Chorizo & Brown Rice Casserole

May 14, 2013healthylittlehippie Dinner Delights! Leave a comment

Hello my lovelies!

Here is a recipe I have been meaning to post for a while now, but I just haven’t had the time. We also have very temperamental internet connection here at our new place. It comes and goes when it pleases and it is highly frustrating. However, what we do have at our darling new place is the greatest little green grocer down the road from us. And even better, this great little green grocer also has a great little deli inside it. I mean, it is packed out with the widest variety of pastas I’ve ever seen, ridiculous amounts of pickled veg, cans of beans and legumes, a huge cheese counter, and the most wonderful assortment of smoked meats I have ever seen in one place. I saw a packet of some delicious looking artisan chorizos that I just had to grab, and I used those babies to make this following recipe:

Chorizo and Brown Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

- Half a small Spanish onion (finely sliced)

- 2 large, good quality chorizos (cut into 1 inch slices)

- 2 cloves of garlic (sliced)

- 3 cups of organic brown rice

- 1.5L of sodium reduced chicken or beef stock

- 1 tin of organic diced tomatoes

- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

- Cracked pepper to taste

- Freshly grated cheese to serve (optional)

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees celcius.

2. Arrange your chorizo, onion and garlic onto the bottom of a large roasting/baking tray.

3. Place into the oven for 10-15mins, or until the onion has softened completely and the chorizo has gone slightly crispy.

4. Remove from the oven and add all of the other ingredient s except cheese.

5. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.

6. Place back in oven and leave in oven for approx. 45mins or until the rice has softened completely. You will need to stir it a couple of times during this time just to ensure even cooking.

7. Serve with freshly grated cheese.

Make sure for this recipe that you use a roasting dish that is more than big enough to accommodate this recipe! As you can see from the above photo, it will splash and it will cause a big mess if it’s too full. If your dish is large enough, all splashing stays in the dish!

This is honestly such a hearty and delicious recipe on cold nights, and the boyfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed digging into this! I find that cooking everything in the one pan keeps all the flavour in that’s released when the chorizo, onion and garlic cook together. You also don’t need any extra oil or fat, as the fats released from the chorizos are enough. Oh, and the boyfriend had the great idea to use wholemeal bread rolls to mop up the leftover soup/casserole. So if you have any on hand, it’s definitely something to consider .

I hope you enjoy this little recipe! I have a great recipe for Gluten Free Banana and Date Loaf tucked away for my next post, so keep an eye out for that my lovelies! It’s goodnight from me at the moment though!

Lots of love,

Laura xx

My Promise!

May 7, 2013healthylittlehippie Uncategorized Leave a comment

Yep, it’s official. I am the world’s worst blogger.

Here is my big list of excuses reasons as to why I have been absent for so long:

I moved out of home – FINALLY! The boyfriend and I found a cute little studio apartment in an ideal location (next to a train station, ferry wharf/bay, shops, cafes) for dirt cheap. Boyfriend has agreed to pay the rent as he earns more, I just have to take care of food and the electricity bill. Double score. We also moved in about 2 weeks ago and are still slowly unpacking/organising our things. As I’ve recently discovered, we are both the biggest hoarders in the known universe and have somehow accumulated what seems like an endless amount of junk between us.
I resigned from my job of 4 years so I could pursue my dreams of nutrition and all things food related. My last day was Tuesday last week.
I scored a part time job at Iku Wholefoods (an awesome vegan café) and will be working there once a week to help fund my schooling and e-book creating. My first shift there was Thursday last week. I love it!
I enrolled at a city college to study an Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine. It goes for 2 years and I am seriously dying of excitement to start it. The course starts on the 27^th May.
I am crazily cooking and creating new recipes to put in a e-book (virtual recipe book) I hope to release at the end of this month. A lot of work to be done still, paired together with absolutely no knowledge of e-book creations.. but I’m determined to do it. Plus, it feels good to be my own boss. I choose what I want in it, and I cook it all, taste it all, and design it all. It’s been really fun/hard/challenging so far, and I’m really enjoying it.
Lastly.. this is probably my biggest excuse as to why I have been absent. I have been cheating on this blog with.. my Instagram account. I know. I feel so guilty even admitting it. What started out as a fling, something to do to pass the time between blogging has turned into a full blown addiction. There’s just something about Instagram that really keeps me coming back for more. Is it the instantaneous nature of it? Is it the choice of photo filters? Is it because I can connect to hundreds and thousands of people at once merely through posting a photo? I don’t know, but I think I’m in love. Or maybe it’s just lust, I can’t quite work it out yet. Either way, please know that my dear blog was and always will be, my first true love. And this is my promise that I will be posting more.

