Photography by Elisa Watson, styling by Kate Bradley (Kenko Kitchen) for Nourish Magazine July/August 2014.

This hot pot is an absolute winner for winter weather, it's warming and it's got the perfect amount of spice. The first time I made this soup I couldn't believe how delicious it was. It has such a great balance of flavours and is packed with plant based proteins and super foods. Serve this up to your family on it's own, or accompany it with rice for a great vegan meal.

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Serves: 4-5

Ingredients
1 brown onion
1 tbsp rice bran oil
100g shiitake mushrooms
100g enoki mushrooms
5 spring onions
3 cups vegetable or faux chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp tamari
1 tsp kelp flakes
2 tbsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp coconut sugar
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 cups spinach
300g silken or firm tofu (organic!)

Method
Begin by dicing the brown onion. Place  the diced onion into a saucepan along with the rice bran oil and let gently cook over a medium heat. Once onion becomes translucent, add in the sliced mushrooms and let cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Slice the spring onions and add in 3 (leaving the extra chopped spring onions for garnishing). Add in the vegetable stock and let simmer.

In a small bowl, mix in the tamari, kelp flakes, chilli, coconut sugar, garlic and sesame oil. Add into the saucepan (If using firm tofu, cube and add into the saucepan at this stage) and continue to let cook for 10-15 minutes or until liquid is reducing and becoming thicker.

Right before serving, add in the spinach to quickly wilt in the stew (if using silken tofu, cube and add into the saucepan with the spinach).

If using silken tofu, be careful not to stir the hot pot/stew once the tofu is added or else it will split.

Serve in a bowl with brown rice, noodles or on it’s own.

Garnish with the extra spring onions and enjoy.

Photography by Elisa Watson, styling by Kate Bradley (Kenko Kitchen) for Nourish Magazine July/August 2014.

Greetings from Turkey everyone! I am currently in Cappadocia about to head south and am having the time of my life. I cannot wait to share photos and the food with you as long as the beauty of this country! Expect a lot to come, but for now you can follow me on Instagram to see my movements! 

This is week I have got for you a continuation of my Korean feature and I hope you enjoy!! These are such a delicious little treat and are a great unexpected use of sweet potato!

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 Serves 6-8

Ingredients
For the donuts
400g sweet potato
1 3/4 cups glutinous brown rice flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup hot milk*

+ rice bran oil for frying

For rolling in
1/2 cup white coconut sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Method
Begin by steaming the sweet potatoes whole. Scrape the flesh from the skin and place into a bowl with the brown rice flour, spelt flour, coconut sugar, salt and baking powder. Discard the skins. Add in the milk a little at a time until a nice dough has formed. *Note you may not need all the milk depending on your dough.

Heat some rice bran or vegetable oil in a saucepan. We want the oil to be extremely hot. To test a piece carefully drop in a small amount of dough into the oil. If it bubbles straight away, the oil is hot enough, if not, leave to heat up for longer.

Roll the dough into small balls and carefully drop in a few at a time into the oil.

Cook the doughnuts until very golden on each side. Be careful not to remove to early or they will still be dough like inside. The longer you leave them in, the more “donut” like they will be. Normally around 3-5 minutes. Flipping them over halfway in between.

Once donuts have been removed roll them in a bowl with the coconut sugar and cinnamon and serve.

Photography by Elisa Watson, styling by Kate Bradley (Kenko Kitchen) for Nourish Magazine July/August 2014.

Every 2 months I am going to feature another country and cuisine and post a recipe each week from that particular country/cuisine. First up is Korea! This is my more modern take on Korean food by taking on the Mexican fusion. These tacos are an absolute dream. 

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Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

For the pulled jackfruit “pork”
1 can jackfruit in brine (drained)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup tamari
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 cloves garlic
1” knob ginger (grated)
1 tbsp minced chilli
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp kelp flakes
1 tbsp siracha

For the slaw
1 small cucumber
1/2 lime (juiced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 red onion (sliced thin)
2 tbsp fresh coriander
1 tsp mirin

+ optional kewpie mayo or vegan mayonnaise

To serve
8-10 small corn tortillas

Method
To start of the jackfruit we want to add all the ingredients into a small saucepan. Let sit over a very low heat for 2-3 hours. By this stage the jackfruit should have soaked up all the flavours and be easy to “pull” or shred with a fork. Set this aside.

