Recipe: Healthy Chilli Con Carne

There are a lot of misconceptions around healthy eating. You can't eat your favourite foods, you can't eat this or that, the food is bland and boring, you have to eat vegetables all the time, you can never have cake, it's a diet. Stop right there. 

You know what? To me, none of that is healthy eating. 

To me healthy eating is about enjoying foods that nourish your body, give you the nutrients you need, make you feel good, make you perform at your best - and those foods taste really, really good. To me, healthy eating isn't a diet - it's a lifestyle. 

Sure, I love vegetables and I eat whole grains - but I love a little bit of chocolate here and there and you'll never see me cutting out sugar or whole food groups or following fad diet plans - it's all about healthy balance. 

To me, healthy eating is reaaaaaaaallyy delicious - and I want it to be the same for you. I'm passionate about showing my family, friends and those of you reading Southern In-Law that healthy food tastes incredible. 

Jesse's Chilli dinner, Southern Style
Healthy Chilli on Brown Rice with
Healthy Cornbread on the side

Jesse was stubborn and told me he'd never like healthy food - but it's safe to say I have certainly proved him wrong. Whether it's Chicken and Bacon Rice Bowls, Noodle Stir Fries, Healthy Chocolate Cake or this Chilli - the boy eats well and he never has to suffer through a meal. So even if your man is the fussiest eater of them all, all you have to do is make sure you leave out the healthy word - and they'll be happy as a pig in mud. 

And when you serve it with Healthy Cornbread - even the fussiest Southern man will be happy.

This Chilli recipe will show you that you can still enjoy comfort food - without extra cushioning on your booty ;P 

Healthy Low Fat Chilli Recipe serves 4, easily multiplied
gluten free, low fat, clean eating friendly, freezer friendly, can be vegan

~250g/9 oz lean beef mince or turkey mince* 
1/2 onion, diced (about a cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tbsp cumin 
1 tsp oregano 
1 tsp paprika 
~1/4 tsp chilli powder
~1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (the chilli and cayenne will depend on how hot you like things)
2 tins of crushed tomatoes (it works out to be about 800g/1.8 lb/28 oz)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tbsp beef stock powder**
1 bay leaf (optional)
1 medium can kidney beans/beans of your choice (about 450g/16 oz)

In a medium saucepan, brown off your mince. Depending on that fat content in your mince, you may need to drain off some of the fat - do this by carefully and gently pouring it out into the sink whilst the water is running. 
Once your mince has browned, set it aside in a clean bowl. 
Brown off your onions with 1 tbsp of water, allowing them to soften before adding in your spices and garlic.
Add your mince back into the pot and stir to combine with the onion mix. 
Add in your tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock powder and stir until mixed through. 
Bring your chilli to the boil before adding your bay leaf, covering and reducing to a low simmer. 
Simmer your chilli, stirring occaisonally, for about 30 minutes to an hour or until it is thick and flavoursome. If you like your chilli thinner, add in some boiling water until it reaches your desired consistency - or if you like it thicker, allow it to continue to thicken for a while longer.
Serve immediately or allow to cool before freezing for a quick meal or storing in the fridge.

Serve it on rice, pasta, quinoa or with a hunk of healthy cornbread - the choice is yours!

*I use either, depending on what's on sale at the grocery store or what we have in the fridge/freezer at the time. When I'm using turkey mince, I tend to add in the beef stock powder when browning off the mince to give it extra flavour. 

If you want to make a vegan/vegetarian version - simply switch the mince for a vegan/vegetarian alternative or leave it out all together, as well as the beef stock powder.

**If using turkey mince, you may want to use slightly more beef stock powder, but first taste it after it has simmered a while to make sure if you need it or not

So tell me, what's your favourite "healthy" dish? 
or what's something you'd like to see me do a healthy makeover on?

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What We're Loving Right Now! [20th May, 2013]

Photo from our Engagement Shoot by the lovely Lucie Zeka

What we're grateful for and what we're loving right now

Spending time together:
Living at home with our family, whilst we're together, we're usually in the middle of the noise and chaos of my family (Mum I mean lovely noise and chaos - but you know what I mean).

This week Jesse had the day off, so we spent the day together chilling out and enjoying time to ourselves - and we went on a bit of a shopping spree for winter clothes and accessories. 

I mean.. I needed a better option than socks on my hands ;) 

Great doctors: 
For years I went to a doctor who treated me like the boy who cried wolf. Granted, I did have dozens of medical problems - but all of those medical problems were real. 

It wasn't until I saw other doctors who took me seriously that I started getting answers. We found out I had coeliac disease, glandular fever, extreme IBS, allergies galore, chronic fatigue - the list goes on and on. 

