Frozen banana pops with a healthy cocoa-tahini coating that not only tastes great, but it is good for you.  Sugar-free and a great snack option that the kids will love to help make.   You simply chop a banana into thirds and stick a paddle pop stick or skewer into the end and freeze for a few hours….

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Well Easter has come and gone and I got away with it for another year.   H still doesn’t like chocolate!   He wanted a kinder surprise bunny and a big kinder surprise egg – its all about the toy inside obviously!  He was a happy boy but had no interest in the chocolate.  I…

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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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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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  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…

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And just like that H is at school and I’m preparing school lunch boxes. I’m finding it quite fun at the moment – but it has only been a week. I’ll report back in a months time! So with that in mind, I thought it would be nice to include a little sweet treat on…

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A little bit like a shortbread these delicious little honey and walnut cookies are made using only 5 ingredients and are refined sugar-free. I have never had much luck with sugar-free cookies but these were an experiment gone right. They are also super simple to make; you simply beat the butter and honey and add…

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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 love to make my own pastry and when I came across this recipe in one of my favourite cookbooks I couldn’t wait to try it out.  It is very simple and sugar-free.  I have added a little orange blossom water because the combination of that with the strawberries is heavenly.   The only sugar in…

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There is something so satisfying about making bread at home.  Kneading the dough, the smell of it baking in the oven and it is a fabulous activity for kids. H loves measuring the ingredients and getting his little fingers into the dough.  It’s also very calming for little ones if things are getting crazy…  What do you do…

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These carrot and walnut muffins are really delicious, and with 2 cups of carrot they are also good for you.  I always like to have a batch of muffins in the freezer, they are super handy for lunch boxes or healthy snack on the run.   They aren’t overly sweet so if you like things…

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I have been making these delicious bread rolls for years with a range of different fillings.  This kale pesto filling is really delicious as the lemony flavour is balanced beautifully by the sweet bread.  If you want a short cut, store-bought pesto would also work well.   I have rolled the pasty out quite thin,…

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These strawberry and coconut muesli bars are a real winner.  They are super easy to make and always work out beautifully.  I have used strawberries because there seems to be an abundance of them in Australia at the moment, they are super cheap, super tasty and we can’t get enough of them.  You can substitute what’s in…

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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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    We celebrated my babies 2nd Birthday on the weekend – can’t believe he is two already!  H had a wonderful time with his cousins and everyone was super surprised when we cut into his Birthday cake to reveal the colours of the rainbow.    My original idea was to create a checkerboard cake out of…

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Puffed amaranth is an ingredient that I stumbled upon at my local health food store recently and I love it.  It is great to add to dishes like muesli bars and on your breakfast.  I love to add it to yoghurt.  It sort of melts into it and make it very fluffy.   I have…

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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.

 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 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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A really simple cookie recipe that makes a great afternoon snack or even breakfast on the run.  Toddler approved.

I often serve gougères (aka delicious french cheese pastries) as an appetiser at dinner parties – everyone loves them, H included – they are really good! Serve them as is or cut in half and fill with what ever takes your fancy. I have always found they work out best mixing by hand but you could give…

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I started making this dish for Little Big H at around 7 months.  It contains eggs but I had given him eggs previously so I didn’t have to worry about any allergies.  It makes around 6 x 120ml mini flans

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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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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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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I know what you are thinking – Dukkah isn’t kids food!  Well I thought the same things, so when H and I decided to make this homemade nutty dukkah the other morning.  I wasn’t expecting H to like it.  He has never been a huge fan of cumin so I thought there is no way….

But, I turned away for a moment, came back to the table to see H shovelling it in by the handful – see proof in the video below…

I guess it just proves that their tastes change and what they didn’t like last week they may like now!  I’m sure it also has something to do with helping to make it.  So get your little one involved with the measuring and taste testing as you go. 

