sweet potato quinoa patties with avocado sauce

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. Make avocado sauce by blending
   1 large avocado,
   1/4 cup olive oil,
   1/4 cup filtered water,
   couple sprigs of coriander,
   2 garlic cloves,
   juice of 1/2 lime and
   celtic sea salt, to taste then place in the fridge.
   
   
2. Boil
   1/2 cup quinoa in
   1 cup filtered water until all the water is absorbed and set aside.
   
   
3. Insert butterfly whisk into thermomix.
   
   
4. Place
   1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1cm pieces,
   pinch of celtic sea salt, and enough
   filtered water to cover the sweet potato and cook for 25 minutes/95ºC/speed 1, placing simmering basket instead of measuring cup onto mixing bowl lid.
   
   
5. Remove butterly whisk, drain water, insert measuring cup and mash for 30 seconds/speed 4.
   
   
6. In a mixing bowl, combine, cooked quinoa, mashed sweet potato,
   1/2 small red onion, diced,
   tin of black beans, drained,
   1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper,
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
   
   
7. Form patties and bake in a 190ºC oven for 15 minutes.
   
   
8. Flip patties over and bake for a further 15 minutes.
   
   
9. Serve on a
   mesclun salad with the avocado sauce drizzled over the top.

gnocchi + pork ragu

Serves 6

Poppy cooks…

1. Place
   1kg de-boned pork leg,
   2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped,
   400g tin of diced tomatoes,
   2 tablespoons tomato paste,
   2 cups filtered water,
   4 garlic cloves, peeled,
   2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce,
   tablespoon of dried mixed herbs,
   2 teaspoons smoked paprika, (you can use sweet paprika too, depending on the smokiness level you prefer)
   2 tablespoons coconut sugar,
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt and
   1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper into a large pot on medium heat for 4 hours or until the pork is soft and pulls apart easily.
   
   
2. Place
   1kg nadine potatoes and
   1/2 head of garlic (skin left on) on a baking tray in a 180ºC oven for 1 hour or until they are easily pierced by a skewer.
   
   
3. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then halve and scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl.
   
   
4. Add the roasted garlic, skin removed, then mash until smooth.
   
   
5. Add
   2 egg yolks and combine.
   
   
6. Add
   1.5 cups gluten-free plain flour, half a cup at a time to the potato mixture, mixing together to form a dough, but be careful to not overwork the dough.
   
   
7. Prepare a lightly floured surface, then roll handfuls of the dough into long strips. Cut strips into gnocchi pieces and place on a floured tray. Using a fork, make indents in the gnocchi to absorb the ragu sauce later.
   
   
8. When the pork is soft, remove from the sauce, shred the meat and place back into the sauce.
   
   
9. Bring a separate pot of
   filtered water with
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt to the boil, add gnocchi and remove as soon as they rise to the surface - approximately 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into the pork ragu. Then serve!

The pulled pork can also be cooked in a slow cooker...I cook it on medium for 5 hours, then remove the lid and cook on high for half an hour to reduce the sauce while I shred the meat.

As an alternative, the pulled pork is perfect with my apple coleslaw, served in hard tacos!

salmon with a summer salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 red onion, finely diced

green chilli, seeds removed and finely diced

red capsicum, finely diced

mango, cubed

avocado, cubed

lemon juice

4 potatoes, cubed

hot filtered water

celtic sea salt

nuttelex

4 salmon fillets

Method

1. Toss red onion, chilli, capsicum, mango, avocado and a squeeze of lemon juice together in a salad bowl and set aside
2. In a pot, add potato with enough water to immerse potato. Cook until tender, drain and mash
3. Add nuttelex and salt to mashed potatoes to taste
4. Cook salmon skin side down first until crispy, then turn over until cooked through
5. Divide mashed potato amongst serving plates, place salmon fillets on top followed by salsa. Garnish with micro herbs

Notes
This is a perfect dish for the warmer months. For a lighter meal, you can omit the mashed potato. Another alternative is to swap the mashed potato for mashed cauliflower.

broccoli + zucchini bake

Serves 4

Ingredients

red onion, diced

broccoli, cut into small florets

2 zucchini, sliced

celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper

crushed chilli flakes

hot filtered water

1/2 cup rice milk

4 free-range organic eggs

ground nutmeg

handful basil, chopped

Method

1. Saute onions in a frying pan with olive oil until softened
2. Add broccoli and zucchini, season lightly and add a pinch of crushed chilli flakes to taste. Add a dash of hot filtered water to the pan to soften the vegetables, and add more as necessary
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, pinch of celtic sea salt and a pinch of ground nutmeg until fluffy
4. Stir basil through egg mixture
5. When vegetables are softened and slightly browned, place in a baking dish and pour egg mixture over the top
6. Bake in a 180°C oven for about 30 minutes

Notes
If you are not following a dairy or lactose free diet, then sprinkle with cheese before placing in the oven.

thai beef salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup hot filtered water

500g fillet steak

1/4 red onion, finely diced

2 spring onions, sliced diagonally

red capsicum, finely sliced

handful bean sprouts

125g green beans, sliced diagonally

lebanese cucumber, chopped

green chilli, finely sliced

1 cup coriander, chopped

50ml tamari sauce

juice of 1 lime

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Method

1. Cook green beans
2. Cook quinoa in filtered hot water
3. Grill steak with seasoning until medium rare. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin pieces
4. Combine onion, spring onion, capsicum, bean sprouts, beans, cucumber, chilli, coriander, quinoa and steak in a large serving bowl
5. Mix together tamari sauce, lime juice and garlic to make dressing and pour over salad

Notes
Feel free to use more red onion if you like red onion, or try adding a red chilli too if you like really spicy food.

roast pumpkin + cranberries with red quinoa

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. Cook
   1 cup red quinoa with
   3 cups of filtered water in a rice cooker or on the cooktop.
   
   
2. Preheat oven to 180°C.
   
   
3. On a baking tray, combine
   2.5 cups pumpkin, diced,
   1/2 red onion, finely diced and
   2 cloves garlic, minced,
   olive oil (enough to coat vegetables),
   2 teaspoons manuka honey,
   generous pinch of celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper,1/8 teaspoon ground ginger and
   1/8 teaspoon curry powder.
   
   

   

   
   Preparing ingredients in the roasting tray
   

   
   

4. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin and garlic are golden.
   
   
5. To serve, combine roasted ingredients with the cooked quinoa,
   1/2 cup dried cranberries and
   2 tablespoons parsley, chopped.