HEALTHY & HEARTY

Stacked with green goodness, our delicious dishes will bring you plenty of comfort and joy!

THE BOTANIST BOWL SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 50 MINS

✦ 1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock

✦ 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

✦ 1 dried bay leaf

✦ 400g chicken breast fillets

✦ 200g brussels sprouts, halved

✦ 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

✦ 250g green kale, stems discarded, shredded finely

✦ 1 avocado, cut into wedges

✦ 2 tbsp roasted almonds, chopped coarsely

ALMOND PESTO

✦ ½ cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves

✦ ½ cup finely chopped green kale leaves

✦ ¼ cup roasted almonds

✦ 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan

✦ 2 tsp lemon juice

✦ 1 small clove garlic

✦ ¹⁄ 3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.

2 Place stock, peppercorns and bay leaf in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken. (If stock doesn’t completely cover chicken, add a little water.) Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 4 mins. Cover pan and turn off the heat. Stand 30 mins.

3 Meanwhile, place brussels sprouts on tray and drizzle with half the oil. Toss to coat. Turn sprouts, cut-side up. Season. Roast 20 mins until crisp and golden.

4 ALMOND PESTO Process basil, kale, almonds, parmesan, juice and garlic until finely chopped. With motor operating, gradually add oil in a thin, steady stream. Process until smooth. Season.

5 Place kale and remaining oil in a large bowl. Season with sea salt. Using your hands, rub oil and salt into kale until kale softens.

6 Remove chicken from the poaching liquid. Shred coarsely.

7 Divide kale between bowls. Top with brussels sprouts, chicken, avocado, almonds and pesto.

WINTER VEGIE BOWL SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 1 HOUR

✦ 800g Jap pumpkin, unpeeled, cut into thin wedges

✦ 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

✦ 4 eggs

✦ 450g packet microwave brown rice

✦ 120g green kale, stalks removed

✦ 100g mild blue cheese, cut into 4 wedges

✦ ¼ cup roasted walnuts, chopped coarsely

✦ 2 tbsp pepitas, toasted

✦ 2 tsp linseeds, toasted

PARSLEY & SHALLOT DRESSING

✦ 1 shallot, chopped finely

✦ 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

✦ 1 clove garlic, crushed

✦ 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

✦ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

✦ ¹⁄ 3 cup white-wine vinegar

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large oven tray with baking paper.

2 Place pumpkin on tray. Drizzle with oil. Season. Roast 30 mins until tender and golden.

3 Meanwhile, place eggs in a saucepan of cold water. Bring to boil. Boil eggs 4 mins. Drain. Place eggs under cold running water until cool enough to handle. Peel, then halve lengthways.

4 PARSLEY & SHALLOT DRESSING

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Season.

5 Heat rice according to packet instructions.

6 Thinly slice kale leaves. Place in a large bowl with half the dressing. Using your hands, gently massage dressing into kale to soften the leaves.

7 Place kale and rice in serving bowls. Top with pumpkin, egg and cheese. Sprinkle with walnuts and seeds. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

TURMERIC CHICKEN & CARROT NOODLES SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 45 MINS + REFRIGERATION

✦ 4 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely

✦ 2cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled, chopped

✦ ½ tsp rock salt

✦ ¼ cup canned coconut milk

✦ 2 tsp fish sauce

✦ 4 x 250g chicken breast supremes (see tip on page 45)

✦ 4 carrots, julienned

✦ 100g dried vermicelli noodles

✦ 250g golden yellow tomatoes, halved

✦ ¼ cup fried shallots

✦ ½ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

✦ 1 lime, cut into cheeks

LIME DRESSING

✦ ½ cup lime juice

✦ ¼ cup fish sauce

✦ 2 tbsp grated palm sugar

✦ 1½ tsp sesame oil

1 Pound garlic, turmeric and salt with a mortar and pestle to a smooth paste. Stir in coconut milk and fish sauce. Rub mixture all over chicken and place on a plate. Cover and refrigerate 20 mins. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2 Heat a large grill plate (or grill or barbecue) over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 3 mins each side until dark grill marks form. Transfer chicken to an oven tray lined with baking paper. Roast chicken 12 mins until just cooked through. Cover to keep warm. Stand 5 mins. Slice thickly.

