Table of contents for January - February 2016 in Taste.com.au

that’s our mantra this month. Just look at the healthiest people you know. Most likely they don’t go ON a diet they HAVE a diet. When they give up something, they’ll often celebrate it, right down to the very last mouthful. And when they dive into an eating plan, it’s because it’s full of things they’ll relish and look forward to. This is exactly how our Nutrition Editor Chrissy Freer thinks, and it’s what she brings to our annual 7-day Health Blitz for Food Lovers (page 107). No wonder it’s one of our most popular features. Frankly, this IS rocket science. Chrissy has ingeniously designed your best week of healthy eating, with every nutrient, food group and serve of veg in perfect measure, all for 1,200 lip-smacking, weight-reducing calories. Speaking…

planning to have a crack at our Pavlova Lamington? Simply make your version, share a picture of your creation and you could win one of five new Breville Cold Fountain Pro juicers, valued at $499.95 each! Cut down on prep and chopping time with the extra-wide feeding tube, and take advantage of Breville’s clever Cold Extraction Technology – it works to minimise nutrient-depleting heat transfer, maximising vitamin and mineral content. It’s perfect for getting 2016 off to a healthy start! Terms and conditions: Entries open 00:01 (AEDT) 28/12/15 and close 23:59 (AEDT) 10/02/16. Open to Australian residents only. Winners determined 14:00 (AEDT) 15/02/16 at NewsLifeMedia Pty Ltd, 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Winners’ names published in taste.com.au magazine April 2016. Total prize pool valued at $2,499.75. Full terms…

char siu bacon caesar salad serves 4 | prep 25 mins | cooking 25 mins 8 thin slices ciabatta bread 1 tbs olive oil or olive oil spray 1 garlic clove, halved 2 tbs char siu sauce 1 tbs light soy sauce 8 rashers middle bacon, trimmed 6 eggs, at room temperature 40g ( ¼ cup) plain flour 50g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs Vegetable oil, to deep-fry 2 baby cos lettuces, trimmed, quartered Shaved parmesan, to serve dressing 125g ( ½ cup) Kewpie Mayonnaise 1½ tbs lemon juice 4 anchovy fillets 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a food processor. Season with pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside. 2 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with foil. Place the…

Katrina Woodman, our Food Editor, creates our monthly ‘Wait, you mean I can eat that?’ feature, spending hours upon hours creating sweet treats and luscious desserts, sourcing the best natural ingredients (all readily available from the supermarket) and alternative unrefined sugars to create easy-to-make recipes that are low-cal, gluten-free, low in sugar and packed with goodness. So, who better than Katrina to create the recipes in our new Skinny Sweets cookbook. Here’s just a taste of some of the lighter and brighter versions of your favourite indulgences and desserts, so delicious you won’t believe they’re better for you! “Pair caramelised pineapple with a hint of ginger in this stunning cake – top with whipped coconut milk for extra indulgence.” Katrina Woodman pineapple & coconut upside-down cake serves 10 | prep…

When we think of pasta, we think of Italy, but Argentina has also developed its own pasta culture that has sprung from the Genovese roots of so many of its earliest settlers. In Buenos Aires they make ‘sorrentina’, which are like ravioli with tomato and stringy mozzarella sauce. They also make their own ‘ñoquis’. This take on gnocchi has become such a cultural icon that the 29th day of each month is designated the ‘Dia de Ñoquis’, when it is traditional to eat cheap, filling ñoqui. In Buenos Aires, they’ll tell you that this tradition arose from the monthly pay packet running thin by the end of the month, to the extent that they even dub bludging public servants who only turn up for their 1st of the month pay…

“Don’t put this tart in the fridge or you’ll lose that glossy finish and silky texture – keep it at room temperature until ready to serve.”Manu Feildel manu’s chocolate & dulce de leche tart serves 12 | prep 30 mins (+ 3 hours chilling, 30 mins resting & 30 mins setting time) | cooking 30 mins 500g (70% cocoa) dark chocolate, finely chopped 300ml pouring cream 200ml milk 3 eggs 380g can Nestlé Top ’n’ Fill Caramel sweet shortcrust pastry 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 egg 90g pure icing sugar 30g almond meal 250g (1 2 /3 cups) plain flour 1 For the pastry, use electric beaters to beat the butter, egg, icing sugar and almond meal in a bowl until smooth and well combined. Add flour, a…

