2012 September

Preserved Lemons, take your meal from zero to hero!

September 26, 2012 By Meg With 2 comments

I recently came into a lot of lemons. Our neighbours and a work colleague offloaded their goodness onto me, and I am so grateful! There was no way my normal lemon usage (which is quite high) would get through these babies while still at their peak, so preserving was decided. If you have never made preserved lemons before, put it on your ‘must do’ list right now!! Not only is it fun, but you will be left with one of THE best condiments that adds much more than flavour to your food. Preserving and fermenting food in this way encourages the proliferation of good bacteria, which then go crazy producing vitamins, enzymes, breaking down phytic acid and proteins, and helping us to digest properly. Eating this good bacteria also helps to maintain a healthy gut and digestive system.

And the best thing is you can sneak them into almost anything! Slice them finely and add to sauteed vegetables and stir frys, braises and sauces. Mix through dips or tepenades, rice and couscous dishes, salad dressings, sorbets, curries, and of course anything Moroccan. Hummus on a cracker? Nice. Add a fine slice of preserved lemon – TASTE EXPLOSION! You get the idea. Check out this recipe for Israeli Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash and Preserved Lemon. Note that as there is quite a bit of salt used in the making, anything you add them to will take this on also, so tone down any other salt in the dish.

Preserved Lemons
5 lemons – organic or home grown please as you are eating the skin
3 tablespoons-ish of good quality sea salt – not table salt
Extra lemons for extra juice
A cinnamon stick (optional)
A bay leaf (optional)
A sprinkle of coriander seeds (optional)

Wash the lemons, cut the end

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Apple Pie Smoothie

September 12, 2012 By Meg With 2 comments

It’s my birthday this week, and one of the great things about having a birthday is that you get to give yourself little treats throughout the day. I seem to centre mine around food, and I have been planning my meals for today with a lot of excitement! First things first – a breakfast aperitive – a green smoothie of course. Lately I have been rocking out some grapefruit numbers, but today it’s an Apple Pie Smoothie. This smoothie is nutrient rich, energising, cleansing, and delicious!

Apple Pie Smoothie

5 large stems of kale, spinach or silverbeet (de-boned)

I banana

1 apple, chopped (not Granny Smith, something a little sweeter)

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (or to taste – start with less and add if you need)

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup almond milk/rice milk/milk of your choice

1 teaspoon spirulina or chlorella

1-2 teaspoons chia seeds

Water to your desired thickness – around 1/2 cup is a good start

Blend, taste, adjust the spices if you need to, and ENJOY!

Another cute idea is to top the smoothie with home made muesli, and eat it with a spoon!

Much joy and deliciousness. x

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Rock your Farmer’s Market and a Spring Quinoa Salad

September 3, 2012 By Meg With 8 comments

Happy Spring everyone! And what better way to celebrate than with a trip to the local Farmer’s market.
Farmer’s markets are such a wonderful resource. Not only do you come home with fuller shopping baskets, fuller wallets and better quality produce than supermarket shopping, but you have the pleasure of mingling with the producers of your food – what a treat! I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Byron Bay farmers market in northern New South Wales, and met some fabulous people with beautiful goodies to share.

I found an amazing fava bean tempeh infused with Tasmanian wakame which was completely delish.

My next favourite was the sprouts. Sexy little broccoli sprouts still in their own dirt, so that you can just cultivate them as you need and they are still alive and vibrant right to the end!

Add a fabulous selection of vegetables and fruit, artesian cheeses, raw food creations, beautiful handmade breads, and loads of other wonderfulness. So how do you get the best from your farmer’s market? My hot three tips are:

1. Go early or late. Early and you will be able to nab all the super produce, late and you are most likely to score a bargain with stalls selling off the last of their produce. Buying in season, and in bulk will also keep costs down.

2. Talk to the growers! They will be more than happy to chat with you about how and where their products are grown/produced, how to best care for it, and usually some great ideas on what to do with it!
3. Plan out your meals, or at least some of them, for the week so that you can be a little more focussed on what you need and you won’t end up with a fridge full of

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