Penne with Rocket and Basil Pesto, Avocado, and Tomatoes

I always seem to have tomatoes and avocado in the fridge and this is my go to dinner when I want something light and fresh. I don't cook the tomatoes or avocado, just throw everything together at the end grate on plenty of parmesan cheese.

I had a huge bag of rocket left over from Christmas and a small basil plant in the garden so that's what I used but you could switch up the herbs to suit your taste. Save yourself some time and blitz up a batch of pesto, use one portion, and freeze the rest for another night.

Rocket and Basil Pesto

140 grams rocket
15 grams basil
90 grams Pinenuts, lightly toasted
60 grams parmesan cheese
30 grams lemon juice, from 1/2 lemon
35 grams olive oil
10 grams olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste

Pasta

Penne or dried pasta of your choice, cooked according to packet directions

Tomatoes, roughly chopped

Avocado, halved, deseeded and roughly chopped

Parmesan cheese, grated

Pesto

Put all pesto ingredients into Thermomix bowl and blend for 5 seconds / speed 6.

Scrape down sides of bowl and blend further 15 seconds / speed 6. 

Add more lemon juice, olive oil or pepper to adjust consistency and flavour according to taste. 

Tips

For variations, combine rocket with other herbs, e.g. parsley, coriander or basil.

If you have leftovers pour some oil over the top and freeze it or use within a few days on salmon, chicken or scrambled eggs.

Rocket and Basil Pesto Recipe on Recipe Community website

Brown Rice Salad

This salad is great to make in large batches and use for several meals throughout the week. It can be served warm or cold.

Some ideas for using this healthy salad:
- Serve along side a grilled chicken breast, tuna or salmon steak, or lean pork chop, topped with spicy mango salsa.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce for a quick, tasty, hearty lunch
- Stuff into pita pocket or wrap & add crunchy romaine or other greens.
- Make a quick tortilla soup by adding a couple cups to low sodium chicken broth, add diced chicken & baked corn tortilla strips.
- Freeze in portion size containers for any of these uses. (when freezing, don't add avocado to entire batch, add fresh when using)

30 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

8 cups cooked brown rice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 mango, diced
2 firm, yet ripe avocados
1/2 red capsicum, diced
1/2 yellow capsicum, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch fresh coriander
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1/4 tsp cumin
sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Optional: diced jalepenos

Cook rice in rice cooker, fluff & allow to cool.
Chop all fresh ingredients.
Mix olive oil, teriyaki sauce, garlic & lime juice in small bowl.
Toss all ingredients in large bowl, season with cumin, salt & pepper to taste.

Makes 12 portions

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 12

Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories: 286.1
Total Fat: 10.6 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 520.5 mg
Total Carbs: 44.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 6.6 g
Protein: 6.3 g

Adapted from a recipe submitted by KGBRACKETT on SparkRecipes

School lunch ideas

Are your children heading back to school soon? Give their lunch box a healthy make-over, select a combination of foods containing carbohydrates, calcium, vegetables, fruit and proteins.

Here are four healthy lunches to get you started:

Tuna rolls: Split wholemeal rolls and spread with mayonnaise, then fill with canned tuna, corn kernels and semi-dried tomatoes. Pack with popcorn, dried apricots and a carton of yoghurt.

Pita sandwiches: Halve pita pockets, spread with pesto and fill with slices of roasted or barbecued chicken, brocconcini, watercress or lettuce and grilled zucchini. Add a small container of fruits in natural juices, grape tomatoes and almonds or walnuts.

Roll ups: Place lavash bread on a sheet of baking paper. Spread with hummus, then top with grated carrot, sliced cheese and avocado. Roll up tightly, using paper as a guide. Cut into thirds. Pack with a small mandarin, a bunch of grapes and a few miniature cheese wedges.

Frittata: Make a frittata, starting with 6 whisked eggs. Add cooked sliced potatoes, cherry tomatoes, cheese and herbs, or canned salmon or tuna. (Frittatas are a great way to use up leftover vegies.) Add mixture to a hot frying pan and cook over medium heat until 3/4 cooked, then transfer to a hot grill and cook for
a further 5 minutes or until browned. Cool. Serve, cut into slices, with sticks of cucumber and carrot, along with a bottle of water, a muesli bar and an apple.

Keep avocado from turning brown

Mash ripe avocado flesh with 10ml of milk. i.e. if you mashed eight avocados use 80ml of milk. Mash them as required and store them in an old dip container. It doesn't alter the taste and it stays green for days!

