speedy dinners

as most of you would know - donna hay is one of my food heroes, a massive home grown inspiration. i love the simplicity donna captures when it comes to preparing week night dinners, she always manages to balance flavours and textures with minimal ingredients.

 

one dinner that caught my attention when flipping through the newest edition on the weekend was #4 - sticky pork with chilli sweet potato and lime.  i love that this recipe is so healthy - protein, fresh salad and a small serve of carbohydrates.

 

last night after a few minor additions i sat down to a truly satisfying dinner - here it is.....

 

 sticky pork with chilli sweet potato and a salad of spinach, bean sprouts, cucumber and lime

serves 2

 

2 medium sweet potatoes (approx 200g)

1tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

sea salt and pepper

sprinkle of sesame seeds

 

1 x 350g pork fillet

1 tbsp kekap manis

1tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp hoisin sauce

2cm knob of ginger - finely grated

sprinkle of sesame seeds

  

1/2 packet of baby spinach

1/2 packet bean sprouts

1/2 lebanese cucumber - sliced thinly (you could even peel slices)

1/2 bunch of finely chopped coriander

1/2 bunch of finely chopped mint

lug of olive oil or a small dash of sesame oil

1 lime - juiced

 

heat the oven to 220 degrees C.

 

to prepare the sweet potato - peel and slice thinly, mix through the olive oil, salt and pepper, dried chilli flakes and lay down on a flat baking tray in one layer and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

 

 

 

make the pork marinade by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. brush the pork with the marinade all over and place on top of the sliced sweet potato. bake in the oven for approximately 18-20 minutes until the pork is cooked through and the sweet potato start to crisp on the outside.

 

while the pork and sweet potato are cooking, mix together the salad ingredients in a bowl and dress with a lug of olive oil or the tiniest bit of sesame oil.  

 

 

 

once the pork is cooked, remove and slice up. dress the salad with the lime juice, plate it, top with the pork and add a side of the crisp chilli sweet potato.

 

 all photos are my own @thingswinspire

 

enjoy all you awesome home cooks out there. just double if you have a family or are cooking for more than two people.

 

if you want any more inspiration - grab a copy of donna's newest magazine on sale now - there is a baked fish with tomato and fennel i'm going to try out next...

 

follow me on instagram @thingswinspire

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[tasty treat]

last night on instagram (follow me @thingswinspire) i posted my 

delicious fish tacos. here is the recipe so you can recreate this easy, healthy and super yum dinner. 

this recipe is once again care of donna hay (issue 35).

spicy fish tacos

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground chilli (or spicier if that's how you like it)

1 teaspoon ground paprika (i used smoked)

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 x 100g pieces of white fish fillets like snapper

place the spices in a bowl and mix well. heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan. dust the fish in the spices and cook for two minutes on each side or until golden.

salsa (this was just what was in the fridge)

1 avocado 

1 large vine ripened tomato

1/2 red onion

1/2 bunch fresh coriander 

1/2 red chilli

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper

chop avocado, tomato, red onion, and chilli into small cube pieces and combine in a bowl. add rice and chopped coriander and squeeze over lemon and add salt and pepper.

heat some tortillas, lay out some baby spinach and rocket, add the salsa a dollop of sour cream and then the spicy fish and there you have it. 

  

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lighter

seashells, die young stay pretty, depends what day it is

tonight on my way home i felt lighter, that heavy feeling i have been carrying around on my shoulders has been lifted. my thoughts are clearer, i've let go, i'm not holding onto anymore. it feels great. it's as if my mind is saying lets move on and see what's there.

i promised that pasta recipe from last night so here you are. once again, thank you donna, you are simply amazing. we ate the leftovers tonight and it tasted better, all the flavours had fused together. delicious.

chorizo, lentil and goats curd pasta with mushrooms

400g pasta (donna recommends conchiglie)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 chorizo sausages, sliced

200g swiss brown mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

3/4 cup dry sherry

1 x 400g can lentils, rinsed and drained

sea salt and cracked pepper

125g goats curd (or soft goats cheese)

extra-virgin olive oil

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cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 6-8 minutes or until al dente. drain and keep warm.

heat the oil in a large fry pan over a high heat. add the chorizo, mushroom and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes or until browned. add the sherry and lentils and cook for 2 minutes or until reduced slightly. add the pasta, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.

top with the goats curd and drizzle with oil to serve.

