Eggplant Lasagne (with killer cauliflower ‘cheese’ sauce!)

August 31, 2020August 11, 2021 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

I did not grow up in a family that ate lasagne much – but my husband did! It was my lovely mother-in-law’s go to dish!

He has missed it since we were married, so I’ve worked hard at making a dish that we both enjoy AND fits all of our dietary needs. This one is also a winner with the kids – and the left overs taste even better the next day!

Heads up – this is in no way a traditional lasagne, I’m not event pretending it is … in fact I have had friends tell me that I am not allowed to call it lasagne if it doesn’t have either pasta or cheese … sorry … I’m going do it anyway!!

**Check out below the main recipe to see how I make this one completely plant based**

This is a meal that takes a little more time and fiddling in the kitchen than I normally like, but the end result is worth it and it does make 10 large and very filling servings, so I’ll allow it!

1 tbsp garlic olive oil
1 small brown onion, diced (about 125g)
OPTIONAL: 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1kg beef mince
400g tin brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1 medium zucchini (about 1.5 cups chopped)
150g fresh spinach
200g button mushrooms
400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
70g tomato paste,
1 tsp dried oregano
salt to taste
Large egg plant (about 1kg)
spray olive oil
125g grated cheese (dairy or vegan)

For the Sauce:

1 large cauliflower (approx 900g-1kg), roughly cut up
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp dried garlic flakes
1 cup high protein almond milk (or soy or dairy milk if they suit you)
1 cup hot veggie stock
4 heaped tbsp nutritional yeast
Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add in the onion and garlic flakes. (Steam Temp, speed 1, set for 15 minutes)

Then add in the cauliflower and stir well to coat in the oil. (Turn up to speed 2)

Add in the milk and stock and cover, allowing to come to a gently simmer. (Leave in Steam temp, speed 2 with the m/c off)

Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and you can easily pierce it with a fork.

Add in the nutritional yeast and then use an immersion blender to mix until smooth – you can transfer to a blender if you need to but be VERY careful! (Start by turning off the temperature function and gradually build to speed 8 until very smooth).

Taste the sauce and add a little salt to taste (dairy cheese is quite salty and when you remove it you need to add in a little salt to help with flavour). Set the sauce aside.

Onto the meat mix:

Start by creating the veggie mix you’ll stir in to the meat.

In your food processor or thermo cooker, add in the zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, kidney beans and tomato paste, then blitz until quite fine. (Speed 6, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat until you get your desired consistency). Set aside.

In a large frying pan heat the olive oil then add in the diced onion and cook, stirring until translucent.

Add in the beef mince and herbs/spices. Break it up well and when it has roughly browned, add in the lentils and mix well.

Now add in the whole processed veggie mix to the meat mix and stir very well.

Bring to a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes.

Now the egg plant while the meat is simmering:

Slice finely. Lay on a baking tray, spray with a little olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and place under the grill in your oven.

Once the top side is golden brown (it only takes a few minutes), turn over and cook the other side.

The remove from the oven and set aside.

Now build the layers:

Lightly grease a large baking dish (I actually use 2 – awesome for freezing one too!)

Layer half of the meat mix into the bottom, then lay down half of the egg plant, then half of the cheese sauce and then repeat.

Then sprinkle either dairy or vegan grated cheese over the top.

Pop into the preheated 180C oven (fair warning …. you’re best to place it on a baking tray to catch any drips or bubbling sauce!) for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling – a quick minute under a grill at the end really helps to give you golden cheese, especially if you are using a plant based cheese.

Slice and serve…. and Enjoy!

**If you want to make this meal completely plant based: I use my lentil bolognese recipe but I omit the pasata (other wise there is too much liquid)**

*Of course, if you just want dairy free but you still love your pasta, then go ahead and use whichever lovely, fresh sheets suit you.

*And if you are not an eggplant fan but you still need a Gluten Free option, then I have used both of these Orgran and San Remo Lasagne sheets in the past.

If Macros are important to you here are the details for 1 serve – that is 1/10th of the meat based meal (I have kept the cauliflower ‘cheese’ sauce separate as I know people like to use it in other dishes!). You will just need to additionally factor in whichever cheese you use on top.

Simple Pumpkin Soup

August 10, 2020August 9, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Hooray for soup weather!

This is a soup-er simple meal, really inexpensive and delicious. A pretty mild soup, so it is very kid friendly too.

400g Cauliflower (1 medium size), roughly chopped
1.2kg Butternut pumpkin roughly chopped
1/2 small brown onion (about 60g), diced
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
2 tbsp veggie stock paste
10 cups boiling water
225g cream cheese (*dairy, soy or nut based – you can even use a light silken tofu here)

If you don’t have stock paste you can use 3 cups liquid stock and then only 7 cups water.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan then add in the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and golden.

