We had a lovely Saturday night over the weekend, staying with my brother Tim and his girlfriend Rhiannon. They cooked us an amazing summertime meal and we ate glorious food, chatting, laughing and enjoying the cool breeze on what was a balmy November evening.

Inspired by the fantastic salads Rhi made this is a noodle dish that’s perfect served cold on a hot summers evening. I love noodles, hot or cold and find them a really quick and easy meal to throw together no matter how little you have in the fridge or pantry.

The vibrant colours of this dish really pop off the plate and together with the fresh flavours and textures it’s a really yummy veggie meal. Toasted sunflower seeds add a lovely crunch and the sweet flavours of orange and honey add something a little different.

Perfect served as a light evening meal or try this delicious vegetarian recipe at your next barbeque or picnic. Easy to prepare ahead of time and store covered in the fridge. I used udon noodles here as they are a favourite but go ahead and use your favourite noodles or pasta instead. Be sure to enjoy this colourful and healthy recipe with the company of family and friends this summer.

Preparation time: 20mins
Serves 4 (6 as a side)

• 180g (6oz) Udon noodles
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup fresh basil & mint leaves
• 3 sun ripened tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, diced and tossed in a little lemon juice
• 2 medium navel oranges, diced
• 1 cup spinach leaves, shredded
• ¼ small red onion, finely diced

sweet balsamic dressing

• 4 tbs good quality olive oil
• 1½ tbs good quality balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp honey or agave nectar

Cook the udon noodles in rapid boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain and rinse well under cold water, rinse again and strain well. Set aside.

In a small frying-pan dry roast the sunflower seeds over a medium heat, tossing frequently and adding fresh ground salt and pepper to taste. Continue to toss the seeds in the pan until lightly golden, this should take just a few minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

In a food processor of by hand pulse the roasted sunflower seeds with the mint and basil leaves to form a coarse crumb or dry pesto like consistency.

In a large bowl toss the cold noodles with the sunflower seed mixture, diced tomatoes, avocado, oranges, baby spinach and red onion. This can be kept covered in the fridge until required.

To make the dressing whisk or shake in a screw top jar all the ingredients together.

Just before serving dress the noodles and either serve in a salad bowl or on a large platter. The perfect light and healthy summertime vegetarian meal or great as a side dish when entertaining.

Cathy from the wonderful and inspirational blog What Would Cathy Eat? recently launched a Healthy Thanksgiving Challenge. She’s been super busy creating beautiful healthy alternative recipes plus sharing clever hints & tips on avoiding all the saturated fat and salt of traditional Thanksgiving fare.

When Cathy invited me to take part, Aussie or not, I couldn’t give up the chance to tackle a recipe makeover. Cathy’s enthusiasm and flair for sharing healthy, heart conscious food is infectious and I was inspired to try re-creating a healthy and tasty version of the traditional Green Bean Casserole.

Farm-fresh green beans are layered with a creamy mushroom and walnut sauce, all topped off with crispy oven baked onions tossed in quinoa flakes and almonds, it’s a recipe full of flavour and lots of healthy and tasty ingredients.

Head over to What Would Cathy Eat? to check out this and loads of other great healthy and delicious recipes for Thanksgiving. Plus check out her Healthy Thanksgiving Challenge for hints, tips and ideas on eating healthy this holiday season!! Thanks Cathy :)

I know what this looks like, another salad recipe right. And yes it is something like that but, also something a little more. This is a delicious veggie dish that can be served a number of ways. Try serving tossed together either as a warm or chilled potato salad. Or serve layered on individual plates for a complete and tasty meal.

The lentils are gently simmered with fresh apple juice, dried cranberries and basil for a subtle sweet/savoury kick. Accompanied with steamed new potatoes and the crisp crunch of snowpeas, celery and radish; it’s a potato salad recipe with a little twist.

I love the colour and flavour combo here and it may seem a little early but I see this dish as a perfect addition to a veggie Christmas menu or simply when entertaining. Full of delicious and healthy ingredients this beautiful vegetarian recipe is sure to please :)

Preparation time 35mins
Serves 4 as a main ~ 4-6 as a side

• 560g (1lb) new potatoes, scrubbed & larger ones halved
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup of brown lentils (cooked or tinned)
• 1 cup fresh apple juice
• ¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
• ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
• 150g (5oz) snowpeas
• 2 celery stalks
• 3 radishes

Steam the potatoes for about 5-8 minutes until just tender. If serving warm keep the potatoes warm until ready to assemble otherwise allow to cool.

