Nourishing Chicken Laksa

May 16, 2016 · 6 Comments

In my early twenties, I managed a bar and restaurant in Perth and was lucky enough to work with some Malaysian chefs. They introduced me to a whole new world of food – laksa, beef rendang, nasi lemak and more. Delicious!

I make my own laksa these days and while it’s never quite as delicious as one cooked by a Malaysian chef brought up on the stuff, it still tastes good!

What is a laksa?

A laksa is a coconut curry based soup with noodles, fish, seafood or chicken. There are many regional variations.

My version is kid-friendly, not too spicy and easy for busy mums to make. I load it up with immune-boosting super foods ( garlic, ginger, turmeric and bone broth) so it’s perfect in winter time to warm you up and help you avoid the lurgies.

Nourishing Chicken Laksa

Vital Stats: gluten free, egg free, dairy free, nut free (depending on your paste)

This is what you need:

1 tablespoon organic coconut oil

1 onion, finely diced

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small knob turmeric, finely grated

1 small knob ginger, finely grated

500g organic chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced

200 packet dry rice noodles (or noodles of your choice)

2-3 tablespoons laksa paste

500ml organic coconut cream

1 small carrot, julienned

1 small red capsicum, julienned

3 green shallots, julienned

2 litres chicken bone broth or use bone broth powder and water

100g fresh bean sprouts

4 tablespoons fresh coriander

NOTES:

Choose organic produce where you can.

You can use any vegetables you like – asian greens work well too, but add them right at the end to just wilt. Traditional laksa doesn’t have loads of veggies, but I add them to everything to boost our nutrition!

If you need a vegetarian laksa, simply use strips of tofu instead of chicken and vegetable stock instead of broth. If you need a paleo or grain-free laksa, simply use zucchini noodles instead of rice noodles.

Choose a laksa paste that has no nasty additives or vegetable oils or make your own if you have time. Irena at Eat Drink Paleo has an awesome laksa paste recipe – make up a double batch and freeze it until you need it!

You can use coconut milk but I like the slightly thick, decadent texture the coconut cream brings to the soup!

This is how you do it:

In a large stock pot, heat the coconut oil and over a medium heat, fry off the onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric for a few minutes until translucent.

Add the laksa paste and chicken strips and cook for one minute, stirring frequently.

Add the vegetables (except bean sprouts and coriander) and broth and simmer gently for about five minutes.

Add the coconut cream and noodles and simmer again for five-ten minutes until the noodles and chicken are cooked through. The timing will depend on how deep your stock pot is, how thick your chicken is and what sort of noodles you use.

Serve into some noodle bowls and top with bean sprouts and chopped coriander. Use chopsticks and an asian spoon if you want to be authentic!

NOTES:

This recipe serves four large portions. It reheats the next day on the stove really well, just be gentle not to break up the noodles too much.

You can add some freshly cut chillies if you like it really spicy. It is sometimes hard to know how spicy a curry paste is until you cook with it, so I always add a bit more than I think and then later it is easy to calm it down simply by adding more coconut cream. Or take out the adult servings and then add some more coconut cream for the kids’ servings. Taste and season before you serve. You may need a little salt.

My kids have eaten this since they were little and love it.

I would love to hear your feedback, let me know what you think!

Honey & Chai Spiced Panna Cotta with Grilled Figs

April 21, 2016 · 6 Comments

We don’t make a lot of desserts at our place.

But when we have visitors or for special occasions, I like to make something a bit special to have after dinner.

This Easter, I made a panna cotta, infused with chai spices and sweetened with honey to serve with some grilled fresh figs. It was so delicious, I have to share it with you all.

It’s so easy to make and can be done a day in advance. If you are dairy-free, simply replace the cream and milk with coconut cream and milk! Yum.

Honey & Chai Spiced Panna Cotta with Grilled Figs

Vital Stats: gluten free, grain free, nut free, egg free

This is what you need:

1 1/2 cups organic cream

1 1/2 cups organic full-cream milk

1/2 cup organic honey

1 organic vanilla bean

3-4 organic cardamom pods

1 organic cinnamon stick, crumbled

1 organic star anise

2-3 organic cloves

2 1/2 teaspoons gelatine (I use Great Lakes)

6 figs, halved

6 teaspoons organic butter

2 teaspoons organic ground cinnamon

This is how you do it:

In a medium saucepan, place the cream, milk, vanilla bean (scrape first), cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Put on a very low heat and infuse for 20 minutes.