“Make sure you have plenty of the green goddess sauce ready for dunking and dipping!”Michelle Southan you’ll need Just six easy steps for the best-ever fish and chips! let’s go! beer-battered flathead with hand-cut chips serves 4 | prep 20 mins (+ 15 mins cooling time) | cooking 55 mins 1kg Sebago potatoes, peeled Vegetable oil, to deep-fry 225g (1 1 /2 cups) plain flour, plus 40g, extra 1 tsp baking powder 1 /2 tsp salt 375ml btl beer 600g flathead fish fillets, each fillet cut into 3 Sea salt flakes, to serve Lemon wedges, to serve green goddess mayonnaise 1 avocado, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 /3 cup chopped fresh mint 1 /3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley 2 tbs chopped fresh tarragon 1 tbs lemon juice 65g…

wagon wheel brownie squares makes 16 squares | prep 20 mins | cooking 50 mins 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan forced. Grease an 8cm-deep, 19.5cm square cake pan. Line with baking paper, allowing the paper to overhang on 2 sides. Place 12 Wagon Wheels in the base of the pan, trimming to fit. 2 Combine the sugar, 150g of the butter and 120g of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave on High for 1-2 minutes or until melted and smooth. 3 Combine the flours and cocoa in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and chocolate mixture. Whisk until just smooth. Pour the chocolate batter over the prepared base. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes…

This new snack is perfect with avocado, hummus or cheese! Just combine 1 1 /2 cups sunflower-seed kernels, 1 /2 cup linseeds, 1 /2 cup raw buckwheat, 1 /4 cup chia seeds and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Pour in 1 1 /2 cups warm water. Set aside, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until water has absorbed. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Press the mixture firmly in a thin layer over each tray, ensuring there are no gaps. Bake for 1 hour or until golden and crisp. Break into large pieces.…

JUST 1200 calories A DAY There’s no better time than the beginning of a new year to recalibrate and kick off new goals and habits, and if healthy is on your list, here’s the place to start. Whether you’re after weight loss, a boost of energy and vitality, or simply detoxing after Christmas, this 7-day meal plan gets 2016 off on the right foot and sets up great eating habits for the rest of the year. HOW IT WORKS Chrissy’s clever meal plan gives you just what you need. Firstly, it delivers the right number of calories for safe weight loss (1200 per day). Secondly, its balanced nutrition means you meet all your nutrient requirements, helping you to maintain your energy levels throughout the day. Plus, the whole plan is…

One of our favourite haunts for fabulous foodie finds is the Asian supermarket, with amazing discoveries down every aisle. But it’s often difficult to know where to start. We asked our foodies to reveal their must-have products that you can’t find in regular supermarkets – here are their top picks. Hakubaku Organic Cha Soba 200g $2.70 We love these noodles for their beautiful green hue and their delicate flavour. Versatile and easy to prepare, blanch the noodles and refresh in cold water before tossing with vegies and a soy dressing for a tasty salad. Hengshun Chinkiang Vinegar 550ml $3.85 Slightly sharp, yet mellow and sweet, this black vinegar provides that subtle element to transform home-cooked Chinese food to restaurant quality. It’s perfect for drizzling over dumplings and hot and sour…

Tidswell Wild Violet Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $18 We should all be drinking more Aussie savvy b, especially when it tastes this good! Clean, crisp, and deliciously fresh. Briar Ridge Stockhausen Semillon 2015 $28 Make your summer ‘semsational’ with this fresh semillon, packed with lemon and lime. Since the grapes are picked young, it’s naturally lower in alcohol. Lowe Tinja Preservative Free Shiraz (Organic) 2015 $22 This organic shiraz contains no added preservatives. Just pure, fresh and juicy fruit flavours.…

simple process Whip up fresh homemade pesto, pizza dough, soup and more with the Russell Hobbs Performance Food Processor, $279.95. Easy to use, it works precisely and quickly to make food prep easy. It includes a slicing S-blade, dough blade and a grating and shredding disc – they’re all dishwasher-safe and fit neatly into the accessory case. Try the AutoDice attachment for 8 x 8mm cubes and FlexiSlice Adjustable Slicing System for precise cuts. See russellhobbs.com.au for more info. DIY yoghurt Wake up to homemade yoghurt with this incredible EasiYo prize pack, valued at $110.25. Each kit includes an EasiYo 1kg Yoghurt Maker, the new smaller EasiYo Mini Yoghurt Maker (500g), 10 EasiYo 1kg sachets and three EasiYo mini sachet boxes. The yoghurt will set overnight, so you can enjoy…

