Blissful Banana Pikelets

I love these pikelets, which are a healthy version of the ones I use to make pre-12WBT. They are great as an afternoon snack, and I often add frozen berries to the mix as well as, or instead of, the banana. These are loved by my whole family, especially Miss 2 and even my 6-month-old bub (as you can see in the photo below!) A sprinkle of cinnamon is also an excellent addition.

Ingredients (makes 16, at 47 calories per pikelet)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup wholemeal SR flour
1 egg
1 cup low-fat milk
1 banana

Method
Mash banana into a bowl or jug, then add all other ingredients and mix well.

Heat a frying pan over low heat. If needed, spray lightly with olive oil spray. Spoon tablespoonfuls of mixture into the pan. When they start to bubble, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve warm.

Calorie boost: Serve with a dollop of low-fat, natural yoghurt and sprinkle with a few frozen berries (adds about 35 calories)

Penne with Feta and Lemon

This one is from the Michelle Bridges "Crunchtime" book - it's a bit higher in the calories, and she suggests it as a lunch meal on a day you do a lot of exercise.  It comes in at 440 calories, so it is a bit higher - but it is a really easy and tasty dish!

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 cups penne pasta
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
60g low-fat feta, crumbled
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method
Cook pasta in boiling water for 15-20 minutes.  Meanwhile combine lemon zest, juice and olive oil in a jar and shake.  Place cooked penne in serving bowl, crumble fetta over the top and toss with pine nuts, parsley and the lemon dressing.  Serve immediately.

Healthy beef burgers

Another one from Michelle Bridges' "Crunch time cookbook", this is a really tasty and family-friendly dinner.  Michelle suggests only using half of the bread bun to cut the calories - and it's certainly filling enough without the other half!  Fresh, fast and fun, these will be a winner at your place too!

Ingredients (serves 4)
400g lean beef mince
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons low-cal barbecue sauce (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray
wholemeal bread buns (either 1/2 or 1 per person)
8 iceberg lettuce leaves, shredded
160g canned sliced beetroot
1 tomato, sliced
coarsely chopped parsley, to garnish

Method
Combine the beef mince, shallot and barbecue sauce (if using) in a bowl.  Season to taste with pepper.  With wet hands, shape the mixture into 4 patties.

Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with olive oil and heat on medium.  Cook the patties for 5 minutes each side until browned and cooked through.

Toast the bun halves, then line each bun with lettuce.  Top with beetroot, a patty and tomato.  Garnish with parsley and season with pepper.

Baby beet, chickpea, basil and feta salad

Got this one from Michelle Bridges' "Crunch time Cookbook" and it was fabulous!  It was surprisingly filling and I loved the textures and flavours.  Something a bit different for your weeknight meal!

Ingredients (serves 2)
440g can whole baby beets, drained
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
4 handfuls baby spinach
1/4 red onion, thinly slices
2 tablespoons freshly torn basil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
40g low-cal feta

Method
Combine baby beets, chickpeas, baby spinach, red onion and basil in a salad bowl.  Drizzle over combined oil and vinegar.  Season with freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat.  Crumble over feta and serve.

Beef & Vegetable Meatloaf

I'm a bit (okay, a lot) of a meatloaf fan and have tried a few over the years.  And I have to say, this one, from the Michelle Bridges "Crunch time Cookbook", is by far the healthiest and yummiest that I've made!  It was really easy too...and a nice healthy change to serve it with some salad greens rather than my usual weakness, mashed potato!

Ingredients (serves 6)
800g lean beef mince
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1 zucchini, coarsely grated
1/2 cup rolled oats
5 tablespoons low-cal tomato sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
120g mixed salad leaves, to serve

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Lightly grease an 11cm x 25cm loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, carrot, zucchini, oats, tomato sauce, herbs, garlic, salt, chilli and pepper.

Knead the mixture with your hands until combined, then pack lightly into the prepared pan.  Place on a baking tray and cook for 1 hour or until the loaf shrinks away slightly from the sides of the pan.  Pour off any excess juices, then leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Slice using a serrated knife and serve with the salad leaves.

