Salmon, sweet potato & crispy Kale Nourish bowl

| nicoleskitchendiary

We eat with our eyes first and there is something about a plate of food rich in all the colours of the rainbow that just makes me smile. It’s no lie, I’m a lover of all foods and in particular salads. My obsession with salads started a few summers back; I went on a health and fitness journey, and I’ll be honest, I’ve never fallen out of love with having huge colourful salads for my lunch. Don’t get me wrong, this is by no means a reflection on how I eat everyday, but when I do make a salad, nothing short of the rainbow will do.

Ingredients for the nourish bowl

1 x fillet of salmon

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 x small sweet potato, chopped into bite sized pieces

50g edamame beans

70g sweencorn

4 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 x small carrot, spiralised, or cut into ribbons

2 x stalks of Cavolo Nero, sliced, removing the centre stalk (or, a handful of curly kale)

1 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli flakes, to garnish (optional)

1 tsp black sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)

Ingredients for the salad dressing

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Juice of half a lime

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C
  2. Toss the diced sweet potato in 1 tsp of oil, cumin, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Give them a good mix to coat the sweet potatoes all over. Tip them onto to a baking sheet and place in the centre of the pre-heated oven.
  3. Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and set aside
  4. After the sweet potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, place the salmon into a steam bag, or wrap tightly in foil/baking paper and place in the oven.
  5. When the salmon has had 5 minutes in the oven, add the sliced Cavolo Nero/kale to a ovenproof dish and drizzle with the other teaspoon of olive oil, add the garlic paste and mix to coat. Season with salt and pepper and place this in the oven, alongside the salmon. Continue to cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove the sweet potato, salmon and kale from the oven and place into a serving bowl.
  7. Add the sweetcorn, edamame beans, tomatoes and carrot
  8. Sprinkle the dish with chilli flakes, black sesame seeds and drizzle over the dressing
  9. Garnish with a slice of lime

Coconut Curried Cod

| nicoleskitchendiary

I’m all about the alliteration life. There is something quite pleasing about a recipe title with alliteration. Anyhow, I figured it was about time I shared another recipe with you. This is my coconut curried cod and it’s so quick to whip up, it’s perfect for a creamy and delicious weeknight curry.

I shared this to a Facebook foodie group yesterday and given the numerous requests for the recipe, I thought I’d have to stop being lazy and type it up. I’ve fallen into the habit of just uploading my food pictures to Instagram and not updating my blog. I would use the excuse that life is so hectic, but I guess given the year we’ve just had, one thing we’ve all learned to do more of is slow down. That said, I have worked through the pandemic and continue to. I’m also a mum to a 5 year old and have developed a love of health, fitness and running, so life is rarely slow or dull. Hope you enjoy the recipe and please do pop back and leave a comment if you try it. Much love! x

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 a large red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 50g creamed coconut block, chopped
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 250ml hot chicken stock
  • Large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
  • 1 lime
  • Large handful of spinach
  • 2 cod loin steaks
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds

Method

  1. First prepare the coconut stock. Take the creamed coconut block and chop it into smaller shard like pieces. Add these to a jug of 250ml hot chicken stock. Stir until the coconut has dissolved into the stock. Add the cornflour and stir again until dissolved. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the diced red onion and chopped tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes before adding the garlic and ginger. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the spices and stir to coat everything in the pan.
  3. After a minute or so, add the coconut stock to the pan, simmer for around 10 minutes. You can add more water if the sauce starts to thicken too much.
  4. Add the spinach, chopped coriander (reserving a little for garnish) and the juice of half a lime.
  5. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and add the coin loin steaks. Cook for 5 minutes (check the packet instructions as this will depend on the size of your fish). It should be a little bouncy to touch and flake away with a fork when cooked through.
  6. To plate up, serve topped with coriander, chilli flakes and black sesame seeds. Use the remaining half a lime for garnish.

I served this dish simply with nann, but it would be great with a side of plain boiled rice too.

TUNA & SWEET POTATO BURGERS

| nicoleskitchendiary

These tuna and sweet potato burgers are superb. They have become something of a regular for my salads. The best part is that they can be prepared in five minutes, and all you have to do is wait for them to cook. I always bake a few sweet potatoes at the start of the week and keep them in the fridge. I do this to make my salad prep quicker and easier. The baked sweet potato flesh is also great in breakfast quesadillas with coriander and cheese. I also like to poach some chicken breasts and shred them, having ready prepared proteins and healthy carbs to add to salads helps me stay on track and stops me reaching for processed easy foods. Making this salad was the first time I’ve added apple to a salad, it’s sweet, crunchy and crisp and it works beautifully with the tuna and sweet potato.