Wow, this post turned out to be a lot longer than I had planned, so I will finish it up here. I do have a wonderful little recipe for Oven Baked Chorizo & Brown Rice Casserole to share with you all, but that will just have to wait until tomorrow!

Love you all, ciao for now xx

Healthy, Honey Pepper Lamb

March 20, 2013healthylittlehippie Dinner Delights!, Gourmet in 20 Leave a comment

Warning – lots of meat ahead. If you’re not a fan of meat.. look away now!

Now, I’m not much of a meat eater. I eat a lot more vegan, vegetarian, chicken and seafood dishes. Mainly because it’s overall naturally leaner & lower in saturated fats. But I do like to enjoy it every now and then. Especially with the boyfriend being a butcher and all, we have constant access to a great selection of meat. And my handy butcher always makes sure he gets me the best cuts of meat, that he trims off all the excess fat off if needed, my chicken is always free range and of course, that the price is always right .

Now, I’m not saying it’s healthy to have red meat all day, everyday. It’s definitely not great for you in excess. Red meat, like most food, should be eaten in moderation. And if you’re going to eat it, you might as well do it in a healthy and tasty way!

For example, the boyfriend and I LOVE Chinese takeaway. And really, just all Chinese food in general. But it’s definitely not always the healthiest option, or the best for your back pocket when you’re tying to save like we are. So I decided to cook up one of our favourite stir fry dishes, but in true Laura fashion, make it healthier! It got the thumbs up from the boyfriend and seeing as he is my own personal meat dish taster, I take this as a sign that this dish was a success!

Enjoy my lovelies!

Healthy, Honey Pepper Lamb

(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

- 2 lamb backstraps (fat trimmed, cut into stir fry strips)

- 1 small head of broccoli (cut into florets, I also eat the stems which I julienned)

- 1 white onion (cut into small wedges)

- 1 tbsp of honey (I used local and organic)

- 1 tbsp of tamari (low sodium soy sauce)

- 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce

- LOTS of cracked black pepper (around 2 tsp)

- Cooked brown rice to serve

Method

1. Cook your back strap in 2-3 batches in a hot pan and set aside on a plate. Make sure you only cook until browned on the outside, but still slightly pink on the inside. This ensures your meat doesn’t dry out and stays juicy by the time you’ve finished cooking your dish.

2. Sauté your broccoli and onion until broccoli has softened slightly, then set aside on plate.

3. Add all your sauces, honey and pepper to the pan and mix well.

4. Throw everything back into the pan, coat meat and veggies well in the sauce and reheat it all for about 2-3mins.

5. Serve atop your brown rice!

I took a few pictures to help guide you through the process. Ok, you don’t really need the pictures, it’s THAT simple. But I was in the mood for photo taking last night

Veggie prep!

Lamb backstrap – before fat and sinew was trimmed off

Lamb backstrap – post fat and sinew trimming!

Lamb backstrap – cut into stir fry sized strips

Cook your meat in batches to prevent crowding and “stewing” of meat from excess juice

Saute of the veggies!

The beautiful moment where it all comes together!

The finished product!

And that’s it! I know that lamb backstrap is not the cheapest cut of meat. I am very lucky to get meat for next to nothing, but I know not everyone has that luxury. So feel free to substitute with any other lean cuts of meat. For my fellow Aussies, Woolworths/Safeway has a great “Heart Smart” stir fry beef option in the meat section which would work nicely with this. Alternatively, any other lean meat, chicken, seafood or even tofu could be used to replace it. The sauce would go with pretty much everything!