Increase the heat to boiling and add the honey. Cook for a few seconds until the honey melts and is incorporated. Take off the heat.

Add the gelatine to two tablespoons of boiling water in a small jug and whisk until dissolved.

Pour the gelatine mixture into the cream mixture and stir well.

Using a fine sieve, strain the mixture into a glass jug.

Pour the mixture into 6 moulds, dessert dishes or glasses.

Place in the fridge for about four hours to set.

Just before you are ready to serve, cut the figs in half and add 1/2 a teaspoon of butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top of each fig. Place on a tray and pop under a hot grill. Cook until warmed through and the butter has melted. Cool slightly.

Serve the panna cotta with two grilled figs.

(This recipe is adapted from one at taste.com.au)

*HOT TIP: if you want to get fancy, you can buy dariole moulds from kitchen stores and use them (greased) for your panna cotta. To serve, run an knife around the edge and tip upside down on a plate. I think it’s easier and just as nice to serve in lovely glasses or dessert dishes (and you don’t have to worry about them turning out perfectly!)

Have you made a panna cotta before??

You might also like to try my recipe for Chocolate Cherry Tart!

Tips for using up food scraps that you may not have thought of!

February 29, 2016 · 12 Comments

Tips for using up food scraps

(that you may not have thought of!)

7.6 million tonnes of food is wasted or lost in Australia every year! Those statistics are frightening.

Not only is this tough on the household budget, it’s tough on the environment. Making use of everything we have and avoiding throwing things away is a great habit to get into.

There are some pretty obvious tips on reducing food wastage like using your bones and veg scraps for bone broth, freezing bread crusts for bread crumbs, feeding dogs and chooks and composting.

But, I have a few tips for you that you may not have thought of yet.

♥ Leftover tea and coffee

If you make a pot of tea and coffee in the morning and it doesn’t all get consumed, you can make sure you use it in some other way! What I like to do initially is pour myself one cup and then put the rest in a thermos to keep hot and fresh until I am ready for another cup.

Any tea or coffee can also be refrigerated straight away (don’t leave it brewing as it will go nasty and bitter) for use in iced tea and coffee later on. Iced chai latte with milk is simply divine!

Cold tea bags are also fabulous for treating under eye puffiness.

♥ Leftover citrus

Never, ever, ever throw out your citrus peels/halves again. You can turn them into a gorgeous, fragrant and totally non-toxic cleaning spray. They are also fabulous for cleaning around the house – everything from freshening the dishwasher to cleaning chrome in the shower. Read this post for some inspiration. You can also use them to lighten the dark skin on your elbows, dry out the peel and use in cooking or add to some olive oil to make lemon flavoured oil for cooking.

♥ Smears in jars

You know those leftover bits clinging to the inside of the jar? Peanut butter, sauce, jam, honey, oil, kombucha juice?

Here is what you can do:

Turn them into a salad dressing, milkshake or marinade straight in the jar …… shake and eat!

Got passata or sauce that’s got a tiny bit left? Add a touch of boiling water (glass only) and shake and then use.

♥ Coffee grounds

There are so many things you can use leftover coffee grounds for! My favourite is to add some coconut oil and make a delicious body scrub. Cheap, easy and so effective. Now I am also wanting to make a coffee candle. Awesome!

♥ Egg shells

These are rich in calcium and other minerals and can make a fabulous garden fertiliser – simply crush and sprinkle. You can also use them to make homemade chalk. What a great project to do with the kids. Empty egg shells are also great seed starters.

♥ Banana Peels

The inside of a banana peel makes an awesome shoe shine, teeth whitener or wart remover. Add them to a jar of water and leave for a day to make an awesome homemade plant fertiliser!

♥ Pawpaw skins

These make great exfoliators due to the enzyme, papain. Simply rub it all over your face, wait a while and rinse off! Avocado skins also are great for a nourishing face mask.

♥ Meat fat
Our grandparents never threw away meat fat! It was always carefully strained and re-used in cooking. Roast potatoes in meat fat is simply divine and the nutrients are so good for you. Try it!

♥ Potato Skins

Puree up these babies and use them as a hair treatment. Leave in for 15 minutes and then wash out for strong, healthy hair. You can also toss them in oil and salt and pepper and whazz in the air fryer or oven until super crispy for potato peel chips! Yummo.

