The inspiration for his salad came from a girls night out last weekend. A girlfriend and I went to the Sydney Opera House to see Stephen Hawking speak and went to a great little Italian restaurant beforehand. My little man loves lentils and he is a huge fan of goats cheese so I thought of…
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This is my version of a recipe that I have made many time from the Vanilla Bean Blog. I have simplified the recipe significantly, but the idea is the same and they are equally as delicious. I use store-bought puff pastry to speed things up, rather than use the homemade honey spelt pastry in the original recipe (which is…
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…
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Breakfast… I was never into it before having H, but now it is one of mine and Harry’s favourite meals of the day. It’s always quick to prepare and usually made up of whatever we have in the fridge. It is the one meal I usually let H decide on so regardless of what he decides,…
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Homemade fresh tomato sauce is so handy to have on hand. I make a large batch and freeze it for a lazy day. I use it to add to pasta, as a pizza sauce, meatballs, a quick ragout, ratatouille, etc. So next time you go to the farmers markets grab a few kilos and make it fresh, it’s…
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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…
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Who doesn’t love arancini! It’s sure to be a hit with the kids so next time you make risotto, make it a big batch so you can make arancini the following night. Two meal with minimal effort. Bonus… The kids will love to help prepare this meal. I rolled the balls and passed them to H to dunk…
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Mini cupcakes – perfect for little hands… I used my mums cupcakes recipe here but substituted the huge amounts of sugar with mashed banana and honey. It worked a treat. H loved them. The mango on top is lovely paired with the banana and they are light and fluffy. They are super easy to…
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I used a combination of purple and green asparagus here. H and I were at the green grocer when he spotted purple asparagus and got super excited – like jumping up and down excited, I wish I could have recorded him. It was super cute and me loving his enthusiasm for good food ended up buying…
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Gozleme is a tradition Turkish pastry filled with savoury ingredients. I have very much cheated by using store-bought flatbread instead of making my own pastry. It makes this cheats gozleme recipe super quick and convenient for lunch, a light dinner, or to pack into kids lunch boxes. Gozleme has always been a favourite of mine….
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Baked apples is a classic dessert. It’s so easy to prepare and this version is also healthy. So healthy in fact that it would make an equally delicious breakfast. Most nights dessert for the little guy is natural yoghurt with a few berries, but its nice to go to a little more trouble on occasion. Baked…
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Ribollita is a Tuscan soup made with lot of veggies, white beans and bread. It is super easy to make and doesn’t take too long. It is a great dish for the entire family. Puree/mash for baby and leave it chunky for bigger kids and the family. Ribollita – meaning reboiled, is a great…
Gozleme is a tradition Turkish pastry filled with savoury ingredients. I have very much cheated by using store-bought flatbread instead of making my own pastry. It makes this cheats gozleme recipe super quick and convenient for lunch, a light dinner, or to pack into kids lunch boxes. Gozleme has always been a favourite of mine….
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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…
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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This is a really tasty dish and it was a huge hit with H. You could substitute the vegetables in the recipe for ones you already have in the fridge. You could also prepare ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to steam and serve.
I have been a little obsessed with labneh ever since I made it myself awhile back. You can find the recipe here if you want to give it ago. It’s super simple to make but store bought is fine if you want to skip that step.
Labneh is often served in savoury dishes but this time around I’m using it in a healthy dessert.
This is not a super sweet dessert, the sweetness comes for the figs in the raw base and the ripe peaches. I think its a perfect dessert for the entire family.
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4 peaches
1 tablespoon maple syrup , honey or your sweetener of choice
1 cup labneh – store bought is fine otherwise see my homemade recipe here
1 teaspoon orange blossom water combined with 1 tablespoon maple – for a quick glaze
1 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons coconut oil
5 – 6 dried figs
pinch of salt
1 tbls water * only if mixture isn’t coming together
Add the hazelnuts, coconut oil, 3 figs and salt to a food processor and pulse. Add extra figs one at a time until the mixture starts getting stuck on your food processor and you can form a ball. If it is still too dry add a little of the water teaspoon at a time.
