Real Food Recipes for the Whole Family

Kids are growing so fast so it’s important to meet their high nutritional requirements. Malnutrition is all too prevalent in modern society so when creating the meal plans, we have focused on providing you with life giving, delicious, easy, family friendly recipes.

We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation, and present you with recipes which ensure that your kids are receiving the right proportion of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) which will also ensure that you as parents are well nourished too!

What you’ll find here is a beautiful selection of nourishing, nutrient dense foods in the form of recipes from me (unless otherwise stated) and some of my favourite recipe bloggers, who I can’t thank enough for allowing me to share their gorgeous recipes. I’ve provided a link back to their websites and I urge you to go and explore all the wonderful recipes they have to offer you and your families.

Bon Appetit!

Brenda x

BREAKFAST RECIPES Spiced Quinoa Porridge Makes 2 servings

Quinoa porridge is choc-a-block full of goodness with just about all the ingredients containing powerhouse immune-boosting properties such as protein and zinc, iron and fibre, Vitamin C, lauric acid and so much more. And it’s gluten-free!

The recipe makes enough for breakfast for two days. Just stash leftovers in the fridge and add more water to heat it up the next day.

Just a little note to please try to buy your quinoa from Australia if you can, as there’s a sustainability problem in Peru, they can no longer afford to buy their own quinoa : (

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa 1 teaspoon coconut oil 1.5 cups water 2 cinnamon sticks 1/2 teaspoon mixed spices like cardamom, nutmeg, cloves 1/4 teaspoon extra cardamom 1/4 cup chopped Turkish figs and Medjool dates 2 – 2.5 cups coconut milk 1/2 cup mixed nuts and coconut flakes, raw or roasted (I love pistachios with this dish) 2 tablespoons orange blossom water (optional) ground cinnamon vanilla powder or extract

Preparation

Soak the quinoa overnight in warm filtered water, a pinch of sea salt and a tablespoon of yogurt

Rinse very well in the morning to release all the bitter saponins and make the quinoa more nutritious and digestible

Warm the coconut oil in the saucepan, add the quinoa and toss for a couple of minutes

Add in the water and cinnamon sticks

Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, with lid on for approx 10 minutes

Add the coconut milk and orange blossom water, vanilla, dates and figs. Stir through and simmer on a very low heat for 5 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon powder and the nut and coconut flake mix

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Super Smoothie Serves 4

Smoothies are quick, easy and fun to make for the whole family. You can literally throw in a bit of this and a bit of that. But there are some constant main ingredients which provide a combination of nutrients which are going to keep your kids healthy and strong.

Within minutes you can blend up a healthy breakfast or snack which couldn’t be further from the processed white bread or sugared-up cereals often consumed for breakfast. It’s clean, delicious & nutritious!

Ingredients

3 cups of milk, coconut water & flesh or almond milk (your preference) ½ large avocado (has a neutral taste but thickens up the smoothie to an ice-cream like consistency) 2 small frozen bananas, broken up 1 – 2 scoops of frozen raspberries or 2 cups of sliced mango (fresh or frozen) A good dollop or two of natural yogurt A heaped spoonful of nut butter A nice pinch of cinnamon A pinch of vanilla powder Throw in a couple tablespoons of grass fed gelatin powder if you have some

Preparation

Pop all these ingredients into the blender

Blend & taste (the fruit, bananas and cinnamon usually provide enough sweetness for our family, but if you need a little extra, add a tablespoon of raw honey or some medjool dates)

Pour and enjoy

Tip: Overipe bananas, avocados & mangoes can be frozen and used in smoothies

Check out these 6 health benefits you and your family will get from the wonderful nutritious ingredients:

1. Coconut - the water is low-calorie and high in electrolytes, the meat has healing properties because of it’s high lauric acid content 2. Natural yogurt – is a high-quality protein, is rich in vitamins and minerals & is a wonderful natural probiotic 3. Nut butter – great source of protein, good fats and dietary fibre 4. Cinnamon – provides flavor and natural sweetness, digestion and good for blood sugar levels 5. Avocado – It’s considered a superfood and contains good fats & has beautifying qualities

6. Raspberries – are low GI and jam-packed full of anti-oxidants

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Golden Mountain Bread Ricotta Wraps

This recipe allow for two wraps each for a family of four

Ingredients

8 slices of Mountain Bread Raw HoneyFresh RicottaBanana, peach or nectarine slicedNut butterCinnamonButter or coconut oil or a mix of both for frying

Preparation

Lie Mountain Bread on kitchen counter

Spread honey and nut butter at the end of each slice

Next spread the ricotta cheese on top of the honey and nut butter

Place slices of fruit on top

Sprinkle with cinnamon

Roll up, remembering to fold up the ends in as you go

Fry in a buttered and heated frying pan for approx 3 minutes each side, or until lightly golden.

