Kara Parnell

Our recipe for Chickpea Salad with Quick-Pickled Asparagus, is as fresh and light as springtime itself! It's loaded with fresh herbs, healthy greens, bright citrus flavours, and we've taken the quintessential veggie of spring to the next level by making a quick pickle. It's incredible how just a quick dip in a vinegar bath can bring so much complexity and depth to the flavours of this salad. It tastes elegant, but couldn't be more simple to make.

Vegetarian

Dinner

Lunch

Chickpea Salad with Quick-Pickled Asparagus

I was going to say something about how our recipe for Butternut Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is so easy, healthy and delicious, that it will change your life forever, but...I decided that would be too CHEESY. 

Bad puns aside, this recipe is definitely one you'll want on hand for a quick and easy way to get a healthy dinner on the table on a busy weeknight, and for an absolutely genius way to convince your kids to eat their veggies. Butternut pumpkin is sweet and creamy and even looks a bit like melted cheese, making it the perfect addition to macaroni and cheese. 

Butternut pumpkin. SO good. SO good for you! Give Butternut Pumpkin Mac and Cheese a try!

Butternut Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Almost as sweet as popping the berries in your mouth, straight from the tree, is this recipe for our Mulberry Syrup! With simple, healthy ingredients, the beautiful sweetness of the mulberry really shines. This syrup is perfect with pancakes, crepes, or French toast. It's lovely drizzled over yoghurt, or to sweeten up your morning tea. It keeps well in the fridge, and even longer in the freezer, so you can enjoy the taste of sweet mulberries all year long.

Breakfast

Dairy Free

Vegan

Dessert

Mulberry Syrup

By: Kara Parnell

French Onion Soup is the Audrey Hepburn of soups. Well, she is actually Belgian, not French, but you know what I mean! Like Audrey, this soup is classy, timeless, and refined. 

French onion soup is hard to beat for it's intensely umami flavour...deep, hearty and satisfying. It's a labor of love to slowly caramelize the onions, but it's worth every minute to have this satisfying classic on your table to wow your friends and family. Topped with a cheesy, toasty crouton, this soup is the perfect, classic French meal!



Photo Credit: deliciouseveryday.com

French

French Onion Soup

We are in love with this salad! It's everything a salad should be...loaded with colourful veg, full of fresh and vibrant flavours, and exciting! There's nothing worse than a salad with no personality - flat, flavourless, boring. 

This Israeli Salad With A Twist, is vibrant, fresh, and full of bright herbaceous flavours. It's quick and easy to make, and can either shine as the main dish for a light dinner, served with pita and a hunk of feta cheese, or as a beautiful side dish to elevate your meal.

Middle Eastern

Israeli Salad With A Twist

Ben McKeown

Did you know our cashew cheese makes the BEST creamy dressing, no dairy involved. We love this super simple way to boost the flavour of your leafy greens, nature’s superfood! Since we’ve packed our cashew cheese with flavour, it takes the worry out of making your salads tasty. Trust us, try this way of using it and you’ll be making this creamy cashew caesar all the time. We’ve added crispy tempeh to this recipe, did you know tempeh is actually a fermented food! We love Mighty Bean Tempeh, handmade in Yandina for the best quality vegan protein!

Mediterranean

Cashew Cheese Caesar With Crispy Tempeh

We love oats!

Honestly, what could be more hearty, satisfying, healthy and homey, than oatmeal for brekkie? The only thing we can think of that's even better than oats for breakfast, is oats that are ready to eat as soon as you wake up! It's so easy to throw these simple ingredients in a bowl the night before, and the only cooking instructions for these oats is to get a good night's sleep. 

Dump, stir, chill, sleep, eat...heaven! Hooray for our Berry Blast Vegan Overnight Oats!


Photo Credit: wholesomelyelle.com

Berry Blast Vegan Overnight Oats

I've always loved the admonition of the great American thinker, Henry David Thoreau, to "Simplify. Simplify." If we're not careful, he's right, life can be "frittered away by detail". Every once in a while, it can be so freeing to apply this wisdom to the way we eat.

 Sometimes it's fun to spend hours in the kitchen, chopping and stirring, kneading and sauteeing, making a fancy, complex meal...a labor of love. And sometimes, you've just got to eat a tomato sandwich.