Divide into 4 and press into 4 tart cases. Freeze until you’re ready to fill them.
Combine labneh and sweetener and adjust to suit your taste. Set aside.
Slice flesh from around the peach and then slice thinly.
Take tarts from freezer and bang them on the bench (hard) to get them out. Then fill with labneh and top with peaches. Make a little glaze of maple and orange blossom water to brush over the top. Serve immediately
Makes 4 tarts using approx 9cm (4 inch) tart cases.
Use 1 peach per tart
It may be getting cold here in Firenze but the city is more beautiful than ever. The Christmas lights 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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Who doesn’t love a sausage roll… my little guy certainly does so I was keen to make a healthier version. These veggie sausage rolls are made using chickpeas, carrots and feta and are super simple to make. Simply add most ingredients to a food processor and then combine the remaining with your hands. Add the…
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Gozleme is a tradition Turkish pastry filled with savoury ingredients. I have very much cheated by using store-bought flatbread instead of making my own pastry. It makes this cheats gozleme recipe super quick and convenient for lunch, a light dinner, or to pack into kids lunch boxes. Gozleme has always been a favourite of mine….
Read More »
Ribollita is a Tuscan soup made with lot of veggies, white beans and bread. It is super easy to make and doesn’t take too long. It is a great dish for the entire family. Puree/mash for baby and leave it chunky for bigger kids and the family. Ribollita – meaning reboiled, is a great…
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I’m super excited to be part of the healthy kids community this week on Instagram. My recipe is this mini egg-free quiche. It’s really simple to make and great for babies and toddlers that have allergic reactions to eggs. To replace the eggs I have used tofu. Not a tofu fan either? Don’t worry, once…
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I have been a little sweet potato mad lately – but it has to be roasted. Something really magical happens when veggies are roasted and I can’t get enough of them. H on the other hand has decided he likes everything served raw. Now I’m not complaining. He will happily sit down and eat…
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H and I had these little pea and broccoli fritters for lunch. They are quick to make and packed full of veggies. They would also be lovely for a light dinner. I served them with a yoghurt dipping sauce because I know it’s always a winning combination with the little guy. Whatever works right! The…
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Inspiration for recipes usually come to me when I am wandering through my local green grocer, something usually catches my eye. Sweet mangos, a nice big bunch of the greenest kale or more recently a little guy yelling at the top of his lungs “peach, pe ach, peach, muuuum, peach…..” This inspiration for this recipe however…
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Pickled veggies may not appear to be the most toddler friendly of dishes but my little one certainly approved. The pickling liquid isn’t too heavy on the vinegar so give it a try, you can always add a little extra sugar if you think it is still too vinegary. This is my favourite salad to serve…
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Quick roast lemon chicken is a great weeknight meal with minimum fuss. By butterflying the chicken it cooks in half the time and allows you to add your veggies in from the start. I love meals like this that all go in at once and allow you to clean up while the magic happens. So easy and perfect…
H and I made these little baked custards a few months ago. They are perfect for babies from 12 months old. So easy to make and sweetened slightly with maple syrup. For babies under 12 months omit the maple syrup.
We moved house over a month ago now and I am yet to have the internet connected – don’t get me started on that one! I’m syncing my computer to my phone in order to publish this quick post because my blog has been so neglected 🙁
Fingers crossed I will be back online soon but in the mean time, enjoy the video below of my little guy making baked custards all on his own.
To see other Little Big H videos – Subscribe to our YouTube channel here
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3 eggs
600 ml milk
2 teaspoons vanilla (extract or paste)
1/4 cup maple syrup
Combine the eggs and milk and whisk to combine. Add the vanilla and maple; whisk until the maple has dissolved.
Add ramekins to a heat proof dish and add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake at 180 degrees C for 20 – 30 minutes. They should be still slightly wobbly in the middle. Allow to cool and serve.
Suitable for babies 12 months plus. Omit the maple syrup for younger babies.
Chicken with Apples and Thyme – such as great combination
Delicate white fish with fennel and grapes
I’m very excited to be sharing my very first guest post with you all, on a great blog called Never the Same Spice Twice. I have 3 new recipes suitable for babies 6 months plus.
