My Son's 5th Party Menu

Yesterday we held my son's 5th birthday party down at the park and am just so grateful for the perfect weather. We did discuss other venue options out of fear of rain, but the reality with venues that cater like McDonalds or an Indoor Climbing park is that they are unable to cater to our food requirements. Fortunately Cayden had his heart set on going down to the local park.... and it couldn't have been any better!

Preparing and arranging the catering for a kids party is always a balancing act. The kids expect lots of great and fun party food and the parents dread the after effects of the sugar 'come down'. A huge advantage for the food lifestyle we have to lead is the fact that normal types of party food aren't an option. I am forced to look for alternatives and the outcome seems to be a winner for all :)

Following is the party menu and recipes I used ...

Menu - (Gluten-Free-Grain-Free-Dairy-Free- Additive-Free)
Fresh Fruit Kebabs
Vegetable Sticks with Fresh Hummus
Sweet Potato Muffins with Strawberry Jam
Meatballs with Gluten Free Tomato Sauce
Macaroon Biscuits
Iced Vanilla Cupcakes
Chocolate Chia Birthday Cake

Fresh Sandwiches - mix of options including Gluten and Dairy.
Apple Slinkys http://www.appleslinky.com.au/

Party Bag - Iced Ginger Bread Men

Fresh Fruit Kebabs
Simply 'ball' seasonal fruit and tread onto a kebab stick. I used a plastic option from Spotlight. Todays version included Seedless Grapes, Rock Melon, Water Melon, Honey Dew Melon - so good on a sunny day and certainly consumed very quickly! :)

Vegetable Sticks with Fresh Hummus
Again simple and delicious. Today we used Carrot, Capsicum and Celery and my Hummus recipe. http://cooking4k.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/easy-hummus-yum.html

Sweet Potato Muffins with Strawberry Jam
... recipe write up being finalized, will post in the next few days.... they were fantastic!!! :)

Being limited for time and not using a lot of jam normally, I was able to purchase a lovely Strawberry Jam for Woolworths which seems to be very clean and well priced... http://www.bonnemaman.us/preserves-jellies/strawberry-preserves/

Meatballs with Gluten Free Tomato Sauce
I used my Chipolata Sausage recipe and simply made them into small balls instead. http://cooking4k.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/home-made-chipolata-sausages-my-way.html
Changes I made:
- I baked them in the oven on 180c instead of pan fry
- I rolled the mix into the size of a walnut, lined the oven tray with baking paper, placed the balls on the tray and gave them a very light spray of Coconut Oil.
- Cooked for 15-20 mins or until cooked through.

I actually used the Macro Organic Tomato sauce, it is really quite good!! :)

 

http://www2.woolworthsonline.com.au/Shop/ProductDetails?Stockcode=334782&name=macro-tomato-sauce-tomato-organic

Macaroon Biscuit
This is actually a recipe from Tania Hubbards cookbook - Food We Love http://www.glutenfreegrainfree.com.au/gluten-free-recipes-gluten-free-food/.
The recipe includes Desiccated Coconut, Raw Cocoa Powder, Coconut Palm Sugar, and Egg Whites. It will soon be published on her website  http://www.taniaspantry.com/... I will keep you posted!!!


Iced Vanilla Cupcakes
These cupcakes are so light and fluffy. Obviously I chose to omit the chocolate frosting for the Butter Cream as below. http://www.elanaspantry.com/vanilla-cupcakes-with-chocolate-frosting/

I was soooooooooo excited to discover Bundaberg Sugar offer a Gluten Free Grain Free Icing Sugar at a very reasonable price ($3?) - yeh!!
http://www.bundysugar.com.au/products/consumer/icing_sugar.

Using this icing sugar, I made a Dairy Free Butter Cream - 150g Nuttelex, 1 cup Icing Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla Essence, Hoppers Green Food Colouring as required. I then topped the cupcakes with 'Edible Cupcake Toppers' ordered on line. I noticed nobody actually ate them (thank goodness) but they all loved the look of them!!