Simplicity doesn't mean boring! Honestly, a good tomato sandwich is like eating sunshine and rain. It's food perfected! 

So pour yourself a cup of tea, grab your favourite book, and snuggle up with one of life's sweetest pleasures, the tomato sandwich. It's good food at its simplest. Thoreau would be proud.

A Beautifully Simple Tomato Sandwich

You've got to love a recipe that is loaded with healthy veg, whisks you away to the Mediterranean in one bite, and takes just minutes to whip up. Our recipe for Authentic Spanish Gazpacho is such a fun change of pace from a traditional hot soup. It's fresh and light, and perfect for a light dinner on a busy weeknight, or paired with a fat slice of crusty bread, a little prosciutto, and some melon, for a special weekend meal. 



Photo Credit: wholesomelicious.com

Authentic Spanish Gazpacho

I love my tempeh and I don't mind an easy quick dish that tastes great and is great for me. In particular, tempeh is a great source of protein, providing a whopping 15 grams in each 90 gram serving. It’s also an excellent source of micronutrients such as manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, and riboflavin. Plus, it contains calcium and iron, both of which are essential nutrients that can be hard to obtain on a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Asian

Satay Tempeh Skewers

By: Kara Parnell

When I've said yes to one too many chocolate chip cookies, or scoops of ice-cream, I bring back balance to my life with a beautiful, vibrant, jam-packed full of nutrition, salad! 

Avocado, tomatoes, spinach, kale, nuts and seeds, and fresh herbs! Not only is this gorgeous salad lovely to look at and bursting with flavour, but it brings a powerful nutritional punch as well. Think fiber, vitamin K, antioxidants, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron...and that's just from the Kale! 

Bring back beauty and balance to your table with this quick and easy, incredibly delicious salad. 



Nutritional info source: naturalfoodseries.com, 13 Amazing Health Benefits of Kale
Photo Source: halfbakedharvest.com

Give Me Some Greens Kale Salad with Avocado and Pistachios

By: Kara Parnell

The humble avocado. Come on, what's not to love? They are creamy and delicious, incredibly nutritious, and a critical ingredient in some of our favourite foods. Avocado takes a taco over the top and makes a salad sublime. Where would our corn crisps be without guacamole, and where would breakfast be without smashed avo on toast? And as if being the major ingredient in the creamiest, healthiest ice-cream ever wasn't enough, the avocado is back, taking deliciousness one step further in this recipe for Healthy Dark Chocolate Truffles! With just 2 ingredients, these truffles couldn't be simpler, and with our good friend the avocado, they couldn't be healthier or more delicious! 



photo credit: degtoxinsta.com

Healthy Dark Chocolate Truffles

By: Kara Parnell

It's not just for toast anymore! 

I can't tell you how happy I am that the beautiful avocado has made its way over into the world of desserts! I might have been a little skeptical at first, but one bite of this gloriously green dessert, and any skeptic quickly becomes a convert. Avocado in ice-cream just makes sense! It has that unparalleled creamy texture, it's loaded with healthy fats and is an amazing natural substitute for the traditionally used double cream. It has a mild taste which, when sweetened, is a perfect ingredient for a dessert. 

This recipe whips up in minutes and couldn't be easier. Give it a try! One bite and you'll happily hop on board the avocado for dessert train!



Photo Source: acalculatedwhisk.com

No Churn Vegan Avocado Ice-Cream

By: Kara Parnell

I'll never forget the first time I tasted Thai Peanut sauce. I was traveling in Amsterdam, and our hosts highly recommended a Thai restaurant, and insisted that we try the peanut sauce. I was a little wary. I was young, and up to that point in my life, my only experience with peanut butter, growing up in the US, was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Peanuts in savoury food seemed so strange. But, I was feeling adventurous, so I gave it a go. When I think of that first bite, words like transcendent and life-changing spring to mind. It was that good! As soon as I returned home, I tried and tried to recreate that wonderful peanut sauce. This recipe comes pretty close!

Our recipe for Tofu and Veggie Skewers with Thai Peanut sauce is so simple, and simply delicious! The peanut sauce just takes a couple minutes to whip up in your food processor, and I'm telling you friends, this sauce has got it all - salty, sweet, nutty, fresh and light, deep and umami, and a little hint of spice. Give it a try tonight, but be warned, once you try it, there's no turning back! 



