Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Potato Salad with Horseradish
Serves 4 as a side
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 kilogram baby chat potatoes.
1/2 cup sour cream.
2 tablespoons lemon juice.
1 tablespoon finely grated horseradish (fresh or from a jar).
100 grams shredded snowpeas.
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill tips.

Method
Add the potatoes to a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
In a glass bowl mix together the sour cream, lemon juice and horseradish. Taste and season if necessary, refrigerate until needed.
Drain potatoes and allow to cool before cutting into quarters.
Add to a large glass bowl, add the snow peas, dill and mixed horseradish cream and toss well to combine.

Serving
Excellent served with potaotes still warm or after being refrigerated.

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Morrocan Shepherds Pie
Serves 4
Prep time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 45-50 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
750 grams floury potatoes, peeled and cubed.
20 tablespoons of butter.
1/2 cup of milk.
1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
1 onion, finely chopped.
500 grams lean lamb mince.
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced.
1 zuchinni, finely diced.
1 large brown onion, finely diced.
1/2 cup frozen peas.
300 grams drained and rinsed tinned chickpeas.
1 cup vegetable stock.
2 tablespoons of harissa paste.
1 tablespoon of plain flour.
1/4 cup grated tasty cheese.

Method
Preheat an oven to 200C.
Salt a pot of boiling water, add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Leave sitting in water until needed.
While potatoes cook, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add mince and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
Add carrots and harissa.
Blend flour into stock and add to the pan.
Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Add zuchinni and peas and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Spoon this mixture into an 8 cup capacity dish.
Drain potatoes and return to pot.
Add milk and butter and mash until smooth.
Test for and adjust seasoning.
Using spatula, spread the potato mix over the mince mixture in an even layer.
Top with grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is golden.

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Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
500 grams potato gnocchi. Try our potato gnocchi recipe.
300 grams pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes.
6 rashers of bacon, rind removed and finely chopped.
1 large red onion, diced.
2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
1/4 cup pine nuts.
1.2 cup reduced fat feta, crumbled.
1 cup light cream.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
1/4 fresh chopped basil leaves.
1/2 cup grated parmesan.
Olive oil cooking spray.
Fresh ground black pepper.

Method
Preheat oven to 220C.
On a grease baking tray, place the pumkin and spray lightly with oil.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the oil to a non stick pan.
While cooking with the frypan, cook gnocchi to packet instructions, or for our fresh gnocchi until they begin to float.
Drain and set aside once cooked.
Add the onion and bacon and cook until bacon starts to crisp, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for a further minute.
Remove pan contents to a 12 cup greased oven proof dish.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan and roast the pine nuts until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Remove to baking dish.
When gnocchi are cooked, add to the baking dish and stir through bacon.
Add feta, basil, pumpkin and cream and stir through.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until gently bubbling.

Serving
Serve to pasta bowls, top with parmesan and fresh ground pepper.

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Hazelnut Macaroons
Makes about 20
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 cups hazelnuts, ground into meal.
1 cup caster sugar.
2 eggwhites, from fresh eggs.
1 teaspoon vanilla essence.
100 grams dark chocolate.

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
In a food processor, combine the hazelnuts, caster sugar, eggwhites and vanilla essence.
Process until a thick, smnooth paste gorms.
Using a tablespoon to measure size, roll a tablespoon of mixture into a ball using your hands.
Place on trays with rooms for spreading, then flatten each macaroon slightly with a spatula.
Bake for 15 minutes, check and if not golden bake for a further 5 minutes, or until golden.
Cool on trays for 10 minutes before transfering to wie racks.
While macaroons cool, melt the chocolate (using a double boiler – a glass bowl over simmering water, without letting the glass touch the water).
Once melted and smooth, spoon the chocolate into a piping bag ( or a zip lock back with a corner removed before use) and pipe onto macaroons.

Serving
Allow chocolate to set, then serve and enjoy.

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Hash Brown Stacks
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 45 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 large Roma tomatoes, halved.
2 large potatoes, grated. Use a clean tea towel to remove excess moisture by bundling and twisting the top of the towel.
4 rashers of bacon.
4 large eggs.
1 tablespoon white vinegar.
200 grams baby spinach, washed and dried.
Salt and pepper to season.
Olive oil for frying.
Shaved parmesan, to serve.

Method
Prehaet an oven to 180C.
Place tomatoes in a baking dish, cut side up.
Season with salt and pepper, drizzle lightly with olive oil and bake for 45 minutes.
While the tomatoes bake, fry off the bacon until slightly crispy, remove and place in oven to keep warm.
heat 1 cm of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Season the grated potato and form 4, 2cm thick patties.
Fry until golden on each side, about 6 minutes per side then remove and place in oven to finish cooking.
Heat water to a depth of 5 cm in a large saucepan until just simmering.
Add the vinegar to this water.