Remember, if you try out this recipe, please let me know. Feedback is always welcome here! For all my Instagram followers, make sure you tag me and also add #healthylittlehippie so I can see your wonderful creations! Love you all x

Chicken Bolognese with Raw Zucchini Pasta!

March 18, 2013healthylittlehippie Dinner Delights!, Gourmet in 20 1 Comment

RAW ZUCCHINI NOODLES.

Seriously.. where have these delicious “noodles” been hiding all my life? I cannot believe it’s taken me this long to make and try them. I clearly have been living under a rock. A sad, carby noodle and pasta filled rock.

They are amazing. After eating them I felt full, but not uncomfortably full. There was no bloating or a big, pasta belly (you all know what I’m talking about)!

Don’t get me wrong. I love, love, LOVE my regular pasta – whether that be white, wholemeal, spinach, egg, etc. But I will definitely be incorporating this into my meals more often. It’s refreshing, low-fat & low-carb. Plus, a great way to add an extra serving of veggies to your dishes. It’s a winner in my eyes!

Basically all you need is zucchinis and a julienne slicer. You can get one of these nifty things at most homewares shops and even Asian grocers (which is where mum got hers for like $2).

Then you just use it as you would a normal peeler, but instead of peeling, it cuts the zucchini into little noodle-like strips. Continue until you get to the seeds in the middle (you don’t want that part – it’s bitter and not very good), and that’s it! I eat them raw, but can of course give them a quick fry off in a pan or steam them. I personally like the refreshing crunch of the raw noodles!

If you’re stuck for ways you can use it, here’s a great little recipe I made up that you can try out. Enjoy!

Chicken Bolognese with Raw Zucchini Pasta!

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients

- 2 zucchinis

- 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

- 1 white onion (diced)

- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)

- 1 large carrot (grated)

- 1 jar of good quality passata (I used organic)

- Half a tbsp of chopped, fresh herbs (I used a mix of rosemary, sage and thyme)

- Cracked pepper and sea salt for seasoning

- Choice of cheese for serving (I used Laughing Cow cheese wedges)

Method

1. Make your “noodles” by using a julienne slicer on the zucchinis.

2. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until onions softens.

3. Add the chicken and cook through, breaking it apart as you go along.

4. Add the carrot and cook until it softens.

5. Add your passata and herbs, sort through and bring to the boil.

6. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5-10mins.

7. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste. I actually used a tiny splash of Tamari (natural, low-sodium soy sauce) in place of the salt. I don’t usually use salt in my cooking and instead use things like Tamari. That’s my personal preference though.

8. Serve up your dish in the order of noodles on the bottom, the sauce, then your cheese on top.

Here is one I prepared earlier (pre-cheese)

For my boyfriend’s dish, I actually cooked up some wholemeal spaghetti to mix in with the zucchinis to “bulk” it up a bit. Which is a good idea if you’re trying to ease someone into eating something like this, or if you’re cooking for someone that eats enough to feed a small village and thinks zucchini will not be enough (ahem – my boyfriend haha).

However you wish to make this, do let me know if you try it. I would love the feedback!

Ciao for now my lovelies! xx

P.S Here is me being a total bone head, because well.. why not? :D

Prawn & Bacon Tomato Stew

March 15, 2013healthylittlehippie Dinner Delights!, Gourmet in 20 Leave a comment

Hello my lovelies!

How have we all been? I know, my lack of posts is rather worrying. I need to find more time to post!!

Anyway, to make up for my absence I have an awesome little recipe to share with you all! Simple, wholesome, healthy and deeeeeelicious! Just my kinda meal!

Prawn & Bacon Tomato Stew

(serves 2)

Ingredients

- 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

- Raw, tailed prawns (I’m sorry, I didn’t measure how much! Few handfuls maybe?)

