This Mexican black bean salad is super easy and super quick. I’ve used canned beans for convenience. They are the perfect fast food and I always have some in the cupboard ready for a quick side dish or lunch.
I started giving H beans and chickpeas early on and would simply mash them with a fork. He now absolutely love them and will happily eat them straight out of the tin.
When I posted this dish on Instagram one of my lovely followers commented that they thought the yellow was mango. Next time I make this I’m adding mango. How delicious would that be! So go ahead and get creative and add lots of fresh herbs – in my opinion that is what makes this salad extra delicious. Enjoy xxx
400 gram tin black beans
Half a punnet of cherry tomatoes; quartered
Half a large cucumber , quartered and sliced
1/2 a large yellow capsicum; chopped
Large handful of coriander leavers; chopped
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Drain and rinse the black beans. Add to a bowl along with the tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, and coriander. Combine the dressing ingredients and add to the salad. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Add more cumin to suit, I’ve kept it mild for the little guy. Chilli would also be a great addition.
Everyone loves fries right? My little guy certainly does. I don’t make them often because H will go straight for them, and its often hard to get him to eat anything else, but when I do, I love to add herbs and spices.
These sweet paprika fries make a tasty alternative and being oven roasted they are also better for you. Enjoy…
About 4 large potatoes
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
parsley to garnish (*optional)
Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees C (420 degrees F). Peel and chop the potatoes into fries that are roughly the same size. Dry them a little using paper towel if they are wet. Toss the potatoes in the olive oil, paprika and salt
Place on an oven tray in a singe layer so the potatoes aren’t touching and cook for about 30 minutes (the time really depends on the size of your fries so keep an eye on them). For best results toss them half way through cooking. Sprinkle with parsley if using and serve.
If you live in Sydney then you would have been melting along with us in the heat over the past few weeks. These healthy Avocado Chia Popsicles are just what we needed.
They are so good for you that you could eat them for breakfast… They contain avocado, coconut milk, chia seeds, honey and strawberries – that’s it! See all good things.
I have adapted this recipe from one of my most popular post for avocado and lime ice-cream, but there is no ice-cream maker required. Just a high-speed blender or food processor.
You can watch H making them all on his own below…
1/2 avocado
1 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons honey , or to taste
1 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tbs chia seeds
6 strawberries , sliced
Add all ingredients (expect the chia seeds and strawberries to a high speed blender or food processor.
Process until smooth. Stir through the chia seeds. Add sliced strawberries to your popsicle moulds and add the avocado mixture. Add sticks and freeze.
Be sure to take a picture if you make these Healthy Avocado Chia popsicles and upload to Instagram with the hashtag #littlebigh so I can check out your creation. xx
Stone fruit season – yay… H and I recently went to the Apple Shack at Glenbernie Orchard to pick our own nectarines. It is one of the few orchards that let you eat as many as you like as you pick – bonus. H didn’t stop eating them! I lost count at 6…
We managed to pick a few kilos and I had all intentions of making pies, tarts, jam or maybe even preserve a few for the winter months, but they didn’t last that long. I did however make this nectarine and honey semifreddo with the last few that were starting to get a little overripe. The perfect consistency for this dessert as they were soft and super sweet.
It is the perfect dessert for little folks and big kids. It is sweetened naturally with a quarter cup of organic honey – bought raw from the orchard, and is actually very simple to make.
You simply beat the eggs and honey until thick and creamy, whisk on the stove for 5 minutes, add the nectarine puree and fold through the cream. Once frozen, turn it out and top with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand.
The Apple Shack is located in Darkes Forest, about an hour south of Sydney. They are open daily, have farm tours, tractor rides, and lots of pick your own fruits to choose from. We are definitely going back to pick the blueberries and raspberries that were just starting to ripen when we were there.
I also used their organic white gum honey is this recipe – so delicious…
nectarines, , cherries, pomegranate & passionfruit ,or top with whatever you like
Add the nectarines to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. A few chunks will be fine.
Line a loaf tin with plastic wrap allowing the sides to overhang. Add the eggs, yolks and honey to a bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk on high speed until it is thick and creamy. It should have almost doubled in size.