♥ Vanilla Pods

I am lucky enough to have loads of vanilla pods from bulk buying. After using them in a recipe, I save them in a jar and re-use them by infusing in milk to make a drink or custard, adding to a pot of tea to make a vanilla flavoured tea, adding to a jar of rapadura sugar to make vanilla sugar. Heavenly.

♥ Broccoli Stalks

So many people throw these out but they are fabulous sliced thinly in a stir fry, grated into bolognese or frozen to use in soup. Don’t throw away precious nutrients!

♥ Cauliflower Leaves

Did you know that you can eat these? Roast with some olive oil or use them in this vegetable dish.

♥ Apple Peels and Cores

These can be made into your own homemade apple cider vinegar. This is so much cheaper than buying ACV!

♥ Pineapple Skins

You can make a yummy fermented pineapple drink with the skins or boil them up with coconut sugar to make cordial.

♥ Watermelon Rinds

You can make these into fermented pickles. Love it.

♥ Carrot Tops

My friend Mich makes an amazing pesto with the green carrot tops! How cool. Get the recipe here.

♥ Cracker Crumbs

I make homemade seed crackers and there is usually some crumbs left at the bottom of the jar. They are so good sprinkled on salads or soup!

♥ Repurpose Cooking Fails

Let’s face it, this happens at times and it’s heartbreaking to waste all those expensive ingredients (not to mention your time and energy!) Get creative about how to turn them into something else. Some ideas:

turn failed cake into trifle, cake balls, pudding or just add a heap of icing to cover!
turn failed bread into breadcrumbs in a food processor
if you have made something too salty, throw in a raw potato to mop up the excess
split mayo can be rescued by remaking and using the split mixture instead of oil
overbeaten egg whites can be fixed by adding an extra egg white for every two
add overcooked rice or pasta to meatballs or meatloaf

I would love to hear your tips on what you use food scraps for – inspire us!

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Natural New Age Mum 💟 Sonia (@natnewagemum)

10 Dinner Ideas to Stretch out Meat

February 10, 2016 · 6 Comments

10 Dinner Ideas to Stretch out Meat

If you are one of my subscribers on my VIP list, you will have your copy of my free book, How to Eat Healthy Wholefood on a Budget. One of my tips is to cook meals where you can use less meat without anybody really noticing.

Good quality, ethical meat is expensive but I think it’s worth buying. You just have to be a little clever about stretching out that meat to get more bang for your buck. Here are ten dinner ideas where you can feed a family of four using smaller portions of meat.

Disclaimer: Of course you an always cook vegetarian meals as well but that’s another story!

♥ Pizza.

My family love pizza! You can easily get away with a small amount of bacon or ham or even leftover roast chicken or lamb on your pizzas. Bulk it up with lots of yummy veggies and top with some spinach or rocket to serve. My favourite base is this sweet potato one as it’s so filling and full of protein.

♥ Stirfry.

Slice one chicken breast or one steak thinly, marinate it in some yummy coconut aminos, garlic and ginger and bulk it out with lots of vegetables. You may also like to serve it with some rice or mix in some noodles to really make it go further. I always like to add a handful of cashews, sesame seeds or almonds as well to increase the protein content and make it extra yum.

♥ Quiche.

An easy budget meal, eggs provide great protein in quiches or frittatas. I love to use up leftover vegetables and handfuls of spinach in them! Use one or two bacon rashers, a small tin of salmon or some leftover roast meat. This crustless quiche recipe is a great base for adding whatever you have in the fridge.

♥ Soup.

Only got one lamb shank? Easy – turn it into a hearty soup. Diced vegetables, broth and even some rice or pasta at the end of the cooking time if you really want to bulk it out.

♥ Pasta Bake.

If you are okay with a little grain (I like the GF pastas), then pasta bake is your friend! Use a tiny bit of bolognaise sauce or some chopped cooked chicken and stir through some vegetables, cream, pesto, white sauce or anything that takes your fancy. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in the oven!

♥ Biriyani.

We make this regularly – it’s so delicious and it’s a great way to use up leftover chicken or lamb. You can also cook up one piece of meat and fold it through just at the end of cooking time. Find my coconut biriyani recipe here. Apply the same principle to fried rice – a little bit of chicken or bacon and some strips of egg omelette.

♥ Salad.

It’s all in the presentation. If I serve a tiny bit of meat with salad on the side, it looks stingy and mean. If I cut up that meat and toss it through a salad with some other yummy things like nuts and cheeses, it suddenly becomes a hearty meal.

