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• 8 medium sized plums
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour + a little extra for dusting fruit
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter; cut onto tiny pieces

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Cut the flesh off the plums and discard the seeds (leave the skin on the plums). Slices plums and add to a baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with flour (about a tablespoon) and mix to coat the fruit
• In a bowl combine the oats, flour, salt, and sugar. Then add the chopped butter and using two knives chop the butter into the mixture slightly. Sprinkle mixture over plums and and bake for about 40 minutes – or until the crumble is golden brown and the plums are soft

I love the tartness of the plums but if you like things a little sweeter, add a tablespoon or two of sugar to the fruit along with the additional flour  

A delicious green smoothie that isn’t at all leafy tasting.  H just loves it – he finished the glass in a matter of minutes!

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• 1 cup chopped Kale
• 1 celery stick
• 1 orange; peeled
• 1 mango cheek (I used frozen mango)
• Juice of half a lemon
• a few springs of mint
• 330 ml coconut water; chilled

• Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

I have a Vitamix which does a wonderful job of blending all the ingredients. I add the whole fruit (no need to remove seeds, etc). This means you are getting all the fibre that is lost when using a juicing machine.
Of course if you don’t have a capable blender, just the juice would also be delicious.

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…

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Make your own gut healing bone broth at home. So why bone broth? It’s great for your gut, your skin, your hair, your bones, your immune system, plus much more… Simply warm and drink as is or use anytime a recipe calls for stock.  If you suffer from any gut issues it really is a…

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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…

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I really like celery but I don’t tend to use a lot of it in my cooking – not sure why!  I always seem to have a huge amount taking up prime real-estate in my tiny fridge – thanks to my mum who always seems to buy it.  Keen to use it up, I was…

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I’m pretty excited to be part of the I Quit Sugar follow friday this weekend – check out an interview I did with them here.  I’m also taking over their Instagram – its happening right now, so be sure to follow along… This hearty soup is featured on the I Quit Sugar website and is packed full of hearty vegetables, beans,…

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With consecutive 42 degree days in Melbourne this week, I was keen for somethings chilled, and this was the result. A silky smooth chilled soup.  I wasn’t sure that Big H would go for the aniseed taste of the fennel but he did! Fennel is also great for breastfeeding mums with supply or letdown reflex…

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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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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…

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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 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…

Apple Shack, Glenbernie Orchard
259 Darkes Forest Rd
Darkes Forest NSW 2508

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• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup honey
• 300 ml thickened cream (whipping cream)
• 6 ripe nectarines; pitted

• 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

Baked ricotta is creamy, lemony, deliciousness.  What more can I say!  The little dude was a  huge fan.  He looooooves dips – or possibly the actual dipping itself, but either way he dipped away with gusto. 

Serve as a dip at your next party or I love it served with roasted veggies and crusty bread for a lovely vegetarian dinner.  Top with either paprika, chilli, thyme, oregano, add another cheese like salty parmesan or serve simply as is.

Make ahead of time and pop it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.  Place under the grill until heated through and golden on top.

Enjoy xx

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• 300 g good quality fresh ricotta
• zest from 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• sweet paprika
• To serve: crusty bread , mint, prosciutto, figs, etc.

• Place the ricotta in a bowl with the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper to taste. Put mixture into 2 ramekins or oven proof dish. Place under the grill (broiler) in the oven and cook until browed and heated through. It won’t take long so keep an eye on it.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sweet paprika. Serve with mint leaves, crusty bread or whatever takes your fancy.

The little dude and I love the sweet paprika sprinkled on top but you could add chilli and any other herbs and spices you like.

Ciao from Isolation 🥴… words I never thought I’d be writing — but more on that later. First, the food. Today I’m sharing a classic French quiche recipe. Quiche is one of those wonderfully versatile dishes that’s surprisingly easy to make. For this version, I’ve used caramelised onions, perfectly ripe tomatoes, and for a little…

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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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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…

Read More »

Baked fish parcels make a fun weeknight meal.  Super easy to prepare and by cooking it in baking paper it is harder to over cook and dry out the fish.    H was pretty excited to get a parcel for dinner. ‘oh that looks nice’  he said – he is my greatest fan… If serving this to your…

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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 making a version of this dish for years.  It is a perfect mid-week meal – easy to prepare, super tasty, it all happens in the one pot so there isn’t a lot of clean up, and it’s always a hit.   The spices are balanced beautifully with the sweetness of the currants…

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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…

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Guacamole is the perfect toddler food.  No cooking required, it’s healthy, full of flavour and makes a great healthy snack that the whole family will love – and they can almost make it entire on their own! I chopped all the ingredients and put them into tiny bowls.  H mashed the avocado and assemble all the…

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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…

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Broccoli is my favourite green vegetable and H is a pretty big fan as well.  In this recipe the broccoli taste is very subtle because of the huge amount of herbs, but I love that there is another veggie in there. I very quickly pulsed the broccoli in a food processor to achieve a rice like consistency and then cooked…

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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 and drizzle it over the top if you wish.

My stove top popcorn is a healthy snack option – it’s also quick and super cheap!

I have kept my stove top popcorn natural but there are lots of flavour options if you are feeling creative. Here are just a couple you could try:

parmesan and rosemary popcorn – toss both with the hot popcorn

movie style butter popcorn – melt butter and pour over the top

Lemon and salt popcorn – finely grate and rub into the salt

Sweet cinnamon popcorn – combine cinnamon with fine sugar

cheesy vegan popcorn – combine nutritional yeast with salt

chilli popcorn – toss in chilli salt

Print Pin Prep Time 2 minutes minutes Cook Time 5 minutes minutes Total Time 7 minutes minutes

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 cup popcorn kernels
• fine salt

• Add coconut oil to a heavy bottomed saucepan along with 3 kernels over medium high heat.  Once they pop remove them. 
• Take saucepan off the heat and add the cup of popcorn kernels.  Swish the popcorn around in the pan or 30 seconds off the heat to make sure they are covered in the oil.  Return to the heat and partially cover with a lid.
• Once the popping slows down take off the heat.  Add to a large bowl and season well with salt. Serve.  

If you make my perfect stove top popcorn, be sure to take a picture and upload to Instagram with the hashtag #littlebigh.  I’d love to see your creation. xx