Vegetable stir-fry with miso

THIS STIR-FRY IS REALLY VERSATILE AND I COOK IT OFTEN. IT CAN BE SERVED ALONGSIDE GRILLED MEAT OR SEAFOOD OR ANY OTHER ASIAN-INSPIRED DISH. IT ALSO WORKS AS A QUICK LIGHT LUNCH IF YOU ADD SOME TOFU OR A LITTLE CHICKEN.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the choy sum stalks, onion, capsicum, carrot and ginger and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Add the choy sum leaves, garlic, miso paste and soy sauce and stir-fry for a further 2–3 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Serve straight away.

Serves 2

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 bunch choy sum, cut into 3 cm lengths

1 onion, cut into wedges

1 red capsicum, finely sliced

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

4 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons white miso paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

I don’t have a lot of rice in my diet because – like bread, pasta and potatoes – it has a high GI and not a great deal of nutrients, so it is not the ideal food to fill up on. If I cook a stir-fry, I’m generally satisfied with just the stir-fry – and perhaps have some protein such as meat or tofu on the side. I do cook rice, such as jasmine or basmati rice, if I’m having people over for dinner and cooking Asian, but if it’s just me – there’s not a chance.

If you do eat rice with a stir-fry, make sure that the rice is the smallest portion in your bowl – and if you can, eat brown rice, which has far more fibre, and vitamins and minerals.

Zucchini Napoletana salad

IN THIS DISH THE ZUCCHINI IS PEELED INTO RIBBONS AND REPLACES WHAT WOULD USUALLY BE PASTA SUCH AS FETTUCCINE. SO, THE DISH IS FULL OF RAW GOODNESS. THE ZUCCHINI IS MIXED WITH TOMATO SAUCE, AND IF YOU CAN HAVE THAT MADE IN ADVANCE, THEN THE SALAD IS SUPER QUICK TO MAKE AND IS A GREAT SIDE DISH FOR SUMMER.

Combine the zucchini, tomato sauce, tomatoes, brazil nuts and basil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 6

10 small–medium zucchini, peeled into fine ribbons with a vegetable peeler

500 ml Tomato Sauce

4 tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup brazil nuts, finely chopped

12 basil leaves, torn

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

The colours of fruits and vegetables are keys to the nutrients they have inside, so eating from all the colour groups ensures you are getting a good range, particularly when it comes to antioxidants. Fruit and vegetables in the red group include tomatoes, strawberries and watermelon; the orange and yellow group includes carrots, pumpkin and apricots; the green group includes spinach, cucumber and kiwi fruit; the blue and purple group includes eggplant and blueberries; and the white group includes cauliflower, onions and garlic.

Parsnip mash

PARSNIP MASH ALLOWS YOU TO ENJOY THE COMFORT FOOD THAT IS MASH, WITH LESS CARBOHYDRATES THAN YOU WOULD FIND WITH POTATOES AND MORE FIBRE. PARSNIPS ARE ALSO HIGH IN POTASSIUM AND VITAMIN C. THEIR EARTHY, SWEET FLAVOUR IS A WELCOME CHANGE IN MASH AND WORKS WELL WITH MANY DISHES.

Place the parsnips, stock and pepper in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30–45 minutes, until the parsnips are tender and there is only a little stock remaining. Add the cream and use a potato masher to mash the parsnips until smooth, then serve straight away.

Serves 8

10 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped

1 litre Chicken Stock

pinch of ground white pepper

1 tablespoon cream

White-bean puree

BEANS ARE A GREAT SOURCE OF PROTEIN AND FIBRE, AND THE CARBOHYDRATE THEY CONTAIN IS LOW IN GI. SO, THIS PUREE ALLOWS YOU TO FILL YOURSELF UP ON A MORE NUTRITIOUS ALTERNATIVE TO POTATO MASH. THE BEANS ABSORB THE DELICIOUS FLAVOURS OF THE HOMEMADE STOCK, AND THE PUREE IS DELICIOUS SERVED WITH MEAT DISHES SUCH AS LAMB STEW WITH GREMOLATA. I FIND THAT SOAKING AND COOKING YOUR OWN DRIED BEANS GIVES A SUPERIOR FLAVOUR TO TINNED BEANS. THEY ALSO HAVE NO ADDED SALT OR PRESERVATIVES.

