Michelle Koen » vegetables

Holy Broccaumoli

Michelle — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:26:59 +0000

Holy broccaumole, I've been busy. Between powerlifting training, freelance design clients, helping out with the new local chapter of ANB and organising the reprint of Healthy Helpings (nearly sold out!); I haven't had time to scratch myself. Dishes have been piling up around my computer and creative moments in the kitchen have been way too few and far between. This little gem of a dish emerged late one Friday evening, when I was faced with the last remaining items from the previous Saturday's farmers market. A slightly too ripe avocado and some tired looking broccoli. My friend Jude had told me how she likes to make broccoli mash with avocado stirred through and I'd been meaning to try it for while. As I blended the avocado into the puréed broccoli my mind started to wander 'south of the border, down Mexico way'. I rescued the last few sprinkles of some spring onions and red capsicum from a container in the fridge and a teensy squeeze of a once loved lemon. Darn, that was a nice way to end a week! That was 3 weeks ago. Since then I've left avocados to ripen too long by the time I've remembered to buy broccoli, or been out of broccoli when I've had a nice new avocado. Good things come to those who wait, and finally I've had time to get back in the kitchen. A few planned tweaks for a bit more colour, and some creamy, zingy result.

Broccaumole

200g of broccoli florets (about 1 large bunch, stalk removed) cut into bite-sized pieces
1 clove (½ tsp) garlic, finely chopped
½ avocado
½ lime, juice only (2-3 tsp)
¼ red onion, finely diced
¼ red capsicum, finely diced
½ long red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
salt to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Add the broccoli and once the water returns to a boil cook for 4 minutes, or until soft but still bright green.
Drain and rinse briefly under cold water. Place in a food processor along with the garlic and purée until mostly smooth.
Add the avocado and lime. Purée for until combined.
Stir through the onion, capsicum and chilli. Season with salt to taste.

Substitutes & Alternatives:

If you don't have food processor, a stick blender or potato masher could be used.

Preparation time: 11 minute(s) Cooking time: 4 minute(s)

Diet tags: Reduced carbohydrate, Gluten free

Number of servings (yield): 2

Calories: 124

Fat: 8.9

Carbs: 2.3g

Fibre: 5.5g

Protein: 5.8

Raw Carrot Salad with Sesame, Soy and Lime Dressing

Michelle — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:30:42 +0000

Summer's nearly here. Which means it's time for some fun salads. Continuing on with the Asian flavours, is this bright and crunchy carrot salad. Traditionally carrot salad is popular in many cultures, the most well know are those from the middle-east. However, this salad is a spin-off from an Asian noodle salad I used to cook back in my vegetarian days. As it is, it's raw/vegan, but you could add egg noodles, rice noodles or even low carb konnyaku noodles to this if you want to make it a bigger meal. I'm keeping a big tub of it in the fridge and using it in wraps or just grabbing it for a quick snack. The herbs may get a little soggy but I'll allow that because as the bright flavours of the dressing soaks through the crunchy carrot the flavours just become better and better.

Carrot Salad with Sesame, Soy and Lime Dressing

4-5 carrots, grated (to make 2 cups)
1 large (170g) red capsicum, shredded
200g (2 cups) snow peas, shredded
1 big handful mint, shredded
½ bunch coriander leaves

Dressing

4 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce (sugar-free optional)
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce (or Braggs Aminos/Tamari for soy/wheat-free)
1 Tbsp kecap manis
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sesame seeds

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
In a small bowl combine the dressing.
Toss the dressing through the salad.

Makes 4 large serves. Nutrition per serve (using sugar-free sweet chilli): 114 Calories 5.4g Fat, 0.9g Saturated, 0mg Cholesterol 2.9g Protein 10.7g Carbohydrates, 4.5g Fibre 914.2mg Sodium

Quick Snack: Tuna Stuffed Capsicum

Michelle — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:11:23 +0000

For snacks I'm all about food you can eat one-handed. After all I'm eating 5–6 times a day. Inspired by my previous post on spicing up your tuna, I whipped this one together.

