Welcome to a 4 day weekend! Many people go away during this time, but if you're staying at home, it's a chance to relax with family, and spend a bit more timing preparing and sharing meals. For those who celebrate Easter with the traditional fish for Good Friday, I've included one of my favourite light fish recipes, but remember to shop sustainably for seafood. You can use the Australian Marine Conservation Society Sustainable Seafood Tool to find out which fish to buy. I've also included an old favourite Roast Chicken for a big family lunch and a light and fruity dessert to help you through the chocolate overload. If you have some time over the break, why not make a huge batch of vegie sausage rolls and freeze them for busy weeknights when cooking is way too hard. However you spend the break, have a good one and happy eating :-)
What's in the box?
Pop over to Weekly News for a reminder of what's in the box this week.
Meal Planner
When you picked up your box this week, you may have received our meal plan and shopping list handout. If not, you can view it here online. Below is some further info to help you prepare the suggested meals and links to recipes if they're a bit more tricky.
Steamed Ginger Fish with Broccoli
Mix 1/3 cup of stock with 2 tablespoons of soy and ½ tsp of sesame oil. Cut squares of baking paper and places fillets of a firm white fish in the centre of each square. Top with thin (julienned) slices of carrot and spring onion, then fold the sides of the baking paper up and pour in the stock mixture. Places the parcels in a bamboo steamer (I use a normal vegetable steamer) and steam for 10 minutes. Serve on rice with juices poured over and stir fried Broccoli and Garlic on the side. Here is a similar recipe, or seek out the Jody Vassallo Detox cookbook which you can sometimes find in newsagents or (argh) the supermarket.
Roast Chicken and Vegies
Easter Sunday is a great day for getting together with family or just sitting down with your faves for a long lazy lunch. You can’t go wrong with roast chicken. I use the Stephanie Alexander technique, rubbing garlic over the chicken and stuffing halved lemon in the chicken with the garlic. Toss chunks of potato, carrot and onion around the chicken and prop it up on either side for 20 minutes then finish with another 20 up the right way. Add zucchini and pumpkin to the oven for the last 20 minutes. Make a gravy from pan juices and a little bit of cornflour and red wine. Serve with a green salads and sliced tomatoes. Remember to pick up some extra vegies at the Local Organics shop to feed the whole family!
Bean Stew
Chop red onion and saute with garlic, herbs (try oregano, paprika, cumin & chili) salt & pepper. Add soaked, precooked Adzuki beans and kidney beans (or use tinned), sweetcorn, tomatoes and tomato paste and juice of 4 limes. You could add Chorizo at this point. Simmer for an hour, adding water or tomato juice as necessary to stop sticking. Add more lime/chili/tomato to taste then serve with sour cream. Thanks to Rachel for the inspiration!
Locro de Zapallo
I found this recipe online after a friend suggested I look into Locro. Locro means meat and vegetable soup in Spanish, so there are obviously loads of variations. This one is from Peru and sounds perfect for a cold night. Boil or steam pumpkin cubes and mash into a puree. Cook onion, garlic, herbs (try Paprika, Cumin and Oregano) in ghee then add cubes of potato and cover in some of the pumpkin water. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir in corn, peas, milk or cream and a crumbly white cheese like feta. The South Americans use Queso Fresco which you can buy at Casa Iberica in Fitzroy or Fairfield, along with the Sth American spices called for in this traditional recipe (Aji Panca and Ahi Amarillo)
Vegie Sausage Rolls
Prepare your pastry in advance. If you’re not the baking type (like me) you can simply defrost puff pastry sheets. Cut puff pastry sheets in half so you have two long rectangles. Chop, grate or process vegetables like carrot, cauliflower, corn, broccoli, beans, capsicum, spring onion and silverbeet. If you want to include root vegies like pumpkin or potato, you should bake or steam them first. Add an egg or three (depending on quantities) and mix with herbs and spices. You could add cheese or minced meat like this recipe which uses minced chicken. Spread mixture along each rectangle and roll pastry over. Brush egg over the top and to seal the edges, then cut into 3 or 4 and bake for 25 minutes. There are endless variations including some great meat alternatives online. This is a really interesting sounding recipe that uses walnuts, cottage cheese, soy sauce, oats, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in place of meat. Or try this one with LSA and flaked quinoa. I haven’t tried them, but plan to one day – let us know how they go for you! Make a huge batch and freeze them for easy weeknight meals.
