Melbourne, May 18: In the wake of research released last week showing that Australians are a long way from meeting their recommended daily serves of vegetables and dairy.
The research released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the Australian Health Survey showed that an alarming 96 per cent or more Australians are not eating enough vegetables and legumes, and 90 per cent are not having enough dairy – milk, cheese and yoghurt.
Australians are being urged to combat this by doubling their vegetable intake and adding an extra cup of milk; or 3/4 cup of yoghurt; or two slices of cheese to their daily diet – and The Dairy Kitchen recipes below, show people how easy it is to solve the problem.
From lashings of béchamel sauce on a veggie pasta to crumbled feta over a tray of roast vegetables, dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are the perfect partners to jazz up the humble veg.
It’s tackling two birds with one stone, according to Amanda Menegazzo, Food Communications Manager at Dairy Australia “Pairing dairy and vegetables is not only nutritious, it is absolutely delicious!” she said.
“Dollop Greek yoghurt on soup, replace half the stock with milk in a veggie risotto or grate parmesan over roasted zucchini for a cheesy side dish.” Vegetable-packed, calcium-rich recipes will inspire and motivate you or you can also experiment with your own flavour combinations – some tips from The Dairy Kitchen’s new collection to give you a hand.
Creamy Carrot Soup with Coriander and Yoghurt
Ingredients
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small onion, chopped
500g carrots, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
Parmesan Toasts
2 slices sourdough bread
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon grated cheddar Cheese
Method
Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion and cumin, sauté for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add carrot and stock, cover and bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat and process with a stick blender until smooth. Return to heat and stir in milk and coriander. Reheat gently until warmed through. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt.
For Parmesan Toasts: Grill bread on one side until golden. Turn over top with combined cheeses and grill until cheese is bubbly and brown. Serve warm with soup.
Perfect for a busy weeknight, this soup delivers both taste and nutrition especially for a warming winter meal, created with simple ingredients from your fridge and pantry.
Chicken, Cauliflower, Watercress and Almond Salad
Ingredients
1/2 medium cauliflower
1 bunch baby radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup currants
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for frying
400g chicken tenderloins
200g haloumi, cut into thick slices
1 bunch watercress
1/2 cup greek style natural yoghurt
1/4 cup natural flaked almonds
Method
Process cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles cous cous. Place in a large mixing bowl with sliced radishes, currants, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste.
Preheat a grill or frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add to pan and cook for 3-5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Remove from heat and cover with foil to keep warm. Clean pan, return to heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Pan-fry haloumi for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden brown. Remove from heat.
Slice chicken and toss through cauliflower mixture along with the haloumi.
This salad replaces grains with finely blitzed cauliflower “cous cous” for a healthy week-night one-bowl dinner.
Ingredients
300g (2 cups) peeled, cubed pumpkin (1cm x 1cm)
olive oil spray
1/4 bunch kale, shredded (3 cups)
2 spring onions, finely sliced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
100g feta, chopped
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
4 sheets filo pastry
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (pepitas), optional
Method
Spray pumpkin with olive oil and scatter over a baking paper lined oven tray. Bake at 200°C for 20-30 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through. Place kale in a microwave safe bowl with 1 tablespoon water and microwave for 1 minute or until slightly wilted.
Combine pumpkin, kale, spring onions, eggs, milk, feta and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Layer filo sheets in alternating pattern (lengthwise and width wise), into a 1 litre baking dish, spraying between each layer with olive oil.
Pour filling into pastry and fold over excess pastry to enclose pie. Spray with extra oil spray and top with pumpkin seeds. Bake at 200°C for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through and set.
The steaming pie packs a nutritious punch with your essential extra serve of dairy and double veggie intake.
More at www.legendairy.com.au/recipe
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