Dukkah is a middle eastern roasted spice mix that is traditionally served on it own with bread and olive oil.  There are stacks of other uses for it and it will make your average dishes great.  See a few options below:

• Sprinkle on soups and salads
• Use it to crumb fish or chicken
• Sprinkle it on your labneh when serving – see my labneh recipe here
• Serve with homemade Lebanese flatbread
• Sprinkle on your scrambled eggs, fried egg or roll your soft-boiled egg in it and serve with avo and toast
• Add to your roasted veggies – see my quick dukkah roasted brussels spouts recipe below
• Add to jars and give to your friends and family as a lovely homemade gift 

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• 1 cup almonds
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (we used black)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds

• Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 350 F. Add the almonds to a roasting tray and roast for approximately 10 minutes or until golden. Add the cumin, coriander, fennel and sesame seeds to another tray and roast for about 10 minutes or until golden. Keep on eye on them.
• Once cool add both to a mortar and pestle, along with the ginger, chia and salt. Bang away until you achieve a crumb. You don’t want it super fine but no big chunks for little ones either.
• Serve with olive oil and fresh bread or see my other ideas below

Will keep in an airtight container for a few weeks
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, add to a food processor and pulse until the desired consistency is reached

For roasted brussels sprouts with homemade nutty dukkah

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F.  Chop brussels sprouts in half and add a good few glugs of olive oil and a few tablespoons of the dukkah mixture.  Mix coat. Roast for about 15 minutes or until super golden.  Serve 

I have a nice easy no cook recipe for you today.  Raw peppermint power puff bars, made using puffed rice and amaranth, chia, goji, sunflower seeds, cocoa, honey and of course peppermint.

You simply mix all the ingredient together and press down into a baking dish to set in the fridge – easy.  It will keep in the fridge a week or freeze for months.  It won’t freeze super hard so you can enjoy straight from the freeze.

It’s also a super adaptable recipe so use whatever you have on hand.  I make a tahini and rosewater version by omitting the cocoa and peppermint.  Get creative…

Enjoy xx

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• 1 1/2 cups puffed rice
• 1 cup puffed amaranth
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup goji berries
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey or your sweetener of choice
• 4 drops peppermint oil or to taste. I used doTERRA essential oil

• Line a 20×20 baking tin with baking paper.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add the coconut oil and honey to a small saucepan and warm to melt the coconut oil. Add the peppermint oil.
• Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.  Add to your lined tin and press down with your hands so it is compacted.  Use the back of a spoon to smooth over. 
• Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set then slice into bars. 

Will keep in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for months

If you make my raw peppermint power puff bars, be sure to take a picture and upload to Instagram with the hashtag #littlebigh so I can check out your creation. xx

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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 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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Dinner ready in 10 minutes? Pasta al limone is for you…. But first… yes I finally did it.  I moved us both to Florence Italy.  My son H and I are both on this amazing Italian adventure.  It has been just over two months and it still feels like a dream. Food is my passion but I have…

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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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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…

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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…

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This is such as a simple salad and could be made with any tomatoes, but these gorgeous heirloom tomatoes were just too beautiful to walk past.  As you are all probably aware, I make a lot of dishes with tomatoes!  I know H is going to love it and I get so much joy watching him…

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 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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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.  

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• 500 g cauliflower florets – about 1/2 a medium sized cauliflower
• 2 tbls olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• a big handful of fresh parsley; chopped
• 1 tbls tomato paste
• 3-4 pieces of pancetta; chopped
• 250 g long shaped pasta – such as penne , fusilli, etc
• salt/pepper
• shaved parmesan to serve

• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook until tender; about 5 – 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the florets to a bowl; reserving the water. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in the reserved water
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic, half the parsley, then the pancetta and brown lightly. Add cooked cauliflower. Dilute the tomato pasta with 1/4 cup of water and add to the the frying pan, stir to combine. Add the cooked pasta, season well with salt and pepper and add the remaining parsley, stir to combine
• Add to plates and top with shavings of parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil

Easily serves 3 people Adapted from Twelve, A Tuscan Cookbook by Tessa Kiros

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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