All recipes | Vegie Smugglers

Archive for All recipes

June giveaway (and why I love bread)

June 16, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Ham/pork, Vegetarian · Tagged breakfast, brunch, competition, eggs, feeding the family, recipe

Wasn’t there a lot of pressure a while back to give up bread? I was still working in magazine-land at the time and naught a model nor stylist nor photographer would DARE have it pass their lips (but then joyously they discovered QUINOA and were saved from the evil rampaging of processed carbs).

Me? I’ve always loved bread and have never had issues with it. A warm crusty baguette is pretty much as good as life gets. Sourdough downright seduces me and I find it IMPOSSIBLE to walk through Townhall station without grabbing a Luneburger loaf.

In the burbs I’ve always been happy with Bakers Delight bread, particularly the cape seed and the hi-fibre, low-GI white, which is a great option for the kids. So when they got in touch and asked to team up I was more than happy. You can see my recipes on their website here…

In return, they’ve given me a bunch of prizes for my June giveaway. Up for grabs are two vouchers for $40 each and 5 kids merchandise packs which include a ruler, pencil case, pencils & lunch bag.

To enter you must be in Australia and you must be a Vegie Smugglers subscriber. Check out the Bakers Delight website and then comment below about which of their products is your favourite and what you like to do with it (stay nice!).

I’ll start… this is what I do with a slice of low-GI white…

Bread tart cases.

Easy egg tarts

Cut a big round of bread from a slice, push it into a greased muffin tin, spray with oil and grill until a bit golden. Then pop in some prosciutto and cherry tomato before cracking in an egg (in a smaller muffin hole, you won’t fit all the egg-white). Then bake until set to your liking and sprinkle over salt, pepper, parmesan and parsley.

And there you have it, a gorgeous, quite posh looking egg tart, done with the minimum of fuss. Your turn…

Entries close Sunday June 23 at 8pm, AEST. **COMP NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO VANESSA & JILL WHO WON THE VOUCHERS AND TO SUSIE, CAROLINE, DEB, JOANNE & ALLISON WHO WON THE MERCHANDISE PACKS.

Comments (53) »

A simple (gluten-free) mix and bake

June 13, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, The best way to smuggle..., Vegetarian · Tagged cooking techniques, feeding the family, Quick dinners, recipe, rice, vegetables, vegetarian, zucchini

Is there anything better than a dinner that gets mixed up in one bowl, then pressed into one tin and cooks in one oven? Perhaps only the addition of Bono, sitting up on the benchtop in his onesie, belting out a little acapella version of ‘One’ while I sip one wee glass of vino while I’m wearing my onesie. That’d be nice, if a little weird.

If you’re free Bono, pop over tonight and we’ll whip this zucchini slice up together.

Just one piece.

Zucchini & rice slice (Gluten free)

There’s no smuggling going on here really, since pretty much the whole dish IS vegies. Smuggling vegies within vegies…

2 zucchinis, grated
1 carrot, peeled, grated
4 spring onions, finely sliced
125g can corn kernels, drained
1 cup cooked rice (white or brown) – I always make extra rice whenever I’m cooking a stir-fry, so I can make stuff like this the next day
2-3 tbsp fresh chives and/or parsley, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (plus extra for the top)
1/2 cup mild feta, crumbled
4 eggs, lightly whisked

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a 20x30cm slice tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl, combine everything well. Press the mixture into the tin, top with a handful of grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes until set.

Serves 2 adults and 2 kids

________________

Like this recipe? Why not try out my Baked tuna & tomato rice.

Comments (18) »

Social media etiquette and a simple breakfast idea

June 10, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, News, Vegetarian · Tagged breakfast, feeding the family, ideas

Let’s keep in mind that we all love our kids and are all doing our best.

Last week’s Facebook battle was a bit of a doozy. I won’t lie – I didn’t walk away from it unscathed. There’s no need to rehash the topic but it did make me realise two things.