Meanwhile slice the celery and snowpeas into super thin batons and slice the radish into thin rounds. Toss and set aside.

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a deep frying pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, add the lentils and toss in the garlic and oil for a further few minutes.

Add the apple juice and dried cranberries and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to reduce by about half simmering over a gentle heat and stirring occasionally. Once reduced remove from the heat and stir through the torn basil leaves.

If serving warm as a main meal arrange the crunchy salad greens on individual plates, top with a few potatoes and drizzle over the lentil dressing.

Alternatively serve as a warm or chilled potato salad. Arrange the tossed crunchy greens on a large serving dish, top with potatoes and spoon over lentil mixture.

A delicious combination of flavours and textures creating a super yummy veggie meal for everyone to enjoy!!

{ this recipe was inspired by Donna Hay’s Mint and Apple Lamb with Crunchy Salad found in the Seasons cookbook }

It’s November and that means the warm hazy summer weather is just round the corner. Days spent lazing at the beach, relaxing by the creek, picnicking in the country or dining alfresco; summer can be a wonderful time of year.

With the lovely warm sunshine weather on the way I couldn’t help create a fresh and crunchy salad to celebrate! Carrots and their brilliant orange colour are an obvious choice for a simple healthy salad recipe full of crunch and flavour. I teamed them with a little fennel and added fresh grapes and slivered almonds for super extra yumminess. This is a very simple vegetarian recipe perfect as a side salad or served up in little buns for a delicious and light summer lunch.

The salad can easily be made ahead making it perfect for picnics; simply pack a few fresh rolls, some salad greens and maybe an avocado or two and you’ll have yourself one delicious little sandwich full of goodness and the tastes of summer… enjoy!!

Carrot & Fennel Salad w/ Grapes & Almonds

Preparation time: 10mins
Serves 4 {as a side}

• 4 medium sized carrots (approx. 300g/10.5oz), peeled & coarsely grated
• ½ small fennel bulb (approx. 80g/3oz), grated
• small bunch of grapes (approx.. 170g/6oz), sliced in half
• ½ cup slivered almonds, dry roasted

for the dressing

• ¼ cup natural set dairy yoghurt or vegan mayonaise
• ½ tbs double strength apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbs olive oil
• ¼ tsp good quality curry powder
• sprinkle of sumac (optional)

Toss the grated carrot, fennel, grapes and almonds together in a large bowl.

To make the dressing whisk all the ingredients together, except the sumac, to form a smooth dressing.

Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle with a little sumac and garnish with fennel leaves if desired.

A lovely healthy summer salad perfect as a crisp and crunchy side or serve as below in little buns for a delicious light lunch.

Carrot & Fennel Salad Rolls

Preparation time: 5mins
Serves 4

• Carrot & Fennel Salad prepared as above
• 4 small seed buns (I used cape seed rolls)
• small bunch of baby salad rocket (arugula)
• 1 or 2 avocados, sliced

Slice your buns in half, top with rocket leaves, slices of avocado and a good pile of carrot and fennel salad.

Of course add your favourite sandwich fillings if you like; feta cheese and/or pickled beetroot would be lovely too!!

The ups and downs of life have been lurking round us this past month and I decided it was time to take a little break from Veggie num num. In that time Cam and I took a well-earned holiday and spent almost two beautiful weeks soaking up the spring sunshine in picture-perfect Byron Bay. There is seriously nothing quite like a beachside holiday to relax and recharge… it was pure bliss!!

Soooooooo inspired by all that sunshine and the promise of warmer weather round the corner I had to prepare a colourful and spicy barbeque recipe that’s just right for springtime eats! The homemade piri piri sauce lends a nice hint of spice and heat to this tasty dish and is complimented nicely by the subtle sweet flavours of the couscous salad.

I made a mixture of vegetarian skewers here, using pumpkin and halloumi; you could choose to use just pumpkin or substitute pieces of tofu or another vegetable like zucchini or eggplant for the halloumi cheese.

The amount of heat you get from the piri piri will depend on the chillies you use and weather or not you deseed them. If you prefer a milder dish try substituting one or two red capsicums (bell peppers) instead of the chillies.

A great vegetarian recipe to feed friends and family when entertaining or for a lovely light summery meal when relaxing at home, the fresh herbs and spicy/sweet flavours of this dish are so very, very good!

