Recipes for the Week Ahead

At home with Crystalbrook

Has 'iso' got you spending loads of time in the kitchen, up-skilling from packet-mix brownies to Masterchef-worthy dishes, pre-made juices to fresh-squeezed and cold-pressed? We want to help! 

Area Executive Chef, Zamora shares his favourite, full of flavour and (mostly) healthy dishes and drinks to get you through the week. Never fear, there's something to suit all kinds of bakers and shakers. 

Go ahead, make them yourself, snap a pic and share your foodie inspo to social, tagging @crystalbrookcollection and #athomewithcrystalbrook for the chance to win a Crystalbrook care kit - indulge in the little luxuries. 

Brunch

Acai crunch bowl from Greenfields. A hero dish in its own right! 

Ingredients:

• 100g packet of frozen acai puree
• 200g frozen peeled banana chopped into small pieces
• 200ml almond milk
• 50ml honey

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients into a puree. If required, add a little more milk until you get a consistency you like.
2. Choose your favourite toppings; seasonal fruit, nuts, granola, chia seeds or maybe a cheeky dollop of Nutella.
3. Voila, you're done!

Snack

Roasted pumpkin hummus from Rocco. A perfectly fresh, healthy and delicious option for snacking at home (we know you're doing it...Us too!). 

Ingredients:

• 150g fresh chickpeas
• 100g roasted pumpkin
• 10g tahini paste
• 10g ground cumin
• One garlic clove
• 20ml lemon juice
• 20ml olive oil
• One tsp salt
• One tsp white pepper ground

Method:

1. Soak chickpeas in water overnight, discard water and cook in a pot of water. 
2. Once chickpeas are cooked, add to a food processor with roasted pumpkin.
3. Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and puree until smooth.
4. Add seasoning to taste, top with olive oil, served with crackers or your favourite toasted bread.

Dinner

Beef pad ka prao from Paper Crane. This dish will have you feeling like you are travelling the bustling streets of South East Asia, from your very own lounge room!

Ingredients:

• 200g thinly sliced rump beef
• Canola oil
• 10g garlic
• Chilli (large)
• Small bunch of Thai basil
• 30g oyster sauce
• 30g light soy sauce
• 20g fish sauce
• 20g pomace oil
• 20g sugar
• 200g steamed rice
• One fried egg
• 50g cucumber sliced
• Banana leaf to serve

Method:

1. Steam your rice
2. Add canola oil to wok, fry garlic and chilli until fragrant. Add the beef and continue to cook.
3. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar fish sauce, and stir-fry well. Then add the Thai basil and toss through.
4. In a separate pan fry one egg. 
5. Time to plate up! Place your beef next to steamed rice, top with fried egg and garnish with cucumber.

Cocktail time

Kiwi Crush from Greenfields.

Ingredients: 

• 30ml vodka 
• 30ml Midori
• One kiwi fruit 
• Lemon wedges 
• Soda water 
• Lemonade

Method: 

1. Muddle kiwi fruit and two lemon wedges. 
2. Add liquids 
3. Shake and pour into highball or hurricane glass
4. Top with 1/2 soda water, 1/2 lemonade 
5. Sip, sip, ahh

Cinnameeter from Rocco.

Ingredients: 

• 50ml gin
• 15ml cinnamon sugar syrup
• 30ml lime juice
• 60ml ginger beer

Method: 

1. Add one tsp sugar and one tsp cinnamon with 60ml water and boil until reduced by 3/4/ 
2. Add gin and lime juice. 
3. Shake and strain over ice. 
4. Top with ginger beer. 
5. Zing!

Kan Pai from Paper Crane.

Ingredients: 

• 40ml vodka 
• 20ml elderflower liqueur
• 60ml canned lychees (four pieces)
• 15ml lime juice

Method: 

1. Muddle lychees. 
2. Add liquids 
3. Shake and double strain into martini glass - note, shaken not stirred.
4. Tip! Pop a maraschino cherry inside a lychee and sewer down the middle, rest on glass.