October 22, 2022 by readingwritingandriesling

Slow Cooker Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry; Meal Plan Your Way to Weight Loss – Rebecca Burnicle and Wendy Van Staden

Meal-Plan Your Way to Weight Loss by Rebecca Burnicle and Wendy Van Staden, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $39.99, photography by Jeremy Simons.

“Meal-prepping is so easy when you put your slow cooker to work. This recipe
makes 8 portions, so stocking your freezer with ‘I can’t be bothered’ dinners
is a breeze. All it takes is 15 minutes of prep in the morning.
Serves 8 / Prep 15 minutes / Cook 3 hours 45 minutes – 7 hours 30 minutes” p154

Slow Cooker Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry

2 brown onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder ( I use a gluten free stock)
50 g coconut milk powder
2 cups (400 g) dried red lentils
250 g cauliflower, cut into 2 cm pieces
250 g orange sweet potato (kumara), cut into 2 cm pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 2 cm pieces
400 g can diced tomatoes
400 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
150 g baby spinach leaves
1 cup fresh coriander sprigs
2–6 PersonalPoints range per serve

1 Place all ingredients, except for chickpeas, spinach and coriander sprigs in a 5.5 litre (22 cup) slow cooker. Add 1 litre (4 cups) water and stir to combine. Cook on high for 3.5 hours (or low for 7 hours).

2 Stir in chickpeas and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on high for a further 15 minutes (or low for 30 minutes). Top with coriander sprigs to serve.

Stove-top method:
1 Heat a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic and ginger, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until softened slightly. Add spices and stock powder and cook,
stirring, for a further 1 minute.

2 Stir in coconut milk powder, lentils, cauliflower, sweet potato, zucchini and tomatoes. Add enough water to cover vegetables. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes, until vegetables and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding extra water if mixture starts to catch
on base of pan.

3 Stir in chickpeas and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Top with coriander sprigs.

· TO REFRIGERATE: Transfer curry to a large reusable container or divide individual portions into separate reusable containers. Store for up to 5 days. To reheat, simmer gently in a saucepan or microwave single
servings until hot, stirring in a little water if curry is too thick.

· TO FREEZE: Store curry as above. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat
as above.

**This is one of my favourite vegetarian curries though I hadn’t thought of adding cauliflower – what a great idea. I will make this to take with me on my next visit to my vegetarian daughter.**

September 16, 2020 by readingwritingandriesling

Thai Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Cashews: Easy Gluten Free – Helen Tzouganatos

Easy Gluten Free by Helen Tzouganatos

Published by Plum

RRP $39.99,

Photography by Jeremy Simons

SERVES 4–6 DF, GF, VG
“Sweet potato is beautiful in soups because it has a thick, creamy texture when pureed and carries other
flavours well, particularly spices that balance its natural sweetness. If you love extra heat feel free to
increase the quantity of curry paste in this recipe; I keep mine fairly mild so it’s family friendly.” p 91

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tablespoons gluten-free Thai red curry paste
1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
3 cm cubes
1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos
750 ml (3 cups) gluten-free vegetable stock
125 ml (1/2 cup) coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
handful of chopped roasted cashews,

to serve

handful of coriander leaves, to serve

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the ginger, garlic and curry paste and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add the sweet potato, tamari or coconut aminos and stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until the potato has softened. Take the soup off the heat and stir in the coconut milk and lime juice.
Blitz with a hand-held blender or in a food processor until smooth and creamy.

Adjust the seasoning to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with cashews and coriander.

NOTE
• Sweet potatoes are a great source of fibre, vitamins and beta-carotene,
a powerful antioxidant that gives orange fruits and vegetables their colour.

May 2, 2020 by readingwritingandriesling

Spiced Sweet Potato, Puy Lentils& Rocket with Honey-Roasted Walnuts: Community (New Edition) -Hetty McKinnon

This is a wonderful book for those who love to share their cooking, who love their veggies, for vegans (swap out the honey for maple syrup) and vegetarians too. It is autumn in Western Australia – a time when the garden is producing plenty of sweet potatoes – gold and purple and pumpkins – butternut and kent (and rocket) . I have loved discovering some wonderful recipes that showcase these ingredients. I hope you love them too.

