Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Spinach and Tomato Salad with Cumin Dressing
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 1 minute
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
70mL light olive oil
4 cups of baby spinach leaves
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 roma tomatoes, deseeded and thinly sliced
30 grams peanuts
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves

Method
Heat a non stick pan over medium heat.
Add cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant, set aside to cool.
Toss peanuts in pan until they begin to colour, set aside to cool.
In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind cumin seeds.
In a small jug combine the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, olive oil and ground seeds, whisk to emulsify.
Toss remaining ingredients together in the serving bowl, drizzle over the dressing then toss to coat.

Serving
Best made just before serving, a gutsy salad that goes well with any grilled meat.

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Ricotta and Herb Tart
Serves 8
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 40 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour, sifted.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
Pinch salt.
100 grams butter, chilled, chopped.
5 eggs.
650 grams ricotta cheese.
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated.
1/4 cup pitted black olives, chopped.
4 slices prosciutto, chopped.
2 teaspoons rosemary leaves, chopped.
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Place a baking tray on the lowest shelf in the oven.
To the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, salt and butter.
Process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon cold water and process until the pastry comes together.
Transfer to a floured board, and knead gently until smooth.
Shape into a 10cm disc, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for 15 minutes.
To a bowl add ricotta, parmesan, olives, proscuitto, rosemary, parsley, 3 eggs and salt and pepper.  Stir until well combined.
Reserve one third of the pastry, and roll outthe remainder into a 32cm round.
Line the base and sides of a flan dish/tart pan 21cm in diameter with the rolled out pastry.
Spoon the ricotta filling into the pastry case.
Crack remaining egg into a small jug and lightly whisk.
Brush the edge of the pastry with egg.
Roll out reserved portion of pastry and place over filling.
Trim the edge, and pierce a cross in the top.
Brush with egg.
Place onto preheated tray and bake for 40 minutes, until golden.

Serving
Allow to stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve with a leafy green salad.

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Rice and Fetta stuffed Capsicums
Serves 4
Prep time : 7 minutes
Cooking time : 40 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
4 red capsicums.
350 grams marinated fetta.
2 x 250 gram packets Basmati Pre-cooked rice.
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped.

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Cut capsicums in half lengthways, trim all of the membrane and remove the seeds.
Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Drain the fetta, reserving 2 tablespoons of the marinade, and chop roughly.
place the fetta in a bowl together with the rice and parsley.
Fill the capsicum halves with the rice mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the capsicums are tender.

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

Ingredients
500 grams fresh potato gnocchi. Try making your own with our potato gnocchi recipe.
1 cup light thickened cream.
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto.
150 grams chargrilled capsicum, chopped finely.
150 grams baby spinach.
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated.

Method
Cook gnocchi in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, according to packet directions.
Drain.
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Place a frying pan over medium heat.
Add cream and pesto and allow to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce shouls thicken slightly.
Add spinach and capsicum, and cook for 1 minute further, until spinach has wilted.
Add gnocchi to sauce, and stir gently to combine.
Remove to a greased, 8 cup capacity baking dish and top with cheese.
Place under the grill for 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and golden.

Serving
Serve with garlic bread, if desired.

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Grilled Lavash with Rosemary and Garlic
Serves 4
Prep time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 2 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil.
2 clove garlic, crushed.
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary.
3 sheets of lavash bread.
Sea salt.

Method
Preheat a grill or barbecue grill over high heat.
Place olive oil, garlic and rosemary in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
Brush oil mixture evenly over lavash bread.
Place bread on grill and cook on both sides for 2 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Serving
Break bread into large pieces and sprinkle with sea salt.

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Vegetable Rolls
Serves 6
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 25 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 red onion, halved.
2 cloves garlic.
2 medium carrots.
2 small zucchini.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
1 corn cob, kernels removed.
3/4 cup cottage cheese.
1 1/2 cups rolled oats.
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs.
3 teaspoons hot chili sauce.
2 eggs, beaten lightly.
3 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds.

Method
Using a food processor, coarsely grate the onion, garlic, carrot and zucchini.
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add oil.
Once to temperature, add the grated vegetables and corn kernels.
Cook stirring occaisionally for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
Drain, and transfer to a bowl.
Add cottage cheese, oats, herbs, chili sauce and half the beaten egg.
Season with salt and pepper and set to one side for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 220 C.
Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Place a pastry sheet on a board and cut in half.
Spoon one sixth of the mixture along the long side of one of the halves. Brush the opposite edges with egg.
Roll up to encase the filling.
Cut the roll into thirds and place on prepared tray.
Repeat with remaining pastry and vegetable filling.
Brush tops of rolls with remaining egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Serving
Serve with leafy salad and sweet chili sauce.

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Sesame, Haloumi and Pumpkin Tarts
Makes 16
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 25 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 sheets frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, partially thawed.
1/4 cup olive oil.
500 grams butternut pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes.
3 teaspoons sesame seeds.
1 tablespoon brown sugar.
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.
180 grams haloumi cheese, cut into 1cm cubes.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Grease a 16 hole, round based, 1 1/2 tablespoon capacity tin.
Using a 6.5cm round cutter, cut 8 rounds from each pastry sheet.
Press a round into each hole in the prepared tin.
Prick each base with a fork 2 or 3 times.
Bake for 12 minutes, until golden, and allow to stand in the tin for 3 minutes, before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add pumpkin.
Cook for 10 minutes until tender.
Add sesame seeds and cook for 2 minutes, until they have just turned golden.
Stir through the sugar and vinegar and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add the haloumi to the pan.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the haloumi begins to brown.
Spoon the pumpkin mixture into the pastry cases and serve.

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Blue Cheese and Pear Tart
Serves 4
Prep time : 12 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter.
3 pears, sliced thinly.
2 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed.
1 egg, beaten lightly.
2/3 cup roasted hazelnuts.
80 grams blue cheese.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and add butter.
Once butter has melted, cook pear slices in batches for 2 minutes each side, until golden.
Transfer to a plate.
Place one pastry sheet on a board and cut in half.
Place one piece of pastry on each prepared tray, and brush the edges with egg.
Cut 8 1cm wide strips from the piece of pastry that remains, and lay a strip on each edge to form a border.
Trim the ends to fit.
Chop the hazelnuts roughly and set 2 tablespoons aside.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup hazelnuts over each pastry centre and top with slices of pear.
Crumble cheese over pears.
Sprinkle with reserved hazelnuts and bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

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Potato Galette
Serves 4
Prep time : 8 minutes
Cooking time : 55 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
60 grams butter, melted.
1kg desiree potatoes, sliced thinly.
50 grams parmesan cheese, grated finely.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Grease a 20cm round springform pan with a portion of the melted butter.
Place pan on a baking tray.
Line the base of the pan with slices of potato, overlapping slightly.
Brush with butter.
Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of grated cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper and a little salt.
Repeat this process 4 times to result in 5 layers.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes before releasing the springform surround.
Slide onto a plate and slice into wedges.

Serving
This dish is delicious served with grilled fish, or chicken.

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