Healthy Meals, having a balanced diet and eating Paleo in the 21st century

Arabic Breakfast

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs mint leaves, chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish
• 200g fresh ricotta
• 4 eggs
• 6 baby roma tomatoes, halved
• 2 small Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways
• 1/2 cup (about 80g) mixed olives
• 1 tbs zaatar or sumac (see Notes)
• 100g reduced-fat feta, crumbled
• 2 tbs honey
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Method:

1. Preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue grill to medium-high heat. Cut the eggplant lengthways into 8 thin slices, then lightly brush each side with olive oil. Grill for 2 minutes on each side or until charred. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Stir the chopped mint into the ricotta until well combined, then season well. When eggplant is cooled but still soft, spread a heaped tablespoon of ricotta mixture at the end of 1 slice and roll up to enclose. Continue with remaining eggplant and ricotta mixture. Set aside.
3. Place the eggs in a pan, cover with hot water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5-6 minutes for soft-boiled, then remove and plunge into iced water. Peel, then halve.
4. To serve, divide the eggplant rolls, eggs, tomatoes, cucumber and olives among serving plates. Sprinkle the eggs with zaatar or sumac. Crumble over feta and drizzle with honey. Garnish with extra mint leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Fluffy Omelette with Ham,

Spinach and Swiss Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
• 2 slices shaved ham, torn roughly
• 1/4 cup grated light Swiss cheese

Method:

1. Place the egg yolks in a bowl with the milk and combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to medium soft peaks. Gently fold into the egg yolk mixture. Set aside (do not allow to sit for too long).
2. Spray a small non-stick frying pan with oil spray and place over medium heat. Add the baby spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Remove from pan and wipe pan clean. Spray pan again and return to the heat.
3. Pour in the egg mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes or until surface is nearly firm. Place the ham, spinach and cheese over half the omelette, then fold over the other side to enclose the filling. Serve immediately. Repeat ingredients and method for additional omelettes.

Breakfast Antipasto

Ingredients:

• Cold sliced sausages
• Fresh figs
• Hard-boiled eggs, quartered, sprinkled with dukkah
• Marinated artichokes
• Marinated feta
• Marinated mushrooms
• Olives
• Oven-dried tomatoes
• Rocket
• Sliced prosciutto
• Sliced salami

Method:

1. This is more of an idea than a recipe, and can include anything you want to try. Choose a variety of cold meats, marinated vegetables and cheeses, using prepared items from the deli to keep life simple.?

One-pan Brekky

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 lean beef chipolata sausages
• 4 rindless shortcut bacon rashers
• 150g button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, halved
• 2 eggs
• Pink sea salt and organic pepper

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sausages and bacon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until sausages are almost cooked though.
2. Add mushroom and tomato to pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until mushroom is tender and sausages cooked through. Push sausages, bacon, mushroom and tomato to 1 side of pan. Crack eggs into pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked to your liking. 
3. Season with pink sea salt and pepper.

Porridge with nuts & dates

Ingredients:

• 60g (1/3 cup) almond kernels
• 40g (1/4 cup) pistachio nut kernels
• 4 (about 80g) fresh dates, pitted, roughly chopped
• 750ml (3 cups) milk
• 140g (1 1/2 cups) whole grain rolled oats (Whole Foods brand)
• Pinch of pink sea salt
• 125ml (1/2 cup) pure maple syrup (Queen brand)
• Extra milk, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread the almonds and pistachio nuts in a single layer over a baking tray. Cook in preheated oven, tossing once, for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted and aromatic. (See microwave tip.) Transfer to a chopping board and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Roughly chop and place in a small bowl. Add the dates and stir to combine.
2. Place the milk, oats and salt in a medium heavy-based saucepan. Stir over high heat until the mixture comes to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
3. Spoon the porridge into serving bowls and sprinkle with the nut and date mixture. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve with extra milk.

Protein Pancakes with Mixed-berry

These can be done many different ways and with any flarvour of protein you like. My favorite is Chocolate it goes well with the almond milk.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup of your favourite protein powder
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 2/3 cups (250g) mixed frozen berries, thawed
• 1/4 cup Shredded almonds
• Organic Butter
• honey/maple syrup to taste

Method:

1. Place oatmeal, eggs, milk and protein powder into a blender. Empty into a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Fold 1 cup berries and 1/4 cup almonds through batter. Add Organic butter to a non-stick frying pan. Heat over medium-low heat. Using 2 tablespoons batter per pancake, cook 4 pancakes for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface. Turn over. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.
3. Divide pancakes between plates. Top with remaining berries. Drizzle with honey/maple syrup. 
4. Serve.

