juices

Our fridge is the sanctuary of our kitchen

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To me a healthy, organised and clean fridge means a healthy body and an organised kitchen! If you have stumbled with your new years resolutions of starting the year on the right foot and making some changes in your eating and lifestyle, and your fridge is still full of left over pizza, soft drink and something unrecognizable growing in the vegetable crisper then I am here to help. These simple tips will have you on the way to cooking with ease, eating a wider variety of healthy foods and give you all the pleasure that you will need from your chilled kitchen companion.

Fridge Organisation Tips

• Start by going through all those little bottles and jars in the fridge door. Check the use by dates and decide if the ones that you haven’t used in the past 3-4 months are ever going to get used…if not then I hate to say but its time to say goodbye. Those that you use regularly, sit them where you can see them.

If you have two or more of the same product open, then combine them into one jar and think where you can incorporate the relish, mustard, condiment in your next dish. It could be added as a marinade for grilled or barbeque meats, as a condiment to have on the side of your next roast or mixed with olive oil and a little vinegar as a tasty dressing for your salad.

• Homemade salad dressings are so easy to have on hand and can use up the bits and pieces of left over herbs that you have lying around as well.

• Keep all your dairy items together and incorporate a wide variety including yoghurts, cottage cheese, hard cheeses, quark (a German cream cheese – very low in fat and extremely versatile for dips, desserts and spreads) ricotta and cream cheese.

• For quick snacks and even quicker dinners have your celery, carrots, capsicum and any other vegetables that you enjoy, prepped, peeled and cut into batons. Store them in containers that allow the air to circulate and stay fresh. That way they are ready for you to dice, slice or simply munch on when you get hungry.

• Keep a variety of cherry tomatoes, round and gourmet tomatoes for salads, sandwiches and adding to vegetable or side dishes.

• Instead of having whole fruit in the fridge – which I find boring at times to eat, buy one each of your favourite fruits and make a container of fruit salad. Keep it stored in an airtight container and it will last the week. That way you have a wonderful mixture of flavours and colours as a high fibre low fat snack to take to work, for the kids at school of for a simple dessert with ice cream or yoghurt.

• When you buy your lettuce whole, wash it and break it up into leaves storing it in a lettuce crisper so that it’s easier for you to toss together a delicious salad.

• Along with your basic vegetables, commit to buying 3-4 other vegetables that you haven’t tried. Change them weekly to give you variety. You will eventually make it through all of our wonderful vegetables we have on offer and build up your repertoire of recipes. Aim to cook a different vegetable dish every night using up to 4 different vegetables.

Taking on these few simple hints you will notice a huge difference in the way you feel, and the ease of which you can prepare your meals. Aim for a ‘clean out the fridge day’ every week or fortnight depending on when you go shopping to use up the leftover fruit and vegetables.

That way, you will not only keep your fridge fresh, you will save money, save on wastage and you body and wallet will thank you.

To take your freshly organised and healthy fridge to a new level, why not grab some more ideas from our cooking classes? Perhaps you could take a class in ‘Healthy Desserts,’ ‘Food as Medicine’, or ‘Creating Healthy Meals in Minutes?’ See our class schedule for more details.

10 great tips for thinking outside the lunchbox

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With school back in full swing and mothers, fathers and carers working back into a routine the weekly lunch menus are now up for debate. Now, just hearing that our nation’s lunchbox staple the vegemite sandwich has taken a kick from nutritionists for its lack of sustenance and nutritional value for our growing children, it’s a challenge for all parents to come up with healthy ideas that don’t come in colourful crackly plastic.  So while the clock ticks and amongst the morning hustle and bustle in getting out the door here are a few lunch ideas for the whole family to enjoy.

If you would like even more information come along to one of my specialised cooking classes for inspiration.

We have demonstration and hands on classes with ‘Kids Cooking in the Kitchen’ Booked Out (7 April), ‘Kids cooking’ and ‘Thinking outside the lunchbox’ (14 April and one for adults 15 April), and ‘Food for picky eaters’ (14 April).

Click here for my cooking class schedule.

