It’s all very well deciding to eat healthy but unless you have some ideas on what to create and the ingredients on hand, it can prove to be a challenge! I thought I would start a ‘HEALTHYME‘ series to share with you what sort of food I create regularly so that I can eat healthy more easily. In the ‘HEALTHYME‘ series I will cover simple breakfast, lunch, dinner, sauces and dressing recipes that I use often to help me keep on track.

I try to use organic ingredients whenever possible or at least source local ingredients because I know where they are grown and how fresh they are :). I always use fresh herbs, can’t imagine a meal without them to be honest and they are the easiest plants to grow. At then end of each ‘HEALTHYME‘ recipe I will list the essential items you need in your fridge and pantry. These meals are created out of ingredients that are always really useful to have on hand. That way once you are used to making more healthy food for yourself you will find it easier to know what to buy when you do your food shopping – it’s about developing some new habits.

Frittata is an awesome meal in one, in this one the sweetness of the buttercup is delicious with cumin and fennel. Feel free to add any of your favourite veg to your frittata. I often eat vegetarian because I believe it’s better for you and I like the creativity and flavours that go into making a vegetarian meal.

RECIPE

Serves 2-3
1/4 pumpkin, sliced into wedges (I’ve used buttercup)
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
6 organic eggs
1 large courgette, sliced
5 button mushrooms, sliced
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 spring onions, sliced
100 grams of feta, crumbled
A good handful of fresh basil leaves
A good handful of italian parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Line two small baking dishes with baking paper. In one, place the sliced pumpkin, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the fennel seeds and cumin powder, season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes until soft and golden brown. In the other baking dish place the tomatoes and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes until soft and golden brown. Chop the pumpkin into chunks, I leave the skin on but you may prefer to remove it. The tomatoes may be ready sooner so just remove from the oven and set aside.

Whisk the eggs together in a bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frypan and add the sliced courgette and mushrooms, cook for a few minutes on a high heat until golden brown. Add the pumpkin chunks and pour over the whisked eggs. Turn the heat down to low, add the roast tomatoes, spring onion and crumbled feta. Cook gently until the egg starts to firm up on the surface (about 10 minutes). Place under a hot grill to brown for a few minutes. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Serve in wedges for lunch or dinner with the fresh basil and parsley.

Leftover frittata is great served cold the following day.

HEALTHYME SHOPPING ESSENTIALS

Pumpkin or buttercup
Organic eggs
Courgette
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Feta
Fennel seeds
Cumin powder
Basil
Italian parsley
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil

The post HEALTHYME – Roast pumpkin frittata appeared first on The huia tree.

This is a really delicate, flavoursome dish and so easy to do with the added bonus of no messy frying. The rice has a sweet, sticky coconut flavour – very yummy.  The hardest part is knowing whether your salmon is cooked and you don’t want to overcook it. Test one after 10 minutes by checking the flakiness of the middle of the piece of salmon, it should be juicy and just flaking. If it’s not flaking at all in the center then it will need another few minutes.

Serves two

250-300 grams of fresh salmon, cut into two pieces
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
4 tablespoons of coconut milk
1/2 red chilli, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 makrut (kaffir) lime leaf, finely chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
1 cup of black rice or basmati rice
2 tablespoons of fresh coriander and parsley, chopped
Himalayan or sea salt
Ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Cook the rice according to instructions on the packet.

Mix together the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, chilli and makrut lime.

In a baking tray add two rectangles of baking paper (large enough so you can enclose your salmon parcel). Place half a cup of the cooked rice into the middle of each piece of baking paper and spread a little. Add a salmon piece on each. Spoon over even quantities of the coconut milk mixture on each parcel. Top with half of the spring onion. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the sides over each and then fold the ends and roll them up to enclose your parcels. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve with coriander, parsley and extra spring onion.

The post Thai salmon parcels appeared first on The huia tree.

I lived in Germany once, Bavaria to be exact, the home of the most outstanding cheesecakes in the world. I learnt to make them with quark, a soft, fresh curd that is lower in fat than a cream cheese and has a lovely fine texture. Luckily I can source quark from local German chef – Roland from Waitete Orchard Restaurant. This cheesecake is also one of my son’s favourites and today is his birthday Happy Birthday Rhys xx

Fresh quark, nom nom, looks like freshly made vanilla ice cream!

Make your biscuit base first… then set it in the fridge while you make the filling…

A beautiful, creamy, velvety mixture.

RECIPE

Pre heat oven to 150 degrees celsius. Line a springform tin with baking paper.

