Asian Inspired Greens

Sometimes, clean fresh flavours are what inspires me the most. Don’t get me wrong; there is always a place for technique, but there is something delightful about pure ingredients. This quick slap together lunch is a classic example.

[ Serves: 2 | Time: 15 Minutes | Cost: $3 ]
[ Brittanys Rating: 4.5 / 5 | My Rating: 4.5 / 5 ]

Ingredients

1 bunch bok choy
1 bunch pak choy
1 bunch baby broccoli
1 zucchini, sliced thick
1 handful green beans
chilli flakes to taste

Sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
¼ teaspoon stevia or 1 teaspoon sugar

Method

1. Steam the vegetables in stages so they are cooked but still fresh and crisp on the plate.
2. Mix all the sauce ingredients together and toss the vegetables in a bowl with the sauce. Ensure the vegetables are coated well with the sauce.
3. Serve hot in a bowl with or without noodles. Sprinkle with chilli to taste.

Observations

• Yum. Enough said!
• Diabetic Note: No drama at all with this plate. If you are insulin dependent, add some noodles for carbs.
• Ethical Note: Raw or near raw, fresh, and local. So awesome.

 

Pork with Plum Sauce – Gourmet Garden Blogoff

Hmmm, pork. So tasty… And do you know what’s better than pork? Organic free ranged pork! The other day at the farmers markets I bought a lovely piece of collar butt pork from Sunforest Organic Meats. We grabbed some local organic veggies for steaming and Joe suggested the most delightful accompaniments to jazz up an otherwise ordinary meal; Chilli Plum Sauce and Garlic Butter. Welcome to heaven!

Organic grilled pork with plum sauce, steamed vegetables and garlic butter.

[  SERVES: 8  |  TIME: 10 MIN  |  COST: <$4  ]
[  JOES' RATING: 3.5 / 5  |  MY RATING: 4 / 5 ]

Ingredients – Plum Sauce

375 g plum jam
1 teaspoon Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic Paste
½ teaspoon Gourmet Garden Hot Chilli Paste
½ teaspoon Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste

Method – Plum Sauce

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and summer until reduced to a desired consistency.
2. Serve hot but note that the sauce will solidify upon sitting.

Hmm, sauce. Sweet, sticky, silky, spicy sauce!

[  SERVES: 2 - 4  |  TIME: 2 MIN  |  COST: <$2  ]
[  JOES' RATING: 4 / 5  |  MY RATING: 4 / 5 ]

Ingredients – Garlic Butter

1 – 2 tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon  Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic Paste
1 teaspoon shredded parsley
freshly ground pepper to taste

Method – Garlic Butter

1. In a small bowl or container, mash all the ingredients together.
2. Place a dollop on hot steamed vegetables to add a special something.

Observations

• Oh yum! This pork and the plum sauce was a marriage made in heaven. In fact, I am pretty sure this plum sauce just became a favourite sauce for our family. These quick, cheap and easy condiments will make any meal taste heavenly. It doesn’t take much to jazz up a normal family meal. Just imagination!
• The plum sauce will thicken on sitting, but a little heat will see it back to its delicious silky sweet liquid form! It can be stored in the fridge for several days in an air tight container until needed.
• Garlic butter is pretty much made of winning and can be used in everything from vegetables to bread. You can store any left over garlic butter in an air tight container in the fridge for a few days or so.
• Diabetic Note: hahahaha…… oh right. yes. Ummm…. Diabetics… I hate to break it to you but… jam = bad. (I know! Here, share my tissues *sob*) There is SO much sugar in the jam that it’s probably best reserved for special dinners. And used sparingly. (I am sure licking the plate clean of any sweet sticky goodness wont add any additional calories…). The butter isn’t good for you either, but its tasty! Again, sparingly. (I know, I know, I’m the fun police!)
• Ethical Note: If we all switched from beef to more sustainable meats such as pork and poultry, most of our climate change issues would almost disappear. Every small change we make as individuals affects the world we live in, for the good and bad. Make a commitment to switch one meal a week to an organic option, and give the earth that sustains us a bit of a break. One meal, one step, one earth.

Dinner was so awesome that everyone wanted their fair share.

 

Cannelloni

I am not sure how this dish is made, authentically. This is the way I’ve always made and enjoyed it. 

[  SERVES: 6  |  TIME: 15 MIN  |  COST: <$5  ]
[  JOES' RATING: 4.5/5  |  MY RATING:  3.5/5 |  Brittanys rating: 4.5/5]

Ingredients

1 packet cannelloni pasta shells

Filling

500 g Ricotta Cheese
250 g packet frozen spinach – well drained
3 Free Ranged Eggs
Handful chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauce

1 tin tomatoes sauce
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon curry powder

Method

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic in a little oil until opaque and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and remaining herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes until well cooked.
2. Mix the filling ingredients together with a fork, ensuring a smooth, even consistency (see photo above). Use a piping bag to fill the pasta tubes with the cheese mixture, and place evenly in the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Pour sauce over the top of the filled cannelloni shells, and cook in a moderate oven for 45 minutes. Check every 15 minutes. If the sauce appears to be drying out, add a little water to moisten.
4. Serve with grated Romano cheese.

Observations

• When I bake this in my portable convection oven, I always make sure there is water in the bottom to stop the sauce from drying out. The moisture in the sauce needs to cook the pasta underneath, so make sure it doesn’t dry out.
• Diabetic Note: This dish is not too bad on my Blood glucose levels. I tend to only have four tubes so it’s not a terribly big serve anyway.
• Ethical Note: We try to grow all our own herbs on our balcony in recycled boxes. A small herb garden is an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Related articles

• Mushroom Cannelloni (jessaneenskitchen.wordpress.com)
• Mini Cannelloni (markbittman.com)
• Low carbs Twist on Cannelloni! (inspired-weightloss.com)
• Pasta night – Spinach and Ricotta (kitchenwithoutborders.wordpress.com)