Almond Butter Biscuits

This is a recipe I adapted from a 4 Ingredients book and I love that it's so easy and gluten free.  The original recipe uses peanut butter, but it was just as good with almond - or any nut butter would do!

I used whole almonds from Charlies and made them into a butter with my neighbour's Thermomix - but you could just buy it (go for the natural stuff from the health food section of the supermarket).

Ingredients
1 cup (250g) almond butter
3/4 cup (220g) brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Mix all ingredients into a bowl.

Spoon small tablespoon sized balls onto 2 lined baking trays. Flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 minutes, or until a thin crust forms on the biscuit.  Cool and enjoy.

Cake Balls

I was going through my freezer the other day, when I came across a container full of leftover Fire Truck Birthday Cake  from my little man's birthday last month.  Leftover birthday cake is so delicious, but you can't really serve a deconstructed cake - and my tummy & thighs certainly don't need the extra calories!

So I came up with this - and it was soooo delicious!  Because of the red fire truck icing, the balls came out such a beautiful rich red colour - but you could always add some colour if you just have plain leftover cake.  You can also experiment with the flavour, or just leave it as it.

Ingredients
leftover cake, iced with buttercream
1 teaspoon strawberry essence (or any other flavour - or if your cake is flavoured, just leave it as is)
100g dark chocolate, melted
sprinkles, for decoration

Method
If frozen, defrost the cake.  Place chunks into a food processor or Thermomix and process until fine crumbs form.  Add essence.  Continue to process until mixture comes together in a big ball and is quite moist.

Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls.  Assess the texture and if necessary, place in freezer for about 30 minutes.

When mixture is firm, dip in melted chocolate, sprinkle with decorations and refrigerate until set.

Black Sapote Muffins

So I got my online order from Charlie's Fruit Online the other day and was curious about a random fruit that was in my box - I had absolutely no idea what it was!

It looked a little like this:

After a bit of research, I discovered it's Black Sapote, which is also known as Chocolate Pudding Fruit.  Sounds pretty good!  However, I have to admit that the taste didn't really float my boat.  So I started the hunt for a recipe and found a super easy one here at Best Recipes and tinkered with it a little.

The result was great!  It's amazing that these actually contain no cocoa or chocolate, because you'd never know - that chocolatey taste is definitely there!

Next time you have some Black Sapote hanging around, you should definitely give these a go :-)

Ingredients
60g butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup black sapote pulp, pureed with ⅓ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

Method
Place everything in a bowl and mix together.

Spoon into a non-stick muffin tray and cook at 200°C for about 20 minutes.

Optional: once cooled, spread with buttercream icing.

Chicken Cacciatore

Another fantastic weeknight meal from Food Before 5 - this was a huge time-saver for me, because it lasted us for 2 nights, so gave me a day off cooking!  It's delicious, packed with veges, cheap, easy and quick to prepare.  PLUS, without any rice or extras, comes in at just 244 calories per serve!

Ingredients (serves 6 - 244 calories per serve)

1 tablespoon olive oil

600g chicken thighs

1 brown onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

200g button mushrooms, chopped

100g bacon, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 x 400g tins crushed tomatos

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 teaspoons mixed dried herbs

250mL chicken stock

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan.  Brown chicken over medium-high heat, then remove from pan.

Add onion, celery and carrot to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft.

Add mushrooms, bacon and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.

Serve with steamed brown rice or cauliflower "rice".

Chicken Skewers with Cauliflower Pilaf

I really enjoyed this meal - it's got delicious, strong flavours and is super healthy too!

Ingredients (serves 4)

Chicken skewers:
400g chicken breast, cubed
1/2 bunch coriander, chopped
1 lime, zested and juiced
200mL (1/2 can) coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce

Cauliflower pilaf:
1/2 head cauliflower
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated

Method
Take 8 bamboo skewers and soak them in water for about 15 minutes.  Thread chicken pieces onto skewers.  Arrange in a shallow dish.

Combine coriander, lime juice and zest, coconut milk, garlic and ginger in a food processor.  Process until well combined.  Pour marinade over chicken skewers and leave for at least 2 hours (up to overnight).

To make the cauliflower pilaf: chop cauliflower and place in a food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Transfer to a frying pan or wok over medium heat, lightly sprayed with olive oil.

Saute for a few minutes, until starting to soften.  Add spices and onion, and continue to cook for another minute.  Add carrot and cook, stirring regularly for 5-10 minutes.