To make the salad:

Add the salad ingredients to a serving bowl. Set aside while you prepare the burgers and dressing.

  • Large handful of baby leaf salad
  • 4 cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • Small piece of cucumber, chopped
  • ¼ apple, sliced into matchsticks

To make the burgers: (makes 2)

Combine the following ingredients together in a bowl, mix well with clean hands. Shape into burger patties or use an ice cream scoop to make balls. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated (180 fan) for 20-25 minutes. Add to the prepared salad.

  • Medium sweet potato baked, scoop out the flesh
  • 1 can of tuna, drained
  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • ¼ red onion, finely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper

To make the dressing:

Combine the following ingredients together in a jar with a lid and shake well. Pour over the prepared salad and serve.

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • Salt and black pepper

The burgers are also delicious cold. If I make up a bigger batch I store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days (not that they EVER last that long because I always eat them the same day).

Keto (Vegan) Kale & Courgette Tahini Salad

| nicoleskitchendiary

If you’re one of those who thinks kale is unpleasant or bitter, you’re not alone. It’s one of those ‘super foods’ many people avoid, knowing it’s good for you, but also knowing it is quite bitter. Since starting keto, I’ve been eating lots of salads and trying to incorporate healthy fats where possible, this recipe is the perfect balance of the two.

This is a raw food (vegan) recipe. Being raw makes it more nutritious. It’s as simple as spiralising some courgette, tossing it together with the raw kale and knocking up a quick dressing. I knew the dressing had to pack a punch in order to mask that bitter tasting kale, it’s full of flavour and I know you won’t be disappointed.

kale

This recipe serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 courgettes, spiralised
  • 100g curly kale, chopped
  • 20g coriander, freshly chopped
  • 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, miced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
  • 4 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (leave this out if following strict keto)
  • Juice of 1 lime

Method

  1. Place the kale and courgette into a large bowl
  2. Mix together the tahini, oils, soy, Sriracha, garlic, giner and lime in a bowl to make the dressing
  3. Pour the dresssing over the kale and courgette, mix well to coat
  4. Plate up the salad and garnish with the fresh chilli and corinader

Meatball Spinach & Ricotta Pasta

| nicoleskitchendiary

Now that September is upon us, I’m full of the joys of the autumnal season. It is, without doubt, my favourite month and time of the year. Beautiful golden leaves, the colour orange, the cooler days and bright skies, the fashion (scarfs, woolly socks, tights and jumpers), pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin spiced candles (well everything pumpkin spiced), blankets, books, hot chocolate, open fires, bonfire night and Halloween. Then there is fruit harvesting and picking, blackberries, apples and pears in abundance. What my husband likes most are the nuts!  But, without doubt, the thing I love the very most about autumn and September in particular is the comfort food. Pies, soups, stews and all things slow cooked… oh and brussels sprouts. Okay, that’s probably enough reasons to justify my love of autumn.

On the subject of comfort food, this is it at it’s very best. You can leave out the meatballs if you are vegetarian and it would still be a delicious hearty meal. The colours in this dish make it look even more Italian than it tastes. It’s a delicious combination of punchy tomato sauce as a base and giant pasta shells stuffed with beef meatballs, spinach and ricotta. It takes a little love and time to prepare, but not more than half an hour. Then it cooks slowly over about 45 minutes, so it’s a perfect weekend supper.

Pasta shells 2

This recipe will easily serve four hungry people, maybe even five.

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  • 16 giant pasta shells (Conchiglioni Rigate)
  • 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Pinch chilli flakes
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • Small bunch of basil, chopped
  • Large bag of baby spinach
  • 1 tub of ricotta
  • 8 beef meatballs/seasoned minced beef
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 50g Parmesan, grated
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Start by boiling a large pan of salted water. Cook the pasta shells according to the packet instructions.
  2. Whilst the pasta is cooking prepare a large bowl of cold water with some ice. Once the pasta is cooked transfer it to the cold water to cool.
  3. Add the two of the garlic cloves, the onion and chilli flakes to a pan with some oil, cook for 5 minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes, seasoning and basil. Leave sauce to simmer (for about 20 minutes) while you prepare the spinach and ricotta.
  4. Add the remaining garlic to a fresh pan, cook for a few minutes before adding the spinach. You may have to add a little at a time and let it wilt down.
  5. Add the lemon zest, juice, Parmesan and the ricotta. Stir well.
  6. Remove the pasta shells from the water and pat off any excess water with kitchen towel.
  7. Transfer the tomato sauce to a large casserole dish.
  8. Take each pasta shell and add half a meatball, then spoon in the spinach and ricotta mix. Once stuffed place the pasta shells on to the tomato sauce in a row until the dish is filled. Cover with a grating of Parmesan.
  9. Bake in a preheated (180 degree) oven for around 45 minutes.
  10. Serve in a deep bowl.

