Pear and Walnut Salad

When I'm making any salad I try to get as much flavour in as possible.

This salad is simple, healthy, tasty and keeps the hunger satisfied. 

Walnuts can go off quickly due to their high level of omega oils. The best idea is to store them in an air tight container away from any heat and light. You can even freeze walnuts or leave them in the fridge. If you are lucky enough to get them whole, you can crack them yourself and eat fresh from the shell.

Pear and Walnut Salad

Serve 1

2 cups baby spinach

1 pear sliced

4-5 cherry tomatoes

1 rasher bacon

1/4 C walnuts 

Vinaigrette

5T olive oil

1 clove garlic - crushed

2T balsamic vinegar

1t Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare vinaigrette by whisking vinegar, garlic and mustard in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper

Grill bacon for 2-3 minutes each side. 

Slice pear, tomatoes and bacon.

Toss all ingredients into a bowl and mix vinaigrette through.

Serve immediately 

Brown rice and Lentil salad

If you have been following my blog, you might have noticed I like to keep things simple.

I like to keep things quick and easy but only if they are going to taste yummy!

I was introduced to "Sun rice - Brown rice and lentils" (you can also get Brown rice and quinoa)
I find these great for a good salad base. They are full of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
Lentils are a great source of protein, especially for vegetarians or vegans.

I quickly made this recipe up as I was making it one night. Just using ingredients in the fridge and fresh herbs from the garden!

Brown rice and Lentil salad
Serves approx 4

Ingredients

3 cups brown rice and lentil mix ( if you don't have this available, any brown rice and lentils will be fine and mix them yourself, with most of the mix being brown rice)
  6 cups water
1 cup chopped salami
1 cup chopped black olives
1 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
fresh chopped herbs ( I used - Italian parsley, curly parsley and mint )
Salt and pepper to season

Method

Rinse rice with cold running water
Place the 6 cups water and rice in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Stir so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom
Reduce heat and simmer covered for approx 25 mins - stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat.
Transfer rice into a large serving bowl.
You can leave to cool in the fridge or rinse with cold water and drain if you are using it straight away.
Mix in remaining ingredients.

Enjoy!

Brit :)

In no way am I sponsored in this post
All opinions are my own :)

Easy Vegan Couscous

This is a simple Couscous recipe with great summer flavours.
When I'm cooking during the week I like to keep meals easy and simple.
This Couscous recipe can be used as a side dish to a meal or can be a meal itself.

Couscous is usually quite inexpensive. This recipe is friendly for anyone on a budget or looking to feed a crowd.
If you're lucky enough to have any leftovers, store it in the fridge and have for lunches the next day!

Ingredients

2 cups Couscous

2 cups boiling water

1 onion finely diced

1/2 large red capsicum finely diced

handful coriander leaves finely diced

1 T coconut oil

1 gherkin finely diced (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Method

Place the couscous into a bowl that has a sealed lid. (you can also use a saucepan).

Pour the boiling water on the couscous.

Immediately cover with the lid and leave aside to cook.

While your couscous is cooking, heat coconut oil in a small pan. Add onion and capsicum

Gently saute until onion is cooked.

Check the couscous after 4-5 mins

The couscous should be a soft texture when you bite it. But not soggy.

Once cooked, add the onion mixture, coriander and gherkin.

Lightly fluff up with a fork so it is not lumpy and all stuck together.

It's important to flavour and season your couscous as it lacks flavour on its own.

Here you can add Salt and pepper and season to your own taste.

Try this recipe next time you're stuck for ideas :)

Have a great day!

Brit x

Eating with a busy lifestyle!

It has been a while since my last post! I have been super busy working lately, the unfortunate side of working in hospitality! But with new rosters I have been able to get a good work/life balance and getting new routines so I can make the most out of everyday.

Time is one big factor when it comes to having a balanced life. With working long hours, getting enough sleep, spending time to make meals, having a social life, getting some fitness in AND having some 'me time' it can be quite hard to fit everything in and sometimes things have to be sacrificed for others.

If you ever feel this way I can totally relate! When I finished studying I was working 2 jobs most days for 12 hours and working 7 days a week. This was not good at all! With limited breaks, I would quickly eat something while travelling to my 2nd job and finish late. And there are a lot of people who work even crazier hours than this! But there was no way I could keep this up. It wasn't healthy for my body. Fortunately I have managed to get some better hours that I am so happy with so I can keep doing things I love :)
Blogging is one of them and keeping a healthy lifestyle!

Here is a few pictures of what has been making me happy lately and have been helping me have a balanced lifestyle,

I love making salads with lots of flavours. This one has spinach, cous cous, roasted beetroot, avocado, tomato, olives, cucumber, homemade mayo and a poached egg. yum yum :)

I love to go running on the same track, its open and has a great view. It is winter here at the moment but this one day the sun decided to come out :)

I'll have more regular posts up now with some recipes I have been making over the last few weeks.
How do you keep a balanced lifestyle?

