Plant food fi x

lifeBring more of nature's healthy and delicious bounty into your diet with recipes from a nutrition expert Plant-iful

We all know we should be eating plenty of plant foods, such as fruits, vegies, nuts and seeds. But many of us struggle to do just that.

Gold Coast nutritionist and dietitian Ellie Bullen is intent on making it easier for us with the release of her latest cookbook, Simple (Mostly) Vegan Kitchen. The ingredients are readily available, many recipes take 30 minutes or less, and the meals can be consumed by even the youngest family members.

“Plant-rich diets not only reduce our consumption of saturated fat (the bad fat), they also simultaneously increase our intake of unsaturated fat (the good fat), which is protective for our heart health,” says Ellie, the name behind popular Instagram account Elsa’s Wholesome Life.

TURN TO PAGE 81 FOR THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE

BAO BUNS WITH STICKY EGGPLANT

MAKES 8-10

• 1 × quantity sticky maple and sesame eggplant (see recipe bottom right) • 8-10 fluffy bao buns (see tip below) • 1 head of baby cos lettuce, leaves separated • 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks • 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

TO SERVE • vegan Kewpie mayo • finely sliced spring onion • toasted sesame seeds

First, prepare the sticky maple and sesame eggplant. Then steam the bao buns according to the packet instructions, setting aside until cool enough to handle. Fill each bao with 1-2 small leaves of cos lettuce, 3-4 matchsticks each of cucumber and carrot and 3-4 pieces of sticky eggplant. Transfer the bao buns to a platter or individual plates, then top with a little vegan mayo, spring onion and sesame seeds. Serve while hot.

pLook for fresh bao

buns at your local Asian grocer. You can also buy them frozen, which means you will always have delicious bao on hand!

“Bao have always been one of my favourite things to order when I’m dining out, so I decided it was time to make them in the comfort of my own home.”

STICKY MAPLE AND SESAME EGGPLANT SERVES 4

• ⅓ cup maple syrup • 1 tbsp tamari • 1 tbsp sesame oil • 1 tsp red miso paste • 1 tbsp sesame seeds • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar • 1 large or 2 small eggplants (about 700g), chopped into 5cm pieces STICKY EGGPLANT GLAZE • 3 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tbsp soy sauce TO SERVE • cooked rice or noodles of your choice • sliced spring onion • sesame seeds Preheat your air fryer to 200C on the vegetable setting. Combine the maple syrup, tamari, sesame oil, red miso paste, sesame seeds and apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Place the eggplant in the air fryer and pour the sauce over the top to coat, then cook for 20 minutes. While eggplant is cooking, prepare the sticky glaze by mixing the ingredients in a small bowl. Once the eggplant is cooked, transfer it to a serving bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the top, then top with sliced spring onion and sesame seeds and serve with rice or noodles (or alternatively use in bao buns).

“Smoothies are such a staple in my diet as they are an easy, fast and filling breakfast option.” “This creamy pasta sauce features spinach and peas to get those greens in, while the addition of pan-fried broccoli adds another dimension.”

RASPBERRY RIPE

SERVES 1

• 1 large frozen banana • 1 cup frozen raspberries • 2 tbsp cacao powder • 2 medjool dates, pitted • 3 tbsp desiccated coconut • 1 cup coconut milk • ½ cup crushed ice TOPPINGS (OPTIONAL) • raspberries • vegan chocolate chips • desiccated coconut

Place all the ingredients and 3 tablespoons of water in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass and serve with your choice of toppings.

MATCHA GREEN

SERVES 1

• 1 large frozen banana • ½ zucchini, chopped • 1 cup oat milk • 1-2 medjool dates, pitted • 1 tbsp hemp seeds, plus extra to serve • 2 tsp matcha powder • 1 cup firmly packed baby spinach leaves • ½ cup crushed ice

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass, top with some extra hemp seeds and serve.

MAC & GREENS

SERVES 4

• 250g cauliflower, florets roughly chopped • 1 cup raw cashews • ½ tsp sea salt • 500g pasta elbows • 1 cup frozen peas • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 small head of broccoli, florets roughly chopped • ½ cup soy milk • ½ cup nutritional yeast • 1 vegetable stock cube • 100g baby spinach leaves TO SERVE • micro herbs (optional) • freshly ground black pepper • lemon wedges

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and boil for 15 minutes or until soft and cooked through. Add the cashews about 1 minute before the cauliflower is ready, then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, place a second large saucepan of water over high heat, add the salt and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions. Add the peas about 1 minute before the pasta is ready, then drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan over mediumhigh heat. Add the broccoli and saute for 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a blender, combine the remaining olive oil, the soy milk, nutritional yeast and vegetable stock cube. Add the spinach, drained cauliflower and cashews and blend until smooth and bright green.

Pour the green sauce over the pasta and peas and toss to combine. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with the pan-fried broccoli. Scatter a few micro herbs over the top (if using), sprinkle with a little black pepper and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over

pOmit the chocolate chips to make this baby and toddler- friendly!

Edited recipes from Simple (Mostly) Vegan Kitchen by Ellie Bullen, published by Plum, RRP $39.99. Photography: Ellie Bullen and Rob Palmer.