1. I need a formal social media etiquette policy.

I love debating stuff. Being forced to defend my stance does help to cement my reasoning. And sometimes one of you will present a fabulous argument that makes me change my mind. When people are too fixed to consider the alternative views then it’s not really a debate or discussion, it’s an argument. And for some reason, arguments on the Internet are vicious and full of personal attacks. And that’s not fun for anyone. Which is why I’ve written this policy…
___________________

When I comment on Vegie Smugglers pages, I will try to…
* Be real & genuine
Please treat my blog and Facebook page like the real world. Despite the fact I post under a blog name, I am a real person and I’m venturing online with the same spirit with which I approach my whole life. I’m connecting with people, talking to them, forming friendships and having interesting conversations.

* Be open minded
Enjoy chatting to people here who are different to your regular circle of friends. Share information; feel free to passionately state your case in a considered and rational way. Then read and discover the other opinions. Foster empathy and understanding of others.

* Admit mistakes & be thoughtful
So if you wouldn’t say something in real life, don’t say it on my page. And if you do say nasty stuff then shame on you, apologise! If you do it more than once then you’re not welcome here and will be banned.

* Have fun
Please enjoy the Vegie Smugglers pages. Enjoy sharing your opinions in considered and passionate ways. Help each other, make friends and learn something new.
___________________

2. Now, the other thing that last week’s discussion did was strengthen my resolve around this whole vegie-smuggling thing.

The more I work on my business, the more passionate I get about helping people make little changes that will improve their lives.

For me, food is the foundation of everything. Good food enriches your soul. It leads to good health, which leads to positive behaviours, enthusiasm and motivation for life.

Perhaps it sounds silly but I really believe that introducing new ingredients and finding new healthy meals that your family can enjoy together will improve your life. By making good food choices you’ll feel better about yourself, you’ll improve the health outcomes and behaviour of your children and create a positive environment. And your life will just be that bit more interesting.

Regular readers will know that I am not even nearly fanatical about anything. A bit of white flour, sugar and wine can enrich our souls too. But I will always discourage consistently lazy eating habits. Considering that childhood obesity is still increasing, I’m committed to doing whatever I can to help families make good choices.

Here’s an example of what I mean. You can buy sachets of quick oats in the supermarket. They’re expensive and the flavourings taste a bit weird, but they’re easy. How about instead, buy the plain box of quick oats. They only take 30 seconds longer to cook. Then sprinkle this powder over the top. The result is an aroma that will make you swoon, some sneaky nutrition and a little bit of magic to make you smile first thing in the day. From soulless to spectacular with the minimum of fuss.

Magic powder to make your day awesome.

Magic Morning Powder

1/2 cup LSA mix
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix together and sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons over your steaming hot porridge.

Thanks for stopping by.

Comments (36) »

Choc-chip & chickpea cookies

June 4, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats, Vegie smuggling techniques · Tagged feeding the family, lunchbox, parenting, recipe, treats

So here is the recipe for the biscuits that made Mr Meat&Potatoes cry.

The sight of these freshly baked goodies had him so excited that he was dancing with joy and then he spotted the chickpeas and came to an abrupt and dramatic halt. It was the moment when he realised that THERE ARE ALWAYS VEGETABLES IN HIS FOOD. Even the biscuits. The tears came. He cried to me, “But why mummy, WHY are there always vegetables in everything?”

After a bit of explaining about how I’m the vegie-smuggling lady, and that surprise nutrition is kind of an occupational hazard, he sucked it up and ate one. Then asked for another. Because they taste delicious.

And that’s the thing, see. Kids need to learn that healthy food is normal and part of every day. They need to accept that while it doesn’t always thrill them, they’ve got no choice so they may as well eat it. And if it tastes good, they’ll learn that healthy food is normal and yummy.

