Category: Recipes

Here is an easy week-night recipe that uses Thai red curry paste and is packed with nutritious spices, ginger and veggies to keep your immune system boosted.

What You Need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 200ml coconut milk (small tin)
• 200ml milk of choice
• 500-600gg white fish fillets (such as hake or kingklip), cut into 2cm-cube pieces
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 handful baby spinach leaves
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (or low-sodium soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Fresh coriander, for garnishing
• Rice, to serve

Method:

1/ Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cooking for another minute until fragrant.

2/ Add the Thai red curry paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, sauteing.

3/ Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.

4/ Add the fish and veggies. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

5/ Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice to taste. Cook for another minute.

6/ Serve the curry over jasmine rice and garnish with fresh coriander.

At Medshield, we’re here to support and help our members to live a healthy lifestyle. At Medshield Movement, we have loads of healthy, easy-to-make recipes that are not only good for you, but taste great too! This summer, we’ve got some sizzling recipes that will be great on the braai, like these grilled veggie and halloumi skewers!

These vegetarian skewers are easy to make and offer a great healthy alternative to fatty meats. Either add them as a supplement to your usual braai or as the main and rope the children in to make them! Just remember to soak your skewers in water first, to prevent burning.

Notes:
You can swap out the veggies for any of your other favourites, like button mushrooms, aubergine slices or patty pans.
Make this recipe vegan by swapping the halloumi cheese out for cubes of marinated tofu.
Add more or less veggies depending on the numbers you’d like to feed.

What You Need:
         For the skewers:

• Pre-soaked wooden skewers
• 1 large red pepper, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 large yellow pepper, cut into 2cm pieces
• 2-3 medium-large courgettes (baby marrows), cut into 1-2cm rounds
• 500-600g halloumi, cut into 2-3cm squares
• Rosa tomatoes
• Red onion slices (optional)
  Basting:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1/ Prepare and chop all your veggies and set aside in a bowl. Place the halloumi slices ina  separate bowl.

2/ In a small bowl, whisk together the basting ingredients and set aside.

3/ Pour half of the basting sauce over the halloumi, toss to coat and set aside for about 15 minutes.

4/ Start to prep your skewers by alternating veggies with halloumi. For example: cherry tomato, pepper square, halloumi cube, courgette slice and a slice of red onion.

5/ Place the skewers on the braai and grill for about 10–12 minutes, turning every few minutes to ensure even charring. Brush the skewers with basting as they cook. Once the skewers are slightly charred and the halloumi is golden, remove from the heat and enjoy!

Sometimes you just want to eat a whole cucumber… and all the other great crunchy greens that the spring harvest brings! Think herbs, peas, tenderstem greens and the last couple months of avocado season! Here, we help you build the tastiest yummiest crunchy salad for lunch or to serve as a side dish.

What You Need:

• 80-100g baby spinach leaves
• 40-50g watercress leaves
• 1 whole english cucumber
• 80-100g tenderstem broccoli
• 80-100g sugar snap peas
• 10g each basil, mint, Italian parsley or coriander
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 3-4 spring onions
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
• ⅓ pumpkin seeds
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 TBSP olive oil

Method:

1/ Prepare a large salad platter or bowl and place the green leaves down as the base.

2/ Using a peeler, cut very thin slices of your tenderstem broccoli and add that, along with the sliced florets onto your green leaves.

3/ Using a peeler, create cucumber ribbons by peeling long thin slices lengthways. Scratter these on top of the leaves.

4/ Slice the sugar snap-peas lengthways, exposing some of the beautiful peas inside. Add these to the platter.

5/ Roughly chop the herbs and add to the bowl.

6/ Slice your avocado flesh and scatter on top of the salad layers.

7/ Thinly slice the white and pale green parts of the spring onions only and add these to the salad.

8/ Add your seeds to a dry pan set over medium heat and toast gently until just turning slightly golden and beginning to pop.

9/ Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil and drizzle over the salad, garnishing with the seeds and zest.

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Looking for another fresh, crunchy salad to try? Make this Spring Greens salad recipe: https://medshieldmovement.co.za/spring-greens-salad-recipe/

Looking for a tasty way to pack in those seasonal spring greens? Try this light phyllo pastry tart recipe – great for an easy lunch with salad or to slice up as snacks and serve around a braai or as a starter for a dinner party. 

This recipe can be made as one large sheet tray tart or as mini tartlets and features an abundance of tasty spring greens like asparagus and courgette ribbons. It includes cheese, but you can easily swap this out for a vegan cream cheese or dot with vegan feta on top or crumbled tofu for a high in protein, plant-based version.
Looking for gluten-free phyllo pastry? Try South African company, Off The Gluten Path.

What You Need:

• 8 sheets of phyllo pastry 
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for brushing pastry), plus extra
• 100g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed and sliced
• 10 asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced
• 4-6 small courgettes, sliced into thin ribbons using a peeler
• 200g smooth ricotta (or whipped silken tofu for plant-based)
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 100g of feta, for crumbling on top
  1 beaten egg (optional, for a more golden pastry) or plant-based milk
• Fresh herbs (optional): parsley, mint or basil for garnishing

Looking for an easy family-friendly weeknight meal? Try this homemade basil pesto pasta: https://medshieldmovement.co.za/healthy-and-quick-vegan-basil-pesto-pasta/ 

Method:

1/ Preheat your oven to 180°C. 