I need your help!

Hey blog-land!  I think it's time for a catch-up.  Firstly, I just want to thank each and every one of you readers for visiting my little blog over the last 8 months or so.  Thanks for all the feedback and the support - I love hearing from you and am so glad that my hobby can help other people!

Next up, there'll be a bit of an exciting change to the blog over the next couple of months.  I've embarked on the Michelle Bridges 12-week body transformation and am super excited about the healthy change!  So I'll be posting a lot of very nutritious and low-calorie meals on the blog, which are still family-friendly.  And this is where you come in!

I've always wanted the blog to be about recipe-sharing, so I'd really love to get your input.  Share with me YOUR favourite, healthiest recipes!  We're talking meals that come in around 300 calories (if you don't know the calorie count, that's ok!) and are full of all the good stuff.  Snacks and extras are good too!  I would love you to feature on the blog - if you can send in a pic with your recipe, that would be wonderful - but don't worry if you don't have one.  I really want this to be interactive and all about sharing with and helping each other.

So please - I would LOVE to hear from you!  Drop me an email at vanessa.gibson85@gmail.com with your healthy recipe/s and make sure you come back and see what everyone else has been sharing too.  Can't wait to hear from you!

Vanessa xo

Birthday Cakes

It's been a bit quiet on the blog this week, thanks to a massive few days for the family.  We've celebrated the dedication of the baby boy, a birthday for the husband and another birthday for little Miss, who is now the big 2!

So I thought I'd share with you my cake creations for the birthdays.  It was hard to decide what to make for Hope, as she loves so many different things - but in the end, I went with the swimming pool, which was a cross between the trampoline and pool, in the new Women's Weekly Kids' Birthday Cake Book.  I was very happy with the end result, and most importantly, the birthday girl loved it too.

I decided to experiment for the first time with fondant icing (I've used something similar before, but never the "real" thing), and wanted to do something that hubby would love - so I went with a Star Wars theme.  He was over the moon!

Already thinking of ideas for my little Mr's first birthday cake in 6 months!

Lemon Coconut Cake

A recipe from my mum, this moist lemon and coconut cake is so easy and always turns out perfectly!

Ingredients
125g butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup milk
1 2/3 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

Method
Grease 20cm round tin.  Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Put ingredients in a bowl in order given.  Beat well.  Pour into tin and bake about 40 mins.

Pear and Blueberry Crumble

I made this a couple of weeks ago as a last-minute dessert when the in-laws were coming over at short notice.  Mmmm, I can still taste the sweetness of the fruit filling and that delicious crumble that melts in your mouth.  I love a good crumble - and this one was excellent.  www.taste.com.au - you've done it again!

Ingredients
55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
60ml (1/4 cup) water
2 x 5cm-strips lemon rind
1 x 7cm cinnamon stick
6 (about 1.3kg) firm packham pears, peeled, cored, cut into 2cm pieces
1 x 350g pkt frozen blueberries
115g (3/4 cup) plain flour
80g butter, melted
125g (3/4 cup) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
35g (1/2 cup) shredded coconut
55g (1/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine caster sugar, water, lemon rind and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add the pear and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until tender. Add blueberries and cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, place the flour in a medium bowl. Add the butter and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add the macadamias, coconut and brown sugar, and stir to combine.

Remove the lemon rind and cinnamon from the pear mixture and discard. Spoon the pear mixture among four 250ml (1-cup) capacity ovenproof ramekins or baking dishes. Top with macadamia mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until topping is golden. Serve with, vanilla ice-cream or double cream.

Cheese & Chive Scones

These scones are from the massive Stephanie Alexander cook book (you know, that big, stripey, colourful one) - and they are delish!  I used parmesan cheese along with the cheddar and really loved the extra flavour it brought to the scones.  The chives were my own last-minute addition and I thought they worked very well. Don't worry if they don't turn out show-winning "pretty" - mine are always on the "rustic" side - and they taste great!

