Seasons to Share

Seasons to Share

Healthy food at a cocktail party, high tea and a boy's lunch? Times are changing and with her debut cookbook Seasons to Share, Jacqueline Alwill shows us how to add wholesome, nutritious foods to our menu repertoire.

In Seasons to Share, nutritionist Jacqueline Alwill wants to give everyone the confidence to make nourishing foods for all occasions. Whilst many of us are happy whipping together nutritious meals for ourselves, when it comes to creating beautiful meals to enjoy with others, the element of health is sometimes lost. But worry no more, Jacqueline has remade all the favourites to warm our hearts. In this game‐changing book, she has created 130 heavenly recipes to please every foodie and health food critic you invite to your table.

In Seasons to Share there are delicious recipes that will help you to embrace healthy food and share it with those around you: a cleansing lunch, a healthier high tea, summer BBQs, beach picnics, cocktail parties and a romantic date night. Jacqueline's research also shows that many men are interested in their health and diet but don't want to be bored by -salad after salad', so she's created some fabulous meals to meet their taste too…

A menu for the boys
Slow‐cooked beef brisket with smoky homemade barbeque sauce, crispy pork belly with pear chutney, sides of kale and cabbage slaw with ginger dressing, beetroot, buckwheat and walnut salad, rosemary and thyme roasted potatoes and parsnips, chilli baked cauliflower with self saucing chocolate pudding for dessert!

Create Jacqueline amazing seasonal meals for your next family dinner or party with friends and inspire your guests to take the recipe home with them. Jaqueline's recipes are made for sharing the love of good health and life with everyone in every season.

Jacqueline Alwill is a qualified, practicing nutritionist and is the founder/director of The Brown Paper Bag, a nutritional practice and wholefoods catering company.

She is a no‐nonsense advocate for good health on radio and television and also a regular contributor to several beauty and lifestyle magazines, blogs and newspapers.

Even as a child, Jacqueline was a passionate foodie and in her teens, she spent weekends baking and packing goodies into brown paper bags to give to friends and neighbours, which became the inspiration behind her company The Brown Paper Bag.

Like many women, Jacqueline went through a period where her relationship with food wasn't completely positive, becoming obsessive with what she ate. She overcame these issues and learned from them. Ultimately, she found ways to love food again and share that joy with others.

Jacqueline has a son Jet. On the topic of motherhood, she says -it makes me search for the best in myself, helps me appreciate every moment, pushes me to nurture not only others, but myself'.

Seasons to Share
Murdoch Books
Author: Jacqueline Alwill
ISBN: 9781743367049
RRP: $39.99

 

Zucchini Pasta With Prawns, Chilli And Lemon

GF / F / SF

Serves 2

Zucchini pasta, also known as -zoodles' or -spirals', has become one of the best alternatives to wheat-based pasta due to the neutral flavour of the zucchini and its ability to hold its shape and soak up delicious flavours. There are plenty of tools around to make these zoodles, but you don't need fancy equipment or skill of any sort to get started. Simply use a vegetable peeler to make long thin strips of zucchini, then either keep them wide or stack them and cut lengthways into thinner strips.

Ingredients
2 large zucchini (courgettes)
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 raw king prawns, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
teaspoon finely chopped red bird's eye chilli (seeds removed if you don't want the pasta too spicy)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
a small handful of rocket (arugula) leaves
60 g (2 oz) freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
To make the zucchini pasta, either use a spiraliser or follow the instructions in the introduction above. I prefer my noodles slightly thinner as I find they catch the flavours a bit better, but go with what you feel most comfortable with to start and progress to thinner noodles as your confidence improves. If you want to make these earlier in the day, they'll keep well in the fridge until you're ready to cook them.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the zucchini noodles for 1 minute then remove from the pan and drain well.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Then add the prawns, garlic, lemon zest and chilli and cook, keeping everything moving around the pan, until the prawns just start to change colour. Add the drained zucchini noodles and toss well to combine. Gently stir through the lemon juice, rocket, grated parmesan (if using), and a good pinch of salt and pepper, then serve immediately.

Raw Almond Caramel Slice

GF / F / SF / V / VG

Makes 24 Slices, 2 Per Person

You might be surprised to learn that the nutritional profile of this caramel slice is incredibly diverse. The nuts and seeds used here are rich in omega-3 and amino acids, there is just the right amount of natural sweetness with a hint of vanilla, and the delicious clean caramel gets a touch of endocrine support courtesy of the maca powder. This can be made well ahead of time and stored in the freezer for up to two weeks.

Ingredients

Base
60 g (2 oz/ cup) walnut halves
40 g (1 oz/ cup) almonds
125 g (4 oz) Medjool dates, pitted (approximately 7 dates)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon linseeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup

Raw caramel
70 g (2 oz/ cup) almond butter
2 tablespoons hulled tahini
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
75 g (2 oz) Medjool dates, pitted (approximately 4 dates)
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
1 teaspoon maca powder 115 g (4 oz/ cup) chopped almonds

Chocolate topping
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons rice malt syrup
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Method
Combine all of the base ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a crumb, or until a paste is formed if you prefer a smoother texture for your base. If you need to loosen the ingredients to assist with blending, add a touch of water.
Line a square 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin with baking paper, then spoon the base mixture into the tin and evenly spread it around. Place in the freezer while you prepare the caramel and topping.
Place all of the raw caramel ingredients, except the chopped almonds, in the food processor and blitz until a smooth caramel-like texture forms. Take the base out of the freezer and spread the caramel evenly over the surface. Sprinkle over half of the chopped almonds, then return to the freezer.
To finish the slice, make the chocolate topping by melting the coconut oil in a small saucepan on a low heat. Once the oil has melted, remove from the heat and add the rice malt syrup and cacao powder. Whisk well to create a smooth melted chocolate. Pour this molten chocolate over the slice, then spread it out evenly over the top and finish by sprinkling over the remaining chopped almonds.
Return to the freezer and allow to set for approximately 4–6 hours. Serve straight from the freezer.

 

Seasons to Share
Murdoch Books
Author: Jacqueline Alwill
ISBN: 9781743367049
RRP: $39.99

 

Recipes and Images from Seasons to Share by Jacqueline Alwill (Murdoch Books) available in all bookstores and online