Australia: Healthy In-Season Menu Inspo
If you want to eat fresh and healthy right now, then your best place to be is in Australia. It’s spring there right now, and there are so many amazing seasonal fruits and veggies that are available that you will want to cook with them every day of the week. Which is pretty good, since we’re about to give you some great recipes to use up those fresh ingredients you are bringing home from the market. Here are some ideas for healthy meals, snacks and everything in between:
A fresh minestrone
People think that during spring and summer, it’s not as enjoyable to eat soup – but here’s proof that that is just not true. A minestrone allows you to pick out your favorite vegetables and throw them in a soup, making it perfect for any time of year: but here’s the catch. If you want to really bring out the freshness of the flavors, you need to undercook it. So make your favorite vegetable stock, from scratch, carton or with a bouillon. Then, chop up your veggies: Spring onions, peas, eggplant, turnip and tomato are classics, but you can add your own favorites. And then, add them to the pot and let them cook for a lot less than you think. They will continue cooking in the heat of the pot once you take it off the stove and you still want them to have some bite and some crisp to it. Skip the rice to make it lighter and, if you’re feeling fancy, plop a few slices of avocado on top for the good fats.
A zesty fruit salsa
We know the basics of salsa: tomato, onion, cilantro and garlic – with some jalapeno if you like the heat. Chop everything into neat, small cubes and add to a big bowl. Bigger than needed because we’re about to start adding things. The first on the list is tropical fruit. Pick a few favorites and throw them in – mango, pineapple and papaya are all great options. Then, add some texture with pomegranate seeds and chopped spring onions, and for creaminess, a finely chopped – or even mashed – avocado. Season everything well with salt and a bit of pepper, a squeeze of lime, cut of fresh herbs (mint will do wonders) and serve with toasted tortilla chips. This is a real vitamin bomb and a better way to use fresh fruit than freezing it for smoothies; however, you will notice that it’s completely vegan, meaning you are missing on some coenzymes which are important for a healthy diet. Fortunately, it’s easy to get protein powders, vitamin complexes and capsules with CoQ10 in Australia; take them at mealtime or between meals to boost the health factor even more.
A hearty dinner
Let’s talk meat and potatoes – literally. Pick a protein of your choice and prepare it for roasting. Then get to the root of it – with root vegetables. Potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots and everything else that you can smell roasting just by thinking about it like brussels sprouts, zucchini and cauliflower. Peel and chop everything into even cubes to ensure equal roasting time and then toss them. This is where the herbs come in. Garlic, rosemary, thyme and lemongrass are all in season, so you can get them fresh, giving a much more distinct taste than if you were using something from a bottle. Toss the veggies and herbs with some oil, salt and pepper and spread it out on a baking sheet. If your protein is something that needs searing, just put it on the sheet, and you’ll sear it later in a pan, but if it needs a crisp skin, like chicken, then put a baking rack over the veggies and prop the chicken up to there’s airflow all around it. Bake until the protein is done and the veggies are fork-tender. Serve with a fresh watercress salad and enjoy a colorful plate full of flavors, a perfect dinner for a family who likes to eat healthy together.
