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Healthy Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots

Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots

Healthy Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots

I’m pretty sure I haven’t been able to get Gracie to eat Zucchini in almost a year!  She use to really like it, but over the past year or so even though I continuously dish it up she says it’s ‘disgusting’.  So this week I started to have a think of ways that I could be more creative with sneaking zucchini in via these Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots which are combined them with things she’s already enjoys eating.

Healthy Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots

One of my go to meals that always goes down a treat with hidden zucchini is my Slow cooked Spaghetti Bolognese or my zucchini fritters.

These ‘tots’ are a little nutritional powerhouse in themselves with Quinoa and Flaxseed Meal, they’re also Dairy, Gluten, Soy & Egg-free.

Healthy Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots

Print Recipe
Serves: Approx 10 Cooking Time: 40 Mins

Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup Quinoa Flakes
  • Tablespoon of Flaxseed Meal

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 180°

2

Line a large baking tray with baking paper

3

Chop up the sweet potato and boil until until you can mash easily with a fork. Drain and then mash the sweet potato.

4

Grate the zucchini into the mashed sweet potato and add seasoning.

5

Add quinoa flakes and flaxseed meal and shape them with your hands and place on baking tray

6

Bake for around 15-20 minutes and then flip over and bake for another 10 minutes (until cooked through and slightly browned)

April 29, 2017 By Mel
1
Dinner

Spelt Pizza – Yeast Free

Spelt Pizza

What child doesn’t like pizza?

Being a dairy-free home (well apart from my husband) Pizza isn’t something we really eat. However, after our recent holiday when Gracie saw her Pa eat Pizza I promised I would make her one when we returned home.

Now I’m no baker, I leave that to my husband when things get too complicated! What I love about this recipe is that it’s extremely simple and you can make it right before you want to use it!

If you’re time poor use a good quality tomato pasta sauce (no refined sugar and low sodium content)  and mix with tomato paste to make a lovely rich pizza base.  As we’re dairy-free I sprinkle with nutritional yeast flakes.  Nutritional yeast contains B-vitamins, folic acid, selenium, zinc, and protein.  Spelt does contain gluten, but compared to wheat it’s much richer in nutrients and more easier to digest than wheat.

I like to make Gracie mini pizza’s out of the recipe as I think it’s easier for little hands.

Spelt Pizza

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of spelt flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of Italian Mixed Herbs

Instructions

1

Preheat your oven to 180c

2

Mix all the dry ingredients into a large bowl

3

Stir the water in slowly, making sure that the dough doesn't become too sticky

4

Knead gently for a couple of minutes and stand for approx 10 minutes

5

Roll out the dough and place on pizza tray (if you have)

6

Top with sauce and chosen topping

7

Bake for approx 15 minutes (or until pizza base is golden and toppings are cooked through)

March 23, 2017 By Mel
4
Dinner

Rootatouille

Roasted Root Vegetable Ratatouille with Nomato Sauce

We’ve been on Chef Steps again (one of my husbands favourite websites!)  after making the appletouille which was a huge hit I wanted to make something that was AIP compliant but also the whole family could enjoy.

As anyone on AIP knows you have to cut out all nightshades, which means no tomato sauce, so we’ve come up with our own version which is just as delicious.

Roasted Root Vegetable Ratatouille with Nomato Sauce

Print Recipe
Serves: 4-6 Cooking Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients

  • 3 equally round beetroots
  • 3 zucchini
  • 3 purple sweet potatoes
  • 2 large carrots
  • 2 large onions
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp pink salt
  • Olive oil as required

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 135oC

2

Peel the carrots, beetroots, purple sweet potato and zucchini’s

3

In a stock pot or similar, put all the end cuts including carrot peel and zucchini tops

4

Roughly cut onions and garlic cloves and put them into the stock pot

5

Add olive oil, salt and cook for 15-20 mins until softened

6

Using a mandolin and slice all the vegetables to approx. 2mm

7

Once cooked, place into a blender adding additional olive oil as required and blend until smooth puree (salt to taste)

8

Using the sauce line the bottom of a hard bottom skillet or enamel cast iron pan with lid with just enough to cover

9

Take your sliced vegetables and place them together and lay them around the pan in a circular pattern, one vegetable slice after each other

10

Cover with lid or parchment paper if no lid and bake for 90 mins

11

Remove and top with thyme and fresh parsley and extra olive oil if required

Notes

Try to find vegetables of similar size and shape

February 13, 2017 By Mel
0
Dinner

Vegan Spelt Gyoza

Vegan Spelt Gyoza

Vegan Spelt Gyoza

My husband found this recipe the other day and has been dreaming of making and eating them ever since.  These came out absolutely amazing and we had so much fun making them!

