In celebration of the launch of the Kitchen Lab in the new Bond Institute of Health & Sport North extension, we are sharing four recipe favourites - with a focus on delicious, sustainable and nutritious ingredients - created by Bond's nutrition and dietetics team.
Discover the ingredients and methods below to whip up buckwheat banana bread, carrot dip, baked tempeh crisps, and zucchini slice.
Buckwheat banana bread
Buckwheat is a gluten-free quick-growing sustainable grain. Overripe bananas can be frozen and used in the recipe in place of fresh bananas to reduce home food waste. This recipe can also use overripe bananas sourced from supermarkets to help reduce banana waste in Australia (Northern Queensland throws out 500 metric tons of bananas per week). It is also versatile – the bananas can be substituted with grated zucchini or carrot, and the egg and yoghurt for plant-based alternatives (chia seeds, coconut yoghurt).
This recipe can be baked in an electric oven utilising solar power to reduce carbon emissions. Perfect finger food – meaning no need for packaging or crockery.
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Ingredients
1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
1 cup demerara or raw sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bi-carb soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1/2 cup Greek or natural yoghurt
1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract -
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C. Line a 21cm x 10cm x 7cm loaf pan with baking paper.
2. Place the buckwheat flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix to combine.
3. Add the banana, egg, yoghurt, oil and vanilla and mix to combine.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 50 mins -1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Carrot dip
This recipe uses basic food products that are usually found in the cupboard, thus decreasing waste/unnecessary purchasing. This recipe uses imperfect vegetables (carrots) to reduce food waste. This dish is plant-forward (centred around low-emission plant foods) and easy to make vegan (substitute dairy for vegan alternative). The dip is not a standalone snack, often served with crusty bread or vegetable sticks. Serving carrot dip alongside crostini (toasted bread brushed with olive oil) helps reduce waste by using up stale bread – Australia’s most wasted food.
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 medium carrots, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1.5 cups Greek-style yoghurt
Pinch of salt -
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large fry pan set over medium-high heat.
2. Add the carrots and garlic to the pan and cook until just softened.
3. Remove from the pan and let cool.
4. Place the cooled carrot mixture, yoghurt and salt in a large mixing or serving bowl and mix to combine.
5. Serve with vegetable sticks, rice/seeded crackers, toasted bread or as a sauce for grilled meat or fish.
Baked tempeh crisps
Soy-based products like tempeh contain high biological value proteins, making them a perfect plant-based alternative to meat. Tempeh is a sustainable food choice as it is relatively low in resources I.e. carbon footprint, uses less water than many other crops and is land efficient. This is an easy finger food snack that does not require single-use packaging/crockery to store and consume. Tempeh and soy-based produce are readily available in most supermarkets in Australia.
The tempeh can be baked in an electric solar-powered oven to reduce carbon footprint. Can be eaten as a standalone snack or consumed with vegetable salsas and dips, that increase vegetable variety and consumption.
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Ingredients
250g tempeh
Spray oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of salt -
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Cut the tempeh block into four square and then cut each block into thin square slices.
3. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic, onion and salt.
4. Place the tempeh slices on a baking tray and spray lightly with cooking oil. Sprinkle half the spice blend over the tempeh. Flip tempeh, spray with oil and sprinkle on the remaining spice blend.
5. Bake the tempeh for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until tempeh is golden brown and crisp.
Zucchini slice
This recipe uses basic food products that are usually found in the cupboard and thus decreasing waste/unnecessary purchasing. This recipe used imperfect vegetables to reduce food waste. This plant-forward recipe has replaced the bacon (usually used in traditional zucchini slices) and used caramelised onion and locally-sourced sautéed mushrooms to add umami flavour. Local, ethical, and sustainable dairy sources can be prioritised, or the dish can be made vegan by using vegan alternatives.
This dish can be baked in an electric oven utilising solar power to reduce carbon emissions.
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Ingredients
375 gram zucchini, finely grated
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup grated vintage cheddar cheese
1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbsp extra
5 eggs
¼ tsp garlic salt
salt, pepper
fresh herbs, to garnish -
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
2. In a sauté pan or skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is cooked out and the mushrooms are tender and onions are soft.
3. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, onion, mushrooms, cheese, flour, oil, and lightly beaten eggs. Add garlic salt and season with pepper.
4. Pour into a well greased lamington tin (16cm x 26cm).
5. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until well browned.
6. Cut into squares and garnish with fresh herbs, if desired, before serving.