I'm lucky that the doctor I have now takes me seriously and knows something is up. She suspected something was up with my B-vitamin levels and had full blood work done - and she was right. I didn't have a deficiency like she first thought, but I am pretty much overdosing on vitamin B6 (that 6090 is no typo, it should be between 35-110). 

I'm thankful for doctors who are excellent at what they do - and who actually take time to listen to your concerns. Gemma will answer all of my questions, look up information for me, send me home with things to read over and she knows when further testing needs to be done. She apologises for all the jabs, stabs and bruises - but I'm grateful for them. 

Tea and Fiance's who make it for you 
Cold weather means I am almost constantly clutching at a cup of tea. English breakfast, green tea, peppermint tea, roobois tea, chai tea - you name it - and I often add hot chocolates to that list too. 

Jesse has recently realised that he can make me tea (he always uses the excuse of not wanting to make me sick as the reason he doesn't get me anything haha) so he has now been fixing my tea of a night. It's the simple things like that which put you in a better mood. 

Working with fabulous companies 
Rebel Sport hooked me up with their new Super Natural Range. Whilst the clothes didn't fit me, I wanted to share the love and so I gifted it to a beautiful friend of mine.

There's nothing better than seeing a smile on a friends face and knowing you can share your blessings with the ones who bless you with their friendship. Soon I'll be sharing the blessings with you as Rebel also gave me two sets of the entire Super Natural Range to give away!!

Thumb holes!
I did keep one of the Super Natural 1/4 Zip Tops to test out as it wasn't ridiculously big (I don't like things really tight anyway) and I was happy to see it had thumb holes! Seriously - thumb holes are the greatest invention and I kinda sorta pick long sleeved workout clothes based on whether they do or do not have them. 

The top is fabulous - the fabric is so soft and comfy and whilst it's thin, it really regulates your body temperature. 

Salty, crunchy pistachios
We're pistachio lovers (just look at my Pistachio Ricotta Pasta!) but sometimes the roasted pistachios you buy in the shops just aren't good. Not salty enough on the actual nut, way too salty, not crunchy, too hard to open - but not Wonderful Pistachios. We're obsessed. 

They're always crunchy and just salty enough. You can buy them in Coles and Woolworths and they come in three flavours - Roasted and Salted, Salt and Pepper and Sweet Chilli. We like them the classic way with just salt, but they are perfect for entertaining when you want to put out a different snack. I want to try and come up with a new recipe to use them in - but I'm not sure if they'd last long enough. As soon as we buy them, Jesse demolishes the packet :P 

Family Time 
My sister is currently obsessed with Mario Kart - and Jesse and I have been known to be rather competitive. We spent a couple of hours versing eachother and laughing ourselves silly and it made me realise how lucky I am to have a fiance who fits perfectly into our family. 

I'm also lucky to have a sister who is healthy and happy (this week we found the holes in her lungs have healed - much to our and the doctors delight and surprise!).

St Ive's skincare products
Because of all of my health problems, I still struggle with my skin from time to time. I have the world's most sensitive skin so finding products that are gentle enough but still work well enough can be a challenge. 

I was sent some products from St Ive's to try and I have fallen in love. The Green Tea Cleanser is my absolute favourite - it smells amazing and whilst it's really gentle and calming, it leaves you with that fresh and clean feeling. I've also been using the Apricot Face Scrub which is just as awesome - and I love that everything is 100% natural and so gentle whilst working to clear, clean and calm your skin. I actually love it so much that I've switched to St Ive's instead of the Dermalogica I was using.

Taking time for myself
Lately I've realised that I really need to stop what I'm doing, sit down and relax - because I tend to be going non-stop from about 6am until 7pm every day. If I'm not working I'm on the phone for work/blog calls, writing blog posts, editing photos, testing recipes, cooking dinner, packing lunches, making breakfasts, cleaning the house - or just generally being busy. 

Taking just an hour out of my day to drop everything, relax and read a book is making so much difference in my mental state.

Catching up with old friends
This weekend we've had friends staying over from Adelaide. We haven't seen them in 6 years and we've missed them so much - so it was incredible to catch up once more. You know you have a great friend when you can pick up right where you left of - regardless of how long it may have been.

Kristina is also a coeliac (and the reason I've always known about gluten allergies and coeliac disease since I was little) so it was fun having someone else in the house who gets things. We had a delicious dinner with Mini Brown Rice Quiches and Cheesy Quinoa Bakes, salads and finished off with my Healthy Double Chocolate Brownies which were once again made into a cake and topped with a thin layer of Cadbury Philadelphia - it's always a winner!