dotty skillet cookie serves 8 | prep 10 mins (+ 10 mins cooling time) cooking 30 mins 200g butter, chopped 200g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar 1 egg, lightly whisked 2 tsp vanilla essence 225g (1 1 /2 cups) plain flour 30g ( 1 /4 cup) cocoa powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 35g ( 1 /3 cup) desiccated coconut Mixed coated chocolate buttons, to decorate 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Melt the butter and sugar in a 25cm (top measurement) ovenproof enamel or cast iron frying pan over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes or until combined. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. 2 Stir the egg and vanilla into the butter mixture. Sift the flour, cocoa and bicarb…

get ready to celebrate! Chinese New Year kicks off this year on 8 February (2016 is the Year of the Monkey) and it’s a time to gather family and friends, serve up a feast and pave the way for good fortune in the year ahead. Chinese New Year celebrations are always filled with amazing food, bold colours and tradition. It’s one of the most important holidays in the Chinese lunar calendar – celebrations last up to 15 days, starting on the day of the new moon and finishing with the full moon. It’s also a time for reunions, bringing together friends, family and colleagues to eat, drink and just enjoy being in each other’s company. I love the symbolism that flows through these festivities, especially when it comes to the…

Manu Turn up the love this Valentine’s Day with Manu Feildel’s gooey Chocolate & Dulce de Leche Tart, p78. Michelle Learn Michelle Southan’s secret to perfectly crisp Beer-battered Flathead with Hand-cut Chips, plus mayo! p86. Katrina Give new life to lollies! Check out Katrina Woodman’s saucy Redskin Ice-cream Cake on p54. Louise Whip up a batch of Louise Fulton Keats’ Lighter Lamingtons, p49, for a low-cal indulgence this Australia Day. Matt Fill up on Matt Preston’s hearty Prawn & Ricotta Gnocchi with Almond Burnt Butter for an easy dinner, p60. Marion Once you try Marion Grasby’s smoky take on Char Siu Bacon Caesar Salad, you’ll never go back! p34. Chrissy Start 2016 in the best possible way with Chrissy Freer’s yummy 7-day Health Blitz for Food Lovers, p107. Georgia Dinner’s…

mussel, prawn & chorizo paella  serves 4 | prep 5 mins | cooking 35 mins 20 mussels, debearded, cleaned 1 spicy chorizo, coarsely chopped 1 red capsicum, deseeded, quartered 1 brown onion, peeled, quartered 2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 295g (1 1 /3 cups) Arborio rice 2 tsp smoked paprika pinch saffron 125ml (½ cup) white wine 1L (4 cups) chicken stock 2 tsp thyme leaves 20 peeled, deveined prawns, tails intact 110g ( 2 /3 cup) frozen peas 1/3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley, plus extra to serve lemon wedges, to serve 1 Place water up to the steam line of the Cuisine Companion bowl. Place steamer basket on top and add mussels. Launch the Steam Program at 100…

What key facts have we learned about healthy eating in the last year? To shop healthy in 2016, watch what you eat before you shop! the study We all know it’s unwise to shop on an empty stomach, but a research team from Cornell University took this one step further to see if what a person eats before they shop influences what they purchase. They randomly offered 120 shoppers either an apple, a biscuit or nothing at all at the start of their shop. The people given the apple bought 28 per cent more fruits and vegetables compared to those given the biscuit or 25 per cent more than those given nothing at all. takeout This was a small study with impressive results. It is a good example of ‘nudge…

“It hurts to say it, but I’ll have my last bite of gooey, creamy peanut butter chocolate ice-cream.” Marion “Chocolate croissants are my weakness: I love the buttery folds of pastry and choc centre too much!” Manu “My little coffee habit has crept up to three a day – two with double-shots! I’m going to bring it back down to one a day.” Chrissy Share your #lastbitepromise Share a pic with us and you could WIN one of three Breville blenders. See page 20 for details.…

Lamingtons and pavlova are two treats that I remember loving as a kid, and coming up with this mash-up has been heaps of fun! Say hello to the ‘Pavlington’! The best bit with this one is making the little lamington truffles by simply processing bought lamingtons with a little cream – it doesn’t get easier than that! Michelle Southan let’s go! pavlova lamington makes 9 | prep 45 mins (+ chilling, cooling & setting time) | cooking 1 hour 20 mins 4 egg whites 215g (1 cup) caster sugar 2 tsp cornflour 1 tsp white vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp brown sugar 100g dark chocolate melts 250ml (1 cup) thickened cream 1 /4 cup raspberry jam, warmed, sieved lamington truffles 360g pkt jam lamingtons 1 1  /2…

