Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Hunza Pie
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 80 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
Pastry
1 cup of plain flour.
1 cup whole meal flour.
200 grams chopped butter, chilled.

Filling
30 grams butter.
1 large brown onion, finely diced.
1 bunch English spinach, washed, dried and stalks removed. Shred leaves.
100 grams crumbled feta.
250 grams cottage cheese.
250 grams pre cooked quick brown rice.
30 eggs, beaten.
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives.
Salt and pepper to season.

Method
Pastry
Combine flours and chilled butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Add 2 tablespoons of cold water and process until dough comes together.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, 4-5 minutes.
Set aside 1/3 of the dough, wrapping it in cling wrap and refrigerating until needed.
Roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper until you have about a 30cm round.
Grease a 4-5 cup capacity baking dish.
Cut dough and use to line this dish.
Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Filling
Preheat oven to 200C.
Melt the butter in a non stick pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until soft.
Add spinach and stir until wilted.
Remove from pan and allow to cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine the feta, cottage cheese and eggs, stirring to combine.
Add the rice and onion and spinach mix.
Season generously with salt and pepper.
Spoon mix into pie shell.
Roll out reserved third of pastry to form the pie lid.
Place oven filled pie and pinch or crimp edge to form a seal.
Cut 2 vent holes into pie lid.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200C, then reduce oven to 180C and bake for a further 60 minutes.
Pie is ready when pastry is golden and crisp.

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Chili Ginger Mixed Greens
Serves 4 as a side dish.
Prep time : 8 minutes
Cooking time : 5 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
Small red chili, deseeded and finely diced.
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
1/4 teaspoons sesame oil.
1/4 cup light soy sauce.
1 teaspoon peanut oil.
200 grams green beans, topped and tailed.
100 grams sugar snap peas, trimmed.
200 grams brocollini (Chinese broccoli), trimmed

Method
Bring a pot of unsalted water to the boil.
Blanch beans, peas and brocollini for 4 minutes.
Refresh in iced water, allow to sit for 2 minutes then drain well.
Combine soy, chili, ginger, garlic, sesame and peanut oils and whisk to emulsify.

Serving
Heap blanched greens into a serving plate, drizzle over dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

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Pear, Asparagus and Baby Beetroot Salad
Serves 4 as a side
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 5 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 bunches.
1 large pear, skin on and sliced.
250 grams tinned baby beetroot, well drained.
100 grams fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and drained.
1/4 cup shaved parmesan.
1 tablespoons olive oil.
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar.

Method
Bring a pot of unsalted water to the boil.
While waiting, grab each asparagus spear about 2/3 of the way from the tip. Flex gently. If it does not snap, move 1cm towards base of and flex again. Repeat until it snaps. Discard lower portion as this will be woody. Retain spears.
Blanch asparagus for 3 minutes, refreshing in iced water.
Cut spears in half then slice spears in half length ways.
Toss together spinach, beetroot and asparagus in a serving bowl.
Top with pear slices.
Top with parmesan.
Combine oil and vinegar and whisk until emulsified.
Drizzle over salad.

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Tasty Mango Trifle
Makes 4 serves.
Prep time : 10 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
400 grams Christmas fruit cakes, thinly sliced.
250 grams brandy custard.
150 mL double thick cream.
100 grams fresh raspberries.
2 tablespoons sweet sherry.
2 fresh mangoes, sliced.
Icing sugar to serve.

Method
Using a 1 to 1.5 litre serving bowl, line the base with sliced cake. Sprinkle over half the sherry.
Mix cream and custard in a bowl.
Pour a third of this mix over the cake slices.
Top with half the mango.
Repeat cake, cream and mango layers.
Finish with remaining cream.
Press raspberries into top cream layer, dust with icing sugar.
Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

Serving
Serve with thickened cream and rich vanilla ice cream.

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Tomato and Bocconcinni Salad
Serves 4 as a side
Prep time : 5 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
200 grams cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and halved
150 grams small bocconcinni, drained and halved.
1 cup fresh basil leaves.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
Salt and pepper to season

Method
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, toss to coat in oil.
Season as desired.