Lego Chima 'Mt Cavora' Chocolate Chia Cake
This cake recipe is the most perfect Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free option! We use this recipe all the time as either a cake or cupcakes. It is both easy to make and absolutely delicious! I always get fabulous compliments with this recipe... LOVE IT!!!
http://www.taniaspantry.com/gluten-free-grain-free-dairy-free-nut-free-recipes/cake/chocolate-chia-cake/


To decorate the cake, firstly I covered the cake in Ginger Bread Man Icing (see below) and then covered it in shredded Coconut. I then used the Butter Cream Icing from the cupcakes to attempt to create 'trees and vines', I then sprinkled 'hoppers sprinkles' for water http://www.hopperfoods.com.au/Products/NaturalSprinkles.aspx .... This cake was a difficult challenge as 'Mt Cavora' actually floats. This became quite a lengthy conversation with Cayden and fortunately ended with the fact we would just pretend this would happen - Pheeeeewwwww!!! I then just used actual Lego Chima figurines to help the kids see what the cake was meant to be....... hahahahaha!! It was a hit!! I love 5 year olds!!!

Party Bag - Iced Ginger Bread Men
This is a recipe I use quite a bit too. The trick with these is to make them thick if you don't like chewy, about 5mm works well. The other trick is to not over knead the mix. Unfortunately I don't think these 'tricks' ended up applying to all the biscuits made (about 90)... I think some were quite chey... sorry!! :) http://www.edibleharmony.com/paleo-gingerbread-cookies-cut-out/

I iced the biscuits with a very simple mix of one egg white beaten till forms peaks and then slowly add a cup of icing sugar until all mixed in and forms peaks -easy. You could also add colour if desired.

So there you have it, the menu for my 5year old party. It was a bit of work but the outcome made it sooooooo worth it..... Happy kids without crazy sugar highs, resulting in happy parents.... and a party menu that almost everyone could enjoy, despite dietary limitations!!! Perfect!!!

Home made Chipolata Sausages - my way!

With the exclusion of Gluten, Grains and Additives from our diet, sausages no longer were an easy meal option. There are certainly options available from specialized Butchers but they are not always accessible and can be very expensive! Not eating sausages hadn't really a problem for us, however recently we went to a BBQ where all the kids were having a sausage in a slice of bread with sauce and Cayden and Klaudia decided they wanted one too. The following is my version of 'Chipolata Sausages' (small sausages). Cheap and very simple Gluten-Free-Grain-Free-Egg-Free-Dairy-Free-Sausages for the whole family to enjoy! They freeze really well and so are easy to prepare ahead and also become a wonderful  quick go-to-meal for during the working week....!

Ingredients
500g Pork Mince
500g Beef Mince
1tsp Garlic Powder
1tsp Dried Basil
1tsp Dried Chives
1/3 cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
Good sized pinch of Himalayan Rock Salt
Cracked Pepper to taste
Fry Pan
Oil to cook with, I used Coconut Oil

- Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then continue to knead the mix so the meat binds together. The more you knead, the better the bind. I did this for about 5-10 mins.

- Break off the size of a desert spoon of the mixture and roll to form a sausage. Repeat this till all the mixture is shaped.

If you choose to add a liquid to your mix for flavor ie Coconut Amino Sauce, this process will still work however you may need to refrigerate the mix for about 20mins to ensure the bind holds. I believe this kneading process is about 'stretching' the proteins of the meat to bind, by chilling the meat you are then forcing the proteins to 'contract' into an even better bind.

- Heat a small amount of oil in the fry pan and simply add the required amount of sausages and cook as normal. Place the rest in a freezer-safe container and freeze till required! (I love ready meals!!)

If you are going to cook the sausages on a BBQ, remember the risk for 'cross contamination' when cooking with other sausages or meats with unknown sauces.... I find the easiest way to avoid this is to take and use my own 'BBQ Cooking Mat' and to be responsible for the cooking of the food. When I explain the reasons, nobody has had a problem. Another way of course would be to take the meat already cooked....

The following is our quick Friday night meal - sausages served with cheesy 'cauliflower rice' and simple sides.... YUMMO!!

Gluten-Free-Grain-Free-Egg-Free-Dairy-Free-Sausages

Chicken Salad Pancake Stacks

I would have loved to have gone out to dinner with the family last night but given the unusually cold weather and lack of close-by suitable options, following is my take on something creative. I always love involving the kids in the creation of their own meals and the best way to do that is put everything in the middle of the table and then discuss what would make a ‘yummy dinner combo’…..  we ended up with 'Chicken Salad Pancake Stacks'!!

