Quinoa porridge with spice and berries

BREAKFAST IS THE ONE MEAL OF THE DAY THAT I BASE ON CARBOHYDRATES, AND FOR ME THIS IS USUALLY OATS. I AM A BIG FAN OF PORRIDGE IN WINTER, BUT TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING CAN GET A LITTLE BORING AFTER A WHILE. USING QUINOA IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE AS IT IS PACKED WITH ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS AND HAS THE FLAVOUR AND FILLING QUALITIES OF A GRAIN, EVEN THOUGH IT’S ACTUALLY A SEED IN THE SPINACH FAMILY.

Put the milk, cinnamon, cardamom seeds and honey in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the quinoa. Cook for 40 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender.

Combine the berries and pistachios in a bowl. Serve the quinoa topped with the berries and nuts.

Serves 4

500 ml milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cardamom pod, seeds extracted from husk

1 teaspoon honey

2 cups quinoa

1 cup raspberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup blackberries

3 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped

Quinoa (pronounced ‘keen-wah’) remains slightly crunchy when cooked and has a wholesome, subtle flavour. Truly a super food, it contains good quantities of all nine amino acids that our bodies must obtain through food, making it a complete protein. It is also gluten-free and rich in fibre, magnesium, manganese and copper, and contains zinc, calcium, potassium and iron.

Cool Thai curry soup

THIS IS A REFRESHING SOUP TO ENJOY COLD ON A HOT DAY, AND A GOOD STARTER TO AN ASIAN MAIN COURSE. I LIKE TO SERVE IT BEFORE THE CHICKEN TENDERLOIN SKEWERS. BY NOT COOKING THE SOUP BUT BLENDING IT IN A FOOD PROCESSOR INSTEAD, THE BIG, FRESH FLAVOURS OF THE RAW INGREDIENTS REALLY COME THROUGH.

Place all the ingredients except the coriander and mint leaves in a food processor and blend for 5–6 minutes, or until smooth. Leave in the food processor for 10 minutes to allow the foam to settle on top. Use a large spoon to skim off the foam. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with the coriander and mint.

Serves 4

1 litre coconut water

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

4 cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

3 coriander roots, cleaned

80 ml lemon juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ cup coriander leaves

¼ cup mint leaves

Coconut water – the clear liquid inside a young coconut – is, strangely enough, the closest thing to the plasma in our blood. It has virtually no fat or sugar and has a low GI, as well as being refreshing and hydrating due to its electrolyte content.

Field mushrooms with nut stuffing and goat’s cheese

A TINY AMOUNT OF GOOD-QUALITY GOAT’S CHEESE GOES A LONG WAY IN THIS RECIPE. THE STUFFING IS VERY EASY TO MAKE AND HAS CRUNCH AND DEPTH OF FLAVOUR WITH THE COMBINATION OF NUTS, GREMOLATA AND THYME.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.

Combine the nuts, almond meal, gremolata, thyme and 2 table-spoons of the lemon juice in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the mushrooms with the nut mixture and place on the tray. Crumble over small pieces of the goat’s cheese and sprinkle with the remaining lemon juice. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden.

Serves 6

½ cup brazil nuts, finely chopped

½ cup cashews, finely chopped

½ cup macadamias, finely chopped

50 g (½ cup) almond meal

4 tablespoons Gremolata

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

4 tablespoons lemon juice

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 large field mushrooms

2 tablespoons fresh goat’s cheese

I love mushrooms. They are really good for you, being a great source of potassium, riboflavin, niacin and selenium. They are also great to incorporate into your diet if you are trying to watch your weight, as they contain about eighty to ninety per cent water and are very low in calories.

SNACKING AFTER EXERCISE

AFTER EXERCISE, MOST OF US ACTUALLY OVERCOMPENSATE FOR WHAT OUR BODIES REALLY NEED AND LOOK FOR THE FOOD THAT WE SHOULD EAT LEAST, SUCH AS SOMETHING TO GIVE US A SUGAR HIT. I APPRECIATE SUGAR CRAVINGS A LOT. WHEN I AM DOING INTENSE SWIMMING TRAINING AND MY BODY IS EXHAUSTED, I ALWAYS CRAVE SOMETHING VERY SWEET TO GIVE ME AN ENERGY HIT. I HAVE A NATURAL SWEET TOOTH, BUT HAVE TRAINED MYSELF OVER TIME TO GO FOR SOMETHING WITH A SLOW ENERGY RELEASE THAT IS BETTER FOR RECOVERY, AND HAS MORE NUTRITION. VARIOUS NUTS AND BERRIES ARE USUALLY MY ANSWER.