This is my take on the Thai dish; Pad Kra Pao. I haven’t called it that because it is far from authentic but I have been making it for some time and its super tasty. It’s also super simple to make and a perfect weeknight meal for the family.
Serve this Thai basil chicken with a fried egg and jasmine rice or I have also served it with iceberg lettuce cups, so you can wrap it up and use your hands to eat it. The kids may like it served this way…
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5 green onions (the long green variety)
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
pinch of salt
2 tablespoon oil
500 g chicken mince (I bought chicken thigh fillets and made my own mince)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy
1 1/2 tablespoon sweet soy (ketchup manis)
1 teaspoon sugar
100 grams green bean (or a nice big handful); chopped into 1cm pieces
1 cup basil; roughly chopped
Rice and chilli flakes (optional) to serve
Add green onion, garlic, ginger, and salt to a food processor and process to achieve a paste. Add oil to a frying pan or wok and add the paste. Cook for a few minutes and then add the chicken. Cook until golden. Add fish sauce, dark soy, sweet soy and sugar and cook until the liquid has mostly been absorbed, add the green beans and remove from the heat once they are bright green and the chicken is cooked through. Add basil and stir through.
While the above is happening; cook your four eggs in a frying pan to your liking.
Add rice to 4 bowls, top with the chicken a fried egg and chilli flakes if using
Serves 4 as a main
Green onion; also called scallion and in Australia, just shallots to add to the confusion 🙂
This really is a deliciously healthy snack, dessert or even breakfast. Mango, Pineapple, Lime and Coconut Tapioca is also perfect to freeze. I simply warmed the mixture a little and it was perfect. So double the recipe if you like and freeze what you don’t use for another day – enjoy…
This is a simple dish that is packed full of flavour. If you are keen to try the no knead bread recipe you will have to start it the night before. It may look like a lot of steps, but once you have does it once, it really is very easy. It also require a heavy oven…
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I promise it sounds more fancy than it truly is. I’ve kept it very simple and have experimented a little by replacing the sugar with maple syrup (a wholefood). For young babies you could leave out the sweetener all together and you have a simple baked custard. You can also substitute the cows milk for almond…
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I let Big H try the chocolate dipped oranges but I am keeping sugar to a minimum for as long as possible – so basically he gets just the orange and I get the chocolate dipped ones! Be warned they are totally addictive. I bought the dehydrator some time ago with the sole purpose of making these – they are…
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I don’t always have time to update the blog as much as I would like, but I do add to Instagram on a daily basis. Follow us here to see what we are up to. I post toddler meal ideas – breakfast, lunches, dinners, and snacks
A delicious compote of peach, apples and spices. It is lovely eaten on its own, or we like it on our porridge of a morning. Freeze in ice cube trays and take portions out as you need them. Compotes are a great why to introduce spices to your little one.
This is a great cake to get the kids involved. All ingredients go into the one bowl, mix, bake and you’re done. Simple but truly delicious. I’ve added some fresh rhubarb, one of my favourite ingredients – It reminds me of my dad. He used to grow it in the backyard and would always cook some for…
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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…
It doesn’t get much simpler than this – Banana dipped in lemon juice and tossed in coconut. A nice easy snack for the little ones – it also makes it easy for them to grip.
Click on pictures for larger images and descriptions – click below for links to some of the recipes Pics via Instagram account
These yummy little balls were inspired after a recent attempt at Jamie Oliver’s no bake vegan slice. It turned out to be a winner and really satisfied that afternoon chocolate craving (mine of course not Little Big H’s!). They are raw no bake balls suitable for toddlers (although they do contain lot of nuts, so if…
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What a treat these mini chocolate meringues are! They are not something I would offer my toddler regularly but they are a nice little treat, and would be great for special occasions such as birthday parties or at Christmas.
Click on pictures for larger images and descriptions – click below for links to some recipes
H playing with his jelly! As much as I would love to say he gobbled it all up and absolutely loved it – I can’t. He was very suspicions and mostly just poked it to watch it wobble! It really is very delicious, which is why I’m posting it. So for all those jelly loving…
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