Add in the cauliflower and pumpkin plus the stock paste and stir well. Cook down for about 3 minutes then add in the boiling water.

Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are very soft. *If you need a quicker cooking time you can give the veggies a quick blitz in your food processor first.

Remove from the heat and add in the cream cheese. Use an immersion blender to blend until the soup is very smooth. If you are using a blender/thermo cooker/bullet machine to blend – BE VERY CAREFUL! Allow it to cool quite a bit first and then do small batches.

I love to serve mine topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and pine nuts (switch hemp seeds for nut free) …. Just pop the seeds in a hot, dry frying pan and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until they are golden brown. Sprinkle on the soup and if you want a little extra kick … sprinkle on a little pinch of chilli flakes!

Serves 12.

If Macros are important to you, here they are for 1 serve (roughly 2 ladles of soup) , worked out for the dairy based cream cheese – not including the seed topping.

This will last several days in the fridge, or it freezes and defrosts well.

Enjoy 🙂

Chicken, Broccoli & Quinoa Patties

August 5, 2020August 4, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

You already know that I like easy food!

Well, these are easy, have only a few ingredients, freeze well, pack in a heap of good stuff to stretch the meat further aaaaand… they’re delicious!

Plus I kind of feel like they’re a complete meal in one. Protein, veg and grain … All right there! Which means that if I’m in a hurry and grab a couple of these from the freezer, I’ve got everything I need for a balanced meal. Winning 👌

4 medium chicken thighs (about 485g), skinless and boneless
200g broccoli
1/2 cup tricoloured quinoa (110g)
1 tbsp coconut aminos
1/4 cup (15g) Nutritional yeast
1 birdseye chilli or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (you can skip the chilli if you’re not a fan!)

Start by bringing a small saucepan of water to the boil and cooking the quinoa. Rinse it well first, then it should take about 15 mins. Drain it, rinse it again and set aside.

Wash the broccoli well and shake dry (too much water and your patties will be soggy). Break into chunks and add to your food processor. Process until fine (Speed 4, 8 seconds, scrape down then Speed 5 for 5 seconds).

Whilst still processing (speed 4), add the nutritional yeast and chicken through the top chute and process until it is finely chopped and well combined. (Up to Speed 5 for 8 seconds once it is all added)

Continue processing (Speed 4) and add in the chilli and coconut aminos.

Add add in the (very well drained) quinoa and process until it is evenly combined.

Scrape mixture into a bowl, cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours, or up to over night. I usually make the mix in the morning before work and then form the patties in the afternoon.

Use tablespoons of mixture to form patties with slightly oiled hands and place them on a lined baking tray.

Spray with a little olive oil, then place into a 200C oven for about 20 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through (you can use a thermometer to check that the centre has reached 75C) and golden.

Makes 12. These freeze and defrost well – use a little kitchen paper to absorb excess moisture when defrosting and reheating.

Serve warm with extra veggies, and an extra drizzle of coconut amino sauce – or use them the next time your build your own burgers!

Enjoy

If macros are important to you – here are the details per patty (1 /12th of the recipe):

Enjoy

Lamb Koftas

July 25, 2020December 29, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

We don’t heat a huge amount of red meat, but a few months back, my biggest boy was reading and the characters in the book described the Lamb Koftas they were eating.

Will had never heard of them before so he asked me about them and then asked me to make them.

They were very simple to make and a winner of a meal with 6 empty plates, so they have been added to the menu and we hope you like them as much as we do!

500g lamb mince
120g chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 small brown onion
2-3 clove cloves garlic
1 tsp tahini
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 medium carrot
1 large handful spinach
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp dried paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2-1 tsp dried chilli flakes (depending on the amount of bite you like)
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
good pinch salt

Optional: Dressing of Minted yoghurt (see below the recipe) and crunch of toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds

Into your food processor/thermo cooker, place the onion, garlic, chick peas, lemon, seeds, tahini, carrot, spinach and all of the herbs and spices.

Process until they are finely chopped (Speed 4, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat)

While the machine is still processing, add in the lamb in through the top opening and process until the mixture is very well combined and quite smooth.

Place the mixture into a bowl, cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour (over night is fine). This will help the mixture to hold together without egg as a binder.

Divide the mixture into 12 and form in to small fat sausage shapes.

Place on a lined baking tray, spray or brush with a little olive oil and bake at 180C for about 40 minutes, turning them over after 30 minutes.

