Hush Puppies

• 170g (1 cup) polenta
• 90g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 310ml (1 1/4 cups) buttermilk
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 100g (1/2 cup) fresh sweetcorn kernels
• 4 spring onions (shallots), thinly sliced
• 2 long fresh red chillies, seeded, finely chopped
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the polenta, flour, baking powder and a large pinch of salt in a bowl. Add the buttermilk and egg and stir to combine. Stir in the corn, spring onion and chilli.
2. Add oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 4cm. Heat the oil to 160°C over high heat (when the oil is ready, a cube of bread will turn golden brown in 30 seconds). Cook tablespoonfuls of polenta mixture in 3 batches, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Reheat the oil between batches. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
3. Season hush puppies with salt. Serve with the sweet chilli sauce.

The post Sweetcorn’s Best Friend – The Delicious Hush Puppy appeared first on Just Ripe.

• Peaches
• Honey
• Olive oil, for brushing the grill
• Mixed salad greens
• Blue cheese
• Pecans
• Red onion slices
• Balsamic dressing or dressing of choice

1. Cut the peaches in half and remove pits. Brush the peaches with honey. Brush grill with olive oil and heat to medium-high heat. Place the peaches on the grill, cut side down. Grill the peaches until they are softened and grill marks appear, about 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Let the peaches cool to room temperature and then slice. Arrange the peach slices over a bed of mixed salad greens. Top salad with crumbled blue cheese, pecans, and red onion slices. Drizzle salad with balsamic dressing, or dressing of your choice.

The post Gorgeous Grilled Peach Salad appeared first on Just Ripe.

1. We cook too much food and don’t use the left overs

2. We don’t check what food we already have before going shopping

3. We buy too much food through impulse rather than what we actually need

There is so much we can do to help reduce food wastage and not only help out the environment but also our wallets with the average Australian throwing away over $1000 a year on food that they dont use. With some of the most wasted foods being bread, milk, cheese and chicken.

Want to help stop the waste? Here are our top tips, you dont have to implement them all at once but every little bit counts and lots of small deeds can lead to great change

• Don’t shop when you are hungry as you are more likely to impulse buy food you don’t need
• Check your cupboards and fridge to see what you already have and then write a list of what you need to buy
• Take note of what is coming up to its use by date and make it a priority to use that produce first
• Store vegetables and fruits separately so they don’t go bad as quickly (check out the infographic below)
• If you aren’t going to use it, freeze it and extend its life
• Take notice of what you throw away, if you don’t use it don’t buy it again
• Check that your fridge is working properly and set to the correct temperature
• Store food in airtight containers
• Take home a doggie bag when you eat out, you will not only be stopping waste but scoring a free lunch for the next day
• Compost what you don’t or cant use and give it new life helping your trees and plants grow
• Teach your kids about wasting food and talk to your friends and family – get the word out

The post Food Wastage In Australia – The 8 Billion Dollar Problem appeared first on Just Ripe.

We have chosen the best blogs we have found over the years for the restaurant industry that provide great tips and tricks, relevant industry info, the latest news and events, changes in standards and expert advice from some of the greatest restaurant marketers and owners. Why not learn from other peoples successes and failures? Here are our top 5 recommendations…

Restaurant Engine
http://restaurantengine.com/blog/
A fantastic up to date source of restaurant specific info with new age marketing tips and helpful answers to common questions. Easily our favourite!

Shop Keep
http://www.shopkeep.com/counter-culture
Shop Keep has a broader range of topics with its focus on the hospitality industry as a whole they have some fantastic articles business owners

Hospitality Magazine
http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/home
Highly practical articles that will help you be more efficient and save money, a great place to keep up with trends in the industry

Allianz
http://www.allianz.com.au/business/small-business-insurance/news/
Surprisingly this insurer has an awesome blog full of interesting and ultimately helpful articles for small businesses; their hospitality section is super useful.

My First Restaurant
http://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/blog/
It may not have been updated in a while but this blog still has to make the list due its backlog of seriously helpful information.

We hope you found this post helpful and as always if you need any assistance with your wholesale fruit and veg do not hesitate to contact us!

The post 5 Blogs Every Restaurant Owner Should Be Reading appeared first on Just Ripe.

Immunity powerhouse
The humble Grapefruit is full of Vitamin C and can help to naturally banish a nasty flu or cold and boost up the immune system. With its high water content it also helps us stay hydrated and is a great source of fibre to keep you fuller for longer.

Cancer fighting
Grapefruits are packed with antioxidants but it’s their high lycopene content that makes Grapefruit extra special. Lycopene intake has been linked with prostate cancer and it is highly recommended by many doctors as a preventative measure.

Stress less
To reap the relaxing benefits of grapefruit you don’t even have to eat it! Studies have shown that the smell of grapefruit calms us down and reduces levels of anxiety and depression, grapefruit candles, scrubs, essential oils, and the like are all perfect for stress relief.

Gum disease
Apparently it’s now a Grapefruit a day keeps the dentist away! Eating at least one grapefruit a day can prevent and even reverse the harmful effects of gum disease in the mouth by helping to repair and fight off the infection.

Heart Health
Grapefruits to the rescue yet again! The antioxidants in Grapefruits can help prevent heart problems such as stroke, heart attack and blood pressure issues by putting a stop the damaging effects of free radicals.

Grapefruits also assist with fatigue, insomnia, diabetes, skin complaints, kidney stones, asthma and metabolism as if they didn’t do enough already. So how great are Grapefruits! Try working these powerhouse fruit into your diet everyday for a healthier, happier you.

Grapefruits are in season at Just Ripe so be sure to get in contact with us for all your wholesale Grapefruit needs!

The post The 5 Secrets About Grapefruit You Need To Know appeared first on Just Ripe.

Unfortunately however it isn’t one of the most tasty vegetables on the roster (there just had to be a downside didn’t there). So how can I add this incredible power punch of a super-food into my diet in a way that wont make me want to hurl? Two words – Kale Chips.

Kale Chips – Simple Recipe

1/2 Bunch of Kale
Some coconut or extra virgin olive oil
A pint of salt
Your favourite seasonings (we like garlic powder, chilli powder and onion powder)

1. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celsius and line a large baking tray with baking paper

2. Cut your Kale into large even sized pieces (removing the stems), wash and dry thoroughly

3. In a large bowl thoroughly coat each piece of Kale in your oil of choice, add your salt and season to taste with your chosen spices, mix well

4. Spread your Kale out evenly on the baking sheet in a single layer only

5. Bake for 10 minutes and after rotating the pan bake for a further 15 mins

6. Let the chips cool on the tray for a couple of minutes, then dig in!

We hope you all enjoy using this recipe to feed your family and friends delicious Kale Chips please like, share and leave a comment below to tell us how you went.

The post Kale Chips: delicious superfood recipe you’ll want to eat appeared first on Just Ripe.