Crunchy Vietnamese Chicken Salad

So full of flavour, super crunchy, healthy and delicious...what more could you want?

Ingredients:
4 single chicken breast fillets
1/2 (about 730g) wombok (Chinese cabbage), hard core removed, finely shredded
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
1 bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked
2 small carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks
2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
1 Red capsicum, cut into matchsticks
4 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
2 cups trimmed bean sprouts
2 fresh red birdseye chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs caster sugar
1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Changs original fried noodles

Method Place the chicken in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, turning once, for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Coarsely shred.Combine the wombok, mint, coriander, carrot, cucumber, shallot and bean sprouts in a bowl. Whisk the chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a small jug. Add the chicken to the salad and toss to combine. Drizzle over dressing. Divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with peanuts and noodles to serve.
 Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

Yummy, budget friendly, good for you and the kids love it not to mention its one pot cooking so less washup!

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 karge onion finely chopped
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
2 medium carrots finely chopped
1 zucchini finely chopped
1 small tub tomato paste (salt reduced)
2x 420g cans of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons vegeta stock powder
enough water to cover vegies
dried italian herbs to taste
1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
1 220g can baked beans
1 cup uncooked macaroni pasta

Method:
Put the first 4 ingredients into a large soup pot and add enough water to cover the vegies. Add the vegeta stock anddried herbs then simmer on a medium heat until vegies are softened approx 15-20 mins. Scoop the sum off the surface of the soup and discard. Add canned tomatoes and and macaroni pasta, continue cooking for 10 minutes then add the zucchini. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until pasta and zucchini is soft. Add the tomato paste and baked beans mix well then add the fresh parsley.
Serve with warm crusty bread and a bit of butter.
Enjoy!

Banana & Honey Muffins

Yummo, great for an after school treat for the kids or pack them in the lunchbox....super yummy for the adults too, dont let the kids have them all!

Ingredients:
2 very ripe bananas (you know the ones that are soft that the kids wont eat cause they have all brown spots on the skin)
1 egg
3 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 thin slices of banana for decorating the top (optional)

Method:
combine banana, egg, oil, honey and water in a large mixing bowl. mix with hand held blender until banana is mushed in but there are still some small chunks in there. Sift remaining ingredients into the banana mixture and mix with blender until just combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a round tablespoon and scoop into muffin patties equally (approx one heaped tablespoon per patty)
Bake in oven on the middle shelf at 180 degrees for approx 15-20 mins or until golden and muffin springs back when touched in the centre.
 Enjoy!