♥ Kebabs.

Cube your meat and thread it onto skewers with loads of vegetables in between. You can then serve over rice with a big salad. Check out my mexican pork skewers for inspiration!

♥ Fritters.

Who doesn’t love a fritter? Delicious and easy to make – you can use leftover meat or some bacon with lots of vegetables. Here is a delicious recipe for gluten and dairy free fritters.

♥ Tacos, nachos and all that jazz.

Whenever I make spicy mince for tacos I always have loads leftover! Cook up some mince with lots of onion, grated vegetables, beans and my homemade mexican seasoning. You can serve with salad in a taco shell, on a wrap or burrito or atop some corn chips. It can take a little bit of hunting to get some good quality ones without all the additives. You can also use homemade potato or sweet potato wedges instead of corn chips too!

I would love to know how you stretch out meat in your meals! Leave us your ideas in the comments.

Date and Oat Bars – wheat free, dairy free, nut free

January 21, 2016 · 5 Comments

The gorgeous girls at Nutra Organics sent me some of their The Wholefood Pantry range to try out. It’s all great quality, organic pantry staples at affordable prices.

The kids loved the maple syrup – as you can see in the photo there is none left! They discovered it was delicious with some milk and vanilla to make a milkshake. Not so great when I wanted it for baking. How cute are the glass maple leaf bottles too. Now I just need to figure out what I can upcycle them into!

This is just one recipe I have made using their awesome range. Stay tuned for some more!

Find out more about Nutra Organics and all their products here.

Date and Oat Bars

Vital Stats: wheat free, dairy free, nut free

This is what you need:

1/2 cup The Wholefood Pantry coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup The Wholefood Pantry maple syrup

2 organic, free range eggs

1 1/2 cups organic rolled organic oats

1/2 cup organic spelt flour

1 cup chopped dates, sulphur free (you can use dried or medjool)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

This is how you do it:

Preheat your oven to medium temperature, 180°celsius.

Line a small slice tin with some If You Care baking paper (this one has no nasty toxins).

Whisk together the oil, syrup and eggs in a large bowl. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature or you will get lumps of coconut oil!

Add the remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.

Pour into the slice tin and whack into the oven.

Cook for about 20 – 25 minutes or until lightly browned and firm.

Cool on a wire rack before slicing into bars.

HOT TIP! You can use whatever dried fruit you have in the cupboard for these bars or make a combination!

5 Health Benefits of Cinnamon

October 26, 2015 · 5 Comments

5 Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a beautiful spice – it’s heady aroma is a favourite in all sorts of cooking and it’s been used in ayuverdic medicine for years.

It’s my favourite spice and I add it to lots of my daily food. The natural sweetness that cinnamon brings to dishes can help you reduce the sugar content of food as well.

Did you know that it also has a lot of health benefits? Here are 5 reasons to include cinnamon in your diet.

1. It’s high in antioxidants. Cinnamon contains high levels of polyphenols which help protect the body from aging and diseases caused by free radicals and oxidation.

2. It lowers blood sugar. Cinnamon works by helping with lowering blood sugar and helping insulin resistance.

3. It’s anti-microbial. The oil in cinnamon helps inhibit the growth of pathogens.

4. It’s anti-inflammatory. This means that it helps fight inflammation in the body and prevent disease.

5. It may help neurological disorders. Problems like Parkinsons and Alzehimers can be improved and prevented with cinnamon.

Want to read more of the science? Check out this pub-med article.

What about the quality?

So, we know cinnamon is awesome, but it’s really important you get use a good quality, true cinnamon to get the best benefits. There are two types of cinnamon – Ceylon and Cassia. Cinnamon Cassia is the one most commonly found in the supermarket. It contains a higher level of coumarin, a naturally occurring compound that can cause liver damage in high levels. For the best health benefits, source a Ceylon Cinnamon (or true cinnamon).

Did you know that supermarket cinnamon undergo radiation before selling? It’s a process to kill bacteria and increase the shelf life of food. Unfortunately, it can also damage the nutrients as well.

Some cinnamon can contain additives and fillers and it’s source can be questionable in regards to growing conditions, pesticides and ethics of the workers.

You all know I am a huge fan of Cyndi O’Meara from Changing Habits and I am an affiliate partner. Well I was pretty excited when she announced at her seminar that she was bringing out an organic Ceylon Cinnamon to her range. As usual, she has researched tirelessly to stock a quality product – she often says that her motives are somewhat selfish in that she wants the quality products to stock her own pantry and feed her family!!