Pasta shells 3

Japanese Vegetarian Ramen

| nicoleskitchendiary

I’ve long been a fan of Japanese ramen. It’s like a warm embrace in a steaming bowl of deliciousness and yesterday’s wet weather lent itself nicely to having a bowl for supper. The air has felt very autumnal over the past few days, which makes me incredibly happy. Cosy clothes, crisp mornings and bright blue skies, crimson leaves and steaming hot ramen recipes. What’s not to love? It is undoubtedly my favourite time of the year, for so many reasons, but mostly for the warming hearty food.

68729247_10162059490260557_7897040433102979072_n (1)There are many variations of Japanese ramen, using a different base for your broth, they pretty much all start out with a stock of some kind, usually pork. I used a mushroom stock for mine as I wanted a vegetarian version. I made a mushroom stock using dried mushrooms soaked in boiling water and opted for a Shoyu or ‘Soy Sauce’ flavoured ramen. The depth of flavour from the mushrooms is incredible.

You really can throw this together in just 15 minutes, and it’s so versatile, you can swap out your base broth and toppings depending on what you have in. You can use miso instead of soy, or teriyaki if you have it. In terms of toppings, pak choi, spring onion, bean sprouts and water chestnuts are all great. The best part for me is the boiled egg, when it soaks in the salty broth it’s just delicious.

Ingredients

  • 50g Shiitake mushrooms
  • 50g Exotic mushroons
  • 40g dried mushrooms, such as porcini
  • 100ml light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 small piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1 stalk of pak choi
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced
  • Small bunch coriander, finely chopped
  • 1 nest of wholewheat egg noodles
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Method

  1. Soak the dried mushrooms in 500ml of boiling water for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, boil one medium egg. Six minutes is perfect for that still slightly gooey yolk. When your egg has only 2 minutes left, set a steamer on top of the saucepan and pop in your pak choi.
  3. Add the soaked mushrooms in their stock to a pan, add the fresh mushrooms, the soy, rice wine vinegar and the noodles.
  4. Add the garlic and ginger and a twist or two of freshly cracked black pepper.
  5. Leave the broth to simmer on a very low heat until the noodles are just cooked.
  6. Meanwhile peal the egg, cut in half and place in a deep serving bowl with the pak choi.
  7. Remove the noodles from the broth and place in the bowl, pour the hot broth and mushrooms into the bowl.
  8. Garnish with spring onion, chilli, coriander and sesame seeds.

Tex Mex Chicken Salad

| nicoleskitchendiary

Happy new year y’all. I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas. If it was anything like mine I’m sure you’ll have consumed far too much alcohol, turkey and chocolate, the same as every year, no doubt.

And in the same vein, the same as every January, I have a hankering for healthy food. I wanted to share with you my favorite salad recipe. I had a count up and I posted seven different versions of this recipe on my Instagram last year. SEVEN! So you know it’s been road tested and fine tuned to ensure maximum deliciousness.

It’s a combination of delicious Mexican flavours, and it has everything – chicken, spices, avocado (who doesn’t love it?) and a bit of punch and zing from the lime and fresh coriander. If you love Tex Mex food this will be right up your street. It’s even better washed down with Corona, but if you’re being healthy (new year, new you) perhaps not. This is sure to brighten up your January! Here’s to a happy and healthy 2019.

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This recipe serves two hungry people.

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Cajun spice
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 200g sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
  • Half a red onion, finely sliced
  • 3 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp of natural yoghurt
  • 140g bag of baby leaf salad
  • I lime, sliced into wedges
  • 1 Avocado, sliced
  • Small handful of salted tortilla chips
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees (180 fan).
  2. Place the chicken on a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper, rub the chicken with the spices and season well. Place in the oven to cook for 25 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, wash the salad and place into a large salad bowl, top with the sliced avocado, sprinkle on the sweetcorn and the sliced red onion.
  4. Top with tortilla chips and chopped coriander.
  5. Remove the chicken from the oven, slice and place on top of the salad.
  6. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and a dollop of natural yoghurt.

