Beautiful Berry Coulis – sugar free 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…

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This is a delicate tasting puree and a great introduction to fish for your baby.  Any delicate tasting white fish will be fine in the recipe and combined with the witlof (Belgian endive) it is a lovely combination.

This is a really easy fish pie to make and it tastes great…  You can make them baby sized like I have and freeze whats left or make one large pie and feed  your entire family.  

 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 proof pot.

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 Roma tomatoes , chopped into large chunks
• 6 Italian sausages (I used organic beef sausages but any sausage would work)
• 400 g tin of cannelloni beans; drained and rinsed under water
• 1/4 cup roughly torn sage leaves (or to taste)
• 2 garlic cloves , minced

• Heat olive oil in the pan, then squeeze sausage out of sausage cases and drop into pan as little balls (no need to shape them, rustic is good) cook balls until lightly browned on all sides
• Add garlic and sage leaves and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes start to break down a little and the sausage balls are cooked. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon to loosen any baked on bits
• Add the cannelloni beans and heat through

Suitable to freeze
Suitable for babies from 10 months – just mash with a fork to break up the meat and beans or puree in a blender for a smoother consistency  

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• 2 1/4 cups bread flour (300 grams)
• 3/4 cup rye flour (100 grams)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant other active dry yeast
• 1 1/3 cup cool water
• rye or bread flour for dusting

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, salt and yeast. Add the water and using a wooden spoon, mix until you have a very wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Add a little more water if necessary. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than double in size, 12 to 18 hours
• When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece with a spatular. Using floured hands, lift the edges of the dough in toward the centre. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.
• Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust with flour. Place dough on towel seam side down. If the dough is tacky dust with more flour and fold the tea towel loosely over the dough and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours in a draft free spot. It is ready when it has almost doubled in size. If you gently poke it and it holds the impression its ready. If not let rise a further 15 minutes
• Before the end of your second rise, preheat the oven to 240 degrees C (475 degrees F), with the rack on the lower third
• Unfold the tea towel and carefully place the dough into the pot seam side up. Cover and bake for 30 minutes
• Remove lid and continue baking for a further 15 to 30 minutes. Its ready when it is a deep chestnut colour
• Remove from oven and turn bread out on to a rack to cool throughly

Not into rye bread? Use 3 cups of regular bread flour and only a 1/4 teaspoon of yeast. The rest is the same. Adapted from My Bread by Jim Lahey

I’m a huge quinoa fan and given the chance I would eat it everyday!

I’m lucky that H also loves it, so I make it often.  Sometimes served as a meal, like this roasted pumpkin quinoa salad could be, and other times I will just season it and have it as an accompaniment to another dish.

I have also forgotten about it on the stove and turned it to mush, so it becomes porridge for the following morning…

So back to the recipe: the pumpkin is roasted with red onion, cumin, coriander, fennel seeds and maple, its delicious and you could totally eat it like that as a side dish.

The quinoa is dressed with are lots of herbs and spices; mint, coriander, sumac, lemon and its all topped with pomegranates, pepitas and hazelnuts – whats not to love…

Some other quinoa favourites: Quince, pumpkin, eggplant quinoa salad,    A big bowl of green goodness,

Spiced peach quinoa porridge,      Quinoa granola,      Spiced lamb quinoa pilaf,     Quinoa congee

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• 1/4 medium kent pumpkin, or your pumpkin of choice (about 3 cups of chopped pumpkin)
• 1 red onion, cut in to small wedges
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp maple syrup

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 big handful mint
• 1 big handful coriander
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced, or to taste
• 1 tsp sumac

• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 1 tbsp dry roasted pepitas
• 1 tbsp dry roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees C (425 degrees F).  Cut pumpkin into chunks and place on a lined baking tray with the onion  Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer and roast for 25 minutes or until cooked through.  Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your pumpkin chunks. Once cooked remove and set aside. 
• Wash the quinoa and add to a small saucepan with 3/4 cup of water. Cover and bring to the boil.  Once boiling turn the heat to as low as possible and allow to cook for 10 minutes.  Once cooked fluff with a fork and add to a large bowl. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
• Finely chop the mint and coriander add to the quinoa along with the olive oil, lemon juice, sumac and salt and pepper.  Add the pumpkin and toss gently.  Add to a serving plate.
• Garnish with pepitas, pomegranates and hazelnuts.  Serve.

To dry roast the pepitas and hazelnuts.  Add separately to a frying pan and cook over medium heat until golden.  Add the hazelnuts to a tea towel and rub with your hands to remove most of the skins. Then roughly chop. 