The Changing Habits Organic Ceylon Cinnamon is sourced from Sri Lanka. It’s organically grown and non-irradiated without any fillers, additives or preservatives. It’s also naturally sun-dried and freshly ground and packed immediately to maintain the natural oils. It’s beautiful – the flavour is intense and the it smells amazing! You can read more about it and buy online here.

How do you add it to your diet? Here are some ideas for you:

♥ Add a dash to your morning porridge, muesli or bircher muesli. When I make my home-made muesli, I add several tablespoons of cinnamon.

♥ Add to your smoothies! It works well with any flavours, but particularly good in this banana protein smoothie.

♥ Add it to your bliss balls!

♥ Add it to cakes and biscuits. My Fig, Cinnamon and Pecan Biccies are delish!

♥ Chai has many gorgeous spices, but cinnamon is a huge part of the flavour. Try my Choc Chai Syrup.

♥ Cinnamon also works well in savoury dishes. Add to curries, sprinkle on roast pumpkin, use it to put a yummy crust on meat!

♥ For daily benefits, you can just add it to your cup of tea, coffee or cocoa. Sometimes I just like it with a warm milk and a dash of vanilla paste. Mmm!

Don’t be afraid to be liberal with it – it’s not an overpowering spice. What is your favourite way to use cinammon?

6 Recipes for Make Ahead Healthy Breakfasts

October 22, 2015 · 5 Comments

We all have those days.

You’ve slept through the alarm (or forgotten to turn it on), a child has to be at school at an ungodly hour for some sort of rehearsal or training or you just are so darn tired you can’t be stuffed.

Well you can still have a real food breakfast ready for the whole family. It just takes a little forward planning. Have a few options in the freezer or get busy the night before and you are set!

I have six ideas for you that can be done in advance and eaten on the run, in the car or when you get to work or school. No need for drive-through Maccas (although nobody will judge you if you do!)

6 Recipes for Make Ahead Healthy Breakfasts:

1. Bircher Muesli

So yum and seriously so easy. It’s like the summer version of porridge.

All you do is throw 2 cups of organic rolled oats into a container with 1 cup of the milk of your choice and 1 cup of yoghurt. You can add whatever flavourings you like – cinnamon, dried fruit, frozen blueberries, honey. Throw it in the fridge and eat the next day.

I always add seeds and nuts just before serving as I have found soaking them overnight can leave your bircher bitter. Also fresh fruit like apple and banana is usually best added the next day too. If it’s a bit too sticky, just add more milk until it gets to the texture you like.

If you want to eat on the run, make individual serves in glass jars. It will last three days in the fridge. We often eat it for snacks or for lunch too! PS you will quite often see bircher muesli also called overnight oats!

2. Chia Pudding

Chia puddings are similar to bircher muesli but perfect if you are gluten-free or paleo and can’t have oats!

A basic chia porridge or pudding is so simple to make – just add liquid (I prefer coconut milk) to chia seeds until they are covered and a bit over and leave to thicken (40 mins at least or overnight). Add lots of yummy things. One of our favourite versions is organic coconut milk and Nutraorganics Acai-Berry superfood powder, topped with bananas and blueberries. You can also add nuts, other seeds and a good slurp of coconut oil.

Store in a covered container overnight or in individual containers or jars.

3. Blueberry Breakfast Slice

Seriously, the best thing since sliced bread (well in our house, anyway!) With no added sugar or weird stuff – this is like porridge and fruit in a slice. The eggs and chia seeds add extra protein to keep you full.

We make up a huge batch and freeze in portions or store in the fridge for three days. Either grab a piece out for brekky and wait a little for it to defrost or take out a couple the night before. It’s delicious warm with yoghurt on top.

Find the recipe here.

4. Egg Thingys

These yummy little egg muffins are so easy to make and they freeze well. Stock up your freezer so you can pull them out for a quick brekky. They are also a great way to use up leftover veges or meat and they taste so good, even the fussiest kids will be tempted by an eggy cupcake! You can eat them hot or cold.

Find the recipe here.

5. Breakfast Biscuit

These biccies are particularly great for brekky because there is no added sugar – just banana and oats! However if you want to make them a bit more filling for breakfast you can add in any extra protein you like – seeds, nuts or even some protein powder or nut butter.

