• 2 – 4 granny smith apples – preferably organic
• juice of one lemon

For the toffee

• 2 heaped tablespoons brown rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon rosewater

• Add a cup of water to a bowl and add the lemon juice
• Wash the apples really well as we are leaving the skin on. Using a mandolin, slice the apples to about a 2mm thickness. Alternatively slice using a sharp knife. Dunk them in the bowl of lemon water and allow excess to drip off and add to your food dehydrator tray.
• Drying time will vary according to your model of dehydrator but roughly 12 hours or so and they will be ready.

If using an oven rather than a dehydrator

• Use above steps but dry with paper towel after dipping in lemon water. Add to a baking paper lined baking tray. Bake at 100 degrees C (225 degrees F) for approximately 2 hours, flipping them about half way through cooking.

For the toffee

• Add the syrup to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble up and turn a golden colour (watch it very carefully as it doesn’t take long and can burn very easily). Take it off the heat and stir through the rosewater. Once the syrup cools just slightly it will be very sticky and you can drizzle it over the apple chips. Allow to cook and store in an airtight container.

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Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Resting time 1 hour

For the olive oil pastry

• 330 grams plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried yeast
• 80 ml olive oil
• 100 ml tepid water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, for brushing

For the kale and ricotta filling

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 100 grams Prosciutto, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch tuscan kale (cavolo nero)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 250 grams fresh ricotta
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper

For the pastry

• Place the flour and yeast in a large bowl and combine. Pour in the olive oil a little at a time and mix with a wooden spoon. Then pour in the water a little at a time, stirring and then use your hands to bring it together.
• Flour your bench and tip out the dough. Sprinkle with salt and knead until a ball forms. About 10 minutes. (you can use a kitchaid with a dough hook if you have one)
• Place in a large bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm spot for an hour.
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F)
• Divide the pastry in two. 1/3 for the top and 2/3 for the base. Roll out pastry to fit a 30 x 20cm tart tin. Add filling and then the pastry top, trim any excess pastry and crimp edges with a fork. Cut a little cross in the centre to let out any steam. Decorate with any excess pastry if you wish.
• Brush with egg and bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and serve.

For the filling

• While the pastry is resting, add oil to a frying pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat untl soft and only very lightly golden. Add garlic and prosucito and cook while stirring for a couple of minutes. Add to a large bowl.
• Bring a large saupan of water to the boil. Remove the hard centre stems from the kale. Tear the leaves into large pieces. Blanch the kale in the boiling water until it has wilted slightly. Only a minute or so. Remove and refresh under cold water. Squeeze out the water well and add to the onion mixture.
• Also add, ricotta, egg, parsley and season very well with salt and pepper.

Dont be too concerned about quantities for the filling. Add as much or as little as you like.  Olive oil pastry recipe is from one of my favourite blogs www.italyonmymind.com.au  

• 1/4 medium rockmelon (cantaloupe)
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• a good dollop of organic natural yoghurt
• 1/2 cup organic milk
• little slash of maple syrup (optional – after 12 months of age)

• Remove the skin and seeds from the rock melon and roughly chop. Place in a blender with the other ingredients, and blend until smooth

• 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

quiche cooking time 50 minutes

For the Pastry

• 2 cups plain flour (300grams)
• 1 tsp salt
• 150 grams cold butter chopped into pieces
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tbsp milk

For the caramelised onions

• 2 brown onions thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the filling

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup single cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 100 grams fresh ricotta
• 2 bunches tomatoes on the vine (loose small tomatoes would also work)
• good quality thick balsamic vinegar to serve

• Preheat oven to 200C/400F. If you have a food processor, add flour, salt and butter and process until you have a fine crumb. Alternatively add to a large bowl and rub the mixture between your fingers to break up the butter into small pieces. You should still have small pieces of butter throughout the mixture.
• Add eggs, milk. Process until a ball forms. If using your hands, miss with a wooden spoon then knead with your hands until incorporated. Roll out dough between sheets of baking paper. Place in the fridge until firm. About 15 minutes.
• Grease tart tin with softened butter and line with pastry. I used a 30cm tart tin with a depth of 4cm. Line with baking paper and fill with weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and cook for a further 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside. Lower heat to 180C/350F.

