Ahmed - Healthy Cookbook: No-Fuss Recipes For Nutritious, Ready-To-Go Meals

Contents

HONEY WHEAT BREAD..............................................................................................................................................80

Garlic and spinach gnocchi with lemon and pecorino

SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 20MINS COOK TIME: 1HR 15MINS INGREDIENTS: 8 DIFFICULTY : CAPABLE

INGREDIENTS
900g evenly sized maris piper or King Edward potatoes
100g garlic cloves
200g baby spinach
300g Tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
2 large egg yolks
75g butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon
50g pecorino, plus extra to serve
METHOD
1.
Preheat oven to 180C. Wash the potatoes and dry well, then prick all over with a fork. Place in a roasting pan and bake for 1 hour or until cooked through.
2.
Meanwhile, sit a steamer over a pan of boiling water. Add garlic, then cover and steam for 8 minutes. Add 75g spinach and steam for a further 2 minutes or until garlic is tender and spinach is wilted. Transfer to food processor and whiz to a puree. If mixture feels too wet, spoon into a muslin or clean tea towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside. 3.
Cool potatoes slightly, then peel and pass through a potato ricer while hot onto a clean work surface. (The potatoes need to be hot or the gnocchi will be stodgy.) Pile the flour on top of the potato, in a mound, and season generously. Make a well in the middle. Whisk the egg yolks and garlic puree together, then pour into the well. Using your hands, lightly bring all the ingredients together (dont overwork the mixture or it will become tough). As soon as it comes together, clean and dry your hands and worktop for the next step.
4.
Roll out gnocchi on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle, 1cm thick. Cut into 2cm strips, then cut into 2cm pieces.
5.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Shred remaining 125g spinach leaves. Melt butter in a frypan over low heat and add the spinach. Cook gnocchi in two batches, for 2-3 minutes until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the frypan of spinach. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. Add lemon juice, grate over pecorino, season and toss together. Serve with extra pecorino.

Fish tacos with avocado salsa

SERVES:4 PREP TIME: 20MINS COOK TIME: 15MINS
INGREDIENTS: 17 DIFFICULTY : EASY

INGREDIENTS
600g skinless white fish fillets (such as flathead), pin-boned
Large pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 taco shells
1 baby cos lettuce, finely shredded
Coriander leaves, to serve
SALSA
2 ripe tomatoes
1 green capsicum, finely chopped
1 avocado, flesh finely chopped
1 tablespoon pickled sliced jalapeo chillies, drained, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coriander leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
METHOD
1.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
2.
For salsa, halve the tomatoes, squeeze out and discard the seeds and juice, then finely chop the flesh. Place in a bowl with the remaining salsa ingredients, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
3.
Stack taco shells upright in a baking dish and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. 4.
Meanwhile, dust the fish with the cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a non-stick frypan and sear the fish for 1-2 minutes on each side until just cooked through. 5.
Fill each taco shell with a layer of cos lettuce, top with the fish and spoon the avocado salsa over the top. Scatter with the coriander leaves and serve.

Chicken quesadillas with chipotle relish and mango salsa

SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 10MINS COOK TIME: 1HR
INGREDIENTS: 16 DIFFICULTY : EASY

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion (200g), finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chillies in adobo (smoked, pickled jalapenos in sauce) 400g can chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup (70g) tomato paste
1 cup (250ml) malt vinegar
120g caster sugar
2 mangoes, flesh cut into 2cm cubes
1 avocado, flesh cut into 2cm cubes
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime, plus extra lime wedges to serve
1 cup finely chopped coriander, plus extra leaves, to serve
8 flour tortillas
1 small barbecued chicken, meat shredded, skin and bones discarded
2 1/2 cups (250g) grated mozzarella
METHOD
1.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add chipotle, tomato, paste, vinegar, sugar, 1 cup (250ml) water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Cool. If not using immediately, transfer to a sterilised jar, seal and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
2.
Combine mango, avocado, chilli, lime juice and coriander in a bowl. Set aside. 3.
Preheat an oiled barbecue or large frypan to high. Spread half the tortillas with chipotle relish and top with chicken and mozzarella. Sandwich with remaining tortillas, then cook, weighted with a heavy pan or pressing down with a spatula, in batches if necessary, for 2 minutes each side. Cut quesadillas into quarters and serve with mango salsa, extra coriander leaves and lime wedges.

Zucchini carpaccio

SERVES: 6 PREP TIME: 15MINS COOK TIME:
INGREDIENTS: 5 DIFFICULTY : EASY

INGREDIENTS
500g mixed green and yellow zucchinis
100ml olive oil
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tbs lemon juice
100g wild rocket leaves
1 1/4 cups (100g) shaved parmesan
METHOD
1.
Using a mandoline, thinly slice zucchini lengthways and place on a serving platter. 2.
Whisk the oil, lemon zest and juice in a bowl and season.
3.
Scatter rocket and parmesan over the zucchini, drizzle with dressing and season with freshly ground black pepper to serve.

Shannon Bennett's Welsh rarebit

SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 15MINS COOK TIME:
INGREDIENTS: 13 DIFFICULTY : EASY

INGREDIENTS
8 slices sourdough
85g unsalted butter
2/3 cup (100g) plain flour
2 cups (500ml) apple cider
400g mature cheddar cheese, grated
100g gruyere cheese, grated
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
8 eggs, plus 2 extra egg yolks
1/4 cup (70g) Dijon mustard
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Watercress and mixed leaves, to serve
Preheat oven grill to high. Place sourdough slices in a single layer on a baking tray. Grill, turning, for 2 minutes or until golden.
2.
Melt butter in a pan over low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then increase heat to medium and gradually add cider, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms. Remove from heat, add cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg yolks and 2 tbs mustard. Season. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until thick and smooth. Set aside.
3.
3.
3 minutes until whites are set and yolks are runny. Remove from pan and set aside. Repeat with another 2 tsp oil and remaining 4 eggs. Place 1 egg on each slice of toast and spoon over cheese sauce. Grill for 3-4 minutes until golden.
4.
Meanwhile, combine lemon juice, and remaining 30g mustard and 2 tbs olive oil in bowl. Season and toss with salad leaves.
5.
Serve rarebit topped with a salad.

Rigatoni with a spicy sausage sauce

SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: COOK TIME:
INGREDIENTS: 13 DIFFICULTY : EASY