Running on greens

Running and simple, healthy, nutrient dense food are my two passions. Lately the three key things I'm doing with my nutrition are 1. having a meat and nut breakfast 2. limiting carbs to post-workout and 3. limiting my sugar intake (which is mainly fructose). It's evened out my blood sugar and energy levels, and has prevented carb and sugar cravings, which means I can happily eat veggies and protein for most of the day. My diet's not perfect, it's a constant work in progress. These are my recipes - I hope you'll find some you enjoy too. Lauren xx

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After a six month post-pregnancy hiatis, Running on Greens is back and better than ever. More nutrient dense recipes that are easier to search, as well as great food and lifestyle tips. Plus you can now follow the facebook, twitter and instagram feeds. Check it out at www.runningongreens.com

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Sorry I haven't posted any recipes for a while - we're expecting bub number one any day now, so I've been cooking my old faithfuls rather than coming up with new ideas. So in preparation for at least a few weeks of chaos in our household I've cooked up a Beef lasagne and frozen portions. It's the perfect pre-event meal and I'm told will be particularly handy to have when I'm sleep deprived and starving. Just team it up with a salad to make it a well rounded dish.

Ingredients (quantities are for a 33x22cm pyrex dish)

1.5kg organic lean beef mince

3 cans organic diced tomatoes

250g light grated cheese 

1 finely diced brown onion

2 grated carrots

1 packet fresh lasagne sheets

4 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tsp roughly chopped fresh basil

4 tsp dried thyme

4 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp curry powder 

Sea salt and cracked pepper to season

1 tbs olive oil

In a large saucepan or wok sautee the onion in the majority of the oil on a medium-low heat until transparent. Add the garlic and the mince. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until the mince browns. Add the carrots, thyme, cumin, curry powder, salt and pepper and cook for a further few minutes until the carrot softens. Stir through the tomatoes, pull the temperature back to medium, and leave for 15 minutes or so until the liquid from the tomatoes reduces. 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Once reduced turn off the heat and stir through the fresh basil leaves. Cover the bottom of your baking/pyrex dish with the remaining oil and cover the base with a sheet of lasagne. Add a layer of the mince filling. Continue alternating lasagne sheets with mince filling until you have three layers of each. Finish it off with a thin layer of mince and then sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.

Cook for 35 minutes and either enjoy straight away or freeze for up to three months.

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I saw a purple cauliflower and it became an instant impulse buy. I made a Mustard, dill and cauliflower salad with it, which can be served hot or cold, making it a perfect accompaniment for ham. I'm going to keep it up my sleeve for christmas dinner.

Ingredients

Head of cauliflower, cut into florets

3 handfuls baby spinach

1 punnet cherry/grape/baby roma tomatoes, halved

Small handful dill, roughly chopped

For the dressing

1 tbs wholegrain mustard

2 tbs cider vinegar

6 tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbs capers

Sea salt and cracked pepper

Mix the ingredients for the dressing together in a jar.

Throw the cauliflower into a pot of boiling water for 2 1/2 minutes, drain and transfer onto a hot grill or dry hot pan to char the outside of the florets slightly. This grilling should only take a couple of minutes. 

If serving hot toss the remaining ingredients through and mix in the dressing. 

Alternative, if you prefer a cold salad (which will keep for longer) allow the cauliflower to cool for ten minutes prior to tossing the ingredients together and dressing.

I made a massive batch of this, and the second day I had it I tossed in some leftover smoked ham which was beautiful too.

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Chilli pork ragu - no need for pasta and a great quick weeknight dish.

Ingredients

500g lean pork mince

2 400g cans organic diced tomatoes

1 brown onion, finely diced

1 carrot, grated

3 bay leaves

Chilli flakes to your liking - approximately 1 tsp

Sea salt and cracked pepper

1 tbs oil

3 handfuls baby spinach

Finely grated parmesan to serve

Heat a large non-stick pan to medium-low. Add in the oil and sautee the onion. Throw in the pork mince and cook until browned. 

One the meat is cooked add in the carrot, tomatoes, bay leaves, chilli and seasoning. Mix this through and cook for around 10 minutes or until it's reduced to your liking.

Serve on a bed of spinach with the parmesan sprinkled over the top. 

This is also a great one to premake and freeze, plus it's made it on to Ken's new favourites list, so I'm considering it a winner!

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Here's a pear variation on the Caramelised banana recipe - so simple - just substitute the banana for pear. It's the perfect winter desert.

