Easy chicken risotto

This is a dish I make all the time, basically because it is so easy and I can always guarantee my girls will eat it! I think all mothers know how annoying it is, when you go to all the effort of cooking and the kids won't eat it!! Apart from being a nutritious meal for the whole family, the best thing about the dish is that you don't have to stand over the stove stirring constantly (seriously, who has time for that!!)


800g skinless chicken thigh fillets ( cut into pieces)
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes ( no added salt)
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
2 cups aborio rice
2.5 cups water and an extra 1-2 cups (for later)
Optional- cheese and chili

1. Brown chicken pieces in a large,deep non stick pan with a little olive oil over med-high heat until browned ( ~5 mins) Transfer to plate.
2. Add tomato, water, vegies and rice to pan, stir and bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat to med-low and return chicken to pan and cook without stirring for 15 minutes.
4. Add extra water, stir and cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until the rice is tender and liquid absorbed.

Serve with grated cheese and chili if desired. (freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chili gets the thumbs up from my husband!) This recipe makes enough for four of us with leftovers.

My girls have been eating this since they were babies( I just mashed up the chicken) and would often make a batch and freeze in individual containers. Perfect for those nights when you can't be bothered cooking!

A great one pot dish for the whole family, so hopefully there won't be too many arguments over who is doing the dishes!!

Delicious date balls

My girls absolutely love these! I make a big batch of them at a time and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. They are so simple and easy to make and even my 12 year old sister (who is the fussiest person I know!) thinks they are delicious!

Date balls:

250g pitted dates

100g LSA

1-2 tbs honey (or 1-2 tbs vegetable oil)

desiccated coconut to coat (~ 0.5 cup)

1.Put the dates in a food processor(or thermomix if you are lucky enough to own one!) and blend until a smooth paste forms.

2.Add the LSA (linseed, sunflower, almond meal) and blend until combined. I use LSA but you could use any seeds or nut meal you like.

3. If the mixture isn't sticking together so you can form balls, add 1-2 tbs of honey (or vegetable oil) and process until the mixture can be rolled into balls. The amount of honey or oil you need to add will depend on how soft the dates are to start with.

4. Form into small balls and then coat with dessicated coconut. I'm sure if you have older kids, they would love to help with this stage.