To make the slaw simply cut the cucumber into half moons, squeeze on the lime juice and mix in with the minced garlic, sliced red onion, coriander and mirin.

To serve simply place some of the pulled jackfruit and slaw on each tortilla and enjoy!

Photography by Elisa Watson, styling by Kate Bradley for Nourish Magazine July/August 2014.

From now on, every 2 months I will be featuring another country/cuisine on Kenkō and sharing my favourite recipes with the signature healthy twist! My first feature will be Korean food. This delicious cuisine is packed with goodness and is so simple to recreate at home. I really do adore this cuisine and I hope you enjoy this first Korean feature instalment, the Hotteok! 

The Hotteok is a pancake, and I love pancakes (I truly do), however these are not your regular stack of pancakes. Hotteok is a Korean Pancake which has the syrup on the inside, so you can just grab one and eat it straight away. They are really delicious when eaten warm and are the perfect shake up to the weekend breakfast!

*These could easily be made gluten free by substituting the bakers/spelt flour with a gluten free baking flour. 

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Serves 4

Ingredients

For the pancakes
1 cup warm water
8g yeast sachet
1 tbsp rice bran oil
2 tbsp white coconut sugar
1/4 tsp pink himalayan salt
2 cups good quality bakers flour or white spelt flour (I use spelt flour)*

For the filling
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp crushed toasted almonds

1 tbsp rice bran oil for frying

Method
In a bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, oil, coconut sugar and salt. Let sit for 5 minutes before adding in the flour. Combine all ingredients until a dough is formed. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Remove dough from the bowl, and gently knead on a lightly dusted surface.

Break dough into balls 8-10 smooth balls and then gently flatten each ball.

In a small box, combine the coconut sugar, cinnamon and crushed toasted almonds.

Grabbing one dough ball at a time, gently flatten in your palm, add one teaspoon of the coconut/cinnamon mixture and fold the dough ball in toward the centre to cover the filling. Once sealed, repeat with remaining dough balls.

Flatten out dough balls again into pancake shapes and cook in a non stick fry pan with the rice bran oil. Cook each side for 30 seconds to one minute or until nice and golden on each side.

Serve immediately.

Photography by Elisa Watson, Styling by Kate Bradley for Nourish Magazine May/June 2014.

I don't think this recipe needs much of an introduction. I first created this recipe for myself as I found rolling sushi to be tedious and messy when I didn't have a lot of time. Creating an open bowl instead of sushi rolls meant I could save time and avoid getting frustrated at my misshapen sushi. This recipe like most found on Kenkō, is quick to prepare, extremely easy and very nourishing. Try and make sure you use a biodynamic or organic tofu and edamame where possible to avoid harmful GMOs sneaking into your body and to make the meal even more nutritious. This bowl is super delicious and is perfect for lunch or just as a dinner for one.

This is another recipe from my May/June 2014 spread in Nourish Magazine. Available at Coles, Woolworths and news agencies across Australia!

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Make/Serves: 1

Ingredients
1/3 cup brown sushi rice
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp tamari
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1/3 cup edamame
3 kale leaves (shredded)
1 carrot (julienned)
4-5 shiitake mushrooms (cut in quarters)
1 tbsp rice bran oil
100g marinated japanese tofu
1 tbsp shredded nori
1/2 avocado

Method
Start by bringing the water to the boil in a small saucepan. Add in your brown sushi rice and let cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Once cooked, strain any excess liquid, mix in 1 tsp of the tamari, 1/2 tsp of the miso paste and the sesame seeds. Mix together and set aside.

Gently steam the edamame for 5 minutes and add in the kale leaves in the last minute. Place the edamame, carrots and kale in different areas of the bowl neatly.

In a small fry pan, cook the shiitake mushrooms in the remaining tamari, rice bran oil and 1/2 tsp miso paste. Once cooked, place in another segment of the bowl.

In the same fry pan throw in the diced tofu and let warm up. Once warmed through, place in another corner of the bowl.

Next just add in the rice to the remaining space in the bowl and top with the nori.

Serve with half an avocado and some extra tamari if desired.

Photography by Elisa Watson, Styling by Kate Bradley for Nourish Magazine May/June 2014.