Here’s my tips for healthy, interesting lunchboxes:

1. Make a plan, set up a menu and get organised.

2. Avoid highly processed meats, cheeses, and drinks.

3. Opt to save the lollies, dried fruit bars, chips, chocolates for special occasions on the weekend and encourage your family and children to eat healthy better choice foods during the week.

4. Mix up the breads with rye lavosh wraps. Corn, pink or green vegetable tortillas are great for colour. Seeded and multigrain breads and bread rolls and mini bagels are handy and not so messy.

5. Rice paper rolls and sushi are a great alternative and can be made the night before. Fillings can include chopped chicken, grated apple, avocado, lettuce with a light mayonnaise, curried egg with spinach, tuna mixed with sour lite cream and corn, diced vegetables and salsa.

6. Instead of sugary jams and chocolate pastes opt for firm ricotta blended with banana and cinnamon or whole nut spreads with sultanas and lettuce.

7. Other bread spreads ideal for a savoury lunch include hummus, tzatziki, salsa, pesto and low fat cream cheese.

8. Use left over vegetables and meat. Dice up and mix with rice, pasta or cous cous for a healthy salad.

9. For snacks, try toasted pita bread, rice crackers of corn thins with low fat dip, cubed cheese and cherry tomatoes; home popped pop corn, savoury muffins, vegetable slices or whole meal fruit muffins.

10. I encourage you to get your children involved in the baking of muffins, healthy slices and to select and create their favourite healthy snack to take to school.

Variety in all aspects of the lunch box is the key to keeping you and your family happy, and healthy too. I’m sure you will discover that the lunch box chore will soon become a pleasure.

Quick simple meals for fussy or allergy eaters

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Getting back into daily routine after the crazy Christmas and New Year season need not send you into a panicked frenzy. For easy main meals for fussy or allergy eaters I always love to serve a selection of dishes banquet-style, as I myself love to have many different flavours and dishes on offer. With this option there is sure to be something that someone likes. Throwing together a wonderful dinner can be as simple as having a barbeque. To easily jazz it up, try brushing over chunks of vegetables with rosemary twigs soaked in olive oil and crushed garlic. You can also use thyme springs and then toss the grilled vegetables with mixed leaves and or crumbled feta.

Have a smaller selection of meats, pieces of fish or chicken that you can easily throw onto the grill or hot plate. Instead of trying to have different main meals, create a selection of salsas or dressings. This could include a Moroccan spiced charmoula, yoghurt scented with saffron, roasted garlic and sweet apple vinegar or a pistachio and herb dressing. These can be spooned over a plain grilled or barbequed piece of meat, chicken or vegetables. Many great side dishes, including wild grain and hearty vegetable salads can be made ahead of time and brought out just before serving.

If you are cooking with your oven, try a baked polenta or pasta dish or a simple fragrant curry full of fresh ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves. A braised beef dish with a splash of Lindeman’s Shiraz is easy to throw together and can be left to simmer until tender. These dishes are usually free from all nasty intolerance foods and generally suit everyone.

Don’t be bamboozled by desserts either. Try something a little different. Everyone loves ice cream and there are plenty of excellent dairy free/gluten free ice creams out there that you can team up with caramelised or chilled poached or fresh fruits. Serve the ice cream and fruits as is, or layered and frozen in a terrine. Slice it up and garnish with roast almond praline for something with a little more wow.

Allergy fussy eaters healthy dessert

Try some of the wonderful almond or hazelnut meal torts which are great for gluten free folks. Torts can be whipped up in minutes and are adaptable to all sorts of exotic additions. Chilled puddings of sago or tapioca sweetened with palm sugar and coconut milk are wonderful on the warmer nights and are delicious accompanied with tropical fruits tossed with zested lime and a splash of sparkling wine. Or wrap in baking paper and foil some bananas, sliced strawberries and a scattering of dark chocolate. Leave to sit on the barbeque until the chocolate is melted.
With all these ideas your back to work dinners will leave you enjoying the occasion with friends and family and not stranded and stressed in the kitchen.

If you also would like more help or inspiration why not join us at Putia for a great cooking class!

View Putia Pure food’s cooking class schedule.