So tell me, what are you loving at the moment?
anything we should be buying/watching/reading/eating?

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Kristy and Jesse received Wonderful Pistachios and St Ive's Skincare courtesy of Wonderful Pistachio Australia's and St Ive's PR Teams. There was no obligation to share these products and all opinions expressed are their own. 

Recipe: Healthy Potato Salad (Mayo-less but so creamy!)

Every family has their staple recipes. The recipes which get passed down from generation to generation and are always asked for when the question comes up of "what should I bring?"

My Mum's Creamy Potato Salad is one of those recipes. My Uncle could eat a bucket of it, it appears on the table every Christmas time and is a frequent addition at barbeques. 

Truth be known? I'm not a fan - at all. You see, I hate mayonnaise and I always have. It tastes too eggy, too icky, too ugh. The potato salad was always that dish I avoided like the plague because it was mayo-central. 

So when I wanted to create a healthy creamy potato salad, guess what went first? The mayonnaise - and I promise you're not going to miss it. This potato salad is really good - and everyone liked it (even the yogurt haters - because they didn't know it was yogurt!). Best of all, it's so so simple. 

So lets get to the recipe!

Healthy Potato Salad 

gluten free, low fat, vegetarian, clean eating friendly

900g/2 lbs new potatoes, washed and chopped into pieces

1/2 tbsp lemon juice 

3/4 cup greek yogurt (I used Chobani 0% Plain) 

2 tsp dijon mustard 

1/2 tsp garlic salt

A handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Optional: boiled eggs, peeled and chopped (you can use the whole egg or just the whites - I used a mix of both)

Boil your potatoes until tender. Drain and run under cold water to cool. 

Gently mix your lemon juice with your potatoes and place into the fridge to cool in a mixing bowl.

Mix your yogurt, mustard, parsley and garlic salt in a bowl until combined (and eggs if using). 

Mix your yogurt mixture through your potatoes, stirring until all potatoes are coated. 

Pour your potato salad into a serving bowl and serve immediately - or place into the fridge until ready to serve. 

So tell me, what's your family's staple recipe?

and are you a mayo fan?

Other dishes that are staples in our house are my Apple Crumble Cake, Healthy Chocolate Brownies, Mum's Curry, Pumpkin and Feta Salad (almost like the couscous salad!)

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Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Couscous Salad

If you follow @southerninlaw on Instagram, read the meal plan in our weekly newsletter - or even follow us on Twitter or Facebook - you'd know I have a bit of a problem. 

That problem is an addiction...... to Freelicious' Gluten Free Couscous.

Before going gluten free, I'd never tried couscous - but when Freelicious came out with their Gluten Free Corn Couscous - I knew I had to try it. Since first trying it, I haven't been able to stop eating it. It's so good! 

To the point where I have to stop myself from eating it every. single. night. and I think it's okay to eat it four nights in a row, because duh I changed the pumpkin to roasted sweet potato so it's different. 

The other day I asked Jesse what I should have for dinner and he said "not couscous" because I'd had it so often - and I'm buying 6000 tonnes of feta cheese just because it tastes so good with it. Mum said the other week "Kristy, why is there 4 blocks of feta cheese in the fridge?" and that was because a) it was on sale b) I need to feed my addiction, literally.

I know what you're thinking - you saw raisins up there and you're thinking.. "Oh wow.. now she's really lost it".... Bear with me, you won't regret it. 

The chewy, sweet raisins give this couscous salad a whole new level of deliciousness. We had a dinner party on Saturday and my Dad saw me putting raisins in the couscous and said "Oh yuck Kristy... I don't think anyone really wants that except you" (because I am known for odd combinations) only to eat the couscous that night and say "you're pretty smart aren't you - you think outside the box and it works, I love the raisins"

But then again - I won't say anything if you leave them out other than WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING THEY TOTALLY MAKE THE DISH!

It's safe to say this Pumpkin and Feta Couscous Salad is perfect for entertaining as everyone loved it! I'd even call it amazeballs good, but Jesse hates when I say that ;P 

But enough yapping and onto the recipe, huh? 

Roasted Pumpkin and Feta Couscous Salad - serves 4-6 

Gluten free, low fat, vegetarian, clean eating friendly 
1 1/2 cups Freelicious Corn Couscous*

1 cup boiling water (you can also use stock for extra flavour)

1/3 tsp garlic salt

1 1/2 cups butternut pumpkin, diced and roasted** 

~1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 

3 cups baby spinach 

1 clove garlic, crushed

Handful of raisins

In a saucepan, cook your couscous with the water and garlic salt according to the package directions, fluffing with a fork as you go.

