Jambalaya

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups long-grain rice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 400g chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 chorizo sausages, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 red capsicum, seeds removed, diced
• 1 green capsicum, seeds removed, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp sweet or traditional paprika
• 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp sugar
• sea salt
• handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

METHOD

1. Par-cook rice by boiling for 8 minutes. Drain well and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a sauce¬pan or wok over high heat. Cook chicken and chorizo for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside in bowl.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add onion, celery and capsicum to saucepan or wok. Cook for 5 minutes until just beginning to colour. Add garlic, paprika, thyme, oregano and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.

4. Stir rice through vegetables with stock, tomatoes and sugar. Return chicken and chorizo to pan, bring to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. Season with sea salt and pepper and stir through chopped parsley.

Tip: check the label on the chorizo and chicken stock if eating gluten free.

Delish brown lentil tomato herby soup

FOR THE LENTIL TOMATO SOUP

• 1cup lentils, washed and picked over
• 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1medium onion, chopped
• 2garlic cloves, minced
• 1carrot, diced
• 1stalk of celery, diced
• Salt to taste
• 1can chopped tomatoes, with juice
• 5cups water
• A bouquet garni made with 2 sprigs rosemary and 1 bay leaf
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan or Gruyère for serving
• 1to 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

FOR THE LENTIL TOMATO SOUP

• 1Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrot and celery, and a generous pinch of salt, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until tender. Add the tomatoes and bouquet garni, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently one hour. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove the bouquet garni, and stir in the parsley. Serve, garnishing each bowl with Parmesan or Gruyère.

Perfect Plum Muffins

These are moist, a good size, and yummy without being too sweet. Over time I'm wanting to play around with the recipe to see if I can reduce the sugar and change the flour a bit, but for now, here it is....

Ingredients:
2 Cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil (or maybe try butter?)
1 cup greek yogurt
1 Tbsp milk
320g chopped plums (or any juicy fruit)

Method:
Preheat oven to 175deg. Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add sugar. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, olive oil, yogurt, until smooth. Pour wet into dry. Do not over stir. Gently stir in the plums (just a few turns). Fill the muffin cups. Bake for about 20 min until golden.

Cashew Banana Chew

Sourced from Nicola Galloway's Homegrown Kitchen

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 2 ripe bananas
- Squeeze lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 50g melted butter (or 4 Tablespoons oil)
- Few drops vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
- 1 small apple, grated
- 1 egg

Method:
Preheat oven to 180. Line a 25cm tin with baking paper. Place cashews in food processor and blitz. Mash banana, then fold in cashews, lemon juice, zest, butter, vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into prepared tin, and bake for 20min, or until hard to touch. Cut into squares or fingers. Store in fridge for 5 days, or freeze.

Chickpea Burgers

Ingredients

2x 400g cans chickpea, rinsed and drained

garlic clove, chopped

2 small / 1large red onion, roughly chopped

handful parsley

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chilli powder (opt)

4 tbsp plain flour

4 tbsp sunflower oil

 toasted pita bread

200g tub tomato salsa, to serve

green salad, to serve

Method

Pat the chickpeas dry with kitchen paper. Tip into a food processor along with the onion, garlic, parsley, spices, flour and a little salt. Blend until fairly smooth, then shape into eight patties with your hands.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the burgers, then quickly fry for 3 mins on each side until lightly golden. Serve with toasted pittas, tomato salsa and a green salad.

Crusted Leftovers Quiche

Ingredients:
2 sheets short crust pastry
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cream
200g leftover veg
1/4 cup cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 180. Lightly grease a 11x34 rectangular pan (I put baking paper in). Ease pastry into pan. Prick base lightly with a fork. Bake blind for 15 min. Remove paper and filling, then brush base with a little egg while hot. In a bowl lightly whisk egg, cream, season, and stir through veg. Pour into pastry, scatter with cheese. Bake for 15-30 min until just set.

Slow cooker butter chicken

500g chicken pieces
1 onion
6 garlic
1inch ginger
2teaspoon Curry powder
1teaspoon cinnamon
1teaspoon cumin
1teaspoon salt
4tablespoon unsalted butter
1jar tomato paste
1 can full fat coconut milk
3tablespoon Greek yogurt
2tablespoon lemon juice
Cup peas
Brown rice
Toppings:
Coriander
Coconut flakes
Slivered almonds

Cut chicken into chunks. fill slow cooker with chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, cinnamon, cumin, salt. stir to combine. add butter, tomato paste, coconut milk, mix. cover. Cook on low for 8 hours. before serving stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, peas. allow to heat through. serve on rice with toppings if desired.