lamb with green pea hummus & white beans serves 4 | prep 5 mins | cooking 10 mins 1 Cook peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute or until tender crisp. Drain. Refresh under cold running water. Juice 1 lemon. Process the peas, lemon juice, garlic and 1 tbs oil in a food processor until smooth. Season. 2 Preheat a barbecue or chargrill over medium-high heat. Season the lamb. Cook, turning, for 3-4 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and set aside to rest. Slice lamb. 3 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the beans. Gently cook for 1-2 minutes. Juice remaining lemon and add to pan. Season. Stir through the chopped mint. 4…

it’s a blitz! If you have leftover roasted vegies, they’re perfect for this! crisper raid • 500g sweet potato, pumpkin or carrot, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces• 150g broccoli or cauliflower, cut into small florets• Baby rocket, spinach or kale leaves, to serve fridge raid • 240g (3 cups) coarsely grated cheddar or mozzarella• 85g ( 1 /3 cup) sour cream, crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt• 1-2 tbs pesto pantry raid • 1 large red onion, cut into wedges• 1 tbs olive oil• 8 flour tortillas what we saved * sweet potato * broccoli * rocket * cheddar * pesto * sour cream * red onion * flour tortillas roast vegie quesadillas serves 4 | prep 15 mins | cooking 50 mins 1 Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Place the sweet potato and onion in a large roasting…

“ Satisfy your sweet cravings with my guilt- free low-cal treats.” “Switch up the traditional lamington with better-for-you stevia and raw cacao.” Hide a dollop of orange cream in my indulgent lamingtons. now, I hope I don’t get in trouble for putting this new spin on an Aussie classic – but I think it’s about time it had a makeover! I’ve made it my own with an indulgent and slightly boozy orange twist, brushing a Cointreau and marmalade mixture over the cake to allow it to soak in. This gives it a zingy and sweet orange flavour. I feel like a lamington isn’t complete without a layer of creamy goodness in the middle, so I’ve made a small pocket between the cake layers for a dollop of orange syrup-swirled double…

Make the most of the long hot summer days and spend less time in the kitchen thanks to the multi-functional Tefal Cuisine Companion. This all-in-one kitchen wonder does the job of up to 10 appliances, creating amazing dishes at the touch of a button. Entertaining will be a breeze with the help of the Tefal Cuisine Companion. Its five attachments make it capable of cutting, preparing and cooking all kinds of dishes – from starters to desserts. And if it’s more of a dinner party that you had in mind, this machine has it covered with a 2.5L capacity catering for up to six people. If you are looking to save time in the kitchen this summer, then the Tefal Cuisine Companion is the perfect answer as it comes with…

1Place 4 nectarines, 1 cup verjuice, 2 /3 cup caster sugar and 6 cardamom pods in a saucepan. Cover with water. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. 2 Cover with a piece of baking paper and a plate to weigh down. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the nectarines are very tender when pierced with a knife. 3 Remove nectarines and set aside. Simmer liquid for 15 minutes or until reduced and deep pink. Peel nectarines. Return to syrup. Serve with cream or ice-cream, if desired.…

Let’s get started! day1 breakfast chia, almond & mango breakfast bowl serves 2 | prep 5 mins (+ overnight chilling time) Combine 25g ( 1 /4 cup) rolled oats and 2 tbs chia seeds in a bowl. Add 250ml (1 cup) almond milk and 1 /2 tsp ground cinnamon. Stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight. Divide oat mixture between 2 bowls. Top with 90g ( 1 /3 cup) natural yoghurt, 1 peeled, sliced mango, and 2 tbs natural sliced almonds. Sprinkle with cinnamon. PER SERVE • 10g protein • 15g fat (2g saturated fat) • 25g carb • 7g dietary fibre • 294 Cals (1230kJ) lunch toasted chilli black bean, spinach & cheese tortilla serves 1 | prep & cooking 10 mins Place 100g…

everyday essential Displaying fresh grassy notes with a hint of green bananas, Cobram Estate Classic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is ideal for sautéing, grilling and roasting, and tastes great in salad dressings. Visit cobramestate.com.au for more information and recipes. REFRESHING CHANGE Made with the natural sweetness of stevia and containing only 10 calories per serve, Ocean Spray Low Sugar drinks are available in three flavours. For details, visit oceanspray.com.au GLAD TO HELP GLAD ClingWrap is a kitchen essential. Use it to prepare and cook food, and preserve food to keep it fresher for longer. For more details, visit glad.com.au the perfect blend Blend with the touch of a button thanks to the KitchenAid Magnetic Drive Blender and kickstart 2016 with fresh juices, smoothies and soups. Visit kitchenaid.com.au for info. EASY…