Ingredients
500g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
100g grated matured cheddar cheese
100g butter
300ml buttermilk or water (or a combination of both)
2 tablespoons chopped chives (optional)

Method
Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius and grease a baking tray.  Mix flour, baking powder and butter in a food processor just until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Stir in cheese and chives.

Turn into a bowl and quickly stir in the milk, then turn dough onto a floured board and gently pat out to 3cm thick.

Cut into rounds or squares and put close together on prepared tray.  Brush tops with a little extra milk, or dust with flour.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Cucumbers

This is a recipe I came up with when I decided (at the last minute) that I needed something savoury to serve for some friends who were popping over for morning tea.  I was so happy with the result - they look gorgeous, taste great and are a perfect, healthy little addition to the table.

Ingredients
1 cucumber (whichever variety you have in the fridge is fine!)
125g cream cheese
Squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
fresh chives, to serve

Method
Combine cream cheese, lemon juice and paprika in a small bowl.  Transfer to a piping bag with a large star tip.

Cut cucumber into thick rounds.  Pipe a rosette of cream cheese mixture onto each piece of cucumber.

Top each with two pieces of chopped chives.

Friands

Friands are one of my favourite little treats – I love the lightness and texture that comes from the almond meal and egg white and that there are so many possible flavour combinations.  I went through a bit of a friand phase a while back, and played around a bit with the recipe – and this is the best combination of ingredients I’ve found.  Come up with your own varieties – they’ll be sure to impress!

Ingredients

180g butter, melted and cooled

100g almond meal

50g plain flour

1 ½ cups icing sugar

6 egg whites

¾ cup frozen blueberries

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

Sift almond meal, flour and icing sugar into a bowl.  Stir to combine, then make a well in the centre.

Lightly beat egg whites (with an electric mixer or whisk) then beat lightly into the dry ingredients.  Add butter and stir to combine.

Spoon out into a 12-hole friand pan and sprinkle blueberries on top.

Bake on the third shelf from the top for 20-25 minutes.  Stand in pan for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

Variations:

White chocolate and raspberry: Reduce butter quantity to 100g, and combine with 100g melted white chocolate.  Use raspberries instead of blueberries.

Lemon and coconut:  Add 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and ½ cup coconut to the dry ingredients.  Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the wet ingredients.

Dark chocolate and hazelnut: use hazelnut meal instead of almond meal; reduce butter quantity to 100g and combine with 100g of melted dark chocolate.

Apple and cinnamon: top each friand with peeled, sliced apple and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar.

Gluten-free & dairy-free orange & poppy seed: replace butter with Nuttelex and flour for gluten-free flour.  Add 1 tablespoon of orange rind and 1 tablespoon poppyseeds to the dry ingredients, and a squeeze of orange juice to the wet mixture.  Top with a teaspoon of icing (1 cup icing sugar and a squeeze of orange juice), a small orange segment and a sprinkle of poppyseeds.

Coconut Chicken Salad

A delicious, crisp and fresh salad, perfect for summer nights!  Just use shredded coconut from a packet if you don't have fresh coconut on hand.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon grass (white part only)
1 teaspoon shaved palm or soft brown sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
250ml coconut milk
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
70g mint
1/4 fresh coconut, flesh shaved and toasted
100g snow pea sprouts
2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
lime wedges, to serve

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

To make the dressing, combine lemon grass, palm sugar, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and the coconut milk in a small saucepan over low heat.  Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Put the sesame oil and the remaining lime juice in a small bowl.  Add the chicken breasts and toss in the oil and juice before putting in a baking dish.

Drizzle the chicken with the remaining marinade, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the chicken and allow to cool.

Roughly shred the chicken and add it to the bowl with the dressing.  Add the mint, coconut, sprouts and cucumber.  Toss together with the sesame seeds.  Serve with a wedge of lime.

Egg and dairy-free birthday cake

I made this birthday cake for a celebration we went to for one of my little girl's friends, who (obviously) can't eat egg or dairy.  It's from the Woman's Day website and turned out really well!  All the kids ate it up with no complaints, so that's a win!