Once your couscous has cooked, pour it into a mixing bowl to cool off. 

In the same pan, add your spinach and crushed garlic and cook over a medium heat until wilted, stirring constantly. 

Once the spinach has wilted, remove from the heat and mix your spinach and roasted pumpkin through your couscous. 

Place your mixing bowl into the fridge to chill. 

Once the couscous has chilled, mix through your crumbled feta and raisins. 

Serve cold or warm slightly. 

*If you don't have the corn couscous, you could also use regular couscous (though you may need to adapt the seasonings as the flavour will be different)

**I roast my pumpkin in garlic and herbs at about 200°C/400°F until caramelised and browned. You can also use roasted sweet potato if you prefer!

So tell me, raisins in a salad - yay or nay? 

and what's your crowd pleasing dinner party dish?

Kristy purchased the Freelicious Corn Couscous herself and has not had any communication with the company about this recipe or post. She's just an addict.

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Recipe: Crustless Spinach and Ricotta Quinoa Quiche

Sometimes you just don't have time to make dinner - or lunch for that matter - and sometimes you just don't feel like cooking anything. 

There's nothing wrong with that - it happens to me all the time! That's why I have freezer friendly meals sitting pretty in the freezer, waiting for that lunchtime or dinnertime where I want something quick and don't want to cook a thing. 

Currently our freezer has 2 Spinach and Feta Bakes, Brown Rice Quiches (two mini single serves ones, with chicken and without) and 3 cheesy quinoa bakes. It also has one of these delicious Spinach and Ricotta Quinoa Quiches. 

Whether you're short on time, or just want something yummy to serve up for lunch or dinner - this recipe is a winner! It's kid friendly, nutritious, low fat, gluten free, clean eating friendly and the perfect warm winter dinner. You can change it up to add whatever you feel like - so don't be afraid to add your own additions!

It's a crustless "quiche" type quinoa bake with fluffy innards and delicious cheesy outers. You can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge, freeze it for quick meals or make it in mini muffin tins for kids or parties! 

For my meat eating man, I add chicken or bacon for some extra oomph - but it tastes incredible on its own!

Crustless Spinach and Ricotta Quinoa Quiche - serves four 
Gluten free, low fat, clean eating friendly, kid friendly
1 cup dry quinoa, cooked as per directions (~180g)
~350g frozen spinach, thawed (or see below for a quick option!)
1 cup ricotta cheese/cottage cheese 
2/3 cup egg whites or 3 eggs or 1 egg + 1/3C whites (I use Simply Egg Whites)
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt 
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (~60g) 
Optional: cooked chicken/bacon, sliced ham, additional veggies/spices etc.

Preheat your oven to 180°C/355°F

Prepare individual ramekins/baking dishes or a medium pie dish or baking dish by greasing and/or lining with baking paper. 
Cook your quinoa as per instructions. If you haven't thawed your spinach, add it into the pot with the quinoa when it's almost finished cooking and stir, allowing to thaw and break up. 
Pour your quinoa and spinach mixture into your baking dish(es)
Mix your ricotta, egg whites/eggs, garlic salt and parmesan and pour into baking dish(es). 
Place quiche into the oven and bake until cooked through and golden on top (about 45 minutes). 
Allow to cool slightly before slicing and/or serving. 

So tell me, what's your go to quick and easy dinner? (or lunch!)

PS: A HUGE thank you to all of you lovelies who took the time to send me a comment/message/email yesterday letting me know you're thinking of me/praying for me or even just asking how my doctors appointment went. I'm so blessed to have so many amazing readers and blog friends who truly care. You fill my heart with happiness and I'm ever so grateful <3 xoxo

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Our Weekend, a la Instagram - 11-12th May, 2013

I've received lots of requests from readers asking if I'd post regular every day posts - especially as I don't often post on a weekend. So, I decided that a weekly weekend recap was due!  Now, you have to know - we're actually really boring - but you'll see that!

My Saturday morning was spent prepping food for friends who were coming over for dinner - couscous was made, eggs boiled, potatoes cut and boiled, veggies cut, pumpkin roasted and then we headed out to buy some Mother's Day gift supplies!

The rest of our morning/day was spent at Bunnings Warehouse, finding the supplies for our Mother's Day present for my beautiful Mama. 

We decided to build her her own little herb patch and set out to find the perfect pot, herbs and supplies. 

We walked away with our wallets a little lighter and herbs and supplies stuffed into the car (my Dad's car is always full thanks to work tools in the boot) 

Our friends cancelled at the last minute, however, we had way too much food for the five of us - so I quickly called the neighbours and invited them over for dinner!