Toddlers love this for brekky – perfect finger food for them to nibble on in the car as you head out for the day. Find the recipe here.

6. Tania Bread

Tania Bread is our nickname for Tania Hubbard’s amazing Almond and Chia Bread. We have it made up and frozen in slices. It’s so easy to grab a slice in the morning, smoosh on some avo and fling on some tomato slices or throw on some peanut butter and banana.

If you have more time, you might like to toast the bread! It’s full of almond meal and chia for protein and I always add lots of seeds so it’s a very filling brekky. .

Want more?
Check out my bumper list of Healthy Breakfast Ideas.

Do you have any make ahead brekky ideas? Share with us!

10 Whole Food Meatball Recipes

October 15, 2015 · Leave a Comment

10 Whole Food Meatball Recipes

Meatballs (or if you want to be really Aussie, rissoles) are a must-have in the repertoire for whole food mums.

Mince is one of those budget ingredients that can be used in so many ways and with so many flavours.

You can serve meatballs straight up with veges or salad. You can make them big to go in a homemade burger or mini to go in lunch boxes or on a wrap.

My tip is to cook them on a tray in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium. Its saves burning and mess on the stovetop! Plus you can make a double batch and whack some in the freezer for another meal or to pull out for easy kid lunches.

You can use any sort of mince or a combination of meat for meatballs or you can make vegetarian meatballs – I have included two of those for you – it’s good to change it up.

Here are ten awesome meatball recipes to get you inspired…..

Morrocan Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki

Beef and Pork Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Turkey, Lemon and Fetta Meatballs

Herbed Green Polpette with Minted Tomato Sauce

Chilli con Carne Meatballs with Sweet Pepper and Black Beans

Baked Apple and Pork Meatballs

Chicken and Spinach Patties

Roasted Sweet Potato and Chickpea Patties

Healthy Fish Cakes

Spicy Meatballs with Adjika and Yoghurt

Do you have a favourite meatball recipe? Link us up!

Coco-Chocs

October 9, 2015 · 2 Comments

Today I am sharing a recipe from one of my friends – the wonderful Georgia Harding, naturopath and wellness blogger at Well Nourished. I love her recipes and common sense advice.

This recipe is from her breakfast eBook, Rise and Shine, a cracking book full of yummy and different recipes to eat first up in the morning.

Coco-Chocs

Vital Stats: grain free, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, refined sugar free, vegetarian

Makes about 4-5 cups

Ingredients

Dry ½ cup of each: raw almonds, raw macadamia nuts, raw hazelnuts, raw cashew nuts, raw walnuts, raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), raw sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, shredded or desiccated coconut

170g (½ cup) sweetener (rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup)

1 tablespoon of coconut oil or macadamia nut oil

1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder

1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla powder (or paste)

Method

Preheat your oven to 120℃/ 250℉. Line a large baking or biscuit tray with non-toxic baking paper. Place all of the nuts, seeds and coconut on the tray. You are after more or less a single layer across the tray.

For the syrup, mix together all of the ingredients into a glass jug or bowl. If the syrup is too thick or the coconut oil solid, heat for 5 minutes or so in the oven. Drizzle the syrup as evenly as possible over the nuts and seeds.

Place in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes to make sure all of the nuts and seeds are evenly coated in the delicious syrup. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Serve

With full fat natural or unsweetened Greek yogurt (or coconut yogurt) and fruit.

Over pancakes or french toast (to increase the protein content).

In a little cup as a snack.

Variations

Nut free: Omit the nuts and increase the seeds.

Fructose free: Choose rice syrup as your sweetener.

Store

Once completely cooled store in a large jar or airtight container in the fridge

Health Benefits

The selection of nuts and seeds provide a fibre and protein dense host of vitamins and minerals. The coconut and coconut oil provide fibre and immune boosting fats. The raw cacao is a wonderful source of antioxidants.

Tip

Soaking your nuts and seeds further improves their nutrient availability. You can also make this in a dehydrator if you have one.

Do you think your kids would love this??

How to get your kids to eat more veges

October 5, 2015 · 8 Comments

How to get your kids to eat more veges

My mum dobbed me into my kids the other day when we were visiting.

Yes, my vege phobia as a child was uncovered!! I really only ate potato and a few salad veges. My poor mum!

This lasted right into my mid 20s until I decided to get over myself and eat some darn veges. However, I still do a bit of a dry retch at the thought of a big plate of boiled veges.