Brit :)

Raw broccoli and salmon salad with Avocado dressing

This recipe was written in the NZ Herald back in April this year. If you are looking for a meal idea that is healthy and tastes great, you've found a winner! This recipe caters for everyone! Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar free, Clean eaters! If you are vegetarian or vegan you can easily take out the salmon :)

This recipe is so easy and can be achieved in 3 steps!

You will Need:

1 Head of broccoli broken in to florets

1 red capsicum, roughly chopped

Handful fresh herbs of your choice (I used coriander, Italian parsley and Vietnamese mint)

200 g salmon (smoked if you wish, I prefer mine not to be smoked)

1 cup black pitted olives

1/2 cup seeds (toasted if you wish, I use pumpkin seeds and sunflower )

Dressing:

1 avocado

Juice of a lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

2 cloves garlic*

sea salt

pepper

* Note that the 2 cloves of garlic is quite strong, change this to 1 clove if you don't want it too garlic-y :)

What to do:

Dressing:
1. Blend up all ingredients together until smooth.

Salad:
2. In a food processor, Pulse the broccoli, capsicum and herbs until a rice like consistency.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and toss in dressing, salmon, olives and seeds!

Enjoy!

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do! Let me know what you think!

Brit xx

Salt and Pepper Squid with an asian salad

For me, salt and pepper squid is always a 'go to' meal on a menu that I know will always have good seasoning and flavours. I quite often see it on menus in the entrees section so it is always good if you don't want to have that "  I've eaten too much - bloated feeling" not good!  Why do we order so much food and feel like you have to eat it all since you paid your good hard working money for it? Even if that means your gonna suffer afterwards. About 90% of the restaurants where I live have main meals that are way way over sized and honestly just shouldn't be able to fit in one persons stomach. Apparently our stomachs are roughly the size of our fists, but can actually stretch about 10 times larger than this! I dunno about you but the thought of my stomach expanding that much freaks me out a little!

What do you think?

Back the Squid!

This recipe has so many great flavours in it that complement each other perfectly!
From the spices in the salt and pepper mix to the chilli in the dressing!
This recipe is also gluten free as it uses rice flour.

The recipe is open to changes and is not strict at all! If you don't have ingredients- don't worry :)

Just swap and change thing around -Get creative! The dressing is quite hot so you can take out the amount of chillies if you wish :)

Recipe

Salt and pepper mix:

2 t Szechwan Pepper

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2 t coriander seeds

2 t dried red chilli powder

100 g sea salt flakes

300 g rice flour

Asian Salad

1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons

1 red pepper (capsicum) deseeded and sliced

1 red onion, peeled and sliced

1 spring onion

1/2 cup fresh coriander

1/2 cup fresh mint sprigs

1/4 cup fresh Vietnamese mint

1 cup mung beans

Nahm Jim Dressing

4 birds eye chillies

4 cloved garlic, peeled

4 coriander roots

75 ml lime juice

3 1/2 T fish sauce

Squid

12 squid tubes

oil for frying

sweet chilli sauce, Asian plum sauce or aioli for serving.

What to do

 Salt and pepper mix-  put all ingredients except rice flour into a frying pan and fry gently for about 5 minutes or until fragrant.

 Then grind this with a pestle and mortar. Place in a bowl and add rice flour.

Salad - mix together all salad ingredients in a bowl.

Dressing -  Grind chillies, garlic, and coriander root in a pestle and mortar into a paste.

Then mix with lime juice and fish sauce in a bowl.

Toss through the salad.

Squid -  Clean tubes and remove membrane (if not already done)

Score the squid with a knife (not cutting it right through)

Then roughly chop into desired size. Or into rings if you prefer.

Dust with salt and pepper mix.

Deep fry in fryer or in a wok in oil.

Fry until golden. 

Serve with your chosen sauce.

Enjoy!

Let me know what you think! 

Brit xx

Healthy salad!

Bacon, pear and walnut salad

This salad is seriously going into my favourite recipes book! It was so quick and easy to make,  it tastes so good and the best bit is that it is healthy!

It is called pear and walnut salad. Personally i am a big fan of putting fruit in salads. I feel as if it gives that extra bit of freshness and sweetness. It can also provide a great texture 

The ingredients in this salad are,

Mesculin salad

Roasted walnuts

Pear

Bacon

Parmersan cheese

Served with an aoli and vinaigrette.

We also garnished this with kumera shavings but it isnt essential.

I definitely recommend trying out this salad next time your stuck for a meal idea. An even better idea is to make extra to pack for lunch the next day :)