Barbequed Piri Piri Pumpkin and Halloumi Skewers

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Makes 12 skewers

• 6 long red chillies
• 2 whole garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbs smoky paprika
• 3 tbs apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp dark brown sugar
• 750g (1 lb) piece of pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 250g (9 oz) halloumi cheese (or eggplant, zucchini or firm tofu), cubed
• small bunch of fresh mint and basil leaves, shredded
• lemon wedges to serve
• 12 bamboo skewers

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F and if cooking the skewers on a barbeque be sure to pre-soak them.

Spread the chillies and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking tray, prick the chillies with a fork and roast in the preheat oven for 5-10 minutes until soft and golden.

Allow to cool and then roughly chop the chillies (you can deseed them now if you prefer a milder sauce) and squeeze the garlic from their skins.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium/low heat, add the chopped chillies, garlic, paprika, vinegar and sugar. Gently simmer over a low heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and caramelized slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before processing in a food processor until smooth.

Steam the pumpkin pieces for 3-4 minutes only until a skewer inserted just easily slides through. You don’t want to over steam the pieces and turn them to mush so watch them carefully.

Toss the steamed and cooled pumpkin pieces with the halloumi or other vegetable or tofu in the prepared piri piri sauce until well coated. Thread alternating pieces of pumpkin and hallouim onto the skewers and set aside.

Heat a small amount of vegetable oil on a barbeque grill plate or in a stove top grill pan. Cook the skewers over a medium heat turning until golden on all sides.

Remove from the heat and serve scattered with the fresh herbs, lemon wedges and the sweet couscous salad.

Sweet Couscous Salad w/ Walnuts, Dates & Cinnamon

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 4 as a side

• 2 cups couscous
• 2 cups hot vegetable stock
• 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves, shredded
• 10 fresh dates, roughly diced
• 1 cup walnut, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 3 tbs olive oil

Add the couscous to a bowl and pour over the hot stock. Cover and allow to steep for about 5 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed. Using a fork fluff the couscous to separate the grains.

Whisk the ground cinnamon with the lemon juice and olive oil until well combined.

Toss the dates, walnuts, mint and dressing through the prepared couscous until well combined.

The salad can be prepared ahead of time and either served cold or simply reheat by tossing over a low heat in a non-stick frying pan for a few minutes until warmed through.

The prefect quick and easy vegetarian salad recipe to accompany so many vegetable dishes… enjoy!!

{ the piri piri sauce recipe was adapted from a recipe by Kate Nichols for Barbequed Piri Piri Prawns found in Delicious magazine }

Homemade bread, is there anything more rewarding or delicious to bake in your very own oven? The process is exciting and fun, activating the yeast, waiting for the dough to rise and finally pulling your golden bread from the oven to devour fresh and warm, it’s bliss.

For those of you out there a little intimidated by bread baking, never fear, this is a really simple no knead recipe that delivers a beautiful tasty bread. Perfect for snacking, as an appetizer when entertaining or to serve with soups, stews, pasta or a crispy salad, focaccia is truly versatile.

Add your favourite herbs and spices to this focaccia recipe and experiment with different toppings; try adding sliced olives or leeks, grated vegetarian or vegan cheese, sliced chilli or a sprinkle of different fresh herbs. With a little preparation time you will be rewarded with beautiful and tasty home-baked bread to enjoy fresh from the oven!!

My brother and I baked these on a cold day here on the mountain and they where the perfect thing to enjoy sliced into warm pieces. Huge props to Tim for taking most of the beautiful pics on todays post. It was fun having someone else capture the cooking process, thanks Tim!!

Oh and if you look closely there is a little Poet cat photo bomb in the last pic, I couldn’t resist :)

Preparation time: 40mins (+ 1 hour proofing)
Makes 2 Focaccia

• 2 tsp dried yeast
• 1 tsp raw sugar
• 1¾ cup warm water
• 1 tbs olive oil
• ¼ cup gluten flour (wheat gluten)
• 440g (15 oz) plain flour (preferable 00/bakers flour)
• 1 tsp salt flakes
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp celery seeds

toppings

• 1 tbs olive oil
• ½ ripe tomato, sliced
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds or fennel seeds
• fresh thyme, chopped

Combine the yeast and sugar with approximately ½ cup of the warm water, add the remaining warm water and the tablespoon of olive oil, set aside.

Sift the flours into a large bowl, add the salt flakes, fennel and celery seeds; stir gently to combine and make a well in the centre.

Check the yeast mixture is activated, you’ll notice the yeast very gently bubbling or rising to the surface, this may take a few minutes to happen.

Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and using a wooden spoon stir for 1-2 minutes until well combined and formed into a soft, sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place in a warm corner to allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour or until approximately doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and using floured hands, halve the dough into two rounds. Arrange the rounds onto lightly oiled baking trays and gently shape and flatten.

Top with sliced tomato, onion, garlic, cumin or fennel seeds and thyme. Brush with the olive oil and allow to rest for a further 15 minutes before placing in the hot oven for 10 -15 minutes until bread is golden brown.

Remove when evenly cooked and firm, slide onto a baking rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and devouring. Enjoy!!

{ this recipe was adapted from an Olive Focaccia recipe found in Charmaine Solomon’s Family Recipes Cook Book }

Cam and I adopted the tradition of Sunday night curry a few years back from Tim & Rhi and it’s one of those things that just stuck. Curry is a meal that ticks all the boxes. It’s filling, spicy, warming, delicious and fun to make and something you can cook earlier in the day and then re-heat that night. Curry always tastes better after a few hours and especially the next day!!

This Sunday I thought I’d whip up a dry curry loosely based on Rhi’s SriLankan deviled potatoes and serve them with a fragrant coconut rice. The result is a simple vegetarian curry recipe that is easy to prepare and teams wonderfully with the coconut rice for a complete spicy and fragrant meal.

There is something about the combination of ginger, garlic and curry spices that warms the body and the soul. This simple colourful vegetarian recipe is perfect for a Sunday night dinner or an effortless mid-week meal. Enjoy accompanied with lime pickle and papadums for a complete spicy and delicious veggie dinner!!

Coconut Rice

Preparation time: 25mins (+30 minutes refrigeration time)
Serves 4-6

• 1½ cups basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 tbs peanut oil
• good pinch salt flakes

Rinse the rice well and add to a saucepan with the 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat to low and allow to gently cook for 15-20 minutes with the lid firmly on.

Once the rice is tender and water absorbed transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes until cool.

Dry roast the coconut very quickly in a frying pan over a medium heat. Toss frequently and watch the coconut carefully as it can burn quickly.

Add the curry leaves and toss through, add the cooled rice, peanut oil and salt flakes and toss until the rice is warmed through and fragrant. Serve immediately.

Devilish Potatoes

Preparation time: 35mins
Serves 4

• 600g (1lb) potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 250g (9oz) carrot, peeled & diced
• 2 tbs peanut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• ¼ – ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced into half moons
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 green chilli, finely diced
• 5 curry leaves
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

to serve

• papadums
• lime pickle or fruit chutney

Boil the diced potatoes and carrot in a large pot with plenty of water for approximately 10 minutes until just tender. Strain and set aside.

Heat the peanut oil in a good heavy based frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and shake the pan over a medium heat until they begin to pop, add the cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper if using and cook over a gentle heat using a wooden spoon to combine them with the oil, being careful not to burn the spices.

Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until soft, add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and curry leaves and cook over a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes allowing the flavours to develop and tomatoes soften.

Add the cooked potatoes and carrot and toss cooking over a gentle heat for 10-15 minutes. Just brefore serving toss through the chopped coriander and toss through, serve immediately or the curry can be prepared ahead of time and re-heated before serving.

Serve with the prepared coconut rice, fresh papadums and lime pickle for a complete spicy and delicious vegetarian meal.

Straight up, I love the colours of this simple roasted vegetable recipe; the vibrant yellows, orange and green, just make me happy and hungry :) Like so many people we love a good meal of roast veggies and eating them often, it’s always nice to have a few different combinations to choose from.

The flavor of roasted fennel is so wonderful I really wanted it to be the star of the dish. Tossed with a few fresh vegetables and a good quality olive oil is all it needs to create a vibrant and delicious vegetable medley. I tossed through some ground roasted nuts for added texture and yumminess before serving it over a bed of quinoa, which I have included in the recipe instructions below, for a complete meal.

Alternatively serve this simple vegetarian recipe with couscous or crusty bread for mopping up the lovely oily juices, num!! A tasty and effortless way to enjoy the goodness of vegetables, this healthy recipe is elegant enough for a side dish when entertaining or perfectly filling for a tasty mid week meal or weekend lunch.

Preparation time: 40mins
Serves 2-4

• 175g (6 oz) baby carrots (I used a combination of baby and whole carrots (cut into batons) because that’s what we had in the fridge:), scrubbed
• 175g (6oz) asparagus, woody ends removed
• 150g (5 oz) pattypan squash, quartered
• ½ large fennel bulb, sliced
• ¼ cup good quality full flavoured olive oil
• 1 tsp coarse rock salt
• ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• 2-3 star anise
• 1 tbs almonds
• 1 tbs hazlenuts
• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cup vegetable broth

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/392°F

Toss the vegetables in the olive oil, salt and chilli flakes, making sure all the veg are well coated in oil.