I tried lots of things and worked out how I liked my veges cooked and how I could add flavour to make them yum. Nowdays I love my veges – but please don’t make me ever eat mushrooms, peas or broccoli that has been steamed too long!

There is a lot of debate about whether you should hide vegetables or not hide, but I say, do whatever it takes to get the kids eating veges – their growing years are so important and good nutrition is vital. However, in saying that, don’t stress about it too much – fruit can also provide a lot of nutrients that are found in vegetables and kids won’t starve themselves!

My own kids went from babies who ate homemade pureed veges with relish (I mean the joy type relish not the yummy type) to toddlers who spat everything out to teenagers who still sometimes sigh at veges. It’s not the most fun bit of parenting, is it?

So here are my tips for jazzing up those veges and making them more appealing for kids (and big kids).

How to get kids to eat more veges:

♥ Add butter. Everything tastes better with butter (am I right??) Toss some steamed veges with a knob of butter and a good sprinkle of Herbamare. You can also use olive oil. I am also going to say… add bacon, cream and/or cheese.

♥ Add salad dressing. Obviously salad dressing on a salad is delish but I also love it on my steamed veges! Try this recipe. We all know a little raw honey on carrots is a winner too!

♥ Add a tasty sauce. Satay, soy sauce, white sauce, cheese sauce, hollandaise, garlic mayo or roasted tomato sauce. Mmmm!

♥ Wrap them in pastry. Try these Mini Meat Pies.

♥ Dip them. A yummy dip and raw or lightly steamed veges are a winner. Try my Easy Herb and Garlic Dip, hummus, salsa, tzatziki, nut or peanut butter. Alternatively, put the veges in the dip and serve with some good crackers or crusty sourdough bread. Here’s a great round-up of dip recipes.

♥ Crumb them (because everything tastes better crumbed!!). Get an egg and a touch of milk and whisk and then dip in some breadcrumbs or almond meal, fry with some coconut oil or fat and bake in the oven. Zucchini cut into chips, crumbed and oven baked is amazingly yum! Also try it with rounds of eggplant, topped with a tasty tomato sauce and mozzarella.

♥ Cut them smaller. A big hunk of broccoli can seem daunting to a little kid. Small pieces seem much more manageable and tasty. I often cut veges like carrot and zucchini with my mandolin on the larger setting. It also means they cook quicker.

♥ Cut them into different shapes. A carrot stick might be boring but what about a lovely thin carrot ribbon? Would heart shaped roasted potatoes taste better?

♥ Buy the best quality, freshest veges you can find. They taste better and sometimes the ones in the supermarket have lost their flavour!

♥ Put them on a stick. Seriously, who doesn’t love something on a skewer? Dice some veges (zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and red onion work well) and pop them on a soaked bamboo skewer. Throw onto the barbie or under the grill. You can add a tasty sauce or baste with salad dressing before cooking if you like.

♥ Try cooking them differently. My kids hate pumpkin but love pumpkin soup! We can get into a cooking rut sometimes, but mix it up and try a new method. Roast some cauliflower instead of steaming it, stir-fry brussel sprouts with olive oil and bacon, make sweet potato chips instead of mash, make crispy kale chips, steam veges very lightly instead of boiling – you get the drift.

♥ Add them into meals. A stirfry, casserole, macaroni cheese or biriyani all make veges taste better when there are other flavours going on. Cut the veges small.

♥ Try them raw. Lots of kids will happily munch on raw veges but hate cooked! Obvs don’t do that with potato.

♥ Put them on a pizza. No explanation necessary, because…. pizza!!! Pizza scrolls are also a winner. I love these animal face pizzas by Annabel Karmel.

♥ Puree them. Smart mums know that pureed veges can hide in all sorts of unusual places. What about spinach in pancakes, sweet potato in brownies, greens in sorbet, avocado in chocolate mousse, cauliflower in cheesecake, anything and everything in pasta sauce and soup!

♥ Get them involved. Helping prepare food gets kids taking ownership of what they eat. You can of course ham it up and tell them how amazing their yummy meal is. Little kids can wash lettuce and tear it into strips, older kids can chop!

♥ Eat your veges when you are pregnant! This pub med study shows that kids can get a taste for veges via the amniotic fluid. Fascinating!

♥ Use the Learning Bowl technique. Nutritionist, Mandy Dos Santos at Little People Nutrition says this is a great introduction to new foods for those kids that may have anxiety or sensory issues.