These are also the biscuits that make Mr VS fat. Or so he says (just quietly, it could be the beer, prolonged commuting and lack of exercise). But he can never eat less than three of these at a time. I manage to stop after two, so long as I know that there will be one more of them with my cup of tea after dinner.

Even better, they’re a tongue twister. Try saying ‘choc chip & chickpea cookies’ a few times, fast.

Good.

Choc chip and chickpea cookies

100g butter, softened
1 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
1 cup brown sugar (use 3/4 cup caster sugar instead if you want to give the cooked biscuits a longer shelf life)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
1 1/4 cups wholemeal plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup choc chips (I like the dark ones)
3/4 cup cooked chickpeas (I use tinned ones, just rinse and drain well)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line oven trays with baking paper (you’ll probably need 3 trays).

Use hand-held beaters or your mixmaster to cream the butter, oil and brown sugar together. Start with the butter, then combine in the oil, then add the sugar and whip for a couple of minutes until it’s lovely and creamy.

Add in the vanilla and egg. Beat well, then sift over the flour & baking powder. Fold it in (don’t worry, it seems like too much at first, but trust me it will combine in). Mix in the choc chips and chickpeas.

Use your hands (wet them slightly first) to roll ping pong-ball size quantities of mixture, press (& flatten slightly) onto the trays (allow a bit of room for spreading) and bake for 15 minutes until golden.

Makes 24ish good-sized biscuits.

________________________

Other biscuit recipes on Vegie Smugglers…

Anzac biscuits
Oat, sultana & sesame seed biscuits
Marmalade biscuits

Comments (26) »

Chunky vegetable & bean soup

June 2, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences, News, Vegetarian · Tagged cooking techniques, Quick dinners, recipe, soup, vegetables, vegetarian

So how am I going with the pressure cooker that Kambrook sent me? Well, it took a bit of courage to tackle but after some experimentation, I’m happy to report that I’m digging it.

The poor old slow cooker is gathering dust while I romance with its whizzy, fast cousin. They’re perfect for the same kind of dishes, but something that would cook for 8 hours in the slow cooker, is done in 20 minutes. Seriously. So while you do still have to do all the prep work (chopping, browning, sautéing etc), you’re not doing it at 8am when the smell of browning meat can be a little nauseating.

I rate it.

Here’s my first win – a vegetable and bean soup that borders on a stew. Always a sucker for a really chunky soup, I’ve kept the liquid minimal, but if you want it wetter, add an extra cup of stock.

Also, if you want to make this in the slow cooker, go ahead. I’ve not tested it myself, but think it would work using HIGH for 3-4 hours. (**If anyone wants to play recipe tester and let me know accurate timings, I’ll send you a free e-book of your choice.)

Soup + winter = cosy.

Chunky vegetable & bean soup (in the pressure cooker)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups sweet potato, peeled, cubed
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 zucchini, diced
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can four-bean mix, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup fresh herbs (any or all of – parsley, chives, basil, thyme)
2 cups beef stock
1 cup frozen peas

Baguette & grated cheese (optional)

Set the pressure cooker to ‘sauté’. Add the oil and heat before dropping in the onion, carrot and celery. Stir regularly for several minutes until all are starting to soften and onion is starting to turn golden.

Pop in the garlic and cook for a minute until everything is fragrant. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (except the peas). Combine well. Lock on the lid, bring to pressure and cook for 20 minutes.

Carefully release pressure, remove lid and toss in the peas.

As an optional extra, top with slices of baguette with the cheese melted on top.

Optional: Make dippers with baguette slices topped with melted cheese.

Serves 2 adults and 4 kids.

Comments (12) »

The best vegie-laden toddler food

May 28, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences · Tagged feeding the family, kids, recipe, toddlers, vegetables

Got one of those delightful little creatures between 18 months and 4? Ahhh, aren’t they great! So fiesty, so confident, so able to share their feelings in a considerate and thoughtful way. Or not. Perhaps your lovelies are more like mine, kind of complaining and crying a lot of the time, especially at dinnertime when apparently you are trying to feed them POISON. But no longer! Here’s some food that saved my sanity during their toddler years.

