GETTING “EGG”CITED!

October 28, 20156 Comments

Karina’s Healthy Cooking Tips!

Healthy cooking begins with a healthy shopping list. I know this sounds obvious, however, it is the crucial first step to healthy cooking. An even better first step, before you shop for your ingredients, is to try to grow what you can, so that you can help the environment at the same time 🙂

Here are some tips for a healthy shopping list:

Choose low-fat and low-sugar foods, where possible
Choose skinless chicken breasts
Choose lean cuts of meat
Don’t buy discoloured meat, as it may be old
Buy the freshest fruit and vegetables. The fresher, the more nutrients are packed into it
Limit fast foods, which are usually high in fat
Try not to buy any sugary drinks
Try to eat whole grains or wholemeal, wherever possible
Eggs are an inexpensive source of protein

This is something to get “egg”cited about!

Enjoy!

Karina x

THAT’S “SWEET”!

October 25, 20156 Comments

Karina’s Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Asparagus Low GI Pasta!

Ingredients:

250g cubed sweet potato
200g pasta
200g broccoli, cut into baby florets
2 birds eye chillies or 2 small red chillies, sliced finely
200g asparagus, tough bits snapped off and discarded. The remaining asparagus, boiled for 5 minutes, then pureed with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Keep the tips of the asparagus whole.
4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
Juice from 1 fresh lemon
1 tablespoon of olive oil for cooking
1 pinch black pepper

Garnishing Ingredients:

1 small handful of fresh dill, leaves kept whole and stalks sliced finely
1 small handful of fresh rocket, leaves kept whole

Method:

Cook pasta as per packet directions, strain water, then set aside in a large bowl.

Cook your sweet potato for 10 minutes in a pot of boiling water, then turn the heat to off. Keep the water in the pot, then take your sweet potato out of the pot. Cut your sweet potato into small pieces and place in the same large bowl as your pasta.

Using the pot of previously boiled hot water, whilst the heat is off, place your broccoli into this water, using the residual heat to continue to cook it for 10 minutes. Just make sure your broccoli are cut into very small florets to ensure quick cooking and saving electricity at the same time 🙂

Once your broccoli are cooked, strain, then place into the same bowl as your pasta and sweet potato.

Using the same pot you used to cook your pasta, turn the heat to medium, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat for approximately 10 seconds. Add your garlic and chilli, then cook for 1 minute only, until aromatic, then turn the heat to off.

Once your chilli and garlic are cooked, combine your cooked sweet potato, cooked pasta, cooked broccoli, asparagus paste and asparagus pieces together using a wooden spoon, along with a pinch of black pepper and lemon juice. Mix well.

Compiling the Beauty:

Pile your pasta into three different plates, then top each with rocket and dill.

Serves 3

Enjoy!

Karina x

HOW HAVE YOU “BEAN”?

October 21, 20152 Comments

Karina’s Environmental Cooking Tips!

Above is a photo I took today of one of my many vegetables I’m growing at the moment: Beans. Since I’ve been gardening a lot lately, I can say with confidence, that I have “bean” great! How have you “bean”?

I would like to share some of my sustainable gardening tips for happy vegetables and an even happier planet, as below:

Use natural bamboo (as above) to use as a natural plant support framework, for when the plants would like to crawl up structures in order to grow. I have used natural bamboo grown over my neighbours fence, which had become a bit of a weed. Instead of buying plastic stalks, help the planet and your budget, by using natural bamboo.
If you don’t have access to natural bamboo, use any dead branch you may find which has fallen from trees. This will also help the planet and your budget, by using natural branches.
If you don’t have enough space in your backyard to have a garden, nor a few pots around your dwelling, then you can always join a community garden. You will receive similar benefits of growing your own vegetables, along with meeting like-minded green-thumbs. Win-win!
Try to take full advantage of your plants natural climbing abilities and try not to use garden ties, unless the plant needs them. By using either bamboo or dead tree branches, this will help the planet, your budget and your time 🙂

Have fun in the garden!

Enjoy!

Karina x

“HERB”IVORE!

October 18, 201511 Comments

Karina’s “Herby” Low GI Vegetarian Thai Noodle Salad!

Ingredients:

250g dried rice noodles (gluten free), cooked as per packet directions (if you don’t want gluten free, use fresh rice noodles from your local asian grocery).
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh thai basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil mint leaves
1 medium red onion, sliced finely
5 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
1 pinch cracked black pepper
2 small carrots, shaved (using a potato peeler), then chopped into medium-sized pieces
1 cucumber, shaved (using a potato peeler), then chopped into medium-sized pieces

Method:

Combine all the above ingredients into a large mixing bowl, then mix all the ingredients well, using a fork and a spoon.