Community: New Edition

Hetty McKinnon

Published by Plum

RRP $39.99

Photography by Luisa Brimble

“Sugar and spice and all things nice – this salad is exactly that. The natural sweetness of sweet potato combines perfectly with the warming spices of cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg. And the honey-roasted walnuts are nothing short of show-stopping. Make a double batch and keep them in a jar for snacking!” p83

Spiced Sweet Potato, Puy Lentils& Rocket with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Serves 4

4 sweet potatoes (about 2 kg), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground allspice
200 g (1 cup) puy lentils, rinsed
1 cup whatever soft herbs you have (such as mint, parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives, dill and/or coriander), ﬁnely chopped
2 cups baby rocket leaves
50 g parmesan, shaved
sea salt and black pepper

SWEET VINAIGRETTE

1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
80 ml (1⁄3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper

HONEY-ROASTED WALNUTS

2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon dried chilli ﬂakes
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch of sea salt
2 cups walnuts

Preheat the oven to 200°C. On a large baking tray, combine the sweet potato with the olive oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin and allspice and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25–30 minutes, or until tender and starting to turn golden. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the lentils and simmer over medium heat for around 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still have a bite to them. Drain. To make the sweet vinaigrette, whisk together all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. While the lentils are still warm, stir through the vinaigrette. To prepare the walnuts, combine the honey with the chilli ﬂakes, turmeric, salt and just enough water to make a thick paste. Coat the walnuts in the paste and spread onto a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the walnuts are crunchy and almost dry. The nuts will stay a bit sticky, which is ﬁne. Combine half the herbs with the rocket, sweet potato and lentils and season well. To serve, scatter over the walnuts, the remaining herbs and the parmesan.

July 8, 2018 by readingwritingandriesling

Sweet Potato & Mushroom Curry: Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook – Camilla Fayed

Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook by Camilla Fayed ($39.99), published by Hachette Australia.

Sweet Potato & Mushroom Curry

GF VG

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 20 minutes cooking

“This Thai-inspired recipe is a homely update on our Farmacy restaurant curry. It’s colourful and bursting with goodness. Susie says that this curry would be her desert island luxury. This is one of the recipes that elicited excited gasps at the testing table. Its flavour is deep and delicious, warming heart and soul.” p. 180

For the curry paste

1 red chilli

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 lemon grass stalks, sliced

4 coriander sprigs, stems included

1½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

For the curry

4 shallots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp curry paste (see above)

1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger

500ml (18fl oz) Vegetable Broth (see page 60)

1kg (2lb 4oz) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 kaffir lime leaves, chopped

200g (7oz) oyster or other mushrooms

125g (4½oz) roasted peanuts, chopped

375ml (13fl oz) coconut milk

3 tbsp Philosopher’s Sauce (see page 64)

2 tbsp coconut nectar

For the cucumber raita

2 cucumbers, seeded and diced

125ml (4fl oz) Cashew Yogurt (see page 76)

3 tbsp chopped dill

1½ tbsp lemon juice

To garnish

dry toasted pumpkin seeds

coriander leaves

2 limes, halved

Blend together all the curry paste ingredients in a food processor until they form a paste. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water. Set aside. This will make more paste than you need for this recipe, but it will last several months if refrigerated. To make the curry, sauté the shallots and garlic in the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat until they are translucent. Do not let them colour. Add the curry paste and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth, sweet potatoes and lime leaves and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, the peanuts and the coconut milk.

Stir in the philosopher’s sauce and the coconut nectar. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Test whether the sweet potatoes are done and simmer longer if necessary.

Turn off the heat under the saucepan, cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the raita by combining all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

Serve the curry garnished with pumpkin seeds and coriander leaves along with a dollop of raita, and half a lime for squeezing over.

July 7, 2018 by readingwritingandriesling

Sweet Potato Cakes: Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook – Camilla Fayed

Tonight’s dinner sorted ( and some in the freezer for when my vegetarian daughter visits next) and a few gifted to my other daughter for her dinner tonight.

These are so easy to make and look just as delicious as those in the recipe book. Great for entree or a main meal with salad or green vegetables.

