Mushroom Cauliflower "Risotto"

Did you know that Australia has just released an updated food pyramid?  I don't want to get into any sort of debate around exactly how the food pyramid should look (because I know plenty of people that would disagree completely with this model) but I do want to say that it is a major improvement on its predecessor. What I am most excited about is that it's now recommended that one eat more vegetables than bread (and there are so many more beautiful greens on there!) I think we can all agree that our diets should be packed with veges.

Before I moved out west I was flatting in a lovely brick villa in Mt Eden that  had a fantastic vegetable store one minutes walk away. It really did mean that we were never lacking our five plus a day, and that we became increasingly creative with vegetables.  This dish is an example that, minus the cheese it doesn't have much else other than vegetables.  It is extremely light so if you are particularly hungry may need a few additions. Take the recipe as a bit of inspiration.  Play with it.  I think it would be a great accompaniment to oven-baked chicken.

Banana bread for breakfast

Winter is fast approaching us, the days are getting shorter and the mornings darker.  I find at this time of the year it is all the more hard to get going in the morning and fitting in breakfast before leaving for work becomes even more tricky than I normally find it.  I have studied nutrition for over five years and I know that eating breakfast is important.  I have even taught school children that eating breakfast is important as well as their teachers. As a classic case of knowledge not transferring into action,  I remain an average-to-poor-scoring breakfast eater.  I blame this on seldom designate enough time in the morning for creating something I actually want to eat.  Some would put it all down to poor planning and those people would be entirely correct.

I have recently stumbled upon a sure-fire solution.  This scrummy banana bread is nutritious, fantastically filling and the preparation of it (in its simplest form), only requires a few easy strokes with a good quality bread knife.  If you want to put a bit more effort in, its quite lovely toasted and served with yoghurt, maple syrup and a few berries. 

Cauliflower Crusted Moroccan Shepherd's Pie and a PN update

Hello!  Well, you may have never believed it but Pantry Narrative is back in business. Apologies for the rather long break if you missed us.   As you may or may not be aware, up until now Pantry Narrative has been the work of both Danielle and Camilla, a couple of friends going about our lives in Auckland.  However, last month the lovely Danielle and her husband boarded a jet plane for two years of travel adventures.  They will be settling down in London where Danielle plans to continue to explore her passion for nutrition and wellbeing.  Because of pure logistics, I (Camilla) will be continuing on with PN and Danielle will be creating recipes from the Northern Hemisphere over on http://www.danielleheyhoe.com/
so be sure to save her website in your favourites!  I most certainly shall be missing her and her amazing creativity in the kitchen however it is reassuring to know we will still be getting her recipe updates.


To add to the bad news I, along with what seems like everybody else in Auckland have been struck down by a cold and have been cooped up inside all day.  On the upside, it has given me some time to
play in the kitchen and create a few dishes to warm the soul.

This version of shepherd's pie is a mix between a Moroccan tagine and your traditional version.  I topped it off with a goats cheese cauliflower mash that makes it slightly lighter, however traditional mashed potato/kumara or any root vegetable would be just as delicious.  If you make it do tell me how it goes!

Eggplant, lamb and pistachio "pizza"

Feel like a different spin on pizza?  How about you try using an aubergine base -  it's just as easy and less processed than your normal pizza base.  You can top aubergine bases with whatever you like. One recipe we recently stumbled upon had a tomato base, bacon, spinach and mozzeralla topping.

This recipe is something a little bit different, but just as delicious and it adds a bit of a Moroccan spin pizzazz.  Feel free to adjust ingredients as you like.  We were considering using sliced lamb fillet but went for a slightly more affordable option > mince.

We are sad to say we didn't have any pomegranate seeds to sprinkle on top of the pizzas pictured above, but just imagine how great they will look and taste if you have some!

Enjoy and experiment!

The Almond and Egg Pancake

Behold! The Almond and Egg Pancake.

Each Sunday morning, upon awaking, my husband and I prepare for a sit-down brunch together. This is a time each week we set aside to reflect on life, love, and good food.

Hence, more often than not, I vouch for the Almond and Egg Pancake topped with full-fat yoghurt, goji berries, blue berries, and coconut flakes.

These pancakes are completely void of sugar and sweetener and are therefore great for children as well and adults. You could say they are fit for the whole family, especially considering how easy they are to make.

I'll also take this time to suggest alternative toppings: grilled bananas, berry compote, or if you want something particularly decadent, a homemade cacao coconut syrup.

Classic Kiwi Chicken Curry on Sunday

Camilla and I had a great Sunday afternoon preparing some delicious meals for the blog last weekend. The sun was out, we had a full kitchen to ourselves, and let’s just say, creativity flowed. There is a little “behind the scenes” shot of us cooking in the kitchen over on instagram @rachael_courian. It’s pretty much like this every time we cook.

