If you want to ensure that you have scrumptious options for meals and snacks during the week, my best tip is to do the prep work at the weekend.
It's not rocket science, but taking some time to plan your household's menu can make a big difference, and this applies not just to meals, but side dishes and snacks, too.
The trick to making this salad is to prepare it in advance. When left to marinate, the kale and silverbeet soften and their flavours mellow, so this one improves with time.
It keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge. It makes a great side dish at dinner time, or you can add some protein such as cooked chickpeas or cubed feta, and call it lunch.
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
Ingredients
Salad
1 cup kale (approximately 4 leaves), washed and shredded, stems removed and discarded
1 cup silverbeet (approximately 3 leaves), washed and shredded, stems removed and discarded
¼ red cabbage (approximately 350g), shredded
1 yellow or orange capsicum, finely sliced
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup currants
Dressing
½ orange, juiced
2 Tbsp flaxseed or olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp almond butter
pinch of dried chilli flakes
black pepper and sea salt, to taste
Garnish
Microgreens or baby mint leaves
Method
Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a jug, whisk together dressing ingredients until well combined; pour over salad ingredients and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Sprinkle with garnish just before serving.
These are full of nuts, seeds and dried fruit so they pack a fairly heavy punch in the energy department. Make them small. This recipe produces around 40 cookies.
Ingredients
1 cup dried dates
1 cup raw almonds (or any unsalted nuts. Macadamias are delicious, too)
2 cups wholegrain oats (not rolled oats)
1 cup desiccated or shredded coconut
½ cup coconut sugar
1 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp chia seeds
¾ cup coconut oil
½ cup nut butter (your favourite kind - peanut and almond butter is especially good)
¼ cup maple syrup
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed with a fork
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 squares (approx) of Whittaker's 72% dark chocolate
Method
Preheat oven to 180degC. Line two large trays with baking paper or liners.
Chop dates in half, remove any pits and place in a bowl; cover with hot water. Set aside to soak.
Place almonds in food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add oats, coconut and coconut sugar and pulse again until just combined.
You want a coarse texture. Remove from food processor and place in a large bowl; stir through the dried apricots, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds.
Melt coconut oil in a glass jug over hot water. Drain the dates (discard water) and place in food processor with the coconut oil, nut butter, maple syrup, mashed banana and vanilla. Process until a thick, creamy mixture forms.
Mix wet ingredients with dry mixture and combine well. Using wet hands, shape rounded dessertspoons of mixture into cookie shapes.
Place on tray (they can be relatively close, as they won't spread much). Cut chocolate squares in half and place one piece on top of each cookie.
Bake approximately 15 20 minutes, rotating trays once in that time. They are cooked when the mixture is firm and changes to a golden caramel colour.
Remove from oven and gently flatten the melted chocolate with a knife to form ''icing''. Allow to cool on trays for 15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Nibl
The next Dunedin Nibl event - the Not for Me, Dairy! workshop - is all about how to make amazingly clever, delicious substitutes for dairy products.
For more information visit www.nibl.co.nz