Pancakes

6 Egg Whites

3½ tbsp. Coconut Flour

4 tbsp Milk or Milk substitute

½ tsp of Garam Masala

½ tsp of Cumin

½ tsp of Onion Powder

Good pinch of Himalayan rock salt

Fry Pan

Oil for the pan, I used Coconut Oil

Crumbed Chicken

2 Chicken Breasts (I used Free Range) Cut into thick strips

1 cup Desiccated Coconut (I used Sulphite Free, 220)

1 cup Almond Meal

2 Eggs

2nd Fry Pan

Oil for the pan, I used Coconut Oil

- Mix all the Pancake ingredients in a small bowl. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the coconut flour can soak up some of the moisture.

- Prepare salad items, we had the following: English Spinach, Grated Carrot, Grated Cheese, Sliced Avocado, Sliced Tomato and Sliced Cucumber

- Mix coconut and almond meal in a bowl and whisk eggs in a separate bowl. Dip chicken in egg and roll in almond meal and place on a plate. Once all the chicken is done, heat oil in fry pan and commence cooking chicken on a medium heat until golden brown and cooked through. Alternatively you could cook chicken in the oven for about 12mins (turning after 6mins) or until cooked through.

- Heat oil in 2nd fry pan. Whisk pancake batter again and then pour an amount into the pan, quickly thinning out with a spatula to the desired size of your pancake.

- Flip pancake when browned on the bottom and continue till cooked through, remove and set aside. Repeat with batter until all used. Remember to oil pan between pancakes. I got 4-5 medium sized pancakes from the above mixture.

I then placed everything in the middle of the table and everyone assembled their own pancake with the salad items and chicken pieces. Following is a photo of ‘one with the lot’ including a dollop of plain Greek Yoghurt…. Yummo!

Enjoy!

Breakfast Bruschetta - simple and delicious!!

So the family woke up this morning on our last official day of 'holidays' and decided we needed a special breakfast! We went through the usual thoughts of eggs on toast, fruit salad or a big fry up.... but I decided against it all when I noticed the bread I had baked the other day in a flatter mould and realised how similar it looked to bruschetta - the following is what we ended up with! Simple and delicious!!

Breakfast Bruschetta

Ingredients
 Bread. As previously said, I already had some 'Chia Seed & Almond Meal Bread' baked however I believe you could substitute with anything you have. Otherwise here is the recipe for the bread I used

  http://www.taniaspantry.com/gluten-free-grain-free-dairy-free-nut-free-recipes/gluten-free-grain-free-paleo-yeast-free-baking/gluten-free-grain-free-yeast-free-dairy-free-bread-paleo/

 Fresh Banana, cut into thin slices

 Fresh Strawberries, cut into thin slices

 Honey to drizzle. I like to use Raw Local Honey.

 Cinnamon to sprinkle. I use 'pure food essentials - organic cinnamon powder'

 Yoghurt. I used Jalna Honey and Cinnamon Greek Yoghurt
 Coconut Oil to fry in. I always use one that has been 'cold pressed'. It tastes worlds better and is better for you.

 

- Cut bread into thin slices and lightly fry in the Coconut oil. I used about a tablespoon of oil

- Remove bread from pan when ready and place on a plate. Dress with slices of banana, strawberries and drizzle with honey

- Add yoghurt to the plate and sprinkle everything lightly with the cinnamon!

 

Done!!!

Hope this gives you the great start to the day that it did for us!! xx

 

Tips for traveling with kids and intolerances/allergies

So excited!! The family and I are in Cairns for the week to watch my amazing husband compete in the Cairns Ironman!! Interestingly, he has also followed K’s diet and loves it (with the occasional use of bread and rice/quinoa due to not having enough of the other options at the time)… But how do you travel with someone who is so reliant on ‘home cooked foods’ due to numerous intolerances/allergies?

Living with a child that has so many restrictions in their diet, traveling adds a whole other layer, but it certainly isn’t impossible!!

The following are a couple of things I have done to ensure we can all have a bit of a break and still enjoy food and all the social things that go with it:

1)      When bookings your accommodation. Pick somewhere that has a fully contained kitchen. Give them a call to make sure it meets your needs. Basically we just need a working oven to allow us to cook bread for sandwiches, toast etc and some muffins for snacks on the go. By having the conversation and explaining my needs, the accommodation has said they will put us in the room with the best oven to help out – awesome!!