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Super quick, easy and tasty Lemongrass beef.

Ingredients

400g lean beef, cut into thin slices

1 small red capsicum, sliced

2 handfuls of green beans, cut in half

2 tbs lemongrass finely chopped (approximately 1 thick stem)

2 tbs grated ginger

1 long stemmed red chilli, deseeded and chopped

3 spring onion stems, sliced into 3cm segments

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tbs kecap manis, tamari or soy sauce

1 tbs olive oil

Heat up half of the oil in a hot wok. Cook the beef, remove from the wok, and wrap in al-foil. 

Turn the heat on the wok down to medium, add the remaining oil to the wok and sautee the lemongrass, ginger, chilli and spring onion. Once softened add the beans and cook for a minute. 

Add the capsicum, vinegar, kecap manis and beef back into the wok. Cook for a further minute or until the capsicum softens only slightly. 

Serve hot. It doesn't need any grain or noodle to accompany it as the beef will be filling enough.

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Middle eastern baked quinoa chicken

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts, cut in to four pieces each

1 cup quinoa

Juice of 1 orange

6 fresh dates, deseeded and cut in to thirds

Rind of 1 lemon

1/3 cup pine nuts

3 cloves crushed garlic

2 tbs olive oil

Pinch of sea salt and cracked pepper

1 large handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly torn

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.

Place the orange juice in a measuring container. With water fill the container up to the 1 1/2 cup level. 

Pour the liquid, quinoa, dates, lemon, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper in to a baking dish.

Rub the chicken with olive oil and place the chicken in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.

Serve topped with the parsley.

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Baked teriyaki and ginger fish - a quick paleo friendly weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

1 large white fish fillet

200g asian greens (I've used bok choi)

1 long red chilli, deseeded and chopped

1 tbs grated ginger

4 spring onion stems, sliced

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. 

Mix the teriyaki sauce, ginger, chilli, oil and sugar in a shallow dish. Marinate both sides of the fish for approximately 5 minutes. 

Line a baking dish with baking paper. You'll need to pick a dish that you can cover and seal with alfoil. Place the asian greens in the bottom of the tray. Place the fish over the greens, pour over the remaining marinade and top with the spring onions.

Cover and seal well with alfoil. This time I made the mistake of using too large a dish, so the alfoil had a join in the middle, didn't seal, and consequently the greens dried up a bit rather than steaming. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. 

Plate up the fish on the bed of greens.

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Blueberry ripple cake

This is a great little cake for an afternoon tea. I use oatmeal, so it's filling without being too heavy.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups flour (I've used oatmeal)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

3/4 tsp finely ground sea salt

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

5 tbs milk

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 eggs

3 tbs apple puree

1 cup blueberries (frozen is fine)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a cake tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt.

Whisk 3 tbs of milk with the vinegar. 

In a separate bowl mix the maple syrup with with the remaining 2 tbs milk, then whisk in the milk and vinegar mixture. Finally whisk in the eggs.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Very gently fold the blueberries into the cake batter. Be careful not to over mix (which you can see I did a bit) as you want the blue streaks to be evident in contrast to the rest of the batter.

Pour the batter into the lined cake tin and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the cake passes the skewer test.

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I've been meaning to post a paleo-friendly cauliflower recipe for ages now, so here's a Middle eastern lamb and cauliflower.

Ingredients

250g lean lamb backstrap or loin

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground allspice

Sea salt and cracked pepper

3 tbs olive oil, separated

1 head cauliflower florets, chopped into small pieces

Half a handful of flat leaf parsley

Half a handful of mint

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 red onion, cut into wedges

2 small handfuls of vine ripened tomatoes

To serve

Baba ghanoush 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. Place the tomatoes in a roasting tray and cook for 30 minutes.

Mix the cumin, allspice, a pinch of sea salt and cracked pepper in a bowl with the oil. Add in the lamb and coat with the spice mix.

In a food processor chop the cauliflower into small grain size pieces. 

Heat up a wok and a fry pan to medium heat. 

Add the lamb to the frypan and cook until it's medium-well done. 

In the wok add 1 tbs olive oil and cook the red onion until softened. Add the cauliflower and the remaining 1 tbs olive oil, turn up the heat, and continue to toss the mixture in the wok. 

Once the lamb is cooked remove it from the pan and let it rest and bleed for a couple of mintues.

While the lamb is resting turn the heat off the cauliflower and crack in a pinch of pepper an sea salt and the lemon juice.