Soak the cannellini beans in the water overnight or for at least 2 hours. Drain and place the beans in a large saucepan. Add the stock, then slowly bring the beans to the boil. As soon as it starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer slowly. Check the beans as they cook to make sure they have enough stock to cover. Add water if necessary. The beans should be cooked in 1–2 hours. When cooked, place the beans, garlic, juice and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

1 cup dried cannellini beans, rinsed

750 ml water

750 ml chicken, beef or vegetable stock

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Lentils du Puy

THIS DISH JUST ROCKS. IT’S A REALLY TASTY, EARTHY ACCOMPANIMENT TO CHICKEN OR FISH.

Rinse and drain the lentils. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and onion and cook until soft. Add the lentils, parsley and water, bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4

1 cup small green Puy lentils

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, finely chopped

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

750 ml water

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Lentils are one of the highest fibre foods, as well as being high in protein and packed with vitamins and minerals such as folate, iron and manganese. Due to their soluble fibre content, lentils can help lower LDL cholesterol and keep blood sugar in control.

Green-envy vegetables

THIS IS LIKE A GREEN RATATOUILLE, AND IS INCREDIBLY EASY TO MAKE – YOU JUST THROW IT ALL IN THE OVEN TO BAKE. IT GOES FANTASTICALLY WITH GRILLED FISH OR CHICKEN, WHICH YOU CAN COOK WHILE THE VEGETABLES ARE IN THE OVEN.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine the vegetables, garlic, sage and thyme on a large baking tray. Drizzle on the oil and season with salt and pepper, then toss lightly. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the parmesan and parsley and serve.

Serves 6

6 zucchini, chopped

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

½ bunch celery, trimmed and sliced 1 cm thick

1 leek, sliced

1 large yellow capsicum, finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 tablespoon chopped sage

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

2 teaspoons olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

75 g parmesan, grated

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn

I think it’s important to eat as much natural food as possible, and to connect with where your food comes from whenever you can. Generally speaking – because of the way we shop in supermarkets – most people have become disconnected from how things are grown, harvested and made. But if you watched how some foods were put together from synthetic flavours and exuded from machines, you would never eat them!

A RETURN TO THE PAST

I THINK IT’S GREAT THAT PEOPLE TODAY ARE VENTURING BACK INTO THE KITCHEN AND PREPARING THEIR OWN MEALS, AS THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN KNOW EXACTLY WHAT GOES INTO THE FOOD WE EAT. PREPARING FOOD WITH YOUR FAMILY CAN ALSO BE A FOCAL POINT IN YOUR HOME, AND A WAY THAT FAMILIES CAN EXPLORE AND ENGAGE WITH EACH OTHER. IT’S HOW I STARTED TAKING AN INTEREST IN FOOD AND COOKING, WITH MY MUM AND NAN.

Quinoa with silverbeet

QUINOA IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO RICE, COUSCOUS AND OTHER GRAINS (IT IS ACTUALLY A SEED, BUT IT COOKS LIKE A GRAIN). DON’T BE AFRAID OF FUNNY LOOKING THINGS IN PACKETS ON YOUR SUPERMARKET SHELVES!

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and onion and fry for 2–3 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and stir to coat in the oil. Add the stock, lemon zest and juice and sage leaves, then cover with the lid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the silverbeet stems and leaves and the brazil nuts, then cook for a further 5 minutes – the silverbeet stems should still be a little crunchy. Serve garnished with the parsley.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek, chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups quinoa, rinsed

1 litre Vegetable Stock

1 lemon, zested, and juiced to give 1 tablespoon juice

4 sage leaves

1 bunch silverbeet, stems cut into 1 cm slices, leaves cut into 5 cm lengths

¼ cup brazil nuts, chopped

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves

Silverbeet is a great source of folate, iron, fibre and vitamins A and C. When shopping for it, choose bunches with unblemished, crisp leaves, and stalks that are stiff, as this means they are fresh. When you get home, remove the string or elastic band that holds the stems together and store the silverbeet in the crisper of your fridge in a plastic bag.

