• 1 pear
• 1 tsp of vanilla bean paste (alternatively use a vanilla bean or vanilla extract)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Lavender Custard (see previous post)

• Peel, core and quarter the pears. Add to a saucepan along with the vanilla bean paste, cinnamon and enough water to cover the pears. Simmer until tender.
• Once it has cooled a little, add a good dollop of lavender custard and serve

• 3/4 cup natural yoghurt (or use you favourite fruit yoghurt and use only 3/4 cup sugar)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 2 handfuls of white chocolate chips
• 1 bunch rhubarb

• Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F)
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (excluding the rhubarb), stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined
• Grease your cake pan, either individual like I’ve used, or a single loaf tin
• Add half the batter to the tin and then add a few pieces of rhubarb. Add another layer of batter and then a single piece of rhubarb on top
• Bake for 25 minutes. (If using a single loaf tin, baking time can increase up to 45 min depending on the thickness of the mixture). Test by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it come out clean its ready
• Turn out onto a cake-cooling tray; best serve warm

Suitable for children 12 months plus, due to the sugar
These little cakes freeze really well. Simply let defrost on the bench before serving.

• 1/2 cup (50g) quinoa flakes
• 2 cups (60g) puffed amaranth
• 1/3 cup (50g) rice flour
• 1/2 desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 1 1/2 cups dried apple (or any dried fruit you like)
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup maple syrup

• Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). Line a 20cm x 30cm slice tin with non-stick paper. Place the quinoa flakes, puffed amaranth, rice flour, coconut, sultanas, apple and pepitas in a large bowl and mix to combine. Whisk together the coconut oil, eggs and maple; add to the puffed amaranth mixture and stir until well combined
• Spoon mixture into the prepared tin and use the back of the spoon to smooth the surface. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool in tin for 15 minutes, transfer to the fridge and chill until firm. Slice into squares and serve

Will keep in the fridge for a week. Or they freeze really well. Puffed amaranth is available from health food stores Adapted from Donna Hay Magazine – Kids issue 11, 2014

• 1 cup dried apricot
• 1/2 cup traditional oats
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut ,unsweetened
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil ,melted

• Add all ingredients to a food processor.  Process until the mixture resembles a fine crumb.  Press together with your hands to see it will stick together once rolled.  If its too dry add a little extra coconut oil. 1 teaspoon at a time. 
• Roll into 1 tablespoon sized balls and coat in extra coconut, hemp seeds or chia seeds.  

Best kept in the freezer.  

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pandan paste
• *optional – icing sugar to resemble snow – sprinkled on top

• Pre-heat oven to 100 degrees C (210 degrees F). Add the egg whites to a clean dry bowl. Whisk until soft peaks have formed. Slowly add the caster sugar and continue whisking for about 10 minutes or until the meringue looks super glossy and is no longer gritty from the sugar. Add vinegar and whisk to combine. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the pandan paste and fold through. You don’t want it too green!
• Add a large star tip to your pipping bag. To create a swirl in the meringue, like you can in my pictures. Add a drop or two of the pandan paste to the inside of your pipping bag and then add the meringue.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper. I pipped a circle and then a blob of meringue on top. To create a tree like shape I then pipped around the blob in an upward motion to create a tree like shape.
• Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes for the meringue to be crispy on the outside and slightly chewy/marshmallow on the inside. If you like your meringue to be completely set and crispy you will need to bake them for an extra 30min to an hour. Allow to cool completely
• Sprinkle lightly with icing sugar and serve

Makes 10 – 12 depending on how big you make them. I made mine about 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) wide.Make up to two days ahead and store in an airtight container.

The gold flecks you see on my trees are little edible stars. Used for decorating cupcakes.

• 200 g chicken breast or thigh cut into bite-sized pieces (or chop extra fine for baby)
• 2 teaspoons sake (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Japanese soy sauce (salt reduced)
• 1 leek , finely sliced
• 1 carrot , sliced or finely chopped for baby
• A handful of spinach , finely chopped
• A handful of arame – Japanese sea vegetable (you could substitute with a tablespoon of dashi granules if you are unable to find arame. If using dashi add to custard mixture below)

For the Custard

• 2 1/2 cups (625ml) water
• 1 tablespoon Japanese Soy Sauce
• 4 eggs

• Place chicken pieces in 4 heatproof bowls. Combine sake and soy and divide between each bowl
• Divide the vegetables between the 4 bowls