I FIND THAT WE ATHLETES ARE ACTUALLY THE WORST WHEN IT COMES TO SUGAR CRAVINGS. WHEN WE’RE COMPETING WE LOOK FOR THAT SUGAR HIT BECAUSE WE KNOW WE’LL FEEL BETTER AFTERWARDS – IN THE SHORT TERM ANYWAY. YOUR BODY IS SCREAMING AT YOU ‘YOU MESSED WITH ME – GIVE ME SOMETHING!’ SO RETRAINING THAT REACTION HAS TAKEN TIME FOR ME, BUT NOW I’M REAPING THE BENEFITS OF HAVING MORE SUSTAINED ENERGY LEVELS.

YOU KNOW HOW YOU’RE REALLY GOOD AT GIVING RELATIONSHIP ADVICE TO OTHER PEOPLE BUT BAD AT GIVING IT TO YOURSELF? THINK ABOUT THIS IN REGARDS TO THE FOOD YOU EAT. YOU PROBABLY KNOW HOW TO EAT WELL AND TREAT YOUR BODY WITH RESPECT, BUT NEED TO DIRECT THAT KNOWLEDGE TO YOURSELF.

Mushroom risotto with barley

BARLEY IS A FANTASTIC GRAIN AS IT COOKS IN A SIMILAR WAY TO ARBORIO RICE (ALTHOUGH IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER) AND HAS A SIMILAR TEXTURE, BUT IT BOOSTS THE MEAL’S FIBRE CONTENT AS WELL AS ADDING A HOST OF OTHER NUTRIENTS. BARLEY ALSO GIVES THE RISOTTO A RICH, NUTTY FLAVOUR.

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak for 15–20 minutes, then drain and reserve the water.

Put the mushroom water, vegetable stock and bay leaf in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the onion. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and porcini mushrooms and fry for another minute. Add the barley and stir until well combined, then add the red wine and boil for about 2 minutes, until evaporated. Stir in the sliced fresh mushrooms, then begin to gradually add the stock a ladle at a time. Stir in each ladle of stock and simmer until absorbed before adding the next. Continue to add stock until it is all used and the barley is tender (approximately 40–45 minutes). Stir through the parsley and serve.

Serves 6

25 g dried porcini mushrooms

1 litre boiling water

1 litre Vegetable Stock

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons butter

2 onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups pearl barley

250 ml red wine

250 g button or swiss-brown mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Barley is a bit of a wonder grain, being a fantastic source of fibre and selenium and a good source of phosphorus, copper and manganese. The kind of soluble fibre it contains called beta glucan (also found in oats) has been found to be particularly effective in lowering cholesterol.

‘Tastes like chicken’ salad

YOU WILL BE SHOCKED THAT THIS SALAD HAS NO CHICKEN IN IT – YOU COULD SWEAR THERE WAS. IT IS BASED ON SUNFLOWER SEEDS, WHICH ARE SOAKED IN WATER UNTIL SOFT AND TAKE ON A MEATY TEXTURE NOT UNLIKE TINNED TUNA IN A SANDWICH. THE ‘CHICKEN’ ELEMENT COMES FROM THE DRIED HERBS – THEY MAKE THE SALAD TASTE LIKE THE STUFFED ROAST CHOOK YOUR GRANDMA USED TO MAKE!

ON TOP OF THIS, THE DRESSING IS A BLENDED MIXTURE OF MACADAMIA, CASHEWS, PINE NUTS AND BRAZIL NUTS WITH COCONUT WATER, LEMON JUICE, MUSTARD AND GARLIC, MAKING THIS SALAD ABSOLUTELY PACKED WITH THE RAW-FOOD GOODNESS OF SEEDS AND NUTS. SERVE IT ON FRESH RYE BREAD WITH MIXED SALAD LEAVES, OR ENJOY IT ON ITS OWN.

Put the sunflower seeds in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 4 hours. Drain and pat dry, then return to the dried bowl.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Add the celery, spring onion and dried herbs to the sunflower seeds. Pour on the dressing and toss well.

