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Recipe: Teriyaki-glazed salmon with corn and broccoli
This teriyaki-glazed salmon with corn and broccoli is an easy and healthy meal you can have ready in less than thirty minutes. This dish is packed with protein and omega-3 healthy fats from the salmon and fibre from the vegetables. Salmon also contains vitamin D, among other nutrients. The teriyaki glaze has only 2 ingredients: soy sauce and mirin, which are available in major supermarkets and Asian grocers. I use gluten-free tamari, but any soy sauce will do. I served this dish with cooked basmati rice. Feel free to use a lower carbohydrate substitute (such as cauliflower rice or konjac rice).
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Recipe: Roast pumpkin and lentil salad with lemon and sumac labneh
Roast pumpkin and lentil salad with lemon and sumac labneh is a healthy and filling vegetarian meal to have for lunch or dinner. It can also be served as part of a shared meal. What is labneh? It is a Middle Eastern strained yoghurt that is often used in savoury applications, e.g. as a dip. Its consistency is in between Greek yoghurt and cream cheese. This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian. It can be made vegan by omitting the eggs and using plant-based yoghurt or cheese instead of the labneh. This salad is high in fibre and has a decent amount of protein, both of which will keep you satisfied…
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Product review: Hart & Soul recipe bases
Hart & Soul recipe bases are one of the newest products from the manufacturers of my favourite shelf-stable soups. These recipe bases will help you get dinner on the table in record time. Hart & Soul recipe bases These are the current The Hart & Soul recipe base ranges: Butter Chicken, Green Curry, Moroccan Tagine, Pad Thai, Massaman Curry, Laksa, Nasi Goreng, Panang Curry, Rendang Curry, Tikka Massala, Red Curry, Satay Curry, Stroganoff, Teriyaki Stir Fry. All of them come in 80g sachets that make 3-4 servings, with the exception of the Laksa which makes 2-3 servings. All of the bases are refined sugar free (but not sugar free!), gluten…
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Product review: Activate Foods
Activate Foods is a meal delivery service in NSW offering healthy gluten-free portion-controlled meals for people who don’t have time to cook. Activate Foods Activate Foods is a food delivery service based on the Central Coast of NSW. They deliver to the Central Coast, Sydney and Newcastle on Mondays. The company works with a dietitian, ensuring appropriate portion sizes and detailed nutrition information. The meals All Activate Foods are gluten-free and menus change slightly week to week. You can choose from a selection of fresh and frozen meals, which include salads, hot meals, soups, breakfast items, snacks, bread and fermented vegetables. Some meals are available in family size trays. Special…
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Product review: Bounce keto low carb bars
Bounce keto low carb bars are a snack alternative for health-conscious active individuals following a keto or low carb diet. Bounce This Australian company started out selling single serve packaged protein balls and now has a wider range of products targeted to active populations. Other product ranges include the aforementioned protein balls (whey and plant-based), brekkie bars and milkshake powders for kids. Bounce keto low carb bars These bars are gluten free, vegan, low in sugar, high in fibre and have some protein (but not a lot). They are also free of artificial flavours, sweeteners and other additives. The fat content comes from nuts and MCT oil (from coconut). Bounce…
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Recipe: Rigatoni a la huancaina
Rigatoni a la huancaina is a cheap Peruvian-inspired meal that can be served as a main or as a side dish. Huancaina is a Peruvian sauce made with aji amarillo (yellow chilli) that is traditionally served with boiled potatoes. Somewhere in time, perhaps around the 80s or 90s, huancaina found its way away from the humble potato and became a dip for yuquitas fritas (cassava chips), Peruvian corn skewered in toothpicks and other finger food (as can be seen in the photo of my recipe for simple huancaina sauce. Around that time, huancaina also became a pasta sauce, typically for spaghetti. It is most often served with some protein such…
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Product review: Macro rigatoni with hemp
Macro rigatoni with hemp is a version of this short tubular pasta made with rice and hemp flour, making it higher in protein and gluten-free. Macro rigatoni with hemp This is part of the pasta range made by Macro, Woolworths’ brand of organic products. The pasta is vegan and gluten-free and comes in 200g packages with 2 serves per pack. Rigatoni are small tubes larger in diameter but shorter in length than penne. They have ridges and straight edges. This type of pasta works well with chunky sauces as the bits and pieces can stick to the ridges and get into the tubes. It is also good for cheesy baked…
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Recipe: Budin de pan (Peruvian bread and butter pudding)
Budin de pan is the Peruvian version of bread and butter pudding. It’s an economical dessert commonly made in bakeries with leftover bread. This is not a light dessert by any stretch of imagination. It’s energy dense and hearty and falls in the “comfort food” category for many people, including me. I used natural sweetener (stevia) instead of sugar to make it a little lighter and less sweet than the original version. I used Woolworths Free From gluten-free sliced white bread but any bread (stale or not) will do. You can use bread rolls but be mindful that there will be more crust-to-crumb ratio in the final product. To soak…
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Recipe: Spiced lamb
This spiced lamb is a Middle-Eastern inspired protein source that pairs well with cauliflower hummus or regular hummus. If hummus is not your thing, you can eat this lamb with vegetables and/or rice, quinoa or other grains. This recipe is gluten-free, high in protein and low-carb. If you don’t like lamb, you can use beef mince instead. You can use a plant-based substitute but check ingredients as some of them are highly processed. You can also use lentils or other legumes instead of the mince with the same aromatics and spices.
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Recipe: Cauliflower hummus
Cauliflower is popular in paleo, gluten-free, keto and low-carb circles thanks to its ability to substitute starchier or gluten-containing foods. Besides rice, mash and pizza you can also use this cruciferous vegetable to make cauliflower hummus. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan and low-carb. Unfortunately, it’s high in FODMAPs so if you avoid legumes to prevent bloating this recipe might not be much of an improvement. You can eat enjoy cauliflower hummus as a dip but in the Middle East is eaten as a meal with optional toppings (there’s a list of suggestions below). This recipe is lower in protein than the traditional chickpea-based version, so make sure you are eating…