June 3, 2018 by readingwritingandriesling

Lemon Herb Fishcakes: The Smart Baby Cookbook – Lauren Cheney

Smart Baby Cookbook by Lauren Cheney (Murdoch Books RRP $24.99)

Lemon Herb Fish Cakes with Avocado Citrus Sauce

Making time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Makes 15 patties

“Not your average fish patties, these lemon herb salmon cakes will have the fussiest of eaters lining up for more. The citrus sauce adds a silky flavour punch and bite-sized patties are perfect for little mouths.” p136.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped

415 g (15 oz) tinned pink salmon

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped

60 g (2½ oz/1 cup) wholemeal fresh breadcrumbs (GF if desired)

2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet gherkins or pickles

1 large egg, whisked

Olive oil, for cooking

Avocado Citrus Sauce

260 g (9¼ oz/1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ avocado, mashed

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Boil the sweet potato in a saucepan of water until tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the avocado citrus sauce ingredients in a bowl and keep in the fridge.

Drain the salmon and mash with a fork in a large bowl. Add the parsley, lemon zest, spring onions, cold mashed sweet potato, breadcrumbs, gherkins and egg. Mix everything together. Form the mixture into small round bite-size patties.

Heat some olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Place the salmon patties in the pan and cook for 2–4 minutes on each side until they are heated through and have a golden crust.

For Baby:

Serve as finger food with avocado citrus sauce for dipping.

All Grown Up:

Season with salt and pepper and serve with avocado citrus sauce and a green salad.

Smart Tip

Dill aids digestion and offers anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.

February 27, 2017 by readingwritingandriesling

Sweet Potato Noodles with a Creamy Peanut Satay Sauce: Deliciously Ella with Friends – Ella Mills ( Woodward)

Deliciously Ella with Friends by Ella Mills RRP $29.99 published by Hachette Australia on 31 January 2017

“These noodles were quite a revelation to me. They’re so much heartier, more filling and more like conventional pasta than everyone’s favourite courgette noodles, and this satay sauce really brings them to life. It’s so incredibly creamy, with subtle hints of chilli and tangy lime. Together they make for the best pick-me-up dinner, healthy but comforting and bursting with flavour. You will need a spiraliser for this recipe.” p.86

SWEET POTATO NOODLES WITH A
CREAMY PEANUT SATAY SAUCE
Serves 2

FOR THE NOODLES
olive oil
1 celery stick, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5cm root ginger, finely grated
pinch of salt
250g mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 small sweet potatoes, about 200g each, peeled and spiralised
100g baby spinach

FOR THE SAUCE
3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
(or almond butter also works)
70ml almond milk, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon tamari
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp honey
a little olive oil, if needed

Heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan, then add the celery, garlic, ginger and salt and sauté over a low heat until the celery is softening. Add the mushrooms once the pan has been bubbling for a couple of minutes.
After a minute or so more, add the sweet potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes.

COMFORT & SPICE
Next, make the satay sauce. Simply place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding oil if it helps to process the sauce, then add salt to taste.
Once the noodles and mushrooms are tender, add the spinach and the satay sauce. Stir until the spinach has wilted and the sauce is warm. If the sauce feels a little thick, add a splash of water, olive oil or almond milk and stir it in until it reaches your desired consistency.

CLEVER COOKING
Slice the ends off the sweet potatoes to create flat surfaces at either end before spiralising, it makes the process so much easier!

May 22, 2016 by readingwritingandriesling

Ultimate Sweet Potato Bake: Surfing The Menu Next Generation – Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn

Surfing the Menu Next Generation

Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn

Simon & Schuster Australia

ISBN: 9781925368345

**The show is on ABC TV this Sunday 22nd May 2016 6pm**

Ultimate Sweet Potato Bake – Dan Churchill

2 tablespoons olive or macadamia oil

3 lean rashers bacon, roughly chopped

600g sweet potato, cut into 5mm discs

250g ricotta

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced) and lightly grease
an 8 cup capacity ovenproof dish.

2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the bacon, stirring and turning occasionally, until browned. Remove from the pan. Add the sweet potato slices (in batches) and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer the bacon and sweet potato to the ovenproof dish.

3 Whisk the ricotta, coconut milk and nutmeg until smooth, and season with a pinch of salt. Pour over the sweet potato. Bake for
20–25 minutes, until lightly golden on top.