2)      Also when booking, check out the location for accessibility to a supermarket and ideally a health food/ organic shop. Give them a call to see if they sell the things you need. It’s really hard to get suitable bread for K so I have pre-mixed the dry ingredients and now know I can buy the ‘wet’ ingredients up there. In fact the organics shop is on the same street we are staying on! But to make things easier, I also packed a ‘bake@home’ cake mix from Gluten free Grain free, the dry ingredients to make a ‘chocolate glaze’ and some desiccated coconut with the plan to make ‘Lamingtons’ (our fav!)

(bickies for the plane, whisk/measuring spoons/ measuring cup for cooking, bread mixes, cake mix, chia seeds for easy breakfast, coconut and glaze mix for lamingtons)

 

3)      Research any suitable restaurants/cafes so you might be able to ‘go out’. So happy there is a ‘Paleo Café’ in Cairns. Gave them a call and explained our situation and they have suggested to just come in and they will work out some suitable options for her then – am so grateful for this!!

4)      Anyone who has travelled/flown with small kids KNOWS food is your best friend…. giving you the ability to negotiate tantrums, waiting in lines and covering long distances!! For us, the trusty lunch box has saved our sanity on numerous occasions. We keep them stocked with cut up fresh fruit and veggies, preservative free dried fruits, sandwiches, mixed nuts and muffins/bickies depending on the need. We may also use certain ‘squeeze pack’ yoghurts and fruit purees for treats if things really are getting tuff!! :)

 

 

 

 

5)      Make sure you have some ‘Multix Bake’ baking paper (buy from Coles, Woolworths etc). This is the brand I find that works the best! With this, you can obviously line a tin to bake, you can wrap a sandwich to then toast in any sandwich press, use it to line the BBQ to prevent contamination from previously cooked meats including sausages and marinades, you can also use it to cook fresh fish on the BBQ - squeeze some lemon onto the fish and then use the paper to wrap it into a parcel (then buy a packet of Sea Salt potato chips and you have your own version of ‘fish ‘n chips’)…. you can also use it as ‘tracing paper’ for the kids too!!

So just a couple of things that have (and are) helping us have a great time away. Would definitely love to hear of anyone else’s tips that got you through your holiday too!!

…. So the big race is on Sunday and won’t be able to help myself but share how he’s going! Stay tuned!

 

Tomatoless Spaghetti Bolognese - my way!!

 

Tomato's have become a real problem for K in the cooler weather, in particular creating eczema type symptoms around her mouth. 'Spaghetti Bolognese' is a staple in our house - easy way to hide vegies, simple to make into a big batch and freeze for quick meals.... and most importantly, the kids eat it!!!

 

I have been so worried about what I was going to do if I couldn't give K 'Spag Bol' anymore... until I saw a post by http://www.againstallgrain.com/ for 'tomatoless meat sauce' and thought.... I'm going to give this a go!! ..... So the following is my version! The outcome - the kids ate it and no reaction for K.... Spag Bol remains as the 'go to meal'!!! Phewwwwwwwwwwww

The biggest hurdle I had to overcome was not the taste, but the colour - purple, not red!! Straight away Cayden (4yr) spotted the difference... after a number of discussions about 'trying new things etc' he agreed to give it ago and then finished the lot!! K had already finished by this stage and was ready to move on (as toddlers do!!) 

 

So anyway, I had great success - HOORAY!! The leftovers have now been frozen into portion serves ... HOORAYx1,000,000!!!! (I love having things ready to go....!!)

 

Sauce

 2 tbsp Coconut Oil

1 medium Sweet Potato, peeled and grated

2 cups Beetroot, peeled and grated
1 medium Zucchini, peeled and grated

1 small Red Onion, peeled and diced
1 cup Broccoli

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 tsp Herbamare (herbed sea salt)

1/2 teaspoon (approx.) fresh Cracked Pepper

1 tbsp Mixed Herbs
1 tbsp Coconut Amino Sauce
1/2 cup of water

Meat
2 tbsp Grape Seed Oil
500g Lean Minced Beef
1 tbsp Tamari Sauce (gluten free soy sauce)

 

- Heat Coconut Oil, add Garlic and Onion and cook till translucent (3-4 minutes)
 

