Quick and Delicious Home-Made Hummus

This hummus is so delicious and so simple!!

Ingredients

1 x tin of chickpeas, drained

1/3 x cup of light unsweetened Greek yoghurt

1 x tsp ground cumin seed

1 x tsp grated lemon rind

1 x tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method

Put all ingredients into a food processor and BLEND!!  (until desired consistency)

Serve with vege sticks, on wraps, or as a delicious side to a yummy dinner!!

Pumpkin, Lentil, Rocket and Beef Salad

This recipe has been adapted from the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet:  Fast and Fresh Recipes, another one of my favourite healthy cookbooks!

Ingredients

1 kg pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

400 g extra lean beef steak

1 x 400 g tin of lentils, drained

2 large handfuls of rocket and baby spinach mix

1/4 spanish onion, sliced thinly

100 g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 kalamata olives

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and cracked pepper to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.  Spray a roasting tin with olive oil, toss the pumpkin pieces and roast for approximately 30 minutes, or until cooked through and starting to brown on the edges.  Set aside to cool slightly.

2.  Heat a chargrill plate or heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat.  Spray the steaks lightly with olive oil and then cook for 3 minutes each side for medium rare, or until cooked to your liking.  Remove from the heat and leave to rest, covered, for 5 minutes before slicing thickly.

3.  Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently to combine well.  Divide among bowls or plates then serve immediately. 

My Delicious, Super Versatile Tomato Sauce

My delicious and super versatile tomato sauce!

Ingredients

1 x brown onion, finely chopped

2 x large cloves of garlic, very finely chopped

1 x large zucchini, grated

1 x large carrot, grated

1 x tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 x 400 g tin of crushed tomatoes

15 (about) x salt-reduced kalamata olives

2 x tbsp sun-dried tomato strips in oil, drained and squashed in paper towels to get rid of as much oil as possible

2 x tsp dried basil

1 x tsp dried oregano

1/2 x tsp chicken stock (optional)

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Method

Place the grated carrot, zucchini, onion, garlic and olive oil in a large saucepan and heat, covered, over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and vegetables are cooked through and soft.

Add the tinned tomatoes, olives and semi-dried tomatoes and cook until heated through.

Remove from the heat and use a bar mix to puree the mixture.  Don't puree it too much, you still want it to have some texture.  If you don't have a bar mix you can put it into a food processor or just use it as is.

Put the mixture in the saucepan back on the stove and add the basil, oregano, stock, salt and pepper to taste.

Use the sauce however you desire!

Notes

This sauce is SUPER versatile.  Tonight I added a tin of drained brown lentils and made a lentil, mountain bread and ricotta lasagne.  

Other ideas include:  Using the sauce as a base for a bolognaise sauce.  Simply cook the mince and then stir in the sauce!

You can use the sauce as a topping for chicken breast with some parmesan cheese - as in a parmigiana. 

It can be used as a pizza sauce… Or, um, anything else you like and it is DELICIOUS!

The best thing about this sauce (and many others) is that the flavours develop over time, so if you make it the day before, it will be even more delicious!

A good tip is to make a lot at once, pop it into containers in the freezer and then you can just grab some out when you need it!

Enjoy! 

xx Bec