If you make my roasted pumpkin quinoa salad, be sure to take a picture and upload to Instagram with the hashtag #littlebigh so I can check out your creation. xx

I couldn’t resist buying these super cute minikin pumpkins.  I have stuffed them with pearl barley and mixed veggies and it did quite nicely for a healthy meat-free dinner. Slice into portions or scoop out the flesh along with the pearl barley and mash for your little one.

Super light and crispy kale chips make a delicious snack.  Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around, and is particularly high in vitamin K, A, and C  My toddler loves them and I’m sure you little ones will too.  Just make sure they are nice and crisp.  That way they just melt in your mouth…

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

This is a delicate tasting puree and a great introduction to fish for your baby.  Any delicate tasting white fish will be fine in the recipe and combined with the witlof (Belgian endive) it is a lovely combination.

This is a really easy fish pie to make and it tastes great…  You can make them baby sized like I have and freeze whats left or make one large pie and feed  your entire family.  

 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.

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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Super easy to make, these fish cakes with potato and dill are ready in no time, and if you have a little helper – even quicker!

Not counting the extra time to clean up the all the mess of course…

They are made with a classic flavour combo of potato and dill and make a healthy lunch or light dinner.  I roll the mixture into roughly 1/4 cup sized patties and pass them to my little guy to dip in the flour, egg and then finally the crumb mixture.  

The mixture is already cooked so you only have to cook them in the pan until they are golden brown and heated through. I also like to leave the mixture a little chunky so you get a bits of fish and potato.

I’ve crumbled the fish cakes in panko crumbs but you could use wholemeal breadcrumbs if you prefer.  If you would rather not use egg, leave them out of the recipe completely, then when it comes to crumbing, skip the flour and roll straight into the breadcrumbs.   

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• 400 grams potato (about 3 large potatoes)
• 500 grams white fish
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 cup dill roughly chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 egg lightly whisked
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 100 grams panko crumbs

• Peel, chop and boil the potatoes in boiling water until tender. Roughly mash with a fork.
• Cook the fish in pan with a little oil until just cooked through. Once cooked, using your hands, separate the flakes.
• Combine the potato, fish, onion, garlic, dill, lemon zest, 1 egg, mustard and season well. Form into 1/4 cup sized patties.  Dust in flour, dip in egg and then into the panko crumbs.
• Fry patties in olive oil until golden brown. 

Makes about 8-10 depending on how big you make them.

Looking for an even simpler fish cake recipe?  Check out my mums salmon patties recipe that uses tin salmon and is equally as delicious. I grew up eating them and still love them 🙂

Be sure to take a picture if you make these Fish Cakes with Potato and Dill and upload to Instagram with the hashtag #littlebigh so I can check out your creation. xx

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 for busy families.  I have used the zest of two lemon which add a real lemony flavour hit.  I think the lemon is really lovely with the veggies, particularly the pumpkin.   Just be sure to cut your veggies in to large chunks so they don’t cook too quickly.  Enjoy xx

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• 1 free-range Chicken (approx 1.6kgs, preferably organic)
• 60 grams butter; softened but not melted
• 1 clove garlic;
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley + extra to garnish
• 2 lemons
• Veggies: Carrot , parsnip, pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli or whatever you like…

• Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F). Butterfly the chicken by placing it breast side down on the counter. Remove the backbone by cutting down both sides of the bone. Flatten it as much as you can. Turn it over and loosen the skin over the breast by easing under it with your hands.
• Combine the softened butter, garlic and the zest of two lemons and place 3/4 of it under the skin and spread it around. Pat dry the skin with a paper towel and add the remainder to the top of the chicken.
• Cut your veggies quite chunky and add to the pan (excluding fast cooking veggies like broccoli, add them when there is about 10-15 minutes cooking time remaining) with a splash of oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in half and place two halves under the chicken and the other two cut side down in the pan.
• Cook for 40 – 50 minutes or until cooked through. The juices should run clear once cooked. Alternatively test with a thermometer, chicken should be 75 degrees C (165 degrees F) once cooked.

If using potatoes – parboil before adding to roasting pan as they will take longer. Veggies cooked this way aren’t super crispy but they have a lovely lemony flavour.
Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken.

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 super easy and so much better than the bought stuff. 

All you have to do is remove the tomato skins and roughly chop, add all ingredients to a large frying pan or saucepan and simmer until it is the consistency and taste you like.  I like to simmer mine for longer – about an hour to 90 minutes but it is still delicious after 30 minutes.  