Time the following egg cooking to be ready by the time the tomatoes have finished baking.
Crack each of the eggs into a glass.
Swirl the water, pour each egg in gently and allow 30 seconds for a white mass to form.
Cook eggs for 3-4 minutes for soft poached, 4-5 for medium and 6-8 for hard yolks.

Just before serving, heat the spinach in a dry pan with a spray of olive oil until wilted.

Serving
Using the potatoes as a base, form stack with the tomato, bacon, egg and spinach.
Top off with shaved parmesan and cracked pepper.

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Sweet and Sour Chicken

Serves 4
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
600 grams chicken tenderloins (use breast meat for a cheaper option).
2 egg yolks.
2 tablespoons soy sauce.
1 tablespoon corn flour.
1/4 cup extra coorn flour.
400 grams tinned pineapple pieces, drained.
1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut into 1-2cm squares.
1 green capsicum, deseeded and cut into 1-2cm squares.
1 brown onion, halved and cut into thin wedges.
2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger.
2 tablespoons cup tomato sauce.
2 tablespoons cup caster sugar.
2 tablespoons white vinegar.
2 tablespoons water.
2 teaspoons cornflour.
Oil for deep frying.
2 teaspoons peanut oil.

Method
Combine the egg yolks, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of cornflour in a medium glass bowl. Mix into a paste.
Cube the chicken into bite sized pieces, add to the cornflour paste and coat well. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Heat oil in a saucepan for deep frying. Oil is hot enough when a wooden sppon dipped in the oil appears to fry.
Remove chicken from fridge and slowly add remaining cornflour to the mix to make a thick batter coating the chicken.
Deep fry the chicken in batches until deeply golden, set aside to drain on absorbent paper.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further minute.
Add the capsicums and pineapple and reduce heat to low and allow vegetables to soften slightly, about 2 minutes.
In a jug whisk together the tomato sacue, vinegar, water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Whisk in 2 teaspoons of cornflour.
Add chicken to the wok to reheat, pour in sauce and stir until it thickens.

Serving
Serve over fluffy rice.

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Herb and Smashed Potato Salad
Serves 4 as a side
Prep time : 25 minutes
Cooking time : 50 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
800 grams baby chat potatoes.
1/3 cup olive oil.
1/4 cup white wine vinegar.
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice.
1 teaspoon caster sugar.
1 tablespoon dill leaf tips, chopped.
1/4 cup fresh chopped chives.
1 cup flat leaf parsley (leaves only).

Method
Preheat an oven to 180C.
Layer the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with warm water then bring to the boil over high heat.
Cook potatoes for 20 minutes, drain and allow to cool to handle.
Once cool enough, crush each of the potatoes with the flat blade of a cleaver or larger chefs knife to “smash” it.
Place smashed potatoes in a large, greased baking dish.
Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 30 minutes, then allow to cool.
Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and any remaining oil. Season to taste.
Pour this dressing over warm potaotes, toss them to coat and then sprinkle over the fresh chopped herbs.

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Vinagrettes
Each of these recipes makes enough vinagrette to dress around 16 individual serves of salad. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, stirring well before using each time.

For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Basil Vinagrette
Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves.
2 tablespoons roasted garlic (4 large cloves roasted at 200C for 20 minutes).
1 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese.
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar.
1 cup olive oil.
Salt and black pepper, to taste.

Method
Blend the basil, garlic and parmesan with the balsamic vinegar in a blender. Drizzle in the oil until a desired consitency is achieved.
Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Dijon Vinagrette
Ingredients
1 cup olive oil.
4 tablespoons dijon mustard.
1/3 cup red wine vinegar.
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste.

Method
Combine oil, mustard and vinegar in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.
Shake until emulsified, season with pepper as desired.

Lemon Vinagrette
Ingredients
1 cup olive oil.
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice.
1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest.
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped lemon thyme leaves.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method
Combine oil, lemon juice and zest, thyme and garlic in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
Shake to emulsify, adjust seasoning if necessary.
Best left to sit for 24 hours before using.

Honey Mustard Vinagrette
Ingredients
1 cup olive oil.
2 tablespoons dijon mustard.
2 tablespoons seeded mustard.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
1/3 cup cider vinegar.
2 tablespoons honey.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method
In a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar and honey and shake until honey is dissolved.
Add the mustard and garlic, shake to combine.
Adjust seasoning if necessary.

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Passion Fruit Curd
Makes 3 cups
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
4 eggs.
2 egg yolks.
3/4 cup caster sugar.
3/4 cup passionfruit pulp (8-10 large passionfruit).
1 tablespoon lemon juice.
125 grams chopped butter.

Method
Add the eggs, egg yolks and sugar into a large microwave proof bowl.
Whisk until well combined.
Stir in pulp, lemon juice and butter.
Microwave on medium 1 minute at a time, whisking after each minute.
Continue the 1 minute cycle until the curd is thick enough to coat a spoon. This may take 8-10 minutes.

Serving
Use as a filling for tarts and in slices.

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