Seriously though, if you can find a few healthy things that they like to eat, you can sneak in some vegies and improve their nutrition. It’s amazing what a difference it can make to their behaviour.

Try the salmon pikelets (easy to hold and munch)

Sausage rolls.

Home made tinned spaghetti.

Salmon & zucchini bites.

Lamb & feta meatballs, with pasta.

Will your toddler eat these? I’m always keen to know what works in other people’s households. Make sure you get in touch and let me know.

Comments (30) »

Just like heaven, only not

May 26, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, News, Vegetarian · Tagged feeding the family, recipe, salad, vegetables

On paper, being a member of the VS household looks awesome. There’s the constant smorgasbord of tasty treats, my hilarious jokes and lots of ~~wine~~ good times – it must be great to live with me!

You’ll be surprised to hear that my kids would strongly disagree with the greatness of their situation. And on days when he’s feeling brave, Mr VS might too. You see, most days, I’m experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes. And results can be mixed. Rarely is there a disaster (there hasn’t been anything inedible for a while), but it can definitely take a few goes before I create a concoction that is truly delicious. Being helpful, my kids and Mr VS often give their input along the way. We’ll dissect the flavour profile of a meal and discuss in detail how successful it is. Luckily my skin is quite thick as their feedback can be brutal.

Finally though, I’ll crack a recipe, or cook something that hugely tickles their fancy. Success! Hurrah! But the joy is fleeting. No sooner has Mr VS declared, “Oh my god, this is so good, I could eat this every week”, than I’ve snapped a photo, posted the recipe and moved on to something else.

So here Mr VS is that coleslaw that you really, really, really liked, but probably will never get to eat again.

Just chopping, no cooking. Love.

Winter coleslaw

This is great with pork or chicken.

1 crispy red apple (royal gala is perfect), cored and thinly sliced
1/2 lemon
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 carrot, peeled, shredded or grated
2 sticks celery, finely sliced

Dressing
3 tbsp grape seed oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Put the apple into a medium-sized salad bowl. Squeeze the lemon over it and coat the apple well in the juice (to stop it browning).

Throw in the rest of the salad ingredients, combine the dressing ingredients in either a bowl or jug and pour over. Toss well.

Serves 2 adults and 3 kids as a side dish.

__________________________

Like this? Why not try my Crispy noodle & cabbage coleslaw.
Or, for something tangier, try this noodle salad. My kids adore both!

Want a pulled pork recipe to go with this? You’ll find one in my new e-book!

Comments (5) »

May giveaway time

May 23, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Food experiences, Ham/pork, News · Tagged cooking techniques, feeding the family, freezer, recipe, vegetables

Quinoa salad, made Mr M&P-friendly with SAUSAGE.

Forget the bowlo meat raffle – this month my giveaway PUTS IT TO SHAME. The Peppercorn Food Company are giving one Vegie Smugglers reader the chance to have the ultimate meat-fest with a prize pack crammed full of their sausages, rissoles and meatloaves.

They sent me a pack a few weeks back and it was good to remember that sometimes beef sausages taste like beef and pork ones taste like pork etc etc. I baked a beef meatloaf and we ate it sliced thin and cold on sandwiches, the pork one was cut up and chucked through fried rice. Some of the sausages were yummy on my quinoa salad (pic above, but I’m still tweaking the salad recipe) and the Italian ones were great in this sausage goulash. Don’t be scared of such a daggy sounding dish – it was a huge hit with the kids and anything that cooks in one pot is always a huge hit with me, too.

To enter, just comment below and let us know how you like to cook sausages for your family. Make sure you’re a Vegie Smugglers subscriber and also swing by the Peppercorn Food Facebook page (tell them I sent you).

