Poached Pears – How Grown-Up of Me

Posted on April 21, 2012 by theLABkitchen

We had some dear friends over for dinner while dog sitting (looking after one of the dear labradors for whom this blog is named) and so feeling grown-up by parenting (a dog) in a house (not a unit) I thought we would serve a grown-up dinner and dessert. Usually I don’t feel like a grown-up. I have way too much fun to be grown up… and I still like cartoons. So acting like an adult is unusual.

For dinner we had a rich beef rendang with nasi lemak (recipe forthcoming) so I needed a lighter dessert after a rich and sumptuous dinner. So a fruit based dessert seemed like a good idea to round out a lovely evening of food and friends.

Plus, mulled wine is one of my favourite things, so what could be more delicious than healthy fruit in what is essentially mulled wine. Mmmm wintery.

One of the great things about poached pears is how easy they are so they suit a dinner party when you don’t want to fuss by the end of the night, and they can be prepared some hours in advance which advantageously lets the pears absorb more of the flavours.

So grown-up and elegant!


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Beetroot Soup

Posted on April 20, 2012 by theLABkitchen

To end the wonderful week that was “Beetroot Week” I’m not posting a recipe but a link to a beautiful beetroot soup recipe on the Macheesmo site.

Macheesmo’s Roasted Beet Soup

Every one of Nick’s recipes has taken me by surprise at how amazing they turn out and this was no exception.

I just want to dive in, that colour is amazing!

We made the soup a few months ago and the taste is equalled only by its magnificent colour.

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Beetroot, Pea and Feta Salad

Posted on April 19, 2012 by theLABkitchen

This is one of my all-time favourite salads. The sweet earthy beetroot is balanced perfectly by the salty, peppery and tanginess of the other ingredients.

So much of a good dish is getting this balance right. Asian cuisine is light-years ahead in achieving this artful balance. While finding ingredients that have the right elements but still go together can be challenging but the flavour reward is so worthwhile, like the first time you try prosciutto with fig…oh that was a glorious day.

These ingredients are so simple that the combination will take you by surprise.

Just looking at this makes me want it sooooo badly

Beetroot, Pea and Feta Salad
5 minutes, plus beetroot cooking

Sweet elements: Beetroot and Peas
Peppery elements: Rocket (arugula), Walnuts and Fresh Pepper
Salty elements: Feta and Good Quality Sea Salt
Tangy elements: Lemon Juice
To bring it together: Good Quality Olive Oil

I could have eaten both plates...

So no instructions it’s too simple for that – just some pictures and notes.
I use frozen peas, yes, fresh peas are better but frozen peas have their place, just make sure they’re warm.
If your beetroot is still warm, that’s nice too.
I know the photos have baby spinach, I didn’t have rocket. It is best with a green that has a pepperiness like rocket or watercress, but any green works.

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Beetroot and Chocolate Mug Muffin: Sweet Murder in a Mug!

Posted on April 18, 2012 by theLABkitchen

So how do you use up left over Easter Chocolate in a healthy way? You make a 5 minute mug muffin with vegetables in it!

I know that sounds crazy, but stay with me because it’s really yummy.

One of the problems with left over Easter chocolate is that it just sits around tempting you to eat more than you should. The good thing about putting it in a mug muffin is that you are not trying to just have a tiny, unsatisfying snack and then resist the urge for another handful of chocolate. In stead you get a nice big tasty muffin that hits the spot and there’s even a hidden serve of vegies!

Beetroot is a great addition to mug muffins because it can go in either savoury or sweet muffins. For sweet muffins it goes well with chocolate and ginger which is the combination in this mug muffin.

I love the colour that beetroot gives everything, it always looks like I murdered something, but this time I have! A little chocolate chicken died for this muffin…



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Beetroot and Feta Dip

Posted on April 17, 2012 by theLABkitchen

The problem with most dips is that the more tasty they are the less healthy they are. So my desire to eat dip by the spoonful is inversely proportional to how much I should eat.

But I have solved the problem with Beetroot and Feta Dip: a beautiful, creamy, magenta coloured dip. Easy – only four ingredients; super tasty – I have been known to eat many spoonfuls; and best of all it’s healthy!

The sweet earthiness of the beetroot is balanced by the creamy feta and to round out the flavours the sweet-tangy balsamic adds depth to the flavour profile. This is a great party dip because it it so easy to present beautifully and it can be served with both crackers and vegie sticks.