3 LIME DRESSING Stir all the ingredients in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves.

4 Place carrot and noodles in a large heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Stand 1 min, then drain. Refresh carrot and noodles in another bowl of iced water, then drain again. Transfer to a large bowl. Add tomato and dressing and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with fried shallots.

5 Serve chicken with mint, lime cheeks and noodle mixture.

MUSHROOM & BARLEY RISOTTO SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 1 HOUR

✦ 1½ cups pearl barley

✦ 1.5 litres (6 cups) salt-reduced chicken stock

✦ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

✦ 7 shallots, sliced thinly

✦ 3 dried bay leaves

✦ 3 cloves garlic, crushed

✦ 200g shiitake mushrooms, stalks removed, quartered (see tip)

✦ 150g oyster mushrooms, torn

✦ 3 king brown mushrooms, quartered lengthways

✦ 1 cup verjuice

✦ 320g enoki mushrooms, trimmed, separated

✦ ¾ cup finely grated parmesan

✦ ¼ cup chopped fresh chives

1 Cook barley in a large saucepan of boiling water 15 mins. Drain.

2 Bring stock to the boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, then cover.

3 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots and bay leaves, stirring, 2 mins until soft. Add garlic, stirring, a further 1 min. Add shiitake, oyster and king brown mushrooms. Cook, stirring, 5 mins until soft. Stir in barley and verjuice. Cook, stirring, 3 mins until verjuice evaporates.

4 Stir in 2 cups of the simmering stock. Cook, stirring, over low heat until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock, in 2-cup batches, stirring, until liquid absorbs after each addition and barley is tender. (Total cooking time should be about 20 mins.) Discard bay leaves.

5 Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large frying pan on high. Cook enoki mushrooms, stirring, 3 mins until golden.

6 Stir half the parmesan into barley mixture. Season to taste. Serve in bowls topped with fried enoki, remaining parmesan and chives. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

SWEET & SOUR SILVERBEET WITH ROSEMARY LAMB SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 35 MINS + REFRIGERATION

✦ 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

✦ 1 clove garlic, crushed

✦ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

✦ 12 French-trimmed lamb cutlets

✦ 3 green onions, sliced thickly

✦ ¹⁄ 3 cup sherry vinegar

✦ 2 sprigs fresh thyme

✦ 2 tbsp honey

✦ ¼ cup currants

✦ 500g silverbeet, trimmed (see tip)

✦ 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

✦ 2 green onions, cut into thin strips, extra

1 Combine rosemary, garlic and 2 tbsp of the oil in a large bowl. Season. Reserve 1 tbsp of the oil mixture in a small bowl for serving. Cover and refrigerate. Add lamb to the large bowl and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

2 Heat half the remaining oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook green onion, stirring occasionally, 1 min until softened. Add vinegar and thyme. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 5 mins until vinegar is reduced by half. Remove from heat and discard thyme. Stir in honey and currants. Cool.

3 Separate silverbeet leaves from stems. Chop stems coarsely. Shred leaves coarsely. Heat remaining oil in a large deep frying pan over medium heat. Cook silverbeet stems 3 mins until just softened. Add silverbeet leaves. Cook, stirring, 3 mins until just wilted. Season to taste. Transfer to a platter. Drizzle with vinegar mixture and sprinkle with pine nuts. Cover to keep warm.

4 Meanwhile, season lamb. Cook lamb on a heated oiled grill plate (or grill or barbecue) over medium-high heat 2 mins each side for medium or until cooked as desired.

5 Drizzle lamb with reserved oil mixture. Serve with silverbeet, topped with thin strips of extra green onion.

CUMIN-SPICED PAPRIKA CHICKEN SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 45 MINS

✦ 4 cloves garlic, crushed

✦ 3 tsp smoked paprika

✦ 1 tsp cumin seeds

✦ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

✦ ½ cup Greek-style yoghurt

✦ 4 x 200g chicken breast supremes (see tip)

✦ 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed

✦ 400g cherry truss tomatoes

✦ 200g firm low-fat ricotta, broken into large chunks

✦ ½ cup loosely packed coriander sprigs

1 Preheat oven to 240°C. Line a large shallow baking dish with baking paper.

2 Combine garlic, paprika, cumin and 2 tbsp of the oil in a small bowl. Combine yoghurt and 2 tsp of the spice oil mixture in another small bowl. Season. Cover yoghurt mixture and refrigerate until required.