Serve on a plate with a side of sliced fresh fruit

Tip: when spreading ingredients onto bread, leave space on the sides to allow for folding of bread so ingredients don’t fall out when frying.

Notella

Ingredients

1 cup hazelnuts, activated 2 tablespoons cacao powder

1/4 cup pure maple syrup or brown rice syrup or raw honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder1 teaspoon cinnamon2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted or macadamia oil Coconut cream for a smoother texture (optional)

Preparation

Warm the nuts up in the oven then remove the skins by rubbing the nuts together in a tea towel. To be honest you can skip this step if you think your kids won’t mind the taste or texture of the skin, but you may not want to risk it.

Place nuts in a food processor and blend until smooth. This can take a few minutes.

Add cacao powder, your sweetener, vanilla, cinnamon and oil

Whizz up all ingredients. If you like it thick then you are done

If you like it a bit smoother add a little coconut cream, bit by bit, and whizz until desired consistency

Tips to enjoy Notella-

• spread on sourdough toast for breakfast or a snack, you can add sliced bananas on top

• spread over apples or bananas

• mixed with natural yoghurt

• spread on spelt and buckwheat pancakes

• mixed with warm milk for a hot chocolate

• eaten straight out of the jar with spoon

• replace nut butter for notella in the Mountain bread wrap recipe

Sausages with greens

Simply fry your good quality sausages in a frypan in some ghee or coconut oil and set aside.

Add a bit of butter to the pan, a dash bone broth (or cube from the freezer), saute some chopped spinach and gently fry an egg on top

Serve with avocado and a side of raw vegetables and fermented vegetables

Omelette Italiano

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 eggs 2 tablespoons milk1 teaspoon butter ½ cup mixed vegetables like tomato and mushroom, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped 100g cooked bacon or ham or leftover bolognese½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Preparation

In a bowl, whisk eggs and milk together

Heat butter in a frying pan over medium heat

Pour in egg mixture and tilt the pan so the eggs cover the entire base of the pan

Cook for 2 minutes or until the eggs look like they’re setting

Sprinkle vegetables, herbs and meat and mozzarella in an even layer on top of the egg

Cook for one minute then gently remove the omelette using an egg flip utensil

Fold omelette in half and serve

Sweet Potato and Apple Hash

Dice a small sweet potato, 1 apple ( green or red ), and 2 rashes of bacon (optional)

Note: Feel free to add in onion and garlic, carrot or any other little bits and pieces to spice up your hash.

Lightly fry your sweet potato and apple in some coconut oil for a few minutes or until soft, season with sea salt and pepper, remove and set on plate, fry your egg to your desired hardness and serve with your hash.

Easy Peezy Enjoy!

Recipe by Jen Shaw from Barefoot Kitchens

LUNCH

Coconut Strips with Rainbow Salad Serves 4

Ingredients Chicken Strips 300g chicken breasts, cut into long strips 1/3 cup desiccated coconut 1/4 cup sourdough crumbs (make by popping sour dough in food processor) 1 egg mixed with ¼ cup water¼ cup spelt flourCoconut Oil Preparation

Dip chicken into the flour, then the egg and then the mixture of coconut and sourdough crumbs

Place on a flat baking tray lined with baking paper

Drizzle chicken with melted coconut oil.

Cook in very hot oven 220C for 10- 12 minutes or until cooked. This will depend on the size of the pieces

Ingredients Rainbow Salad

3 carrots, grated 150g white cabbage, shredded 1 firm pear, thinly sliced½ bunch fresh mint, chopped ½ bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped 5 tablespoons natural yoghurt ½ tsp English mustard 3 tsps apple cider vinegar2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Mix together the carrots, cabbage, pear, mint, parsley in a bowl Mix yoghurt, mustard, acv and olive oil in a jar

Pour over salad, toss and serve chicken strips

Egg Muffins Approx 8

Eggs are a fantastic source of protein, especially if they are pasture raised.