For the caramelised onions

• While your pastry is resting and cooking, add onions, butter and oil to a large frying pan and cook over medium-low heat until golden and caramelised. Stir often for about 40 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar to deglaze pan and cook for a further minute. Add to the base of the pastry shell.

For the filling

• In a large bowl add eggs, cream, milk, parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper and combine. Add egg mixture over the onion mixture until almost the top of the pastry shell. Nestle the tomatoes into the mixture and add dollops of fresh ricotta.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until just set and golden on top. Rest for 10 minutes and serve with a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

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If cooking only for baby

• 1 duck breast
• 2 figs
• 1 large potato
• balsamic vinegar
• 5 dates
• pinch of bi-carb soda
• Tiny splash dry sherry (optional)
• 1/2 cup of water

If cooking for a family of 3

• 3 duck breast
• 6 figs
• balsamic vinegar
• 10 dates
• pinch of bi-carb soda
• Splash dry sherry (optional)
• 3/4 cup of water

Directions if cooking only for baby

• I removed the fat from the duck and chopped it into pieces before adding to the steamer basket along with the potato. Depending on what type of steamer you have, you could steam the duck breast as a whole. Steam for approximately 15 minutes or until cooked through.
• Once cooked add duck and potato to the blender along with the cooked figs (see below) and two teaspoons of the date sauce.

For the Date Sauce

• Chop dates and add to a saucepan. Add water and bring to the boil. Remove from of the heat and add bi-carb soda. Stir until dates start to breakdown. Allow to cool a little and add dry sherry and extra water if the consistency is too thick. Pass through a sieve.

For the Figs

• Chop the figs in half and add to a baking dish. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and grill for approx. 5 minutes. You want them to be tender but still holding their shape

Directions if cooking for the family

• Use a sharp knife to score the skin of the duck breasts (without slicing all the way into the flesh)
• If using a sous vide – vacuum breast and cook for 40 minutes at 64 degrees C (147 degrees F). Once cooked sear the breast in a frying pan skin-side down over medium-high heat to render the fat. Allow to rest
• Alternatively – Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear the duck, skin-side down, for 7 minutes reduce the heat to medium-low after 3 minutes. Turn the breasts over and place the pan in the oven for a further 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
• While the duck in resting place figs in the oven.

To Assemble

• Slice duck and add to a serving plate along with the figs. Drizzle some of the remaining balsamic from the fig pan and top with the date sauce.

• 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.

For the roasted pumpkin

• 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

For the salad

• 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

To garnish

• 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. 

• 2 ripe avocados (ripe but not over mushy)
• 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup or your sweetener of choice

• Remove the flesh from the avocado and place in a blender with all the other ingredients; blend until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness to suit. I found it it tasted sweeter the next day so don’t over sweeten.
• Churn in an ice cream maker as per your machines instructions. Add to a freezer proof dish and sprinkle with the lime zest. Serve as a soft serve or freeze until you are ready to use.

This ice cream freezes really well and doesn’t get super hard – the perfect consistency.
Keep the seed and make an avocado tree from it. See my instructions below. The kids will love watching it grow.

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened from the healthy food store – its a super food!)
• 1 tablespoon tahini (I used hulled in this recipe but use either)
• 3 tablespoons rice malt syrup (or your sweetener of choice)
• handful of coconut chips (preferably the unsweetened kind)

• Add the cocoanut chips to a dry frying pan and cook over medium heat until golden – watch them close as they will burn easily.
• Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan on low heat. Whisk in the cocoa, followed by the tahini, rice malt syrup. Poor into a baking paper lined dish and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Freeze until set. Serve straight from the freezer or fridge.

My chocolate bar was about 1cm thick. Crimp the baking paper at one end so it doesn’t run to thinly.If pouring into moulds add the coconut first and then the chocolate mixture.

If it is a hot day the chocolate will melt if left out of the fridge too long.