This salad is perfect to serve for lunch or dinner as it is packed with protein and goodies, to help you feel satisfied and full! It also makes great leftovers to take to work or school the next day.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
100g raw chicken breast 45g quinoa, uncooked 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 spring onion, sliced ½ medium cucumber, sliced 30g walnuts 1 handful of rocket leaves ¼ fresh mint, chopped Dressing:
1 tbsp fresh lime juice ½ tbsp fresh orange juice ½ tbsp olive oil 1 tsp honey 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method:
Place quinoa and 160ml water in a saucepan over a high heat. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Lightly spray a non-stick fry pan with cooking spray and heat over a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken pieces for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned all over and cooked through. Set aside in a heatproof bowl.
To make the dressing: place all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine the tomato, spring onion, cucumber, walnuts, rocket leaves, mint and cooked quinoa. Mix to combine. Add the dressing to the salad and toss gently to coat.
Place the salad on a serving dish and top with the cooked chicken.
The combination may seem a little strange at first, but trust me it tastes so delicious. I love eating mine served with grilled chicken or salmon, and even tossed through salads!
This makes about 1 cup.
Ingredients:½ medium red capsicum, finely diced ¼ small red onion, finely diced ½ medium cucumber, deseeded, finely diced ¼ rockmelon, diced (1cm) 1 small fresh red chilli, deseeded, finely diced 1 tbsp chopped parsley ½ lime, juiced Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
In a large bowl, gently mix together the capsicum, onion, cucumber, melon and chili.
Add the parsley, lime juice and season with the salt and pepper.
Toss gently to combine; cover and chill until ready to serve.
Ingredients for Mushroom Soup: 8 cups water 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth 3-4 medium potatoes, peeled, diced and rinsed 2 lbs mushrooms, sliced 2 cups half & half (or 1 cup milk + 1 cup heavy cream) 4 Tbsp flour (add 5 Tbsp if you like a creamier soup) 1 medium onion, finely diced 1 large carrot, grated 3 Tbsp butter 2 Tbspmushroom seasoning(or 1/2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash, or vegetable seasoning *see note) Salt and black pepper to taste 1/3 cup chopped parsley or dill or both
*Note: Olga P., who shared this recipe with me, uses this mushroom seasoning that she purchased at the European market. We knew that not everyone may have access to it, so we tried using Mrs. Dash seasoning instead and it was still very tasty.
How to Make Mushroom Soup:1. Add potatoes to a pot with 8 cups water and 2 cups stock. Bring potatoes to a light boil and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost cooked. Meanwhile saute sliced mushrooms over medium high heat until they are lightly browned and softened. Add mushrooms to the soup pot and continue cooking 5-8 min.
3. Whisk together 2 cups half and half and 4 Tbsp flour until smooth. Add cream mixture to the soup. Add seasonings to taste (If not using mushroom seasoning, we recommend the following seasoning combination: 1 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash). Stir in 1/3 cup chopped Parsley or Dill or a mix of both. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, check potatoes for doneness and remove from heat.
Prep time:
Cook time:Total time:
This mushroom soup boasts 2 pounds of mushrooms, so if you're a mushroom lover like myself, this soup is for you. It uses a light cream broth so you still get some creaminess without the heaviness of cream soups.
Author:Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Skill Level:Easy/Medium
Cost To Make:$13-$16
Serving:8-10 servings
Ingredients
8 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled, diced and rinsed
2 lbs mushrooms, sliced
2 cups half & half (or 1 cup milk + 1 cup heavy cream)
4 Tbsp flour (add 5 Tbsp if you like a creamier soup)
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, grated
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp mushroom seasoning (or ½ Tbsp Mrs. Dash, or vegetable seasoning *see note)
Salt and black pepper to taste
⅓ cup chopped parsley or dill or both
Instructions
Add potatoes to a pot with 8 cups water and 2 cups stock. Bring potatoes to a light boil and continue to cook for about 10 min or until potatoes are almost cooked. Meanwhile saute sliced mushrooms over medium high heat until lightly browned and softened. Add mushrooms to the soup pot and continue cooking 5-8 min.
Whisk together 2 cups half and half and 4 Tbsp flour until smooth. Add cream mixture to the soup. Add seasonings to taste (If not using mushroom seasoning, we recommend the following seasoning combination: 1 Tbsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and ½ Tbsp Mrs. Dash). Stir in ⅓ cup chopped Parsley or Dill or a mix of both. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, check potatoes for doneness and remove from heat.