Serves 6

3 cups sunflower seeds

4 celery stalks, finely sliced

3 spring onions, finely sliced

3 tablespoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons dried thyme

3 tablespoons dried sage

DRESSING

½ cup macadamias

½ cup cashews

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup brazil nuts

500 ml coconut water

250 ml lemon juice

90 g ( cup) wholegrain mustard

6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons sea salt

Rustic Tuscan beans

THIS DISH IS ONE OF SIMPLE FLAVOURS – A THICK STEW OF CANNELLINI BEANS AND TOMATOES, WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR TO GIVE A BIT OF A LIFT. I LIKE TO SERVE THESE BEANS WITH A GREEN SALAD.

Drain and rinse the beans, then put them in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the salt and bouquet garni. Cover with plenty of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 11/4 hours, or until the beans are tender. As the beans are cooking, skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Drain the cooked beans.

Meanwhile, gently heat the remaining oil, garlic cloves, sage and rosemary in a large saucepan for 4–5 minutes, allowing the garlic and herbs to infuse the oil. Remove the garlic and herbs. Add the tomato and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Add the beans and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the vinegar and season to taste with extra salt and pepper.

Serves 6

400 g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 bouquet garni made of 1 bay leaf, 4 parsley stalks and 2 thyme sprigs tied with string

3 garlic cloves

2 sage sprigs

sprig of rosemary

5 vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

freshly ground black pepper

Silverbeet and sundried tomato frittata

TO GET A GOOD START TO THE DAY, YOU NEED A GOOD BREAKFAST, AND WHEN I’M SICK OF HAVING PORRIDGE I LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FRITTATA. OF COURSE, IT ALSO WORKS AS A HIGH-PROTEIN SIDE DISH OR LUNCH. LEFTOVERS ARE BRILLIANT FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR DINNER DURING THE REST OF THE WEEK.

FOR A NON-VEGETARIAN FRITTATA, YOU CAN ADD SOME COOKED SHREDDED CHICKEN WITH THE BASIL AND PARMESAN BEFORE GRILLING.

Combine the eggs and egg whites, milk and mustard in a medium bowl and whisk until just combined. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan (around 20 cm in diameter) over medium heat. Add the leek and fry for 1–2 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the garlic and fry for another minute, then add the sliverbeet and vinegar, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, or until the silverbeet has wilted. Scatter with the tomatoes and pour on the egg mixture. Continue to cook for 5–6 minutes, until the frittata is just beginning to set. Scatter with the basil leaves and parmesan. Transfer to a preheated grill and cook for 7–8 minutes, until golden. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 2

4 eggs plus 2 egg whites

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek, finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

6 silverbeet leaves (stems discarded), shredded

2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar

8 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tablespoon small basil leaves

80 g parmesan, grated

An interesting fact about garlic is that its major health-giving component, allicin, is only generated when you chop or crush it. Allicin is responsible for its strong odour, and has antibiotic properties that fight a wide range of viruses and bacteria. Eating raw garlic, such as crushed in salad dressings, gives you the most benefits.

Parippu (Dhal)

PARIPPU IS A DHAL FROM SOUTHERN INDIA OR SRI LANKA. IF YOU USE MY NO-FAT COCONUT MILK, THEN THIS DISH OF PROTEIN-RICH LENTILS IS VERY GOOD FOR YOU.

Place the dhal ingredients in a large heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over low–medium heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry for 1–2 minutes until they begin to pop. Add the onion and curry leaves and continue to fry for around 7–8 minutes until the onion is well browned. Stir the onion mixture through the lentils, then serve.

Serves4

DHAL

1½ cups red lentils, rinsed

2 onions, roughly chopped

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 long green chillies, finely sliced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

500 ml Vegetable Stock

250 ml No-fat Coconut Milk

TO FINISH

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 onions, finely chopped

12 curry leaves

When a recipe calls for ground spices, such as cumin and coriander, I like to roast and grind my own. I roast them in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then grind them with a mortar and pestle. There’s nothing in the kitchen more pleasurable than dry-roasting spices, and getting the combinations right in a dish can be a lot of fun. It’s like playing chemist – seeing what works with a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

North African tomato and green lentil stew

A LARGE QUANTITY OF TOMATOES IS USED IN THIS DISH, AND THEY ARE ROASTED FIRST WITH RED ONION AND GARLIC TO INTENSIFY THEIR FLAVOUR. I THINK THIS MAKES A PERFECT LUNCH – NOTHING ELSE REQUIRED.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the tomato, onion and garlic in a large baking dish. Sprinkle with the sugar and cumin and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Bake for about 1 hour, until well browned.