Kangaroo, fennel and caraway burger

Kangaroo is lean, good for the environment, dirt cheap and one of the richest natural sources of CLA. All very good reasons to get it into you. The addition of the fennel and caraway means that the strong gamy flavour some people don’t like is made a bit more like the sweetness of good lamb.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2kg kangaroo steak mince*
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons natural sea salt
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

Method:

1. Place the onion and garlic in a food processor or finely chop.
2. If using a food processor switch to the plastic blade and add remaining ingredients. Process until the mixture is fully combined and the meat becomes a bit more sticky. This kneading is the trick to getting your burgers to bind without extra fillers.
3. If you are working by hand mix the mixture thoroughly. Divide the mixture into quarters and place one quarter in a smaller mixing bowl. Form into a ball and repeatedly ‘slap’ the mixture against the edge of the bowl. This slapping is the trick to getting your burgers to bind without extra fillers.
4. Form into 110g patties and grill on the barbecue or spread evenly across trays and bake for about 20 minutes at 180ºC

Beef and broccolini stir-fry

• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3cm piece ginger, peeled, grated
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 500g rump steak, trimmed, cut diagonally into thin strips
• 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
• 2 bunches broccolini, trimmed, halved
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method:

1. Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, sherry, garlic, ginger and sugar in a ceramic bowl. Add steak. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

2. Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add 2 teaspoons oil. Add a quarter of the beef. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until browned. Remove to a plate. Cover. Repeat with remaining oil and beef in 3 batches.

3. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to wok. Add green onions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add broccolini and stir-fry for a further minute. Drizzle water over vegetables. Cover and cook for 1 minute or until just tender.

4. Return beef to wok with cashews. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until heated through. Serve with steamed rice

Balsamic-glazed lamb cutlets

with broad beans

• 2 (about 780g) lamb cutlets, excess fat trimmed
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, sliced into rings
• 300g fresh broad beans, shelled
• 1/3 cup firmly packed fresh continental parsley leaves
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat grill on high. Brush lamb with vinegar. Place on a baking tray. Set aside for 5 minutes to develop the flavours. Cook under grill for 5 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until brown. Reduce heat to medium.

3. While the onion is cooking, steam the broad beans in a steamer basket over a saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes or until tender. Add to the pan with the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add parsley and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Divide the bean mixture among plates. Top with cutlets and serve immediately.

Chargrilled chilli lamb

• 500g kumara (orange sweet potato), peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
• 600g eggplant, cut into 4cm pieces
• grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons piri piri seasoning
• 300g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 4 lamb leg steaks

Method:

Ginger & five-spice pork

with cucumber salad

• 1/4 cup (60ml) reduced-salt soy sauce
• 2 tbs Chinese rice wine (shaohsing)*
• 1 tbs caster sugar
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
• 4 x 160g butterflied pork steaks, trimmed
• 1 telegraph cucumber, thinly sliced
• 100g snow pea sprouts, trimmed
• Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
• 1 tbs vegetable oil

Method:

1. Combine soy sauce, wine, sugar, ginger and 1 teaspoon five-spice powder in a bowl. Add pork and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine the cucumber and sprouts in a bowl with lime juice and remaining five-spice powder.

3. Heat oil in a large frypan over medium heat. When hot, cook pork about 2-3 minutes each side. Serve with cucumber salad and lime wedges. * From Asian food shops and selected supermarkets. Substitute dry sherry

Barbecued fish with

warm tomato salad

• 4 (800g) blue eye or kingfish steaks
• 2 punnets cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1/3 cup fresh chervil leaves (see note)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• mixed salad leaves, to serve
• lemon wedges, to serve

1. Spray fish, tomatoes and onion with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Preheat barbecue plate on medium-high heat. Cook fish for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover and keep warm.

3. Increase heat to high. Cook onion and tomatoes for 1 to 2 minutes or until warmed through. Toss with chervil and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve fish with warm tomato salad, mixed salad leaves and lemon wedges.