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happy

it's been one of those weekends where it's been a laugh a minute, the rain stayed away and allowed me to take a day trip yesterday with my girlfriends susan from RunwayScout.com (check out their new stock on line, amazing) and barb to the Eumundi Markets with a quick trip to Hastings Street on the way home. had dinner cooked for me last night by my friend ange who just arrived back from a holiday to japan, looking at her photos has made me so excited for my girls trip to bali in november.

i'm cooking a chorizo, lentil, mushroom and goats curd pasta for dinner courtesy of donna hay (one of my faves)... i'll post the recipe later this week. it's a perfect winter meal.

enjoy the rest of your sunday afternoon, kick back with a cheeky glass of red, i am!! xo

 

16 house, wishbonesandwunderlust, drop dead gorgeous, home is where the heart is, seashells

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a few days later

what a festive season. i've fallen back in love with this time of year, it's the best christmas i've had in years, i had some amazing family time. i cooked up some delicious dishes for my family inspired by my favourite foodies. i attempted and mastered donna's amazing pork belly, my nephew loved my take on nigella's 'cosmo cocktail sausages' and we all loved jamie's famous roast chicken again. i even popped in at a friends place for their desert competition on christmas night, all very delicious!

i spent a few hours being taught backgammon by my mum only for my brother in law to come over and teach us the right way, i still didn't win a game, i think i need to keep playing! a road trip to byron was in order yesterday with some girlfriends, it's such a calm tranquil place... the weather turned during lunch so we didn't get the opportunity for a swim, what a great excuse to go back.

today i'm off to woodford (my first time) with my friend jane. i'm really looking forward to seeing gotye, husky, elixir and andy bull. i just hope the rain holds off today.

for you ej!

american honey, lara bingle twitter, the littlest fox, our religion is you, the style net, they all hate us



tuesday night bliss

i just devoured a delicious dinner inspired by donna (chilli, ginger and lime chicken patties with a brown rice green salad) and now i'm on the couch watching nigella whip up a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake, what a blissful tuesday night!

i've also been browsing two of my favourite online boutiques (and close personal friends of mine) - they are both having 20% off sales at the moment, so get in quick

RunwayScout and SorellaBella







agnijagragile, veronica loves archie, depends what day it is, il etait une fois

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Loving Donna

I have been a HUGE fan of Donna Hay ever since a friend gave me a subscription to her magazine in at Issue 11. My heart skips a beat bi-monthly as I open the letterbox and find a new edition waiting for me. Needless to say most of my favourite recipes are from her pages.

On Friday Kate and I were meant to ascend upon the Convention Centre for our annual pilgrimage to the Good Food and Wine Show. It was such a glorious day and seemed a waste to be indoors, so we decided to have our own 'food and wine festival' at my house on my front patio. Our inspiration was none other than Donna and her re-fashioned Chicken Taco's from her 10th anniversary edition (in stores now).

Not only are Donna's recipes simple, but they offer an abundance of taste and are possibly the simplest and easiest meals to assemble. The pages of her magazines and cookbooks are sublimely styled. She has built herself an empire and is someone I aspire to be like.

Here is the recipe (I slightly modified it for extra ease) for the chicken component of these AMAZING tacos I don't want to give too much away... do yourself a favour and purchase this edition - you will thank me! It is full of 'new classics' has an amazing spread on brownies (I have made some and they went down a treat at work) and much much more I cannot wait to get in the kitchen and cook.

Chicken

400g chicken thigh fillets (I used tenderloins)

1 teaspoon onion salt

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked)

Place the spices in a bowl and toss chicken to coat.

Chargrill or BBQ chicken until cooked through.

My Tomato Salsa (I made this as a simple addition)

1 ripe tomato diced

1/2 red onion sliced thinly

1/2 lime, juiced

Combine ingredients.

friday lunch

Donna serves her Taco's with a sensational home made Salsa Verde (don't bother trying these without this - we made and adored it) home made Flour Tortilla's and Pickled Chillies, sour cream and lime. I also believe this would be just as tasty with fish (tried and loved fish tacos in Hawaii).

Cannot wait for the next edition - it's always Christmas and Party inspired!