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Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4 as a side
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 45 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
300 grams floury potatoes, peeled and cut into even sized chunks.
300 grams pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into similar size as the potato.
300 grams sweet potato, peeled and cut into similar size chunks as the potato.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary or tarragon or thyme.
Salt and pepper to season.
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar.
1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Method
Preheat oven to 200C.
Rub or brush the oil over the potato, sweet potato and pumpkin.
Place into a baking dish into a single layer.
Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle herbs over the top.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until potato is cooked through and golden and crunchy on the outside.
In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar into the vinegar.
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until thickened.

Serving
Serve vegetables in a large serving dish central to the table. Drizzle over the balsamic syrup.

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Stuffed Turkey with Traditional Gravy
Serves 4 (with leftover meat for sandwiches)
Prep time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 150 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 small thawed turkey, about 4 kilos.
2 cups fresh bread crumbs. Remove crust from 4 slices of bread and process in a food processor until fine.
1 1/2 cup chicken stock. Try our delicious and easy chicken stock recipe.
1 cup of white wine.
1/2 cup of brandy.
1/4 cup plain flour.
1 white onion, chopped.
4 white onions, thickly sliced.
2 cloves garlic, chopped.
125 grams bacon, rind removed and chopped.
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon.
1 lemon, thickly sliced.
2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2 tablespoons of butter, softened.
Salt and pepper to season.

Method
To prepare the turkey, wash it then pat it dry with paper towel. Loosen skin around breast meat. Set aside until ready to stuff.
Preheat oven to 180C.
In a non stick fry pan heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, cook for 2 minutes.
Add the bacon and garlic, cook for 3 minutes.
Stir through the tarragon and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.
Add the bread crumbs and mix through.
Stuff a small amount of the stuffing under the skin over the breast, patting into a flat, uniform thickness.
Stuff gut cavity with remaining stuffing and lemon slices.
Sew cavity shut, using kitchen twine. Tie legs together with twine.
In a large baking tray, arrange the sliced onions for the turkey to sit on.
Rub the turkey with the softened butter, season with salt an pepper then place breast up on onions.
Pour wine and half of the brandy over the turkey and roast for 1 hour.
Remove, cover breast portion with foil and return to oven
Cook for a further hour, then use a skewer to check if turkey is cooked through. Pierce the thickest part of the leg with the skewer, if juices run clear the turkey is cooked. If not, return to oven for 15 minutes before retesting. Repeat until juices run clear if necessary.
When turkey is cooked, transfer to serving tray and rest, covered in foil for 20 minutes.
Remove half the onions form the baking try.
Place tray over medium heat on the stove top.
Add flour, and use it to work off all the brown bits stuck to the base of the pan. Cook flour for 3-4 minutes.
Add the stock and remaining brandy and cook until thickened, another 4-5 minutes.
Transfer to a blender for a smooth gravy, other wise transfer to a heated gravy boat.

Serving
Carve turkey, serve to table with gravy and serve with your favourite roasted vegetables.

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Spicy Prawns
Serves 4 as an entree
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
400 grams deveined uncooked prawns. For presentation, leave the last section of tail on.
500 grams tomatoes.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
1 medium brown onion, finely diced.
1 clove of garlic, crushed.
1 teaspoon chili sauce. Peri-peri or sambal oelek are suitable.
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
1 tablespoon caster sugar.
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme.
1 lemon, washed and cut into quarters.

Method
Bring a large unsalted pot of water to the boil.
Cut a cross in the base of each tomato.
Blanch tomatoes for 1 minute, plunge into ice water to cool.
Peel tomatoes, discard seeds and roughly chop the remaining flesh.
Heat the oil in a non stick pan over medium heat.
Add the onions, cook for 3-4 minutes, or until soft.
Add garlic, cook for a further minute.
Add the tomato flesh, chili sauce, vinegar, sugar and half the thyme.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
Add the prawns and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serving
Serve prawns to individual bowls, top with remaining thyme and place a lemon quarter to the side.

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Prawn Fritters
Serves 4
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
3/4 cup self raising flour.
1 egg, beaten.
150 mL sparkling mineral water at room temperature.
250 grams cooked prawns, shelled, deviened and roughly chopped.
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives.
Vegetable oil for frying

Method
Combine flour, egg and mineral water in a bowl.
Mix into a batter, cover and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
Add prawns and chives to batter and mix well.
Heat oil in a non stick pan over medium heat.
Use approx 1/8th of the mixture per fritter, fry until golden, around 2-3 minutes per side.

Serving
Delicious with our capsicum aioli recipe.

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