- 200g rindless, middle bacon (I used free range)

- 1 small onion (diced)

- 1 clove of garlic (minced)

- 1 red chilli (optional, sliced)

- Half a tbsp of curry powder

- 1 tin of diced tomatoes (I used organic)

- Packet of konjac/shiritaki noodles (I used Slimpasta’s angel hair)

- Grated parmesan to garnish (I used extra sharp flavoured parmesan)

Method

1. Sautee the onion, garlic, chilli (if using it) prawns and bacon together until prawns are almost cooked through.

2. Add your curry powder and mix through until nice and fragrant.

3. Add your tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil.

4. Let simmer for about 5mins.

5. Stir through the noodles then serve with some shaved parmesan.

You are done! Yep, that easy!! Follow those steps and you should get these results..

I’m a health food lover, but I’m not a calorie counter. I don’t worry about if something is fat free, I worry about how many chemicals are in the food. I’d rather have me some good, lean, organic bacon.. than a fat free ANYTHING any day! But Then again, I’ll use any excuse to eat bacon! Hehehe.

Love you all, and hope you enjoy the recipe! Ciao for now xx

The End of Meat Free Feb!

March 5, 2013healthylittlehippie Meat Free Feb 3 Comments

Hi lovely readers/followers!

Yes, I know I finished my meat free month on the 28^th and so this post is 5 days overdue and I’m sorry! Have been so busy and just haven’t had the time to sit and write it up. Sneaking it in on my lunch break today though, because it’s not fair I should keep you all hanging for any longer!

So, recap of my month of Meat-Free madness. Why madness? Because I honestly felt like I was mad woman for doing it. At least, that’s how I was made to feel by a lot of people! I have to say that my biggest issue wasn’t cravings, those came and went as is expected when quitting something cold turkey. I didn’t resort to using “fake meat” products or anything like that, and just enjoyed my meat free meals for what they were. It also wasn’t “lack of meal choices”, I’m pretty creative with my meals anyway and this just further skilled me up in using foods in combinations and ways I hadn’t thought to before. If anything, this was a positive. And it wasn’t even my anaemia, which I thought would be my biggest problem. I was quite tired in the first week or so, but once I started changing my food choices around and started incorporating more plant based iron rich foods into my meals, I was fine! I even started to see really positive changes in my physical appearance as well – shinier and softer hair and also clearer skin and healthier looking skin.

No, my biggest issue was actually Social Acceptance. I know, weird right? I touched a little on this in my half monthly update, but since that post it got a whole lot worse. It’s odd. Because you think about the growing number of people out there becoming pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan and so you think it would be something that is considered normal these days. But it isn’t really. At least, not in my social circle. There were countless times people questioned why I wasn’t eating meat for a month. It wasn’t an inquisitive kind of questioning, but it felt more like a belittling sort of way, if you get what I mean. Apart from people on Instagram and here on my blog, I wasn’t really sort of receiving a lot of support elsewhere. My family tried their best to understand it, but I think they were only ok with it because it was temporary. My friends didn’t really understand it. And even my usually supportive boyfriend didn’t seem to grasp the concept or want to support it at times. Out of frustration one day, he even went so far as to say it was a stupid idea. And I got really upset, and had a bit of an emotional breakdown. I mean, if he didn’t support it, I felt I really didn’t have anyone I could turn to. He apologised immediately after that though and consoled me, but the words still stuck with me.

Why is it that in this day and age, it is still considered so abnormal to not eat meat? I find it so completely normal that the idea of thinking about in any other way is confounding to me. Is that because I am apart of social networks like Instagram and the blogging world, and I am just so used to seeing and reading about likeminded people that I forget there are people who are not so understanding? I mean, the reason I started my blog and joined Instagram in the first place was to do just that. I wanted to reach out and talk to people who led similar lifestyles, had a similar outlook on things and also to inspire others and be inspired myself.