Now place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk for 5 minutes or until it has doubled in size. Add the nectarines and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl, add the cream and whisk until soft peeks form. Add half to the nectarine mixture and fold through. Add the remaining cream and fold through ever so gently.
Pour into the tin and freeze overnight.
To serve turn out onto a serving plate and top with fresh fruit.
I don’t own an electric hand-mixer so I whisked by hand over the simmering water. You could use a hand mixer if you have one.
Love my little monkey – he’s the best fun…
Be sure to take a picture if you make this Nectarine and Honey Semifreddo, and upload to Instagram with the hashtag #littlebigh so I can check out your creation. xx
Making raw halva truffles is a great rainy day toddler activity. They are super easy to make and require no cooking. H had a great time rolling the balls that I passed to him in either cocoa powder, sesame seeds or coconut. Be warned however, it is a pretty messy activity, so a nice sunny day outside would be just as fun, with a lot less clean up. I adapted this recipe from the Coles magazine. I used what ever I had in the cupboard that was similar to the original. Such as popped amaranth, because I love the stuff, but don’t go out and buy it especially for this recipe, add a bit of something else that you have on hand and experiment a little. Just be sure to use the tahini, it is the magical ingredient… They also freeze really well, so make a large batch and freeze them for another day – did I mention they are also healthy!
1 cup medjool dates loosely packed (pits removed, no need to chop)
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/4 cup popped amaranth
1 tablespoon honey
coconut , sesame seeds (natural or toasted) and cocoa powder to coat balls
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until the mixture is finely chopped. Check to see if you can roll a ball from the mixture, if it is a little dry add a little more tahini.
Roll a tablespoon portion of the mixture into balls
Place the coconut, sesame and cocoa powder into separate bowls and pass the balls to your little ones to coat
I often serve these delicious little French cheese pastries as an appetiser at dinner parties – everyone loves them, they are really really good!
I have always found they work out best by mixing by hand but you could give a stick blender a go. It does take a little effort to get the eggs combined but it will be worth it….. Enjoy xx
250 ml water
150 g butter , cut into cubes
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper
200 g plain flour
5 eggs; at room temperature
120 g gruyere cheese , diced into 1/2cm (1/4 in) cubes
Extra egg , beaten, for egg wash
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees (400 degrees F)
In a large saucepan put water, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to the boil while stirring constantly – very important or it will split
Once boiling, turn off the heat and add the flour. Combine and keep stirring for one minute until well combined and a dough forms
Immediately incorporate one egg at a time into the dough – I use a whisk. Tap the whisk on the sides of saucepan to loosen the mixture if it gets stuck in the whisk – its hard work but worth it. Once all the eggs are combined, stir through the cheese
Using a tablespoon, spoon onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. With a pasty brush, egg wash just the tops – not letting it run down the sides
Bake for 25 minutes; serve
Makes about 16 large gougeresThe recipe insists on using greyere cheese but I have used all sorts (manchego, gouda, etc.). Not very authentic I know, but they still taste greatYou can also freeze raw gougers. Put them straight into the oven frozen and allow an extra few minutes cooking time
Chunky sesame prawn toasts are sure to be a hit with young and old. They are super crispy, quick to make, tasty little triangles that are great served at parties, for lunch or as a starter to your main meal.
I have used delicious plump fresh prawns for this recipe but frozen would work just as well. All you have to do is chop the prawns, add the remaining ingredients and coat in sesame seeds.
I have then cooked these babies in the oven until golden brown. Go ahead and fry them if you like. Not as healthy but I’m sure even tastier!
6 slices of bread; crusts removed and cut into quarters (I’ve used white rye)
300 g raw prawns; chopped
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 egg white; lightly whisked
pinch of salt
sesame seeds to coat (black or white)
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Combine the prawn meat with the ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, egg white and salt. Stir to combine.
Add the mixture to the bread triangles. About a tablespoon per triangle. Put as much on them as you can. Coat the triangles in the sesame seeds and place on a oven tray.
Cook for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the prawns are cooked and nice and golden. Serve warm.
