Warm winter salads make a delicious side dish and make the most of seasonal produce.    This winter vegetable salad also makes the most of the beautiful fruit the persimmon. This beautiful deep orange fruit is sweet and crisp and provide a source of vitamin C, vitamin A and dietary fibre.  Now is the time to try persimmons as they area only available for a short season – from May to mid-August  Go to your local supermarket or fruit shop and get some today!

They can be peeled and eaten like an apple, add them to smoothies, cook them, slice and add to salads, chopped and used in a salsa – there are lots of ways to use this versatile fruit.

This recipe for winter vegetable salad with persimmon, walnut and feta makes a nice side dish to a crispy roasted chicken.   And it’s great for leftovers the next day too. 

Here’s the recipe.  PS if you hate sprouts, just leave them out 🙂

Winter Vegetable Salad with Persimmon, Walnut and Feta

Ingredients:

1/2 cauliflower
300g brussels sprouts
1/2 butternut squash pumpkin
1 tablespoon oil
Moroccan spice mix – Ras el Hanout (found in the herb/spice section)
2 persimmons
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 bag of baby spinach
80g feta cheese
1/4 cup walnut halves

Dressing:

1 tablespoon neutral flavoured oil
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 teaspoon of honey

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.   Cut the cauliflower into small florets, and halve the Brussels sprouts.  Peel the butternut squash, scoop out the seeds and then cut the flesh into small pieces around 1cm thick. Place the vegetables on a roasting dish and drizzle with oil.  Sprinkle the cauliflower with the Moroccan spice mix.  Place in the oven for 20 minutes, turning once during cooking.  After 20 minutes, you may need to remove the cauliflower and sprouts then cook the pumpkin for another 10 minutes. Test the pumpkin by poking it with a fork.  If you can easily push the fork through, it’s cooked.

Peel the persimmons, cut off the ends then into rounds, then quarters.

On a platter or bowl, spread over the baby spinach.  Arrange the roasted vegetables and persimmons on top, then sprinkle over the feta cheese, walnuts and cranberries.

To make the dressing, put the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine.

Serve the salad straight away with a drizzle of the dressing.

This post was sponsored by NZ Persimmons

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One of my favourite things to bake is banana bread (also known as banana loaf) because it’s one of those recipes that you can adapt, and throw together and it pretty much turns out perfectly.  This version is a banana and coconut bread that started with some sad looking banana halves sitting in the fridge and ended up as something totally delicious that makes the perfect nourishing snack if you’re feeling like something sweet. My girl Elise usually has half a banana for a snack or with lunch and often I’ll forget that I’d already cut one the day before so I end up with random odd bananas in the fridge! So instead of wasting them, I make banana bread.

This banana and coconut bread uses coconut flour,  coconut oil and desiccated coconut to really give it an amazingly delicious coconut flavour that complements the banana really well.

Here’s the recipe:

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Banana Coconut Chia Seed Bread

Ingredients

• 2/3cupyoghurt
• 2bananas + 1 extra for the top
• 1/3cupoats
• 1/3cupcoconut flour
• 1/4cupdesiccated coconut
• 1cupplain flour
• 2heaped desert spoons coconut oil
• 1tspcinnamon
• 2.5tablespoonschia seeds
• 2tablespoonsof honey
• 1tablespoongolden syrup
• 2teaspoonsbaking powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Place the bananas and yoghurt in a blender and blend until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients, blend until mixed.  You may have to scrape down the sides.  If you don’t have a blender, mash the banana, mix with the yoghurt, then melt the coconut oil, mix and add remaining ingredients.
3. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour in the banana loaf mixture.   Slice the remaining banana and place on top.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through.  Top with coconut chips for decoration.

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Burgers are a regular on our menu at home, usually for a quick and tasty Friday night dinner.  If you’re vegan, vegetarian or simply want to include less meat and more plant-based meals in your diet then this is a super simple way to do it!  

In the ideal world, we would all have the time and skill to cook everything from scratch, but for most of us, it’s just not reality.  Sometimes you need a bit of a sanity saver and these Vegie Delights Lentil Patties are just that. They taste great, are quick to cook plus they’re fortified with Vitamin B12.  Vitamin B12 must be supplemented in vegan diets as it’s only found in animal-based foods. They’re also a source of iron and zinc. Pick them up in the frozen aisle at Pak’nSave and New World supermarkets.  