This recipe was adapted from here.

Vegan Spelt Gyoza

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 1

Ingredients

  • 200g or 1 cup of whole spelt flour
  • A pinch of salt
  • 85ml or just over 1/4 cup of hot water
  • 6-7 large button Mushrooms
  • 4 Spring Onions
  • Coconut Aminos
  • Tablespoon of grated ginger

Instructions

1

To make the wrappers, measure the flour into a large bowl and add the salt. Stir to combine. Pour in the hot water and mix it until it comes together to form a rough dough. Turn it out onto a work surface and knead it for a minute or two until it forms a smooth, pliable but stiff dough. Add a tiny splash more water if the dough is too dry or crumbly. Form the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave it to sit for half an hour.

2

Meanwhile, to make the filling, put all of the filling ingredients into a food processor and pulse it a few times until it’s all quite finely chopped and evenly combined.

3

Once the dough is rested place it on a lightly floured surface and roll it out as thinly as you can while still keeping it strong enough to hold the filling. Cut eight to ten circles, 3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter (I used the top of a pint glass and the size worked quite well) from the flattened dough.

4

Working one at a time put a heaped tsp of the filling into the centre of a wrapper. Wet one half of edge of the filling side of the circle and gently fold it in half around the filling. Carefully fold along one side of the semi circle so that the front is crimped onto a flat back. Press the crimps to the flat back to seal the dumpling and very gently plump it out at the bottom so that it can sit up right. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

5

Pour about 2 cups of water into a large wok with a bamboo steamer. Place it over high heat and bring the water to simmer. Gently place the gyoza's into the steamer, cover with the lid. Leave to steam for 6-8 minutes and then gently remove the gyoza with a spoon.

6

If you want them a bit crisp, heat up the remaining 2 tsp of oil in a large frying pan and place the cooked gyoza in. Let cook on one side for about 4 or 5 minutes until they’re crispy and golden, and then flip them over to brown on the other side. Repeat until they’ve crisped up to your liking.

7

Server with extra coconut amino's for dipping sauce.

 

 

 

Spelt Vegan Gyoza

January 30, 2017 By Mel
0
Dinner

Overnight Lamb

Overnight Lamb

I’m a one pot wonder kind of girl so this recipe really hits the spot, even better you can cook it slowly while you sleep!  It’s extremely tender because it’s slow cooked on a low temperature for 12-13 hours and is covered to prevent evaporation and drying out.

 

Overnight Lamb

Print Recipe
Serves: 6-8 Cooking Time: 12 hours

Ingredients

  • 2kg Leg of Lamb
  • Coconut Milk (enough to cover piece of meat)
  • Small pinch of saffron

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 110c

2

In a heavy oven-proof pot place some saffron

3

Trim excess fat off lamb, but leave some

4

Place leg of lamb in the pan and cover with coconut milk

5

Cover with baking paper, foil and then lid

6

Place in oven for 12-13 hours

Notes

Tip: Use the leftover coconut milk, to make coconut rice.

January 22, 2017 By Mel
0
Dinner

Quick home-made tomato sauce

My husband bought a tray of lovely heirloom tomatoes from Flemington Markets.  Some of them were already pretty over ripe so we decided to make a quick and easy tomato sauce which can be used as the base for many other delicious meals.

Even better it’s cheap to make, you can control the sodium levels and no refined sugar like the majority of store bought sauces contain.

Quick home-made tomato sauce

Print Recipe
Serves: 4-6 Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Tomatoes of your choice (enough to fill up a baking tray)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Dry Oregano
  • 3 Cloves of garlic
  • Fresh Parsley (optional)

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 180C

2

Slice tomatoes in half. On a lined baking tray place tomatoes cut side up

3

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, oregano and drizzle with olive oil

4

Place whole cloves of garlic throughout tray

5

Bake for approx 25 minutes, until tomatoes look roasted

6

Remove tomatoes and garlic from tray and place in blender, add fresh parsley stem and all

7

Blend to consistency of choice

Notes

Freeze in batches to make easy weekday meals

January 16, 2017 By Mel
0
Dinner

Lamb Moroccan Meatballs and Chickpea Dosa

Lamb Meatballs

This meal is actually far more simpler than it sounds and it’s a great way for children to be exposed to different flavours.