I chopped my prawn quite chunky. If finely chopping reduce the cooking time a little.
My little man has been off his food due to croup, so I made him a smoothie that I knew he would love. Its packed full of goodness, but it still tastes great. H loved it…
A really simple cookie recipe that makes a great afternoon snack or even breakfast on the run. Toddler approved.
This is my go to super easy lunch/dinner for Little Big H if I haven’t had time to prepare anything. He loves it and its ready in 15 minutes. It’s best served cold, so make it ahead of time if you can. If you don’t have a lots of fresh veggies on hand, it’s just…
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I often serve these delicious little French cheese pastries as an appetiser at dinner parties – everyone loves them, they are really really good! I have always found they work out best by mixing by hand but you could give a stick blender a go. It does take a little effort to get the eggs combined but it…
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I grew up eating my mums salmon patties and they are a family favourite. They are so comforting and remind me of home. They are so simple to make and are a great first finger food for little folks. I have make these mini sized so they are easy for H to pick up. The mixture…
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You may have seen this recipe a million times on the internet, but I couldn’t resist putting it on the blog for anyone who hasn’t. It is perfect for babies from 6 months old – and its delicious. My favourite topping is mango and passionfruit but use whatever fruit is in season. It takes…
H and I have been doing a stack of baking lately – homemade bread, pizzas, cakes and muffins. I think the winter weather has something to do with it! I’ve experimented a lot with muffin recipes and I have to say, I think I’ve found a winner. These healthy zucchini, corn and tomato muffins are easy to make and are pillowy soft – just how I like them. The trick is to not over mix. When adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir with a wooden spoon until just combined and you are ready to go.
Muffins are perfect for a light lunch and are great for the kids lunch boxes. The recipe makes a large batch so freeze what you don’t use for another day. I personally love having a few healthy savoury muffins in the freezer ready for a quick snack or to pack for the little guy if we are heading out for the day.
I’ve used zucchini, corn, tomato and cheese but feel free to substitute other vegetables. If you are using particularly dry ingredients and the mixture feels a little dry, just add a splash more milk till you achieve a thick but loose mixture. It shouldn’t be in any way runny – I need to start taking some action shot, what do you think, would that be helpful?
Enjoy xxx
Healthy Zucchini, Corn and Tomato Muffin
1 cob of corn (ear of corn)
1 tomato
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
1 cup grated tasty cheese (reserving a little to sprinkle on top before going in the oven)
2 cups self-raising flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
150 grams butter; melted
salt & pepper (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Combine the dry ingredient (flour, cheese, zucchini, corn, tomato, salt and pepper) in a bowl and mix a little to combine.
In a small bowl combine the egg and milk and light whisk with a folk. Add the melted butter. Add the mixture to dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Don’t over mix or you will end up with a tough muffin! If the mixture feel a little dry add a splash more milk.
Spray the muffins tins with oil or grease with butter. Fill tin 3/4 full of the mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Test with a skewer, if it comes out clean, they are ready. Serve warm
Makes 12 large muffins and 12 mini muffins.
Don’t be tempted to overfill the muffins – fill only 3/4 of the way up the muffin tin. They will work out a lot better.
Green smoothies are to H what lollies are to a lot of kids – he absolutely loves them.
Guaranteed if we walk past a juice bar, he will drag me kicking and screaming until he gets one – he loves to choose the ingredients and it has become his little treat after daycare a couple of times a week.
This one was made up of kale, cucumber, pineapple, and mint. It is lovely and refreshing and not overly green tasting. A good intro to green smoothies if your little one is not used to them.
Enjoy xx
Watch our little video of H making this smoothie all on his own – and taste testing of course. Click play to watch it here…
Green smoothie with kale, cucumber, pineapple and mint
1/4 large fresh pineapple
1 apple
1 cucumber
1 cup water
a few springs of mint
3 stalks kale
handful of ice cubes
Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender; blend until smooth.
*to sweeten add your sweetener of choice (honey, maple, fresh dates, etc)
This makes enough to serve two people plus a little left over for the next day.