Photo Credit: cilantroandcitronella.com

Tofu and Veggie Skewers with Thai Peanut Sauce

I was first introduced to Chestnuts when a couple of Italian backpackers come to stay at the farm and they asked if we could get some chestnuts. So I went searching and acquired them from lovely farm in Tenterfield. We had a lovely meal of roasted Chestnuts and mulled wine. I've not missed a season since and here's a really great recipe I have enjoyed each season.

Pumpkin with Chestnuts and Onions

Who knew that those adorable little healthy yellow squash could double as a pizza crust? We did! It's the perfect way to healthify the world's most ubiquitously popular junk food. Now pizza can be totally delicious and absolutely nutritious too!

Grilled Yellow Squash Pizzas are also a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies. You could have a variety of topping choices, (we've recommended a few of our favourites here), and let your family design their own pizzas. Before you know it, your kids will be happily munching their veggies, and begging for more. These pizza's are simple, healthy and are sure to be a family favourite in no time!

Grilled Yellow Squash Pizza

Apple butter is like eating a hug!

Honestly, with those wonderful warming spices like cinnamon and cloves, this sweet apple spread is comfort food at its finest. It's delicious spread on toast or a bagel, crackers or a scone, and makes a tasty fruit dip. And best of all, it couldn't be more simple to make - Just toss all the ingredients in your slow cooker, relax and read a book or take a nap or go for a walk, and before you know it, your house will smell incredible, and you'll never experience toast in the same way again! 



Photo Credit: bakingamoment.com

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

By: Kara Parnell

What if we told you there was a healthy and satisfying snack as utterly addicting as a bag of salty crisps? What if we told you that said snack couldn't be easier to whip up and is bursting with wonderful deep, smokey and spicy flavours? If we're talking healthy and delicious and super snackable, then friends, were definitely talking about our incredible recipe for Crispy Oven Roasted Chickpeas! 

We're fan of chickpeas in any form: tossed in a salad, in a soup, made into a creamy hummus. But these oven roasted chickpeas take this beautiful legume to the next level...crunchy, spicy, pop in your mouth goodness.

Crispy Oven Roasted Chickpeas

By: Kara Parnell

Pomegranates. Those ruby red little gems of goodness! Don't be deceived by their small size, they are giant powerhouses of nutrition, boasting an impressive list of vitamins and nutrients: vitamins K, C, fiber, potassium, protein, folate, and a whole lot of antioxidant goodness!

Our recipe for Pomegranate and Pear Salad With Honey Lime Vinaigrette, is a lovely, quick and easy way to use this wonderful fruit! (Well, pomegranates are botanically classified as a berry, if we're being technical.) The contrast of flavours and textures in this salad is wonderful! The plump little pomegranate seeds and the pecans add fantastic crunch and a perfect contrast to the soft, juicy pears and creamy feta. It's a well balanced, sweet and savoury delight! 

What are you waiting for? Whip us this salad and add a whole lot of nutrition to your next meal with this little tiny superfood wonder, the pomegranate seed! 



Nutrition Facts Source: healthline.com, "12 Benefits of Pomegranate"
Photo Source: thebestblogrecipes.com

Pomegranate and Pear Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

By: Kara Parnell

Sometimes life just calls for a comforting bowl of soup, a hunk of crusty bread, and a long conversation around the table with family, to bring a little peace and warmth at the end of a tough day. This soup is comforting, hearty and healthy, with flavours all at once fresh and vibrant, and deep and satisfying. So put on your fuzziest socks, wrap up in a blanket, and cozy up with a bowl of steaming hot Vegan Corn Chowder.



Photo Source: midwestfoodieblog.com

Vegan Corn Chowder

By: Kara Parnell

Cauliflower is the healthy cook's best mate. This humble vegetable has so much to offer! It's extremely easy to work with, and so versatile, like a botanical blank canvas, ready to take on whatever flavours you throw at it. And let's not forget, cauliflower is a superfood. In fact, cauliflower has at least a bit of almost every single mineral and nutrient we need! That's impressive! It has very few calories, and heaps of essential vitamins and nutrients like: vitamin C, K, B6, and magnesium, potassium, and folate, just to name a few. 

