Category: Breakfast

Zucchini, Halloumi, Asparagus & Bean Fritters

Who doesn’t love a good fritter, it’s on every cafe brunch menu these days. Versatile and fairly cheap to make combining staple ingredients and using up whatever you have on hand. I had some asparagus needing to be used up along with a can of cannellini beans which gave it a soft creamy texture. Of course I added a heap of mixed herbs parsley, mint and basil for added flavour and health benefits.

Not only for brunch I eat these for lunch and dinner with a side of spinach and tomato salad, even add these to your kids lunch boxes, in a roll or wrap with some sweet chilli sauce or for those mornings a quick breaky on the run.

Eggs are are great source of protein for energy and helpful for maintaining muscles and their development. Eggs contains many B vitamins for healthy brain and nervous system functions while minerals such as iron and zinc are mostly entirely in the yolk so eating whole eggs is more beneficial.

Bring the cafe to home and try this super easy fritter recipe for yourself, try mixing it up with the addition of corn or broccoli, grated carrots or chickpeas.

Zucchini, Asparagus & Haloumi Fritters

Ingredients

5 eggs, whisked

2 large zucchinis

half bunch asparagus, finely chopped

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and lightly mashed with a fork

100g  halloumi

1/4 cup rice flour or plain flour

1/4 cup green onion sliced

handful basil, parsley and mint leaves thinly sliced

Salt & Pepper, chopped Chilli Optional

Directions

  1. In a large bowl place eggs and whisk until fluffy. Grate zucchini and halloumi into the bowl. Add flour, green onions, mashed beans, chopped herbs and salt and pepper and mix well
  2. Heat a  non stick frypan on medium to high heat, add 2 tablespoons of mixture to pan to make round fritters. Cook for 2-3 mins then flip over and cook for further 2-3 mins or until browned. Repeat until used all the fritter mixture
  3. Serve with a side spinach and tomato salad or smashed avocado salsa.

by Green Leaf Living

Baked Haloumi Mushrooms with Roasted Tomatoes, Beans & Basil Pesto

With limited visits to the grocery store these days, testing our skills to create meals with little ingredients we have on hand somedays can be challenging. I had one of those days, with only a couple of veggies in the fridge, some beans in the house and some homemade basil pesto I had made from my garden. Luckily with some Portobellos on hand, I came up with baked mushrooms.

This dish came out a treat so delicious with the basil pesto and the crispy yet soft centred cannellini beans added a lovely texture. Juicy roasted mushrooms and tomatoes, topped with the halloumi cheese which I happened to find but if you have no cheese it’s still perfectly delicious as it is.

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by Green Leaf Living

Italian Braised Beans With Tomato, Rosemary & Crispy Kale

Italian Braised Beans with Tomato, Rosemary & Crispy Kale on Toasted Sourdough

No doubt with the recent lockdowns happening all over the world, it is only natural to feel worried about the financial impact it may have on you and your family. Many having think more sensibly about what they buy and how to ration out groceries. Thinking of creative ways to utilize basic staples such as beans and pasta. I am also thinking how of ways to stretch the costs to ease some of your worries.

This recipe is cheap to make and can be eaten as breakfast, lunch or even a hardy dinner meal. I have used cannellini beans and chickpeas in this recipe however you can use whichever bean are in your pantry, such as butter bean, borlotti beans, or even four bean mix. This is a amped up version of your baked beans on toast with all the tasty Italian flavours of tomato, garlic & rosemary.

Serve it warm on some crusty bread with some toasted crispy kale (if budget allows) Top with a boiled or poached egg for a fulfilling breakfast. Filling for a jaffle sandwich for a quick lunch, or add it to some pasta for a satisfying dinner. Can be portioned and frozen in containers for a quick go to meal.

Braised Beans with Tomato, Rosemary & Crispy Kale

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

400g can cannellini beans (200g raw soaked overnight )

400g can chickpea (200g raw soaked overnight )

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 celery stalks, finely sliced

800g canned tomatoes (or fresh roma tomatoes chopped)

2 cups water (plus 1 cup for more soupy consistency)

3 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 tb dried

150g chopped kale (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Grated parmesan to taste

Directions

  1. Drain and rinse beans. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat.
  2. Add onions, garlic, celery and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add tomatoes, beans, water, rosemary, salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
  4. Cook for 50-60 mins. Meanwhile drizzle a little olive oil over chopped kale and massage into the kale. Lay on a lined baking tray and cook in a 160’C preheated oven for 10 mins until just crispy. Remove and set aside.
  5. Top with grated parmesan and kale.
  6. Serve on crusty bread such as sourdough or ciabatta, cooked pasta or as a bean soup just add 1 cup of extra water while cooking.

by Green Leaf Living

Zucchini & Corn Lunchbox Muffins

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This would have to be one of my all time favourite kids recipes that I make almost every week. Originally a zucchini slice recipe that my mother passed on to me when I had children, now I have shared this with so many of my friends and now you all.

My kids just love having them as individual size muffins. It’s easy for them to eat and makes for a perfect lunchbox size snack. Another way of hiding those pesky veggies in a way they will love with sweet corn, ham, eggs and cheese. They don’t last too long in my house so making a double batch is necessary for me if you want them to longer. Freezer friendly, wrap them in cling wrap and pack them frozen by lunch time they will be thawed just in time to eat. (more…)

by Green Leaf Living

Why you need to start making your own Strawberry Chia Jam at home

If you haven’t tried making your own jams before than you need to start. It is easier than you think, much more flavoursome and this recipe contains no added refined sugar so making it much better for you.

I’m an advocate of sugar free foods that is added refined sugars and only like to use natural sweeteners in small amounts where necessary. When making this strawberry chia jam I just let the juicy overripe strawberries be the star of the show. Adding some pure honey as a natural sweetener, though the real sweetness evolves when the strawberries are gently boiled and start to break down and soften.

Like most homemade products the quality starts from the produce. Look out for some good quality, ripe strawberries from your local fruit shop or farmers market usually on sale or quick sell stand are ideal. Adding chia seeds means you don’t need pectin which is the thickening agent used in most jams. Chia seeds absorb liquid when left to set and the added bonus is they are little balls of goodness. Chia seeds are full of protein, minerals and fibre they can be found in the health food isle in the supermarket or health food store.

Make sure to have sterilised jars handy to fill, let the jam set in the fridge until cool for a few hours at least and you will have juicy flavoursome fruit jam ready for your morning toast, afternoon scones or children’s sandwiches.

Homemade Strawberry Chia Jam

  • Servings: makes 2 large jars
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Recipe from Donna Hay

Ingredients

800g ripe strawberries, hulled and halved

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup maple syrup, honey or rice malt syrup

2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped

1 tablespoon white chia seeds

Directions

  1. Place the strawberries, lemon juice, water, maple syrup and vanilla beans and seeds in a medium saucepan over high heat.
  2. Cook for 15mins, stirring occasionally until strawberries are soft.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in chia seeds. Transfer to sterilised Jars and refrigerate until cool.

by Green Leaf Living

Pizza Scrolls

It’s a wet start to the Summer holidays and unfortunately it doesn’t look like its going to change anytime soon. The wet Summer storms may be more often than not over the Christmas break, at least the veggie patch will thrive with a good drink.

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It was prefect weather however for baking up some easy kids lunch treats seeing as they are home for nearly two months I will have to have the pantry and fridge packed to the rafters. My boys have bottomless pits as stomachs, they are always hungry so having healthy homemade snacks at home is a must or I hear the ever so repetitive nagging of “Mum I’m Hungry!” (more…)

by Green Leaf Living