This simple recipe goes out to a good friend of ours who requested a curry to go with our Cauliflower Coconut Couscous recipe – see here. Curries make a great ‘inter-season’ dish as they retain fresh flavours as well as warm the soul, and considering summer in New Zealand has been looking a bit drizzly recently, to say the least, we thought it would be appropriate. We love to take on requests, so if you would like to see a certain kind of recipe up here, please let us know.

This recipe is incredibly simple and best of all, you’re likely to have most of the ingredients sitting in your cupboard. Here goes…

Little Quinoa and Kumara (sweet potato) Cakes

I love a good poached egg.  It's my go-to when I'm out for breakfast.  Why I pay $13 for someone to crack two eggs into a pot of boiling water and put them on a slice of Vogel's when there are far more original options available,  I do not know.  But I do, almost every time, because they are awesome.

These little cakes are a lovely, slightly more interesting, slightly less refined, alternative to toast (and a little bit of a twist on a potato rosti).  The quinoa and hazelnuts add a lovely crunchy texture to these sweet treats.  They are versatile and can be used in place of falafel, feel free to add them to  a salad, a wrap, anything your little heart desires! Please play around with the ingredients (I've added a few alternatives).

Pan-fried Turkey Meatballs on Parsnip and Cauliflower Mash with Lemon Tahini Yoghurt

Summer is often the season of creating delectable dinners in my kitchen as the cool breeze flows in and out of our open windows. My kitchen is a happy place in summer, and so are my family's tummys!

Over the last year I was particularly inspired by Middle Eastern and Jewish food as I had the privilege of living in Paris the year before, where Jewish food is a phenomenon. The Jewish Quarter in Paris, Le Marais, is stacked full of un-heard-of spices and questionable cuts of meat. I came home with a desire to learn a new way of cooking and could only think of buying 'Jerusalem' by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. You must get it.

Bacony Mushroom Egg Muffin sans bread

These are a staple in our house. Every Sunday morning I stumble out of bed, throw back a glass of water, and head to the freezer to commence the defrosting of bacon rashers. I cut out three or six circles of baking paper, line a muffin tray with them, place a rasher of bacon around each base, toss in half a mushroom, and crack two eggs over each muffin cup. Thirty minutes later these bad boys are ready to chill on the bench before being stored in the fridge. It's really as simple as that.

Week mornings used to be much more complicated. When you're on the run or in need of a quick chow-down, it's unbelievably difficult to consume a nourishing breakfast. Toast, muesli, bagels, scones - all these quick and easy modern day breakfast ideas - unfortunately leave you under-nourished and hungry in a matter of hours.

Thank the brilliant homecook!, who at some point in time created the "Paleo Muffin" or "Bacon and Egg Muffin." What ever name you give it, it remains the same compact, healthy, delicious, easy breakfast that goes swimmingly with half an avocado and a handful of spinach.

If you're hoping to start a "health kick" after the "everything goes" silly season, this is a great way to begin.

The traditional Muesli Bar turned 'real food' snack

Muesli bars are a happy past time from the good old school days. As a child, I remember my translucent pink lunch box filled to the brim with packets, most noteworthy of all was the muesli bar. My mum did her best to feed us a real food diet at home, but school was a different story all together. Parents were under the impression back then that kids needed readily available energy from carbohydrate-rich and calorie-dense foods, hence the traditional muesli bar... (packed full of sugar and refined carbohydrates).

Lamb kofte, baba ghanoush and barbeques

I can't have a barbeque without feeling like I am on holiday.  There is something so lovely about sitting outside with friends while dinner cooks.  I know the weather hasn't been the best of late, but never fear- I have checked the forecast and there are better days ahead!  

We would thoroughly recommend that next time you encounter barbeque weather you give these little gems a go.  They are extremely tasty, very quick to pull together, and far more affordable than a lamb loin.

Ginger and Lime Salmon, Avocado Vegetable Medley, and Cauliflower Coconut Couscous

Camilla and I hit the drawing board this past weekend to discuss what Pantry Narrative’s menu should look like this December (please make suggestions in the comment box below). There was one thing in particular that we agreed on: New Zealand’s delectable fresh seafood and the sun-drenched vegetables that saturate our country’s summer. 

We are beyond blessed in New Zealand to have access to a bounty of seasonal fruits and vegetables.We wanted this dish to present a Vegetable Medley of some of New Zealand’s most colourful nourishing morsels. Our Vegetable Medley consists of spring onions, cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander, lemon zest and juice, avocado, and cucumber - all of course on a fluffy bed of cauliflower coconut couscous.

Teriyaki chicken with crispy shallots

Amongst my most favourite cuisines would be Japanese.  I used to work with a couple of Japanese chefs and found myself constantly in awe of the precision and calm with which they would cook (and the staff meals that they would create).  I remember once someone telling me that in Japan you have to practise your knife skills for a year before you are allowed to cut sashimi.  There is probably no real law or code around this but it makes a great story and somewhat demonstrated to me the gravity with which cuisine is taken.  