Notes
*Note: Olga P., who shared this recipe with me, uses this mushroom seasoning
that she purchased at the European market. We knew that not everyone may have access to it, so we tried using Mrs. Dash seasoning instead and it was still very tasty.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
½ medium brown onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 cups fresh baby spinach
200g canned crushed tomatoes
150g canned cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
2 spring onions, chopped
Method:
Preheat the oven to 205C/400F and lightly grease two ovenproof dishes with cooking spray.
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and the onion is soft but not coloured.
Add the spinach leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the leaves have just wilted. Remove from the heat.
Place the crushed tomatoes and cannellini beans into a medium bowl and mix to combine. Add the onion and spinach mixture, some salt and pepper, to taste and stir to combine.
Divide the mix among the two prepared ovenproof dishes. Using the back of a large spoon make a small dent in the middle of the sauce, then crack in an egg.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
Sprinkle with chopped spring onions, serve and enjoy!
If you’re ever in need for a flavorful dinner but are stuck in a rut, rosemary and garlic are two flavors that can boost up practically anything from fish (try rosemary and garlic roasted salmon), to meats, and even vegetables. ============================================================ serves 8 Ingredients
4 pound pork loin
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 475°F.
In a bowl, stir to combine garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt, lemon zest, and pepper.
Evenly spread the mixture over the pork loin and place in a large baking dish or roasting pan.
Place it in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 425°F and continue to roast for 1 hour until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 155°F.
Allow to rest on a carving board for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Start by combining rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Evenly spread over a 4-pound pork loin. I like to use a heritage pork loin or pasture-raised pork as I think the flavor is better. Also, they tend to be more responsibly raised than a commercial pig but that’s just my preference. Place the loin in a roasting pan or baking dish with or without a rack.
Place in a 475°F oven for 30 minutes then reduce the heat to 425°F and roast for an additional hour, until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 155°F. Allow to rest on a carving board for 10 minutes before carving.
Serve and devour the luscious goodness that is rosemary and garlic! Israeli couscous (10 minute cook time) and a simple salad, pictured above.
Ingredients: 3 medium, waxy potatoes (Desiree or Pontiac work well), well scrubbed 3 radishes, washed and chopped in wedges 1 medium cucumber, chopped ¼ cup chopped mixed herbs, such as dill, parsley and mint 1 tbsp seeded mustard 1 tsp honey ½ garlic clove, crushed 1 tbsp lemon juice 40ml olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Directions:
Cut the potatoes into 3cm pieces and place in a large saucepan and cover completely with cold water.
Pop the lid on and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and boil, partially covered for 10-15 minutes or until just tender.
Drain and set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, to make the dressing: add the seeded mustard, honey, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil to a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and set aside.
In a large bowl place the cool potatoes, radish wedges, cucumber and chopped herbs. Toss gently to combine.
Add the dressing to the potato mixture and toss gently to combine, being mindful not to break up the potatoes.
Serve at room temperature or refrigerate to chill.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta. Boil until the pasta is al dente (7-10 minutes). Add the frozen broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water, turn off the heat, and let sit for 1-2 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender-crisp. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
Transfer the pasta and broccoli back to the pot (with the heat off) or to a bowl and add the butter. Toss until the butter has melted and coated everything. Add the Parmesan, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and red pepper flakes, then toss to coat again. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately.
Step by Step Photos
It always amazes me how just a couple of ingredients can make such a satisfying meal. This really is SO simple and SO good. I keep these ingredients stocked and eat this often. This is all I need for about six servings (not all of the butter, Parm, and pepper were used for six servings).
If you’re making one serving at a time, you can either estimate 1/6th of the bag of pasta, or check the back to see if it gives a volume of dry pasta for the serving size. The measurement will change depending on the shape of the pasta, but for this bowtie shape 1/6th of the bag is roughly 3/4 cup. So that helps me keep serving sizes in check.
First bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta. Boil the pasta just until it’s tender (7-10 minutes). Once tender, add the frozen broccoli (estimate an equal volume to the pasta) directly to the pot and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a minute or two, or just until the broccoli is slightly tender, but has a bit of crunch left and is still bright green. If you prefer your broccoli a lot softer, you can leave the heat on for a minute or so and let it continue to boil, but I prefer mine to still have some tooth.
Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
Transfer the drained pasta and broccoli to a bowl, or back to the cooking pot (with the heat off). Add 1/2 Tbsp butter for each serving you’re preparing, then toss until the butter melts and coats everything.
Once everything is coated in melted butter, sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan for each serving, plus salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (if desired).
Toss briefly again so that everything is coated in Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Easy, enjoyable, and just over 50 cents per bowl!
