Posted by kathryn in Spring

We’re into August, the weather is definitely a bit warmer and days are noticeably longer – spring (and therefore summer) are on their way! Spring is one of those times everyone re-focuses on their health, getting rid of winter colds and trying to lose those few kilos put on over winter. So why not start now? It’s lighter in the evenings so what about picking up that exercise regime? When you get home from work, pop out for a 20 …

Read more 03 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Eggs, Legumes, Recipes, Soups, Autumn, Spring and Summer

One thing I love about blogs is the way they connect people. Different countries and cultures share interests and experiences via blogs. For example in the food blogging community there are a whole series of events, where participants cook and photograph food, all based around a theme. One of these food blogging events is called the Spice is Right and it’s hosted by Barbara at Tigers&Strawberries. The latest theme ingredient is chillies and this is my entry. Chillies are …

Read more 16 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Legumes, Recipes, Dinners and Spring

They say pride comes before a fall. Having confidently talked about how good legumes are for you and how easy they are to cook – I now have to blog about what to do when you’re distracted while cooking chickpeas and end up boiling them into a mush. Whups. I was at home yesterday and foolishly thought I’d multi-task by cooking a batch of chickpeas while working. However the distractions of work, phone calls and emails, meant I forgot …

Read more 03 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Spring

Having blogged about ways to get more fruit in your diet , one thing I left out is the importance of buying what’s in season. It means you’ll be getting the greatest value for money and will be eating fruit at its peak – when it’s tasting the best. This is not the most exciting time of year for fruit – most of the winter crops are coming to an end, while the summer fruits are not quite ready (and …

Read more 25 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Recipes, Grains, Dinners, Spring and Dairy

I love cooking. Spending some time concentrated on beautiful ingredients and making a meal that both tastes good and is also healthy, is how I unwind. However, like most people, during the week I don’t want to faff around too much. If I can make something in 30 minutes and more importantly make minimal mess, then I’m happy. The ultimate mid-week meal for me, is one that contains all my food groups, including plenty of veg and most importantly, can …

Read more 26 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fruit and Spring

Frosts have destroyed much of Goulburn Valley’s pear and stone fruit harvest. Reports do vary, but at least half the region’s 300,000 tonnes of fruit has been wiped out. All of the apricots are gone, the pear crop is severly affected, while many smaller growers have also lost peaches, plums and nectarines. So far the damage is estimated to be at least $70 million, although the Victorian government has decided against declaring it a natural disaster area. The Goulburn Valley …

Read more 27 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Eggs, Recipes, Dinners and Spring

I’m gradually making my way through the glut of eggs, by adding them to salads, making lablabi , having them for breakfast and so on. My latest Lettuce Deliver box contained the first asparagus of the season, which is always an exciting addition – tangible evidence that summer is on its way. To celebrate, I put together this little concoction, which really lets the asparagus shine. The bunch of asparagus was quite small, so I bulked it up with …

Read more 28 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Recipes, Grains, Dinners and Spring

As I’ve said before I love a one-pot meal. To be able to make a healthy, quick meal and only dirty one saucepan, is a good thing. Which makes risotto a good option – everything goes in together, to make a beautiful rich and creamy textured meal. However, for me, most risotto recipes just don’t include enough vegies. One way round this is to serve it with a salad, but sometimes I just want one bowl of steaming risotto goodness. …

Read more 29 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fruit and Spring

Reports today on the ABC confirm that about 50% of Goulburn Valley’s fruit crops were destroyed in frosts on Sunday night, primarily apricots and pears. Cherries and stone fruit in the Warby Ranges have also been affected, Steve Bracks, the Victorian Premier announced there will be $4.9 million for frost and drought affected farmers. And of course, it’s not just the farmers themselves affected, all the other workers and businesses that rely on the fruit harvest, have also been hit. …

Read more 29 September, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fruit and Spring

While stonefruit may be a problem this year, it seems the Northern Territory (NT) is heading for a bumper mango crop. Estimates are they will send 2.5 million trays to market. Given that melons and mangoes will be in peak season at the same time, according to the ABC, there may be a shortage of the refrigerated trucks used to transport the mangoes down to Sydney (oh yes and other places too). In fact, growers may be forced to send …