Plate up a bed of cauliflower, tear up the mint and parsley and sprinkle this on top, and add the roast tomato and baba ghanoush to the plate.

Slice the lamb, lay it on the bed of cauliflower and serve.

This was such a satisfying meal, without it being heavy. And it suits paleo and low-carb diets. Perfect! 

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Chilli, lemon, spinach and ricotta lasagne is a really refreshing change to the old meat lasagne when you want a carb or comfort meal. Please excuse that I unfortunately slopped it on to the plate, so it didn't present as well as usual. 

Ingredients

1 cup wilted spinach (either a 250g box of frozen spinach or from fresh spinach)

400g low fat ricotta (approximately half a wheel)

1/2 cup grated parmesan 

3 fresh lasagne sheets

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup/punnet cherry/grape/baby roma tomatoes

400g can diced organic tomatoes

1 tsp chilli flakes

Handful grated light mozzerella (or cheddar/pizza cheese mix)

1/2 tsp sea salt and cracked pepper

Olive oil spray to grease pan

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.

Mix the cooled wilted spinach together with the ricotta, parmesan, zest, salt and pepper.

Grease the pan with a light spray of olive oil, and line the bottom with the first sheet of lasagne.

Place half of the spinach and ricotta mixture evenly on top of the lasagne. Line with another sheet of lasagne and the remainder of the spinach and ricotta mixture. Top with the final sheet of lasagne.

Place the cherry tomatoes over the lasagne. 

Mix the chilli in to the canned tomatoes and pour this mixture over the top of the cherry tomatoes. 

Finally sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the tomatoes and bake for approximately 40 minutes.

This is best served with a side salad (and would be fantastic with garlic bread, which I won't eat though).

These quantities will make enough to fill a bread-tin sized pan, so if you're wanting to do a large portion you'll need to multiply the quantity.   

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This is great for a busy weeknight - Harissa and coriander chicken. 

Ingedients

2 chicken breasts

1 tbs harissa

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tbs chopped coriander

1 large sweet potato, finely sliced

2 large handfuls baby spinach

1/3 cup tzatziki (plain yoghurt mixed with chopped cucumber, a squeeze of lemon juice and a hint of garlic)

Mix the harissa, coriander, salt and oil in a large bowl. Add the chicken, stir through to ensure it is well coated, then toss through the sweet potato.

On a medium grill cook the chicken and sweet potato until cooked through.

To plate up the dish spread the spinach across the plate, and top with the sweet potato and chicken. Just prior to serving drizzle the tzatziki over the top of the chicken. 

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Oh yum. These Caramelised bananas can either be cooked in a fry pan, or on the barbeque in foil.

Ingredients

1 banana halved lengthways

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup pecans

1 cup low fat vanilla yoghurt (or ice cream if you're less concerned with the nutritional value)

Optional - 1 tbs dark rum

Heat up a fry pan to medium heat. Add the maple syrup and rum to the frypan. Once the syrup is simmering add the bananas and pecans to the pan.

Once the bananas are softened halfway through turn them over.

Serve the cooked bananas on top of the vanilla yoghurt and drizzle with the syrup, and top with the pecans.

You should be able to make two small serves from this quantity.

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Preserved lemon and apple quinoa salad

Beautiful, light and refreshing

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 small green apple diced finely

1 stick celery chopped finely

Handful chopped mint

Handful flat leaf parsley

1 tbs currants

2 tbs almonds

1 tbs finely cut preserved lemon

3 labne balls or goats cheese

watercress or micro herbs

wedge of lemon

Combine all the ingredients except for the labne, watercress and lemon wedge. Just prior to serving break the labne up slightly, place on top of the salad, and garnish with micro herbs. Serve with a wedge of lemon on the side.

[runningongreens]

I'm not a winter person. I dislike the cold, hate having to pull layers off me when I run, and I miss summer foods. Ken on the other hand, loves winter and all the stews and goulashes that go with it. So this Beef and red wine stew is the perfect weekend dish for him.

Ingredients

1kg beef, cut into 3cm cubes - in these photos I've used gravy cuts, because it's all that was available

1tbs olive oil

1 brown onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, sliced finely

2 tbs red wine vinegar

2 tbs tomato paste

1 1/2 cups low-salt beef stock

1 cup red wine

4 sprigs rosemary

400g can diced organic tomatoes

1 cup spanish green olives

2 zucchinis, cubed

Salt and pepper to season

To serve

bunch dutch carrots

1 tbs olive oil

1 sprig rosemary

Juice of one orange

1 cup fine grain polenta

3 cups boiling water

1/3 cup parmesan finely grated

1/4 cup skinny natural yoghurt

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Season the beef, rub it with the oil, and place it in a cast-iron casserole dish over medium-high and brown. 