- Add Beetroot, Sweet Potato, Zucchini and cook till softened
 

- Add Salt, Pepper, Mixed Herbs, Water, and Sauce and turn heat down to low to simmer for about 10mins

(During this time I got the 'noodles' ready - Brown Rice Noodles for Cayden, Mung-Bean Noodles for K)
 

- Pour sauce into food processor and blend till smooth, set aside
 

- To the pan, heat 2 tbsp of Grape Seed Oil, add Mince and brown
 

- Add Tamari Sauce and Broccoli
 

- Add Bolognese Sauce back to the pan, mix through and continue until Mince cooked through

** I then put everything back through the blender to ensure EVERYTHING is hidden well and no lumps, it just works and I'm not game enough to challenge that yet!! :)

** The sauce was a bit drier than when I make it with tomato's, you may want to add more fats or liquid (stock?) to assist this...

Done!!

I then served with some grated cheese to make it look even more authentic.....didn't really need it!! Up to you!!

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Tips for helping to control Eczema

Well… Winter is truly is on its way and with it brings the dry weather that can create so many problems for anyone who suffers from eczema!

Last year was a complete nightmare for us with poor K and her numerous skin rashes, infections and reactions. We implemented a number of measures in the house to try and assist with her skin management…. obviously we now know the primary cause for her skin was due to her extreme food intolerances, however the other reality is that we also learnt how sensitive K’s little body is. So due to this, we just can’t afford to take any chances…….
 

Following are the processes we have re-implemented this winter to help keep eczema and similar symptoms under control:

* completely wet dust the house using ‘clove oil’ and airing the house on a regular basis

* washing the kids stuffed toys and then leave them in the sunshine (when possible) as this helps to kill all the dust mites

* only wear 100% cotton as this doesn't irritate

* only bath her every few days (if possible) as water actually dries out the skin and when she does have one, use an oil like 'Alpha Keri' followed by a 'Sorbolene cream with 100% natural glycerine' afterwards to 'lock in' the moisture.

* I cover K’s face every day in an 'Alpha Keri' ointment - she looks like a 'glazed donut' but it stops the wind/sun drying it out! This is reapplied throughout the day as required. I actually get both kids to apply it themselves at night as part of their 'bed time' ritual 

* Not to over dress/heat  her. This is so hard as a parent in winter as you hate the thought of your child getting cold, but by over doing this it can add to the irritation and dry the skin out more

**A fabulous cream I use to help treat K's irritated areas is called 'Hopes Relief' http://www.hopesrelief.com.au/shop/ I bought it from a chemist.

 

If you or your child is suffering from eczema symptoms, other things to consider as triggers and irritators may include:  

• dairy and wheat products, citrus fruits (tomatoes impact greatly on K’s skin), eggs, nuts, seafood, chemical food additives, preservatives and colourings
• air conditioning  & heaters
• dust, mould, grasses, shampoo and conditioners, soaps, washing powders and toiletries

Good luck… hope this helps!!!

Kids Parties Can Work!!!

For any parent coping with a child and food intolerances/allergies, you can really dread an invite to one of their little friends bday parties!! In a kids world 'party' means cake, lollies, biscuits a.k.a 'party food'... however when you have limits on what you can eat, 'party food' is not always the same option...

 

I remember as a kid being able to go crazy at my friends parties, enjoying all the great party foods that I would never get to have on a normal day. Therefore my commitment to K is to try and 'normalise' her food as much as possible, so she too will have the same memories of the simple pleasures like cake with friends!!

What I do to over come the dread:

When K gets an invite, the first thing I do is obviously say 'thank you' but then explain that K has a number of dietary limitations and therefore I will have to BYO her own food!! So many times the parents kindly offer to cater to her needs but without having a true understanding of the issues its tricky, risky and quite frankly just another stress for the parents when they have everything else to plan!! What I do ask though is to get a rough idea of the menu, so I can try and match it with 'K appropriate foods' so its not so obvious that its different!!

