Vegetarian low fat nachos

I must admit, the title of this recipe doesn't sound very appetising! Low fat and nachos don't normally fall in the same category, but I have managed to make healthy nachos that taste great as well.

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
0.5-1 tsp ground chilli
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 x 400g tins of kidney beans, drained
700g tomato puree or 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of water
1 tsp sugar
2 cups of grated reduced fat cheddar cheese
200g packet of corn mountain bread


1. Sauté onion and garlic in an oiled large pan for 5 mins over medium heat.
2. Add cumin, coriander, paprika, chilli and cook for a further minute.
3. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, sugar and water, bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until sauce thickens.
4. Cut mountain bread into triangles and place in a 180C preheated oven for a few minutes until crisp and lightly brown.
5. Place a layer of corn chips on each plate, top with sauce then cheese. Yum!

My two year olds making quite a mess but loving it!

This would normally serve at least 6 people but I think the last time I made it my family of four were either very hungry or they loved it so much, there was not much left!  Just try and stop at one serve!

Banana, date and honey loaf

Who doesn't love banana bread? Well, I don't know many people that don't and all my family definitely do. I mainly make this for my two year olds as a healthy snack but my husband always wants to take a slice to work for morning tea. It is dairy free and low in fat and added sugars but tastes great.

0.75 cup self raising flour

0.75 cup wholemeal self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
0.25 cup honey
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
0.3 cup vegetable oil
0.25 cup soy milk
0.5 cup chopped dates

1. Preheat oven to 160C (fanforced) and lightly grease a loaf tin.
2. Sift flour and bicarb into a large bowl. Stir in dates.
3. Combine eggs, milk, honey and bananas and mix together until well combined.
4. Stir wet mixture into dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Pour mixture into pan and bake for ~ 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. (Cover loaf half way through cooking if browning too much on top)
6. Cool in pan before placing on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and try not to eat it all at once!

So simple and quick and a great way to use up ripe bananas.
This loaf freezes really well too. I wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and freeze some for a later date. Otherwise, the whole loaf would be gone in a day!

Pumpkin, spinach and ricotta cannelloni

This recipe uses my one of my favourite ingredients at the moment, mountain bread. It's a great alternative to normal pasta sheets. This is so simple to prepare and a yummy vegetarian dish that should satisfy even the carnivores in the family!

750g kent pumpkin, cooked and mashed
1 onion, finely chopped
250g frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess liquid removed
250g low fat ricotta
700g tomato puree (or 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes)
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
100g reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated
1 packet of mountain bread

1. Preheat oven to 200 C. Lightly grease an ovenproof  casserole dish.
2. Saute onion in a large frypan with a little oil over medium heat for 3-4 mins. Add mixed herbs, tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 mins.
3. Mix cooked pumpkin, ricotta and spinach together in a large bowl. Place a few tbs of mixture on one length of the mountain bread and roll up to form a tube. Repeat until all pumpkin mixture and mountain bread sheets are used up.
4. Place some of the tomato sauce at the bottom of the casserole dish to cover and then lay the tubes side by side in the dish. Spoon over the rest of the tomato mixture to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20 mins.

Gluten free crunchy nut & seed muesli bars

I am sure I'm not the only one that looks at the ingredient list on most commercial muesli bars and am shocked by the number and quality of ingredients. Many of them contain so much added sugar, fat and artificial additives, not to mention ingredients that I have never heard of! These bars are a much healthier option but still super tasty. So simple and quick to make and my whole family love them (me included!)

0.3 cup of light olive oil or macadamia oil
0.3 cup honey or 100% maple syrup
0.5 cup of peanut butter (no added salt and sugar- sanitarium brand)
2 cups of puffed rice
0.5 cup of mixed seeds
1.5 cups of puffed amaranth (or millet)

1. Preheat oven to 160C (fanforced). Line a slice tray with baking paper.
2. Place oil, honey and peanut butter in a bowl and microwave for approximately a minute or until melted. Stir until combined.
3. Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and combine well. Pour liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir through until well coated.
4. Pour mixture into tray and press down firmly. Place in oven for  ~30 mins or until lightly brown on top.
5. Allow to cool before placing in fridge for 30mins. Slice into bars.
Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

These bars can easily be made nut free by using tahini (sesame seed paste) instead of peanut butter. Puffed rice is found in the health food aisles of most supermarkets whilst the amaranth and millet are normally only found in health food shops. If the amaranth or millet is not available, substituting with more puffed rice would be fine.