Stewed Apples Pears and Plums with Yoghurt
With so much chocolate going around, you might need a lighter, healthier kind of sweetness after this weekend. Slice apples, plums and pears and pop into a saucepan with enough water so it doesn’t dry out, a drop or two of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. Simmer gently until the fruit is soft, adding water if it starts to stick. Serve with greek yoghurt. You can slice the fruit if you prefer, and cook and eat the plums separately as they are a different texture –but I just like to throw them all in together :-)
Mix 1/3 cup of stock with 2 tablespoons of soy and ½ tsp of sesame oil. Cut squares of baking paper and places fillets of a firm white fish in the centre of each square. Top with thin (julienned) slices of carrot and spring onion, then fold the sides of the baking paper up and pour in the stock mixture. Places the parcels in a bamboo steamer (I use a normal vegetable steamer) and steam for 10 minutes. Serve on rice with juices poured over and stir fried Broccoli and Garlic on the side. Here is a similar recipe, or seek out the Jody Vassallo Detox cookbook which you can sometimes find in newsagents or (argh) the supermarket.
Roast Chicken and Vegies
Easter Sunday is a great day for getting together with family or just sitting down with your faves for a long lazy lunch. You can’t go wrong with roast chicken. I use the Stephanie Alexander technique, rubbing garlic over the chicken and stuffing halved lemon in the chicken with the garlic. Toss chunks of potato, carrot and onion around the chicken and prop it up on either side for 20 minutes then finish with another 20 up the right way. Add zucchini and pumpkin to the oven for the last 20 minutes. Make a gravy from pan juices and a little bit of cornflour and red wine. Serve with a green salads and sliced tomatoes. Remember to pick up some extra vegies at the Local Organics shop to feed the whole family!
Bean Stew
Chop red onion and saute with garlic, herbs (try oregano, paprika, cumin & chili) salt & pepper. Add soaked, precooked Adzuki beans and kidney beans (or use tinned), sweetcorn, tomatoes and tomato paste and juice of 4 limes. You could add Chorizo at this point. Simmer for an hour, adding water or tomato juice as necessary to stop sticking. Add more lime/chili/tomato to taste then serve with sour cream. Thanks to Rachel for the inspiration!
Locro de Zapallo
I found this recipe online after a friend suggested I look into Locro. Locro means meat and vegetable soup in Spanish, so there are obviously loads of variations. This one is from Peru and sounds perfect for a cold night. Boil or steam pumpkin cubes and mash into a puree. Cook onion, garlic, herbs (try Paprika, Cumin and Oregano) in ghee then add cubes of potato and cover in some of the pumpkin water. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir in corn, peas, milk or cream and a crumbly white cheese like feta. The South Americans use Queso Fresco which you can buy at Casa Iberica in Fitzroy or Fairfield, along with the Sth American spices called for in this traditional recipe (Aji Panca and Ahi Amarillo)
Vegie Sausage Rolls
Prepare your pastry in advance. If you’re not the baking type (like me) you can simply defrost puff pastry sheets. Cut puff pastry sheets in half so you have two long rectangles. Chop, grate or process vegetables like carrot, cauliflower, corn, broccoli, beans, capsicum, spring onion and silverbeet. If you want to include root vegies like pumpkin or potato, you should bake or steam them first. Add an egg or three (depending on quantities) and mix with herbs and spices. You could add cheese or minced meat like this recipe which uses minced chicken. Spread mixture along each rectangle and roll pastry over. Brush egg over the top and to seal the edges, then cut into 3 or 4 and bake for 25 minutes. There are endless variations including some great meat alternatives online. This is a really interesting sounding recipe that uses walnuts, cottage cheese, soy sauce, oats, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in place of meat. Or try this one with LSA and flaked quinoa. I haven’t tried them, but plan to one day – let us know how they go for you! Make a huge batch and freeze them for easy weeknight meals.
Stewed Apples Pears and Plums with Yoghurt
With so much chocolate going around, you might need a lighter, healthier kind of sweetness after this weekend. Slice apples, plums and pears and pop into a saucepan with enough water so it doesn’t dry out, a drop or two of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. Simmer gently until the fruit is soft, adding water if it starts to stick. Serve with greek yoghurt. You can slice the fruit if you prefer, and cook and eat the plums separately as they are a different texture –but I just like to throw them all in together :-)
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