Which is what I hoped I had achieved by doing this Meat Free month. Not for my own physical benefits, they happened to be bonuses. I wanted to step into the shoes of a non-meat eater and document it. Show people what is like, and hopefully inspire people to do the same. Not necessarily as a permanent thing, but even just incorporating more meat-free meals into their diet. In trying to do that my eyes were also opened to the level of discrimination we still have in our society towards people who are “going against the grain”. Even if this post does not inspire people to eat less meat, I hope it at least inspires people to treat others more nicely. No one should be put down because of their lifestyle choices. Whether someone eats meat or doesn’t eat meat – it shouldn’t be grounds to make that person feel like any less of a person.

What have I gotten out of this? Well, I’ll definitely be incorporating more meat-free meals into my lifestyle. Either by doing a meat-free day every week, or a meat-free week every month. I haven’t decided which! I also have a new found respect for all non-meat eaters out there! I was meat free for a month and had an emotional breakdown. I don’t know how you all do it as part of your day to day life! Kudos to all of you

And that is pretty much my month all wrapped up! I know, I pretty much just wrote a novel haha. So to lighten things up, I’ll leave you with a few photo highlights of my meals from Meat Free Feb!

Ciao for now, love you all! Xx

Spinach, rocket, beetroot, sweet potato and ricotta salad with balsamic dressing.

English muffin topped with sundried tomato, camembert cheese and a free range egg with a side of rocket.

Watermelon, honeydew and rockmelon juice with a seafood rice paper roll.

Soy and linssed sandiwch thins topped with sundried tomatoes, mushroom, camembert cheese and rocket.

Fish tacos!

Thai Prawn Coconut Soup

February 27, 2013healthylittlehippie Dinner Delights!, Gourmet in 20, Meat Free Feb Leave a comment

Hi there lovelies!

How are we all today? Good I hope!

So as you all know, it’s the 27th February 2013 here in Aussie land, which means I only have one more day to go in my Meat Free Feb challenge. Eek! It’s been a really good month and I have learnt alot. However, I’ll post something a little more detailed tomorrow night re-capping it all – the highs, the lows, the pro’s and the con’s. You name it!

for now, I have a nice and simple little recipe to share to with you all for:

Thai Prawn Coconut Soup

Ingredients:

- 1L low sodium vegetable stock

- 400ml coconut milk (I used full cream – it has less chemical “fillers”)

- 4 slices of ginger

- 4 kaffir lime leaves

- 1 large red chilli, cut in half lengthways

- 1 stalk of lemongrass (cut into thirds, and bruised)

- Half a broccoli head (cut into florets)

- 1 carrot (sliced)

- Handful of button mushrooms (halved if little, quartered if large)

- 1T brown sugar

- 1T tamari

- 1T fish sauce

- Prawns (I didn’t measure how much I used, depends how many people you’re feeding. I also used raw, frozen prawns that I defrosted beforehand)

- Handful of corriander (leaves just torn off)

Method

1. Throw the first 6 ingredients into a pot and bring to the boil

2. Remove lemongrass stalks, lime leaves, chili and ginger from the pot. They’ve done their job now!

3. Throw the rest of the ingredients into the pot and bring to the boil

4. Turn down to a simmer and cook until prawns are cooked through and veggies are al dente.

5. Serve up in bowls and top with corriander leaves

Um yes, just 5 steps. About as easy as they come!!!

You can eat it just like that, or you can do what I did and have them with Shiritaki Angel Hair noodles. No cooking involved with those noodles, just rinse, put them into your bowls and top with hot soup. I also added some shredded chicken into the boyfriend’s bowl because he eats a lot more than I do hehe.

You can always veganise these by omitting the prawns and fish sauce. Very versatile recipe!!

As always, if you try this recipe out, please let me know how you go. It’s always a pleasure to get some feedback!

Ciao for now lovelies x

Healthy Little Hippie

Health food addict. Yoga lover. Fitness Fan. Daydream Believer. A Modern Day Hippie.

Chorizo & Brown Rice Casserole

My Promise!

Healthy, Honey Pepper Lamb

Chicken Bolognese with Raw Zucchini Pasta!

Prawn & Bacon Tomato Stew

The End of Meat Free Feb!

Thai Prawn Coconut Soup

Follow “Healthy Little Hippie”