Preheat barbecue or grill pan over medium heat.  Spray with olive oil.  Cook chicken skewers, turning when needed, until cooked through.  Take remaining marinade and put in a small saucepan with 2 teaspoons brown sugar and a dash of sweet chilli sauce.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced slightly and thickened.

Arrange skewers over pilaf and spoon sauce over the top.

Cheesecake Slice

This recipe is from my new favourite cook book, "Food Before 5" by Amanda Arnold. I've been cooking a few things out of it, and find all of the recipes so easy, family-friendly and delicious!

This slice is no exception - super easy to do and super tasty!  You could easily substitute the lemon and passionfruit for other flavours.  Keep in the fridge, or it's also suitable to freeze.

Ingredients
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g butter, melted
125g cream cheese
1 x 400g tin condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
pulp of 1 passionfruit

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius/160 fan-forced.

In a bowl, combine flour, coconut, sugar and butter.  Press firmly into a slice pan lined with baking paper.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and cool.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add condensed milk and beat until smooth.

While beating, gradually add lemon juice to thicken the mixture.  Add passionfruit pulp and beat.

Spread over cooled base and refrigerate for about 4 hours or until set.  Cut to size.

Pumpkin & Feta Pastry Roll

I brought this Sausage Roll in to my workmates to taste test this morning and was told in no uncertain terms that it was not, in fact, a Sausage Roll at all.  They thought it was a very misleading label, and as a "Sausage Roll" they scored it a 0/5!  However, as a Pumpkin & Feta Pastry, I was scored 4.5/5 - so apparently, it's all in the name!

I whipped these up after making a Pumpkin & Feta Pizza on the weekend and having leftover ingredients.  They are delicious and a really great alternative to your standard sausage roll.  Just perfect with some home-made relish and a side salad.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
400g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cubed
1 tin lentils, drained
2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (or substitute dried herbs)
1 egg, lightly beaten (reserve a little bit for brushing)
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
100g feta cheese, crumbled
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Roast pumpkin for about 20 minutes, until soft and lightly browned.

Reduce oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Place in a bowl with lentils and mash.  Add herbs, egg (don't forget to reserve some!), sauce and feta and mix well.

Lay out the puff pastry and cut each piece in half.  Spoon 1/4 of the filling mixture on each piece, in a log.  Roll up and place, seam down, on a lined baking tray.

Brush with reserved egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden.

Kids Food Ideas #3

I needed another change from the cheese sandwich that my kids would so happily eat every day, so today I threw these fritters together:

1 grated zucchini, 1/2 cup grated cheese, a few slices of leftover corned beef (chopped), 1/4 cup tinned corn, 1 egg, 1 cup SR flour, 1 cup milk - mix together, and dollop into a frying pan over medium-low heat, cook for about 2 minutes each side, until cooked through. 

It was a winner!

Here's some other ideas for the lunchbox: (as well as more in previous posts here and here!)

Rice cakes instead of the usual sandwich, with a range of toppings to mix it up.

I love when the snack box has lots of bright colours - it definitely makes it much more appealing for the kids!  Shown here are mulitgrain rice crackers, dried cranberries, carrot & strawberries.

I love these Tupperware lunchboxes - you can fit so much in, while only taking one container with you (and no excess packaging).  Again, lots of bright colours always go down a treat!

Sometimes making it into a funny shape is enough to get them eating healthily!  Daggy mum, I know :-)

Melted cheese on a wrap to make a quesadilla, accompanied by colourful silicone cups with a range of salad items.

So get a bit creative and mix up your lunch today!

Banana Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free & Sugar-Free)

I saw this recipe the other day posted here at The Healthy Chef.  It really appealed to me, because while it's a really healthy alternative to standard Banana Cake, it doesn't use strange, expensive, hard-to-source ingredients.  I've made it twice since and it's been a big hit!  I made a couple of changes, but feel free to also check out the original recipe for some other alternatives.  I also made it once in my food processor and once in my neighbour's Thermomix (including making the almond meal) - and it was so quick and easy.

As always - almonds, bananas, honey & eggs from Charlie's!

Makes 1 loaf - 12 slices (193 calories per serve)

Ingredients
300g over-ripe, mashed banana
3 eggs
60g honey 

1 teaspoon vanilla
60 g olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

1 tbsp lemon juice
150g almond meal
50g desiccated coconut

25g chia seeds

Method
Preheat oven to 160 C.