Here are three delicious vegan burger recipes you can create with the Vegie Delights Lentil Patties. There’s a range of other products too that are great for those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking.  

These are three simple and delicious vegan burgers that you can have ready within half an hour. Now that’s my kind of dinner!

Smoky Vegan Chipotle Burger

Ingredients:

Vegie Delights Lentil Patties
Burger buns
2 tablespoons vegan mayo mixed with 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce
Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Red onion
Tomato

Method:  

Cook the patties as per the instructions on the packet. Toast the burger buns and spread with the chipotle mayo mix.  Add the cooked pattie and stack up the vegetables. Eat and enjoy!

Mega Vege Burger

Ingredients

Vegie Delights Lentil Patties
Portobello Mushrooms, washed (1 per burger)
Zucchini, sliced lengthwise thinly (2 slices per burger)
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
Grated Carrot
Lettuce
Beetroot
Vegan mayo
Tomato chutney

Method:

Heat a tsp of oil in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms and zucchini with the garlic.  Cook the Vegie Delights Lentil Patties.

Toast the burger buns and spread with vegan mayo and tomato chutney. Layer the pattie, cooked mushroom and zucchini as well as the rest of the salad ingredients.  It’s as simple as that!

Herby Pesto Burger

Ingredients

Vegie Delights Lentil Patties
Burger buns
Vegan mayo
Chopped parsley (1-2 teaspoons per burger)
2 tsp Pesto per burger (choose one without parmesan for vegan pesto)
Grated Carrot
Lettuce
Avocado
Red onion

Method:

Cook the Vegie Delights Lentil Patties as per the instructions on the packet. Toast the buns and spread with vegan mayo.  Add the pattie, spread with the pesto and sprinkle over the parsley. Stack on the rest of the vegetables and sink your teeth into the delicious burger!!

WIN! Want to try Vegie Delights for yourself?  I’ve got $100 worth of product to give away to one lucky winner. That should keep your freezer stocked for a while 🙂

To be in the draw,  comment below with what burger you’d like to try first.  The winner will be announced in my email newsletter – make sure you sign up below to be notified!

This post was sponsored by Vegie Delights.

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The past week we’ve had beautiful weather that’s got me in the mood for more summery foods – smoothies, salads and this delicious frozen dessert made mainly from fruit.  Topical Raspberry ‘nice cream’ is basically blended up bananas with some tasty extras such as mango, coconut cream and raspberries.  Frozen bananas have the texture of ice cream and it’s a tasty way to get some fruit into your day.  I recommend using the freeze dried raspberries -they go all soft and chewy and taste amazing! 

Here’s the recipe:

Tropical Raspberry ‘Ice Cream’

5 bananas, chopped and frozen
1/2 cup coconut cream
1-2 tablespoons freeze dried mango (or use 1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango pieces)
1 handful of freeze dried raspberries
2-3 tablespoons coconut flakes

Place the frozen bananas, coconut cream and mango in a blender and blend till smooth.  Pour into a small dish.  Stir through the freeze dried raspberries, reserving some to sprinkle on top. Sprinkle the coconut and remaining raspberries on top and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours.  You may need to leave it out of the freezer for 5 minutes to soften enough to scoop out.

Enjoy!

Serves 4.

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Lemon coconut bliss balls with no dates are perfect for those who want to make bliss balls but aren’t a fan of dates.  Because for a sweet snack, you can’t beat a bliss ball.  They’re quick to make, contain mostly nutrient dense ingredients, they keep well and they’re also delicious!  For a change from your typical chocolate flavour bliss balls, I created these lemon coconut bliss balls which have a delicious zing to them.   I know there are quite a few people that are not a fan of dates, so these lemon coconut bliss balls have no dates  – which also lets the yummy lemon flavour shine through.  I used less nuts and added coconut and sunflower seeds which make these a bit friendlier on the budget too.

I like to keep a jar of bliss balls in the fridge to grab when I feel like something sweet and I grab a few out to take to work most days.  I’ve made a few different flavours lately that I’ll share with you soon!  But for now, here’s the recipe for the lemon coconut bliss balls (with no dates!).

Lemon Coconut Bliss balls with no dates!

