AUTHORS
STEFANIE VALAKAS Stefanie Valakas is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and nutritionist and an expert in fertility and pregnancy . She is also the founder of
The Dietologist . Follow her on Instagram
@ the _ dietologist .
FOUR BEAN SALSA SALAD
Serves 2
There ’ s no cooking required to create this simple yet scrumptious salsa salad . It ’ s great measuring practice for the kids too !
INGREDIENTS
} 420g tin four bean mix ( drained and rinsed well ) } ½ red onion ( diced ) } 1 Lebanese cucumber ( quartered and sliced ) } 1 tomato ( diced ) } 70g of feta cheese ( crumbled ) } ½ avocado ( diced ) } 1 cup red cabbage ( finely diced )
For the dressing } ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil } 1 tsp apple cider vinegar } 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Optional extras } ¼ cup finely diced parsley } ½ cup tinned corn
METHOD
1 . Prepare all the salad ingredients as per the above instructions – try to chop everything to a similar size as the beans .
2 . Mix well , then prepare your dressing in a small dish by adding the extravirgin olive oil , apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar and whisk to combine well .
3 . Pour the dressing over the salad and toss .
4 . Serve with a piece of crusty sourdough .
CHEESE AND SILVER BEET PIE ( CHEAT ’ S SPANAKOPITA )
Serves 4
This is a cheat ’ s spanakopita because it ’ s made with pre-bought puff pastry – easy , quick and delicious !
INGREDIENTS
} 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil } 1 large red onion ( 1¼ cups , finely diced ) } 3 cloves garlic ( 1½ tbsp , finely chopped ) } 1 bunch silver beet ( 400g , chopped ) } squeeze of lemon juice } 180g feta cheese } ½ cup grated parmesan cheese } ½ cup ricotta cheese } tsp ground nutmeg } 2 eggs (+ 1 beaten egg to brush over pastry ) } plenty of cracked pepper } 2 squares of puff pastry ( thawed ) } Greek yoghurt and lemon to serve
METHOD
1 . Preheat the oven to 200 ° C . Look for a square dish ( the size of the pastry ) and line it roughly with one sheet of baking paper that comes up the sides .
2 . Wash silver beet thoroughly , then chop into 1-2cm ribbons and set aside .
3 . Heat olive oil in a large fry pan over medium low heat and cook the onion and garlic for five minutes until soft .
4 . Add silver beet and cook until wilted , then squeeze the lemon juice over it .
5 . Drain off any excess liquid , then transfer to a bowl , add the cheeses , egg , pepper and mix thoroughly .
6 . Assemble the pie , placing one pastry sheet in the dish , adding the filling and distributing evenly , then covering with the second sheet of pastry .
7 . Brush the top with a little beaten egg , then bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy .
8 . Remove from the oven and set aside for 5-10 minutes , then lift out onto a board . Slice and serve with lemon and a dollop of Greek yoghurt .
YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE 17