H&G food
Life’s a picnic
On warm spring days transform a simple packed lunch into a moveable feast.
Healthy Chef Teresa Cutter offers rustic recipes for splendour on the grass.
SOURDOUGH
BAGUETTE
WITH ROAST
VEGETABLES
T
his is the ideal time of year to
put together a scrumptious picnic
lunch and round up a few friends
to share it with. Choose fresh ingredients
and prepare them with minimal fuss to
create a healthy, portable meal.
Here, I’ve compiled a menu that’s perfect
for both the grazers and hearty eaters in
your crowd. You can prepare some of the
food the night before (the carrot dip, the
biscuits, poached chicken for the ricepaper rolls, and roast vegies and hummus
for the baguette). On the morning of the
picnic, assemble the baguette and ricepaper rolls, and make the frittata.
To make sure your food arrives at the
picnic spot in perfect condition, take care
to pack it properly. Use air-tight containers
that are attractive enough to serve from.
Pack a couple of eskies half-full of ice or
freezer blocks to store perishable foods
and keep your drinks icy cold. And if
you’d like to add a salad to the menu,
pack the dressing separately in a wellsealed container.
To make the most of your time outdoors,
take along a football or frisbee in addition
to the plates, cutlery, cups, rugs and
folding chairs. That way, you can work
off some of the lunch afterwards.
Photography by William Meppem/ACP Digital Library (this page), Richard Mortimer/ACP Digital Library (opposite). All H&G recipes have been double-tested to ensure success.
Organic carrot dip
1kg organic carrots, washed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
1 Chop carrots into chunks and steam
for about 30mins or until soft. Place
in a food processor along with the cumin,
ginger, oil and salt. Process until smooth
then allow to cool. Serve with vegetable
crudités or wholemeal flatbread.
Makes 3½ cups
Sourdough baguette with
roast vegetables
1 long sourdough baguette
8 large basil leaves, torn
1 small eggplant, sliced and chargrilled
2 small red capsicums, halved, seeded
and roasted
60g semi-dried tomatoes
Easy hummus
1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons tahini
¼ cup water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 To make hummus, blend the chickpeas,
lemon juice, orange zest, tahini and water
in a food processor until smooth and
creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2 Slice baguette in half lengthways. Spread
¼ cup hummus on each slice. (Store the
leftover hummus in an airtight container
in refrigerator for up to five days). Scatter
the basil leaves over the bottom slice,
then top with eggplant, capsicum and
tomato. Top with the other slice and cut
into 6-8 portions. Secure by tying with
string or wrapping. Serves 6-8.
Zucchini & spinach
frittata
300g spinach leaves, washed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 medium zucchini, sliced into disks
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 spring onions, chopped
4 organic or free-range eggs,
plus 8 eggwhites, beaten together
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Pinch of nutmeg
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 Heat oven to 180°C (160° fan). In an
ovenproof non-stick pan with at least a 5cup capacity, sauté the spinach quickly with
the lemon juice and a little pepper. Remove
from pan and chop. Add the oil to the pan
and sauté the zucchini for a few minutes.
2 Add the spring onion, then the beaten
eggs, parsley and nutmeg. Stir in the
spinach and season with a little salt and
pepper. Bake for 15-20mins or until set.
Allow to cool before packing. Serves 4-6.
Macadamia chocolate
biscuits
200g rolled oats
50g desiccated coconut
125g honey or agave nectar
125ml macadamia nut oil
2 organic eggs
100g macadamia nuts, chopped
100g good quality milk or dark chocolate,
broken up into bits
1 Heat oven to 180°C (160° fan). Line two
baking trays with baking paper or
silicone baking mats.
2 Place oats, coconut, honey, oil and eggs
in a food processor and blend until mixture
sticks together. Transfer to a bowl. Mix in the
macadamias and chocolate by hand. Form
into golfball-size balls and place on prepared
baking trays. Flatten slightly. Bake for
20mins or until golden. Makes about 18.
Rice-paper rolls with chicken & dipping sauce
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1 small carrot, grated
½ red capsicum, thinly sliced
½ cup mint leaves, finely chopped
¹⁄³ cup coriander, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
300g chicken breast, poached in chicken
stock and shredded
100g rice vermicelli noodles, cooked,
cooled and cut into 4cm lengths
12 rice paper sheets
Dipping sauce
½ cup hoi sin sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter or tahini
¹⁄³ cup warm water
1 To make the dipping sauce, combine hoi
sin sauce with peanut butter and stir in
just enough water to make a thick sauce.
2 In a medium bowl, combine the lettuce,
carrot, capsicum, mint, coriander and
spring onion. Fill another bowl with hot
water. Line up chicken, noodles and mixed
vegetables in separate bowls near a large,
clean work surface.
3 Working quickly, dip a rice-paper sheet in
the water to soften it, then lay it on the work
surface. Repeat until you have 4 sheets.
4 In the centre of each sheet, place about
1 tablespoon each of chicken, noodles and
vegetables. Roll up each sheet: pick up the
bottom edge and fold tightly over mixture.
Fold in left and right sides; roll to finish.
5 Soften, fill and roll remaining rice paper
sheets. Cover with cling film to prevent
them from drying out. Store in refrigerator
until ready to pack. Serve with the dipping
H&G
sauce. Makes 12.
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