Table of contents for January/February 2023 in Taste.com.au

that time is here again (it comes round fast, doesn’t it?!), when a new year stretches before us, full of endless possibilities and many meals with loved ones. To help you launch into 2023 with the energy you need to enjoy what lies ahead, our resident nutritionist Chrissy Freer has devised our best ever 7-day healthy meal plan (p57), with a huge variety of mains and yes, even snacks and sweet treats, to help you feel like you can take on the world. The best things about our ‘New Year, New You’ guide? It’s not only low cal, super tasty and family friendly. It’s also cleverly designed to use up as many ingredients as possible. We’ve included a handy budget-friendly shopping list to make sure you have everything you need…

Pineapple adds summery sweetness and tang to satay chicken. Bring a little ray of sunshine to your next barbecue by grilling and arranging it like this! let’s go! 240g pkt Taste Meal Kit Malaysian Satay Chicken 6 chicken thigh fillets, cut into 4cm pieces 200g (1 cup) black or brown rice 80g snow peas 2 tbs coconut milk 1.7kg pineapple 1 small red capsicum, deseeded, cut into 1cm-thick strips 1 butter lettuce, leaves separated ¼ small red cabbage, finely shredded 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled into ribbons 2 radishes, thinly sliced Coarsely chopped roasted cashews, to serve secret ingredient Use this Taste meal Kit for a shortcut satay sauce. Available at Coles. crunchy satay chicken salad with pineapple chips serves 4 | prep 30 mins (+ 30 mins marinating & cooling)…

Ice-breaker With summer in full swing, it’s time to turn your morning ritual into an iced coffee affair. The Sunbeam Iced Coffee Maker, $89,95, is also a genius way to cut back on disposable cups and your caffeine spending, it’s as easy as filling the single serve machine with water, adding ground coffee and ice, and hitting the ‘brew’ button! Take yours to-go in the insulated tumbler, complete with lid and straw. Visit harveynorman.com.au. FUNA! Yes, you guessed it, ‘tuna’ (fake tuna) is the new plant-based kid on the block. Made from soy, pea and chickpea protein, these flaky chunks were taste-tested by the taste team. We were amazed at how the flavour and texture replicates real canned tuna. Packed with protein and omega-3, add the ready-to-eat Tvna to your…

the world is in metamorphosis and I’m flying solo again. This has changed my relationship with the garden, ingredients, cooking and philosophies I’ve long held. Slowly, I’m daring to be the person I’ve dreamt of being - someone who is (mostly) confident, someone who is searching to be defined by her own standards and not the expectations of others. The title of this book came from a fancy pot-luck dinner I went to. When asked if the dish I brought to the table was something I made often, I guffawed. “No way, I only make things like this when people are watching!” I desperately want this cookbook to be Useful and honest. I really hope this is the sort of book that gets sticky, scribbled on and dog eared, because…

eat real new year, new you Kick 2023 into gear with nutritionist Chrissy Freer’s delicious and nutritious seven-day menu. The meals, and even the snacks, have been cleverly created to help you get healthy! how it all works Each day allows women to consume around 1200 calories for safe weight loss. However, energy requirements do vary considerably. Age, gender and activity levels also need to be taken into consideration. Younger and/or active women need to add at least an extra 300 calories a day (such as an extra snack and serve of carbs/whole grains), while males can consume an extra 600 calories. Use the handy meal planner (see right) to map out your days. You can easily mix and match snacks and meals, as long as you swap like for…