Read more 04 October, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Eggs, Recipes, Dinners, Spring and Summer

Fritters are a great way to make vegetables a bit different. If you struggle to get your daily vegetable quota, or find it impossible to get your kids to eat vegies, then fritters are a good option. They don’t really look or taste like vegetables and don’t have an obvious vegetable texture. They can be “sold” to kids as burgers, something all kids recognise (certainly in Australia). Fritters are also quick and easy to cook – grate some vegetables; …

Read more 13 October, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Fruit and Spring

One of the many fine things about summer in Australia is the fabulous fruit – mangoes, nectarines, peaches, cherries, melons, lychees are all grown in this country and quality is fabulous. However, it seems this summer is going to be a mixed season. While the mango harvest in the Northern Territory is going to be huge, there will be a shorter supply of other stonefruit.  A few weeks ago frosts in the Goulburn Valley destroyed a significant portion of their …

Read more 18 October, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Spring

Hmm, already seven days into the month and I’m finally getting to the list of what’s in season at the moment. Sorry folks, better late than never . . . All the “in season” lists I’ve seen so far have listed bananas, but price-wise they’re still rivalling gold bullion, so I’m not including them. Surely they have to come down in price some time soon? h3. Fruit: * Apples (Lady Williams) * Apricots are coming into season, although they’re still …

Read more 07 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Salads, Spring and Vegan

I had a wonderful dinner last night. It was just me at home, so I wanted something quick, easy and tasty. Plus I had some tofu, bok choy and asparagus in the fridge and wanted to use them up. I’ve been playing around with Google Coop over the last few days – setting up some specialised search engines for finding healthy recipes and good health information. Rather than googling the whole world, you can select a group of sites …

Read more 10 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Ethics & Sustainablity and Spring

Over the weekend it was announced that 93.6% of NSW has been declared a drought zone. This means that only 2.7% of the state is considered unaffected. The area has increased from last month, when 89.3% of the state was drought affected and is higher than Queensland, where 61% is considered to be in drought. This has further increased the likelihood of food price increases, including meat, vegetables, bread and milk. The ABC reported: bq. The Queensland Farming Federation’s John …

Read more 13 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Legumes, Recipes, Dinners, Salads, Spring and Dairy

This was my dinner on Tuesday night. Richard was out and I wasn’t in a big cooking mood, but I still wanted something tasty, healthy and home-made. This salad fitted the bill. The original recipe prescribed tinned lentils, but I already had some dried to use up. Rather than fuss around cooking them on the stovetop, I thought I’d try cooking them in my rice cooker. I used one part lentils to three parts water, added a pinch of …

Read more 08 February, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Spring

Fresh broad beans or fava beans are one of the few vegetables that stick strictly to their season. You can’t buy them in winter and by summer they’ve usually faded away. No lengthy, drawn out availability, instead broad beans are strictly a product of spring. They’re in season here in Australia at the moment and your local fruit and veg shop should have them, still in their pods. But you’d better be quick: by the mid to end of November, …

Read more 21 October, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Spring and An Honest Kitchen

Last week I had the pleasure of actually spending time with Lucy. While we work together closely on An Honest Kitchen, I could count on one hand the number of times we’ve actually seen each other face-to-face. An evening and a morning spent together, catching up and talking about food, gave us the time and space to talk about An Honest Kitchen. h3. What’s happened to Spring? Those of you in Australia will have noticed we are in the latter …

Read more 11 November, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Autumn and Spring

• Pomegranate honey: I love this idea via Katrina of Kale for Sale for honey with pomegranates. I’m storing this recipe away for Autumn when Australian pomegranates come into season * Don’t detox: I’ve never believed in detoxing and I heartily agree with this short piece from The Guardian – the doubtful dividends of detox diets. * Re-evaluating your 2009 health resolutions: A bit self-referential this one, as I’m pointing you to a piece I wrote for my clinic website …

Read more 13 November, 2009