Almond Meal Banana Bread

October 23, 2022 · Leave a Comment

I know, I haven’t posted a recipe in an age!

Truth be told, I wanted to write this one down somewhere safe so I don’t lose it! I seem to be making lots of banana bread these days as the family run hot and cold with bananas. I can’t bear to waste them.

I love using almond meal in cake recipes as it’s so tasty and nutritious as well as making the banana bread gluten free. This recipe also happens to be dairy free (as long as you don’t serve it with lashings of grass-fed butter!!)

This almond meal banana bread has a beautifully soft and light texture and is not overly sweet. It’s super filling, so one piece is plenty.

Almond Meal Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups almond meal

3 medium bananas (super ripe with black spots for best results)

4 eggs

1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or butter)

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup walnuts (optional but yummy)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 160oC. Line a loaf tin with some non-toxic baking paper.

Mash the bananas and whisk with the eggs, vanilla extract and coconut oil.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well (save a few walnuts for the top).

Pour into your loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 20-30minutes. Store in the fridge. Use a bread knife to cut.

*note: I like to keep the walnuts chunky but you can chop them up if you want.

To save time, I sometimes make this in the Thermomix. Just whizz the banana, egg, vanilla and oil on speed 7 for ten seconds, add other ingredients (except walnuts) and whizz on speed 5 for ten seconds or until it’s all incorporated. Add walnuts and mix in, on reverse, speed 5 for five seconds.

I have loads of other banana bread recipes if you want to try something different, but I hope you love this almond meal banana bread as much as we do!

Cheese and Spinach Rice Cakes

January 29, 2018 · 4 Comments

You know when you find something yummy and cook it so many times that everybody ends up hating it?

Yeah, that.

These rice cakes were on high rotation in my kitchen about five years ago until there was a protest! But they have made a reappearance and everyone is enjoying them again. I just have to pace myself now and not make them too often!

They are delicious hot or cold and make a very budget-friendly dinner with some salad or are great for lunch boxes too.

Whip them up when you have some leftover rice so it doesn’t go to waste. You can also throw in any leftover cooked vegetables or meat.

Cheese and Spinach Rice Cakes

Vital Stats: gluten free, nut free, vegetarian

This is what you need:

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 green shallots, finely chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1 cup finely shredded baby spinach

100g tasty cheese, grated

50g parmesan cheese, grated

2 eggs

1/2 cup cream

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Herbamare (or salt) and pepper to taste

This is how you do it:

Preheat your oven to 180ºC and line a 12 cup muffin tray with some non-toxic muffin papers.

Whisk together the eggs and cream in a large bowl.

Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Scoop into the muffin papers and press down slightly.

Sprinkle with more cheese if you like.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm and golden brown.

TIPS:

I have used the If You Care baking paper and cups for years now – nothing ever sticks and they are compostable and non-toxic.

Add whatever you like to the basic egg, rice and cream mixture. Some things that are also tasty in these rice cakes are: feta, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, zucchini, char-grilled capsicum, chives, mushrooms and salami.

I always soak rice before I cook it, just to make it easier to digest and kinder on our tummies.

Use pure cream that doesn’t have any artificial fillers or thickeners.

My Chicken and Spinach Fritters are also brilliant cold in lunch boxes.

If you make my Cheese and Spinach Rice Cakes, let me know what the family thinks and upload a photo to my socials.

Easy Muesli Bars

January 12, 2018 · 2 Comments

This recipe is ridiculously easy to make. Just throw everything in a bowl, mix and bake!

As much as I love cooking, keeping up a constant supply of home-made real food for the family can be quite time-consuming.

So the easier the recipe, the more chance it is that it will be on high rotation in our house. I always make double batches and freeze too.

You can even get the kids making this one it’s so simple and fuss-free.

Of course you get the added benefits of it being much cheaper than buying muesli bars, there is zero packaging and you know exactly what’s in your food.

Give them a go and let me know what you think.

Easy Muesli Bars

Vital Stats: Wheat free, dairy free, nut free, vegetarian

This is what you need:

3 cups muesli

1/2 cup sultanas

2 bananas

1 egg

1 tablespoon coconut oil

This is how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Line a slice tin with non-toxic baking paper.

Mash the banana and whisk in the egg and coconut oil. Add the muesli and mix well.

Smooth into your slice tin with a spatula or the back of a wet spoon.

Bake for 20 minutes or until nice and firm.

Let cool before you slice with a bread knife.

Hot tips:

We make up our own muesli but any good quality muesli is okay. Ideally, try to get one that’s organic and without sulphur dioxide in the dried fruit.

If you want to make these for lunchboxes, just make sure your muesli has no nuts. Use seeds, coconut and fruit instead.

Want more recipes?

