Recipe : Vegetarian Zoodles

Everyone loves pasta but a lot of people cut it out when they are dieting because it has carbs as one of the primary ingredients. Here is an alternative which increases your vegetable intake and reduces the carbohydrates and fat intake (as it also has no meat). I also prefer it to normal pasta

Vegetarian Zoodles

Serves 4

2 zucchinis

1 carrot, sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 cup pumpkin, diced

1 cup broccoli, roughly chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

1 tin tomatoes

1tbls tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground garlic
splosh of red wine (optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a saucpan heat up a small amount of olive oil on medium heat

Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent

Add in carrot, pumpkin, broccoli and tomatoes

Cook for approximately 5 minutes and then add tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and red wine if desired. Allow to come to the boil and then turn down to a simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender

In the meantime spiral your zucchinis and bring a pot of water to boil on the stove

Add a pinch of salt and the zucchinis cooking for approximately 5 minutes or until the zucchinis are soft but not falling apart. Drain out the water.

Place zucchini in a bowl and add sauce on top

Enjoy

Feel free to add some turkey, chicken or beef mince to make it non-vegetarian

Recipe : pizza

Pizza is a fairly common takeaway food and something almost everyone loves, it is also something you can make to suit yourself changing the toppings to suit. I love home made pizza and never have take away pizza, mainly because it makes me really sick but also because you can see the fat dripping off of it unlike at home pizzas. The other thing I love is it is something that can use up excess veggies in your fridge so here is a common combination I use:

Home made pizza:

2 large wholemeal pita breads

shredded BBQ chicken (or approximately 50g cooked chicken breast shredded)

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 capsicum, diced (whatever colour you have in the fridge)

1/2 sweet potato or pumpkin (sliced and precooked in the oven for 3 minutes with a little water on high)

3 rings of pineapple, chopped

2 mushrooms, diced

2 handfuls baby spinach

1 tomato, diced

handful mozzarella cheese

pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 180 degrees
Slice and dice up vegetables
Place sweet potato/pumpkin in a microwave proof container with a little water and cover in gladwrap, cook for 3 minutes on high
Cover wholemeal pita breads in pizza sauce
Add toppings as you please
Finish with cheese
Place in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese in melted and slightly brown

Enjoy

Recipe : Eat a rainbow chicken and veggies

This has become one of my favourite meals of late and something I tend to prepare on a weekend and then have for a few days as I've got a little extra time. I love this because it is packed full of veggies of all different colours plus has the protein from the chicken

Rainbow chicken and veg

Makes approximately 4 serves

1 red onion, chopped roughly

1 corn on the cob, chopped into 4 pieces

1 head of broccoli, chopped roughly

1 zucchini, chopped into approximately 1cm think rounds

1 medium sweet potato, chopped into approximately 1cm thick rounds

2 carrots, chopped into approximately 1cm thick rounds

2 chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
olive oil

Preheat over to 180 degrees

Line 2 baking trays with alfoil and place all the veggies on one and a half of the trays, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and dried herbs on top, feel free to use any combination of dried herbs Ive just found I like these the best.

Place veggies in the oven for approximately 20 minutes
During this time wrap each chicken breast in baking paper with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper if desired, wrapping them in the paper allows them to steam in the oven.
After the initial 20 minutes remove the veggies and place your wrapped chicken next to them and place back in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove once the chicken is completely cooked through and serve half a chicken breast with veggies

Enjoy :)

Recipe : homemade granola

It is no secret that breakfast is without a doubt my favourite meal of the day and  I love being able to snack on things that are like breakfast throughout the day so granola is a favourite of mine. You can purchase them in the shop but there is usually a lot of sugar in them, a lot more than if you make it at home. This recipe is adapted for Kayla Itsines meal plan

Home made Granola
Makes approximately 6 serves

1/2 cup pure maple syrup or rice malt syrup for those watching fructose intake
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
360g rolled oats
40g chopped almonds
30g pepitas
50g sultanas
40g dried goji berries

(note you can use any dried fruit these are just the ones I tend to have in my cupboard. you could even use 200g mixed fruit and nut mix instead of all the different nuts and fruit listed)

Preheat oven to 140 degrees and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Mix wet ingredients together first before adding all the dry ingredients. Mix well making sure all the oats are covered in the syrupy mixture.
Spead out thinly on the baking trays - make sure it is thinly as the thicker the layer the longer it will take to bake and it will end up uneven
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, checking every 5 minutes or so and stirring around to ensure it all bakes evenly. Remove when the oats are a nice brown colour.
Leave to cook and place in an airtight container

I serve mine with milk but you can have it with yoghurt and fruit or use it to top your smoothies or yoghurt cups