Combine them with leftover chopped or cooked vegetables from the night before, and you’ll have breakfast on the table in no time.

Ingredients

10 rashers of bacon (optional) 8 eggs ½ cup of milk Chop up some of your preferred filling - spinach, kale, cherry tomato, mushrooms, asparagus, sweet potato herbs Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Grease a muffin tin well with butter or coconut oil

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C

In a measuring cup with a spout beat the eggs and milk

If using bacon wrap it inside the muffin tray to provide a casing

Divide the egg mixture equally between the holes

Add you preferred filling

Bake for approx 15-20minutes, until crisp and golden

Leave to cool slightly before turning out onto cooking rack

Serve warm with some smashed lemony avocado slices and vegetable sticks.

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Rice paper rolls Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of coconut oil 400 g rump steak1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon of tamari 1 cucumber, thinly sliced 1 small red capsicum, thinly sliced2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1/3 cup mint leaves 1/3 cup coriander leaves 12 rice paper rounds

Dipping Sauce

Tamari sauce mixed with lime, fresh grated ginger, tsp of raw honey, 1tbs water and finely sliced fresh chilli for dipping (chilli optional)

Preparation

Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the steak briefly (approx 3 minutes each side) or to your liking. Then thinly slice and place in a bowl with sesame oil and tamari

Dip the rice paper rounds in warm water for 15-20 seconds or until soft. Remove and dry with a tea towel

Place the beef, vegetables, herbs and sesame seeds down the centre of the rice paper

Fold sides over the filling, one at a time to enclose

Repeat with the remaining mixture and serve with the sauce and side of green salad

Tip: replace beef with prawns, leftover chicken, tuna, pork and add rice vermicelli

Easy Cheesy Flapjacks

This is a great alternative to sandwiches in a school lunchbox. The kids love it because it tastes so cheesy. It’s full of goodness from the wholegrain oats, to the vegetables and the protein from the eggs. There’s an eggfree version too which is just as yummy (see recipe for details). This is ideal lunchtime sustenance to help your children concentrate on the afternoon’s work ahead.

Ingredients

200g zucchinis, grated 200g carrots, grated 1 medium onion, grated 2 large eggs, beaten OR 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds and 6 tbsp warm water mixed and left to settle for 10 mins. Good pinch of mixed herbs 200g flavoursome cheese such as Parmesan or Pecorino, grated 200g rolled oats (can be gluten free)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 190ºC and line a square shallow baking tin – about 20cm long OR use a brownie baking pan

Mix all of the ingredients together

Place mixture into your lined baking tin or greased brownie pan and cook for 25 minutes until golden brown

Cut into pieces and leave to cool before trying to remove from the baking tin OR remove from brownie pan and leave to cool on a cooling rack

Thermomix Ingredients

200g zucchinis, each zucchini cut into 3 200g carrots, each carrot cut into 2 pieces 1 medium onion, cut into quarters 2 large eggs OR 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds and 6 tbsp warm water mixed and left to settle for 10 mins

A good pinch of mixed herbs 200g cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino work well) cut into 3 pieces 200g oats (Gluten Free are available in all supermarkets if you prefer)

Thermomix Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190ºC

Line a square shallow baking tin – about 20cm long OR use a brownie baking pan

Grate cheese by dropping it into a running blade at speed 10 then take out and put into a bowl

Add carrots, courgettes and onions and chop at speed 6 for 10 seconds

Add oats and herbs and mix at speed 4 for 10 seconds

Add eggs (or water and flaxseed mix) and cheese (already grated) and mix at speed 4 for 10 seconds

Scrape down after a few seconds then carry on

Place mixture into your lined baking tin or greased brownie pan and cook for 25 minutes until golden brown

Cut into pieces and leave to cool before trying to remove from the baking tin OR remove from brownie pan and leave to cool on a cooling rack

Recipe by Jenny Tschiesche from The Lunchbox Doctor

Savoury Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/3 cup melted butter 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup sifted wholemeal spelt flour 1 cup sifted white spelt flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons dulse flakes 1 tablespoon ghee 1 large grated zucchini 1 large grated carrot 1 finely chopped garlic clove 1 large leek, chopped (white part only) 2 tbs finely chopped dry herbs (I used rosemary, thyme and parsley) 1 fresh corn cob, cut kernels off the cob Pepitas 2 - 3 rashers of bacon or ham, finely chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 175 C and grease a 12-hole muffin tin