10 Healthy Muesli Bars

30 Super Healthy Lunch Box Snacks

20 Nut-Free Lunch Box Snacks

Sweet Potato Pizza Bases (gluten free, dairy free)

March 16, 2017 · 7 Comments

We now have three of us in the family as dedicated gluten-free.

While I love almond meal based recipes, all that almond meal does get a bit expensive. So I’ve been experimenting with different things to bulk out the almond meal and be a little more frugal.

My first experiment with pizza bases was a winner with both kids saying they preferred it to the plain almond meal one I usually make. It’s pretty easy to make and perfect for using up leftover sweet potato mash.

The bases freeze really well, so make a double batch to have an easy dinner option on hand ready to go. They defrost super quick!

I hope you love these easy sweet potato pizza bases as much as we do. Let me know if you make them!

Sweet Potato Pizza Bases (gluten free, dairy free)

This is what you need:

2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato

2 cups almond meal

2 eggs

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

2 teaspoons Herbamare (or salt)

This is how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 200°celsius.

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.

Line two round pizza trays with non-toxic baking paper.

Spread the mixture onto the trays and form the shape you want. The mixture is like a batter, not a dough.

Use a spatula to help you push it to the edges and smooth out so it’s an even thickness.

Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Now you can spread it with sauce and your choice of toppings.

Pop it back into the oven for another 10 minutes or so or until it’s cooked.

Enjoy!

Easy Herb and Garlic Green Dip

November 1, 2016 · 4 Comments

My whole family loves a tasty dip.

It’s a great way to boost your vegetable intake – carrot sticks taste a whole lot yummier with something to dip them in.

This nut free dip is great in lunch boxes or for afternoon tea for the kids and even fancy enough to take to a barbecue. In fact, I always get asked for my recipe when I make this!

As well as serving the dip with plenty of fresh veggies, I also like to ‘upnourish’ as Kristin from Mamacino says, with extra vegetables and veggie powder added in.

This green dip is also so much cheaper to make than buying a pre-made dip from the supermarket. Seriously how expensive and full of additives is dip these days! Even the ones in the gourmet delis are full of canola oil and will set you back the best part of $10!

Anyhow…. here is the recipe. Let me know if you make it and what you think!

Easy Herb and Garlic Green Dip

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

This is what you need:

500g cream cheese*

1-2 small garlic cloves

1/2 cup parsley

2 cups baby spinach

4 small green shallots, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon Herbamare or salt to taste

2 teaspoons Vital Veggie Power

cracked black pepper to taste

*make sure you buy a plain cream cheese, not the low-fat ones as they are full of weird additives

This is what you do:

Wash all your greens well. Chop the shallots into a few pieces.

In your food processor or thermomix, throw the garlic and greens and whizz up.

Scrape down and add the remaining ingredients.

Whizz until well combined.

I don’t mind mine a bit chunky but if you have fussy kids, keep blending!

This is a spreadable, thick dip. If you want something softer and dippier (yep that’s a word), add a tablespoon or so of yoghurt or sour cream.

Serve it with plenty of cut up veggies and some seed crackers.

It will last around three days in a well-sealed container in the fridge.

Hot tip: If you want to go really hard-core, have a crack at making your own raw cream cheese.

Pecan Salted Caramel Truffles

May 31, 2016 · 7 Comments

Oh my goodness, these are so amazing.

These Pecan Salted Caramel Truffles taste a bit like caramel lollies! I came across a Nakd food bar in my supermarket last month and the only ingredients were dates and cashews. It was so delicious and so caramely, it inspired me to add some more of my favourite ingredients and make these truffles. Well, they are sort of a bliss ball, but taste a bit more decadent so I called them a truffle.

Hope you like them as much as we do!

Pecan Salted Caramel Truffles

Vital Stats: gluten free, grain free, vegetarian, vegan, egg free, paleo

This is what you need:

1 cup organic cashews

1 cup organic medjool dates (or you can use dried dates, just soak in hot water and drain well)

1/2 cup organic pecans

1/8 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (or a tad more if you like it salty)

1/2 scraped organic vanilla pod (or any sort of vanilla you have)

This is how to do it:

Take the pits out of the dates (important!). Throw the dates into a strong food processor or thermomix with the cashews, salt and vanilla and blend until they just start to come together in a ball. Be careful – if you overprocess, they will go weird and shed oil.

Now add in the pecans and just pulse until they are chopped up a little. I like to see the pecan bits still in there. Roll into small balls and pop in the fridge or freezer to store. But I can tell you now they taste good straight up!

Please let me know if you try the Pecan Salted Caramel Truffles and what you thought!

Want more?
Try these Ten Amazing Bliss Ball Recipes

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 Zesty Lemon Recipes

August 14, 2015 · 5 Comments

10 Zesty Lemon Recipes

Lemons are a universally loved fruit and feature in cuisines all over the world.

