Moussaka Omelette...a twist on a traditional favourite!

You'll need

70 ml olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 fresh bay leaf

1 cinnamon quill

150 gm lean minced lamb

100 ml dry white wine

100 gm canned crushed tomatoes

2 potatoes (about 60gm each)

6 eggs, lightly beaten

To serve: Kewpie (Japanese) mayonnaise, coarsely grated kefalograviera and chopped flat-leaf parsley  

Pickled eggplant

1½ tbsp olive oil 2 small Japanese eggplants, cut into 2cm-thick rounds

50 ml white wine vinegar, such as chardonnay

25 gm brown sugar

2 cloves

1 star anise

Method

• 1. For pickled eggplant, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add eggplant and turn occasionally until browned (4-5 minutes). Add remaining ingredients, season to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender (5-6 minutes). Set aside.
• 2. Heat 30ml olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add onion, garlic, bay leaf and cinnamon and stir occasionally until onion is tender (5-6 minutes). Add lamb and stir, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned (6-7 minutes). Deglaze pan with wine and simmer until almost reduced (1 minute). Add tomato, season to taste and simmer until thick (1 minute).
• 3. Meanwhile, cook potato in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until tender (15-20 minutes), drain and set aside to cool, then dice and set aside.
• 4. Heat grill to high. Heat 2 tsp of remaining olive oil in a 12cm-diameter ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, add quarter of the diced potato and stir occasionally until golden (2-3 minutes). Add quarter of the lamb mixture and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, add a quarter of the eggs, season to taste and cook for 1 minute.
• 5. Place pan under grill (not too close to the heat) and cook until just set (1½-2 minutes). Transfer omelette to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 3 more omelettes. Serve hot topped with pickled eggplant and Kewpie mayonnaise (onion rings optional), then scattered with kefalograviera and parsley.

Nasi Goreng...Indonesian style fried rice which makes a great lunch idea and is both nutritious and filling!

Nasi Goreng

Nasi goreng—Indonesian-style fried rice—is great as a light lunch using leftover cooked rice from the night before.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10-15 Minutes

Serves

Ingredients:

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon peanut oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon grated ginger

700 g (4 cups) cooked basmati rice

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

chopped parsley and spring onions, to serve

Method:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer, add vinegar and carefully crack the eggs, one at a time, into the simmering water. Poach for 3–4 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add the beaten egg and stir-fry until the egg is scrambled. Remove and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in the pan, add the onion, garlic and ginger and lightly fry for 3–5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the cooked rice and toss well. Pour in the oyster sauce and soy sauce and toss to coat the rice in the sauces. Stir in the scrambled egg.
4. Spoon the rice into four bowls / plates / containers and top each with a poached egg. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and spring onions.

COOK’S TIPS

To obtain (4 cups) cooked rice you will need (2 cups) raw rice.

Taco bowls...Fancy some Mexican? Whip this up in no time and enjoy a hearty, delicious meal for either lunch or dinner.

Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1kg ground beef / pork / chicken *
• 1 large brown onion (diced finely)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tbspn paprika
• 1 tbspn cumin powder
• 1/2 tspn. chilli flakes
• 1 jar passata (tomato puree)
• 1 cup water
• 1 can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can whole corn kernels (drained) or fresh corn (chargrilled on the bbq)
• 1 avocado** (sliced)
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro (coriander) leaves (roughly chopped)
• 4 Roma tomatoes, diced

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan of 4 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
2. Heat a large stockpot over medium high heat and add ground beef. Cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks. Drain the excess fat and then add the oil, onions & garlic & sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the seasoning, passata & water and cook for a further 15 minutes, until the liquid reduces producing a rich meat sauce.
3. Divide rice into meal prep containers. Top with ground beef mixture, black beans, corn, avocado and tomatoes. Garnish with coriander. Seal the containers and refrigerate.

* Choose your preferred meat either beef, pork or chicken mince.

** After slicing the avocado, place it in some lemon juice for a few minutes to prevent it from browning before packing it into sealed containers.

Lunch on the run! Providing you with ideas to create weekly nutritious & tasty lunches that even the fussiest eaters will enjoy. Get creative & develop a healthy mindset towards your meals.

Quinoa, Bean, Beetroot & Feta Salad

2 cups quinoa

1 can red kidney beans (drained & rinsed)

1 can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)

1 can whole baby beetroot (cubed)

1 large red onion (diced)

3 celery stalks (washed & sliced)

1 red capsicum (diced)

8 mushrooms (diced)

Feta 200g (crumbled as garnish on top)

Dressing

1 lemon (juiced)

3 tbspns olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add the quinoa to 4 cups of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes, drain and rinse under cool water.

2. In a large bowl, combine the beans, chickpeas, beetroot onion, celery, capsicum & mushrooms. When the quinoa has cooled, lightly toss it through the vegetable mix. Cover and refrigerate.

3. On the day of consumption, add lemon juice / olive oil dressing, salt and pepper and top with crumbled feta cheese. Enjoy!