This recipe was inspired from watching a Jamie Oliver 15 minute meals episode a few nights ago, although it took me around 45 minutes to prepare and cook plus some planning time because l didn’t use a tinned product as he did.

Jamie made these burgers to put in a bread roll which would be delicious if you eat bread. As l don’t l have turned them into a kind of rissole, but l did imagine myself biting into a burger as l was eating this. I have changed some of the ingredients in the burger to suit my tastes and l couldn’t exactly remember what he put in his but the core ingredient of the four bean mix is the same and they have a middle eastern flavour. I made heaps of these and have put them in the freezer to have on other nights. I cooked just enough for two meals but these would be delicious cold with a salad. I have never eaten four bean mix and felt quite adventurous cooking with something new.

Ingredients:

A packet of four bean mix (these need to be soaked in water with a tablespoon of salt for several hours, rinsed then cooked in boiling water for around 30 minutes or until soft)

Chickpeas-I added in some chickpeas because l love them. They had also been soaked, rinsed and boiled.

Herbs-use whatever you have. I picked some basil, parsley and mint from the garden

4 eggs

Spices-cumin, cayenne pepper, sea salt, black pepper

Flour- one tablespoon of any you like. I used millet flour which is gluten free.

Method:

Put it all in the food processor and blend until it is a very fine mixture. It should be moist and easy to form a shape. If you want burgers then make then quite large and flatten to just over one cm but if you want rissoles then make them into smaller balls and just flatten slightly. Roll them in extra flour. If you have time place them in the fridge for a while but if not then cook in a pan with some olive oil in it. Turn when golden. Mine took a good twenty minutes to be nice and golden on both sides.

I served them with quinoa and a salad of chopped cucumber and roma tomato. The burgers need a sauce of some kind so l topped it with my healthy salad dressing (see recipes) but a tomato sauce would be so nice. Today l am attempting to make my own chemical free tomato sauce and tonight l will have the burgers with that and steamed pumpkin.

This is a very crunchy salad which is good because that means you have to eat slowly and chew your food well. This will aid digestion and stop you from eating too much. The roasted pumpkin and beetroot give the salad a natural sweetness that is really delicious.

Ingredients:

Chickpeas that have been soaked, drained and cooked (this process will reduce stomach upsets)

Small cubes of pumpkin and beetroot that have been roasted in the oven drizzled with olive oil

Carrot sliced finely (circular not cubes)

Celery sliced finely (Circular-a food processor is good for this)

Fresh spinach roughly chopped.

Mix all ingredients together and place in a nice salad bowl. Keep it covered in the fridge. Over the next few days you can have this with a breakfast omelette or with a piece of grilled salmon or fish. You can top it with a nice salad dressing, Kapai Puku or Chia seeds. If you are making a lunch to take to work put this in a tub and top with a boiled egg and some grilled chicken.

Before l discovered this recipe l had been eating my salads plain, but l used to love salad dressings and had to stop eating all store bought ones as they had ingredients in them that l have eliminated from my diet. This recipe has been adapted from the Gawler Foundation Salad Dressing recipe in the book ‘Eat Well Be Well’. I have left out the mustard and garlic but you could add them in if you like those foods.

Blend together with a hand mixer until nice and creamy then pour it into a nice jug or glass jar and keep it covered in the fridge. It should last four or five days:

Half cup Flax oil

One quarter cup organic apple cider vinegar

One tablespoon raw organic honey

Black ground pepper

Juice of half a lime or lemon.

Note:

I would advise not to buy the regular apple cider vinegar from the supermarket. It tastes like poison to me. I use it with water to soak my fruit and vegetables before juicing to get the chemicals off. The organic apple cider vinegar is an aquired taste but l really love it now and it is well worth spending the extra money. I bought mine from Bulk Wholefoods on the Mornington Peninsula but l have seen it online elsewhere.

This is really delicious any time of the day. I love smoothies and have only recently started eating the frozen berries and they add a wonderful crunchy coolness!

Ingredients:

Spinach or kale chopped roughly

Half a green apple with the skin on or a whole small one

One small just ripe banana peeled and broken into smallish pieces

Black chia seeds (one tablespoon)

Frozen mixed berries (1 cup)

Filtered water (1 cup)

Method:

Place it all in the blender and blend until smooth.

I eat mine with a spoon because l like them to be nice and thick, but you can add more water if you want it thinner.