Please note, that since the prize is perishable and needs careful refrigeration, the winner needs to lives in the Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth metro areas. Entries close 8pm AST, Sunday May 26. ***CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER DABECS! NICE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT A GREAT SAUSAGE & PASTA RECIPE. HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR MEGA MEAT TRAY!

Not too daggy for hungry kids.

Sausage goulash (no truly)

Usually in these saucy dishes, I’ll grate the carrot and zucchini, but I don’t recommend it here as it makes the texture a bit weird.

8 Peppercorn Food Italian sausages, thickly sliced (or if slicing raw sausage grosses you out, cook them whole and slice afterwards – takes longer but same result).
1 brown onion, diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
1 large carrot, peeled, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 button mushrooms, very finely diced
1 zucchini, finely diced (peeled first if your kids hate green bits)
1/2 red capsicum, finely diced
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
800g can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
Handful green beans, top & tailed & cut into 3cm lengths

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook, stirring regularly for 10 minutes or so until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Add in the onion, carrot and celery and saute for a few minutes, stirring regularly. Add in the garlic for another minute then also add the mushrooms, zucchini and capsicum. Cook the vegies, stirring constantly for another couple of minutes until they are all softening down nicely.

Scatter over the paprika. Stir and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Return the sausages to the pan then carefully pour over the tomatoes. Rinse out the can with about 1/4 cup of water and add that along with the sugar. Stir well. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat to low, cover and leave simmering away for about 5 minutes.

Remove the lid, add the beans. Taste and add pepper if you fancy it. Simmer for another couple of minutes then serve on pasta.

Serves 2 adults and 4 kids.

Comments (89) »

The world’s easiest side dish?

May 21, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Vegetarian, Vegie smuggling techniques · Tagged entertaining, rice, vegetables

Here’s a quick fix for those nights when you just want something easy and super-quick. Possibly you could make it in a saucepan, but WHY WOULD YOU when you can do it so effortlessly in a rice cooker. (I’ve seen these Kambrook ones online for under $20). I use mine at least twice a week and I adore the fact that you don’t have to think – just set it going and then get on with everything else that fills your early evening.

They’re also good for ‘entertaining’ (I love using that word – makes me feel very 1970s). It’s a simple way to feed a stack of people. Have it loaded and ready to go, and then just click it to cook when you’re ready. Although I will admit to drinking too much champagne one night and forgetting to even click it on. C’est la vie. Once I remembered it was ready in less than 20 minutes – just enough time to refresh everyone’s glasses and pass around the cabanossi on sticks.

Ta da!

Spanish rice

This makes a great side dish to baked chicken or fish or even kebabs from the BBQ.

2 cups long grain white rice
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (chicken is good, but vegie is great too)
400g can crushed tomatoes
1 red capsicum, finely diced
1 green capsicum, finely diced
400g can corn kernels, drained

Rinse and drain the rice in a sieve, then pop it into your cooker with the stock and tomatoes. Hit ‘cook’ and leave it until it switches to ‘keep warm’.

Quickly mix through the capsicum and corn then recover and leave on ‘warm’ for another 10 minutes or so, until you’re ready to serve.

Serves 2 adults and 4 kids as a side dish

Comments (8) »

Need some dinner inspiration for this week?

May 13, 2013 · Filed under All recipes · Tagged ideas, parenting

Struck dumb at the thought of another week of hungry mouths at dinnertime? Amazing how quickly Monday comes around and I’m left wondering, “What the hell am I going to feed everyone this week?” Which is weird, considering I’ve now published two cookbooks and three e-books on the topic and have around 200 recipes up my sleeve.

Still, being excited about making dinner EVERY SINGLE NIGHT is a battle for me too. Surely, SURELY, a night of air wouldn’t hurt while I have my feet up and my kindle (loaded with a crappy bodice-ripper) in hand? Alas no, pesky kids want actual food. So I’m trawling for meals that make me happy and inspired. Perhaps one of these will tickle your fancy this week too…