♥ Start from the source by getting a vege garden happening or just grow some cherry tomatoes in pots. Not only is it a lot of fun, but again, taking ownership of food is important for kids.

♥ Get the kids to select some veges at the farmers’ markets or supermarket. We need five small carrots, can you find a crazy looking potato for your dinner – that sort of thing!

♥ Add grated veges to everything. Muffins or cakes (try my Carrot Cake recipe and this Chocolate Zucchini Loaf), burgers, meatloaf, bolognese, chicken nuggets or a zucchini slice. Grated veges cook down well into foods. Peeled zucchini is especially easy to hide if your kids are super duper fussy!

♥ Try them powdered. Especially for the extra fussy child who likes to pick out every bit of vegetable, powdered veges work a treat. We love the Take a Broth Tasmania Vegetable Broth Powder. You can stir it into food just before serving or sprinkle it on popcorn or plain rice crackers.

♥ Keep putting the veges on the plate. Experts say it takes up to ten times for kids to be exposed to a new food before they will eat it.

♥ Put them in a smoothy or juice. Green smoothies are all the rage! Add a handful of spinach (which is tasteless in a smoothy) to some coconut water and a few pieces of fruit and blend. Sneak in a little carrot or cucumber into a freshly squeezed juice.

♥ Use some marketing skills. Veges are good for super strong muscles like Superman, this green drink is what Shrek drinks, this makes you grow, this makes you run fast and play. This isn’t broccoli, it’s dinosaur trees!

♥ Don’t forget brekky and snacks. Offer veges throughout the day, not just at dinner. Eggs cooked in capsicum rings and cut up carrot sticks with some peanut butter are yum.

♥ Eat dinner earlier. Most adults I know struggle to eat well when they are tired. Get in early and feed the kids a nice wholefoods dinner with veges before they start getting overtired. Just after school can be the ideal time for dinner.

♥ Make sure they are hungry. I know most kids graze, but I found it helpful to stop snacks at a set time to ensure the kids were hungry for dinner.

♥ Practice what you preach. There is no way kids are going to love vegetables if you are not eating them. Set a good example. If you want to ham it up a bit and exclaim with joy every time you eat veges, you can do that too!

♥ Try new vegetables all the time. Get the kids excited about purple carrots and qukes (mini cucumbers)!

♥ Make vege fritters or hashbrowns. Yum! Try these zucchini hashbrowns or make a smiley face vege fritter.

♥ Make it fun. If you have the time and can be bothered, making some fun things out of veges can work well – presentation is often half of the battle! Check out Pinterest for some cool ideas – not all of them are time consuming and fiddly. I am seriously in love with these Capsicum Frogs!

♥ Serve vegetables in something different. For toddlers, serve cut up veges in ice cube trays or mini-muffin tins. Older kids might like making a creation with food on one of those special Face Plates.

You can even make the veges the serving container like these cute cucumber dip cups or serve their sandwich in a rolled up lettuce leaf instead of bread.

♥ Don’t lose your cool. Yeah, I know how frustrating it is when you shop, prepare and cook and those little rugrats turn their nose up!! But, when you lose your cool, you are creating negative feelings and associations around food. Keep it positive and then if they won’t eat, be neutral. Don’t ever force, bribe, negotiate or threaten.

♥ I’ve always enforced the ‘you don’t have to like it, but you do have to try it’ rule. All of us have veges we hate and so will your kids – respect that but do make them at least try it before they decide they don’t like it.

♥ Persevere. Kids go through stages, so keep at it and don’t give up!

My kids are now in their late teens and love eating vegetables – cooking them for meals, making up salads for their lunches and just gnawing on carrots and celery. I think this has a lot to do with their long term familiarity with vegetables. They still hate pumpkin though!!

Need more help?

Food Critic Flower Essence Blend. Try this amazing flower essence blend by Megan at The Simplest Remedy. She shares some other great tips too.

Feeding Fussy Kids. Sydney naturopath and nutritionist, Julie Maree Wood shares her expert advice and recipes to get your kids eating nutritiously. I love this book!!

Deceptively Delicious. Jessica Seinfeld is a master at hiding vegetables in her kids’ favourite recipes.

Check out this blog post listing kids books all about vegetables.

Naturopath Iwa Brown from Magnolia Naturopathy also has some great tips for Feeding Fussy Kids.

I would love to hear your tips – do you have something else to add to my list??? Leave us a comment or some links to your favourite vegetable recipes!