Chickpea Patties with Wasabi Tzatziki

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chickpea pattiesBesan or gram or chickpea flour is basically made from ground chickpeas and available at health food shops and Asian groceries. It is gluten-free and high in protein compared to other types of flour. I usually use it to make socca and also falafels without a process of soaking, cooking and blending chickpeas. It is super quick and easy to make with a little ingredients and so yummy. Good thing about this recipe is that you can make different variations such as adding pumpkin or sweet potato mash for more veggie intake or mixing with tuna or salmon for protein boost.

You can eat it just by itself or smear this wasabi tzatziki sauce which will give you a bit of kick in your nose 🙂 I’m sure most of you have tried green wasabi peas as beer snack, right? Spicy and salty, perfect to munch on. I got to admit I’m not that good with spicy food though I do love it! Wasabi is one of those that I know I shouldn’t go overdose when eating sushi, but I always do. Did you know wasabi belongs to a brassicaceae family like horseradish and cabbage? Wasabi not only has a unique and powerful taste but also provides health benefits like reducing a risk of cancer, inflammation, infection, allergies and respiratory problems. The antioxidants in wasabi also are great for detoxing and boosting the immune system. It is rich in vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A and vitamin B6. Yes, it is an awesome ingredient to include in your healthy balanced diet. If you don’t like it spicy, then feel free to leave out the wasabi powder. Easy flavoursome vegan dish served x
chickpea patties1Ingredients (makes 6 little patties)

100g of chickpea flour
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
100g hot water
coconut oil for cooking

a pinch of wasabi powder
2 tbsp of cottage cheese
finely chopped cucumber
a pinch of salt
lemon juice from half lemon

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the middle and add water into a well. Stir to combine with a spatula until it becomes thick mixture. Cover and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add coconut oil. Spoon the patty mixture into the pan and press the middle to shape into little discs. Cook 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown. For wasabi tzatziki sauce, mix all ingredients in a bowl. To serve, place chickpea patties on a serving plate and top with the sauce. Drizzle balsamic glaze and serve with greens on the side.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Broccoli Quinoa Salad with Blue Cheese

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Happy 2015! With Christmas and New Year behind us for another year I look forward to the beginning of a new chapter. I hope I bring you more delicious ways of packing in nutrients and flavour on your table, yet simple and easy to make.

I like this wonderful festive time of year though feeling sluggish after an array of indulgent food and drinks is not my favourite. To beat all that post-holiday blues and bloats, fresh salads immediately spring to my mind. This simple salad is packed full of flavour. Crunchy broccoli, spiced nutty quinoa and fragrant salty blue cheese are a sublime combination. Adding spices when cooking quinoa is lovely and flavourful and is my favourite way of cooking quinoa.

Wishing you all a safe, healthy and fabulous new year x

quinoa salad
Ingredients

1 head of broccoli floret
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup of tricoloured quinoa
1 pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
pepper to taste
50g blue cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Wash, rinse the quinoa and cover with cold water in a pot. Add saffron, turmeric and cumin into a pot and bring it up to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Take it off the heat and set aside. Finely chop broccoli and zucchini. To assemble, place cooked quinoa, chopped broccoli and zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Season with pepper. Add olive oil and crumbled blue cheese. Gently toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

Roasted Beet Kale Salad

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beet pumpkin kale salad
Summer is all about simple and easy-to-make meals, especially colourful salads. Thanks to the abundance and variety of vegetables at this time of the year, it is so much fun putting together tiers of flavours and textures in your salad. It is my staple food of choice and the centre piece of the meal. I absolutely love roasted beets and pumpkins because sweetness and complex flavour after roasting is incredibly comforting. Not only that, you could also use them in a myriad of ways – making into a soup, adding into your baking goodies, making beet dips or making salads like this.

This is the salad that puts you back on a healthy track after a not-so-healthy weekend or holiday things. Whenever I see kale at the markets, I feel like it is my duty to get them and create nice salads. Kale is fantastic for the base of salad, but feel free to use any greens instead like spinach, arugula or frisee. We all know green leafy veggies are good for health, right? Chlorophyll helps to cleanse, rebuild and replenish red blood cells and boosts energy. Phytonutrients in glorious greens strengthen your immune system and protect from cell damage. Greens also high quality protein, building blocks for our body. So go green!

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale leaves
1 beet
1 cup of diced pumpkin
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
salt and pepper

Dressing

1 tbsp e.v.o.o
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup or raw honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Dice beetroot and pumpkin and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil, smoked paprika and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and spread in a baking tray. Place in the preheated oven (180) for 15 minutes or until cooked. In the mean time, tear kale leaves into bite sizes. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. To assemble the salad, place cooked beet, pumpkin and kale in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over salad mixture and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

Mushroom and Sunflower Seed Pate

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sunflower seed pateSunflower seeds are a good source of selenium which helps to control cell damage and prevent from cancer. Minerals such as magnesium and copper in sunflower seeds are beneficial for your skin and hair and bone health. A handful of sunflower seeds (about 30g) has more than half of the copper you need daily. They are also an excellent source of vitamin E that acts as antioxidants and helps to protect cell damage from free radicals. It is easy to add them into your breakfast cereal, salads, bread, muffin and soup. I made this vegetarian pate with sunflower seeds, which is a great snack or party finger food. Oh you can even add into your sandwiches or wraps. Lightly cooked mushrooms give a rich, smokey and earthy flavour. You can also replace mushrooms with roasted capsicum or sun-dried tomato or avocado for different flavours.

sunflower seed pate1Ingredients

100g sunflower seeds
200g button mushrooms
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp coconut amino sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
a squeeze of lemon
1 tsp Himalayan salt

Soak sunflower seeds for a couple of hours or overnight. Rinse and drain. Lightly toast in a pan over medium heat. Take it off the heat and set aside. Roughly chop mushrooms and cook with coconut amino sauce, garlic, cumin, thyme for 5 minutes or until cooked al dente. Put toasted seeds and mushroom mixture into your blender, add olive oil and lemon, and process until you get a desired pate consistency. Season as you go. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight so that the flavour can develop. Serve with raw veggies, bread, chips or crackers.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Cherry Pumpkin Almond Salad

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I cannot think of a better way to welcome in summer than this pretty colourful salad with sour cherries. It looks very Christmasy indeed. Holiday cooking can be so involved with ham, fruit cakes, pavlova, etc which would easily make you feel ten kilos heavier in a couple of days. Frankly, I would be just happy to have a few of my favorite salads accompanied by a chilled sangria, which I’m going to do this Christmas, yes! I think when it comes to create the best foods either salads, pizza or desserts, the rule of thumb is to make it simple, using a choice of a few ingredients. Well balanced flavours and texture makes a great dish without overdoing or over complicated. For example, this salad consists of sweet roasted pumpkin, sour cherries, salty creamy feta, bitter sweet spinach, crunchy nutty almonds and zingy balsamic. What not to love? You will have to try hard not to dance with your shoulders 🙂 Devour every bite of it x
cherry pumpkin almond saladIngredients (serves 2)

1 cup of sliced pumpkin
1 cup of pitted cherries
1 cup of spinach salad
a handful of toasted sliced almonds
30g feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic glaze

Place pumpkin on a baking tray and cook in the preheated oven (180) for 15 minutes or until cooked. Combine spinach, pumpkin, cherries, crumbled feta in a large bowl. Dress with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle toasted almonds and drizzle balsamic glaze before serve.cherry pumpkin almond

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian