​Ingredients

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 avocado
• 50g feta
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• juice ½ lemon
• 2 slices of sourdough
  

Method

• Fill a large saucepan with water, add the vinegar and bring to a hard boil over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat so the water is simmering, then use a spoon to swirl the water into a whirlpool. Crack in both eggs and cook for 2 1/2 mins.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash the avocado, feta, chilli flakes and lemon juice, and season well with black pepper. Toast the bread.
• Pile the avocado and feta on the toast, then put a poached egg on top of each.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SWEET BALSAMIC VINEGAR:

• 1 clove fresh garlic, peeled
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• juice from 1/2 of orange
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

FOR THE SALMON:

• 2 (3 to 4 ounce) portions of wild caught salmon
• 2 heaping teaspoons of grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 heaping tablespoons of dark brown sugar

FOR THE SALAD:

• 5 ounces of your favorite leafy salad greens (I like spring mix)
• A few tablespoons of the Sweet Citrusy Balsamic Vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup sliced dried apricots
• 1/2 cup walnuts (heated in a pan until fragrant and toasty)
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, more or less to preference
• pomegranate arils
• 2 broiled glazed salmon fillets

DIRECTIONS:

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE: 
In a mini food processor or blender; combine the garlic clove with a handful of parsley and pulse until minced. Add in the juice of half an orange, 1/3 cup honey, 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon of both dried basil and thyme. Secure the lid and with the processor on, drizzle in the olive oil.

Pour the salad dressing into a glass jar, season with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the lid on the jar and store it into the fridge until you are ready to use. Should last a few weeks if kept with a tight lid in the fridge.

FOR THE SALMON: 

Preheat the broiler and place the two salmon fillets skin-side up on a lightly sprayed foil-lined sheet pan. Broil the salmon for 6-7 minutes. Remove and carefully remove the skin by peeling it back slowly. Be careful you don't burn yourself!

Flip the salmon over and top each with a heaping teaspoon of grainy Dijon Mustard. Spread the mustard evenly before sprinkling each with a heaping tablespoon of dark brown sugar. Return the salmon to the oven and continue to broil for 5-6 more minutes. Let the salmon cool while slightly while you prepare the salad.

FOR THE SALAD: 

Toss 5 ounces of your favorite salad greens into a bowl and drizzle a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette over top. Toss to coat. Divide the salad among two large, shallow bowls and top with the sliced, dried apricots, toasted walnuts, bleu cheese and pomegranate arils.

Once the salmon is warm but not longer hot, place it on top of the salads. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 large portobello mushroom caps
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach

• ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¾ cup prepared marinara sauce

​
​Method

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, on the prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mash ricotta, spinach, ¼ cup Parmesan, olives, Italian seasoning and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place marinara sauce in a small bowl, cover and microwave on High until hot, 30 seconds to 1½ minutes.
4. When the mushrooms are tender, carefully pour out any liquid accumulated in the caps. Return the caps to the pan gill-side up. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara into each cap; cover the remaining sauce to keep warm. Mound a generous ⅓ cup ricotta filling into each cap and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining marinara sauce.

​Easy cleanup: Recipes that require cooking spray can leave behind a sticky residue that can be hard to clean. To save time and keep your baking sheet looking fresh, line it with a layer of foil before you apply the cooking spray.

As every mum knows, little ones need regular refuelling (sometimes it amazes us how regularly!) and very often this is when we are on the move. Whether it’s after-school snacks, a playdate snack share or a weekend bite, it’s a perfect opportunity to get our kids munching on some fun, super tasty, supercharged foods.

Vibrant and delicious, these ‘birdseed triangles’ (as my kids call them) combine sesame and pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and berries in their original, raw state for optimal nutrition. This is a fool-proof recipe that is unbelievably quick and simple to make, lunch box friendly (no nuts), and – now for the best part – involves chocolate! Your mini kitchen assistants will be vying for the job of chief chocolate dunker!


INGREDIENTS
Bars

• 170 g (1½ cups) dates, pitted and soaked
• 3 tbsp vanilla essence
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 10 g (¾ cup) puffed quinoa
• 50 g (⅔ cup) desiccated coconut
  
• 50 g (⅓ cup) pumpkin seeds
• 50 g (½ cup) sesame seeds
• 25 g (¼ cup) goji berries

Chocolate

• 80 g (1 cup) cocoa butter
• 50 ml (½ cup) maple syrup/honey
• 1 vanilla pod
• 60 g (⅔ cup) raw chocolate powder

METHOD

1. Soak dates in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard water.
2. Process dates, coconut oil, vanilla, and cinnamon in a food processor until you have a sticky dough.
3. Add puffed quinoa and all remaining bar ingredients by hand and press dough firmly into a lined tray. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before cutting them into individual triangles.
4. Place a pan with about 3 centimetres of water on a stove. Put the cacao butter into a heatproof bowl and set bowl in the water.
5. Bring the water to a simmer then turn off the flame and let the butter sit until it is melted.
6. Stir frequently and add liquid sweetener (honey/maple syrup) and scrape of a vanilla pod.
7. Remove pan from heat. Use a food thermometer and stir in raw chocolate powder at roughly 55 C. Chocolate is very delicate and can become lumpy or grainy if overheated. Avoid all contact with water as the chocolate will seize.
8. Dip corners of the individual triangles into raw chocolate and let dry on a rack.
9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Ingredients
Lebanese spice mix

• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

​
Lebanese roasted pumpkin salad

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup  (100g) walnuts
• 2 kgjap pumpkin, cut into 2.5cm thick wedges
• 1 large red capsicum (bell pepper) (350g), sliced thickly
• 1 large red onion (300g), cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g canned lentils, drained, rinsed
• 60 g watercress

​Yoghurt dressing

• 1/2 cup (140g) greek-style yoghurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
• 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
• 1 tbsp honey

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line three oven trays with baking paper.
2. Make lebanese spice mix: Combine ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Bring honey to the boil in a small frypan over medium heat. Add walnuts and 1 teaspoon spice mix; toss gently to coat. Transfer to a tray; set aside to cool.
4. Place pumpkin on a tray and capsicum and onion on remaining tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and remaining spice mix; toss to coat. Bake for 30 minutes or until capsicum and onion are tender; remove from oven.
5. Meanwhile, make yoghurt dressing: Combine ingredients in a small bowl; season to taste.
6. Serve roasted vegetables with lentils, watercress, nuts and yoghurt dressing.

Tips
Make extra spice mix and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

​Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Goddess Dressing:

• 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek-style yogurt
• 1/3 cup pure pumpkin puree (I used the canned version)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (or about ¼ - ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

For the Salad:

• 1 acorn squash, plus olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt for roasting*
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• ½ cup toasted pecans
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1 pkg. (5-6 ounces) mixed salad greens (you can use any blend that you prefer, but I like a mix that includes broccoli slaw, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and chicory)

Instructions

For the dressing: 

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and combine. Chill until ready to use.
2. To roast the acorn squash: preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
3. Slice squash lengthwise, remove seeds, and slice horizontally into ½-inch thick rounds. Place sliced squash in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon and salt, to taste. Toss squash to coat.
4. Bake squash at 400 degree F for approximately 20 minutes (or until tender and caramelized), flipping halfway through.
5. Once the squash has cooled, cut it into bite-sized pieces and place it in a large salad bowl with the remaining ingredients. Add Pumpkin Goddess dressing and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Notes* can substitute with diced roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash