Food

Deliciously Ella with Friends: Healthy Recipes to Love

In the follow-up to her amazing bestseller, Deliciously Ella, Ella Mills has released, Deliciously Ella with Friends. In the new bookElla makes it easy for you to prepare delicious healthy food you, your friends and family, whatever the occasion.

No more wondering whether certain dishes go together, Ella makes life simple with her menus – whether you are planning a laid-back brunch, a last-minute lunch or a fancy supper, Ella has it covered with wonderful hearty and filling recipes that celebrate her healthy eating philosophy.

With ideas and inspiration for every foodie occasion, including cosy nights in, easy kitchen suppers, flavoursome feasts, birthday parties, picnics and mocktails and cocktails, this is the go-to book for anyone who lives a healthy lifestyle and loves sharing food with friends and family.

Below you will find a few of our favourite recipes from Deliciously Ella with Friends:

DELICIOUSLY ELLA WITH FRIENDS by Ella Mills (Woodward). Hodder & Stoughton 2017.

 

BLUEBERRY PANCAKE STACK

Makes about 12

NUT-FREE 2 tablespoons chia seeds

200g oats

2 over-ripe bananas, peeled

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus more to cook

pinch of salt

150g blueberries
Start by putting the chia seeds into a mug with 175ml of water. Let this sit for 20 minutes until the seeds expand and form a gel.
Place all the other ingredients, except the blueberries and the chia mixture, into a food processor with 100ml of water and blend until you have a smooth batter.
Transfer the mix to a bowl and stir in the blueberries, then the chia gel.
Oil a non-stick frying pan with a little coconut oil. Place over a high heat until it’s really hot.
Now simply add 2 heaped tablespoons of batter to the pan for each pancake, use a spoon to shape into an even circle and let it cook for about 2 minutes per side, flipping it over once. Repeat for each pancake, until all the batter has been used, keeping them warm in a low oven until you’re ready to eat.
MIX IT UP Try sprinkling the pancakes with ground cinnamon and topping with fresh blueberries just before eating.

COCONUT RICE
Ella first ate coconut rice on a trip to Colombia a few years ago and really fell in love with it; it’s the best way to make humble rice into something really fabulous. She thinks it makes the perfect base for your Indian-inspired feast, as it’s subtle and simple, which means it’s able to soak up all the incredible flavours and spices of the Aloo Gobi and Chana Masala (pages 130 and 129), while adding its own creamy element to each bite.

Serves 6

NUT-FREE 500g short-grain brown rice

400ml can of coconut milk

juice of 2 limes

generous sprinkling of salt
Put the rice into a pan. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, salt and 800ml of boiling water. Stir well and cover the pan.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, or until perfectly cooked.
CLEVER COOKING Try making your rice like this to serve with all your stews and curries, your friends will love it!

DELICIOUSLY ELLA WITH FRIENDS by Ella Mills (Woodward). Hodder & Stoughton 2017.

SWEET POTATO NOODLES WITH A CREAMY PEANUT SATAY SAUCE
Serves 2
FOR THE NOODLES

olive oil

1 celery stick, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves,

crushed 2.5cm root ginger, finely grated

pinch of salt

250g mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 small sweet potatoes, about 200g each, peeled and spiralised

100g baby spinach

FOR THE SAUCE

3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter (or almond butter also works)

70ml almond milk, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon tamari

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

juice of 1 lime

1 tsp honey

a little olive oil, if needed
Heat a glug of oil in a large frying pan, then add the celery, garlic, ginger and salt and sauté over a low heat until the celery is softening. Add the mushrooms once the pan has been bubbling for a couple of minutes.
After a minute or so more, add the sweet potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes.
These noodles were quite a revelation to Ella. They’re so much heartier, more filling and more like conventional pasta than everyone’s favourite courgette noodles, and this satay sauce really brings them to life. It’s so incredibly creamy, with subtle hints of chilli and tangy lime. Together they make for the best pick-me-up dinner, healthy but comforting and bursting with flavour. You will need a spiraliser for this recipe.
COMFORT & SPICE
Next, make the satay sauce. Simply place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding oil if it helps to process the sauce, then add salt to taste.
Once the noodles and mushrooms are tender, add the spinach and the satay sauce. Stir until the spinach has wilted and the sauce is warm. If the sauce feels a little thick, add a splash of water, olive oil or almond milk and stir it in until it reaches your desired consistency.
CLEVER COOKING Slice the ends off the sweet potatoes to create flat surfaces at either end before spiralising, it makes the process so much easier!

These recipes are extracted from Deliciously Ella with Friends by Ella Mills, published by Hachette Australia on 31 January 2017 RRP $29.99. 

The book can be purchased at all good bookstores and Booktopia.

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