BREAKFAST berry hemp smoothie serves 1 | prep 5 mins Q E H LC 150g (1 cup) frozen mixed berries ½ small banana, frozen ½ small zucchini, coarsely grated 1 tbs hemp seeds 1 tbs rolled oats 250ml (1 cup) skim milk 1 Place all ingredients, reserving a little hemp, in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Top with reserved hemp to serve. PER SERVE • 16.3g protein • 6.7g fat (0.6g saturated fat) • 35.4g carb • 6.9g dietary fibre • 284 Cals (1188kJ) VEG IN HERE TOO! get ahead! Make the day 4 breakfast tonight so it can chill overnight. LUNCH chicken & vegie hummus wrap serves 1 | prep 5 mins Q E H LC 1 tbs hummus 1 × 42g Simson’s Pantry Lite Low Carb…

berry-stuffed FRENCH TOAST Eat French toast on the go! Whisk together 3 eggs, ½ cup pouring cream, ½ cup milk, ⅓ cup caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste in a bowl. Spread ⅓ cup spreadable cream cheese over 4 thick slices of choc-chip brioche. Thinly slice 8 strawberries. Divide among slices. Top with ¼ cup strawberry jam and 4 more brioche slices. Melt 10g butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Dip 2 sandwiches in egg mixture, turning to coat. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden. Repeat with 10g butter and remaining sandwiches. Dust with icing sugar. tutti frutti Make sweets aparty of summer fruit and use all the shortcuts under the sun! MANGO MAKE AHEAD This four-ingredient frozen yoghurt is super easy.…

fun cooking gaytime ice-cream cake serves 8 | prep 30 mins (+6 hours freezing) | cooking 5 mins E 1 Grease base and sides of a 7cm-deep, 10 x 20cm (base size) loaf pan with oil. Line with 2 sheets of plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to overhang the sides. 2 Arrange a single layer of biscuits over base of prepared pan. Spoon half of 1 ice-cream tub over biscuits. Smooth the surface. Repeat layering with another layer of biscuits, remaining half tub of ice-cream then another layer of biscuits. Spoon the remaining tub of ice-cream over the biscuits. Smooth the surface. Finish with a layer of biscuits. Cover with overhanging wrap. Place in freezer for 6 hours or overnight until firm. 3 Place the chocolate and coconut oil in…

Yep, frozen guacamole is a thing! It’s handy when you want to jazz up taco Tuesday without extra prep. Drizzle the top with oil before freezing - this stops ice crystals forming on top, which can make your guac watery. This easy recipe is yum on its own or add your own flare to it, like jalapeños easy frozen guacamole serves 4 | prep 10 mins Q E V GF 2 avocados, coarsely chopped ½ red onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 tbs natural yoghurt ½ lime, juiced Tabasco sauce, to season Olive oil, to drizzle Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, to serve (optional) Gluten-free corn chips, to serve 1 Place the avocado, onion, garlic, yoghurt, lime juice and a few drops of Tabasco in a large bowl.…

SWEET & SOUR It’s always a fUn day when a packet of these gummies appear! A juicy mix of raspberry, apple and lemon flavours, we love that they have no added sugar, are vegan and keto friendly, and pack a prebiotic fibre punch. $4.50 from selected supermarkets. a little toasty We Love a grazing board round here (who doesn’t?) And in prime pLace on our pLatter are these sourdough toasts. DoubLe baked to crispy perfection, the range comes in two varieties: OLive & Parmesan and Fig & Apricot. Crafted from reaL Aussie sourdough culture, the crackers have that authentic sourdough taste and crunch. Grab them from the supermarket for $5. BITE-SIZED BLISS BALLS These gluten-free, plant-based bites are our latest jammiest obsession. With a raspberry jam-inspired centre and an airy…

EUROPE DOWN UNDER Longview Macclesfield 2022 Grüner Veltliner, $30 Grüner Veltliner is originally from Austria, but is making a home in the Adelaide Hills where flavours of crunchy pear, nectarine and white pepper shine through. DRINK IT WITH potato and bacon bites, spicy omelettes. Fried rice omelette p36 AWARD WINNING SHIRAZ Bare Bones 2021 Great Western Shiraz, $14.99 This incredible-value wine took out the trophy for Best Shiraz 2020 Vintage and Younger at the 2022 Royal Adelaide Wine Show. It’s deliciously smooth with generous dark fruits and soft tannins. DRINK IT WITH potato salad, vegie pasta. Fresh summer pasta p39 FRESH CITRUS TASTE The Other Wine Co. 2022 Pinot Gris, $26 This pinot gris should be on your radar. There’s great structure and liveliness here with delightful pear and citrus…