Following is the menu plan provided (huge thank you again to the gorgeous family!!) and what I made/brought to attempt to recreate it:


Party Menu                                                      
Fresh Fruit Waffle Basket

Marshmallow Sticks                               
Hokey Pokey Biscuits
BBQ Sausages, Steak and Bread
Vanilla and Chocolate Iced Cupcakes

Klaudia's Menu
Fresh Fruit in a 'Special Party Bowl' (provided)                             
Cooked at Home Steak and Bread due to uncertainty of 'cross contamination'                             
Pumpkin Muffins http://mutritiousnuffins.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/grain-free-pumpkin-muffins.html Iced with Housemade Cheese  http://www.taniaspantry.com/gluten-free-grain-free-dairy-free-nut-free-recipes/housemade-cheese/ mixed with Blueberries and Honey
Chocolate Cake Pops http://www.glutenfreegrainfree.com.au/cake-mix-chocolate-2/ Iced with a Chocolate Glaze and Rolled in Coconut
Dried Fruits and Nuts



This may look like a bit of work, however I did this over a couple of days leading up to the party. The left overs I shared with our weekend house guests and then put a stash in the freezer for the next possible party!!

Best result is that K had an awesome time with her little friends and never felt like she was missing out!!

Quick, Easy and Tasty Stir Fry No.1

Picked the kids up last night from childcare and Klaudia was very, very clear she wanted a stir-fry for dinner. At the beginning of each week I try to involve them in the rough plan of dinners for the week and she had obviously realised this was still to come..... After a huge day for us all, the thought of then cooking a 'Stir Fry' from scratch seemed very unappealing. Fortunately though, also at the beginning of each week, I attempt to pre-chop most of the veggies required for all the planned dinners to cut down on preparation time on the night.... obviously this makes a difference on my statement 'quick and easy'!! :)

Following is last nights stir fry version:

Quick, Easy and Tasty Stir Fry No.1

3 shallot's, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp of fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
500g of Pork, sliced (you could use any meat of your choice)
1 medium Zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium Carrot, thinly sliced
1 medium Capsicum, thinly sliced
2 bunches of Bok Choy, roughly chopped
3 eggs, whisked
Coconut Oil
Coconut Amino Sauce (I use niulife)
Sesame Seeds

100% Bean Thread Noodles (Mung Bean)

 

- Heat  some oil in a large wok and cook egg to an omelette, remove from pan, slice and set aside
 

- Heat more oil and stir-fry pork until brown, remove from pan and set aside (you may need to do this in two batches to prevent from 'stewing'
 

- Empty bean noodles into bowl and cover in warm water, allow to soak until clear. Whilst this is happening continue with next stages...

- Heat a bit more oil (remember this forms part of your flavour and Coconut Oil is actually good for you!!!) add shallot's, ginger and garlic. Cook for a few minutes ( the aroma is fantastic!). Add zucchini, carrots, capsicum and stir-fry until starting to soften. Return pork to the pan. Add bok choy and Amino Sauce for flavour. Its important for you to decide how much based on the intensity of flavour you were after( I use a bit cause I LOVE the stuff!!)

 - Once noodles appear translucent, add to stir-fry and mix through. I found it easier to use thongs.

- Once done, serve in bowl, sprinkle with egg and sesame seeds and your finished....

 

EASY!!!

 

Remember... by giving yourself a rough meal plan each week and then preparing for them, it takes away sooooo many stresses and allows you to continue cooking great, nutritious meals with minimal effort!!!

Let's be honest, especially during the working week, 'minimal effort' is the BEST and ONLY style of cooking with a young family!!

Another great bonus.... Klaudia woke up this morning and said she wanted 'Stir Fry' for breakfast too.... I cant argue with that!!.... I decided it sounded like a great idea and had some too..... YUM!!!

 

 

 

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Lamb Chick Pea Fritters

The age old question.... what can I do with 'left overs'??

We had a great 'Lamb Roast Salad' for dinner last night, however was left with quite a bit of lamb for today. Had planned to use it for lunch but it just didn't eventuate so dinner it was.... Certainly didn't feel like doing another dinner 're-run' and so the following is what we ended up with!!  

