7 Meal Ideas Using This Week's Produce

This week's box includes a range of fruits and vegetables that are super versatile and easy to cook with. Below we've included a range of recipes from stews, soups and even desserts and snacks!

The purpose of these recipes is to give you some inspiration for the week ahead. We’ve suggested meal ideas based on our produce selection and they can all be enjoyed on their own, or with any protein that suits your appetite.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Mozzarella Tarts

These tarts make for a quick and easy veggie snack and are great to have on hand when the kids get home from school or to take to work for those 3pm cravings.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bunch spinach, trimmed
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, just thawed
• 6 baby bocconcini, halved

Preheat oven to 220C or 200C fan-force. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add spinach and toss for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Season and place in a strainer over a bowl to drain. Press down to extract most of moisture. Place on a board and coarsely chop.

Place egg and parmesan in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until combined. Season.

Cut pastry into 16 squares. Place on prepared tray. With a small knife, score squares to form a 0.5cm border (without cutting all the way through the pastry). Divide egg mixture between squares. Top with spinach and bocconcini. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.

Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli Salad

This warm winter salad is the perfect side dish to your favourite protein and is packed full of nutrients.

• 3 heads broccoli florets and stems roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parley
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1-2 cups baby kale
• arils from 1 pomegranate
• 1 avocado sliced
• 170 grams feta cheese crumbled

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees c.

On a large baking sheet, toss together the broccoli, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and a large pinch of both salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli is just beginning to char. Remove from the oven and stir in the parsley.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the roasted broccoli. Add the baby kale and pomegranate arils. Gently toss to combine. Transfer the salad to a bowl and top with feta and sliced avocado. Eat!

Spinach Felafel in tomato sauce

These easy vegetarian spinach and lentils felafels are served with a delicious tomato sauce and are on the table in just 30 minutes.

• 400g spinach
• 2 x 400g can lentils, rinsed, drained
• 2 x 400g can lentils, rinsed, drained
• 60g raw cashews, plus extra, chopped, to serve
• 2 garlic cloves, plus extra 1 clove, crushed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 75g (1/4 cup) tahini
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 700ml tomato passata
• Steamed broccolini, to serve

Place the lentils and cashews in a food processor. Process until coarsely chopped. Add spinach, garlic, cumin, paprika, tahini and half the coriander. Season. Process until just combined. Roll into walnut sized balls. Roll in the rice flour to coat.

Heat oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook felafel, in batches, for 2-3 minutes or until the outside is just golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.

Pour the passata into the pan then add the extra garlic. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 2-3 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Season. Add felafel and cook for 2 minutes or until warmed through. Divide falafel and sauce among serving bowls. Serve with broccolini and scatter with remaining coriander and extra cashews.

Apple Crisp

This apple crisp is super simple to make and can be whipped up really quickly for a last minute dessert or to entertain guests.

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C and lightly grease a square baking dish.

Arrange apple slices evenly in prepared baking dish. Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal; sprinkle over apples.

Bake in preheated oven until topping is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Spiced Coconut Carrot Soup

There is nothing better than a good soup in winter, and this spiced coconut carrot soup is no exception. A different twist on the traditional soup recipe, but just as delicious!

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut or extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups carrots, peeled, chopped plus 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• Salt to taste
• 2 red chiles, chopped
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 1 piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Crushed red pepper flakes, toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and/or cilantro leaves (for serving)

Finely grind coriander seeds in spice mill or with mortar and pestle; set aside.

Heat oil in a small pot over medium-high. Add chopped carrots, season with salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned around the edges, 5–6 minutes. Add chiles, shallot, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and reserved ground coriander and cook, stirring often, until shallot and garlic are softened, 4–6 minutes. Add coconut milk and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 20–25 minutes. Purée with an immersion blender or, carefully, in small batches in a blender until smooth. Season with salt, if needed.

Toss sliced carrot with lemon juice in a small bowl; season with salt. Add a pinch of red pepper, a few pinches of sesame seeds, and a handful of scallions and/or cilantro leaves and toss to combine.

Divide soup among bowls. Top with carrot-herb salad just before serving.

Earl Grey Spiced Poached Pears

Looking for an easy, healthy dessert that won’t ruin the diet? Then this is it! The perfect winter warmer.

• 2 Earl Grey tea bags
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 orange
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 1cm piece (5g) of ginger
• 4 cardamom pods
• 6 pears
• Vegetable oil, for greasing
• 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons runny honey

Place the tea bags in a wide, shallow pan large enough to hold all of the pears. Pour over 450ml of boiling water, stir in the sugar and leave to brew for 2 minutes, then remove and discard the tea bags.

Peel three large strips of orange zest and add to the tea along with the saffron and ginger. Bash the cardamom pods with the side of a large knife to open slightly and add to the pan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce to a slow simmer.

Peel, halve and core the pears, then lower into the pan. Poach for 15-25 minutes or until just tender – the time will depend on how ripe your pears are.

Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and arrange in a single layer in a dish. Bring the poaching liquid back to the boil and simmer until thickened and reduced by half, then remove the orange peel, ginger and cardamom.

Pour the syrup over the pears, set aside to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight.

The next day, lightly oil a baking tray. Toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until golden. Turn off the heat, drizzle over the honey and stir to completely coat the seeds. Tip onto the baking tray and set aside to cool.

To serve, reheat the pears and syrup in a pan over a medium heat, picking out and discarding the ginger and cardamom.

Divide between serving dishes, scatter over clusters of honeyed seeds and drizzle over the poaching liquid. Delicious served with scoops of good vanilla ice cream or thick Greek yoghurt.

Hearty Potato Stew

One of the best parts about this recipe is there is minimal prep and you simply chuck all the ingredients into one-pot to cook down. Easy!

• 3 large garlic cloves crushed
• 1 red onion diced
• 350 g mushrooms chopped
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 4 carrots chopped
• 3 celery stalks chopped
• 500 g baby potatoes sliced into halves
• 1 can green lentils drained and rinsed
• 1 stem of rosemary finely chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 400g tins tomatoes
• 300 ml veg stock
• 2 tbsp cacao powder

Heat a large pot with olive oil. Add in the garlic, onion, mushrooms and Tamari. Stir and cook down for 5 minutes

Now add the carrots, celery, potatoes, lentils, rosemary, bay leaves, tomatoes, veg stock and stir

Add in the cacao powder, stir again until well mixed

Place the lid on the pot and simmer for 30 minutes

Serve with brown rice or quinoa and top with fresh parsley (optional)