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a delicious baked potato straight out of the oven. Even better for me, is a baked SWEET potato. Add in some delicious Mexican spiced tofu and black beans and you have got a ripper of a meal! This dish is perfect for after a workout with stacks of protein and healthy carbs. It's simple to make and if you have extra left over - just pop them in a container and your meal prep for the next day is done! Serve with a salad or on it's own, you won't be disappointed!

This is another recipe from my 'Good Food for Busy People' spread in the May/June 2014 issue of Nourish Magazine. Available from Coles, Woolworths and news agencies across Australia.

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Serves 4

Ingredients
4 small sweet potatoes
1/2 red onion
1 chipotle chilli
1 red chilli
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup chopped tin tomatoes
1/2 cup cooked black beans
175g firm organic tofu
1 cob organic corn

To serve
handful coriander
4 tbsp natural yoghurt

Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, season with a pinch of pink lake sea salt and Individually wrap each potato in foil. Place the sweet potatoes in the preheated oven for around 20 minutes until soft to touch.

Whilst the potatoes are in the oven, place the red onion, chillis, garlic, tomato paste, spices and tin tomatoes into a processor. Blitz until smooth.

In a small saucepan, place the black beans and corn (removed from cob). Crumble in the tofu and add in the salsa made in the processor. Let simmer over a low heat for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and cut each potato open. Gently squeeze open the jackets and place some tofu/black bean filling in each potato.  If taking for lunch place into a container and enjoy later! 

Serve with coriander and yoghurt.

Photography by Elisa Watson, Styling by Kate Bradley for Nourish Magazine May/June 2014.

I think it's easy to see that I love soba. They are such a simple (and delicious) noodle which can create a fabulous dish in minutes. This is one of my ultimate favourite lunch time meals. It's super super quick to make and it not only is it delicious it's also got all my favourite elements: leafy greens, good fats, a fermented component and a little bit of protein.

This is a great dish to whip up before work or school when you know you have no time but don't want to have to have to buy some junk on your lunch break. Or when you come home and really don't feel like cooking, it is so quick you will hardly even notice you turned on the stove!

This recipe is part of my "Good Food for Busy People" spread in the May/June 2014 issue of Nourish Magazine. Available for purchase from Coles, Woolworths and news agencies. 

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Serves: 2

Ingredients
150g soba noodles
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tsp tamari
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 large kale leaves
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method
Cook the soba noodles in a pot of boiling water. Once tender drain noodles and run under cold water.

In a bowl mash the avocado and add in the miso paste. Mix together.

Add in the noodles with the tamari and sesame oil and mix until all noodles are coated.

Shred the kale leaves and then steam for 1 minute before adding into noodles. Mix in with the sesame seeds and place in two noodle boxes.

Photography by Elisa Watson, Styling by Kate Bradley for Nourish Magazine May/June 2014.

Melbourne is officially heading into the wintery weather. The mornings are cold, the days are overcast and rainy and the nights are even colder than the mornings. This weather for me means one thing, soup.

I find soups are perfect for winter. They are warming, they are nourishing and pack in a whole heap of vegetables. They are also nice and light for the evenings. Winter is the season that we tend to over indulge and hence a nice nourishing, nutrient packed soup at night will keep us from pigging out on stodgy foods and will instead keep us feeling good! So here is a delicious recipe for a Roasted Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup - always a go to on cold wintery nights.

This is another recipe in my 'Good Food for Busy People' recipe spread for May/June 2014 issue of Nourish Magazine. For the full spread check out Nourish Magazine in Coles, Woolworths and news agencies across Australia!

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Serves 4

Ingredients
1 brown onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 kent pumpkin
1 large sweet potato
3/4L vegetable stock
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

To serve
2 spring onions
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Method
Roughly chop pumpkin and sweet potato to large pieces. Leave the skins on. Roll in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slow cook in oven until flesh soft.

While pumpkin and sweet potato are cooking, slowly cook onion in olive oil until light caramel colour, add garlic and cook 5 mins.

Remove skin from pumpkin and sweet potato. Discard the skins. Place in blender (I use my Vitamix blender as it gets the soup extremely smooth!) with the onion, garlic and veggie stock and blend until smooth.