We like to serve ours with ribbons of carrot and cucumber.

We also used minted yoghurt as a dressing (you can used which ever kind of unflavoured yoghurt fits your dietary needs). About 4 tbsp mixed with 2 tsp of finely torn fresh mint.

Top with toasted pine nuts (or pumpkin seeds).

If Macros are important to you here are the details. Each serve is 1 kofta (that is 1/12 of the mix)

Enjoy 🙂

Crunchy Crumbles

July 16, 2020July 6, 2021 ~ desertcook ~ 2 Comments

These super speedy little bites are just slight sweet and deliciously crunchy.

They add great fats and proteins as well as some extra fibre and texture to yoghurt.

Add them to plain rolled or soaked oats too.

2 heaped tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 heaped tbsp hemp seeds
2 tsp honey OR maple syrup

Place seeds in a hot frying pan.

Dry fry the seeds, stirring regularly until they start to brown … Watch carefully, it won’t take long!

Add in the honey and stir until all the seed are well coated.

Fry until the seeds are golden brown (only another minute or so).

Remove from frying pan and spread out on a plate (don’t use kitchen paper or they stick!)

Place plate in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until they have cooled.

Then break up and sprinkle on.

Keep the leftover crumbles in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.

This recipe has been included by Twinkl among their top picks for Healthy Lite Bites for Quick Snacking

If macros are important to you, here are the details for 1/4 of the mix.

Berry Fruit Compote

June 12, 2020June 5, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

So simple to make. Quick and delicious … and you can adapt it to whatever fruits you have lying around.

1 cups frozen berries*
1 medium apple or pear, finely diced
Lemon peel (peel into strips for easy removal)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Optional: 1-2 tsp maple syrup

*if you are using fresh berries and not frozen, you’ll need to add a little splash of water when you first start cooking.

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and turn on to a low heat.

Stir regularly until the juices from the berries release.

Allow the mix to come to a simmer and then leave to a very gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave the saucepan partially covered with the lid to stop it splattering!

It is ready when you can very easily slide a fork through the apple and the juices in the pan are becoming thick and sticky.

Remove the lemon peel and if you want a smoother compote, use a potato masher to crush down the fruit.

Thermo Cooking instructions:

Place all ingredients into a bowl and turn on to Speed 2, 100C. For about 10-12 minutes.

Remove the lemon peel. If you want smoother compote, turn off heating, increase speed to 4, in 5 second bursts until you are happy with the texture, scraping down the sides as required.

—–

Serve warm on cakes, scones or pancakes, or allow to cool and serve with yoghurt, custard or ice cream … or just eat it on it’s own!!

Enjoy 🙂

Oaty Seed Bikkies

June 9, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ 1 Comment

These lovely bikkies are like a cross between an ANZAC and a muesli biscuit.

Just sweet enough to satisfy my husband’s sweet tooth, super easy to whip up plus they’re lunchbox and allergy friendly!

1 cups rolled oats
1 cup plain flour (GF flour, spelt, wheat – all work)
1 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sultanas*
125g melted butter or oil (coconut oil and melted vegan butter work well)
70g golden syrup/honey/maple syrup

*Chopped Dates, or dried apple, or apricots work well too

**For a Coeliac friendly version: you can replace the oats with a mix of rolled quinoa, puffed rice and shredded coconut.

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. (Speed 4, 10 seconds). Then set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan (or microwave), melt together the oi/butter and syrup. (Speed 2, 100C for approx 2 mins)

Add the wet mix to the dry mix and combine well (Speed 4, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat).

On a greased baking tray place heaped teaspoon-fulls of the mixture and flatten down slightly.

Cook in a preheated oven at 170C for about 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

When you remove them from the oven they will be fairly soft. They will harden as they cool. Leave them on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 20 – store in an airtight container for up to a week.

20200609_212848 — And watch out for the bikkie thief ….

Enjoy 🙂

Zucchini cake

June 5, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Such a deliciously light and moist cake …. so good for afternoon tea, picnic and even in lunchboxes.

Approx 200g (combined) grated zucchini and carrot (roughly half a medium zucchini and 1 medium carrot).
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup honey/maple/golden syrup
2 eggs / 2 flax eggs / 2 tsp egg replacer whipped with 4 tbsp water
1/2 cup milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup chopped nuts or seeds (hemp seeds or walnuts go really well)
1 tsp mixed spice
1 3/4 cups plain flour (we do half wholemeal)**
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
Optional extra: Top with choc chips of choice

** To make this one coeliac friendly, replace with a plain GF flour, 1.5 cups and 1 tsp of psyllium husk.

Start by grating the veg. After squeezing the moisture out of the grated zucchini you should have about 120g, and another 80g from the carrot. *If you are grating in a food processor or thermo cooker, you will need to take the zucchini out, tip out the liquid in the bottom, then squeeze the zucchini before adding it back in to the bowl.

