Green Vegetable Soup with Quinoa

This delicious vegetable soup is perfect all year round and can be adapted to use whatever vegetables are in season. By including quinoa it becomes a satisfying and healthy option for either lunch or dinner.

What you will need:

• 2 medium brown onions, finely diced
• olive oil
• a small fennel bulb, finely sliced
• fresh celery leaves (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh herbs - use a combination of thyme, oregano and a few sprigs of rosemary
• small clove of garlic
• a pinch of fennel seeds
• 2 litres of either chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 sticks of celery, sliced
• cauliflower florets (about 2 cups)
• kale - shredded ( several leaves)
• 1 cup of frozen peas (or fresh if available)
• 1 cup of quinoa 
• 1 - 2 tsp lemon juice (to taste)
• fresh parsley
• black pepper

What you need to do:

1.  Fry the onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until soft. 

2.  Add the fennel seeds and stir for another 30 seconds. Add the bay leaf, fresh herbs, fresh fennel and celery leaves and cook for another 30 seconds.

3.  Add the stock and reduce heat to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

4.  Cook the quinoa (use 1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly, and 1 1/2 cups of water)  

4.  Add the celery, cauliflower, kale and peas. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.

5.  Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.

6.  Place some cooked quinoa into each serving bowl.  Ladle the soup over the quinoa. Serve with freshly group black pepper and fresh parsley.

Healthy Gluten-Free Pikelets

Often after picking up my girls from two different schools we don't get home until about 4pm, and it's tempting to reach for packaged food as a quick option. I was determined to come up with ideas that were healthy, quick, easy and that my girls would actually eat without complaining. These pikelets tick all the boxes. They are high in both protein and whole grains, and so simple to prepare that I can have them on the table ready to eat almost by the time the girls have unpacked their school bags. They are basically sugar free because serving with a sweet topping like jam or honey is more than enough to sweeten them up.

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of dairy free milk (I used a mix of soy and almond)
• 2 teaspoons of maple syrup
• 1 egg
• Vegetable or rice bran oil, for cooking

What you need to do:

1. Add the flour, almond meal and baking powder to a mixing bowl and mix together.

2. Add the milk, egg and maple syrup to the bowl.

3. Whisk until all ingredients combine to form a fairly thick batter.

4. Heat a frying pan and add a small amount oil.

5. Add spoonfuls of the mixture to the pan. Cook until bubbles appear and then flip and cook for a minute or so more on the other side. Remove to a serving plate.

6. Continue until you have used all the mixture. You will need to add more oil throughout the process. 

7. Serve with honey, jam or your favourite topping.

Lentil and Broccolini Salad

This delicious and tasty salad is quick and easy to prepare. It can be eaten either warm or cooled and is perfect to take along to barbecues or picnics. While it is an excellent side dish, it can also be enjoyed as a meal on its own. High in iron, vitamin C and protein it's definitely a superfood salad.

What you will need:

For the salad

• 3 - 4 bunches of broccolini, cut into 5cm pieces
• 2 400g tins of lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 punnet of orange or red cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
• 1/3 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds

For the dressing

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

What you need to do:

1.   Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well to mix. Alternatively, whisk in a small jug.

2.   In a hot pan, cook the chopped pistachios until very slightly browned. Set aside in a small dish to cool.

3.   Place the drained lentils into a salad bowl.

4.   Heat some oil in a pan and gently fry the fennel seeds for about 30 seconds. Add the broccolini pieces and cook gently for a few minutes, adding a splash of water to the pan. You want the broccolini to still be firm. Remove from the pan and add to the salad bowl with the lentils.

5.  Very quickly toss the cherry tomatoes in the hot pan and cook for about 30 seconds before adding to the salad bowl.

6.  Add two thirds of the roasted pistachios to the bowl. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios on top.

Gluten Free Pineapple and Cinnamon Muffins

For many years I have been trying to make the perfect gluten free muffin without a great deal of success. My daughter came home last week and said she needed to make a breakfast muffin for her food technology class. We put our heads together and came up with a delicious result reminiscent in taste and texture of a good cinnamon doughnut. Because it is designed to be a breakfast muffin the recipe is fairly low in sugar, contains whole grains and fruit and is also dairy free.

What you will need:

Dry Ingredients-

• 1 cup sweet sorghum flour
• 1 cup commercial gluten-free self-raising flour *(see note at the end of post)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup raw castor sugar

Wet Ingredients-

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup soy milk (or alternative non-dairy milk)
• 1/4 cup vegetable or rice bran oil
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice (drained from the tin of crushed pineapple)
• 1/2 cup of tinned crushed pineapple (juice drained)

Crumble Topping (optional) -

• 1/8 cup quinoa flakes
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp coconut sugar (or soft brown sugar)
• Olive oil spray

What you need to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare a muffin tray by spraying with olive oil spray.

