eat me

Low Fat - Winter Warmer

2010-07-26T08:08:00.003+10:00

Indian Dhal Recipe - For the vegetarian at heart

Serves 4

300gm lentils (rinsed well)
3cm piece of ginger (sliced)

2 dried bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

1 medium brown onion (small dice)

2 medium carrots (cubed diced)

2 cloves of garlic (crushed)

3 cups of chicken stock (or water with a chicken stock cube)

1 small chilli (finely chopped - optional)

1 ts of curry powder

1 ts of cumin powder

1 ts salt

1/2 ts pepper

Yoghurt Raita (optional)

80 gms of low fat yoghurt

1 tbs of thinly sliced coriander leaves

1 ts sugar

Method for the Dhal
Saute chilli and garlic with a little bit of olive oil spray in a medium heat pot. Once aromatic, add onion, carrot and saute until they become slightly soft. add curry powder and cumin powder and fry to release the rawness from them. if it becomes too dry, add some water and then stir and let evaporate.

Add lentils, bay leaves, ginger, cinnamon, salt and chicken stock and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes (or until lentils are soft).

serve in medium sized bowls with a squeeze of lemon on each dish, with a dollop of Yoghurt raita in the middle and fresh coriander.

Method for the Raita

Add sugar to yoghurt and mix well until sugar is disolved. Add coriander and season to taste.

DIY Low Fat Antipasto plate - Warning, VERY addictive

2010-03-11T15:09:00.007+11:00

Ingredients: (Can be made a day ahead and placed in refrigerator until needed)

1 x Eggplant, sliced ½ cm thick
2 x Zucchini, sliced ½ cm thick
100gm x Olives (Try and choose the Olives which haven’t been marinated in oil as this is higher in fat)
250gm x Low Fat Feta Cheese
180gm x Prosciutto, fat removed before placing on your Antipasto plate

Roast Tomatoes -
500gm x Mini Roma Tomatoes, Halved
2 Tbs x Balsamic Vinegar
1 Ts x Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Spiced Homemade Hummus Dip -
1 Can x Chickpeas
1 Clove x Garlic, Crushed
1 Ts x Lemon Juice
1 Ts x Cumin Seeds
1 Ts x Ground Cumin
1 Tbs x Tahini Paste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Minted Tzatziki Dip –
250 gm x Low Fat Greek Style Yoghurt
1 Clove x Garlic, crushed and diced finely
2 Ts x Lemon Juice
3 Tbs x Cucumber, Seeded and diced as small as possible
1 Ts x Parsley, finely Chopped
1 Ts x Mint, Chopped and placed into dip at last minute
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 x Fresh Turkish Bread

Directions:

Slow Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes –
Pre heat your oven to 160 degrees.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and spray with olive oil spray.
Place your tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with balsamic, salt and pepper and oil. Mix with your hands and arrange each tomato with the inside facing up on your baking paper.
Cook for 1 hr until dried but still juicy inside. Remove from oven and set aside.
Spiced Homemade Hummus Dip –
Place a fry pan on high heat. Add Cumin Seeds and toast until fragrant and slightly brown. Set aside to cool.
Drain your chickpeas and rinse well. Add it to a large bowl with all ingredients except extra virgin olive oil and toasted cumin seeds.
Turn on your hand blender and blend your ingredients until crushed.
Drizzle in your oil and blend until smooth and fluffy. Add your toasted cumin seeds to dip and mix. Taste your dip and season until your liking. Set aside.
Minted Tzatziki Dip –
Add all ingredients except for mint and stir. Just before serving, chop mint and add to your dip. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
Grilled Vegetables –
Heat up a grilled fry pan over medium – high heat. Spray with extra virgin olive oil.
Place Zucchini on grill pan and cook until grill marks are dark brown but not burnt. When the zucchini is almost ready, spray again with extra virgin olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn and cook other side.
Repeat this method with Eggplant and set both aside.
Feta Cheese -
Dice your low fat feta cheese into bite size pieces. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and pepper and mix so it’s distributed evenly on all pieces. Set aside.

Get a big enough plate to arrange all your homemade antipasto ingredients in a creative design.
Place dips in a bowl on the plate, arrange Prosciutto rolled and on the plate, place vegetables laying down on each other on the plate, place feta on one side and olives on another side of plate. Get your Turkish Bread and place in your oven just before serving. You want it to be heated through and the outside just crusty. Slice across in finger like pieces and serve along side your amazing condiments.