This recipe makes quite a lot, but if you keep the proportions the same of 2:1 beetroot to feta you can scale the volume up or down really easily.
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Beetroot Week: Beetroot Leaves

Posted on April 16, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Yay! Beetroot week is here!

In the same vein as yesterday, often people discard the main ingredient of this dish. If only they knew what they were missing!

Beetroot leaves are super tasty, not as mild as english spinach but not as iron-y as silverbeet. With a little butter, onion and bread crumbs they are an addictive vegetable side-dish with heaps of nutrients.

What is your favourite beetroot recipe? Or have you never tried it?


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Beetroot Week is Coming!!! and a quick recipe

Posted on April 15, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Hi All!

I’m so excited that from Monday we will have an entire week of beetroot recipes! This humble root vegetable is completely under-rated and should never be eaten sliced on a burger, what a waste of such potential!

I love that photo, one of the beetroots I was peeling for a salad squirted its guts on the bench, I didn’t even move the knife, that’s exactly how it landed. I thought it was a pretty cool photo for beetroot week.

This week we will have a healthy and delicious dip, one of my all-time favourite salads, a side dish of beetroot leaves (!) and a couple of mug muffins (savoury and sweet). Q: What foods do you think are under-rated?

While you’re waiting for beetroot week, here is a quick recipe made from the seeds of a squash (or pumpkin as we call them in Oz). I can’t believe that for so many years I was throwing out the best part! I think that roasted squash/pumpkin seeds are the best beer snack I’ve ever had, and I love my beer and snacks!


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Perfect Saturday Morning Brunch

Posted on April 14, 2012 by theLABkitchen

A massive plate of scrumptious creamy mushrooms and buttery sage bulgur for less than 400 calories? And that’s my full-fat version, it’s less than 300 calories in the low-fat option!

This is a husband approved breakfast, actually he was over the moon to get a big plate of hot creamy mushrooms and carbs without realising it was so healthy. I was really serving him a big plate of vegetables, but it was so tasty he didn’t care!


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Healthy Rosewater Cream

Posted on April 13, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Today I wanted a treat, perhaps some cream and berries, but no one wants the calories or the guilt afterwards. I could get a “diet” dessert, but they are either full of horrible ingredients or taste gross. So I made a healthy, delicious cream without any nasty products.

I’m not usually one to try to make diet versions of normal products. I’d rather a big bowl of fruit than cardboard flavoured “diet” cookies, but sometimes a healthy alternative is really an exciting new food!

Don’t expect healthy alternatives to taste just like the original, vegetarian burger patties shouldn’t taste like beef, but they can be just as delicious in their own way. This cream isn’t identical to real cream, but it’s darn good and at a fraction of the calories I’ll go for a second serving!

One of the not nasty tricks used in diet foods is agar agar. It is a seaweed extract that has similar properties to gelatin. It is great to make your own flavors of vegetarian jelly and when made with milk it can be blended into a delicious cream.

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Ugly but Delicious: Zucchini and Feta Mug Muffin

Posted on April 11, 2012 by theLABkitchen

Welcome to the world of Mug Muffins.

They’re not the most beautiful of creatures, but I’m all about inner beauty and the mug muffin has “a great personality” and you have to love something so healthy, tasty and easy!

Mug muffins are a great way to make a healthy snack without being tempted to eat more than you should. This is a single serve recipe that can be made in less than 5 minutes. That’s less time than it takes to get to the nearest cafe, but long enough to stop you gobbling up a second without thinking. As a bonus, most mug muffins contain a serve of fruit or vegetables and are so easy you could make them at work!

If you have time I would advocate baking your muffin because clearly the texture of a microwave muffin is not the same, it is denser and less crumbly (which, personally I love). This recipe is for those concerned about time, health, cost and taste, and there is always some trade-off between them in any meal. However I think mug muffins hold up to the taste criteria well and in the battle of wills between me and bad food, mug muffins step in to rescue me from bad decisions!

While this is a savoury mug muffin, I will be posting sweet mug muffins in the coming weeks to fill whatever craving you are having.


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Posted in Healthy and Tasty, Morning Tea, Mug Muffins, Snacks, Vegan Option, Vegetarian | Tagged , | 1 Comment