Jamie Oliver's Good Old Chilli Con Carne, the ingredients in my fridge, and inspired by the ASN Body Transformation diet. This recipe was delicious on rice, but I preferred it on Quinoa. The next day I made quinoa and Chilli burritos, they were delicious too. The ASN recipe suggests having it on wholemeal pasta, but I didn't like it. The winners were: Quinoa and Soft Wraps.
Allow yourself plenty of time as the recipe needs to simmer slowly to get the full flavor. Make it at lunchtime in time for dinner, or even the day before.
Note to Robyn: I have put an asterix next to ingredients that you can do without (at the expense of the awesome flavour) so there aren't so many ingredients for you to buy ;)

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tsp garlic (2 crushed cloves or 2 tsp of minced garlic from a jar)
1 tsp grated ginger (1 tsp minced ginger from a jar) *
2 medium carrots, washed and grated 'oroshi-style' (this means grated to smoosh like a paste)
2 sticks celery, finely chopped (nobody I know bites into a chunk of celery and says, "oh yum, celery...') *
1 red pepper, finely chopped *
Coconut oil (or any oil if you're not a health nut)
Chilli powder
1tsp cumin powder
1 tsp paprika *
1 tsp coriander powder *
1 tsp dried oregano *
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
Salt and pepper
1 can chickpeas (or kidney beans, or any bean like thing) *
2 cans diced tomatoes
500g minced beef (or turkey as Robyn would like)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar * (you could use any red vinegar or even red wine)
1 bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped (stalks and all) *
Salt and pepper
Frozen or fresh green beans chopped 2cm *
1 tsp Korean Chilli paste, optional * (gives it a nice punch, toobanjan or any Chilli paste would do)

Method:
You are supposed to use a large Chilli pot, but I don't have a non-stick pot the right size, so I used a large high-sided frying pan. Just be careful the moisture doesn't evaporate too quickly if using something wide.

Fry the onion, garlic and ginger in a few tablespoons of oil for a minute. Then add the carrot, celery, and red pepper and soften.

Sprinkle over the Chilli powder, cumin (my favorite spice), paprika, coriander powder, oregano and cinnamon (sparingly), salt and pepper (I use iodized salt, ground Himalayan salt, fine white pepper and ground black pepper). Stir it around for a minute or two. Add the chickpeas and cans of tomatoes and stir. Add the minced meat and attack with your wooden spoon so it separates nicely. Fill an empty can of tomatoes with water and add to the pan.

Add half the fresh coriander and all the vinegar and season well. Simmer with a half lid for an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the Korean Chilli paste according to taste.
Near the end, add the green beans and heat through. Sprinkle with remaining fresh coriander and a dollop of unsweetened yoghurt.

Serve with rice, or quinoa. 

To make quinoa: place 2 cups of quinoa grain in a pot or rice cooker and cover with 4 cups of water. Cook until water has gone. Keep in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to a week and use as desired in salads, or as a rice substitute. 

To make Chilli burrito wraps: Warm large soft wraps for 10 seconds in the microwave (this makes them easier to stretch and not break). Spread a thin layer of sour cream on wrap. Sprinkle with cheese. Place a few spoons of warm quinoa along the centre of the wrap in a strip, leaving an inch at either end. Cover with a line of warm Chilli. Sprinkle fresh coriander. Lift one end of wrap over the filling and roll it under the ingredients carefully but firmly. Fold in the sides. Roll the rest off the wrap holding the sides. Roll until the end is under the wrap and hold for a few seconds to "glue". Perfect.

The Recipe Blog is BACK!!!

After 6 years of silence, I have decided to resurrect my recipe blog. Actually, I have been trying to 6 years, but since Google took over and made it near impossible for me to access my blog by not allowing the old log-in process, it has taken me this long to finally enter my blog's dashboard again! Phew. It's nice to be back.

I love entertaining! 

Health Phase

Who isn't into a health phase these days? I tried healthy eating last year and lasted 4 months. This year I have decided to try again, and I am trying out all new recipes. I wonder how long this one will last? Oh well, better a little healthy than not at all, right?? So, what health phases have I been into....
The 'No-additive', 'All-natural' diet:  Inspired by a link I followed on Facebook.  This diet requires you to make everything from scratch without using anything you can't read on a label.
Success rate - fairly successful. The old laziness gene kicks in and voila!, Maccas is on the menu again. Great way to think though, and it was fun.
The 'Super-foods' diet:  Inspired by the restaurant 'Oliver's' along the highway just North of Sydney. An alternative fast-food joint that serves steamed green beans instead of french fries. I picked up a DVD from there and watched it all the way home to Brisbane. Great basis for healthy eating. Bought a 'Super foods' Recipe and added more grains and weirdly pronounced foods to my diet.
Success rate - quite successful. I still add certain nuts and grains to my diet regularly, although I don't solely eat the 'super foods'. Chia seeds, quinoa and almonds are a regular.
The 'Monash University FODMAP' diet: Inspired by the gut-aches I had most nights after eating certain foods. Bloating and pain from eating garlic, onions, cabbage etc. FODMAPs are certain sugars that are present in food that causes a person allergies. It's really complicated and totally impossible to pronounce them all, but Monash University sell a great APP that makes choosing foods easier. Basically, after following their diet for a few weeks, I was able to work out that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and a small lactose intolerance.
Success rate - very successful. I am aware of what foods to avoid, and found some great alternatives that help me keep the flavours I love. I still use these recipes and guides today.
The 'ASN Body Transformation' diet: Inspired by Robyn, who has joined their plan. They are mainly about muscle building and weight loss.
Success rate - short term. They only have a few recipes so it will be short-lived. Great idea to give yourself a goal and start healthy eating again. Some of their recipes were yummy, so I will be posting my version of them here.
The 'Chemo-therapy counter-active' diet: Don't worry, this was inspired by my Uncle who is undergoing chemo at the moment. I am trying to provide nutritional meals to help his body fight the cancer and reduce the negative effects of the chemo.

8 years ago I lost 25 kilos on the Atkins diet. It was great, but I re-entered Australia and never adjusted my new diet to accommodate it. All that lovely bread was just too much for me to resist. Now, I don't think I will go back on that diet, but will focus more on maintaining a healthier diet using the tips from above.

I hope you enjoy this journey with me :)

Renee