SCAN THE QR CODE TO ENTER SCAN THE QR CODE FOR PICNIC IDEAS QUICK, LET’S PICNIC! picnic pal Embrace the summer sunshine with this picnic prize. Win and you’ll be fully kitted out with an Avanti Ikat 4-person picnic basket set, valued at $249. It comes with everything you need to dine al fresco, including a durable wicker picnic basket, insulated cooler, straps to fasten cutlery in place, a cheese knife, plastic goblets and even salt and pepper shakers. Check it out at avantihomewares.com. blend the best Go in the running to win this hand blender and you’ll be blending, chopping, slicing, grating, kneading, whisking and mashing up a storm! The Braun MultiQuick 9 Hand Blender comes with a 2L food processor, purée/masher accessory, whisk, beaker, chopper and food processor…

A STAR IS CORN! Real Foods Corn Thins are not rice cakes. They’re made from corn, so they taste more like popcorn! Pile each one high with your favourite toppings or create new and delicious recipes. Check out cornthins.com for ideas to get you started. THE BREW FOR YOU Discover the world of cold coffee beverages with De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro’s new Cold Extraction Technology. The innovative process bypasses heat and optimises extraction pressure to deliver exciting new cold coffee recipes: Cold Brew and Espresso Cool. Pictured in Matte Black, the La Specialista Maestro is available from harveynorman.com.au for $1999. TAKE THE BISCUIT Featuring that classic wheaty taste and crumbly golden baked texture, McVitie’s Digestives are not only great dunked in a hot drink, they’re also the ultimate baking partner.…

Nothing screams summer quite like a salad full of fresh and crunchy ingredients, complete with mouth-watering chargrill lines! Send us a pic of your sun-shaped satay to go in the tunning to win one of two appliance bundles from Sunbeam, worth $677 each. The prize includes a 3-in-1 Digital 5L Air Fryer, Professional Wok, 25cm Skillet, ReversaGrill BBQ Grill and Banquet Frypan, all from the innovative DiamondForce collection. Better get grilling for your chance to win! Show me great grilling skills on the pineapple and chicken, then make it stand out with the sunniest of plating! SEND IN YOUR ENTRIES BY 5 FEBRUARY 2 TO WIN! Sunbeam two ways to enter email it: Send a photo of your creation, with your name, address and telephone number to us at tastecookandwin@news.com.au…

rainbow smoothie POPSICLES Get super sneaky with feeding the kids more fruit and veg - they’ll never suspect they’re in these rainbow iceblocks! Blend four smoothie flavours (banana and oats, pineapple and spinach, blueberry and banana, and mango and banana) and layer them in iceblock moulds and freeze. Made creamy with a base of almond milk, banana and oats, these treats are also vegan. They’re a healthy dose of freezer fun! SCAN THE QR CODE FOR THE FULL RECIPE…

BREAKFAST choc-banana chia pudding serves 1 | prep 5 mins (+ overnight chilling) E H LC GF 1 banana, halved crossways, unpeeled 1 tsp cocoa powder 125ml (½ cup) skim milk 1½ tbs white chia seeds 2 tsp natural peanut butter 1 Peel 1 banana half. Place in a bowl with cocoa. Use a fork to mash. Stir through milk. Add chia. Stir until combined. Cover and place in the fridge overnight to thicken. 2 Peel and thinly slice remaining banana. Spoon chia pudding into a serving glass. Top with banana and peanut butter. PER SERVE • 12.2g protein • 13.3g fat (1.9g saturated fat) • 29.7g carb • 10.7g dietary fibre • 308 Cals (1290kJ) CHOC-A-BLOCK CHIA READY IN 10 MINS! LUNCH broccoli & feta quesadilla serves 1 | prep…