Ingredients
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups plain flour
1¾ cups caster sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup Nuttelex polyunsaturated table margarine>
Extra 1¼ cups water
Extra 2½ teaspoons baking powder
Hundreds and thousands to decorate

Creamy vanilla frosting
1½ cups Nuttelex margarine
4 cups icing-sugar mixture
2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
Grease two deep 20cm-round cake pans; line bases with baking paper.

Beat water, oil and baking powder in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds or until combined. Add remaining ingredients; beat mixture on low speed for one minute or until just combined. Increase speed to medium; beat for about three minutes or until mixture is smooth and thick. Divide mixture evenly among prepared pans.

Cook in a moderate oven, 180C, for about 35 minutes or until cooked when tested. Stand cakes in pans for five minutes; turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Creamy vanilla frosting. Beat margarine in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing-sugar, beating until combined. Beat in water and vanilla extract until just combined.

Sandwich cakes together with one-third of the frosting. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Decorate with hundreds and thousands.

Risotto alla zucca

I found this tasty risotto in an old edition of "Australian Good Taste" magazine.  My dear husband has stated in the past that he doesn't like risotto.  Well, let me tell you - after eating this one, he's a convert!  It was absolutely delicious!  When I was meal planning for the week, I obviously didn't read this recipe too well - and when I came to make it, I realised it's not really that easy to stand at the stove, stirring constantly for 20 minutes, when you have a 23-month-old and 5-month-old!  Thankfully, despite a couple of interruptions, my risotto turned out perfectly and was enjoyed by all!

Ingredients
5 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
40g butter
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
330g (1 1/2 cups) arborio rice
450g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 1.5cm pieces
1 cup shredded parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh continental parsley
Shaved parmesan, to serve

Method
Bring the stock and rosemary just to the boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Reduce heat and hold at a gentle simmer.

Heat the oil and half the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook the onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.  Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until grains appear slightly glassy.  Stir in the pumpkin.

Add 1 ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the simmering stock to the rice mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed.  Add the stock, 1 ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful.  Continue for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and risotto is creamy.

Remove from heat,  Stir in the shredded parmesan, parsley and remaining butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide the risotto among serving bowls.  Top with shave parmesan and season with pepper.

Easy Chicken Laksa

This is a recipe I found in a little Women's Weekly book called "after-work cookbook".  Perfect - that means we can already tick "quick" and "easy" off the list.  And as it turns out, pretty tasty and healthy too! Hubby would have liked it with a bit more bite, so if I was making it just for us, I would add more laksa paste - but the toddler doesn't like her meals quite so hot, so the toned-down version is perfect.  Something I would definitely make again!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons laksa paste
1 medium brown onion, chopped finely
1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
70g rice vermicelli
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken (I just poached a large chicken breast in a saucepan then shredded it)
2 tablespoons lime juice
100g bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander

Method
Cook paste and onion in large saucepan, stirring, until onion softens.  Add stock and milk, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Add noodles, chicken and juice; simmer, uncovered, until noodles are tender.  Serve topped with bean sprouts and coriander.

Banana Cake

I know I've posted a chocolate banana cake previously, but this time I just decided to go with a standard good ol' fashioned banana cake.  I searched around for a recipe - and there were dozens of comments on this one (from www.exclusivelyfood.com.au) that called it the best ever!  So I gave it a go, sent it off with hubby to take to work - and it certainly got rave reviews!  Love love love the cream cheese icing too :-)

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
330g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
280g (1 very slightly rounded cup) very ripe, mashed banana
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence)
2 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
100ml (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) buttermilk
225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius fan-forced. If you don't have a fan-forced oven, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Grease the side and base of a 22cm diameter (inside top measurement) round cake pan. We use a springform pan for easy removal of the cake. Line base of the pan with non-stick baking paper.

Place butter, sugar, banana, vanilla and eggs in a food processor.

Process for about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of processor. Add buttermilk and pulse to combine.

Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda together into a large bowl. Add flour mixture to food processor and process until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan.Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer or knife inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Leave cake to cool on a wire rack.