Pour into two glasses and enjoy.

I recently purchased a new food processor and am getting into the habit of making a large salad several times a week that l have with my lunch and dinner each day. Sometimes l have it with a grilled fish, use it in an omelette or add it to my children’s sandwiches. The addition of the cooked vegetables adds a sweetness to it that is so delicious.

Ingredients: I am not prescriptive with amounts as you can just use whatever you have in the fridge. Try to balance it out so one ingredient doesn’t dominate.

Sliced carrots

Chickpeas

snowpeas-chopped

herbs-chopped (whatever you have in the garden. I used parsley and mint)

Celery sliced

Radishes with the skin on sliced

Sweet potato-cut into cubes and bake in the oven until soft. You can drizzle some olive oil over the top before cooking.

Parsnip-cut into cubes and bake in the oven until soft. You can drizzle some olive oil over the top before cooking.

Note: I use the dried chickpeas. Soak them over night in salted water. Rinse well. Boil in a pot of water for about 15 minutes. They will be just soft. Let cool. I have had an allergic reaction to the canned ones so l would avoid these. The process of soaking then cooking will make them easier to digest also.

Method:

Let the cooked ingredients cool. Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl.  Cover with cling wrap and cool in the fridge. Use this salad with your meals and top with a healthy salad dressing (see website), and Kapai Puku.

Ingredients:

2 green apples, 2 cups almond meal, 1/4 cup coconut flour (substitute with any flour that you are o.k with), 6 eggs, 1/4 cup organic coconut oil, 1/4 cup raw organic honey, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon bicarb soda (Bob’s Red Mill aluminium free and gluten free)

Method:

Chop up apples into small pieces. I left the skin on but you can peel them if you want. Place in saucepan with coconut oil and cinnamon. Bring to the boil then simmer until the apples are soft. Beat eggs and honey then add dry ingredients. Add contents of the saucepan and mix together. Place mixture in a greased and lined loaf tin and bake in a 170 degree celcius oven for approximately 40 minutes. Cool on cake rack. Yum!

Hint;

When cool l slice this cake into single portions, wrap in glad wrap and freeze. When l am working and pack a lunch l just pop a piece into my lunchbox.

This is a delicious omelette for two people that is quick and easy to make. I use a non stick pan lightly greased with oil (extra virgin coconut oil if you have it).

Ingredients:

4 eggs beaten

About four large spinach leaves chopped up (the quantity will depend on your tastes). I like to pile it high on the omelette as it flattens a bit when it warms up.

Mix of your favourite vegetables sliced and chopped. I have used one of my favourite salad mixes which l will post shortly (radish, celery, carrot, snow peas, parsley, mint with diced roasted beetroot and pumpkin). Remember that the vegetables will be just heated through and not cooked so they will be crunchy and nutritious.

Black ground pepper and sea salt.

Method:

Pour the egg mix into the heated pan. When starting to set pile on to one half of the omelette the spinach and vegetable mix and season with the salt and pepper. Fold over the plain half of the omelette and press down lightly. Push any filling back into the omelette that has slipped out and cook until the filling is just starting to settle. Cut down the middle with the egg flipper or spatula and carefully place each half on a plate. I love that the filling spills out onto the plate. I have finished mine off (as per the picture above) with my favourite salad dressing (recipe below), the kapai puku seed mix and some chia seeds. 

Salad Dressing:

This recipe has been adapted from a recipe in the Gawler Foundation Cookbook: Eat Well, Be Well

Blend together with a hand mixer half a cup of flax oil, one quarter cup apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon raw organic sugar, the juice of one lime or lemon and some black ground pepper. Place in a nice jug or glass jar and cover with wrap and keep in the fridge.

This can be prepared for any meal of the day. I had it for breakfast today and it has sustained me for many hours. I would advise to prepare all of your ingredients as in the photo above, some of which could be done the night before if you are working. This recipe is a good size for one person so just double it if making it for two people. It is very quick to prepare, nutritious and filling.

Ingredients: Wild Pink Salmon, Spinach or Kale, Brussel sprouts, carrot, pumpkin seeds, eggs, ground black pepper, sea salt and organic coconut oil. The toppings are Kapai Puku seed mix, Chia seeds and a flax oil and organic apple cider vinegar dressing which l will put on the website. Check out the recipe section of the website for details on how to put it all together.