Banana, oat and date cookies

My two year old toddlers absolutely love these! It's so cute to see their faces light up when I mention the word cookies! They love helping me make them too. This is such a simple recipe that they probably could make them without me! It still amazes me that just four ingredients can produce such a delicious cookie!

3 large ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
0.25 cup vegetable oil



1. Preheat oven to 180 C
2. In a large bowl, mash bananas. Stir in oats, dates and oil and mix together.
3. Place tablespoonfuls of mixture onto tray lined with baking paper.
4. Bake for 20mins or until lightly brown. Allow to cool before the munching begins!

Bacon and broccoli macaroni cheese

When I am looking at recipes, I steer clear of those ones where the ingredient list takes up the whole page or/and I haven't even heard of half of them! This is definitely not one of those dishes.
I think all kids love macaroni cheese and my kids are no exception. By adding broccoli, using wholemeal pasta and reduced fat dairy products this becomes a healthy, tasty dish for the whole family.


250g wholemeal macaroni pasta
60g butter or reduced fat spread
0.3 cup plain flour
3 cups reduced fat milk
1 cup grated reduced fat cheddar cheese
150g bacon pieces
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 broccoli head, cut into small florets, stalks removed

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water, following packet instructions until just tender. Add broccoli to pan for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
2. Meanwhile cook onion and bacon in a medium saucepan over medium heat until onion softens. Set aside.
3. Melt butter in same pan, add flour and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add milk and cook stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
4. Combine pasta, broccoli, bacon mixture and cheese sauce and place in an oven proof casserole dish.
5. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden. Serves 4

Fast fried rice

This is a perfect recipe for the kids. It has so many different colours and textures which makes it visually and tastefully enticing. It is made healthier than the chinese takeaway fried rice by using brown rice and reduced salt soy sauce. Since it's so fast and easy to make, there is no point opting for the takeaway version.

400g long grain brown rice (~2 cups)
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 eggs, lightly beaten
500g frozen mixed vegies (carrots, peas and corn)
300g bacon, chopped into small pieces
2 tbs reduced salt soy sauce


1. Cook rice following packet instructions using preferred method. Set aside once cooked.
2. Heat a little vegetable oil in a wok or large fry pan over medium heat. Make a thin omelette by swirling the eggs in the pan for 2 minutes and then turning over and cooking for a further minute. Transfer to a board and when cool cut into thin strips.
3. Heat a little more oil in pan and stir fry bacon and onion until onion softened. Add frozen vegies and stirfry for a further few minutes or until cooked through. Add rice, eggs and soy sauce and stir together until all combined and heated through. Serve immediately.

My girls scoffing it down!

Healthy corn chips and dips for the kids

I try and limit my children's processed food and salt intake but still try not to deprive them of enjoying a variety of food and treats. These corn chips are made of mountain bread which are basically very thin corn wraps that are toasted in the oven. They are cholesterol free, low in salt and sugar and are perfect for making into crunchy chips. My kids think having chips is such a treat especially when I make some dips to go with them. If I don't have time or if my kids are too hungry to wait (which happens quite often!) then I just serve thick natural style yogurt as a dip.

To make the avocado dip, mash in a bowl half an avacado with 2 tbs natural yoghurt or ricotta and a dash of lemon juice. (the lemon juice is just to stop the avocado from browning so if the dip is going to be eaten straight away, it's not necessary)





For the second dip roast a whole sweet potato for ~45 mins in 200C (fanforced) oven or until soft. Allow to cool and discard skin before mashing the sweet potato with 2 tbs natural yoghurt or ricotta.





For the corn chips you need one packet of corn mountain bread. Cut into triangles and place in a 180C oven for a few minutes until lightly brown and crisp. Serve with dips and cucumber fingers or any other vegie stick (ie carrot or celery) and let the munching begin!

Apricot chicken

I love the idea of apricot chicken and thought it was a healthy meal my 2 year olds would love too. On my search for the perfect recipe, I was surprised to find that a lot of the recipes for apricot chicken weren't as healthy as I thought.  Lots of recipes use french onion soup sachets which are full of salt and apricot nectar which is high in sugar. After playing around with some ideas, I have come up with this recipe which is low in salt and has no added sugar but is still full of flavour. By using pureed Ardomona apricot halves, you cut out all the sugar which is added to apricot nectar and other tinned apricot products. This is great because the last thing my girls need before bed is sugar!