To serve, sprinkle with chopped spring onions, chilli, pepper to taste and a drizzle of olive oil.

Photography by Elisa Watson and styling by Kate Bradley for Nourish Magazine May/June 2014.

Sausage rolls are part of Australian culture. Whether it's eating one from the school canteen, having an amazing one made by your nan, smashing one at the footy or late at night after you've had too much to drink (normally from 7/11), it's always been there.

However the sausage roll as we know it is not really a nourishing item nor is it a nutritious item, so I knew I had to set this right! This humble sausage roll is gluten free, vegan* and just as delicious as it's original counterpart!

This recipe is part of a quick lunches spread I contributed for the May/June 2014 issue of Nourish Magazine. To check out the full spread and more recipes you can pick up a copy from Coles, Woolworths and news agencies across Australia.

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Serves: 4-5

Ingredients
400g tin lentils
bay leaf
2 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 tbsp rice bran oil
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
marjoram
parsley - 1/2 bunch fresh
1 brown onion (diced)
2 tbsp flax meal
6 tbsp water
1/2 c gluten free oats or flaked quinoa
1 faux beef stock cube
1 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 sheets gluten free puff pastry
2 tbsp seeds of choice
1 tbsp plant based milk *optional

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Place lentils, mushroom and bay leaf into food processor and pulse until mushrooms are chopped but not mushed. In a medium fry pan heat the 1 tbsp of rice bran oil and add in the onion. Once onions are translucent add in the the lentils and mushroom mix. Cook ingredients for a couple of minutes.

Add in the crushed garlic, herbs, flax meal, water, oats/quinoa flakes, faux beef stock cube and tomato paste. Stir ingredients in fry pan and let cook for 5 minutes then remove from heat.

Defrost the gluten free pastry sheets. Cut sheets into halves. In the middle of each pastry half, place in the mushroom/lentil mixture. Roll pastry on each side and place the fold at the bottom. Cut the sausage rolls into size of choice, brush with milk and sprinkle with seeds.

Place in oven for 20-30 minutes until pastry is golden and crunchy.

*Check packaging of gluten free pastry to make sure you get a vegan option.

Is it just me or is time flying by super quickly at the moment? Tuesday is here again, and another Tasty Tuesday post is up on The Design Files. This week it's my take on Shakshuka - Easy Baked Eggs. I hope you guys enjoy this brunch favourite as much as me, and decide to give it a go! 

 
I have grown up in a house where it’s basically impossible to not have a huge love of food. My mother’s side is Croatian, and nobody loves and appreciates food the way mediterraneans do. My father’s side were farmers, and my Nanna is an (unofficial) C.W.A. genius who could beat anyone in a cook off.

In particular, my Mum has big a been part of my obsession for great food.  Mum has supported every cooking movement I have made – cleaned kitchens up after me, bought me expensive produce I can’t afford myself (!!), chopped things for me, and even transformed our family backyard into an edible garden, growing everything from orchard fruit to peanuts to a mini corn plantation!  With a Mum like this, there is really is no excuse for me not to cook healthy food, and ensure my family are well fed at home – especially with so much home grown food ready for all my cooking adventures.

Today’s dish is inspired by my Mum and all her beautiful Croatian tomato based dishes I have grown up loving. This meal is ‘clean’. There is nothing processed or nothing to be scared of in here. It’s just super flavoursome.

Shakshuka is perfect for breakfast/lunch/brunch. This recipe serves two people comfortably, but if you’re really hungry just slip in an extra egg each. There is something so warming and satisfying about baked eggs. It’s best eaten piping hot, with the egg yolks running into the rich tomato goodness.  So easy to share and enjoy.
 

For the full post and recipe check The Design Files post here!

Recipe/Food Prep: Kate Bradley/Kenkō Kitchen
Styling: Lucy Feagins/The Design Files
Photography: Eve Wilson

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When winter hits there is something very, very comforting about stewed fruits and warm desserts. Apple crumble with custard is one of the desserts that ticks all the winter comfort food boxes. However the butter, calorie content and high refined sugar found in the standard version of this dessert will often lead to the winter kgs being stacked on. I decided to create my own vegan, refined sugar and butter free version to avoid this from happening - to fill my own winter comfort food cravings, and to also cater for my families love of puddings.
 