Capsicum stuffed with creamy mustard tuna

1 small green capsicum
1 x 90g can tuna in spring water
1 tablespoon fat-free natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon (or to taste) hot English mustard
Jalapeno peppers (optional)

Cut the top off the capsicum and make a slit down one side. Remove the seeds and membrane.
In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stuff the mixture inside the capsicum.
Wrap in foil for easy transportation

Substitutes & Alternatives:

Choose any of the other tuna fillings from the 'spice up your tuna' article for a bit of variety. For a hot meal, roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Preparation time: 3 minute(s)

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate, High protein, Gluten free

Calories: 126

Fat: 1.5g

Protein: 21.6g

Squeaky-clean Bubble and Squeak

Michelle — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:38:39 +0000

Some recipes I come up with are things that have been simmering in the proverbial pot that is my mind for ages. Others, just take an aside from someone to get the ball rolling. Take for example my cauliflower pancakes inspired by Steph's cauliflower oatmeal or today's recipe inspired by Jude saying she was into mushy vegetables at the moment. This made me think of sprouts. Then when I was in the supermarket buying my frozen spinach the final piece to the puzzle clicked into place. Frozen Brussel sprouts. Horribly mushy when cooked on their own but the perfect base for low-carb bubble and squeak. These may have just been a twinkle in my minds eye if Beki hadn't probed me so hard.

2 onions, diced
1 500g bag frozen brussel sprouts
1 500g bag cauliflower
100g frozen peas (important for binding)
1/2 teaspoon smokey Spanish paprika
lots of salt and pepper
1 egg white

Preheat an oven to 200ºC
Place the onions, sprouts, cauliflower and peas in a microwave safe dish and cook using the frozen vegetable sensor mode (or about 8 minutes on med-high).
Thoroughly drain the vegetables and place in a food processor. Blend until almost smooth. A few chunky bits of pea and onion add texture.
Add the paprika and seasoning and taste. It should taste a little over-seasoned. Add the egg white and mix thoroughly.
Form into patties or quenelle with 2 dessertspoons and place on a flat baking tray lined with baking-paper. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and give a light spray with cooking spray and bake for a further 20 minutes.
These reheat beautifully in the oven or under the grill.

Stephen's notes: I like them. They'd be better if they were deep-fried though.

There’s more to life than broccoli

Michelle — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 04:52:24 +0000

More than 49 things to be precise. So many people who are dialing in their diet, whether it be for competion prep or just improved health stick to the same list of 3 or 4 green vegetables. I can even be found guilty of this myself. It's so easy to go to the vegie shop and just buy spinach, broccoli, green capsicums and mushrooms that sometimes we forget that there is a world of vegetables out there that are low-carbohydrates and high in fibre. To help make your shopping and eating more exciting I"ve compiled this list of 50 different vegies that are low in carbohydrates and mostly fibre:

Alfalfa Sprouts
Artichoke Hearts
Asparagus
Basil
Bamboo Shoots
Bean sprouts
Beetroot Greens
Bock Choy
Broccoli
Broccolini
Broccolili Rabe
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Capers
Capsicum (Green)
Cauliflower
Coriander
Celery
Chard
Chicory
Chilies
Chives
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Garlic
Gai Lam
Green Beans
Kale
Kan Kung
Leeks
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mint
Onion
Parsley
Rocket
Radicchio
Radishes
Rhubarb
Sauerkraut/kim-chee
Seaweed/Nori
Shallots
Snow Peas
Spinach
Spring onion
Water Chestnuts
Zucchini

Which of these vegetables do you use the most, and which of these do you have no idea how to cook with? Photo: Matvey Pesegoff'

Blerrrgh-free sprouts for Christmas

Michelle — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:42:39 +0000

My mum always said to try things I didn't like once a year. For many Christmases this meant trying brussel sprouts. Every year I confirmed my suspicion that they were mushy and bitter and not worth eating. All this changed when, mid-winter, I purchased some sprouts at the farmers market and munched on one raw. Crunchy like little baby cabbages, spicy like horseradish or wasabi. Entirely delicious and so far removed from what my Mum served ever Christmas. Could it just be a case of treating them gently? My quest for the perfect cooked sprout began. Being like a cabbage I suspected that they'd taste amazing cooked in bacon fat. Indeed they do. It is Christmas after all so go ahead and treat yourselves if you wish. For the rest of you, who are exercising a bit more moderation I still have an exciting and 'non-mushy' way to cook your sprouts.

500g brussel sprouts
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
a pinch, cayenne pepper
a big pinch, fine salt flakes
1-2 teaspoon butter
½ a lemon

Trim the bases off the sprouts. Remove any loose outer leaves and cut in half, lengthways.
Mix all the spices together and set aside.
Place the sprouts, cut sides down in a medium size fryingpan. Add ¼ cup of water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Place on the stove over a medium heat and cook until the water has evaporated and the flat sides have started to become golden. This should take about 5 minutes.
Add the spices to the pan. Toss the sprouts to coat and re-cover the pan for 1 minute. Increase the heat and add in the butte. Toss the sprouts in the butter until the butter becomes golden. Serve with a light squeeze of lemon.