Herby Cider Dressing

Camilla and I created this blog out of our love of food, cooking, and hospitality, and our shared desire to see people live healthy lives. When friends and family members heard about our collaboration; Pantry Narrative, many said, "finally!" or, "of course!" As though "it was about time" we got together to create something out of our joint passion. 

The particular enthusiasm I most want to touch on today is our desire to see people live healthy lives - that is what we are doing here. Of course we won't get it right all the time, but we are trying our best to understand what we read, discuss its viability, and interpret it into easily accessible information for our community. It's a slow slog and we appreciate your patience.

Fish N' Chips, a kiwi classic...

There is one thing I am adamant to prove - that following a 'real food' or 'plant-based' diet isn't boring, it doesn't lack 'fun,' and it doesn't leave you with a feeling of 'missing out.'

There are obviously foods you will choose not to consume as much of any more, or at all - if that's how you roll - but once you jump on the 'bandwagon' of making healthy food choices, after some time your taste buds start to crave the food that makes your body thrive. The very food that is the result of healthy food choices.

One 'kiwi' classic we don't have to say 'sayonara' to is good-old Fish n' chips. For those of you who did not grow up in New Zealand, Fish n' Chips is the Friday evening summer dinner that is enjoyed on the beach during sun-set.

In this recipe I used gurnard for my fish, but almost any white fish will be fine. And it is crusted with Parmesan, which is always going to be a good time.

These kumara fries are out of this world as well - so follow the recipe exactly.

Mexican "Caesar" salad

Technically, a Caesar salad is "a salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and black pepper."

This is therefore not a Caesar salad, however having a creamy dressing, romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese and some lime juice gives it some similarities.

One cool supermarket discovery I recently made is jarred chargrilled capsicums (the ones that aren't stored in sugar or any strange ingredients).  They are such a handy item to keep in your refrigerator and a heap cheaper (and easier) than chargrilling fresh ones yourself at around $6 a jar.  If you would like to roast your capsicums yourself though, feel most free!

This dish was inspired by about ten different recipe books of mine ranging from What Katie Ate (thanks Jessie and Saz), to Annabel Langbein's new book Cook through the seasons (thanks Mum).  I tend to go a little overboard on the research at times!

Green Carbonara

Searching for a way to up your vegetable intake - zucchini noodles or "zoodles" are a fun option.  These may not be for everyone but we love them and felt like being a bit creative with our cooking this week.  You can use zoodles in place of any pasta, they are easy to prepare and much lighter on the stomach.  There are various tools out there to make zoodles.  Most people recommend using a 'spiralizer' which creates lovely curly noodles.  I can't quite afford one of those, and don't much like appliances so have a julienne peeler similar to this one which I picked up for $11 (which comes in very handy for making salads).  I've even seen someone use a grater to achieve them!

Quinoa and Almond Crusted Chicken Tenderloins with Coriander Yoghurt Sauce

I feel within my rights to say that fried food is one of the joys of summer. There is nothing like enjoying a bottle of cider - with something fried on the side – on a Friday afternoon post work.

It is an unfortunate reality that a lot of fried food these days can compromise our health due to the oils and the batters frequently used. With this in mind, I was determined to recreate one of my husband’s favourite past times – fried chicken – eliminating common harmful oils and batters full of refined flours.

The Goodness of Chocolate Bark and What to Fuel Your Body When

Here’s an idea for a gift, a dinner party, or a casual Sunday afternoon treat: Salted Chocolate & Almond Bark. If you’re not a fan of salted sweet food, then eliminate the salt for straight and pure Chocolate and Almond Bark – who wouldn’t like that?!

What I especially love about this recipe is that it isn’t only an ‘alternative’ to chocolate, it actually benefits our bodies when consumed in moderation (1 - 2 pieces per day, if not having other chocolate). These benefits are found in the raw cacao, coconut oil, and cacao powder. Maple syrup is present to sweeten the bitter cacao, but doesn’t have many health benefits unfortunately.

Smoked paprika mexican-inspired salad

As wonderful as warm soups, slow cooked meals and fruit crumbles are, by the time September rolls around I'm well and truly over winter and usually stop eating anything that reminds me of it . Around about this time I start looking out for ideas for slightly more substantial salads that will carry me through the gap between winter and summer. When I was in Wellington recently I went to the Maranui Café in Lyall Bay, a vibrant joint with fantastic views and a delicious menu. I tried a couple of their cabinet salads which ended up mixing together a bit and the resulting flavour was pretty fantastic. Here is a little creation inspired by my lunch at Maranui, which makes a perfect packed lunch. It's very filling, has lovely warm flavours and you can create it from fresh or canned corn if corn isn't yet in season.