Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Green Beans

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All of a sudden it’s cold!! COLD.

Ok, for anyone who’s lived anywhere colder than the subtropics, it’s not really that bad. Brisbane mornings aren’t below freezing even before the sun comes up, and darn if we don’t have the most beautiful winter days anyone could ask for. It’s why I live here. Brisbane houses though, aren’t often built for the cold… What a great excuse to crank up the oven!

Enter this quick and easy side dish, helping you eat more veggies and perfect to have along side a Sunday roast or BBQ. If you want a quick and easy weeknight dinner, pre-roast a whole pan of these beauties, keep in the fridge, and reheat with 1-2 cups of white beans, drizzle with some olive oil, and done!

 

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Green Beans 

  • 4 cups fresh green beans, ends trimmed and chopped into bite-sized lengths (appx 500g)
  • 2½ cups cherry tomatoes, whole, plus 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved (appx 600g total)
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ packed cup fresh basil, chopped
  • Zest of one medium lemon
  • 5-6 grinds fresh black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. In a large bowl, combine greens beans, 2½ cups of the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and garlic. Mix well. Add green beans and tomato mixture to roasting pan, and roast 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are shriveled and have brown spots.

Transfer to heat-proof serving bowl and stir through remaining cherry tomatoes, basil, and lemon zest, and pepper. Enjoy!

 

This is the sort of recipe that ticks all the boxes: Healthy, Easy, and Delicious. This is what HealthFit Coaching’s Healthy Eating Support is all about! Check it out at this link.

Tried this?? Share your review in the comments!

A fast healthy lunch of Asian soba noodle salad or soup with chicken and vegetables

Veggie and Soba Noodle Salad

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This never lasts more than a day at my house.

It’s so good, and as a two-for-one recipe for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast, it’s really versatile. You can make this into a cold salad (perfect summer recipe) or a hot soup (perfect winter recipe). It’s also easy and fast. I go overboard on veggies, which means more prep time, and I can still have it ready in about 10 minutes.

Soba noodles definitely do not fit into a wholly low-carb diet, but carbs are not the enemy. If you prefer to keep your diet low-carb, substitute zucchini noodles (or “zoodles”) for the original soba noodles. To make gluten-free, also substitute tamari for the soy sauce.

 

Soba Noodle Salad/Soup – Per serving

90g/3 oz soba noodles

1/3 – 1/2 cup each of at least four of the following:

  • Thinly sliced red or yellow capsicum or bell pepper
  • Thinly sliced cucumber
  • Snow peas, sliced diagonally
  • Grated carrot
  • Grated zucchini
  • Thinly sliced red or green cabbage
  • Bean sprouts
  • Spring onions

One small chicken breast, thinly sliced

Dressing – Makes enough for four servings

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Juice of 1/2 a small orange

Zest and juice of one lime

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 coin-sized round of ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

For soup:

2-3 cups chicken stock

 

Make dressing by combining all ingredients and mixing well.

Tip: To easily mix salad dressings really well, keep an old glass jam jar with a tight fitting lid. Place all dressing ingredients in the jar, tightly close the lid, and shake well. 

Chop desired vegetables and chicken, and then cook noodles according to package directions. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with 1/4 of the dressing, and combine well. For soup, add desired amount of warm chicken stock.

Watch it disappear!

For low-carb, substitute zucchini noodles.

For gluten free, substitute rice or zucchini noodles and tamari.

 

Tried it? Share your review in the comments!

One skillet cauliflower hash with red peppers ready for a healthy breakfast

Cauliflower Hash

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Hash is traditionally a dish of meat and chopped potatoes. This spin on it is vegetarian and low-carb, but no less tasty! Cauliflower is substituted for the potatoes and the umami flavor that the meat traditionally provides comes from a dose of parmesan cheese. If you like a bit of spice, a sprinkle of chili powder or chili flakes add a pleasant heat, though if spicy is not your thing, you won’t miss them either!

This is great for an easy, healthy dinner, but works equally well as a healthy breakfast, giving you an alternative to the more usual breakfast foods that are basically dessert in disguise. Up the protein by topping with an egg or two – the runny yolk makes a delicious sauce and you get a delicious, filling dinner that won’t leave you feeling anything but great.

 

Cauliflower Hash

  • 1 small-medium carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 med-large brown/yellow or sweet onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 large head of cauliflower
  • 1 large red bell pepper or capsicum
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • ground pepper
  • 2 tsp each dried thyme and oregano
  • Grated parmesan cheese, to serve
  • Optional to serve: Chili powder or flakes

Grate or finely dice the carrot, and chop the celery and onion. Spray a large pan with oil (if not using non-stick) and cook carrot, celery, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

While the other vegetables are cooking, break cauliflower into smaller heads and then chop into smallish pieces. Add to pan when vegetable mix is starting to soften, and continue to stir frequently. Deglaze the pan with water as needed (see note).

Chop the bell pepper/capsicum and add to pan when vegetable mix is starting to turn golden brown, and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Sprinkle over salt, pepper, thyme and oregano, and mix through. Serve sprinkled with grated parmesan and chili, if desired, and an egg or two.

 

Note: Deglazing is a wonderful way of adding more flavor to a dish without adding any extra ingredients, and also helps keep your food from scorching. Learn how to deglaze a pan here (and you’ll also learn more about why and how it maximizes taste).