Vegie Challenge: Pancakes

Michelle — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:03:35 +0000

You really can hide vegies ANYWHERE. Cauliflower is my favourite hidden vegetable because it tastes reasonably neutral and is great in both sweet and savory dishes. It also hasn't got any sort of colour to it so the kids won't spot it. Steph, gave me the idea for this one. While she was preparing for her last comp she was mixing cauliflower in with her oats and eggs. I suggested she made the mix into pancakes and the idea took off.

2 cups of cauliflower, cut up stems are fine to include (don't use FROZEN)
2 tablespoons coconut milk (optional)
2 scoops/60g pea protein*
a pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg**
3 egg whites**

Place the cauliflower in a saucepan with the coconut milk or equivilant water. Cover the saucepan and place over a medium heat to steam for 15-20 minutes or until very soft. Place the cauliflower in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add in the egg and egg white and whizz a little longer. Add in the pea protien, salt and baking powder and puree until smooth. Lightly grease a non-stick frying-pan/skillet and cook the mixture in 1/3 cup batches, flipping once the mixture has set. *Pea protien can be replaced with plain soy protien or your favourite (gluten free) flour such as wholemeal, amarenth or besan. **Or 2 whole eggs

Cauliflower coconut and apple ‘oatmeal’

Michelle — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:22:55 +0000

Cauliflower has become my new favourite breakfast vegetable. It works so well both sweet and savoury. I had leftover 'cauliflower mash' and woke thinking something warming was in order, but that I didn't need the carbs of quinoa or oats. The creaminess of the cauliflower and coconut paired perfectly with the slight crunch from the apple, while the egg whites made this a substantial feed. 1/2 cauliflower 1/4 cup light coconut milk 1 ts natural peanut butter 2 tb cashews 1 apple, grated 1 1/2c egg whites cinamon

Cook the cauliflower until soft (3-4mins in microwave).
Place in a blender with the coconut milk, nuts and nut butter and blend.
Stop at this point and you've got creamy rich mash.
Place the mixture in a small non-stick frying pan and stir in the egg whites and apple.
Continue to stir as if it where scrambled eggs until the egg whites are just cooked.
Sprinkle on the cinnamon and drizzle with maple syrup.

Image: Ian Britton

I don’t like veggies

Michelle — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:36:01 +0000

Anyone who knows me, knows that aint the truth, but I hear this all the time. Recently someone over in Lindy-land made this claim so here are a 10 quick solutions for the 'I don't like vegies crowd'. What about cauliflower 'mash potatoes"? Place 1 cup of cauli, 100ml lite coconut milk an d 1 ts almond meal in a saucepan. Cover and simmer for 15 mins. Place in a food processor/blender to puree How about stirfried bok choy, like you get in Chinatown? Saute lots of garlic add bok choy and 1/4 cup chicken stock Keep sauteing and add 1 tb oyster sauce (great with chicken) How about a veggie shake? Blend them into your shake with protein powder. Cauliflower, canned asparagus or pureed pumpkin are 3 good choices because they add body to the shake without heaps of flavour. Veggies at breakfast? Try this Mediterranean style omelet. Grated zucchini, garlic and capsicum sauted in a bit of olive oil then add eggs and fetta. Veggies for desert? Combine cooked pureed caulflower, egg whites, protein powder with a little water. Mix into a batter and you have thick, fluffy pancakes. Veggies as Pasta Use a veggie peeler to make vegie 'noodles'. Blanch them quickly in water and use instead of pasta in your spag bol Not your usual Sunday Roast Roasted fennel or brocolli provide you with an interesting take on old standards. Fennel is so cheap and in season and developes a mouthwatering caremelised egde when roasted. Brocolli becomes crispy and earthy and is perfect combination with a bit of paprika and lemon juice. Fennelslaw Grate fennel and celery and mix with yoghurt or fat free mayo to make a crunchy funky new version of coleslaw Add chilli, garlic or olive oil Try something new Artichoke hearts, fennel, asian greens, celeriac, jeruselum artichoke, witlof and endive are all cheap and in season Cook them differently or don't cook it at all. If you're used to stirfrying your snow peas carry them as a snack in your handbag along with some zucchini sticks. Poach or grill your asparagus in white wine and lemon juice. Roast your cauliflower. Cut your brocolli stalks into discs and toss through salads (taste like radish).