0.5 cup plain flour
1kg (8 pieces) skinless chicken thighs
2 tbs olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground paprika
410g can of Ardomona pie fruit apricot halves (blended until smooth)
1 cup water
1 tsp reduced salt vegetable stock concentrate

1. Preheat oven to 180C (fanforced).
2. Coat chicken with flour and then cook with 1 tbs oil in a large pan over medium to high heat for 2-3 mins or until brown all over. Set aside in a casserole dish.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook onion and garlic for 3-4 mins or until tender. Add coriander, cumin, paprika and vegetable stock concentrate and cook for another 1 minute.
4. Stir in pureed apricots and water and bring to boil.
5. Pour sauce over chicken, cover casserole dish and place in 180C oven for 45-60 mins. Serve with rice or cous cous.

Apricot chicken served with brown rice

Pumpkin, honey and sultana muffins

This is a great way to use up left over pumpkin from last night's dinner. I find it funny that the same kids that won't eat the pumpkin from dinner will happily scoff down a muffin and will ask for more. 

1.5 cups of wholemeal self raising flour, sifted

0.25 cup honey

1 egg, lightly beaten

0.3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sultanas

1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 160C (fan forced) and grease a 12 hole muffin pan or use paper patty cases.

2. Place sifted flour in a large bowl. Whisk together oil, honey and egg in a separate bowl and add to flour.

3. Add pumpkin and sultanas and mix together until just combined.

4. Fill muffin cases or pan and bake for ~ 20mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool before serving.

These are great for kids to take to school as they contain no nuts or dairy. They can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap to freeze and taken out in the morning to be put in the lunch box for that day. Also great with that morning or afternoon coffee or tea (I know from experience!)

Slow cooked lamb shanks with red wine sauce

Lamb so tender that it falls off the the bone- you gotta love that! The red wine sauce in this recipe is so devine and is made in a matter of minutes. Once the sauce is done, there is not much to do except putting it in the oven and letting the lamb and sauce combine to form a delicious dinner.

1 tbs olive oil
4 x 250g lamb shanks
2 brown onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
3 tsp salt reduced vegetable stock concentrate (I use a home made stock I make in the thermomix)
400g can of chopped tomatoes (no added salt)
2 tbs tomato paste (no added salt)
1 cup red wine
2 cups water

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (fanforced)
2. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat and cook the lamb shanks for 2 mins on each side or until browned.
3. Remove from the pan and set aside in a large baking dish. Reduce heat on stove to medium and cook onions and garlic for ~ 5mins or until softened. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, vegetable stock, water and bring to the boil.
4. Pour sauce over lamb shanks and cover dish with lid or aluminium foil. Roast for 2.5 hours or until lamb falls off bone and sauce thickened.

I serve this with mashed potato and steamed green vegetables.

To make sure I always have wine on hand for this recipe, I freeze leftover wine in a container and then take it out on the day of cooking. A great way not to waste leftover wine, although that hardly ever is a problem in our house!

Pear and raspberry loaf

When it comes to making cakes, breads or muffins, I always try and find recipes that require one bowl and mixing everything together by hand rather than with electric gadgets. I know this sounds lazy but it saves time not having to search around the cupboard for those electric beaters or setting up that food processor that has a million and one parts! (and let's not forget less washing!)

Ready for the oven

1.5 cups wholemeal self raising flour
0.5 tsp bicarbonate soda
0.3 cup brown sugar (or honey)
1 egg
0.5 cup vegetable oil
0.5 cup milk
2 pears, peeled and chopped
0.5 cup frozen raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 160C (fanforced)
2. Sift flour and bicarb into a large bowl and then stir in sugar (if using).
3. Beat egg, oil, honey (if using) and milk together and then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well to combine.
4. Add pear and raspberries and stir to mix through.
5. Pour into greased loaf pan and cook for approximately 60 mins. (cover loaf with foil after half an hour to stop it browning too quickly on top)
6. Wait until completely cool before cutting into slices.

