FUELLED WITH FLAVOUR
Chelsea Winter has returned with nourishing recipes so delicious, you'll be making them on repeat. Here are some simple, wholesome dishes to make everyday cooking a joy, from her latest cookbook, Nourish.
BROCCOLINI WITH WHIPPED FETA
Seriously impressive - yet very simple to prepare - you can serve this fabulously festive side dish all year round anytime you feel like escalating your green veges firmly into top gear. The whipped feta is luscious, and if you’re anything like me you won’t be able to stop swooping in with a finger to have a sneaky taste (it gets better with time, much like me). It’s also good as a dip with dukkah and toasted pitas - or with slow-roasted tomatoes. The pomegranate arils are optional here. They pop in the mouth with their fresh little bursts. I’m a sucker for toasted coriander seeds, too.
SERVES 4-6 (as a side) | PREP TIME 30 MINUTES | CHILL TIME 1 HOUR
INGREDIENTS
1⁄3 cup pistachios or macadamias
400–500g broccolini (or
asparagus or green beans)
1⁄3 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
Whipped feta:
200g feta
200g unsweetened thick
Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1⁄4 tsp fine white pepper
Coriander-infused oil:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp coriander seeds
pinch chilli flakes (optional)
METHOD
To make the whipped feta, add all the ingredients to a food processor. Whizz for a minute or two until smooth.
Alternatively, crumble the cheese into a mixing bowl, add the yoghurt and whisk until the cheese is completely broken up and becomes creamy.
Add the remaining ingredients and whisk again. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up a bit, or until needed.
To make the coriander-infused oil, put the oil, coriander and chilli in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat.
Cook for a few minutes until popping and fragrant. Don’t let the seeds burn, or they will turn bitter. Set aside.
Toast the nuts in a small dry pan over a medium-high heat for a few minutes until fragrant and golden, shaking the pan as you go. Cool, then chop roughly.
Just before serving, steam the broccolini until bright green and tender.
Drain well, season with salt and pepper and toss with a little olive oil.
Smear the whipped feta on a serving plate and arrange the broccolini on top.
Scatter with the nuts and pomegranate arils, then drizzle with the coriander oil, getting the seeds on there too.
Crack a little pepper on top.
CREAMY FRENCH- STYLE CHICKEN
Remember the Lightning Chicken from Scrumptious? It was a smash hit, but I’ve taken it up another notch here. This elevated version skips the wine in favour of rich herbs and savoury stock, adding depth of flavour, while a generous burst of lemon zest and juice brings a delightful zing you never knew you needed. Don’t worry: the cream still takes centre stage, ensuring the dish remains as comforting and indulgent as you remember. It’s amazingly simple to prepare and cook, and just offers a refined twist on a beloved classic. I mean, we can always do better, right? I get older and my recipes get better ... and this one is a doozy. Use the smaller or larger amount of chicken depending on how many people you’re feeding.
SERVES 4-6
PREP TIME 15 MINUTES
COOKING TIME 30 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS
500g–1kg free-range chicken
thighs, boneless and skinless
3 tbsp butter, refined (flavourless)
coconut oil or avocado oil
1 cup chicken stock
25g butter or 2–3 tbsp extra virgin
olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
300ml cream
1 tbsp lemon zest
12 sage leaves
1–2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (and
the soft stalk part), chopped
To serve:
rice, mashed potato or pasta salad or seasonal vegetables.
METHOD
If you can, bring the chicken out of the fridge 30–60 minutes before cooking, so it loses its chill.
Lay the chicken on a board or plate and pat dry all over with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat a large pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the first measure of butter/oil, swish around to coat the pan, then add the chicken (you may need to do this in batches so you don’t crowd the pan). Leave to sizzle until golden brown on one side. Turn over to brown the other side, and repeat with any remaining chicken. Set aside in a bowl.
Turn the heat down to low. Carefully add 1⁄4 cup of the stock to the pan and let it bubble to deglaze all the cooked- on goodness from the chicken. Pour this over the chicken in the bowl.
Return the pan to a low heat without rinsing it, add the second measure of butter/oil and garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant and translucent but not browned. Add the remaining stock,then turn the heat up to medium.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with any juices.
Simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by half (5–10 minutes), then add the lemon juice.
Add the cream, lemon zest, sage and thyme to the pan and continue to simmer until the sauce is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it gets too thick, you can add a little more stockto thin it down.
Taste the sauce, then season with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve the chicken with rice or mashor pasta, with your choice of salad or seasonal veges on the side.
SAVOURY MUFFINS
These are so filled with goodness, it’s nearly a meal in a muffin. I’m very picky when it comes to savoury muffins; they’re not something I’ll generally order when out and about because I like them (need them) to be a certain way. Lightish, not stodgy or crumbly. Moist (obviously I had to use that word somewhere in this book!) but not soggy. And with the right balance of flavours. These ones are loaded with veges and fresh herbs, and the dollop of tomato relish on top is a final little savoury taste explosion that makes them look a million bucks, too.