Freeze in small containers or sandwich bags – they take up less room.

Enjoy xxx

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• 1.5 kgs ripe tomatoes (about 25 tomatoes)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic; finely sliced
• 1 brown onion; finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• handful of fresh basil; chopped

• To remove the skin from the tomatoes, use a knife make a cross on the tomatoes and plunge into boiling water for a few minutes. Remove skin and when cooled enough to handle, peel the skin off and roughly chop.
• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook until soft but not browned.
• Add the tomatoes and using the back of your spoon break them up as much as you can. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for about 30-90 minutes. It will depend on how ripe you tomatoes are and the water content. Also the consistency and taste you like best.
• Once the sauce has thicken up, add basil and season; add 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.

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 was stuck to my bulk box of sweet potatoes.  Easy.  I altered it a lot and the results are delicious.  I hope you like it…

H and I eat quite a lot of kale.  I tend to cook it and chop it finely and incorporate it into dishes.  In this recipe is it left raw and simply torn into pieces and dressed.  

H is unlikely to eat it this way but he will try it and thats the main thing.  He will eat the sweet potato, onion and he absolutely loves parmesan cheese. 

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• 4 stalks of kale; leaves roughly torn
• 2 small sweet potatoes; sliced
• 1 onion; chopped
• 60 grams parmesan cheese; shaved
• Salt and pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 bunch parsley; finely chopped

• Heat a frying pan with a little oil and fry the sweet potato until crisp and nicely golden (a couple of minutes each side). Season and set aside
• Saute the onions in the same pan until golden and crispy. Season and set aside.
• For the vinaigrette, add the oil, balsamic and parsley to a small bowl and mix to combine. Add the kale to a bowl and add the vinaigrette. Give it a good toss to coat.
• To assemble your salad add the kale leaves to a serving plate and top with the sweet potato, crispy onions and parmesan cheese. Best serve straight away.

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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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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Labneh or yoghurt cheese is so easy to make and it is delicious.  It has a smooth and creamy consistency and a slight tangy taste.  It’s great spread on crackers with a sprinkle of sumac – I also love a sprinkle of good quality sweet paprika and so does H.  I can see this being a staple in my…

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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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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…

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Frozen yoghurt is so easy to make – it only has 4 ingredients.  I’ve added banana to give it some sweetness and a little maple syrup, but that is totally optional.  It freezes quite hard so sit on the bench before serving to allow it to soften a little. Substitute the blackberries for whatever you have on…

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Frittatas are a really great option for lunch or a light dinner.  They are also a great way to use up leftovers or all of those extra veggies in your fridge that need to be used.  Basically all you need are eggs and then add any veggies that you like.  I love the combination of asparagus…

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We eat a lot of fruit in our house.  The little dude just loves it, so I always like to mix things up a little.  This fruit salad has a lovely orange vanilla glaze drizzled over the top, then I added a dollop of my homemade mascarpone and some toasted almonds.  It would make a…

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This recipe is adapted from Movida restaurant in Melbourne and it is so good!  It would make an impressive side dish, light lunch, or even main course.  The rich flavours are balanced beautifully by the sharpness of the quince and although it does take a little time to prepare, I promise it will be worth…

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   Tomatoes are easily H’s favourite food so I knew he would love this dish.  I have found that by adding Big H’s favourite foods to new dishes he is more likely to try new things, and get used to new flavours more easily.   This dish is easy to prepare and the coriander lime dressing is lovely…

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 Tomatoes are easily H’s favourite food so I knew he would love this dish.  I have found that by adding Big H’s favourite foods to new dishes he is more likely to try new things, and get used to new flavours more easily.   This dish is easy to prepare and the coriander lime dressing is lovely and light.  It would make a great accompaniment to your main meal

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• A variety of tomatoes in different sizes and shapes
• 1/4 cup olive oil + a little oil coat tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of packed finely chopped coriander (cilantro)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger (either paste or grate fresh ginger very finely)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

• Place tomatoes in a baking dish or tray with a little olive oil; move the tray around to coat the tomatoes in the oil. Place in the oven under a hot grill (broiler) and cook for about 5-10 minutes. This will depend on the size of your tomatoes. I had a few really large tomatoes that I halved and quartered so they would cook evenly

• Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Add a little more lime juice or maple to adjust to your liking
• To serve, place tomatoes on a serving dish and spoon over the dressing