There isn’t a whole lot I like about winter, but juicy blood oranges are one of the few things that I can’t get enough of.  The colours are just gorgeous and I love love love orange salads.   There is another one that I make regularly with rosewater, pistachios and goats cheese – but I’ll leave that for another post!  This citrus salad with fennel and…

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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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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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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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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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The classic roast chook, it’s always a favourite at our table.  This recipe is really simple and the result is perfectly cooked chicken with juicy flesh and crispy skin, with hints of sage. Up until fairly recently we always used the rotisserie to cook chicken, but with that no longer an option (apartment living!).  I have…

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Galettes are really simple to make and you can put any veggies you like in them.  I’ve used potato, broccoli and sage which are great together.  I also put some sage leaves on top to crisp up in the oven.   The pastry I have made is also super simple and only takes 2 minutes to…

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 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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This Spiced peach quinoa porridge is a lovely warm and comforting breakfast – perfect now that the weather is getting a little cool.

It has quite a savoury taste without the addition of fresh peaches on top and the maple syrup.  If you like things a little sweeter, stir through some sweetener of your choice after cooking.  

If you remember you can soak the quinoa the night before and it will take less time to cook in the morning.  If peaches aren’t in season, apples would make a lovely substitute – but use whatever fruit you have on hand.  I often make this when I have fruit in the fridge that is overripe and no longer good for eating.  

If using very ripe fruit, I suggest adding the fruit in toward the end of cooking the quinoa, rather than at the start. 

Enjoy xx

Here is a little video of H making this spiced peach quinoa porridge – press play to watch it here 🙂

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• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups milk (animal or plant)
• 1/2 cup water + extra as needed
• 2 peaches; chopped
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or essence
• 1 clove
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 peach; sliced
• flaked almond; toasted
• maple syrup or your sweetener of choice

• Rinse the quinoa and add to a saucepan with the milk, water, cinnamon, vanilla, clove and salt. Add the peaches* (see note).
• Bring to the boil and then simmer until tender, stirring occasionally. Add extra water if the mixture is too dry. Once cooked remove the clove and add to two bowls.
• Add a little extra milk the sliced peaches, flaked almonds and sweeten with maple.

If you have very ripe peaches add them in towards the end of cooking the quinoa. If they are firm add them at the beginning.

Making custard at home is a really great option.  You can be guaranteed that it is sugar-free and free of all other nasties – something I am very particular about when feeding my son. This is an easy custard recipe and baby will love it.  Stir though a little pureed fruit for a natural sweeter…

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Summer Fruit Puree with mango, banana, passionfruit and peach.  Simply added to a blender and pulsed til smooth.  No cooking required.  Baby will love it and so will you.   The Stone Fruit Puree with Cinnamon and Star Anise is simmered on the stove top until tender so the spices can infuse the mixture.  It is a…

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H trying Vegemite for the first time.  He pulled a few funny faces and kept going!  I try to give Little Big H a bit of variety for breakie but I do find myself making a version of the below recipes quite a bit.  Most often he gets: Scrambled Eggs with Avocado, Bircher Muesli with Berries, Fruit Puree with…

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    BRIGHTON BEACH, MELBOURNE

Big H loves this salad and it is super easy and quick to make.  Shelling the broad beans is a little time-consuming but you could use frozen shelled broad bean instead if  you like.  

I was searching the web looking for a pair of sun glasses for Little Big H and came across Babiators.com.  They have the coolest sunglasses for babies and young children.  I thought they wouldn’t stand a chance but they are flexible enough to withstand being bent out of shape and Little Big H seems to…

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H trying Vegemite for the first time.  He pulled a few funny faces and kept going! 

I try to give Little Big H a bit of variety for breakie but I do find myself making a version of the below recipes quite a bit.  Most often he gets: Scrambled Eggs with Avocado, Bircher Muesli with Berries, Fruit Puree with Yoghurt and Chia Seeds, Porridge with Grilled Banana and Raspberries.  I change it up by add ingredient like; fresh seasonal fruits cut into pieces so he can feed himself or toast cut into fingers with a smear avocado or cheese and Vegemite. 

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• 1 organic free-range egg
• A splash or two of milk
• 1/2 Avocado

• Whisk the egg and milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat scraping the bottom of the pan in order to achieve a lightness to the egg mixture. Once set allow to cool slightly
• Slice Avocado and server with eggs

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• 1/2 cup of organic oats
• 1 banana
• Handfull of raspberries
• A little oil (coconut oil is best)

• Cook oats as per packet instructions. (I use 1/2 cup of oats with full cream milk). Using a grill plate or a frying pan add oil. Slice banana in half length ways and grill until you active a nice colour and the banana has softened slightly – Don’t over cook or it will turn to mush
• Add porridge to bowl and top grilled banana and fresh raspberries

Makes enough to serve Mum and Bub Print Pin

• 2 tablespoons Organic Natural Yoghurt
• 1 portion of Fruit Puree (see forthcoming post)
• 1 teaspoon Chia Seeds

• Combine all ingredients and serve

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• 1/4 cup Organic Bircher Muesli
• 1/4 cup Organic Natural Yoghurt or you could use milk
• 2 tbls Water
• Berries or any fresh sessional fruit; to serve

• Combine Bircher Muesli, yoghurt and water. Leave to soak overnight in the refrigerator
• The next day; stir add berries/fruit and server

These macadamia bonbons are super healthy, they contain macadamia nuts, chia seeds, tahini, coconut, vanilla and I have sweetened mine with maple.  If you want a sugar-free alternative use rice malt syrup.   I was pretty excited when my toffee idea came together.  I put brown rice syrup in a  small saucepan and heated it over…

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I have never made skewers for H before but I will say they were a huge hit.  I think like most toddlers/kids he can be a little lazy when it comes to chewing meat.  These skewers however are tiny enough to be toddler friendly and by using eye fillet beef, they were tender and easy for little mouths the manage. 

As you can see, kids love to eat food from sticks!  Just chop the pointy end off the skewer before serving

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• 400 g Beef eye fillet
• sesame seeds
• Lemon; cut into wedges to serve
• 6 skewers

• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons kecap manin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 3 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons malt vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Dice the beef into the toddler bite size pieces and add to the marinade. Marinade for a couple of hours minimum or preferable overnight in the refrigerator
• Soak the skewers in water (this prevents them from burning). Skewer the beef and cook on a hot grill plate or BBQ until nicely charred and cooked through. They won’t take very long, so keep an eye on them. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and lemon wedge

Makes 6 skewers Adapted from marinade from Kylie Kwong

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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