Funny fitness quote this morning from our 7amer JT, who spoke about her husband who can’t cook but after watching a video on how to make coffee now producers an exceptional brew from a mini expreso machine.
It’s amazing how some of us can learn from what we see while others are more audio based. Unfortunately statistically, females still out number males when it comes to cooking meals at home for the family:((.

With all of the cooking shows on the TV at the moment, maybe JT’s hubby can watch Masterchef and get some inspiration, I have a few friends who have become involved in the whole Masterchef phenomenon.
Who would have thought 10 years ago that I would be going to mates house to catch up for a coffee and eating a cake that was made from a Masterchef recipe.

it’s amazing how the consumption of coffee has increased over the past 20 years with the classic business lunch and alcohol being replaced with “let catch up for a coffee”. While coffee is a stimulant that leeches calcium from your bones, like anything in life it’s about moderation.

On the weekend in Melbourne, I went to a BBQ where this amazing rice salad was served. Best of all it’s Gluten free & dairy free.

WILD RICE, ALMOND AND CARAMELIZED ONION SALAD

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions (brown or red), thinly sliced
2 tblspns brown sugar
2 tblspns malt vinegar
3 cups chicken stock
8 cardamom pods, bruised
100 wild rice
2 cups basmati rice
2 cinnamon sticks
2/3 cup almonds, toasted (in oven or in dry frying pan, but watch carefully so as not to burn)
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted (see above)

1. In large non stick frying pan (with lid) heat 1 tblspn of the oil on med-low. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until they soften but not browned. Sprinkle sugar over oion and stir until dissolved. Stir in the vinegar. Cook for a further 7 minutes, or until caramelised. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer over a medium heat (or boil the kettle and dissolve 1-2 stock cubes). Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cardamom pods and rices and then cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon sticks and stock to the pan and stir to combine.

3. Cover, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir through the onion mixture, almonds and pine nuts.

Can be made up to two days before. Store in a sealed container.

If you’re looking for other great recipes, check out:
www.fitstyler.com.au/Health_Nutrition/Healthy-Recipes

Well my special chick pea recipe was a hit at our social night. Generally when i cook I like to adopt the Julia Child’s style of cooking (a movie was released recently starring Meryl Streep).
It’s just thrown together with a lot of love and feeling you’re way around the quantities. generally unless it sa recipe that involves achemical reaction, it’s all about making adjustments, just like making the perfect coffee, the grind is never the same.

2 big hand fulls of salad leaves, spinach and those bitter variety
2 beetroots, cooked and sliced into the shape of a garlic glove
1 punnet of cherry tomotoes, not the mass produced style that are the size of a small apple
1 cup of cooked chick peas (soak overnight in water)
1 salad onion
1 packet of mung beans
Himalayan crystal salt & coarsely ground pepper
Mmm another ingredient, can’t quite remember

Salad dressing (placed poured over salad before serving)
Seeded mustard
Himalayan crystal salt
Garlic (local only)
Honey
White Malt Vinagar
Chilli
Extra Virgin Olive oil (I like Mount Zero, not paid for this plug)

So there you have it, my special boot camp salad recipe.

Recession buster tip #10 Cook at home and save money $$$

It seems simple enough but cooking at home contrary to popular belief is definitely cheaper if you avoid supermarkets for your meat, fruit and vegetables.

With the success of Masterchef, people are not only cooking at home but is entering the vernacular of daily conversations.
Even a friend of mine emailed me a recipe that he had tried and raved about it, Gary’s Fried Rice & Open Beef Kofta it’s great to see that finally are seeing the benefits and enjoyment that can be had by cooking at home, it’s simple enough to learn and you can save money

It’s great cooking those exotic Mediterranean or Asian dishes but unfortunately they equate to spending more $$$ on fancy ingredients that we may never use again.
Look at Shrimp Paste, you cannot buy a small amount, it takes a room in the pantry and the chances of ever using again are extremely low.
On the rare occasion we do chances are they are out of date anyway so keep it simple and don’t go crazy.
Remember this will conserve your panrty space so you can store your bulk bought legumes etc.