2. Prepare the topping mixture by combining quinoa flakes, cinnamon and coconut sugar and mix well. Set aside.

3. Sift the flours into a bowl with the baking powder and cinnamon. Add sugar and mix until combined.

4. In a jug or bowl, add all the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined. Don't overbeat or this will result in a tough muffin.

6. Spoon mixture in to the muffin tray. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the crumble topping mixture and then spray lightly with olive oil.

7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

* Note - the commercial gluten-free self-raising flour mix can be substituted for a combination of other flours with at least 1/3 starch, such as tapioca or potato, as well as 1/3 white or brown rice flour, and 1/3 sorghum flour. In this case you will also need to add an additional 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the dry ingredients.

Asian Slaw

The festive season in Australia coincides with some of our hottest weather and often when attending gatherings with friends and family it is usual to be asked to bring along a salad. Tired of the standard fare, my husband discovered an Asian Slaw recipe by Jill Dupleix and decided to give it a try. He made a few changes to fit with our dietary needs and the result was absolutely delicious. It became our salad of choice this summer and we’ve already had multiple requests to make it again.

Aside from being tasty it is also extremely healthy. Full of fresh vegetables, herbs and antioxidant goodness with cashews to add extra protein.

What you will need:

For the salad

• Small wombok cabbage (about 500 grams)
• Small red cabbage (about 100 grams)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 1 – 2 green (spring) onions
• Snow peas (about 100 grams)
• 1 cup of coriander leaves
• 1 cup of mint leaves
• 1 cup of Thai basil leaves
• ¼ cup of roasted cashews, roughly chopped

For the dressing

• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of gluten free sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

What you need to do:

1.  Finely shred the wombok and red cabbage by cutting crosswise.

2.  Use a vegetable shredder to cut the carrot into long thin matchsticks. (Alternatively use a peeler to peel long shavings and then cut them into thin strips).

3.  Cut the spring onions and snow peas into long matchsticks.

4.  Place the vegetables into a large bowl and toss with the herbs.

5.  Add all the dressing ingredients to a dish and whisk together. Alternatively use a glass jar and shake together.

6.  Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Scatter the cashews over the top.

Delicious on it's own or as a side.

Notes:

·         For a spicier salad, cut a red chilli into long thin matchsticks and add with the vegetables.

·         If you don’t have a vegetable shredding peeler, use a normal peeler to peel long shavings and then cut them into thin strips.

·         Dress the salad just before serving otherwise the cabbage will go soggy.

Kale Chips

Without any doubt, kale chips are my absolute favourite snack. They are super healthy and so incredibly delicious that I never seem to be able to make enough. The good news is that they are also extremely simple to prepare.

What you will need:

• Kale
• Olive oil
• Salt

What you need to do:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

2. Rinse off the kale leaves and pat them dry with a tea towel.

3. Tear the kale into smallish pieces and place on a baking tray,

4. Pour over some olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt.

5. Use your hands to massage the oil and salt through the kale, making sure each piece is well coated.

6. Place in the oven to cook. Cooking times vary and you need to keep a very close eye on your kale as it can very quickly burn. Usually 10 to 15 minutes is all it takes. I usually take it out two or three times to mix and turn as necessary.

7. When the kale is crisp, but still quite green, remove from the oven and eat immediately.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

This recipe may be the simplest and healthiest dessert I have ever made. For anyone who is dairy free or vegan, it is always exciting to discover a delicious and creamy dessert. Chia seeds have a long list of health benefits and are high in fibre, protein and omega-3 fatty acids. As a result, this dessert is so nutritious you can eat if for breakfast.

The secret to a thick and creamy pudding is to use a canned coconut milk rather than the coconut milk now sold in cartons, which is much more watery. It will still work with any dairy free milk, but will be less creamy and far runnier than this version.

What you will need:

1 400ml can of coconut milk (organic if possible)
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
3 tablespoons of raw organic cacao powder
4 tablespoons of white chia seeds
  
What you need to do:

1. Push cacao powder through a sieve to make sure there are no lumps. Add the coconut milk and maple syrup and whisk until combined.

2. Add the chia seeds and stir well. Leave to sit for about 15 minutes.

3. Stir again to mix the seeds through. They will have started to absorb the liquid and swell. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least for several hours.

White Chia Seeds