FROZEN MANGO & STRAWBERRY YOGHURT CUPS

These frozen yoghurt cups are the perfect summer snack - the kids will love them! 

Ingredients

1 large mango (or two small mangos)

300g of Greek, plain or vanilla yoghurt (my favourite is Chobani Greek yoghurt)

1 tablespoon of honey

approximately 4 large strawberries, thinly sliced

you will also need some (preferably reusable) plastic or paper cups and some paddle pop sticks

Method                                                                                          

Blend mango, yoghurt and honey until all ingredients have been blended to an even consistency.

Line the bottom and sides of the cup with the sliced strawberries (approximately one strawberry per cup).

Pour 100g of the mango/yoghurt mixture into each cup.

Place in the freezer until frozen (cover each with a piece of foil).

Tip

You can try any fruit and yoghurt blend! Next week I might try yoghurt, mashed banana and cinnamon.

Enjoy!

tuscan bread & bean soup

Last night I was given some Italian bread, which was leftover from a catering job. Most people wouldn’t be too excited with a gift of bread that would almost stale, however most people haven’t recently been to the Chianti region in Tuscany. If you haven’t figured it out yet, it was my husband and I that were lucky enough to spend a week in Tuscany earlier this year.

During our stay we spent some time in a small town called Greve. It was here where I was introduced to the traditional Tuscan bread and bean soup.

Last night this almost stale bread reminded me of a lovely night we had in Greve, where we were warmly welcomed by locals and carafes of house red. It was on this night that the Tuscan bread and bean soup caught my attention. A soup made with soggy bread, cabbage, a mix of veg and mushy beans – oh YUM! (Ok maybe this doesn’t sound too appealing for all of you)…

I have wanted to replicate this soup for such a long time, as I just loved the flavours and textures. I also have very fond memories of eating this soup and was excited to reminisce in my kitchen today.

To create my version of this mushy mix, I took some inspiration from a few different variations on the net and the memories and the one iphone photo that I have (below). I wasn't able to get any cabbage, so opted for kale instead. Although my version looks slightly more colourful with a different texture, it certainly tastes similar and just as delicious. 

The Tuscan bread & bean soup we enjoyed in Tuscany 

To make it more like the original just let it simmer on the stove top for longer so all of the ingredients just mush together!

Ingredients

2 tables spoons of extra virgin olive oil for cooking (and extra for drizzling when ready to serve)

2 medium carrots, diced

4 celery stalks, diced

2 onions, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

The leaves from 3 stems of kale, finely chopped (you can also use cabbage)

1 large can (400g) of cannellini beans

1 large can (400g) of kidney beans

1 large can (400g) of diced tomatoes

8 springs of thyme

2 bay leaves

6 cups of water

Approximately 3 cups of stale ciabatta bread (or another firm bread such as sour dough), diced into cubes

1 bunch of basil, leaves picked

Salt and pepper to season

Method

Heat olive oil over a medium heat.

Add carrots, celery and onion and cook for approximately 10 minutes, until tender.

Add garlic and stir through for approximately 1 minute.

Add kale, beans, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves and water then season with salt and pepper.

Reduce to a simmer and cover for 20-30 minutes.

Add 2 cups of the diced bread and most of the basil leaves (spare some to garnish) and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and thyme stems.

Serve in bowls and top with remaining diced bread, basil and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy with someone that you love!

Mediterranean vegetable & ricotta frittata

Finally, a new recipe on the blog!

Time has been very limited these days, which means my blog hasn’t been getting the attention it deserves AND my lovely followers haven’t had a new recipe for a little while.

Part of my time limitation has been due to my training for the Melbourne marathon. Unfortunately my training has been a little ineterrupted (just weeks out!) due to injury. This means that my HIGH carb eating days are few and far between and I have opted for lighter options such as this lovely Mediterranean Vegetable & Ricotta Frittata. This does not mean that I have been following a low carb diet – nor is this recommended.

My point is, carbohydrate requirements vary for each individual and even when we look at the carbohydrate requirements for one person, this varies from day-to-day depending on what they are up to. When I make recommendations for athletes, each day could be different depending on their stage of training and the type, intensity and duration of the training session.

Just another reason why blanket nutrition statements and ‘one size fits all’ approaches don’t work. Food and nutrition is complex.

All I wanted to do was point you in the direction of this new recipe, so here you go….ENJOY!

Three words to describe this recipe…simple, nutritious & delicious…

Please enjoy as a light meal served with salad or cut into smaller pieces for a filling snack.