BISCUIT BASE
250g digestive biscuits, crushed
120g butter, melted
3 tablespoons of caster sugar (optional)

Combine all the above ingredients. Spread the crumbed mixture over the bottom of your springform tin and press firmly. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
1kg fresh quark  (you could exchange for half cream cheese and half ricotta)
250g caster sugar
3 tablespoons of plain flour
4 fresh organic eggs
120g butter, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
zest of one lemon

Combine the quark, sugar and flour in a large bowl and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, butter, vanilla and lemon zest and beat until smoothly blended. Pour the filling over the biscuit base in the springform tin. Place the tin on a baking tray as there may be some leakage from the base. Bake for 1 – 1 1/4 hours until the filling is set and the top is golden brown. Cool in tin and serve.

The post A birthday and a beautiful baked lemon cheesecake appeared first on The huia tree.

It’s been awhile between blog posts. April was a month where ‘life happened’, it was tough. A good friend lost her beautiful daughter in a tragic accident, bearing witness to this has been heartbreaking. Then a nasty flu virus hit me and it was hard to overcome. Now it’s May and my youngest son and I have been staying in a remote part of New Zealand (by the sea) for ten days of R&R. It’s been very peaceful and we are ready to head home again in a couple of days.

This morning I felt like eggs with a difference for breakfast so decided to try eggs en cocette with spinach and mushrooms. This was so delicate and beautiful to eat – undoubtedly the best eggy breakfast!

INGREDIENTS (for two servings)
2 organic eggs
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 large mushrooms, chopped
120g of baby spinach leaves
4 tablespoons of cream
2 tablespoons of parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Knob of butter
Salt and pepper

RECIPE
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Grease 2 ramekins with butter. Gently pan fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil and butter until the onion is soft. Add the spinach leaves and stir through til wilted (about a minute). Remove from the heat add the nutmeg and cool. Once cool, drain off any excess liquid and chop. Add half of the spinach mixture to each ramekin. With a spoon press the spinach to make a well in the middle and spread up the sides of the ramekin. Break an egg into each one. Add two tablespoons of cream to each ramekin, sprinkle each with one tablespoon of parmesan. Sprinkle each with half the parsley then season with salt and pepper.

Place the egg ramekins in a larger oven proof dish, pour boiling water into the dish till the level is half way up the sides of the ramekin. Place carefully in the oven and bake for 15 minutes for soft eggs. Remove carefully, garnish with parsley and serve. So tasty.

Beautiful bougainvillea in flower where we are staying.

Waihau Bay, East Cape, New Zealand.

The post Eggs en cocette with spinach, mushrooms and parmesan appeared first on The huia tree.

This time of year in New Zealand (late summer), tomatoes are plentiful and cheap. Tomatoes and basil are an old match made in heaven. I brought a bag of mixed heirloom tomatoes from my local, Waihi Beach farmgate deli and came up with this little treat for an entree on a hot, late summer’s day…

INGREDIENTS
A handful of tomatoes per person (the smaller varieties), cut in half
100g goat feta, chopped
1 tablespoon of chives, chopped

FOR THE DRESSING
3 large basil leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 small clove of garlic, minced

Place all the dressing ingredients in a screw top jar and shake.

ASSEMBLE
Place the tomatoes and feta into serving dishes, spoon over dressing, garnish with chives.

The post Heirloom tomato cups with goat feta and basil dressing appeared first on The huia tree.

It’s that time of year when the taste buds go mad with anticipation of the very first bluff oysters! For those of you not familiar with New Zealand oysters – Bluff is the southern most tip of New Zealand that grows the fattest, sweetest, juiciest oysters on the planet. So I managed to get my hands on some and decided I would try 3 different dressings. I love my oysters raw, to cook them is absolute sacrilege I think. Anyway as I didn’t have any oyster shells to serve them in I had to be a little more inventive. I love the idea of oyster shooters but didn’t have any decent glassware, however I had some gorgeous solid silver spoons! What better way to indulge in one mouthful of fresh, creamy, Bluff oyster heaven…

Dressing 1 – lime/soy
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 teaspoon of fish sauce
1 teaspoon or 1 cube of palm sugar
1/2 red chilli finely chopped

Heat the above ingredients gently in a small saucepan till the sugar melts – stir frequently.

Add 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves

Allow to cool.

Dressing 2 – wasabi cream
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of wasabi paste
1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon of finely chopped chives

Blend the sour cream, wasabi and lemon juice together to a creamy sauce.

Dressing 3 – Lemon vinaigrette
2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1 spring onion finely chopped

Mix all together.

Place your gorgeous plump oysters in spoons and dress with the 3 different dressings. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lime zest, lemon zest, chives, coriander to suit.

The post Bluff oysters 3 ways appeared first on The huia tree.

I love rustic, simple food it’s no secret. And living in the western bay of plenty, New Zealand means I am surrounded by avocado trees. They become a staple diet here especially when funds run a little low! They’re a whole meal in one, can’t beat them. When my children were babies I always had a ripe avo in my bag that I could just mash and spoon feed to quickly fill hungry tummies.

