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Lemon Soba Salad

Lemon Soba Salad. An easy to make salad to support the digestive system in the warmth and humidity of late summer.

Ingredients

180 g Soba noodles (dried)
6 Asparagus
12 Sugar snap peas
3 tbsp Fresh parsley
2 tbsp Fresh mint
Red oak lettuce – half
Dressing
1 tsp Sea salt
½ tsp Cracked pepper
½ Lemon
100 ml Olive oil
¼ tsp Shichimi Togarashi ** See Note
**Note – Shichimi Togarashi is a Japanese 7 spice blend. There are different variations but the blend may include: chillies, peppercorns, orange peel, ginger, nori and sesame seeds. It is has a mild to moderate spiciness.

Directions

Cook the soba noodles in boiling unsalted water according to packet directions.
They generally take 4-6 minutes to cook.
Drain and rinse in cold water.
Set aside.

Slice each asparagus spear into 3-4 even pieces.
Shell sugar snap peas.
Coarsely chop fresh mint and parsley.
Rinse and drain red oak lettuce and tear into small pieces.

Add asparagus and peas to boiling salted water.
Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes until tender.
Drain and rinse in cold water.
Set aside.

Dressing

Squeeze the juice from half the lemon.
Add olive oil, salt, pepper and Shichimi Togarashi (if using).
Whisk to combine.

Combine ingredients

Place soba noodles, asparagus, peas, fresh herbs and lettuce in a bowl.
Pour over dressing and toss to combine.

Serve.

Springtime Soup

Springtime Soup. A refreshing soup making use of the fresh and seasonal ingredients of Spring to help support the Liver energy – in Chinese Medicine.

Ingredients

Springtime Soup
2 litres Vegetable Stock (see recipe below)
12 fresh peas in pods – shelled
10 green beans – sliced
4 purple or green asparagus spears – chopped into even pieces
1 stick of celery- finely sliced
½ zucchini – julienned
2 iceberg lettuce leaves – torn into pieces
1 baby spinach leaves
1 fresh parsley coarsely chopped
2 spring onions – finely sliced
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Easy Vegetable Stock
2 ½ litres water
2 tsp sea salt
4 button mushrooms
¼ zucchini
3 silverbeet or swiss chard leaves and stalks
2 sticks of celery (include some leaves)
½ carrot
2 spring onions
1 dried shitake mushroom
¼ tsp cracked pepper
½ tsp ground coriander

Directions

To prepare ‘Easy Vegetable Stock, simply chop vegetables and place with water and seasoning into a heavy based saucepan.
Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
Strain off liquid and set aside your stock until ready to use.

Place vegetable stock in a heavy based saucepan on high heat.

Prepare vegetables as outlined. It is great to have a mix of different textures and sizes of veggies in the soup so feel free to mix it up!

Once stock is boiling, add the celery, asparagus, beans, peas and zucchini. Cook until tender but not overcooked (2-3 minutes). You want them to still retain their color and have some firmness.
Stir in the lettuce leaves, baby spinach and parsley and remove from heat.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with some sliced spring onion. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Winter Black Bean Soup with Cavolo Nero and Seasonal Veg

Winter Black Bean Soup with Cavolo Nero and Seasonal Veg. Supports kidney energy and nourishes blood from a TCM perspective.

Ingredients

¾ Cup Black turtle beans dried
This will yield approximately 2 cups of cooked beans. If using canned beans, this is equivalent to about 2x 400g cans once they are drained. See **Note at Step 3
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Carrot peeled and diced
2 Celery stalks diced
1 tbsp Smoked paprika
½ tsp Allspice
2 tbsp Tomato paste
6 cups Water
400 g Tinned diced tomato
1 Sweet potato (small to medium) peeled and diced
1 Swede peeled and diced
8 Cavolo nero leaves- rinsed/ dried and chopped roughly
2 pinches Sea salt
Cracked pepper

Directions

Step 1

To prepare the beans – rinse thoroughly, place in a bowl and cover with plenty of cold water.
Leave to soak overnight in fridge.
Rinse beans, drain and set aside.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a heavy based pan.
Gently saute celery and carrot until softened.
Stir through the paprika and allspice and fry until fragrant (approx 1 minute).
Add the tomato paste and cook for a further minute.

Step 3

Add the soaked, raw beans to the pan with 6 cups of water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 1 – 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender.
Add more water if needed to maintain a soupy consistency.
Do not add salt at this stage of the cooking process as it can cause the outer skin on the beans to become tough.

**Note: If using canned turtle beans, skip this step. Reduce the water to 4 cups and add in at the start of Step 4. The cooked beans can be added in with the Cavolo Nero in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Step 4

Add the tinned tomato, sweet potato and swede, salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 20 minutes until root vegetables are tender.
Add the Cavolo Nero and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Adjust seasoning as needed.

Enjoy x