To make the custard

• Combine eggs, water and soy in a jug, pour custard into the 4 bowls
• (if using dash granules dissolve in a little boiling water and add the custard mixture, strain equal amounts into the 4 bowls)
• Cover bowls with foil, place then in a steamer and cook on high for 30 minutes

Depending on your bowl size you may want 6 bowls to allow the chicken and vegetables to come only half way up the bowl – this will allows enough of the custard mixture in each bowl. Adapted from The essential asian cookbook

• 250 gm dried chickpeas , soaked overnight in cold water; drained
• Olive oil for frying
• 1/4 cup rosemary (loosely packed)
• 2 garlic cloves , thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• finely grated rind of a lemon , plus a few wedges to serve
• Finely grated parmesan to serve

• Generously cover chickpeas with water in a saucepan, bring to the boil over medium heat and cook until tender (about 50 minutes). Then drain and and spread on a tray lined with baking paper to dry (30 minutes or so, it will help prevent the chickpeas from splitting in the hot oil)
• Heat 1 cm of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, until just simmering. Add the chickpeas and cook stirring often until golden (about 5 minutes). Add the rosemary, and garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the lemon, stir, then strain through a metal sieve into a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika and stir to combine. Generously season and top with the parmesan. Serve hot with a lemon wedge or they are equally delicious served cold

Keep in an airtight container once cooled completely Adapted from Gourmet Traveller Magazine – Annual Cookbook 2014

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

• 2 cups yellow split peas
• 4 cloves garlic ,crushed
• 1 tomato ,chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 small red chilli ,chopped *optional
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion ,sliced
• 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 50 grams butter ,optional*
• To serve: natural yoghurt, coriander, hemp seeds, sweet chutney ,optional*

• Add yellow split peas to a large saucepan with half the garlic, tomato, salt and chilli if using.  Add 6 cups water and bring to the boil.  Skim off any froth that forms on the surface, this will stop it boiling over. 
• Continue boiling, adding an extra 4 cups of water as the liquid absorbs, for 45 minutes or until the split peas are tender and falling apart.  Stir often to ensure if doesn’t stick.
• Once the dhal is cooked add oil to a large saucepan or pan and fry the onion until tender, add garlic and spices and continue to fry until just browned. 
• Add the split peas to the fried onion, being careful it doesn’t splatter.  Stir to combine.  Turn off heat and add butter if using, combine well.  Adjust seasoning. 
• Serve with rice, natural yoghurt, fresh coriander, hemp seeds and sweet chutney – or simply on its own. 

This makes a large batch of dhal so freeze what you don’t use for another day.  The butter is optional but does make it extra delicious and silky. 

• 1 ripe mangos;
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• 1/2 cup cooled rooibos tea
• 1 tablespoon of your sweetener of choice (maple syrup / honey / brown rice syrup)
• Handful of ice-cubes
• 1/4 cup black large tapioca pearls

• Add a few cups of water to a saucepan and once boiling add your tapioca pearls. Simmer until the pearls are tender. About 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Leave to sit in cold water until you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Add the mango, pineapple and ice to a blender along with the rooibos tea and blend until smooth. Add sweetener to suit your taste.
• Drain and add tapioca pearls to the bottom of your two glasses and top with the smoothie mixture. Serve cold.

Black tapioca pearls are available from asian grocersRooibos tea is available from supermarkets and is a great options for kids. Caffeine free

Add extra sweetener to suit your taste

For the salad

• 3/4 cup green lentils
• 2 ears of corn
• 6 stalks kale; leaves only , discard stalks.
• 3 potatoes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped mint
• Juice of 1/2 – 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the dressing

• 3/4 cup natural yoghurt (or plain greek yoghurt)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 – 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• small pinch salt

For the salad

• Add the lentils to a saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until tender, add more water if necessary – they should still be firm though. Peel and chop the potatoes; add to a saucepan and cover with water. Cook until tender. Remove potato from the pot and set aside. Using a the same water if you wish, cook the kale and corn for a couple of minutes, remove and allow to cool slightly. Slice the corn kernels off the cob and set aside. Finely chop the kale.
• In a large bowl, combine the lentils, potato, corn, mint, a good few glugs of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

For the dressing

• Combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Serve the salad with the yoghurt dressing on the side

Serves 4 -6 as a side. Lovely served warm or cold.
Add more or less cumin to suit your taste. I only use 1/2 teaspoon so it isn’t too strong for the little guy. The kale can be left raw. I cook it and chop if finely so it easier for the little guy to chew.