SERVES 6 Texas-sized or 12 regular muffins
PREP TIME 20 MINUTES
COOK TIME 30 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS
Muffins:
1 packed cup grated zucchini
2 cups white spelt flour
1⁄3 cup hemp seeds
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
(or 1 clove garlic, crushed)
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
11⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp fine black pepper
3⁄4 cup unsweetened milk of your choice
2 free-range eggs
1⁄2 cup melted butter (or 1⁄3 cup extra
virgin olive oil)
3 tbsp tomato relish, pesto, or zucchini
pickle, plus extra
for topping
1 tbsp lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
1 packed cup grated carrot (or orange
kūmara)
1 cup rocket or kale, finely chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese or
crumbled feta, plus extra for topping
1⁄4 cup fresh chives, coriander or parsley,
finely chopped
Topping:
extra relish/pesto/pickle
1⁄2 onion, finely sliced, tossed in a little
olive oil
3 tbsp pumpkin/sunflower seeds,
coriander seeds or hemp seeds
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190°C regular bake and line a 6- or 12-hole muffin tray with cases (or grease with coconut oil/butter and dust lightly with flour).
Add the zucchini to a small bowl with a large pinch of salt, toss to combine and leave for 5 minutes. Before using, squeeze all the excess liquid out of the zucchini.
Measure the flour, hemp seeds, baking powder, paprika, onion and garlic powders, baking soda, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, melted butter/oil, relish and lemon juice.
Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and stir to combine evenly.
Add the squeezed zucchini, carrot, kale/rocket, cheese and herbs. Gently fold until it comes together into an evenly combined batter. The mixture will seem very firm, especially if you’ve used oil. Almost like a dough. Don’t worry, this is normal.
Using a 1⁄3 or 1⁄2 cup measure (or scooping/rolling slightly with your hands), fill the muffin holes with the mixture.
Dollop each one with a generous amount of relish, arrange some of the sliced onion over the top and scatter with extra cheese. Sprinkle with your choice of seeds, then finish with a little salt and pepper.
Bake for 35 minutes for regular muffins, or 40 minutes for Texas- sized muffins.
Cool in the muffin tray until you can handle them, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days.
Best reheated the next day and served with a little butter.
PROTEIN BOOST BROWNIE
This secretly-good-for-you brownie is decadent, fudgy and jam-packed with tonnes of vital nutrients, including protein. You’ll have no idea that its secret ingredient is in fact orange kūmara (or sweet potato). But it is this totally underrated vegetable combined with the other delicious ingredients that make this brownie quite literally out of this world in so many ways. Taste, texture and nutrition; it’s a winner. And best of all, you can quite happily eat a few pieces without ruining your whole afternoon. This one’s a real crowd- pleaser and can be served warm, or kept in the fridge and used in lunchboxes, for parties or as a healthy nutrient-dense snack.
MAKES 16–20 pieces
PREP TIME 20 MINUTES
COOKING TIME 40-45 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS
80g dates, finely chopped
450g orange kūmara/sweet potato
4 tbsp ground flaxseed
6 tbsp cold water
1⁄3 cup ground almond meal
3⁄4 cup cacao powder
11⁄4 cups coconut sugar
1⁄4 cup hemp seeds
1⁄2 cup almond butter
1⁄4 cup ghee or melted extra virgin
coconut oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp protein powder (optional)
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
3⁄4 tsp salt
To serve:
vanilla ice cream or coconut
yoghurt (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C regular bake and line a 21 x 21cm square or a 27.5 x 17.5cm rectangular tin with baking paper.
Soak your dates in just-boiled water for 10 minutes.
Peel the kūmara and chop into 2cm (3/4 in) cubes, place in a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer, add 2 cups of water to a saucepan and add the sweet potato, cover and simmer on a high heat for 12 minutes.
While the kūmara is cooking, combine the ground flaxseed and water together in a small bowl, stir and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken. This is called a flax egg.
Thoroughly drain the dates, and add them along with the remaining ingredients, including the flax egg, to a food processor or high-speed blender.
Once the kūmara is soft, remove from the steamer or drain well if using the simmer method. Add to the food processor, and blend on high until a silky smooth batter forms. Scrape down the sides a few times in between blitzing.
Using a spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared tin and flatten until smooth. Bake for 40–45 minutes. The brownie should be firm on top but soft and fudgy in the middle. Once removed from the oven it will sink a little, and this is okay!
Allow the brownie to cool for 30 minutes before slicing if serving warm. I prefer to refrigerate it for 3-4 hours before slicing.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Serve with a scoop of your favourite vanilla ice cream or a dollop of yoghurt,
or enjoy as is!