2/ On a large clean wooden board, lay out one sheet of phyllo pastry. Brush it lightly with a little olive oil, then layer another sheet on top. Repeat this process until you have 4 layers of pastry. Cut the phyllo into rectangles or squares, depending on your preferred size for the tartlets. Repeat with the remaining 4 pastry sheets for the second set of tartlets. 

3/ On a large, baking-paper lined baking tray, place the phyllo slices and shape them as desired. (Alternatively, use mini tart trays or ramekins). Brush with a little egg or plant-based milk if using. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. While this is happening, prepare the vegetables. 

4/ Blanch the tenderstem broccoli and asparagus in boiling water for 1-2 minutes only. Drain, pat dry and set aside. 

5/ In a bowl, combine the smooth ricotta (or tofu) with minced garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Spoon this onto the bases of the tartlets (or tart). Then divide and arrange the vegetables on top. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of feta (if using). 

6/ Return the tartlets to the oven and bake for a further 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the cheese begins to lightly brown. 

7/ Serve with some fresh herbs of your choice!

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Looking for a crunchy salad recipe? Make this cabbage salad: https://medshieldmovement.co.za/crunchy-cabbage-salad-thats-delicious-and-filling/

In the middle of winter, there’s nothing better than a big bowl of tasty comfort food – and this can be both healthy and delicious! This veggie-packed cottage pie is vegan-friendly, high in plant protein and super-nutritious. It’s also great for meal-planning!

Whether you’re meal-planning for the week or whipping up a big oven dish for the family, this veggie cottage pie ticks all the boxes! Swapping out regular potatoes for orange sweet potatoes ups the dose of beta-carotene – Vitamin A  – which aids in immune support.
This recipe uses lentils and peas for plant protein, but you could replace it with 250g minced beef for a meat version or with plant-based mince.
There is an option to top the sweet potato mash with grated cheese or Parmesan at the end, you can leave this off completely or use plant-based cheese as you like. The mash recipe contains nutritional yeast, which will already provide a slight cheesy flavour.

What You Need:

• 1 large brown onion, finely diced
• Olive oil
• 2 large carrots, peels and grated
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely diced
• ½ tsp each: dried thyme, dried rosemary, smoky paprika, coriander powder and cumin
• ½ glass red wine* (optional)
• ½ cup finely chopped brown mushrooms
• ½ cup finely chopped baby marrow (zucchini)
• 1 tin brown lentils, drained
• ½ cup of frozen peas
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
  1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock

  Topping:

• 3-4 orange sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces
• ¼ cup oat or soya milk (plant milk of your choice)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Handful of cheese / plant-based cheese (optional), for topping

Method:

1/ Start by sautéing your onion in a little olive oil in a large pan set over a medium heat. After a couple minutes, add the celery, carrots and garlic and saute until fragrant and just cooked, about 3 minutes. Add your dried herbs and spices and saute for a further minute or 2. if using red wine, add it now to deglaze the pan and bring in flavour.

2/ Add a little more olive oil, as needed and add the mushrooms, baby marrows, lentils and peas to the pan and sauté.

3/ Add in the chopped tomatoes and paste and one cup of stock and simmer, stirring occasionally. Time to preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius!

4/ In the meantime, prepare the potatoes by adding the pieces to a pot of boiling water and cook for around 15 minutes until soft enough to mash. Once cooked, drain and place in a bowl with a little milk and olive oil and mash until lumps are removed. Stir in the nutritional yeast and seasoning to taste.

5/ Once the lentil mixture is cooked, spoon it into a large baking dish. Top with the sweet potato and nutritional yeast mash and spread over evenly. Option to add a handful of cheese of your choice over the top before popping in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

This recipe makes use of orange veg packed with beta-carotene to help support your immune system, boost brain health and improve skin and eye health. It’s really simple and works well for meal-prepping too.

What You Need:

• 500g chopped pumpkin
• 3-4 large carrots, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic
  Olive oil
  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  1 brown onion, finely diced
• 3cm piece ginger, very finely diced
  ½ tsp each: ground cumin, ground coriander, ground paprika, red chilli flakes, ground cinnamon
  1 litre vegetable stock
  ½ tin coconut milk or cream (optional)
  Handful fresh coriander, chopped
• Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnishing (optional)

Method:

1/ Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. On a baking tray, place your pumpkin, carrots and cloves of garlic (skin on) and spread them out evenly. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 35 minutes or until cooked evenly, flipping the veg over half way.

2/ While the veg is roasting, sauté the onion in a little olive oil until translucent, then add the ginger and the spices. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.

3/ Add the roast veg to the pop of stock and squeeze the cloves of garlic into the pot, discarding the skins.

4/ Using a hand-held blender, blitz the veg and stock together until your soup forms.

5/ If using coconut cream, stir into the soup. Stir in the coriander leaves. Taste to check seasoning. Serve garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds.

If you’re looking for another cosy, healthy winter meal, try this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie here: https://medshieldmovement.co.za/cosy-weeknight-meals-vegetarian-shepherds-pie/ Something a bit later and packed with plant protein? Try this Cosy weeknight meals: quinoa and veggie stuffed baked peppers: https://medshieldmovement.co.za/quinoa-and-veggie-stuffed-baked-peppers/