Arrange the prepared vegetables in a large baking tray and toss in the whole star anise.

Roast the vegetables in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes until golden coloured and still slightly firm.

Meanwhile bring the quinoa and vegetable broth to boil in a small saucepan, turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes until cooked, strain of any excess liquid and keep warm until serving.

Dry roast the nuts in a frying pan over a medium heat and then allow to cool before grinding coarsely.

Once the vegetables are roasted (removing the star anise) toss with the prepared nuts and serve over a bed of quinoa with a few fresh fennel sprigs for garnish. Alternatively serve this roasted vegetable recipe with couscous or crusty bread.

Preparation time: 45mins
Serves 4

Carrot & Walnut Pesto

• 4 cups grated carrot (approx 4 carrots)
• 100g (3½oz) walnuts
• 60g (2oz) raw almonds
• 1 tsp za’atar spice mix [or use any combination of spices you like, try sesame seeds, cumin, turmeric and/or sumac]
• 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs tahina
• 2 tbs olive oil
• ½ lemon, juice only

Dry roast the nuts and spice mix in a frying pan over a medium/low heat for 4-5 minutes tossing frequently until they are golden, being careful not to burn them, allow to cool.

Combine the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, tahina and lemon juice together in a small bowl.

Add the grated carrot and dry roasted nuts and spices to a food processor and process until well combined, adding the apple cider vinegar mixture as you continue to process until the carrot and nuts form a fine pesto like mixture, set aside.

Carrot & Walnut Pesto w/ Baked Vegetables and Vegeroni

• 1½ tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp sumac
• 470g (16½oz) vegetables, diced into 3cm (1½ inch) cubes [we used pumpkin, zucchini & capsicum]
• ½ the prepared Carrot & Walnut Pesto [head over to Veggie num num’s flickr for an idea on how to use the remaining carrot pesto]
• 375g (13oz) vegeroni (or any small shell like) pasta

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/392°F

In a large bowl combine the diced vegetables with the olive oil and sumac and toss until well coated. Transfer the vegetables onto a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until vegetables are soft and edges golden. Remove from the oven a set aside.

Meanwhile cook the pasta to the packet instructions, drain well and set aside.

In a large bowl toss the carrot pesto through the warm pasta until evenly combined, add the baked vegetables and gently toss through.

Either serve warm as a great healthy pasta recipe or cold for a delicious bowl of pasta salad perfect for your lunchbox.

Preparation time: 50mins
Serves 4

• 2-3tbs vegetable oil
• 500g (1lb) pumpkin, skinned & chopped
• 400g (14oz) potato, chopped
• 400g (14oz) sweet potato, chopped
• 1-2 carrots, peeled & chopped
• 1 tbs vegetable seasoning or powdered vegetable stock {we used a Greek spice seasoning}
• 240g (8oz) mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 200g (7oz) broccoli florets
• 3 good handfuls of mixed lettuce leaves
• 2-3 celery sticks, diced
• 1 red apple, diced and tossed in lime juice
• 240g (8oz) cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 125g (4oz) feta cheese (optional for non vegans)
• 100g (3½ oz) walnuts (or any nuts &/or seeds you prefer)
• 7-10 dates, pitted and chopped

for the dressing

• ¼ cup mayonnaise (or veganaise)
• 1tbs dijionaise (or 1tsp Dijon mustard for vegans)
• 1tbs balsamic vinegar
• ½-1 tsp harissa
• 1tbs olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/428°F

Drizzle the vegetable oil into one large or two smaller baking trays and place them in the oven to warm the oil for a few minutes.

Once the oil has warmed, carefully add the chopped pumpkin, potato, sweet potato and carrot.

Bake the vegetables for 40-45 minutes, turning if need be, until roasted evenly, remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile heat a small amount of oil or butter in a frying pan, add the mushroom and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the broccoli florets and toss through for 2-3 minutes until warmed through, remove from heat.

Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients together with a little freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt flakes.

On a large platter arrange the salad. Start with the roast vegetables, top with the lettuce leaves and then the mushroom and broccoli mixture, scatter over the apple, celery, cherry tomatoes, dates, walnuts and feta if using.

Drizzle over the dressing and serve with lots of crusty bread or couscous for a completely delicious and amazingly healthy vegetarian meal.

{ This recipe comes to you with very special thanks to my beautiful Mum xo }