 Lamb Chick Pea Fritters

(I believe this recipe would still work by taking out the yoghurt and cheese if needed)

1 cup Chick Pea Flour (Besan Flour)

¼ cup of Water, or enough to make a pancake style batter

1 tbsp Greek Yoghurt

¼ tsp Lamb Herb mix (inc Rosemary, Garlic, Marjoram, Thyme, Oregano, Mint, Basil)

¼ tsp ground Cumin

¼ tsp ground Coriander Seeds

1 cup finely grated Sweet Potato

1 cup finely grated Zucchini

½ - 1 cup diced Roast Lamb

½ cup grated Tasty Cheese

Grape Seed Oil or Coconut Oil cooking spray

  - Mix together the Chick Pea Flour, Cumin, Coriander, and Lamb Herb mix

- Add in the Water slowly until the ingredients form a batter

- Add in the Yoghurt and mix

- Add in Sweet Potato, Zucchini, Cheese and Lamb. Mix together

 

- Heat a pan with your choice of oil (Initially I used Grape Seed, however found it to heavy for the fritters. I then used Coconut Spray Oil and found it worked perfectly!). I kept the heat of the pan around medium

- Add about a tablespoon of mixture to the pan for each fritter ( I was able to cook three at a time)

- Cook till fritters become golden brown, about four mins each side

 

Wah-la!!! Done....

I served the fitters with some more Greek Yoghurt and a Spinach, Pumpkin and Pine Nut Salad....

Made a great Sunday Night dinner and no unnecessary food wastage - perfect! ;) 

 

 

 

Freezer Rissoles - quick and easy meals

I always have a stash of these in the freezer... particularly for week nights when everyone is simply tired, hungry and keen for an early night!

Rissoles

500g Lean Beef
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped (can use dried but don't need as much!)
1/2 cup Linseed, Sunflower and Almond Meal (LSA)... Normally I use just Almond Meal however found this last week at http://grandmaspantryonline.com.au/shop/index.php - tastes awesome!!
1 tbsp. Coconut Amino Sauce (healthier alternative to Soy Sauce)
1 egg
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Almond Meal, save to roll rissoles in before freezing.

- add all ingredients together in a bowl and mix (I used my hands)
- roll  into Balls/Rissoles, you pick the size. I usually aim for just a bit bigger than a golf ball
- roll through Almond Meal for a light coating
Done!

To Freeze
Place into a 'freezer safe' airtight container. If you need to stack rissoles on top of each other, cover the bottom layer with some baking paper to prevent 'sticking'.

To Bake
Heat oven to 180. Take required number of rissoles out of freezer and place on baking tray lined with baking paper. Cook for 30min or till cooked through.

Don't forget.... can always cook a few extra for lunches the next day. Taste fantastic on a sandwich!!

Sunday Night Chicken and Vegie Bake

Dinner tonight was based on a lunch I had with Tania and Eric a number of weeks ago. It was also inspired by my need to use up a number of vegies and my want for a very quick and easy dinner....!!!

With all the cooking and experimenting I've been doing with recipes of late, I've developed a real love for adding spices and flavours to all my meals... I never realised how boring I cooked before, definitely another bonus from this journey of 'Cooking 4 K'....

So anyway, the following is my Sunday Night Dinner... you obviously change the quantities to suit what is in your fridge and the size of your family! Don't forget to make some extra for lunches too....!!

Ingredients

3 Chicken breasts (I used free range)
1 medium sweet potato
2 medium potato's
Small pumpkin
1 Spanish onion
2 small zucchini's
Small Broccoli
5 Cloves of garlic
Hand full of dates
2 good pinches of Ground Cinnamon
Himalayan Salt
Grape Seed Oil

- Heat oven to 180c
- Line a large baking tray with baking paper (I do this to stop everything baking to the bottom!)
- Cut each chicken breast into thirds
- Cut sweet potato, potato, and pumpkin into small chunks (smaller the piece the faster they cook!)
- Peel and halve onion
- Add everything to the baking try and add whole peeled garlic cloves, dates, sprinkle with salt and cinnamon
- Pour oil a bit at a time, whilst giving everything a good mix, to make sure all covered (I used my hands)

- Place in the oven for 15mins
- Cut zucchini into chunks and broccoli into small florets, add to pan and give everything another mix-up
- Place back in the oven for another 15mins or until everything is cooked....

The smell of the cinnamon goes right through the house whilst its cooking, beautiful!!

Once cooked, I poured everything into a large bowl and sat it in the middle of the table allowing everyone to help themselves - easy!! I also served with some Greek yoghurt and a  slice of Almond Meal & Chia Seed Bread - yum! http://www.taniaspantry.com/gluten-free-grain-free-dairy-free-nut-free-recipes/gluten-free-grain-free-paleo-yeast-free-baking/gluten-free-grain-free-yeast-free-dairy-free-bread-paleo/

 

Synch!!