3 Rub 2 tbsp of remaining spice oil mixture over chicken. Season. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook chicken 2 mins each side until browned. Transfer chicken to baking dish and roast 10 mins.

4 Reduce oven to 200°C. Combine chickpeas, tomatoes, ricotta and remaining spice oil mixture in a large bowl. Spoon chickpea mixture around chicken in baking dish. Season. Roast a further 15 mins until chicken is cooked through.

5 Serve chicken and chickpea mixture sprinkled with coriander. Accompany with yoghurt sauce.

SALMON PARCELS & KIPFLER POTATOES SERVES 2 PREP + COOK 50 MINS

✦ 300g kifpler potatoes, sliced thinly

✦ 1 red onion, unpeeled, cut into wedges

✦ 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

✦ ½ lemon, sliced thinly

✦ 260g truss tomatoes

✦ 2 x 150g salmon fillets, skin and bones removed

✦ 2 tsp baby capers, rinsed

✦ 100g baby spinach leaves

✦ 1 tsp fennel seeds

✦ ¼ cup firmly packed flat-leaf parsley

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. 2 Combine potato and onion in a medium roasting pan. Drizzle with half the oil. Roast 30 mins until browned lightly and tender.

3 Meanwhile, arrange lemon, tomatoes and salmon fillets on 2 x 30cm square pieces of baking paper. Top with capers and drizzle with remaining oil. Fold paper into parcels to enclose salmon. Place on an oven tray. Bake 8 mins or until salmon is cooked as you like.

4 Toss spinach and seeds through the potato mixture.

5 Serve fish with potato mixture, topped with parsley.

CHICKEN FRIED RICE SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 25 MINS

✦ 2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil

✦ 2 eggs, beaten lightly

✦ 600g chicken breast fillets, sliced thinly

✦ ½ red capsicum, sliced thinly (see tip)

✦ 1 red onion, sliced thinly

✦ 2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage (see tip)

✦ 150g oyster mushrooms, chopped coarsely (see tip)

✦ 3 cloves garlic, crushed

✦ ½ tsp dried chilli flakes

✦ 2 x 250g packets microwave brown rice

✦ 1 tsp sesame oil

✦ 2 tbsp soy sauce

✦ 2 green onions, sliced thinly

✦ ¼ cup sweet chilli sauce

✦ 2 tbsp coriander leaves

1 Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a wok over high heat. Pour egg into wok. Cook, tilting wok, until omelette is just set. Remove from wok. Chop coarsely. 2 Heat 3 tsp of remaining oil in wok. Stir-fry chicken 2 mins until browned. Remove from wok. 3 Heat remaining oil in wok. Stir-fry capsicum, onion, cabbage, mushroom, garlic and chilli 3 mins until vegetables soften. 4 Return chicken and omelette to wok with rice, sesame oil, soy sauce, half the green onion and 2 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce. Stir-fry until heated through. (Taste and add extra soy sauce, if desired.) 5 Serve rice drizzled with remaining sweet chilli sauce. Sprinkle with coriander and remaining green onion.

PRIMAVERA MINESTRONE WITH PESTO SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 35 MINS

✦ 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

✦ 1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage

✦ 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

✦ 1 leek, chopped finely

✦ 1 parsnip, cut into 1cm cubes

✦ 2 trimmed celery stalks, sliced thinly

✦ 150g curly kale, stems discarded, torn into pieces ✦ 1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable stock

✦ 150g green beans, trimmed, cut into 1cm lengths

✦ 2 zucchini, halved, sliced

✦ 400g can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed

PESTO

✦ 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

✦ ¼ cup grated parmesan

✦ 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

✦ ½ clove garlic

✦ ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook sage, garlic and leek, stirring, 3 mins until leek is soft. Cook parsnip, celery and kale, stirring, a further 2 mins until kale is bright green. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 15 mins until parsnip is almost tender.

2 Add green beans, zucchini and cannellini beans. Simmer a further 5 mins until zucchini is just tender. Season to taste.

3 PESTO Blend or process ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste.

4 Serve soup topped with pesto.