There are an endless number of methods and flavour combinations you can use when cooking with cauliflower. We're big fans of this recipe for our fresh and bright, Cauliflower Rice with Lemon and Herbs. It would make a fantastic light lunch, or be an amazing side with your dinner tonight. Give it a try! 



Reference Source- healthline.com. "The Top 8 Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Photo Source- kimscravings.com

Cauliflower Rice With Lemon and Herbs

By: Kara Parnell

The beloved chef Julia Child, in true words of wisdom, once said, "With enough butter, anything is good." I'm sure that Julia would agree with me, that if butter makes things good, our recipe for Roasted Garlic and Herb Compound Butter will make anything simply amazing!

Compound butter is a quick way to take your cooking to the next level. It truly does make a good recipe unforgettable. Top a steaming hot, roasted sweet potato with a slice, mix it in your riced cauliflower, spread a bit on toast, and top with sliced tomatoes and a little salt and pepper.

Make Julia proud, and see what compound butter can do to elevate your dinner tonight! 



Image Source: istockphoto.com

Roasted Garlic and Herb Compound Butter

By: Kara Parnell

Is it too dramatic to say that roasted garlic will change your life? Well, maybe. But we can confidently say that roasted garlic will change your cooking for the better! Roasted garlic is like a culinary secret weapon. A little roasted garlic goes a long way to adding an unparalleled depth of flavour, turning an ordinary meal into something memorable! 

Roasting garlic mellows and at the same time intensifies the garlic. The strong, pungent flavour of raw garlic is gone, and a gentle, deep, almost sweet flavour emerges. 

Roasted garlic is perfect for elevating the flavour of your favorite pasta dish. Throw a teaspoon or two in a pan of sauteed veggie like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or green beans. Spread a thin layer on top of a toasted slice of baguette for some seriously impressive garlic bread. 

You can store the roasted garlic in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.



photo credit: fromthegrapevine.com

Italian

Roasted Garlic (A Culinary Secret Weapon!)

By: Kara Parnell

Some recipes are fun to make, because the ingredient list is full of exciting ingredients like black truffle oil, caviar from Herring in the Baltic Sea, or 1,000 day Gouda, made with Yak's milk from the Himalayas. This recipe for Homemade Veggie Broth however,  is fun to make because it's made with ingredients you never really knew were ingredients at all. In this recipe, the star ingredients are those veggie scraps you've been tossing in your compost pile! 

Next time you chop up and onion, peel a carrot, or slice up some celery or some mushrooms, instead of tossing the stems and leftover bits, throw them in a large zip-lock freezer bag. When the bag is full, pull it out of your freezer, and whip up a batch of this warm, healthy, tasty broth! 

This broth makes the perfect, quick base for a favorite homemade soup. Try cooking rice in this veggie broth instead of water, for a major flavour and nutrition boost. It will store nicely in the fridge for up to a week, and for three months in the freezer. 

Soups on! Enjoy!




Sources: itdoesn'ttastelikechicken.com, savorylotus.com
Photo Source: slimpickinskitchen.com

Homemade Veggie Broth - Made With Kitchen Scraps!

By: Kara Parnell

The omelette. A breakfast classic. It's French, it's elegant, it's...incredibly quick and easy to make?? Yes! 

We're so proud of our organic, farm fresh eggs here at Fresh Box, that we knew we needed a recipe as special as the eggs. So, who do you turn to for all the secrets to the perfect French omelette? You turn to the unrivalled expert in French cooking, Julia Child, of course! 

This was the most fun I've ever had working on a recipe! For half an hour I was whisked away to the kitchen of the lovable Julia Child, as I watched the "Egg and Omelette" episode of The French Chef, ready to be tutored by the best. I was eager to learn the secrets of the perfect French omelette, and I've got to say, it's pretty simple! According to Julia, it's all about the technique. Screaming hot pan, lots of butter, and the perfect flip of the omelette onto the plate to finish. 

Try our recipe for "The Perfect French Omelette", and let us, well, let Julia, walk you through, step by step to make your own omelette masterpiece. You've got this! Julia would be proud.

Bon Appetit!




Sources: dailymotion.com
Photo Source: ketoconnect.net

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