Category Archives for "Meals"

Home Made Hummus

Unfortunately, almost all dips you buy in a tub/packet are chock full of preservatives. The big companies are putting more and more preservatives in all the time to lengthen the shelf life of their products.  You can never beat making your own. And like most things, the more often you do it the easier & less time consuming it becomes.
Put it this way, if the products “best before” date is twelve months away, there is a really good chance it isn’t going to be so healthy after all.
Try this yummy and very simple Hummus recipe. Enjoy with some toasted mountain bread or carrot sticks.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried chickpeas
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:
Step 1
Place chickpeas in a bowl. Cover with cold water. Cover with plastic wrap. Stand overnight.
Step 2
Drain chickpeas. Place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Cover. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid.
Step 3
Process chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, oil, salt and reserved liquid until almost smooth.
Step 4
Spoon into a bowl. Sprinkle with paprika. Drizzle with oil. Serve.

Chicken and cashew stir-fry with Thai rice

Ingredients:

115g pkt Continental Thai Coconut & Lemongrass Rice
1 teaspoon Continental Chicken Stock Powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
500g Coles RSCPA Approved Chicken Breast Fillets, thinly sliced
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, seeded, thinly sliced
150g green beans, ends trimmed, halved horizontally
30g pkt Continental Chicken & Cashew Stir Fry Recipe Base
1/2 cup (75g) unsalted cashews, toasted
1/3 cup coriander leaves
Lime wedges, to serve

Instructions:

Cook the rice with stock powder, 1 tsp of the oil and 1 1/4 cups (310ml) water in a saucepan following packet directions.
Meanwhile, heat half the remaining oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Stir-fry chicken, in batches, for 2-3 mins or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Heat remaining oil in wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry onion for 2 mins or until soft. Add capsicum and beans. Stir-fry for 2 mins or until beans are just tender. Combine stir-fry recipe base and ½ cup (125ml) water in a jug.
Return chicken to wok with recipe base mixture and cashews. Stir-fry for 2 mins or until sauce thickens. Serve with rice, coriander and lime wedges.

Credit: Recipe.com

Beef, baby corn and choy sum stir-fry

Ingredients:

150g dried egg noodles
2 teaspoons cornflour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup reduced salt soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon crushed chilli
500g lean rump steak, trimmed of fat
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
3 teaspoons canola oil
1 bunch choy sum, ends trimmed
150g green beans, halved
1 x 410g can baby corn spears, drained and rinsed, halved.

Instructions:

Boil noodles in unsalted water as directed on packet, drain and set aside.
Mix cornflour and water to a smooth paste in a small jug. Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar and chilli.
Cut rump steak into thin strips and mix with garlic and ginger. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a non-stick wok or frypan, add half the beef strips and stir-fry over a high heat until browned then remove from pan. Repeat with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining beef strips.
Cut choy sum stems into 4cm lengths and chop leaves roughly. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in wok, add beans, corn spears and choy sum stems, stir-fry over a high heat 1-2 minutes then return beef strips to wok with choy sum leaves and sauce mixture.
Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Add noodles, toss gently over heat until mixture is well combined and heated through, then serve.

Cook time: 10 minutes.