Meanwhile, place the lentils, ginger, bay leaf and stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 35–40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Remove the ginger and bay leaf.

Stir the tomato and onion mixture into the lentils, along with the tomato puree, tomato paste and paprika. Season to taste. Serve garnished with parsley leaves, with harissa on the side.

Serves 10

3.5 kg tomatoes, chopped

2 red onions, sliced

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon ground cumin

80 ml olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups green lentils

3 cm piece of ginger, peeled

1 bay leaf

2 litres Vegetable Stock

250 ml tomato puree

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

flat-leaf parsley leaves

Harissa to serve

Vietnamese tofu and vegetable stir-fry

THIS STIR-FRY IS FLAVOURED WITH KAFFIR LIME AND CORIANDER ROOT, AND MAKES A GREAT LIGHT LUNCH. IT CAN ALSO BE SERVED AS A SIDE DISH.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the tofu cubes and fry for 1–2 minutes on each side, until browned all over. Transfer to a plate, leaving some oil in the wok.

Add the chilli, lime leaves and coriander root to the wok and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the choy sum stems and capsicum and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, then add the mushrooms, corn, choy sum leaves and soy sauce and stir-fry for another 2–3 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Gently toss the tofu through the vegetables and serve.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons peanut oil

300 g firm tofu, cut into 3 cm cubes

1 long red chilli, sliced

2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded

2 coriander roots, cleaned and finely chopped

1 bunch choy sum, cut into 3 cm lengths

½ red capsicum, sliced

50 g button mushrooms, sliced

1 punnet (125 g) baby corn, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons soy sauce

If you know what goes into your meal, you know what goes into your body. I don’t cook with premade sauces or flavour packets as there is often a lot of sugar, salt and fat in them. These are things I’d prefer to add myself without overdoing it.

Boom Boom Pow (Indian mushrooms and black-eyed beans)

‘BOOM BOOM POW’ IS A POPULAR SONG BY THE BLACK-EYED PEAS, AND I THINK IT’S A GOOD NAME FOR THIS DISH. BLACK-EYED PEAS – OR BLACK-EYED BEANS – ARE A SOURCE OF PROTEIN, CALCIUM, FOLATE AND VITAMIN A, BUT YOU DON’T NEED TO COOK THIS JUST BECAUSE IT IS HEALTHY. AROMATIC WITH CUMIN AND CINNAMON, IT IS ALSO DELICIOUS. IT CAN BE SERVED AS PART OF AN INDIAN BANQUET OR ON ITS OWN.

Drain the beans and put them in a saucepan with the bay leaf. Cover with fresh water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes, until the beans are tender. Drain the beans and remove the bay leaf.

While the beans are cooking, heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the cumin seeds and cinnamon stick. Fry for 1 minute, until the cumin seeds begin to pop. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 2–3 minutes, until starting to brown. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 2–3 minutes, then add the tomato and ground spices. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the beans and coriander leaves and season with salt and pepper, then cook for another 30 minutes.

Serves 4

200 g dried black-eyed beans, soaked overnight

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

3 medium onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

400 g button mushrooms, sliced

800 g tin of diced tomatoes

3 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ cup coriander leaves

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

There should be a rule that as your palate matures, you have to retry everything you didn’t like when you were a kid. I absolutely love tuna now, but I remember when I was young, being made to eat Mum’s tuna mornay and hating it. I didn’t like seafood in general – in fact, when I was growing up, I didn’t like half the things I love now. For me, it’s a reminder to never assume you don’t like something, and to retry things at different stages of your life, and perhaps try them in new ways.

Now I appreciate fish and seafood for their health benefits as well as their flavour. They are high in quality protein and fats and contains minerals such as iodine, zinc, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus, and vitamins A, E, C and D. Some of the benefits of eating fish regularly include boosting the immune system and maintaining healthy, glowing skin.

The Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and seafood are one of their greatest claims to fame, as this polyunsaturated fat can lower cholesterol and blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart disease, and has also been found to be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis and treating rheumatoid arthritis.

One of my favourite fish to cook is barramundi, as it has a delicate flavour that lends itself to many dishes. I also cook with salmon as, particularly rich in Omega-3, I know how good it is for me.