I have also made this mixture into 12 muffins which only requires 20-25 mins in the oven.
With the way the banana prices are at the moment, this is a perfect alternative that is just as yum (if not yummier) without the price tag!

Mexican vegetarian lasagna

I absolutely love mexican food. I will admit that I used to buy the ready made mexican sauces until I discovered how simple they are to make and how much healthier it is. This mexican sauce is really quick to make and is so versatile. I use it on top of nachos and in tacos but my favourite way to use it is in this lasagna. The great thing about this dish is that it can be made ahead of time and popped in the oven ready for the hungry tummies!


1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
0.5-1 tsp ground chilli
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 x 400g tins of kidney beans, drained
700g tomato puree or 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of water
1 tsp sugar
2 cups of grated reduced fat cheddar cheese
200g packet of corn mountain bread


1. Sauté onion and garlic in an oiled large pan for 5 mins over medium heat.
2. Add cumin, coriander, paprika, chilli and cook for a further minute.
3. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, sugar and water, bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until sauce thickens. 

4. Place a layer of sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, followed by a layer of mountain bread. Then alternate sauce, cheese and mountain bread until all the sauce is gone, finishing with mountain bread and cheese on top.
5. Put in 180C (fan forced) oven for 20 mins or until cheese melted and brown on top.


Traditional lasagna sheets can be used instead of mountain bread but for those that want to limit their gluten intake, the corn mountain bread is a good option and works amazingly well in lasagna. This serves four and there are never any leftovers in my house because everyone always wants more!

Making vegies fun!

We all know what kids can be like with eating vegies, so I am always trying to think of ways of encouraging my toddlers to eat them. I find by allowing them to become involved with the cooking process and making mealtimes fun can help.

I lay out different coloured bowls filled with an assortment of vegies ie broccoli, corn, grated carrot, half an avocado and some rice & corn cakes. I give my girls a spoon, a plastic knife and let them scoop out the avocado and spread it on the rice cakes and then add toppings. They seem to love "playing" with the food and sometimes will sit there for half an hour exploring and experimenting!  (there is no way I could get them to sit down eating for more than 5 minutes normally!)
Even though it looks like they are just playing, I am always surprised at how much gets eaten.

Stirfry chicken and vegetable satay with rice noodles

My kids absolutely love noodles so I wanted to come up with a dish that was healthier and lower in salt than traditional stirfry dishes. This satay dish is perfect because there is no soy sauce or other salty additives, so great for toddlers and adults alike!  It is surprising how many packaged noodle products have added preservatives, salt or other nasties. I use dry rice noddles which require soaking and are made of only rice and water. This is such a quick dish to make and my kids always ask for more!


1 brown onion, finely chopped

Satay sauce

2 garlic cloves, chopped
0.5-1 tsp of chilli flakes, depending on taste
0.5 cup of natural peanut butter (no added salt or sugar Sanitarium brand)
1.5 cups of water
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
500g chicken tenderloins or chicken stirfry strips
500g frozen stirfry vegetable mix
250g rice noodles

1. Saute onion and garlic in a wok over medium heat for 5 mins until soft. Add chilli flakes and cook for another 1 minute.
2. Reduce heat to low and add peanut butter, water, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar. Stir to combine and cook for a further few minutes. Add more water if sauce is too thick. Place satay sauce to one side.
3. Place rice noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 5-10 minutes until soft.
4. Increase heat to high and stirfry chicken in wok with oil for 2-3 mins or until brown. Set aside.
5. Add vegetables to wok and strifry for 4-5 minutes. Add chicken, sauce and drained noodles to wok, stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 with leftovers

Polenta corn bread

I fell in love with corn bread when I was travelling and eating my way through the US. I made it my mission to come up with a healthy recipe that was easy to make, and this is it!

Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup polenta
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 tbsp oil
1 cup tinned corn, drained
1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 170C (fanforced) and grease loaf pan.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir in polenta.
3. Combine eggs, milk and oil together and then gradually add to polenta mixture. Stir until smooth.
4. Stir in corn and cheese.
5. Pour into pan and cook for 35-40 mins or until lightly brown on top and inserted skewer comes out clean.

6. Allow to cool before cutting into slices.

This is a perfect accompaniment to any type of soup and is a great alternative to normal store bought bread.  I freeze the leftovers slices individually wrapped and give it to my kids as a snack or as an add on to their meal.