OR

Wrap a cut avocado in aluminium foil and then wrap it in cling wrap and put it in the fridge.

Vietnamese rice paper rolls

2 x 100g packets vermicelli bean thread noodles
1 large (200g) red capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
2 medium (200g) carrots, peeled, coarsely grated
1 1/2 cups chopped snow pea sprouts
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 fresh long red chilli, finely chopped
4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons salt-reduced soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
12 x 22cm round rice paper sheets
sweet chilli sauce to serve, for dipping

Step 1 Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 2 minutes or until softened.

Step 2 Drain noodles. Use kitchen scissors to cut into smaller lengths (this will make the noodle mixture easier to combine and divide among rice paper sheets).

Step 3 Add remaining ingredients (except rice paper sheets and chilli sauce). Toss to combine.

Step 4 Using one sheet of rice paper at a time, dip into a bowl of hot water and soak for 30 seconds or until pliable. Place on a clean chopping board or tea towel. Place some of the noodle mixture below the halfway mark of the round, leaving an edge, and fold in both sides. Securely fold the bottom edge over the filling to enclose, then carefully roll to the end. Repeat with remaining rice paper sheets and filling.

Step 5 Arrange on a large serving platter. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Variations
Wasabi chicken
Omit capsicum from recipe. Place 250g skinless chicken breast fillet in a frying pan. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Poach, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside for 10 minutes to cool. Shred. Add to noodle mixture with 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and 2 teaspoons wasabi paste.

Nori and teriyaki beef
Omit capsicum from recipe. Place 200g sirloin steak in a glass dish. Pour over 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce and add garlic and just 1 tablespoon salt-reduced soy sauce from ingredients list. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray beef with cooking oil. Cook for 3 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Thinly slice and add to noodle mixture with 2 tablespoons quality whole-egg mayonnaise and 1 shredded dried seaweed (nori) sheet.

Ginger and soy pork
Omit capsicum from recipe. Place 200g pork fillet in a glass dish. Combine 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and 2 tablespoons salt-reduced soy sauce and pour over pork, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat a chargrill over medium-high heat. Spray pork with cooking oil and grill, turning, for 8-10 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain. Add to noodle mixture.

Basil and prawn
Omit coriander from recipe. Add 1/3 cup shredded basil leaves to noodle mixture. Shell and devein 18 medium cooked prawns. Cut in half horizontally. Place 3 halves on top of noodle mixture in step 3.
For great results

The secret of success is to be well organised. Start with a clean bench and have all the equipment out that you will need.
Rice paper sheets come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can purchase 16cm or 22cm round rice paper sheets as well as square rice paper sheets. They are available from the Asian grocery section of your supermarket or any Asian grocery store.
Nuts such as finely chopped cashews and slivered almonds are great to add to filling ingredients. Other ingredients that can be used in rice paper roll fillings include avocado, bean sprouts, mint leaves, shredded cabbage and shredded lettuce.

Roasted Vegetable and Couscous Salad

1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 2cm pieces
Olive oil spray
1/2 Eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
2 zucchinis, cut into 2cm pieces
3/4 cup couscous
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1/2 red capsicum sliced
150 g baby rocket leaves, baby spinach or mixed lettuce

Dressing:
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon honey

Pre heat oven to 250 degrees c
Place pumpkin pieces in a deep baking tray and spray lightly with olive oil spray. Bake for 10 minutes then add the eggplant, zucchini and capsicum (also sprayed lightly with olive oil). Roast for a further 20 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Cook couscous according to instructions on packet.
To make the dressing place all the ingredients in an air tight jar and shake until combined.
Once couscous is cooked, loosen with a fork until light and fluffy and place in a large salad bowl. Add the roast vegetables, onion, mixed lettuce leaves, avocado and cherry tomatoes. Mix the dressing through the salad and serve. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Per Serve:
801kj
192cal
11.7g Carbs
4.2g Protein
13g Total Fat
1.5g Sat Fat
5.6g Fibre

Mum's Mexican Layer Dip

1 tub or more sour cream
1 - 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 - 1 packet taco seasoning mix
- Mix together and spread on plate

1 - 2 Avocados, mashed with lemon juice & a little mayonnaise
- Spread over taco layer

