Are you following a Health Guru?

Quinoa and Feta lunch

I was absolutely chuffed to find myself as one of the Top 10 Health Gurus on Instagram this weekend. It was a really lovely surprise to see one of my meals in the cyberworld. And a big congratulations to the other gurus ;)

I like Instagram, its simple and easy to use and it gets my message across -
Health is Easy and food doesn't need to be over the top. 
You can follow me here.

I'm traditionally a simple eater, even as a girl I preferred my 'aussie' nanna's cooking; steamed veg and meat over my mums intricate Italian delights, my acquired tastes have changed over the years but healthy food can be really easy and definitely stress free.

I love healthy whole food that is good for me, flavoursome, clean and nutritious, just adding more vegetables and a decent douse of good quality cold pressed olive oil onto a dish improves its quality tenfold. 

I love looking in the fridge thinking 'there's nothing to eat' and then whipping up some tasty nutritious meal, there is always something to fill your belly full of nutrients which will fuel your body. What are some easy dishes you throw together?

Friends on Friday - Don't get your Sausage in a Roll

This is a protein and veggie packed easy pesy meal for the whole family - the grownups love them and the little picky eaters eat them! Top it off with a homemade tomato sauce and a yummy garden salad. Just delish! 

My mate Fran, a designer, a busy mum and a business owner put this recipe together she says, ‘I make a batch and freeze them for those quick last minute meals’. Being a busy mum myself I love that this recipe can be made and frozen, served for dinner, afternoon snacks or parties, it ticks all the boxes.

Fran's just launched her spring/summer range of jewelry a must to checkout! www.mooku.com.au

Ingredients:

250gm regular beef mince

250gm pork mince

1 x leek

1 x medium zucchini

5 x small mushrooms

1 x med-large carrot

2 x gloves of crushed Garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

1 x teaspoon of chopped or dried herbs, I use whatever I find in my cupboard or garden - sage, thyme

4 x sheets of good quality frozen puff pastry sheets

2 x tablespoon of milk

2 x tablespoons of sesame seeds

What to do:

1. Take puff pastry sheets out of the freezer, separate and place on a surface to thaw. 

2. Turn fan forced over onto 180’C

3. Finely grate the leek, zucchini, mushrooms & carrot. 

4. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients (apart from the puff pastry sheets, milk & sesame seeds). Either use your hands or a large fork to combine thoroughly.

5. Cut each puff pastry sheet in half. Take one half and place a 3cm strip of meat/veg mix along one edge of pastry and roll to form a sausage roll shape. Score the top side of the roll with a knife and cut to desired length. Repeat this process until all meat/veg mix is finish.

6. Paint tops with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

7 Place on baking paper covered oven trays and cook for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Serve & eat!!

 

Let me know if you give this recipe a go, how easy it is and if your kids and mates love it too.

Friends on Friday - Frankie and Ray

I met this fun and vivacious women once at the design and craft markets that I sold my handmade skincare at, she was FUN, quick witted and interesting! I really looked forward to meeting Jo on these occasions and she made great stuff, I have a few of her hand knitted scarves and I love her cushions too. 

Her label is Frankie and Ray, you can check out her stuff here. She’s just come back from an awesome trip around the US which I was following with envy via instagram take a peak. 

Jo has shared not only a delicious recipe but it’s totally nutritious, full of omega 6’s essential fatty acids (EFA), garlic which is great for your immune system, thyme from the garden makes it full of anti-oxidants and phytonutrients. 

She says; ‘This recipe is a way of eating lovely fresh fish, while still feeling like you're eating a warming and comforting meal. Something that is such an enjoyable thing during the long and cold Winters of the coast!’ 

Did I mention she lives on the beautiful south west coast of Victoria, where she spends her days designing and making her small range of women's clothing and accessories, and occasionally some home wares for her label Frankie & Ray. 

SLOW COOKED LEEKS WITH ATLANTIC SALMON AND PEAS

SERVES 4

80ml extra virgin olive oil

Plus extra, for frying

3 cloves garlic, sliced

3 leeks, trimmed, washed, and finely sliced

2 springs thyme, leaves picked

2 springs tarragon, leaves picked

3 kipfler potatoes, peeled and sliced about 0.5cm thick

150ml of water or chicken stock

¾ cup frozen peas

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

60g butter

½ lemon

 4 Atlantic salmon fillets, skin on

 Flat leaf parsley sprigs, to garnish

Place olive oil in a medium, deep sided frying pan over high heat and cook garlic and leeks, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.

Add herbs and potatoes, stir and cook for a few minutes.

Add water (or stock), reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add peas and cook for a further 5 minutes. You may need to add a little more water at this stage.

Season generously with salt and pepper, then cook for a few minutes, or until the potatoes just begin to break up and thicken.

Stir through the butter and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cut each fish fillet into 3 pieces and season skin side with salt and pepper.

Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan, and over high heat, sear the fish skin side down for 3 minutes, until crisp and golden. Turn and cook the fish for a further minute or two on the other side. Remove from heat.

To serve, divide the leek and potatoes among plates, top with fish fillets and garnish with parsley.

 Bon appetite

In fact meet Jo tomorrow and check out the new of Frankie and Ray 
Saturday August 10th 3pm - 9pm 

Winter Magic Market

Brunswick North West Primary School

Culloden Street, Brunswick

(twilight/evening market)

3pm - 9pm 

Kangaroo Salad

I love roo - it's great. I love the gamey flavour, it's full of iron and protein, my two favourite nutrients.

Here's a very simple salad that I make either for dinner or BBq an extra fillet and take it for lunch! Only cook your roo to medium-rare otherwise it will be like eating an old rubber shoe!

Ingredients
BBq'd Roo Fillet
Mixed lettuce leaves (2 big handfuls)
Capsicum 1/2
Lebanese cucumber
Chickpeas - handful

Doused with Olive oil
Sprinkled with Sesame seeds

Cut roo, add salad, douse and sprinkle - bon appetit