Toast a handful of whole pistachio nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Toast 2 slices of lovely wholemeal bread – I’ve used a locally made 5-grain one. Squish 1/4 a ripe avocado on each one, sprinkle with seeds and nuts, drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice), avocado oil (or olive oil). Garnish with chopped parsley or coriander, season with freshly ground salt and pepper.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 ripe avocado
Pistachio nuts
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
Avocado oil or olive oil
wholemeal or wholegrain rustic bread
Chopped flat leaf parsley or coriander
Salt and pepper

The post Rustic avocado pistachio toast appeared first on The huia tree.

Chana Dahl is a split and husked relative of the chickpea, I first tried it in an indian restaurant and loved it so here goes my first attempt. Mine turned out less ‘soupy’ than the other ones I have seen online, probably more like a stew. The flavours are great though.

1 cup Chana Dahl
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp dry red chilli powder
1 dry red chilli
1 lge garlic clover, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp paprika
small handful chopped coriander leaves
1 tin of tomatoes (400g)
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp of ghee or butter
2 whole cloves

Rinse and wash the dahl twice, cover in water and soak for 2 – 3 hours (this will reduce the cooking time). Rinse and strain then add to a saucepan with 4 cups of salted water. Add half of the turmeric and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer until quite soft (takes about 30 – 45mins). You may need to add more water so keep an eye on it. When it’s cooked, strain and set aside.

Meanwhile heat the oil and butter in a frying pan, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bay leaves and the dry red chilli. When the seeds start to splutter turn the heat down and add the onion, garlic, red chilli powder, turmeric and coriander. When the onion is soft add the tinned tomatoes, cloves and the Chana Dahl. Add another cup of water, the garam masala and the paprika. Bring to a simmer for another 15 minutes adding more water if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste (I found it needed quite a bit of salt but I love salt). Remove the cloves and bay leaves. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with naan bread and salad. I also though some spicy fried lamb pieces with be yummy with it and a dollop of natural yoghurt.

The post I made Chana Dahl appeared first on The huia tree.

Here’s one for the vegetarians, so easy and tasty. Mix it up a bit by adding other topping items like sliced mushrooms, red onion, sliced capsicum.

2 aubergines, sliced in half lengthways
2 vine tomatoes thickly sliced
100g feta (goat or cow)
8 sprigs of thyme
Handful of rocket leaves
8 fresh basil leaves
Olive oil
1/2 a lemon
Tablespoon of sesame seeds, toasted
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
Grind himalayan salt all over the cut aubergine and leave to rest for 30 mins. Wipe the collected liquid off the surface of the aubergine with a paper towel – this gets rid of any bitterness. Cut the aubergine flesh in a diamond pattern almost right through but not quite. Drizzle over olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven til the flesh is soft and golden, about 25 mins.

Remove from the oven and add the topping of tomato slices, feta and some of the thyme sprigs. Roast for another 15-20 mins.

Serve with fresh basil, rocket, toasted sesame seeds (pine nuts would also be yummy). Drizzle a little more olive oil and squeeze a good anmount of lemon juice over each half.

To eat them I kind of mush the topping and the aubergine flesh together then scoop it out – delicious!

The post Delicious roast aubergine appeared first on The huia tree.

To start Christmas day off well try this gorgeous gluten free, dairy free recipe from the Bestow Within Journal.

RECIPE
1 large kumara (or sweet potato)
1 dozen cherry tomatoes
2 large handfuls spinach
2 medium red onions
4 eggs
1 tablespoon of apple
cider vinegar
Coconut oil to cook
Olive oil (optional)
Himalayan or sea salt & pepper
Fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, parsley, oregano, chopped

Preheat oven to 200°C. Slice kumara into 6mm round discs. Coat with a little oil, place in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Halfway through the roasting time wash and slice the tomatoes in half. Place on a second baking tray with the sliced onion, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes or so, until soft. Keep in the oven until ready to serve.

Once the onions, kumara and tomatoes have all finished cooking, bring two pots of water to the boil, one for the spinach and one for the poached eggs.

Add the vinegar to the pot for the eggs. Wash the spinach and add to the other pot, wilt and strain.

When the poached egg water is boiling, stir with a spoon in a circular motion and drop in each egg, one at a time to poach.

Create your stacks by layering 3– 4 kumara slices, then some wilted spinach, a few roasted tomatoes, the onion rings and top with the poached egg. Add some extra roasted tomatoes around the base of the plate, drizzle with a little olive oil and grind salt and pepper over your stack, sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve.

High in protein, this breakfast will sustain you through the morning. Kumara is also one of the most nutritious of all vegetables. It is a good source of antioxidants, protecting your skin from ageing.

The post A Christmas breakfast appeared first on The huia tree.