Braised celery hearts with bacon

CELERY IS NOT OFTEN SERVED AS A FEATURE, BUT WHY NOT? IT IS DELICIOUS AND I FIND THIS IS A GREAT DISH FOR PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THEY DON’T LIKE VEGETABLES, BECAUSE THE BACON, ONION, LEMON ZEST AND HERBS ADD A WONDERFUL DEPTH OF FLAVOUR. IT IS FANTASTIC SERVED WITH LAMB OR BEEF.

Remove any old outer stalks from the bunches of celery, and cut a thin slice from each base if they are brown. Trim the tops to give you 2 celery bulbs of around 15 cm. Set the tops aside for another recipe. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the strings from the outer celery stalks. Cut each bulb in half lengthwise through the base.

Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery halves and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side, until starting to colour. Transfer to a plate.

Add the oil to the pan, followed by the bacon, carrot, onion and thyme and fry for 3–5 minutes, or until the bacon is golden. Return the celery halves to the pan along with the stock, sage, lemon zest and cardamom pod. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with the lid. Cook for 10 minutes.

Turn the celery halves and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, cut the celery halves in half again, giving quarters. Serve with the bacon and vegetables, garnished with the parsley.

Serves 8

2 bunches celery

½ tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 bacon rashers, fat trimmed, finely chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

4 thyme sprigs

250 ml Rich Beef or Veal Stock

4 sage leaves

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 cardamom pod, cracked

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Adding a little bit of bacon to this celery dish could be seen as a European approach – but it’s not dissimilar to how they cook in China, too. The Chinese are extraordinary in their clever use of a small amount of meat to flavour entire dishes. I think that using a little bit of meat or bacon is worthwhile if it gets people who don’t like vegies to eat them!

EXERCISE TO FEEL GOOD

I BELIEVE YOU EXERCISE TO FEEL GOOD AND BE HEALTHIER, NOT TO WATCH YOUR WEIGHT. AND THAT IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT OR MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT, IT’S ALL IN THE KITCHEN.

IT’S INTERESTING HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS NEEDED TO BURN OFF THE SIMPLEST FOODS, LET ALONE THOSE THAT WE KNOW ARE UNHEALTHY FOR US. BEING ABLE TO CUT A FEW CALORIES FROM A MEAL IS THE EQUIVALENT OF DOING A SESSION AT THE GYM. FOR EXAMPLE, DID YOU KNOW THAT A MEDIUM BANANA, WHICH HAS APPROXIMATELY 440 KILOJOULES, WOULD TAKE YOU TEN MINUTES OF ACTIVE AEROBICS TO BURN OFF? ONE POTATO WOULD TAKE SIXTEEN MINUTES OF WALKING, AND A BAGEL WOULD TAKE ABOUT TWENTY-THREE MINUTES OF JOGGING. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF EXERCISE NEEDED TO BURN OFF FOOD, YOU CAN SEE HOW IMPORTANT DIET IS.

BUT – KEEP EXERCISING FOR A HEALTHY, BALANCED LIFESTYLE. I FIND I FUNCTION MUCH BETTER THROUGH THE DAY AFTER I HAVE DONE SOME WEIGHTS AT THE GYM OR GONE FOR A WALK.

Broome Vietnamese salad

THIS SALAD ORIGINATED AT A FRIEND’S HOUSE IN BROOME WHEN I WAS WONDERING WHAT TO MAKE FROM RANDOM INGREDIENTS IN THE KITCHEN. IT HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS, AND IS A DISH I ALWAYS GET ASKED TO MAKE. TAKE IT TO A FRIEND’S PARTY AND YOU’LL BE THE STAR. IT IS EXCELLENT SERVED WITH CHICKEN.

To make the dressing, put the avocado flesh, oil and lime juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the nahm jim.

Combine the spinach, cherry tomatoes, bean sprouts, onion, lemongrass, kafirr lime leaf, coriander and mint in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add the dressing. Toss well. Serve garnished with the chopped cashews.