Ingredients

1 small to medium sweet potato – sliced, making 1 cm thick circles

1 small zucchini, cut in half then cut into thick strips

1 red capsicum – cut into eights

½ an eggplant – cut into long, strips

1 cup of ricotta

½ cup of grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese

7 eggs

1/2 cup  chopped basil

1/2 cup of chopped parsley

 Method

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees.

Line a baking dish with baking paper, add vegetables, sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle enough olive oil for roasting.

Cook in the oven for approximately 40 minutes or until tender.

When vegetables are done whisk eggs in a bowl and add ricotta, cheese, basil, parsley and season with pepper.

Over a low heat, brush a 20cm x 20cm frying pan with some olive oil then line the bottom of the pan with the sweet potato, then spread the other vegetables evenly over the sweet potato.

Next, pour the egg, cheese and herb mixture evenly over the vegetables.

Cook over a low heat for approximately 10 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat a grill ready to cook the top of the frittata for approximately 3-5 minutes until the frittata is cooked through and starting to brown on top.

Once ready, knife around the edge to separate it from the pan and flip onto a plate.

To serve, cut it in quarters and add a teaspoon of your chutney/jam to the top of each piece – I like caramelised onion jam.

I like to serve this with a tomato, basil and rocket salad or grainy toast on an active day.

* For an alternative cooking method, place in an oven proof dish and cook for 20-30 minutes in an oven at 180 degrees. 

poached eggs with sweet potato and kale

Since returning home from our Italian escape (and yes I need to report back on that amazing foodie adventure) we have been thrown back into the hectic life we lead. My husband is back training and studying, while I have taken on a little more work in the sports nutrition world and have decided to run a little event we call the marathon. The thought of the marathon isn’t making me crazy just yet (or maybe I am crazy for contemplating it)?… I like to run for my daily exercise and running with my group on Tuesday and Thursday nights has become a nice habit and time to relax…

Again we need to make sure we are prepared. This has been working well, however the other Thursday night we were both home late and I didn’t have anything pre-prepared. I knew however that I could whip up something quick and healthy with some ingredients that I had in the house.

Now I believe these meals are often the best, and in this case we both thoroughly enjoyed what I came up with.

This meal can be served as a breakfast, lunch or dinner option and the quinoa could be replaced with any grain of choice (or leave that part out if you haven’t had an active day). This meal is gluten free for those requiring a gluten free diet, provides carbohydrate for refuelling and sustained energy and provides the benefits of the nutrient dense ingredients – sweet potato, kale, quinoa and olive oil (you will notice that I don’t use this sparingly).

Because I had just been running I wanted to ensure that I had enough protein for recovery. Two eggs gives you about 50% of your protein needs after training so I had a glass of milk after the meal to make up for the rest.

Here it is…

Ingredients (serves two)

 1/3 cup (60g) quinoa - or other grain of preference

 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small-medium (300g) sweet potato, cut into 1cm x 1 cm cubes

1 handful kale roughly chopped into strips

¼ cup water or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon chilli flakes (or more if you like it hot)!

 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

 ¼  teaspoon paprika

 ½ teaspoon cumim

 ½  teaspoon ground coriander seeds

 2 tablespoons fresh coriander or parsley

4 fresh eggs (the freshest you can find for perfect poaching)

 Method

1.    Start cooking quinoa (or grain of choice) and set to the side when ready.

2.    Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over a medium-high heat.

3.    Add sweet potato and sauté for about 3 minutes then add the chilli and garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes  or until almost tender, stirring frequently.

4.    Add paprika, cumin and ground coriander and stir through sweet potato for a couple of minutes.

5.    Add kale and water (or stock) and continue to stir frequently on low-medium heat for ~5 minutes or until the kale starts to shrink.

6.    Once the kale is tender add the quinoa to the pan, stir through and turn off the heat.

 Poaching the eggs

1.    Fill a small saucepan with about 2-3 inches of water from the kettle and add a pinch of salt.

2.    Bring water to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer.

3.    Crack an egg into a cup and gently pour it into the water. Do this for each egg.

4.    They should be ready in about 4 minutes for soft yolks or 5 minutes for firm yolks. When they are cooked to your liking, remove the eggs from the water and set on paper towel to soak up excess water.

To serve, divide the quinoa, sweet potato and kale mix between two bowls, top with the eggs, a little salt, cracked pepper and the fresh coriander or parsley.

Nutrition information (per serve): Kilojoules: 1978kJ (470cal) Protein: 22g Carbohydrate: 48g Fat: 20g Saturated fat: 5g Fibre:7g Sodium: 178mg