In the end, we had a lovely night - with a Chobani Avocado Dip (Jesse is obsessed and even my yogurt hating sister loves it!), Couscous Salad , Mayo-less creamy potato salad (recipes to come for everything!), steaks, grilled chicken and my secretly healthy double chocolate brownies made into a cake with Cadbury philadelphia cream cheese frosting on top for dessert.

Sunday I woke up feeling queasy, so it was my old fix (turned gluten free) of Vegemite Mighty Mite on Toast and a big cup of peppermint tea. 

Unfortunately my old fix didn't work very well and I felt terrible for the whole day. 

Jesse and I didn't exactly read the instructions on the pot sealer, but when we did - we found we then needed to do at least 2 coats of the sealer, waiting 4 hours in between and then another 48 hours after that. 

Sooooooo... we sealed the pot - and left the actual building of the herb garden to another day. 

My queasiness didn't ease up so I spent the rest of my Sunday snuggling with my little love and laying in the sun reading my book (currently reading Nanny Returns by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin) whilst Jesse helped my Dad do things around the house and played the dreaded WoW. 

Jesse had to wake up at 5am this morning so I was the perfect wife-to-be and made him and my Dad breakfast and lunch (FYI, the Chicken Bacon Rice Bowl makes a perfect hot lunch on the go - and so easy!) ready to go in the morning. 

That all sounds fine..... until I dropped one of the thermos bowls on the floor and we had chicken and bacon rice eveeeeeeeeeeeerywhere but the bowl. So I quickly whipped up something else for my Dad - mixing a small can of tuna with napolitana/marinara pasta sauce I had made and put in the fridge and adding in a cup of pre-cooked brown rice. 

It has been getting really cold in the mornings here and as I walk outside of a morning (I seriously need a treadmill) I put on as many layers as possible.

This morning I couldn't find any mittens or gloves and my hands were freezing - so I left the house with socks on my hands, pulled all the way up to my elbows. It worked - though I seriously need new gloves!

This morning I headed off to a doctor's appointment where I found out that I'm not actually crazy and the numbness and weakness I have been feeling throughout my body actually has a real cause.

See that B6 level up there? That star is there for a very good reason. You should have between 35-110 nmol/L of Vitamin B6 in your body. I have 6090 nmol/L. 

In other words, my body is hoarding Vitamin B6 and not getting rid of it as it should (B vitamins are water soluble - and you know what that means). The side effects of B6 toxicity is sensory neuropathy which is the loss of feeling in the nerves. Unfortunately this can be irreversible - so we don't know if it will get better. The doctor hopes that we caught it just in time and I am stopping all of the B vitamin supplements I have been on (as well as iron supplements which also have B6). 

The blood test was initially ordered as the doctors suspected that my fatigue and weakness was caused by lack of B-vitamins - but it turns out the opposite is true! As I said to my Mama, I don't like to do things by halves - clearly!

I also still have glandular fever/mono and have had for a year - so the doctor thinks that is still very likely the reason why I suffer from chronic fatigue and bouts of nausea/dizziness. 

Now to stop taking B vitamins and start getting better!

So tell me, what are your plans for the week?

and do you pack your lunch for work/school? what's your favourite?

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Happy Mother's Day, Mum!

I'm lucky. 

I have not only the greatest Mum in the world (I'm a little biased) - but she's also my best friend. She's someone I love spending time with, someone I can laugh with, someone I can tell everything to and someone who gets me - even when I'm in a random mood. 

Whilst I long for Jesse and I to have our own place, I'm so grateful that we're living with my family - and Jesse now gets to have a relationship with my family as well. 

My Mum is my greatest cheerleader, my defence team, my support system, my psychiatrist, my nurse, my chauffer (hehe), my shopping buddy, my PA, my financial advisor, my wedding planning assistant and my Mum - among many, many other things. 

Today Jesse and I will be setting up the little herb garden we bought her for mothers day.

We picked out the herbs she uses the most in cooking so that she can have fresh herbs whenever she needs them (or I need them - thanks Mama!)

We have a gorgeous big pot, soil, different herbs and we've got to get our green thumbs on. 

I love you, Mama. Happy Mother's Day 

And my beautiful mother-in-law-to-be, Marilyn, didn't get forgotten either! Jesse and I had flowers sent to her to let her know how much we love her and are thinking about her! Perhaps one day we'll have a big Mother's Day celebration with both Mums here. 

A huge Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful blog friends and readers who are Mums - or soon to be Mums! Sending big hugs your way for all of the wonderful things you do <3

So tell me, how are you spoiling your Mum this Mother's Day? 

and if you're a Mama yourself - how are you being spoilt?!

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