Spread cooled cake with cream cheese icing. Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Icing
90g cream cheese, softened
45g butter, softened
210g (1 2/3 cups) icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sifted icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add lemon juice and beat to combine. Spread icing over top and sides of cooled cake.

Chargrilled Vegetable and Smoked Salmon Terrine

This is a recipe I made (from www.taste.com.au) that we had for entree at our family Christmas.  I'd never made a terrine before (had only seen them done on Masterchef), so I was keen to try my own.  This was a real wow dish that everyone loved.  It was perfect as an entree - it was fresh and light and the flavours are just delicious.  There's quite a number of steps involved, but it was fairly easy to put together.  Next time you're out to impress for a special occasion, give it a go!

Ingredients
2 red capsicums
2 yellow capsicums
2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed
Olive oil spray
2 medium sweet potatoes (kumara), peeled, thinly sliced
150g goats cheese, coarsely chopped (I used ricotta instead)
80ml (1/3 cup) pouring cream
1 tbs chopped fresh dill
200g Smoked Salmon Slices
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Method
Preheat oven to 200ºC. Line a baking tray with foil. Place combined capsicums on the tray. Roast for 45 minutes or until skin is charred and blistered. Wrap capsicums in foil and set aside to cool (this helps lift the skin). Peel, halve and seed the capsicums.

Meanwhile, preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium-high. Spray the asparagus with oil. Cook on grill for 2-3 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Transfer to a plate. Spray sweet potato with oil. Cook on grill for 3 minutes each side or until tender and golden. Set aside to cool completely.

Process the goats cheese and cream in a food processor until just combined. Stir in the dill and season with salt and pepper.

Line the base and 2 long sides of a 6cm-deep, 20 x 10cm loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing the sides to overhang. Arrange smoked salmon, overlapping slightly, to completely cover the base and long sides. Top with half the sweet potato, overlapping slightly. Top with red capsicum. Spread goats cheese mixture over the capsicum. Place asparagus, side-by-side, on top. Top with yellow capsicum and remaining sweet potato. Fold over excess smoked salmon to partially enclose. Fold over plastic wrap to cover filling completely. Place a heavy object (such as 2 or 3 cans) on top to compress terrine. Place in the fridge overnight to chill.

Turn terrine onto a chopping board. Trim the ends and cut into slices. Divide among serving plates. Combine the oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Drizzle around the terrine.

Cheesy Vegemite Scrolls

I've been wanting to make these for some time, so I finally got the recipe from the Huggies website and whipped up a batch for afternoon tea.  They were a huge hit with the whole family and really easy to make. My sister also makes a variation of these, where she spreads tomato sauce on the dough, then sprinkles ham and cheese on top, as a pizza scroll - just as delicious!

Ingredients
3 cups S.R. flour
2 tbsp Vegemite
Pinch Salt
50g butter
200g grated cheese
375 ml milk

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 220C.

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like fine bread-crumbs. Stir in enough milk to make a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured board.

Roll to form a rectangle that is roughly 40cm x 25cm. Spread vegemite over the dough using a blunt knife. Sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese over the top.

Roll up the dough starting from a long side first. Cut 10 × 4cm pieces from the roll. Place these pieces close together, cut side up on a greased baking tray.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Bake in the oven for 15-20 min.

Double Chocolate Freckles

Another winner from the Women's Weekly "Cookies" book.

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
200g dark chocolate, melted
1/3 cup hundreds and thousands

Method
Beat butter, sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mixer until combined.  Stir in sifted dry ingredients, in two batches.

Knead dough on floured surface until smooth; roll dough between sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick.  Cover, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees or 160 fan-forced.  Grease oven trays; line with baking paper.

Cut rounds from dough using a circle cutter. Place on oven trays.

Bake for about 12 minutes, and cool on wire racks.

Spread tops of cookies with chocolate; sprinkle with hundreds and thousands (I found it easiest to put hundreds and thousands on a saucer and just dip the cookies straight in it).  Set at room temperature.