Gently fry up the leek, garlic, carrot, zucchini, bacon or ham, corn and herbs in the ghee until lightly cooked then place in a large bowl

Add cheese, butter, milk, egg plus flour, baking powder, dulse flakes and fold in gently until just combined

Spoon mixture into the muffin tine and sprinkle with some grated cheese and top with some pepitas and bake for approx 30 minutes or when a skewer comes out clean

Serve warm or cold with extra butter Dip muffin into a bowl of soup, toast it for breaky or pop into lunchbox for school

Meatballs

Ingredients meatballs

500g good quality mince,free range pork, beef, chicken or a combination all will work 1/2 onion finely diced 1/4 green capsicum finely diced 1/2 cup of rice (white or basmati, if you can, soak for a few hours in plenty of filtered water and 1/2 tsp of whey or a squeeze of lemon juice) 1 clove of garlic, crushed1/2 tsp sea salt

Preparation

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl using your hands to bring it together

Roll mixture into small balls (bigger than a walnut, smaller than a golf ball) and set aside

Ingredients Sauce

750mls tomato passata/puree250mls stock (if you have home made stock or bone broth, use it!) 1 tsp sugar (raw, coconut, maple syrup – whatever you have) Flavours of your choice – go italian with oregano, basil and parsley or maybe try cinnamon and clove

In a large, deep frying pan or oven proof dish with a lid add all of the sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Drop uncooked meatballs into the sauce, place

the lid on your pot and simmer for about thirty minutes, turning the meatballs once or twice and ensuring the sauce doesn’t catch on the bottom of your pot.

Serve these delicious morsels with mashed potato or sweet potato if you are hungry or just with some fresh greens if you prefer something lighter. YUM!

Recipe by Kristin Cosgrove from Mamacino

Deconstructed Salad Nicoise

This is a really delicious way to enjoy the components of a nicoise salad but in a way that is kid-friendly and visually appealing by lunchtime (i.e. all the ingredients have not mixed together into one).

Ingredients

Half a tin of tuna in olive oil, drained 1 boiled egg (placed in boiling water and boiled for 10 mins) 6 green beans, steamed 3 new potatoes, boiled or steamed 8 black pitted olives 3 cherry tomatoes

Mustard Dressing (optional)

60ml apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp honey 3 tbsp wholegrain mustard 80ml olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Note: this makes about 8 portions of dressing. Your child may want just a drizzle

Preparation

Place the ingredients into the sections of a bento box or wrap separately and place in a lunchbox. If wrapping items you may wish to serve the dressing in a reusable squeezy bottle or a reusable pouch.

Recipe by Jenny Tschiesche from The Lunchbox Doctor

DINNER Crispy Skin Barramundi Serves 4

Ingredients

4 pieces of wild caught barramundi fillets (or any wild caught fish with the skin on) Fat of choice – butter, ghee, duck fat, coconut oil. Salt and pepper.

Preparation

Heat a frypan or the bbq on medium – high heat

To cook all four pieces at once use two pans

Add in a generous amount of cooking fat of your choice

If the pan is not hot enough or you don’t have enough cooking fat then the skin will stick

Season the skin side of the fish with salt and pepper – just a small amount on each piece is plenty and no need to rub it in

When the fat is hot, place fish in the pan skin side down

Cook on the skin side until the fish is almost cooked through (the flesh will become opaque/white) and the skin is nice and crispy

Flip the fish to the flesh side to finish off just for a minute or two which also gives the other side a nice crispy layer

Serve skin side up on a bed of fresh salad or veggies and add some fermented veggies on the side too

Note: Any leftover fish is nice in a bone broth with veggies for breakfast or lunch the next day.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shank & Barley Soup With Gremolata Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbs coconut oil or ghee 4 small lamb shanks 100 g pancetta 2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 1 brown onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary 1L (4 cups) chicken stock 400g can diced tomatoes 70g (1/3 cup) pearl barley, rinsed 2 dried bay leaves

Gremolata ¼ cup chopped fresh continental parsley 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind 1 garlic clove, crushed

Preparation

Heat half the oil in a stock pot over medium heat and add the lamb and cook, turning, for 4-5 minutes or until browned then transfer to a plate

Heat the remaining oil in the pot and add the pancetta, carrot, celery and onion and stir for 8 minutes or until soft

Add the garlic and rosemary and stir for 1 minute then add the lamb

Add the stock, tomato, barley and bay leaves to the stockpot then cover and bring to the boil

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours or until lamb is tender and falls apart when tested

Transfer the lamb to a plate, discard bones and coarsely shred meat

Add the shredded lamb and season

To make the gremolata, combine the parsley, lemon rind and garlic in a small bowl

Divide the soup among serving bowls and sprinkle with gremolata

TOP TIP: The pearl barley in this soup is a great source of dietry fibre. The low GI content of barley means it releases its carb energy slowly which may leave you feeling fuller for longer.