Compiling the Beauty:

Pile your rice noodle salad into your favourite bowl or plate.

Serves 4 as a light lunch.

Enjoy!

Karina x

NOT “KID”DING!

October 14, 2015October 14, 20152 Comments

Karina’s Safety Cooking Tips!

When thinking about kitchen safety, one thing always pops into my mind: how can we prevent kids from getting injured, whilst in the kitchen. Well, I’m not “Kid”ding about a few key tips, as follows:

Create a buffer zone, where you keep children at a safe distance away from flammable sources, such as stoves, ovens and toasters etc
Create a buffer zone, where you keep children at a safe distance away from slippery surfaces, such as wet tiles, etc
Create a buffer zone, where you keep children at a safe distance away from sharp objects, such as knives and blades, etc
Create a buffer zone, where you keep children at a safe distance away from hot water and hot water generating appliances, such as kettles and the hot water tap, etc
Generally, create a buffer zone, where you keep children at a safe distance away from anything which could possibly harm them.

I’m sure there are many other ways, you can help create a safer environment for kids, however, the above are just some examples.

Have fun and be safe!

Karina x

“BRUSH” OFF THE FAT!

October 11, 2015October 11, 201510 Comments

Karina’s Fresh Golden Blush “Brusch”etta!

Ingredients:

1 very small brown onion, diced finely (you can also use spanish or pink onion)
100 g Golden Blush cherry tomatoes, diced finely (you can use any type of cherry tomatoes)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 rasher of rindless bacon, fat removed, ripped roughly
1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil

To Serve:

1 pinch of crushed black pepper
2 slices of super grains bread, toasted
1 small sprig of fresh oregano, leaves used, stalks removed
6 leaves of Mint Basil, stalks removed (you can use sweet basil, if you don’t have mint basil)
2 tablespoons of caramelised balsamic vinegar (you can use balsamic vinegar if you don’t have caramelised balsamic vinegar)
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Method:

Turn your stove on medium heat. Adding your olive oil to a medium-sized pan, cook your bacon for 2-3 minutes, or until crispy. When crispy, add your garlic to the bacon, then cook for 20 seconds. Once cooked, turn the heat to off.

Compiling the Beauty:

Toast your super grains bread, then place onto your plate.

Mix your cherry tomatoes and onion together, then pile this mix onto your toasted bread. After this is done, place your garlic-bacon mix on top of this.

Top your bread with your fresh oregano, fresh mint basil, cracked black pepper, olive oil and caramelised balsamic vinegar.

Put your feet up and relax!

Serves one.

Enjoy!

“O-LIVE” A LITTLE!

October 7, 2015Leave a comment

Karina’s Healthy Cooking Tips!

When it comes to living longer, good fats need to take the place of bad fats. So, if you want to “Live” a little better, you’ll need to say to yourself “O-LIVE” a little better! Here are some examples of simple substitutions in replacing bad fats with good fats:

Bad Fats:

– Fatty meat

– Fatty dairy foods

– Highly saturated fatty oils, such as coconut oil

– Duck Fat

– Fatty butter or fatty margarine

– Deep-fried Foods

– Bacon fat

Good Fats:

– A small amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on lean meat

– A small amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with your cooking

– Avocado as a spread instead of saturated fats like butter or margarine

– Almonds, Walnuts, other healthy nuts, etc

Happy Cooking!

Enjoy!

Karina x

“THYME” TO EAT HEALTHY!

October 3, 201519 Comments

Karina’s Super-Healthy Thyme, Carrot and Garlic soup with Supergrains Bread!

Ingredients:

1 litre vegetable stock
900 g carrots, sliced into rough cubes (don’t peel the carrot, just rinse it well and chop the ends off)
2 large pink or red onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
200 g sweet potato, roughly cubed
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil

To Serve:

1 small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked, to serve each person
1/2 teaspoon of tabasco sauce, to serve each person
A tiny drizzle of olive oil, to serve each person
3 small slices of Supergrains bread, lightly toasted, to serve each person

Method:

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot, then place on the stove. Turn the heat to medium. Wait for a few seconds, until the oil heats slightly, then add your onions and stir fry for 1 minute only. After 1 minute is over, add your garlic, then stir fry for 20 seconds, until aromatic.

Once aromatic, add your vegetable stock, your carrots and sweet potato. Bring this to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until just under cooked.

Once the 10 minutes are over, add your celery, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. One the 5 minutes are over, turn your stove to ‘off.’

Lightly toast your bread.

Compiling the beauty:

Ladle your soup into a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil and tabasco sauce over your soup. Finish by sprinkling your thyme leaves over your soup.

Serve with lovely toasted supergrains bread!

Serves 4 as a light meal

Enjoy!

Karina x