They are so versatile – you can use them in sweet or savoury meals, drinks and baking. Never ever throw away a squeezed lemon because you can use them for cleaning too.

A glass of hot water with lemon in it is a great habit to get into as soon as you get up.

Here are ten amazing recipes from whole foodies around the internet (and me). Enjoy!

♥ Lemon Yoghurt Cake by Natural New Age Mum

♥ Coconut, Lemon Chicken Soup by Jo at Quirky Cooking

♥ Lemon, Honey and Thyme Sorbet by Emma at My Darling Lemon Thyme

♥ Lemon Squares by Collette at Cut out the Crap

♥ Lemony Balls by Monique at The Nourished Psychologist

♥ Flourless Lemon and Plum Pudding by Kelly at Bonnie Delicious

♥ Chicken with Fennel, Apple and Lemon from Eleanor at Petite Kitchen

♥ Lemon Macadamia Cookie by Georgia at Well Nourished

♥ Raw Lemon Coconut Butter by Jules Galloway, Naturopath

♥ Lemon Butter Chicken by Damn Delicious

♥ Grow a mini lemon tree for the yummy smell!

Do you have a kick-ass lemon recipe??? Leave us a link!

Roasted Cauliflower

May 14, 2015 · 5 Comments

I love cauliflower!

It’s one of those really versatile veges that can be used in so many ways. My favourite way to do it though is roasted. The beautiful caramelization is just so tasty and it’s so easy to do.

I use olive oil as it takes a higher temperature than most other oils. Coconut oil is delicious but I find my kids aren’t fond of the flavour when it’s roasted. Duck fat or tallow would be amazing if you can get your hands on some great quality stuff. If you like some zing, add some chilli or spices to the mix!

Cauliflower has some amazing health benefits including:

* cancer fighting

* improving blood pressure and kidney function

* fighting inflammation in your body

* a digestive aid

* rich in vitamins and minerals

* good for brain health

* full of antioxidants

Roasted Cauliflower

Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, nut free, egg free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo

This is what you need:

1/2 head of organic cauliflower

3 tablespoons good Aussie olive oil

2-3 cloves organic garlic

Pink salt or celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

This is how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 220ºc.

Cut the cauli into smaller florets.

Toss everything together in a bowl (I like to massage it all in with my hands).

Whack it into a roasting pan and cook the oven for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Hot Tips:

If you want to get extra fancy, sprinkle your roasted cauliflower with some fresh herbs, chilli, lemon juice and/or freshly grated parmesan cheese after it’s roasted.

Leftovers? It’s also delicious cold in a salad or whizz it up and add to hummus.

Mushroom and Haloumi Kebabs

January 6, 2015 · 2 Comments

Simple summer eating!

I am back with my next recipe in the Australian Mushroom Growers “Summer Mushrooms” campaign! It’s such fun to be involved in creating Aussie mushie recipes alongside some great foodie bloggers. You can find their recipes here.

Mushrooms are such a great superfood. They are nutrient rich, flavour rich, high in bioactive compounds (that means they are really good for you), easily available and affordable.

This recipe makes a great starter for a barbeque – hand around a platter and use the herby sauce as a dipper. You could also pop them on a big bed of rocket and drizzle with the sauce and serve as a side dish.

It takes no time at all to whack everything onto a skewer and whizz up the sauce while you are waiting for them to cook. Get the family involved in helping you – kids love skewers!

Mushroom and Haloumi Kebabs

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

Okay this is what you need:

24 Aussie button mushrooms

100g haloumi

1 large red capsicum

olive oil for brushing

1/2 bunch basil

1/2 bunch mint

2 tablespoons extra virgin Australian olive oil

1 small garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon lemon juice

black pepper and pink salt to taste

Okay this is what you do:

Soak 8 small or 4 large bamboo skewers in water.

Wipe the mushrooms gently with wet paper towel or a microfibre fruit and vegetable cloth.

Cut the haloumi and the capsicum into cubes, a similar size to the mushrooms.

Thread the mushrooms, haloumi and capsicum onto the skewers.

Brush with olive oil. Cook under a hot grill or on the bbq – about ten minutes or until soft and starting to brown.

While that’s cooking, make the herby sauce. It’s actually called a pistou – sort of like pesto but without the cheese and nuts!

Throw the herbs, oil, garlic, juice, salt and pepper into a food processor or thermomix and blitz until combined. I like mine a bit chunky but keep processing if you like it smooth.

To serve, just pour the herby sauce over the kebabs or put it on the side in a dipping bowl.

For more info and amazing recipes using mushrooms, check out the Australian Mushroom Growers website or Facebook page.

Do you cook mushrooms on the barbie? Share your ideas with us.

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