7 Meal Ideas Using This Week's Produce

Do you love a potato and leek soup, but want something less...soupy? Then this is the perfect recipe for you! It's super flavourful, healthy, and easy to make all in one pan! Serve it as a side with your protein of choice or have it on it's own.

What you will need:

• 6 small potatoes
• 2 leeks (stem only), sliced
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup olive oil or refined avocado oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove (1/2 to 1 tsp minced)
• 1/2 tsp salt and ground pepper each (divided)
• 2 cups or more leafy greens (spinach, kale, etc).
• lemon to garnish (sliced and juice)
• herbs to garnish – Fresh parsley, thyme, or oregano.

Serve immediately or store in air tight container and place in fridge if not serving right away.

Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin scones are a delicious treat any time of the year and would also make a great after school snack for busy kids! They are also really easy to make and take hardly any time at all!

You’ll need:

• 50g margarine
• 50g caster sugar
• 1/2 cup cooked mashed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup milk of choice
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups self raising flour

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Prepare a baking tray by dusting with flour.
Cream the margarine and sugar then add the mashed pumpkin and combine well. Add the milk and egg a little at a time.

Sift the flour slowly into the wet mixture while mixing into a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface, roll out to 3cm thick then cut out the scones.
Place the scones on a tray and brush with additional milk. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Penne

Pasta is always a fast, tasty and economical meal that you can get on the table for under $10. This delicious pumpkin penne allows you to add the protein of your choice in and is sure to become a regular on your family's dinner menu!

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 brown onion (diced)
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 500g of your protein of choice
• 2 cups pumpkin (diced,peeled)
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• 2 chicken or vegetable stock cube
• 1 tbs cornflour
• 2 cups milk
• 250 g penne pasta (cooked)

In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2 mins and then add your protein and cook until browned all over.

Add the pumpkin and oregano and fry for 5 minutes.

Stir the cornflour and crushed stock cubes into 1 cup of milk. Add to the pan and stir. Gradually add the second cup of milk as the mixture thickens.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir through cooked pasta and serve.

Roasted Broccoli salad with lemons and almonds

This Roasted Broccoli Salad has both roasted and raw broccoli, toasted almonds, sweet cranberries, and tiny pieces of tart lemon. It is the perfect, nutritious meal for lunch, dinner, or as a side dish!

• 2 heads of broccoli
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 4 very thin slices of lemon, each cut into 8 tiny triangles

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, very finely minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Preheat your oven to 210 degrees celsius.

Roughly chop the broccoli, making sure to include the sweet broccoli stems. You should have around 9 cups. Place 2 cups of the broccoli in a large bowl and the rest on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the broccoli on the baking sheet with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Mix it around so that all of the broccoli is coated with oil. Pop it in your oven and let it roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the florets are dark brown. Remove them from the oven and put them in the bowl with the raw broccoli.

Put the almonds in a small baking dish and roast them in the oven along with the broccoli until they are fragrant and light brown, about 8 minutes. Remove them from the oven and roughly chop them once they are cool enough to handle. Add the chopped almonds, cranberries, dill and lemon slices to the bowl with the broccoli.

In a small bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Pour it over the broccoli and toss to coat.

Serve immediately, or let it stand for up to 20 minutes.

Italian Baked Zucchini

A delicious, cheesy baked zucchini that you can have for lunch, dinner, or as a side dish!

• 500g zucchinis
• 225g mozzarella
• 680 grams of  marinara sauce
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt and pepper
• ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan

Clean and wash your zucchini. Pre-heat a large heavy bottom skillet

Cut your zucchini lengthwise into 12mm strips. Drizzle the zucchini with olive oil and then sprinkle the zucchini with salt and pepper.

Once your pan is ready, add your zucchini and cook for about 3 minutes per side. Remove your zucchini from the pan and set aside.

Gently heat your marinara sauce on low heat and then pre-heat your grill on high heat. Grab a large oven safe baking dish and scoop ½ cup of your marinara sauce into the baking dish and spread it out evenly.

Next, add your zucchini slices into the dish side by side but not overlapping. You may need 2 baking dishes if your zucchini are larger.

Now take a tablespoon of your marinara and place on each slice of zucchini and spread it out. Keep doing this until all the zucchini has sauce

Now cut your mozzarella into thin strips and place over the zucchini. Don't worry too much about neatness here since it all melts

Next, sprinkle your freshly grated parmesan evenly over top of this

Once your zucchini are all dressed with sauce and cheese, place the zucchini under the grill until the cheese melts and is bubbly and just turning brown (about 3-4 minutes).

Remove from the oven and serve with a side of pasta and the remaining marinara sauce.

Korean Fried Cauliflower

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/4 cup cornflour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups chilled soda water
• 350g trimmed cauliflower, cut into very small florets
• Peanut oil, to deep-fry
• Steamed rice, to serve
• Sesame seeds, to sprinkle
• Green shallots, trimmed, sliced, to serve

Chilli Sauce:

• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2/3 cup tomato passata
• 1/3 cup hot chilli sauce (like Sriracha)
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the passata, chilli sauce, 1/3 cup water, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until thickened. Stir through the sesame oil. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, cornflour and baking powder in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Slowly pour in the soda water, whisking to form a smooth batter. Toss the cauliflower through to coat.

Heat 2cm oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Cook the cauliflower, in batches, for 3 minutes or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a wire rack set over a baking tray to drain.

Return the wok with the sauce to medium heat. Toss through the cauliflower. Serve on a bed of rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds and shallot.

Easy Onion Bahji

Serve your crispy onion bhajis with cooling cucumber and mint raita as a snack, or eat alongside a homemade Indian curry. You'll be surprised by how easy they are to make!

• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 100g gram flour
• ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 green chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
• vegetable oil for frying

For the raita

• ½ cucumber
• 150g tub Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tbsp chopped mint

Soak the onion in cold water while you make the base mix. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add the chilli powder, turmeric, chopped chilli and a good sprinkling of salt. Mix in about 100ml of cold water to make a thick batter – add a splash more if it feels too stiff.

For the raita, peel the cucumber and grate it into a sieve set over another bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients with some seasoning and the drained cucumber – squeezing out any extra moisture with your hands – then spoon into a small serving bowl.

Drain the onion well and mix it into the batter. Heat about 5cm of oil in a wok or deep pan. Do not fill the pan more than a third full. Add a tiny speck of batter. If it rises to the surface surrounded by bubbles and starts to brown, then the oil is hot enough for frying.

Lower heaped tbsps of the bhaji mixture into the pan, a few at a time, and cook for a few mins, turning once, until they are evenly browned and crisp, so about 3-4 mins. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little salt and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve with the raita.