Before my family and I go away on holiday I try to empty the fridge from things that will spoil while we are away. I also try to consider using these ingredients in something healthy as holidays in our family tend to be a time of indulgences and relaxed dietary rules. So last week with the pomegranate and parsley in my fridge a made a beautiful salad that looked like rubies and emeralds in desert sand. 

I served the salad for dinner, with some parchment baked fish and another salad of greens. It is quite substantial on its own, though, and for lunch could be had with some crusty bread, halloumi, tuna or a boiled egg. 

I encourage you to try different ingredients in salads. Add some crunch with nuts, some creaminess with feta or some sweetness with dried fruit.

I hope you are loving easy food

Jewel Salad

1 pomegranate, pith removed and only seeds remaining (I have no clever tricks here. I use my hands and break the pomegranate in to portions and get the seeds out)

1 cup quinoa, cooked (I used white)

1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly crushed

1 bunch of parsley, chopped

Salad dressing (mixture of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and olive oil)

Cook the quinoa until the balls have released their tail. Rinse to cool under cold water. Dress the quinoa with the dressing and put in to a salad bowl

Add the hazelnuts, parsley and pomegranate to the bowl with the dressed quinoa, and toss together

Keep in the fridge until ready to serve

At the moment, twice a week my oldest Miss L does horse riding. What this means is that twice a week we all come home dirty, dusty, hungry, and at this time of year, cold. The best way I have found to get around ordering takeout or going somewhere to eat on the way home is to slow cook something that will com while we are out and will be perfectly cooked when we get home. This can be in the oven or slow cooker. 

On Saturday I decided on a nice slow cooked beef osso bucco, with some kale and risotto on the side. It seems difficult, it seems like lots of components, but once the prep is done it is surprising fly easy. The risotto was the thermomix risotto, minus the mushrooms and with extra Parmesan. The kale is just chopped and gently sautéed before serving dinner. The main dish is put together with vegies from the fridge and whatever herbs you have. If you don’t have osso bucco cuts of meat, use chunks of beef ideal for slow cooking. If you aren’t into risotto, by all means make potato mash, it’ll take the same amount of time to cook as risotto. If neither are your fancy then have bread, or more green vegies. No kale? No worries! Have broccoli, peas, asparagus. The easy thing about a meal like this is you are in charge of what your meal is, based on what is seasonally available and what is in your fridge, freezer or pantry.

Slow cooking food makes you warm inside. It fills your home with beautiful smells and gives a feeling of calm and love.

I hope you are loving easy food

Osso Bucco

7-8 pieces beef shin/osso bucco (or enough beef to feed your family)

1 cup plain flour in a bag, seasoned with salt

Olive oil for pan frying

2 carrots thickly sliced

4 celery stalks thickly sliced

Half a bunch of parsley

2 onions sliced

4 sprigs of thyme

1 spring of rosemary

2 cups of water or stock (I used 2Tbps veggie stock paste and added 2 cups of water)

200gr mushrooms, halved (if small, leave them whole)

Risotto to serve (I used the thermomix risotto recipe, minus mushrooms, with double the Parmesan)

Greens to serve (I sautéed kale as it’s beautiful right now and in saeason)

Coat the beef in the flour in he bag. Shake off as much as you can

Place all the vegetables and herbs in a deep, heavy based roasting dish

Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the meat. Once browned place on top of the vegetables in the roasting dish

Pour over the water or stock

Seal the roasting dish with aluminium foil and place in a 150degree oven for 3 hours. If you are away longer it won’t matter too much, just make sure you have enough liquid in the dish and the foil is secure

Make the risotto and kale (or whatever sides you are using)

Serve the meat and vegetables with the sides