Cooking the SAP Way!

Posted on January 2017 By Matthew Leak & Mary Vidovich
Cooking With Sap

​Everyone knows that at the start of a new year, the health kick has begun after a festive season of eating and drinking whatever you want; Christmas pudding, fruitcake, cheese, bread, mince pies, white Christmas, beer, wine, liqueurs…ewwwwww….it goes on!!

January generally means healthy eating, exercise, giving alcohol a break and having a positive attitude. This is a good start to a busy year and makes for a better and more productive workplace and good savings on expensive lunches!

The best way to eat healthier at work is to bring in your own lunches! In this way, you know exactly what goes in to your lunch! Here at Speller International, we pride ourselves on our cuisine skills and healthy ways! (he he he)

The four recipes below are healthy, easy and SAP specific….just like Speller International!

SAPea and Ham Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 x 500g pkt green split peas

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 brown onions, coarsely chopped

  • 3 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped

  • 3 celery sticks, ends trimmed, coarsely chopped

  • 1 large (about 750g) ham hock (see note)

  • 2.75L (11 cups) water

  • Turkish bread, toasted, to serve

Directions

  1. Place the split peas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 6 hours or overnight to soak. Drain.

  2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the split peas, ham hock and water. Cover and bring to the boil.

  3. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 3/4 hours to 2 hours or until the ham begins to fall off the bone and the soup thickens. Remove the pan from the heat.

  4. Use tongs to remove the ham hock from the pan. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Use your hands to pull the ham off the bone. Discard the bone. Shred the ham. Return the ham to the soup.

  5. Stir the soup over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with toasted Turkish bread.

 

SA ‘Chick’ Pea, Avocado and Feta Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

  • 2 avocados, pitted, and chopped

  • 1/3 cup chopped coriander

  • 2 tablespoons green onion

  • 1/3 cup feta cheese

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, avocado, cilantro, green onion, feta cheese, and lime juice. Stir until mixed well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

 

Tacos – Ariba Ariba!!

Ingredients

  • 1 onion

  • 1 red pepper

  • 1 green pepper

  • olive oil

  • 2 cloves of garlic

  • 1 pinch of paprika

  • 1½ teaspoons cumin

  • 500 g quality minced beef

  • 250 ml organic beef stock

  • 12 corn taco shells

SALSA

  • 2 ripe tomatoes

  • 1 spring onion

  • 3 sprigs of fresh coriander

  • ½ a lime

GUACAMOLE

  • 2 ripe avocados

  • ½ lime

  • 2 tablespoons crème fraîche

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.

  2. Peel and dice the onion, then deseed and dice the peppers. Soften in 1 tablespoon of oil in  a large pan over a low heat.

  3. Peel, finely slice and add the garlic, along with the paprika and cumin, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beef and stir until it has browned.

  4. Pour in the stock, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, or until reduced and delicious.

  5. For the salsa, roughly chop the tomatoes, trim and finely slice the spring onion, then pick and roughly chop the coriander leaves. Combine with the lime juice, then season carefully to taste.

  6. For the guacamole, halve and destone the avocados, then mash the flesh with a fork. Squeeze in the lime juice, add the crème fraîche, season, and gently mix it all up.

  7. Spread the taco shells out on a baking tray and place in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp.

  8. Fill the shells with the meat, salsa and guacamole or lay everything out and let everyone help themselves.

 

Fiori-ous Pasta! Grrrrrr

Ingredients

  • 200 -250g penne pasta, dried

  • 1 (400 g) can chopped tomatoes (14 oz)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 1 -2 garlic clove, chopped

  • 1⁄4 teaspoon chili flakes

  • 2 -3 pinches basil, dried

  • salt and black pepper

  • 1 pinch sugar

  • 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, Grated

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, gently cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion has softened.

  2. Add the chopped tomatoes with the juice, chilli flakes, basil and sugar.

  3. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, stirring frequently for 40-45 minutes until its rendered to a nice thick sauce.

  4. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until cooked ‘al dente’, and then drain the pasta.

  5. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix in well. Serve with grated parmesan.

  6. Add slightly more chilli if a more Fiori-ous flavour is required.

 

There you go! 4 recipes to kick start your healthy year ahead! We’d love to hear your favourite healthy recipes so please share.

Have a happy and healthy year!