Fragrant chicken with vibrant Asian slaw in lettuce wraps

| nicoleskitchendiary

chicken.png

I’ve made this dish twice, once for my husband and once for my best friend. Both times I was met with amazing feedback, and I have to admit, it’s one of my best yet. I’m a huge fan of Asian flavours and this really has it all going on. It’s fresh, zingy and sweet. There are no carbs and the veggies are served raw so it’s super healthy. Using medium chillies in raw form adds a nice heat, not too much, but enough to let you know it’s an Asian dish. There is something fun about food you can eat with your hands, just load up the Romaine lettuce cups with crunchy Asian slaw and top with some sticky fragrant chicken. Roll it up and get stuck in.

This recipe is great for when you’re entertaining because everything can be prepared in advance. The slaw can be prepped and stored in a container in the fridge (undressed), the slaw dressing can be made and popped in a jar with a lid (no need to refrigerate). Prepare the chicken by slicing and covering with the marinade in a glass bowl, wrap with cling and store in the fridge until needed. When you’re ready you can have everything ready and on the table within minutes.

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients, because some of it is store cupboard stuff and the rest is mostly just veggies. I’ll be entirely honest, the preparation takes a little longer than most dishes I cook, but it’s just a case of finely slicing the veggies. Why not stick the radio on and practice your knife skills one afternoon? You’ll be glad you spent the time when you taste how delicious this dish is. It’s like a party in your mouth, seriously!

Salad.png

Just look at those colours. This dish makes me long for those fresh spring days that we all know are just around the corner. Why not brighten up a dull February day with this vibrant dinner?  If you’re veggie or vegan, this dish will work equally well with Quorn or Tofu. You can also leave out the nuts if need be, but they do add another welcome texture if you can have them.

Ingredients:

Marinade for chicken: 

  • 60ml teriyaki marinade (the thin kind)
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • Thumb sized piece of ginger, minced
  • 1 medium chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 Romaine lettuces

Asian slaw:

  • 6 leaves of red cabbage, very finely sliced
  • 150g Bean sprouts
  • 1 medium red chilli, very finely sliced
  • 7 spring onions, very finely sliced
  • 1/2 a large carrot, , very finely sliced
  • 20g freshly chopped coriander
  • Small handful of roughly chopped peanuts

Reserve 2 finely sliced spring onions, a small handful of chopped coriander and a tsp of sesame seeds for garnish on the chicken once cooked

Dressing:

  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey

Instructions:

  1. Start by preparing the marinade for the chicken. Add the marinade ingredients to a glass bowl and add the diced chicken. Stir well to ensure the chicken is fully coated. Cover and store until needed.
  2. Chop the romainne lettuce in half, using the top sections (they look like little cups), set aside on a large platter.
  3. Mix the ingredients for the slaw dressing together and place in a bowl/dressing jar on the platter with the lettuce.
  4. Chop all of the slaw ingredients (except the bean sprouts) add to a bowl, leaving out the peanuts for garnish. Combine the ingredients and place in a large pile on the platter with the lettuce cups. Garnish the slaw with chopped peanuts and fresh coriander.
  5. Heat a little oil in a large pan (or wok), add the chicken and pour in any access marinade. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  6. Mix the cornflour with a tbsp of water and stir this though the chicken until the sauce thickens.
  7. Place the cooked chicken on a serving plate and top with the spring onion, coriander and sesame seeds.
  8. Serve the chicken with the Romaine lettuce wraps and the Asian slaw, garnished with peanuts.

No bake cashew and coconut energy balls

| nicoleskitchendiary

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I’m always on the look out for healthy snacks that taste great, who isn’t? I remember when someone first recommended Nakd bars to me, I thought they looked unappetizing and like they would taste bland. To my surprise I actually liked them, the Cashew Cookie one being my favorite. Here’s my own version, but it’s seemingly trendy to make them into balls instead of bars, so that’s what I went with.

The recipe couldn’t be simpler, chuck everything into a food processor and whizz it up until you have thick sticky large crumbs. Roll them into balls using slightly damp hands and you’re done. Much more satisfying than buying them. I’m going to have a play around with flavour combinations because the possibilities are endless.

I made these using mostly ingredients I already had and only had to buy the dates, so they were super cheap. I love the combination of sticky sweetness from the dates and the crunch from the cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. They make the perfect afternoon sweet treat, let’s face it, who doesn’t get a hankering for something sweet at around 3pm.

Ingredients

  • 250g soft pitted dates
  • 50g desiccated coconut
  • 50g unsalted cashew nuts
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds (white or black)

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until the mixture resembles big stick crumbs
  2. Scoop out the mixture onto a clean worksurface and using damp palms, roll the mixture into even balls
  3. Store in an airtight container. They will last longer in the fridge