2 tomatoes, deseeded & cut into small pieces
- Layer over avocado layer

Spring onions, finely chopped
- Layer over tomato layer

Top with grated tasty cheese & serve with corn chips

Nutritional Guidance

Total fat – less than 10% per 100g
Saturated Fat – less than 3g per 100g
Sugars – less than 15g per 100g
Sodium – moderate = less than 400mg per 100g
Low = less than 120mg per 100g

40-60% of daily calories - carbs
15-20% of daily calories - protein

Take digestive enzymes once a day with breakfast
- capsule or powder
- best if derived from plant sources

Probiotics
- capsule or powder
Best with a large assortment of bacteria and with digestive microbes as well
- digestive microbes also called homeostatic soil organisms (HSOs) or soil based organisms (SBOs)
- should be taken on an empty stomach first thing in the morning

Take Omega 3 capsules
Whey protein
Goat & sheeps milk organic dairy
Fermented soy-miso, tempeh, tamari

Eat a large breakfast
Eat smaller, lighter, healthier & earlier dinners
Eat a lot of food during the day & drink a lot of water at night, a glass of water every hour after dinner
Eat slowly
Drink fresh wheatgrass juice every day - live chlorophyll

10min super vitality break every day including 5min in the sun

Omega 3 fatty acids increase insulin sensitivity & reverses hyperinsulinemia
- lower triglycerides
- reduce inflammation & pro-inflammatory cytokines

1Tbs flaxseeds/limseeds each day fights depression
- sprinkle on salads, vegies & cereal, mix into smoothies or dress salads with flaxseed oil

25g fibre per day
- 1 medium avocado 13.5g
- 1 cup edamame 8g
- 1 cup raspberries 8g
- 1 med banana 3g

Tips for eating more vegies

Make stuffed baked potatoes with corn kernals, spring onions, mushrooms & capsicum.

Stir diced red capsicum, currants, pine nuts, sliced spring onions, drained tinned salmon, lightly steamed broccoli & fresh basil through cooked rice, serve warm.

Serve salsa with chicken or fish, diced avocado, finely chopped spring onions (or diced red onion), chopped chilli & fresh coriander or mint.

Add grated carrot to rissoles.

Blend apple, ginger, carrot & OJ for a healthy drink.

Healthy food options

* Avocado. Good on toast or as a spread in sandwiches and wraps.
* Low fat ricotta. Especially good on rye bread - either by itself or with some berries on top
* Hummous.
* Home made pesto. spread on toast or a piece of sourdough to eat with soup.
* Keep a tin of blanched lightly salted almonds at your desk

Smoked chicken, apricot and feta salad

After some delicious bruscetta with avocado & vine ripened tomatoes for an entree I made this lovely salad for dinner tonight. I didn't have any red wine vinegar or watercress but it was delicious anyway. I think it would go really well with rocket & will try that next time.

Smoked chicken, apricot and feta salad
2 smoked chicken breasts
3 tablespoons chopped dried apricots
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley (I used less as I'm not a huge fan of lots of parsley)
80g (1/2 cup) toasted almonds
2 large handfuls picked watercress
75g marinated feta
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tabespoon red wine vinegar
salt and black pepper

Finely shred smoked chicken and put it in a bowl with dried apricots, parsley, almonds and watercress. Crumble over the feta and gently toss with olive oil, red wine vinegar and a good seasoning of salt and black pepper.

Smoked Chicken Salad

Well, I've barely managed to survive another year of Christmas gorging and my poor body is craving salad - and lots of it! So who am I to deny it...

Tonight I gave my fav salad a slight makeover as I've been drooling over the yummy Danish fetta that has been in my fridge since before Christmas and tonight I could no longer resist.

So here is the recipe:
Smoked Chicken Salad
1 smoked chicken breast, skin removed and discarded (into my trendy new indoor composter :-) and shredded
1/3 red capsicum, diced
1/2 lebanese cucumber , diced
handful of greeen beans, ends removed and cut into 2cm pieces
handful of snow peas, ends removed and cut into 2cm pieces
1 small tin chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 small tin super sweet corn kernals, drained & rinsed
1 carrot, pelled and diced
1 avocado, chopped into large chunks
1/3 pack Danish fetta, crumbled

Place all ingredients into a large salad bowl and toss well. The fetta and avocado will coat the vegetables and create a delicious dressing.

Serves 2

Variations:
I usually dry fry some pine nuts or almond slivers in a small frypan and throw them in.
I don't usually add fetta but this was a nice addition - although it did make it less healthy and a bit heavier (I'm feeling like I need to go for a walk...not good!)