As the days heat up and the house fills with guests, the best way to chill out together is with a bowl of ice-cream preferably poolside, we reckon. An ice-cream maker is just the ticket to let the treat times roll - and it’s for more than just ice-cream. Think silky sorbet and gelato, or fruity fro yo to go. Hit the chill zone with one of these amazing machines, picked by us, so you can find the right one for you - whether it’s for feeding a crowd, whipping up quick frozen treats or churning out a healthier alternative, you’ll find it here! Todo Frozen Dessert Maker BEST FOR: quick and healthy What if you could make a healthy creamy sorbet in seconds, with just a few pieces of…

We ate it. We rate it. HEALTHIER ICE-CREAM Satisfy your ice-cream cravings with these better-for-you frozen treats. Vegan, sugar free, keto or all natural, there is an option for any dietary requirement, age or tastebud! Check them out and choose which guilt-free frozen treats to stash in your freezer this summer. Twisted Licks 99% Sugar Free Rich Chocolate, $9 (pack) These are for health-conscious choc lovers. Made with plant-based sweeteners and minimal ingredients, these rich ice-cream sticks are keto and diabetic friendly. SUGAR FREE Peters No Sugar Added Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream, $8 A tub of this no-sugar added ice-cream is a staple in our Content and Social Producer, Julia’s freezer. It has the vanilla hit of the original, but is 97 per cent fat free! LOW FAT Halo…

Q How can I reduce arvo sugar cravings? Mid-afternoon sugar cravings are very common, but they don’t need to be your normal. Being hangry and craving sugar at 3pm is typically a result of not eating enough, or not eating the right balance of macronutrients at lunchtime. Skimping on lunch is counterproductive if you end up snacking all afternoon! Make sure your lunch is providing enough fuel to get you through the afternoon by: • Including a serve of protein, such as a small can of fish, 2 eggs, 1 cup cooked legumes or 60g shredded chicken. • Adding a serve of Low-GI wholegrains/ starchy veg, such as quinoa, wholegrain sourdough bread or roasted sweet potato. • Adding at least 3 non-starchy veg, such as spinach, tomato or cucumber -…

15 mins easy vego low cal ready in 15 mins 25 mins easy vego 30 mins easy low cal easy healthy low cal GF 20 mins easy easy healthy super veg low cal GF low fat veg packed 30 mins easy low cal 10 mins healthy vego GF easy healthy vego low cal GF easy healthy vego low cal GF 30 mins easy healthy super veg low cal GF easy healthy easy 30 mins low cal GF summer salad easy healthy super veg low cal GF low fat only 300 cals! easy healthy vego low cal easy healthy low cal low fat…

Satay chicken noodles It’s creamy coconut bliss. Absolutely loved this recipe. I took it for lunch at work and when I heated it up, my coworkers were all asking for some! @MELLYMAC I have never left a review before, but this was SO good that I had to. My family hoovered it down! It’s a total keeper. @MARIAMORELL Fudgy strawberry & rhubarb blondie bake You won’t be able to stop at one! Lovely combination of sweet and tangy rhubarb. A treat; such an easy recipe. @FLIKAB This recipe was easy to make and turned out scrumptious. I didn’t have any rhubarb, so I covered the top with sliced strawberries. It was very popular. @NLCSM Beef salad with fresh tomato & lime salsa A charred Mexican show stopper. Amazingly simple and…

SWEET & SOUR thai beef salad Fresh and fast - that’s how we roll when the sun is out and the days are long. Channel the summer sunshine into your midweek menu with these easy dinner winners. They’re all ready in 30 minutes or less, and incorporate the fruit and veg we should all be celebrating with this time of year. There are a few shortcut ingredients thrown in too. Start off with this rainbow low-cal salad full of crunch, sweet and sour flavours, and barbecued beef. fried rice omelette serves 4 | prep & cooking 30 mins Q E LC prep in 15 $5.90 per serve 250g pkt Long-grain microwave rice, warmed 7 eggs 80ml (⅓ cup) milk 60g (¼ cup) Agam Thai Fried Rice Paste 1 tbs peanut…