Tasty tuna pasta

I'm sure I'm not the only one that hates grocery shopping, so I am often left looking in the fridge and realising I don't have much to cook dinner with! That's where a few things in the pantry and freezer come in very handy to whip up a quick, healthy meal.


Large can of tuna in olive oil (425g)
1 x large onion, chopped
1 x clove garlic, crushed
500g Frozen peas
500g pasta (I use gluten free)
Optional- chili flakes


1. Sauté onions, garlic and chili flakes for 3-5 mins with a little oil in a pan.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packet instructions.
3. Add frozen peas and tuna (with olive oil) to onions and cook for a further few minutes until peas cooked through.
4. Add tuna mixture to drained pasta and serve immediately with extra chili flakes if desired.

So simple but tasty!!
I use gluten free pasta made out of predominately rice. I find it is not as heavy as normal pasta and actually surprisingly quite good!

Cheesy spinach fritattas

I don't even consider making this dish as cooking, as you literally put three ingredients together and put it in the oven. That seriously is it! And to this day, I am constantly surprised when my kids gobble them down and ask for more. This recipe came about because my girls refused to eat eggs in any form, except when I made them into these!



Ingredients:

6 eggs
250g frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and drained of excess moisture)
200g shredded cheddar cheese


1. Break the eggs into a bowl
2. Add spinach and cheese
3. Mix until combined
4. Grease a 12 hole muffin tray (or use muffin cases) and fill each case evenly with mixture.
5. Place in 180C (fanforced) oven for 15-20 mins or until lightly brown on top and set.

And there you have it, 12 individual frittatas great for little hands to hold.
A great way to get dairy, vegetables and protein into them in one hit!

Easy eggplant parmigana

One of my new years resolutions was to try and have a few vegetarian meals each week, but trying to find something that would satisfy my carnivore husband was proving harder than expected! This dish is great because it is substantial, satisfying and very nutritious!
Really simple, vegetarian meal that is quick to prepare and very, very tasty!

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants (cut into 1cm thick slices)
One packet of mountain bread (I use corn variety so less gluten)
shredded cheese

Tomato sauce:
700g tomato passata (puree)
400g can of tomatoes
400g can of lentils (drained)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 onions, finely chopped
150g bag of baby spinach



1. Layer eggplant slices on lightly greased tray, brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated 180C oven (fan forced) for 20 mins or until golden brown and soft.
2. In the meantime, saute onions and garlic with a little olive oil in a large pan for 5 mins. Add tomato passata and tomatoes, reduce temperature and simmer for 20 mins.
3. Add lentils and spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Put a layer of eggplant on the bottom of a casserole dish, then tomato sauce, then mountain bread and continue alternating layers until all the eggplant is used. I put cheese in one of the layers in the middle and then finish with cheese on the top.
5 Cook for 25 mins in 180C oven or until cheese melted.

The tomato sauce recipe makes enough for two eggplant parmigana dishes. I usually reserve half the sauce and either freeze it or use it the next night as a sauce for pasta.

Depending on the size of the casserole dish, half a packet of mountain bread is normally enough. The other half can be frozen too and saved for next time.

The end result! It doesn't stay on the plate for very long!

Healthy, moist, yummy carrot cake

My girls love this carrot cake. I make them into muffins so I can freeze them and take them out in individual serves. If you use gluten free baking powder, they are gluten free, low in sugar and saturated fat. Even though they sound ultra healthy, they are really quite tasty and my girls always ask for a second serving!

300g grated carrots (~3 medium carrots)

50g of honey or pure maple syrup 

100g finely chopped dates/ sultanas (I use dates because they tend to be sweeter and that way I can add less sweeteners)

50g macadamia nut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs, lightly beaten

250g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

juice of 1 orange and rind of half an orange

NB: I grate my carrots and dates in my thermomix or food processor to save time and energy. (grating carrots is harder than it looks!)

1. Preheat oven to 160C (fan forced)

2. Mix oil, honey, eggs and vanilla until well combined.

3. Fold in carrots, dates, ground almonds, baking powder, juice and zest.

4. Fill 12 muffin cases and bake for 30- 40 mins or until skewer inserted comes out clean and lightly brown on top.

Great for a snack without being too sweet, so hopefully the kids won't be high on sugar and will still sleep!