Add all of the wet ingredients into a bowl and stir well to combine (speed 4, 6 secs).

Add in the baking powder, flour and mixed spice. Fold through gently until the flour is just combined. (Speed 3, 10 seconds)

Then add in the chopped nuts or seeds and fold through until evenly combined. (Speed 3, 8-10 seconds) Do not beat the mix.

Pour into a greased/lined loaf tin and place into a preheated 160C oven.

Sprinkle the top with some choc chips if you like (only half of family do!)

Bake for approximately 60minutes or until golden, well risen and a skewer comes out clean. Remember that if you are cooking with GF flour or without egg then you won’t get quite the same rise.

Allow to rest in the tin for about 15 minutes before removing to an airing rack and allowing to cool.

Slice and serve, warm or cold. A spread of butter on your slice is delicious too.

Slice before freezing any left overs and wrap so it is airtight.

20200601_164452 — Picnic time – this one with Sweet William White Chips

Enjoy 🙂

Basic Beef Burgers

April 26, 2020April 26, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Burgers aren’t a very frequent meal in our house. I’m not sure why. Peter and the kids adore them and serving themselves makes for a very happy family meal.

It’s been several weeks in isolation now, and our local supermarket is still very low on many things (totally empty shelves in many aisles) so our grocery shopping and planning has looked a little different. We’ve needed to be a little more creative and adaptive with what we can access – that’s ok by me!!

When my biggest boys asked for Cheeseburgers, we went back to the style of burger patties that we haven’t made in a long time. Very simple, quick to make and not many ingredients. Devoured by everyone. Winning.

500g beef mince
1 large carrot
1 medium brown onion
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme (or dried Italian Style herbs)
4 tbsp Nutritional Yeast*
1 clove garlic, finely grated (or 1/2 tsp dried garlic flakes)
ground salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
Optional: 2 tbsp hemp seeds

*You can add in 2 tbsp of suitable breadcrumbs here if you’d prefer.

Grate the onion and carrot and mix together with all other ingredients, except the beef.

Break up the beef mince and add to the carrot mix.

Smoosh (yes, that’s the technical term!) the mince in until well combined. You can do this with a spoon, your hands, or even a short burst in the food processor.

Using your hands, for the mix into patties and lay on a lined baking tray.

Place into a preheated 180 oven for about 30 minutes, turning them over after 20 minutes. You can also fry them in a pan with a little olive oil if you’d prefer.

Makes 6-8 burger patties (depending on their size)

We like to have this as a ‘serve yourself meal’. Some add only cheese and cucumber, others add EVERYTHING!

They are delicious in a bunless burger ….

Or with your favourite bun – We particularly enjoy them with fresh spelt/hemp buns!!!

Enjoy 🙂

Enoki Miso Soup … Cheating style!

February 8, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

So … I’m clearly not of Asian descent and I certainly did not grow up eating Miso in any form!

As such, I make absolutely NO claim to this being an even vaguely authentic (or even correct?!) way to make Miso soup 😆

However, it was delicious, easy, comforting and nutritious so I’m running with it!

Actually, if I’m honest, the first time it wasn’t quite as delicious … I waaaay overdid the chilli and I couldn’t feel my lips 😬 that is fixed now!

If you haven’t used Miso before, it is a rich, fermented soy bean paste with a deep savoury or umami flavour. It is also thought to be a great gut health food, being rich in fibre and high in protein and antioxidants. You can find it in big supermarkets, Asian grocery stores and health food shops.

To make the soup you’ll need:

1 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
70g white miso paste
1 heaped tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1/4 tsp dehydrated chilli flakes (check their heat!)
250g Enoki mushrooms (cut their gritty ends off before you weigh them)
4 cups hot veggie stock
6 cups hot water
A good handful of diced sugar snap peas, snow peas or green beans per serve

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil, then add in the miso paste, ginger, aminos and chilli.

Cook, stirring for a few minutes until well combined and fragrant.

Add in the mushrooms and stir them through the miso mix so they are well coated. Cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add in the stock and water then stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.

Place your fresh, chopped peas or beans in a bowl and top with the very hot soup.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

I freeze the leftovers of the soup for lunches, but I don’t add the peas or beans to the freezer – they keep their crunch best when you add them in fresh.

Enjoy 🙂