Tips – Remember to enjoy this in moderation. It’s to be shared and to be enjoyed with good company. If you can’t fit everything on your plate, save a little bit of everything for a special occasion (most ingredients will last up to 5 days in the fridge except for the grilled vegetables) and serve with a bottle of wine.

Enjoy ;)

Fat free and fun!

2010-03-05T15:47:00.000+11:00

Cherry meringues
Makes 50

500g fresh cherries, stalk intact
2 egg whites
pinch cream of tartar
½ cup caster sugar

1. Preheat oven 180C. Line large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Wash and completely dry the cherries. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Add sugar 1 tablespoonful at a time beating well before adding next spoonful. Beat until meringue is thick and glossy.
4. Dip cherries into the meringue, use a table knife to make sure cherry is completely covered with meringue. Place onto tray. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until light golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note meringues will hold at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours.

beans, beans the music fruit

2010-02-14T19:38:00.002+11:00

Mexican Chicken and Bean Salad - Serves 2 (for my BBF)

2 x Chicken Breasts
2 x tbs of Masterfoods Mexican spice powder
1/2 x Lemon

Salad Ingredients -
1 x lg can of 5 Bean Mix
1/2 x punnet of Cherry tomatoes - halved
1 x sml tin of Corn Kernels
1/2 x Red Onion - diced
1/2 x Avocado - diced
1 x Cup of Coriander Leaves - picked whole leaves
1 x ts of Cumin powder
1/2 x Lemon

How to make your salad -

Place your chicken breasts in a freezer bag. Add the Mexican spice powder and a squeeze of 1/2 your lemon. Twist the end of your bag tightly and shake your chicken so it is completely covered with your tasty Mexican marinade and leave for 10 minutes to infuse.

Place all your salad ingredients into a bowl and give a good toss - (reserving some coriander sprigs for garnish).

Turn your fry pan on medium heat and give it a spray with your EVOO spray. Add your chicken and cook (should take about 7-10 minutes on each side). Be careful not to burn your spice marinade.

Once it is cooked, Slice each breast into about 5 pieces.

Serve salad topped with warm chicken and some fresh coriander sprigs.

Enjoy :)

so simple but so tasty

2010-02-13T21:32:00.002+11:00

Sumac Blue Eye with Tzatiki and a Lentil and Beetroot Salad - Serves 2 (A special request for Amanda)

This Salad is packed full of good, healthy, fulling food. Its perfect for every season and is loved by all the people who I've shared it with - Enjoy friends x

Ingredients -

2 x Piece's of Blue Eyed Cod

2 x tbs of ground Sumac

1/2 x Lemon

EVOO Spray
1 ts x Garlic - crushed
1/2 x Red Onion - cut into thin wedges
1 x tin of Lentils
1/2 x packet of Baby Rocket
10 x Baby beets
1 x ts of Honey
1 x tbs of Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Tzatziki

How to cook your food -

Marinate your fish in the lemon juice and sumac for 10 minutes.

Spray your fry pan with your EVOO spray and bring to medium heat. Cook fish until the correct doneness.

Spray your fry pan with your Extra Virgin Olive Oil spray and bring to medium heat.
Add garlic and onion and saute until onion is just slightly soft.
Add Lentils and Rocket and turn off heat. Add Honey and the Balsamic vinegar and toss until combined.
Scatter Baby beets thorough out your yummy salad and season well with salt and pepper (to taste).

Place fish on top of your salad and with a dollop of Tzatziki. YUM!

Have as a lunch time salad and replace the fish for shredded leftover BBQ chicken or for my special vegetarians out there - just add some feta for extra flavour and substance!

it just tastes too good to be healthy!

2010-02-13T13:47:00.004+11:00

Cheeky Summer Coleslaw – Serves Six

This recipe reflects simple yet healthy eating.
This fuss free side Salad is quick, easy and it turns an old classic into a favorite.
Serve as a side dish with BBQ steak or some Grilled Chicken.

