• 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.

• Bones from 1 whole chicken, preferably organic ,roasted *see notes
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 carrots ,chopped in 3
• 2 celery stalks ,chopped in 3
• 1 bunch parsley stalks
• 1 onion ,halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 black peppercorn
• 1 tsp salt

• Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and fill with water.  Cook on low for 24 hours.  Allow to cool slightly and strain.  Adjust seasoning.
• Store in the fridge or freeze for later. 

If not using bones from leftovers, buy organic bones from your butcher and roast in the oven beforehand.  Using the bones from 1 chicken will produce a stock that is slightly jelly like once cooled.  I sometimes use the bones from 2 chickens. This will produce a stock that sets like jelly once cooled. 

• 1 litre unhomogenized milk
• 3 tablespoons natural yoghurt

• First sterilise the jars you will be storing the yoghurt in (see note on how I do this)
• Add milk to a saucepan and bring up to 92 degrees C – use a thermometer and continue to stir while it reaches this temperature.  Remove from the heat. 
• Place the saucepan over a cold water bath to bring the temperature back down to 40 degrees.  
• Add the natural yoghurt and stir to combine.  Add the milk mixture to your sterilised jars.  I use two 500ml jars but a single 1 litre jar would be fine.  Fill right to the top and seal. 
• Incubation: The milk mixture has to remain at 40 degrees C.  There are a number of ways to do this.  Put the jars into an esky of 40 degree water, adding more water as needed.  I use a sous vide machine and set it to 40 degrees.  If you don’t have either of these put the pot of water in the sink with the lid on and fill it with warm water and also surround it with 40 degree water.  This method will take a bit more work as the water surrounding will cool off quicker.  Check every couple of hours and add hot water to bring back up to 40 degrees.
• Leave in the 40 degree water for 6 hours.  This will a produce a fairly mild tasting yoghurt.  Leave up to 12 hours for a stronger taste.  Refrigerate and use within a week. 

Sterilising jars:  Add the jars to a large pot and cover with water, bring to the boil.  Boil for 15 minutes, add the lids when there is 5 minutes remaining.  Turn off the heat and allow to cool in the water.  Turn out onto a clean tea towel to dry. Fruit flavour ideas:  mash 1/4 avocado, banana and maple, vanilla bean, passionfruit, mixed berries, etc. 

• 2 cups pure cream – minimum 35% milk fat (heavy cream for my US friends)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

• Add the cream to a saucepan and slowly bring the temperature up to 82 degrees C (180 degrees F). (I used a candy thermometer) Simmer at this temperature for 3 minutes, giving an occasional stir
• Add the lemon juice, stir and simmer for a further 3 minutes at 82 degrees C (180 degrees F).
• Leave to cool for about 45 minutes. Sit a fine strainer over a bowl and cover with 4 layers of cheesecloth. Pour the mixture in and refrigerate over night. It will be ready to use in the morning

A lot of recipes on the web call for heavy cream, which in Australia is most similar to pure cream. Don’t use thickened cream as it often contains a thickener such as gelatine. Pure cream works beautifully.

• A dozen or so fresh lychees (you could also use tin lychees)
• A handful of fresh pineapple pieces
• 2 apricots

• Peel and remove the seed from the lychees
• Add to the blender along with the pineapple pieces
• Blend to the desired consistency

Suitable to freeze if using fresh ingredients
Not suitable to freeze if using frozen fruits as the mixture is not cooked

• 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

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

• 3/4 cup frozen mixed berries,
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 3/4 cup traditional oats
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 dates

• Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is well combined.  
• Roll tablespoon sized portions of the mixture in your hands.  Store in the freezer.

I allowed my berries to sit on the bench for 5 minutes only.  You want them still partially frozen or the mixture will turn to mush.   If the mixture is too dry add a teaspoon of either, coconut oil, honey/maple or water until you can form a ball. These bliss balls are not super sweet.  Add extra dates or honey/maple if you prefer. 

• 2 teaspoons dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 5 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Plus extra oil for frying

• Add the yeast, sugar and water to a large bowl and combine well. Add half the flour and combine. Cover and let stand for about 30 minutes or until the mixture appears to froth up a little
• Add the remaining flour, cumin, coriander, salt and oil. Knead the dough until smooth. I used a kitchenaid with a dough hook, alternative knead by hand for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow the dough to doubles in size – about 1 hour
• Give the dough a quick knead and divide into 8-12 pieces (it depends how big you want them). Roll into balls and rollout. Allow the rolled out dough to rest for about 30 minutes on a flour dusted bench. It will puff up again slightly.
• Add a small amount of oil to a frying pan and add the dough. Allow to cook for 3 minutes and then flip, cover and allow to cook for an additional 2 minutes. Repeat. Serve or allow to cool completely before freezing.

Wrap in cling film and freeze what you don’t use for another day. Allow to defrost on the bench and add to a frying pan with oil to crisp up again. Adapted from www.bestrecipes.com.au

For the bread

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 60 g (1/4 cup softened) buter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg; lightly beaten
• 4 cups flour (approximately)
• 4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 heaped teaspoons salt

For the kale pesto

• 3/4 of a large bunch – approx 4 big stalks
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese + a little more to sprinkle on top
• 3/4 cup of olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper

For the bread

• Heat water, milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted. Add to a mixing bowl and allow to cool to lukewarm. Add honey and 1 1/2 cups of flour and lightly whisk until smooth. Add the eggs and yeast and stir until smooth.
• Allow to sit uncovered for 15 minutes. Mix in salt and another 1 1/2 cups of flour. Knead the dough adding the extra cup of flour until it no longer sticks. (I used a kitchen aid and dough hook but it works just as well kneading by hand).
• Add dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to double in size – about an hour. Punch down the dough and roll out to an approx 12x 24 inch rectangle. Spread a good amount of the pesto over the bread, leaving a 1/2 inch around the edges. Fold over the long edge and roll and secure the seam with a little water.
• Using a sharp knife cut into about 20 portions. Add to baking paper, cover in plastic wrap or a tea towel to rise again for about an hour.
• Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Once risen, sprinkle with extra parmesan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly and serve.

For the pesto

• Remove stalks from the kale. Blanch kale in boiling water until it is wilted. Refresh under cold water. Squeeze out excess liquid and add to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse until the desired consistency is reached.

The recipe make more pesto than is required. Freeze what remains and add to pasta for an easy dinner.
I like to blanch the kale but it is fine to use completely raw if you prefer.

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 250 g lamb mince (preferably organic)
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups stock (beef, chicken or veggie)
• 2 big handfuls of currants
• 250 g punnet of small tomatoes (cherry or grape)
• 2 big handfuls of parsley; roughly chopped
• Natural yoghurt to serve

• Heat a frying pan over medium heat and and add the oil, cumin, cinnamon and curry powder. Stir to combine and add the mince. Stir until cooked through. Add the quinoa and stir to coat. Add the stock; bring to the boil. Cover, lower heat to as low as possible and cook for about 12 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked through and the liquid had been absorbed.
• Add the tomatoes and currants; cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir through the chopped parsley reserving a little for garnish; serve with a good dollop of natural yoghurt.