Serves 4

DRESSING

1 avocado

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

3 tablespoons Nahm Jim

SALAD

100 g (2 cups) baby spinach leaves

200 g cherry tomatoes, halved

90 g (1 cup) bean sprouts

1 red onion, finely sliced

1 lemongrass stalk (white part only), finely chopped

1 kaffir lime leaf, finely shredded

½ cup coriander leaves

¼ cup vietnamese mint leaves, torn

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons cashews, roasted and chopped

Roasted pumpkin and hazelnut salad

THIS IS A REALLY NO-FUSS, SIMPLE SALAD – SOMETHING YOU CAN TURN TO WHEN YOU’RE HAVING AN EVERYONE’S-HERE-IN-AN-HOUR-AND-I-HAVEN’T-STARTED-COOKING EMERGENCY. I MAKE IT ONCE A WEEK AND USUALLY GRILL SOME CHICKEN OR FISH OR SOMETIMES BEEF TO HAVE WITH IT. YOU COULD ALSO SCATTER IT WITH SOME FRESH GOAT’S CHEESE FOR A GOOD PICNIC DISH OR LIGHT LUNCH.

MY FAVOURITE TYPES OF PUMPKIN TO USE ARE BUTTERNUT OR BLUE.

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Put the pumpkin and onion in a large baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for 40 minutes or until golden brown, then leave to cool to warm or to room temperature, depending on your preference. (In winter I like to serve the salad warm, while in summer I serve it cool.)

Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the remaining oil with the lemon juice in a small bowl.

Tip the roasted pumpkin and onion into a large bowl and add the spinach, hazelnuts and dressing. Toss to combine, and serve.

Serves 4–6

800 g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes

1 red onion, quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

200 g (4 cups) baby spinach leaves

¾ cup hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped

Nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein and are high in fibre and antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium. Yes, they do contain fat, but it’s monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 fatty acids. There are various claims as to which nuts are the healthiest, but walnuts and almonds are just about always at the top of the list. Almonds are very high in magnesium and calcium, while walnuts are an excellent source of Omega-3, rivalling fish. Buying natural raw nuts is always preferable to roasted nuts or ones drenched in salt, sugar or artificial flavourings.

Cauliflower couscous

THE CAULIFLOWER IS THE COUSCOUS IN THIS RECIPE, AND IT IS RAW TOO, MAKING IT A GREAT WAY TO ENJOY THE NUTRITION OF RAW FOOD. (CAULIFLOWER IS ACTUALLY MY LEAST-FAVOURITE VEGETABLE WHEN COOKED, BUT RAW IT IS SURPRISINGLY GOOD!) THIS IS A PERFECT SIDE DISH FOR A SUMMER BARBECUE.

Use a stick blender with a jug attachment to blend the cauliflower to the consistency of couscous. (You can try this with a food processor, but be very careful it doesn’t grind it too smoothly.)

Put the cauliflower into a large bowl and add the oil, lemon juice, onion, olives, tomatoes and herbs. Season well with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Serves 6

2 cauliflowers, broken into small florets

185 ml olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

½ small red onion, finely chopped

100 g (¾ cup) pitted Spanish black olives, roughly chopped

18 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

¼ cup mint leaves

¼ cup coriander leaves

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

The way I approach preparing a meal is always very vegetable-oriented. Vegetables are the key for me – they are low in fat and calories, have a high nutritional content (brimming with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants), and are full of fibre, which keeps us feeling fuller for longer. Vegetables should always be the biggest portion on our plates in comparison to protein, carbohydrates and fats – but they do need to taste good. I believe that you shouldn’t force yourself to eat vegetables because you’re supposed to, but instead look for ways to make them delicious so that you want to eat them. Vegetable-based meals should be just as satisfying as ones containing meat.

I have a vegetarian dinner around one night a week – and at least half of my lunches are vegetarian. If you start with good produce, you are on your way to creating tasty dishes. I prefer to cook with organic produce as it contains more nutrients and is not sprayed with chemical fertilisers and pesticides – but I know this isn’t an option for everyone all the time. I also like to support local growers as it is good for the local economy, ensures what you are eating is in season and at its peak, and cuts down on food miles. So even if it may cost a little more, I think the long-term benefits of buying local and organic – for the environment and for your health – are hard to ignore. If you’re not sure where to get local organic produce, check the internet for listings.

The other option is of course growing some of your own vegetables! It’s possible to do this even in a planter box on a balcony. Each season I try and grow something I’ve never grown before – and I look forward to reaping the rewards of the harvest.