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Lemon Coconut Bliss Balls with no dates

Ingredients

• 1cupcashew nuts
• 1cupsunflower seeds
• 1cupcoconut + extra for rolling
• zest of 1-2 lemons1 makes a less intense flavour
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1tablespoonof honeyyou may like to add a little extra if you prefer sweeter
• 1tablespoonmelted coconut oil

Instructions

1. Place the cashews and sunflower seeds in a blender.  Pulse until they are broken up and a fine texture.  Add the coconut, lemon juice, honey and melted coconut oil and blend again.  You may need to push the mixture down at the sides.
2. Once combined, roll the mixture into balls and coat in coconut.
3. Store in the fridge.

If you’re keen to try out some other bliss ball and sweet recipes, check out my other recipes here.

Now I’m back at work I’ve been on the hunt for yummy but easy ideas for lunches, so I’ve been doing a bit of experimenting in the kitchen and come up with a few new recipes.  This cherry tomato tart is the result of  this.  While I do miss being able to just open the cupboards and create whatever I feel like at the time, it has been quite good to try new things again and get creative in the kitchen.   So when time is short, but you want something tasty, nutritious and delicious, this cherry tomato tart is a winner.    I used the delicious Beekist cherry tomatoes which come in a range of colours as they all taste a little different and have beautiful colours too, from red, maroon and orange.

This would also be great for kids school lunch boxes.

Cherry Tomato Tart

1 medium kumara
2 tablespoons pesto
2 zucchini
100g feta cheese
4 large eggs
1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Salt and pepper
Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Slice the kumara into thin slices, around 1/4 cm.  Place in a microwaveable bowl and heat for around 3/4 minutes until slightly soft.  Alternatively you could place them in a pot of boiling water.

In a small dish (mine was 20 x 14cm), line the bottom with the partially cooked kumara. You may need to overlap the kumara to cover the bottom.  Spread the pesto over the kumara.

Thinly slice the zucchini lengthways and lay this on top of the kumara.  Crumble over the feta cheese.  Beat the eggs together in a small bowl and pour over the vegetable mixture.  Top with cherry tomatoes.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees Celcius, until cooked through.  Sprinkle over some fresh herbs once cooked

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This recipe for nut and seed muesli slice is a winner when you want something that’s quick, nutritious and also tasty.  I managed to make it while Elise was occupied on the floor entertaining herself with my handbag tassle and a paper towel roll.  Who needs toys I tell you?

Anyway back to the nut and seed muesli slice – I used a ‘superfood’ style muesli because all the ingredients are quite small in size so they ‘squish’ together nicely in this no bake slice.   The muesli (which I bought from Moore Wilsons) contains linseed, chai seed, sliced almonds, coconut, goji berries, puffed amaranth, cacao nibs and pumpkin seeds which creates a tasty mix as the base of this slice. If you’re on the hunt for something similar, check out this muesli by Ceres’s Organics, otherwise any muesli will do, just chop up any large nuts that may be in it.

The coconut oil, peanut butter and dried fruit are heated together with a little water which creates a sweet base that helps stick it all together while a coating of chocolate takes it to next level deliciousness.  This is great for the lunchbox (for kids and adults!) and it keeps well in the fridge or freezer.

I based this on Chelsea Winter’s recipe but made my own additions and it works well.   Here’s the recipe: has a similar one,

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Nut and Seed Muesli Slice

Ingredients

• 1 1/2cupsdates
• 1/2cupdried apricots
• 1/4cupwater
• 1/4cup + 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4cuphoney or sugaroptional
• 1heaped dessert spoon of peanut butter
• 1cuppuffed rice or puffed quinoause quinoa if you want it gluten free
• 1/4cupfinely chopped cashew nuts
• 1/4cupsunflower seeds
• 1cupmuesli
• 100g dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Finely chop the dates and dried apricots.  Place in a pot along with the water, coconut oil, peanut butter and sugar if using.  Place on a medium heat and stir regularly for around 5 minutes until the dried fruit is mushy.
2. Take off the heat and stir through the puffed rice, sunflower seeds and muesli.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the baking paper.  Place the slice mixture into the tray and press down firmly and evenly, packing it down hard with the back of a spoon.
4. Place in the fridge or freezer till firm.  Cut into bars and store these in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

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