Vegetarian

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

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
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
Serve with a side spinach and tomato salad or smashed avocado salsa.

October 15, 2020 by Green Leaf Living

Spinach & Ricotta Zucchini Involtinis

Ricotta lovers this one’s for you!

Ricotta is one of my favourite soft cheeses and regularly used in Italian cooking. It’s soft smooth creamy consistency and mild flavour make is a perfect ingredient for pasta fillings, bread toppings, and in both savoury and sweet recipes.

Fresh is definitely best when it comes to buying ricotta, I highly recommend buying from a reputably Italian delis or supermarket that sells it fresh. If buying packaged you can find them cryovac sealed in a strainer for ultimate freshness.

This recipe though timely, is worth the extra effort. If you have made your own pre made sauce that will cut the time significantly. I know I say this a lot but it is true…like a lot of Italian home cooking, basic fresh ingredients cooked right make the most flavoursome meals.

I have opted to use thinly sliced zucchini ribbons to wrap the ricotta mixture in instead of traditional eggplant or pasta for a more nutritious carb free option.

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July 6, 2020 by Green Leaf Living

Classic Italian Pasta e Fagioli aka Pasta with Beans

Pasta e Fagioli or Pasta e Fasule, Pasta with beans as it translates is a traditional Italian homestyle soup that is belly warming, nourishing and tastes like a big warm hug from Nonna. My mother in law (Nonna) always makes homemade pasta with this dish. I use bought pasta most of the time you definitely can’t beat homemade though for a quicker alternative it’s still tastes quite similar.

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May 14, 2020May 14, 2020 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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April 28, 2020 by Green Leaf Living

Homemade Dumplings 3 ways

Since we have been in social Isolation for a few weeks now and the kids are still on school break, I have had a chance to make some recipes I usually wouldn’t get the time to make in the rush of normality. I know we are all getting a little bored not being able to get out in our familiar environment and the feeling of being stuck at home can be quite mentally challenging. I for one and like many have been using this time to get in the kitchen and cook more. It’s what I enjoy, a bit of distraction from the outside world it always has been my safe haven in times of stress. Focusing your mind solely into creating something especially from scratch is quite self satisfying, a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, the best part is you get to devour delicious food at the end of it.

Homemade bread has been most popular with everyone over the past week, all these closet bakers coming out from the wood works showing their baking skills with creating sourdough starters and step by step daily updates of the process. It is quite humbling to see really, how our lives have taken a step back to simpler times, appreciating the labour of love that is cooking.

Though bread is a wonderful staple recipe to conquer and you may have already ticked that one of the achievement list but have you ever tried making your own dumplings?

They are actually not that difficult at all to make, and quite versatile with the fillings to suit your tastes. I am sharing three different varieties with you a seafood version, meat version and a vegetarian/vegan version. Explaining step by step directions of how to assemble them.

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April 15, 2020 by Green Leaf Living

Charred Cauliflower & Corn Quinoa Salad

This salad would have to be one of my all time favourites. Inspired by a local Mexican restaurant I actually order this so much that I thought I’d try and replicate it at home. I have to say that it’s pretty darn close and actually very easy to make. Perfect for sharing on Mexican night, or as a fresh and crunchy vegan/vegetarian taco filling or topped onto some baked sweet potatoes.