A great no-carbohydrate dish, easy to prepare and doesn't take too long to cook.
Ingredients: Makes 4 servings
4 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise and middle scooped out and reserved
350g ground beef
1/2 cup chopped red/yellow/green peppers in any combination
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup of water
1 tbsp taco seasoning
2 corners la vache qui rit or 2 tbsp cream cheese
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 green onion, sliced thin
Directions: Brown beef, peppers, onions and the middle part of the zucchini that was scooped out. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir and simmer a few minutes until seasoning is equally distributed. In a large bowl, add beef, la vache qui rit or cream cheese, and parsley. Mix well. Spoon mixture into each zucchini boat. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes until zucchini are done. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Top with green onions and serve.
Don't be fooled by the simple ingredients in this dish, fresh vegetables make up a lovely fresh flavour here.
Ingredients: Makes 4 servings
1 zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1/2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
a handful grape tomatoes
1 cup mangetout
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tsp Italian seasoning (or mix some oregano and thyme)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (a handful)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
salt
pepper
Directions: Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and mangetout together in a bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the lined baking sheet. Roast vegetables in preheated oven until tender, about 15 minutes. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan. Cook onion and garlic until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar into the onion mixture. Gently toss and cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese.
This dish is a lovely change to grilled chicken. The capers give a tangy twist to the creamy sauce.
Ingredients: Makes 4 servings
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
5 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Directions: Using a mallet, pound the chicken breasts until slightly flattened. Season with salt and pepper, and dredge both sides of chicken in flour. Shake off the excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and oil in a large skillet. Fry chicken breasts in hot oil, about 5 minutes each side, until cooked through and golden brown in colour. Transfer chicken breasts to a plate. Add the remaining butter to the skillet, add garlic and capers. Add lemon juice, wine, and chicken stock, bring to boil, scraping off the brown bits from the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Return chicken breasts to the skillet. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over, and with some steamed or roasted vegetables.
A cool little lunch bag, perfect for taking a couple of tupperware cases to work, or for a picnic. I adapted the pattern given in this tutorial..you can try it out yourself!
This lovely tart is perfect as a starter or appetiser dish. Roasting your own beetroots definitely gives it a fresher taste, however if you are pressed on time I'm sure ready-roasted beets are a delicious solution anyway. While it takes an hour or so to roast the beets, this tart is put together in seconds.
Ingredients: Makes 4 servings
1 sheet puff pastry
200g goat cheese
4 medium beetroots
1 egg + 1 tsp water, beaten
olive oil
4 tsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
basil leaves, to serve
Directions: Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Slice the greens off the beets and scrub the outsides. Rub them down with olive oil then wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast for about 1 hour, or until tender enough to slice. Unwrap the beets and let cool until they are comfortable to the touch. Once cool, rub the beets to remove the skin. It should peel right off! Slice the beets into 1/4-inch slices. Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet. Brush it with the beaten egg wash. Take the goat cheese and spread it evenly over the pastry. Add the sliced beets on top. Season with the salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove and drizzle the honey and balsamic vinegar on top. Garnish with a few basil leaves. Serve immediately.
This pork is simply mouthwatering. It does not require a lot of work, but is perfectly suited for a special occasion. Serve with roasted vegetables and potatoes. This recipe can easily be halved.
A beautifully tangy lemon cake which tastes like summer. While my cake took about 55 minutes to cook, make sure to check it every once in a while after the 30 minute mark.
Ingredients: Makes 1 bundt cake
The Cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp + 2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/4 cups whole milk
10 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
Lemon Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3-5 tbsp lemon juice
Lemon Sugar Topping:
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp granulated sugar
Directions: Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a bundt pan very well making sure to really get into all crevices then lightly flour pan. Set aside. Lightly whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs on low until they are thickened and very pale yellow in colour. Turn mixer on low and slowly add sugar to running mixer and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. Slowly pour in dry ingredients on low speed until combined. In a small saucepan, heat milk until very hot and butter is just melted. Do not boil and whisk the mixture to help the butter along. Pour into batter and mix until smooth. Batter will be very thin. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. Once done, remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan. Release the sides of the cake with a butter knife to ensure it isn’t going to stick. Turn cake onto a large round platter or cake stand. Allow cake to finish cooling until warm to the touch. While cake is cooling, prepare lemon sugar and glaze. For the lemon sugar, thoroughly mix the lemon zest and sugar together and let it sit for 5 minutes. For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice, using more or less lemon juice as needed to get desired consistency. Once cake is cooled down slightly, drizzle glaze over warm cake. Alternately, you can drizzle the glaze over each individual piece being served. Sprinkle lemon sugar on top. Cake will stay soft and moist for 3-4 days stored in an airtight container.
