All Good Things Issue 25
Vegan Zucchini Bread + Healthier Chicken Meatballs + Beet & Tonic Mocktail + How To Let Go
Hello friends!
Welcome friends, old and new! Happy 2022. Hope wherever in the world you are, you are well and safe.
I had a really nice, long and relaxing break which was so very different to previous years. In this break I didn't cook much, didn't read at all, didn't go out anywhere except once to walk on the beach and explore the rock pools at Mona Vale.
What then did I do? I actually did nothing much and it was sublime. I mainly watched movies and shows on TV, let go of a lot of clutter, cleaned every day and went for long walks. It was liberating and essential to clear my mind of the cobwebs accumulating there. Our Christmas tree still stands tall and proud, twinkling lights, ornaments and all. Another proof that I haven't done much.Â
But it's so good to be back! With All Good Things I am currently cooking, buying, reading and discovering. Thank you for being here and wish you all a very Happy New Year! (Mid-week cooking newsletter starts this week too, YAY!)
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A one-bowl, mix-and-bake Vegan Zucchini Bread recipe packed with pecan nuts, olive oil and loads of spices for a nutritious breakfast or snack. This foolproof breakfast bread has the best texture, a gorgeous crust that toasts to perfection and a soft, airy crumb that tastes delicious.
Don't be afraid of baking with zucchini! Grate and squeeze baby, grate and squeeze! Plus, a simple trick for drawing out liquid that is slightly different for sweet zucchini recipes as opposed to the savoury ones. This is the kind of bread that makes you feel good about snacking ...
HEALTHIER CHICKEN MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE
Healthier Chicken Meatballs In Marinara Sauce is a delicious, easy and quick recipe to have in your arsenal. Made lighter without cheese and dairy, these chicken meatballs are tender, succulent and packed with lots of flavourful herbs. With homemade marinara sauce, you can serve them as canapes for a snack. You can also toss them with pasta for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
How do I make chicken meatballs healthier, juicier and more delicious without the oomph of cheese? I share 7 super handy tips on making the best batch of leaner chicken meatballs bursting with big flavour. Plus a recipe for beautiful homemade Marinara Sauce you will want to make again and again!
My Cookbook
I have very limited signed copies (Australia Only) of my cookbook Tasty Express - a labour of love filled with over 100 of our family's most tried and tested and exciting 30-minute recipes inspired by street foods of the world.
Mostly Vegetarian recipes that go from breakfast to quick dinners in a heartbeat. They make great gifts for you or a friend!Â
Food For Thought »
"Â It is only heavy because you are deciding over and over to carry it. Embrace change, loosen up your sense of identity, let yourself walk a new path, you do not have to ignore or erase the past, you just have to wholeheartedly embrace the present and move on. - Yung Pueblo
How To Let Go»Â
For everyone who is overwhelmed by everything going around them every single day, I send you a hug and a wish. For it to feel lighter. Not overthinking, not dwelling, not obsessing, not worrying .. it takes years of practice and shedding. Here are some ways that can help.
Water Therapy – If you can walk in the water coming up the sand on the beach. If you can wade in a pool or natural spring. If you can fill a basin with water and submerge your feet.Â
Yoga – If you can do 10 minutes a day. Sun Salutations are great as a short series of 12 steps.
Cleaning As Meditation – Fill an empty spray bottle with water and a couple of drops of essential oils (eucalyptus or tea tree or lavender) and a big squeeze of lemon. Have it handy near kitchen surfaces, bathroom counters, with a rag/sponge. Set 10 minutes to spray and wipe everyday. Listen to calming music if you like. The mindless action allows you to escape into a meditative state, the fragrances alleviate stress and you are rewarded with a sparkling fresh space at the end. Same with spray mopping a floor. Over the holidays, I discovered KOH and these practices I have suggested are immensely helpful to take your mind off things.
Silent Dancing – Pop your favourite dance tunes through your headphones and dance (no singing along!). Even more fun if you can rope in a loved one and you are both playing the same song on your individual headphones.
My Cooking List This Week
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Grilled Chicken Mango Avocado Noodle Salad
Cauliflower Tikka Gyros
Mung Bean Pancakes
Vegan Crab Rangoons
Sunken Blueberry Cake
Plum Buns
Strawberry Streusel Cake
Crispiest Rice Paper Dumplings
Watched The Lost Daughter. Cannot fault the acting, especially by Olivia Coleman. A sensitive topic exploring mum rage, the movie goes nowhere and a lot of things don't make sense. It is basically a turmoil-ridden look into a person's week with no resolution or culmination. I really wanted to like it. I did like the scenery (Greek island?) and wished many times that the movie was about food.
The newest season of Cobra Kai was good, light-hearted, family fun.
One of the highlights of my holidays was watching all 7 Spiderman movies (the OG Tobey Maguire ones, the amazing Andrew Garfield ones and the current Tom Holland ones) before going to watch the latest Spiderman - No Way Home in the theatre back in December. I am a HUGE spiderman fan (since I was 8 years old!), we all are. And this last movie that was brimming with fan-service made me squeal like the 8-year old fan I used to be. Epic!
Next on my watchlist is Years And Years (starring Emma Thompson, a show set in the future about Britain slowly turning into a dictatorship), Ozark season 4 (a brilliant show by Jason Bateman)
If you haven't tried a Southern Wild Co Candle yet, you must! I was gifted one by Nick over Christmas (the Ocean Isle fragrance) and it is breathtaking. The packaging, the fragrance. Just divine!
Did you know where loofahs come from? It will blow your mind!
Jimmy Reese's latest "Meanwhile In Australia Part 46" is not only hilarious but is in the form of a "Group Text" and it is the funniest and most clever thing I have seen!
That's all folks! See you next week with more good things xx
A beautiful, bold mocktail with earthy refreshing flavour and a subtle bitterness to finish.
Beet & Tonic
Serves 1
3oz (90ml) fresh beetroot juice
1.5oz (45ml) fresh orange juice
0.5oz (15ml) lime juice
pinch of salt
1 cup ice, to shake
1/2 cup ice, to serve
long orange peel, to serve
tonic water, to serve
Add a cup of ice, beetroot juice, orange juice, lime juice and salt to a cocktail shaker.
Shake vigorously for a few seconds.
Fill half a 670ml gin balloon glass with crushed ice. Arrange the orange peel along the inside of the glass, hanging the end over the edge on top.
Strain the beetroot mocktail into the glass over the ice. Top with tonic water.
Serve immediately.
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