Once the meat is browned remove it from the dish, turn the heat down slightly and sautee the onion until transparent. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes before adding the red wine vinegar and the tomato paste. Stir these through with the onion and garlic.

Mix in the stock and the red wine and bring to the boil. Add the beef back in to the dish, add in the rosemary, cover with the lid and place it in the oven. 

The cooking time will depend on the cut of meat. Because I used gravy cuts it will need to cook for 2 1/2 hours. This will be the same if you've used chuck. However, if you've used topside, round or blade cuts it will only require 1 1/2 hours cooking time.

Check on the stew every 45 minutes or so to make sure it's not going dry. If it is add some boiling water.

Once the meat is tender add in the diced tomatoes, zucchini and olives and cook for a further 20 minutes. 

While the dish is cooking for its final 20 minutes add the carrots and olive oil to a frypan. Cook for 6 minutes then add in the orange juice and rosemary and cook for a further 4 minutes or until tender.

As the carrots cooks for their final 4 minutes bring the 3 cups of water to the boil in a pot then turn the heat down to low. Gradually tip in the polenta stirring constantly. Add in the yoghurt and parmesan and ensure its mixed through. 

Plate up the polenta, spoon the stew over the polenta and serve with the carrots on the side and a good red wine. Such a beautiful dish for a cool night in.

This will make 4 plus serves, which is perfect for us as the flavours are great the next day too.

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Chocolate is beautiful. I'm not much of a chocolate fan, I feel icky after eating it, but I do love looking at it.

I made this Chocolate mud cake for Ken, because each time I have a cake in the oven there's a hint of disappointment on his face when he finds out it's banana, carrot or blueberry.

And yes, that is beetroot. You can't taste it but it makes the cake beautifully moist and dense.

Ingredients

400g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

2/3 cup almond meal

1 large beetroot (raw and cooked for 45 minutes in simmering water), finely grated 

6 eggs, separated

1/4 cup skinny natural yoghurt

Butter or oil to grease the tin

Cocoa powder for dusting

Fresh raspberries (or strawberries) to serve

Optional - thickened/dollop cream, ice cream or vanilla yoghurt to serve

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Whisk the egg yolks and stir in the beetroot. 

Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, this should take approximately 5 minutes.

While the chocolate is melting whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form soft peaks.

Mix the almond meal through beetroot and egg yolks.

Once the chocolate is melted through quickly mix it through the beetroot, egg and almond meal. You'll need to do this quickly, as the chocolate cools it will harden again.

Stir through the yoghurt, then carefully fold through the egg whites, patiently doing it in batches to ensure as much air stays in the mixture as possible. The batter should look similar to a chocolate mousse.

Line the bottom of a square 20cm cake tin and grease the sides. This tin will need to fit in to a separate baking dish. 

Spoon the batter into the cake tin. Place the tin in the baking dish and pour boiling water halfway up the height of the cake tin. 

Place the baking dish with cake tin in the oven for 45 minutes.

After the 45 minutes turn the temperature down to 150 degrees celcius and bake for a further 20 minutes. 

Allow the cake to cool in the oven for 10 minutes before removing it and placing it on a cooling rack. Once cool trim the edges off the cake, cut into squares, and serve dusted with the cocoa powder and accompanied with raspberries. The raspberries cut through the richness of the cake beautifully.

I also highly recommend serving this warmed up (I do 1 minute in a medium microwave per piece). It stays so moist and pudding like. Great with ice cream or cream!

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In winter I realy feel like warm food, but miss having my salads. Roast cauliflower and cummin salad is the perfect remedy.

Ingredients

Head of cauliflower cut into florets

Seeds from a pomegranate (cut it in half, hold the half above a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to hit the back of it and knock the seeds out)

Handful mint, roughly torn

1/4 cup skinny natural yoghurt

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs ground cummin

1 tsp cummin seeds

1 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celcius. 

Toss the cauliflower, oil, salt, ground cummin and cummin seeds together in a bowl.

Line a baking tray and spread the cauliflower evenly across it. Bake for 25 minutes.

Toss the pomegranate seeds and mint through the cooked cauliflower. Serve warm topped with the yoghurt.

This would be the perfect accompaniment to the Lamb and pistachio koftes.