From zingy kimchi to savoury miso, these three recipes bring serious taste and gut-loving goodness to the table. Get ready to spice up your dinner routine with bold tastes, happy tummies and recipes that are as fun to make as they are to eat. 

Roast veg pasta salad with avo-kefir dressing

Serves 4-6

The perfect office lunch! You can save prep time by using ready-cut roasting veg instead. 

Ingredients

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
400g baby marrow
500g diced butternut 
1 red onion
Olive oil blend
Salt and milled pepper 

For the dressing

2 cups kefir
½-1 avocado, diced
2 Tbsp basil pesto
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and milled pepper  

250g pasta of choice, cooked
Handful of fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley or coriander), chopped
1 disc feta, crumbled
¼ cup pumpkin seeds or seed mix, toasted 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.  
2. Cut peppers, baby marrow and butternut into equal-sized chunks, about 2cm. Cut onion into 6 wedges, then halve each wedge to cubes.  
3. Arrange all the vegetables together on 2 baking trays (to avoid overcrowding, which results in steaming instead of roasting). Toss with oil and season. 
4. Roast for 30 minutes or until caramelized and tender. Set aside to cool. 
5. Meanwhile, blitz together dressing ingredients using a stick blender.  
6. Toss together vegetables, dressing, pasta, herbs and feta. 
7. Sprinkle with seeds just before serving.    

Cook’s note
Don’t have a stick blender? Mash avocado finely before whisking together with other ingredients.  

 

Miso-butter mushroom pasta

Serves 4

Miso paste brings an umami tsunami to any dish! This mushroom base can be served on fried rice, mash or polenta, or tossed with noodles too.  

Ingredients

2 Tbsp canola oil
6 red baby onions, halved 
1 packet (6’s) medium-large brown mushrooms, halved
1 packet (250g) portabellini and/or shiitake mushrooms 
2 Tbsp brown miso paste
¼ cup hot water
½ cup melted butter 
3 cloves garlic, sliced 
400g white kidney beans, rinsed and drained 
Milled pepper
200g baby spinach, blanched
400g pasta or noodles, cooked 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.  
2. Heat oil in an oven proof pan (if you don’t have one, transfer to an oven-safe dish later). 
3. Fry onions over high heat for 3-4 minutes until well browned. Remove and set aside.  
4. Fry mushrooms in 2 batches, frying for about 3-4 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat and return any mushrooms and the onions to the pan.  
5. Whisk together miso paste and hot water until smooth. Add butter and whisk to combine, then pour into pan to coat veg. Toss in garlic and beans and season. (Remember, miso paste is salty, so season lightly.) 
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until sauce is reduced and veg is tender and caramelised.  
7. Remove and toss through spinach and pasta or noodles, allowing spinach to wilt in residual heat, then serve. 

Good to know
Miso paste comes in different colours. The darker the colour, the more intense the flavour is due to longer fermentation. White miso, on the other hand, is slightly sweet and mild. 

 

Korean fried kimchi burgers

Serves 4

We like using kimchi as a condiment to keep the healthy bacteria created during fermentation alive, which promotes good gut health.  

Ingredients

For the glaze (optional)

3 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup honey
¼ cup rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar) 
¼ cup Flaming Thai gochujang sauce  

For the crumbed chicken

4 chicken breast fillets 
Salt and milled pepper
2 eggs
½ cup kimchi brine
1 cup flour
2 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
1½ cups breadcrumbs
Canola or sunflower oil, for shallow-frying  

For serving

4 slices Cheddar 
4 burger buns, toasted if you like 
Mayonnaise 
Salad leaves
400g kimchi, chopped smaller if you like 

Method

1. Combine glaze ingredients in a small pot and cook for about 5 minutes to thicken to a honey-like consistency. Set aside. 
2. Butterfly open the chicken breast. (You can choose to slice in half, creating two short halves and 8 chicken pieces in total.) Season well.  
3. Whisk together egg and kimchi brine.  
4. Mix together flour, spices and breadcrumbs. 
5. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then in seasoned flour. Repeat to create a double coating. Chill for 10 minutes to firm up coating.  
6. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
7. Heat about 2½cm oil in pan until shimmering hot.  
8. Shallow-fry chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes a side or until deep brown colour all around. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Season. 
9. Place chicken on a baking tray and bake for 4-5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  
10. Remove and immediately brush glaze over chicken and top with cheese. 
11. Spread mayonnaise over buns and top with salad leaves, chicken fillets and kimchi, then sandwich close. Serve warm. 

Cook’s note
The glaze on chicken burgers is optional. If you choose to omit it, make sure to put enough mayo on your burger.