My staple foods

I'm sure that every foodie has a standard selection of foods that can always be found in their pantry, fridge and freezer. I love to test out new recipes but when I'm in a rush or haven't planned anything for dinner it's great to be able to whip something up with what I have on hand. Here are some of my staple foods that I always make sure I have:

Pantry
Cans - Diced Tomatoes, Whole Tomatoes, Chickpeas, Cannellini Beans, Coconut Milk or Coconut Flavoured Evaporated Milk, Tuna, Corn Kernels
Rice - Basmati, Brown & Arborio
Couscous - a great alternative to rice, here are some Couscous recipes for you to try
Dried Chickpeas, Lentils, Pasta & Noodles
Sugar - Brown, Palm, White, Caster
Sultanas, Dried Apricots & Dates
Pine Nuts, Almonds & Unsalted Roasted Peanuts - for a great Massaman Curry, unless I eat them all first...
Oils - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sesame Oil, Olive Oil Spray, Sunflower Oil, Macadamia Oil - great for baking my Macadamia white chocolate and raspberry muffins
Sauces - Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Kecap Manis
Vinegar - White Vinegar, White Wine Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar
Peanut Butter - smooth & crunchy for Satay Sauce or Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce and my Protein Balls
Pasta Sauce & Pesto
Plain & Self Raising Flour
Cocoa, Baking Powder, Bi-Carb Soda
Breadcrumbs - Panko are the best for my Panko-Crusted Eggplant Parmesan and Panko crusted veal schnitzel

Stock powder - Chicken, Beef & Vegetable
Herbs & Spices - Sea Salt, Black Peppercorns, Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Chinese Five Spice, Fennel, Garam Marsala, Curry Powder, Moroccan Seasoning, Tuscan Seasoning, Turmeric, Chilli, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Cloves, Bay Leaves, Oregano, Saffron

Fridge
Free Range Eggs
Cheese - Tasty, Parmesan, Laughing Cow
Vegemite
Dijon Mustard & Seeded Mustard
Redcurrant or Cranberry Jelly - for turkey sandwiches & my Redcurrant & Rosemary Pork Cutlets
ETA BBQ Sauce - the best BBQ sauce!
Tomato Sauce
Lemon Juice & Lime Juice
Mayonnaise
Curry Paste - Red, Green, Massaman
Minced Garlic, Ginger & Chilli
Fresh Veggies - Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Capsicum, Green Beans, Snow Peas, Cucumber, Potatoes (I've discovered that in Brisbane you have to keep your potatoes in the fridge or they sprout super fast), Sweet Potatoes and Pumpkin

Freezer
Chicken Thighs
Premium Beef Mince - split up into 500g lots and squash flat before freezing. This will reduce thawing time significantly.
Chicken Pieces and Marylands - for a quick roast spray Chicken Marylands and some potatoes/sweet potatoes with Olive Oil Spray and sprinkle with Tuscan Seasoning and roast for 30-40 mins at 180C
Frozen peas and corn
Frozen berries - for a quick and easy smoothie
Grated Cheese - perfect for topping pasta bakes

Garden
Rosemary
Basil
Mint
Thyme
Oregano
Coriander
Italian Parsley
Sage
Tomatoes
Lettuce & Baby Spinach
Snow Peas
Radishes
Onions - Red, Brown & Spring Onions

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.

Salmon Salad with Tarragon & Caper Dressing

Server 4 for lunch

100g green beans
1 x 400g tinned salmon
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
1 cos (romaine) lettuce, torn into pieces

Dressing:
1 Tbsp capers, finely chopped
1 Tbsp tarragon, finely chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil

Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Blanch beans for 5 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water.
In a small bowl mix all dressing ingredients and season to taste.
Drain salmon and place in a salad bowl with beans, tomatoes, spring onions and lettuce. Pour dressing over salad, toss well and serve immediately.

Source: the CSIRO total wellbeing diet

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