3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes; quartered or halved if making larger muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (celtic sea salt is best)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons minced oregano
1 teaspoon minced thyme
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup crumbled feta – reserving a little to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F)
Rub capsicum with olive oil and roast or grill until the skin has blistered and the flesh is soft. Place in a bag and let cool for about 15 min. Once cooled, peel, core and slice; set aside
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, milk, olive oil, thyme, oregano and feta. Then add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; batter should be a little lumpy. Add a touch more milk if the batter is too thick
Grease and fill muffin pan three-quarters full with the mixture, sprinkle with reserved feta
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for a few minutes and turn out onto a wire rack
Makes 12 standard muffins – I used a 24 mini muffin tinIf you like a cheesier muffin – try adding 1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese with a touch more milk
Suitable to freeze
Adapted from Muffins and Small Cakes by Suzie Smith
Good old fashioned Aussie rissoles. A quick Google search tells me they are actually of French origin, but nevertheless, most Aussie kids grew up eating them and they are often on the menu when I visit mum. My mum’s rissoles are simple to make with minimal ingredients but full of flavour. You can add your…
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My healthyish ricotta pancakes are made using wholemeal spelt flour, eggs, milk, fresh ricotta and baking powder. That’s it! I have added no sugar because if you are going to smother them in maple – like I have, then it really isn’t required. But if you prefer, add your sweetener of choice to the mix….
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It may be getting cold here is Firenze but the city is more beautiful than ever. The Christmas light are up all over the city, there are idyllic Christmas markets with mulled wine and delicious treats, and Harry said to me yesterday that he loves Florence. This made me so happy! Harry and I have…
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Dinner ready in 10 minutes? Pasta al limone is for you…. But first… yes I finally did it. I moved us both to Florence Italy. My son H and I are both on this amazing Italian adventure. It has been just over two months and it still feels like a dream. Food is my passion but I have…
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I’m sharing another H favourite with you today. Pappardelle bolognese with lot of hidden veggies. The rich bolognese sauce will feed about 6 people or freeze what you don’t use for another time. I always have some in my freezer ready to go. An important step when making this dish is to get a nice…
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I’m sharing a simple recipe with you today – perfect stove top popcorn. Who doesn’t love salty buttery popcorn! It’s a H favourite so I make it often, minus the butter. I use coconut oil instead and it works a treat. I of course have nothing against butter, so feel free to melt a little…
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It has been so long since I have cooked lamb shanks – I’m not sure why! There is something so satisfying about cooking a tough piece of meat and turning it into something super tender and melt-in-your-mouth. This dish is just that… the tomatoes and spices produce a rich chunky sauce, and the chickpeas add…
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These pretty little roasted rhubarb chia pots make a wonderful breakfast or healthy dessert. The rhubarb is roasted with strawberries, orange juice, zest and a good drizzle of honey – the only sweetener in this recipe. The chia pudding has 3 ingredients only and will thicken in the fridge after an hour or so. I…
1 1/2 cups dried apple (or any dried fruit you like)
1/4 cup pepitas
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup maple syrup
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). Line a 20cm x 30cm slice tin with non-stick paper. Place the quinoa flakes, puffed amaranth, rice flour, coconut, sultanas, apple and pepitas in a large bowl and mix to combine. Whisk together the coconut oil, eggs and maple; add to the puffed amaranth mixture and stir until well combined
Spoon mixture into the prepared tin and use the back of the spoon to smooth the surface. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool in tin for 15 minutes, transfer to the fridge and chill until firm. Slice into squares and serve
Will keep in the fridge for a week. Or they freeze really well. Puffed amaranth is available from health food stores Adapted from Donna Hay Magazine – Kids issue 11, 2014
1/2 cup thickened cream (whipping cream for my US friends. It should have a minimum fat content of 35 percent)
2 egg yolks
1 heaped teaspoon cornflour
1/2 vanilla bean (or use vanilla paste)
Add milk & cream to a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add to saucepan along with the vanilla bean pod.
Bring milk mixture to ALMOST boiling (don’t let it boil). Remove vanilla bean pod.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and cornflour to combine
While whisking, slowly add milk mixture to the eggs
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook on low heat while continuously stirring until the custard thickens. Once ready it should coat the back of the spoon
For Coconut Custard with Caramelised Pineapple
Substitute coconut cream for the cream in above recipe and omit the vanilla bean
Slice and chop fresh pineapple. Add a little oil to frying pan and cook pineapple pieces over medium heat until you active a nice golden colour. I chopped the pineapple into smaller pieces after cooking but you could also puree for a smoother consistency
Add pineapple to cooked custard and serve
For Lavender Custard
Add 1 teaspoon of lavender (available from specialist food stores) to the milk mixture in the above recipe and omit the vanilla bean. Once custard has cooked, strain and discard lavender
For Rhubarb Custard
Chop rhubarb and add to a saucepan along with enough water to come approximately half way up the rhubarb. Cook until tender.
Stir through cooked vanilla custard and serve
For Mango & Passionfruit Custard
Dice Mango and add a blender along with the passionfruit pulp. Blend to your desired consistency. Stir through cooked vanilla custard and serve
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Heat a little oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add a 1/4 cup of the mixture and swirl around the pan to coat. Cook or a couple of minutes, flip and cook for another minutes and turn out onto a plate.
Cover with a tea towel until you have used up all of the mixture. Fill crepes with natural yoghurt and fresh berries, drizzle with maple and serve.
Peel and chop the potatoes; cook on the stove top in boiling water until tender. Once cooked, mash or put through a potato ricer and add a tablespoon or two of butter and a splash of milk. Mix & set aside.
Blanch the rainbow chard in boiling water and finely chop along with the tomato, parsley and salmon. Grate the carrot and combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add the juice of half a lemon along with the zest, the creme fraise & the nutmeg.
Add filling to 6 ramekins and top with the potato prepared earlier
Cook for 40 minutes, serve warm
Makes approximately 6, 100ml individual pies
Suitable to freeze
500 g chicken thigh fillets (about 6 small fillets); chopped into baby bite sized pieces
1 small head of broccoli; florets broken off into smaller pieces
2 zucchini; sliced
3 carrots; sliced
a handful of green beans , trimmed and sliced into 3cm pieces
1 onion
2 garlic cloves (or use paste); crushed/finely chopped
2 teaspoons of minced ginger (use a fine grater to mince or use a ginger paste)
1 cup of roughly chopped coriander (cilantro)
400 g tin of coconut milk
juice of half a lemon
pinch of salt (I use celtic sea salt)
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add chicken pieces. Cook until slightly browned. Then add the onion along with the garlic and ginger. Cook until the onion becomes translucent but not browed
Add all the remaining ingredients except for the coriander. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Add up to 1/2 cup of water or stock if there is not enough liquid left in the pan. Remove from the heat and add the coriander. Stir to combine; serve with rice
For younger babies, add mixture to the blender and puree until the desired consistence in reached
Suitable to freeze