Ingredients:
½ x Drumhead Cabbage – Cut into thin slices, Long Strips
4 x Celery stalks - cut on an angle
1 x Long Red Chilli (Optional) - deseeded and cut into thin Strips
4 x Green Shallots - cut on an Angle
1/2 x Bunch of Chopped chives
2 Tbs x Honey
Squeeze of Fresh Lemon
130gms of Kraft 97% Fat Free Mayonnaise
A couple of Turns of your Freshly Cracked Pepper grinder
Salt to Taste

Directions:
Slice all ingredients according to recipe and place in a large bowl except chili. Leave some Chives, Celery and Shallots to garnish when finished.
Pour Honey and Mayonnaise on salad and mix well.
Squeeze fresh lemon, cracked pepper and salt, mix well and taste.
Place salad in a large serving bowl, sprinkle with sliced Chilli, Celery, Shallots and Chives and finish with some more freshly cracked Black Pepper for extra punch (only if desired).
Serve

Tip: If you have left over’s, use it as a quick mid week lunch salad – Add Corn Kernels and Sliced Chicken Breast to keep you going throughout the afternoon until dinner.

Enjoy!

healthy recipes for my new friends

2010-02-13T10:02:00.006+11:00

MKB's Garlic shiitake mushrooms -

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients -

1 x hot chilli - chopped finely (optional)
1 ts x ginger - grated
1 ts x garlic - finely chopped
2 x punnets of shiitake mushrooms (500gm) - halved
1/2 x bunch of Asian garlic chives - cut in2 2cm lengths
1 tbs x light soy
2 tbs x water
Extra Virgin Olive Oil cooking spray

How to cook your food -
Grab a big enough fry pan to cook ur skiitake mushroom's in.
Spray ur fry pan with some EVOO spray and bring it 2 medium/high heat.
Saute chilli for 15 seconds then add Garlic, Ginger and Mushrooms.
Give the mushrooms a quick stir so they are covered well with the Garlic, Ginger and Chilli mix.
Leave Mushrooms 4 about 2 minutes without stirring 2 create a golden brown colour.. Be careful not 2 burn.
Add the garlic chives and give a good toss so its mixed well with the mushrooms.
Add the water 2 ur shrooms and let them finish cooking with the steam (this should only take a couple of minutes.)
Once it's ready - finish with soy and serve!

Healthy Chinese BBQ Pork - Serves Four

2 x Pork Loins

Marinade -
1/2 cup of Light Soy Sauce
1/2 cup of Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbs x Garlic - Finely Chopped
1 tbs x Ginger - Finely Chopped
2 tbs x Caster Sugar
1/2 cup of Chinese Rose Wine (u can find this in ur asian supermarket)
1 ts x Red Food Colouring

For the glaze -
1 tbs x Water
3 tbs x Honey
1/2 ts x Red Food Colouring

Marinade -
Place the pork in a deep container. Add soy sauces, ginger, garlic, sugar, rose wine and food colouring to the pork and marinate for 24 hrs. Half way though the marinating process, turn the pork so the other side is fully submerged in the marinade.
How to cook your food -
Pre heat your over to 180 degrees.
Place your pork on a grilled tray and cook for 20-25 minutes.
While your pork is cooking add Honey and water to a small sauce pan and gently heat. The consistency should be runny. Add 1/2 ts of red food colouring and stir.
Remove the pork from the oven. Brush ur pork with the honey glaze so it is completely covered.
Add pork back into the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Once cooked, slice and serve on a platter in the middle of the table. This pork goes great with your Shiitake Mushrooms and some steamed rice.

Enjoy!

for the flowers in my life

2010-02-07T17:52:00.003+11:00

new friendships are formed,

new beginnings are made.

interests are similar,

likes are the same.

to become a friend in this day and age,

should mean a lot and should be embraced..

- mkb

never say never

2010-02-06T10:21:00.001+11:00

bbq duck salad with an orange and tatsoi salad drizzled with a citrus viniagrette.

i was asked to create some of the new dishes which will be on the menu for winter 2010 at my work. they usually ask the most experienced chef to do this and to surprise, they asked me.. hmm what an honor..

whats next? they ask me to run the business?... yes please

2010-02-03T19:47:00.001+11:00

the first day of the rest of my life...

2010-02-03T17:31:00.001+11:00

today ive decided to get my idea's out there - today is the day i made my blog.

this is a blog all about my stuff.

fun stuff

interesting stuff

creative stuff

stuff to make you go.. mmm

enjoy

mkb x