eat real Cross out the ingredients you already have, then you can stock up on the items you need.  Olive oil and oil spray to grease and salt and pepper to season aren’t included in this list.  Download this shopping list at taste.com.au/7daykickstart. PANTRY □ Arnott’s Vita-Weat 9 Grains, 9 □ Baking powder, 1 tsp □ Black beans, 400g can □ Cannellini beans, 400g can □ Cherry tomatoes, 2 × 400g cans □ Chia seeds, 1½ tbs □ Chickpeas, 400g can □ Chipotle sauce (optional) □ Cocoa powder, 1 tbs □ Cooked baby beetroot, 450g can □ Corn tortilla, 8 (21g each) □ Dark chocolate (70% cocoa), 20g □ Dijon mustard, 1 tsp □ Edgell Snack Time Chick Peas with Zesty Vinaigrette, 70g can □ Extra virgin olive oil, 100ml…

Vietnamese beef lettuce cups see page 103 The Lunar New Year celebrates the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Share your favourite traditional dishes with loved ones to bring in a year of good fortune! 2023 LUNAR NEW YEAR Celebrations start on 22 January, the new moon of the lunar calendar, and end on 5 February with the Lantern Festival and the first full moon. It’s the Year of the Rabbit. People born this year will be witty and quick-minded. green bean salad see page 104 chicken meatball curry noodles see page 104 cook snap win! Enter Cook Snap Win to go in the running to win $20,000 worth of prizes, including one of two foodie adventures to Osaka in Japan! Visit cooksnapwin.com.au for details. pumpkin & chickpea yellow curry…

test kitchen Test kitchen approved vanilla bean ice-cream makes 1.25L | prep 10 mins (+16 hours freezing, 35 mins cooLing & 2 hours chilling) | cooking 25 mins 375ml (1½ cups) milk 375ml (1½ cups) thickened cream 1 vanilla bean, split 6 egg yolks 140g (⅔ cup) caster sugar 1 Place removable bowl from an ice-cream maker in the freezer overnight (if necessary). 2 Place milk and cream in a saucepan. Add vanilla Seeds and bean. Bring to the boilthen remove from heat. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove the vanilla bean. 3 Use a balloon whisk to beat egg yolks and sugar in a bowl untilthick and pale, and a ribbon trail forms when whisk is lifted. (This traps air in the mixture, giving the ice-cream…

for more info Yates Climbing Beans seeds are available at selected retail outlets and the Yates Shop: yates.com.au/product Got a gardening question? Head to yates.com.au For more help on growing vegies, join the Yates Garden Community at yates.com.au/garden-community EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR TASTE: The first 100 readers to join will receive a free packet of seeds. Use promo code: TASTE2023. T&Cs apply, see yates.com.au Green beans, also known as French, snap or string beans (stringless varieties are available), are delicious in curries and stir-fries or simply sautéed or steamed to create a quick and tasty side dish. Beans are also a great source of minerals, vitamins and fibre. They’re an easy and productive vegie to grow at home, and climbing beans grown up a trellis don’t need much room. Just follow…

Get set for a hangover-free 2023! Whether you’re embarking on a health kick, heading into ‘Febfast’ or simply prefer a no-booze drop, these delicious non-alcoholic options will make sticking to your New Year’s resolution a breeze. Summertime sipping has never been more refreshing or relaxing… LOW CAL StrangeLove Yuzu from Japan, $14 (4 x 300ml) Tart and sweet, this low-cal soda has the perfectly balanced citrusy kick that is sure to quench your summer thirst. Monceau Fuji Apple Pét Nat Kombucha, $6 This drop is a great alternative to a sparkling wine or cider. Using quality Aussie-grown fruit and organic tea, it is special kind of kombucha. KOM & GET IT FINE WINE NON 1 Salted Raspberry and Chamomile, $29.95 Created by a former Noma chef, this chic sip is…