If I said that this crumble and custard wasn't very good I would be flat out lying. Just try it for yourself and see what you think. I can almost guarantee you won't go back to the original after this. 

Some of the crumble topping ingredients: puffed quinoa, rapadura sugar, flaked almonds, pepitas and buckwheat. 

Ingredients
 
For the filling
2kgs organic apples (preferably green and peeled, but you can leave the skin on)*
10 medjool dates
1 tsp stevia
juice 1 orange
1 tbsp coconut oil
 
For the topping
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tbsp coconut flour
handful rolled oats/rolled spelt
1/4 cup flaked almonds
1/3 cup puffed quinoa
1/3 cup pepitas (preferably activated)
1/4 cup caramelised buckinis (or plain activated buckwheat)
2 tbsp rapadura or coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil

For the custard
  1 400ml tin coconut cream
1 tbsp stevia
1/4 cup water
3 egg yolks (or 3 tsp corn flour or egg replacer for vegans)
2 tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
optional - 1 tbsp mesquite or lucuma powder for an extra bit of flavour
 

First thing we want to do is make the stewed apples for the crumble. Chop apples up into thick slices or dice depending on how you normally like it. Take out the pits from your medjool dates and chop them into rough 1/4s. Place your chopped apples into a saucepan along with the orange juice, stevia and dates over a low heat. Let the mixture simmer, very occasionally stirring until apples have softened and absorbed the liquid. Take off the heat and set aside.
 
Next it is time to make your crumble! Add all ingredients bar the coconut oil into a mixing bowl and combine. Place your coconut oil into the mixture and rub in with your hands. Once a crumb like consistency is formed, or all ingredients are coated in the oil you're ready to go.
 
Place your stewed apples into a baking dish (or 4-6 individual ramekins) and top with the crumble mix. Pop in the oven and cook until top is nice and golden - normally around 15 minutes.

Whilst your crumble is in the oven it's on to making the custard. Place stevia (I use Natvia for those interested) and water into a saucepan. Bring the water to the boil and take off the heat once the stevia has dissolved.

Place the remaining ingredients (coconut cream, corn flour, egg yolks and vanilla) into a jug or mixing bowl and whisk until combined and smooth - we don't want any lumps!! Add this mixture into the water mix and turn back onto a low heat. Whisk mixture over the heat until thickened and a custard texture is achieved.
 
You can make the custard before hand, just simply make and place in a jug or bowl and cover and set aside in the fridge. Will last a couple of days - but with the way it tastes, it won't last long at all!
 
Once crumble is ready, take out of the oven, serve, dollop on your custard, eat and enjoy!  
 
 *You can also use half pears and half apples if desired! Pears also add a great taste.

Photography by Elisa Watson.

It is that time of week once again where The Design Files have rolled out another one of my delicious and healthy recipes. This weeks edition is my Mexican Fiesta. Mexican food is one of those cuisines that gets every single tastebud going. I think it’s impossible to feel low when eating this food. When done right, it’s so vibrant, fresh and delicious.

I started off like many others, thinking that the food that comes with a fishbowl margarita and sombrero when it’s your birthday is the truly authentically Mexican cuisine. The same goes with the boxed Mexican taco kit you’ll find in your local supermarket – it looks legit, but is very far from the truth!  The real deal is far fresher, and oh so tasty.

This dish may have a lot of components, but each part is so quick to make.  From start to finish this dish be completed in an hour. The maize flour tortillas are a game changer, I simply can’t make mexican without these now. If I see a family member come home with the supermarket bought, wheat based, preservative-filled tortillas, I feel like I’m going to cry.  OK, that may be a little dramatic, but when you can make something so healthy, so fast that is next level tasty, why wouldn’t you?!  So please, if you’re going to make this dish, try your hardest to make the tortillas from scratch, or otherwise (as a last resort) try and find some good quality spelt flour or corn tortillas!  The dish won’t be the same without.
 
I really hope you guys like my take on this favourite as much as I do!

For the full post and recipe check The Design Files post here!
 

Recipe/Food Prep: Kate Bradley/Kenkō Kitchen
 Styling: Lucy Feagins/The Design Files
 Photography: Eve Wilson

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 Food Styling - Lucy Feagins/The Design Files, Photography - Eve Wilson