The Dosa recipe has been sourced from the latest Taste.com.au magazine.

 

Lamb Moroccan Meatballs and Chickpea Dosa

Print Recipe
Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 500g Lamb Mince
  • 1 Medium brown onion
  • 1 Garlic clove
  • 1 TSP of salt
  • 1/2 TSP of ground cumin
  • 1/4 TSP of cinnamon
  • 1/2 TSP of ground black pepper
  • 1 TBSP finely chopped Coriander
  • 1 Cup of Besan (Chickpea Flour)
  • 1/2 TSP Grounded cumin (for Dosa)
  • 1/2 TSP Bicarbonate of soda
  • 310 ML Water + 60 ML extra for later

Instructions

1

Either in a food processor or by hand, finely chop the onion, garlic clove and chopped coriander

2

In a large bowl mix the mince, chopped vegetables, herbs and spices

3

Mix thoroughly

4

Roll into balls and either pan fry or put onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook through

5

DOSA: Place flour, bicarb and cumin in a bowl. Season and whisk in water until smooth and set aside to rest.

6

After approx 10 minutes stir in extra water into the batter

7

Heat a 24cm (base measurement) non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush with coconut oil.

8

Add 1/2 cup batter to pan to cover base (add extra to fill any holes).

9

Cook for 2 minutes or until edges start to curl, turn, cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden. Turn again, cook for 1 minute or until crisp.

10

Transfer to a plate.

11

Repeat with remaining batter and ghee.

January 8, 2017 By Mel
0
Dinner

Slow Cooked Bolognese

Spag Bol with bone broth

 

Spaghetti Bolognese is a great way for boosting children’s daily vegetable intake.

I like to make ours in big batches so I can freeze into smaller portions to make quick meals in the week.

Our favourite is with Pork and Veal mince and I like to make ours with chicken bone broth for an extra nutritional boost.

I try and simmer mine for an hour as I find it really makes the flavour much more richer.

Slow Cooked Spaghetti Bolognese

Print Recipe
Serves: 6-8 servings Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 500g Pork mince
  • 500g Veal mince
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 medium sized zucchinis
  • 2 medium sized carrots
  • Mixed herbs seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Gluten-free worcestershire sauce
  • Salt-reduced tomato paste
  • 1 clove of garlic or paste
  • 1kg of stock/bone broth

Instructions

1

Finely chop the vegetables in a food processor

2

In a large pan, heat up oil and pan-fry vegetables until onions are translucent and vegetables start to soften

3

Add mince meat and pan fry until browned off

4

Add a heaped tablespoon of salt reduced tomato paste, along with a splash of worcestshire sauce

5

Pour stock over the meat and vegetables, until all covered and then season

6

Once it comes to the boil, slowly put on a simmer and stir intermittently until it begins to reduce

7

Until you use up all the stock, keep reducing meat down

8

Served on pasta, rice, zoodles dependent on your special dietary requirements

December 30, 2016 By Mel
2
Dinner

Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Nuggets

One of our go-to meals for Gracie are Chicken Nuggets, except these are dairy, gluten and egg-free and packed full of nutrients – winning!

  • Nutritional Yeast is deactivated yeast and has a cheese like flavour. It provides a natural source of Vit B.
  • Quinoa Flakes are gluten/wheat free. Extremely nutritious as the only known grain to provide all essential amino acids needed by humans

Dairy, Gluten & Egg-Free Chicken Nuggets

Print Recipe
Serves: 4-6 dependent on serving size Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g Chicken Breast/Chicken tenderloins
  • Coconut Yoghurt
  • Quinoa Flakes
  • Nutritional Yeast Flakes
  • Pepper

Instructions

1

Cut up chicken into nugget size pieces

2

Coat chicken pieces in coconut yoghurt

3

In a bowl, mix together quinoa and nutritional yeast flakes with pepper (enough quantity to coat the chicken pieces)

4

Coat the chicken in the mixture

5

Pop the coated chicken nuggets into the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the mixture sets

6

Pan fry or oven bake until cooked through and the coating has turned to a nice golden colour

Healthy chicken nuggets df - gf - egg-free

December 29, 2016 By Mel
1