Combine banana, honey, oil, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, bicarb and lemon in a food processor.

Add the almond meal, coconut and chia and mix well.

Line a loaf tin with baking paper and spoon in the batter. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (a skewer inserted into the centre should come out dry).

Allow to cool before turning out the loaf.

Trio of Truffles

I've been getting back on track with clean eating lately - trying to stick with real, whole foods.  But of course, I still love my sweets - so these little delights are my not-so-naughty treats.  They're not strictly truffles - but close enough!

I did some experimenting last week, trying out the flavours - but of course, I didn't write down what I was doing...so the quantities here might not be exactly what I used.  Do some experimenting and just add more wet/dry ingredients as needed.

The recipes are a combination of a couple from the 4 Ingredients "Gluten & Lactose Free" book and online.  Just be careful not to go overboard - 1 or 2 at a time will satisfy the sweet craving without breaking the calorie bank :-)

Get all your nuts & dried fruit from Charlies!

Basic Chocolate Truffles
1/4 cup almonds
1 cup dates
1/2 cup coconut
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup crushed peanuts

Combine almonds, dates, coconut and cocoa in a food processor or Thermomix and blend until mixture comes together.  Add a dash of water if necessary.  Roll into balls, coat in nuts and refrigerate.


Lime Truffles
1/2 cup almonds
3/4 cup dates
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup coconut

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or Thermomix and blend until mixture comes together.  Roll into balls and refrigerate.


Peanut Butter Truffles
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1 tablespoon cocoa (plus extra for rolling/dusting)
1 tablespoon chia seeds

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or Thermomix and blend until mixture comes together.  Roll into balls, coat or dust with cocoa and refrigerate.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor

Puffed Rice Slice

You know those rice bubble bars you buy at the shops?  Sure they're convenient for the lunchbox, but have you ever actually looked at what's in them?  Hopefully you can zoom in enough to see the ingredients list:

Yep, absolutely filled with unnecessary extras.  When you realise how easy it is to make your own, you won't need to buy them any more!  It'll save you heaps of money, heaps of plastic packaging & takes hardly any time at all.  These keep well in the fridge and are also suitable to freeze, so you can always have them on hand.  You can get puffed rice in the health food section at the supermarket - it's better than rice bubbles, because the only ingredient is rice!  You'll love these ones :-)

Ingredients
100g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons honey
100g puffed rice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup desiccated coconut

Method
Combine butter, sugar and honey in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, until butter is melted OR combine in a small saucepan.

Add puffed rice, vanilla and coconut and mix well.

Pour into a lined slice tin and refrigerate until firm.

Cut into slices and serve.  Keep in the fridge.

Roast Vegetable Frittata

This was a bit of a throw-together meal that turned out really well!  Super easy - a bit time-consuming because of the cooking times, but the actual prep time is not much.  Loved by the whole family and would suit breakfast, lunch or dinner - it comes in at just 265 calories per serve.

Ingredients (serves 4)
300g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped
300g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
olive oil spray
2 tablespoons relish/chutney (I used this home-made capsicum & onion relish)
100g feta cheese, chopped
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons dried herbs

Method
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius/200 fan-forced.

Combine pumpkin, sweet potato and onion in a baking dish and spray with olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and golden. Reduce oven to 180 degrees Celsius/160 fan-forced.

Add relish to vegetables and mix until combined. Top with feta.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs and milk and whisk well.  Pour over the vegetables then sprinkle the herbs on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes until egg is set and top is golden brown.

Capsicum & Onion Relish

This relish is a bit of a combination of a recipe from the latest Super Food Ideas magazine and my favourite home-made Tomato Relish.  It is simply delicious and I think it's our new favourite relish.  Even better when you can get capsicums & onions on special at Charlie's!  It's perfect on sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, with eggs & toast, quiche...or anything else you can think of.  And how gorgeous does it look in these preserving jars from www.kitchenwaredirect.com.au?

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1kg brown onions, sliced thinly
1kg red capsicum, chopped finely
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1/3 cup sweet chilli sauce

Method
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for a further minute, then add capsicums and cook, stirring, until softened.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until reduced to a thick, spreadable consistency.

Spoon into sterilised jars and seal. Once open, keep in the fridge for up to 6 months.