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Bone Broth Bolognaise

Ingredients

500 gr of beef mince (you could use any preferred mince here or a mix but I find organic beef mince easy, tasty and affordable for this recipe) 2 tins of organic diced tomatoes (I like Spiral brand)

2 cups of bone broth (recipe here) Some good quality cooking fat that is heat stable for frying (tallow, lard, ghee, coconut oil) 2 carrots 1 medium sweet potato 1 large zucchini 1 large brown onion (finely diced) 3 stalks of celery (finely chopped) 2 tblspns of oregano 2 tblspns of thyme 2 tblspns of cinnamon 2 tblspns of stock concentrate (I use a stock concentrate recipe from the thermomix EDC, use 1 tblspn of good quality salt as substitute) 4 tblpns of tomato paste 2 bay leaves 3-4 garlic cloves (crushed and goes in at the very end!)

Preparation

Prepare your veggies (except onion and celery) into a mince-like substance by using your thermie, blender or food processor

Add your roughly chopped carrot, sweet potato and zucchini and blend or pulse until you have it all chopped up finely but not so much that it’s mush and set aside

If you are using your home made broth, you would have a layer of fat that has cooled on top of your broth jar - use this fat disc to fry your first ingredients.

Otherwise pop your tallow, lard, ghee, butter, coconut oil etc. (2-3 tblspns?) in your big pot on high heat

Add onion and saute until transparent and then add your mince.

When the mince is about half browned, add your cinnamon, thyme and oregano.

Stir this all in and then add your ‘minced veggies’, 2 tins of tomatoes, your tomato paste, your stock concentrate or salt, your finely chopped celery, your 2 cups of bone broth and your 2 bay leaves then stir through, turn heat to a simmer Leave to cook for 3-4 hours (minimum) on low heat so you still have that simmer going - leave uncovered for a thicker sauce or leave lid on for a ‘soupier’ sauce

Just before serving, add your crushed garlic. I add my garlic at the end of cooking my dishes and just leave the heat of the dish to slightly cook it and disperse the flavour. This will allow the anti viral, anti bacterial and general immune boosting goodness of the allicin intact. Allicin is the medicinal component of your garlic that is released when crushed (in the juicy bits)

Serving suggestions Serve with zoodles (zuchinni noodles) and sprinkle with cheese or nutritional yeast Make into a nachos with sweet potato chips as a base Use in lasagne with layers of cooked veggies like eggplant, sweet potato and zucchini and my creamy dairy free sauce, found in this recipe HERE Shepherds pie, moussaka or wherever you love your mince.

Fabulous served up in a bowl on it’s own!

Recipe by Alisha Lynch from Naughty Naturopath Mum

Asian- Style Vegetable and Noodle saladServes 4-5

Ingredients

270g organic buckwheat or rice noodles 300g broccoli cut into small florets 150g green beans, halved 1/4 cup sunflower/ pumpkin seeds/sesame seeds (I used a mix) Optional: seeds can be dry roasted on frying pan to create a depth of flavour 1 medium onion, sliced 1 clove garlic 1 tablespoon ginger, grated Coconut oil ½ tsp sea salt 1 teaspoon sesame oil Lemon or lime wedges for serving *Add thinly seared sliced beef, sliced chicken or pork or prawns

Dressing

1 tablespoon coconut or rapadura sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water ¼ cup olive oil 35ml apple cider vinegar 1 tsp tamari sauce 1tsp sesame oil

Preparation

Cook noodles according to packet, strain and leave to cool Blanche broccoli and beans in boiling water for 2 minutes then strain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process In a frypan, sauté the onion in a little coconut oil for a few minutes, add garlic, ginger and salt and continue cooking until onion is soft. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir through the sesame oil.

Add more coconut oil to the frying pan and fry, beef, chicken, pork or prawns until cooked In a jar combine all the dressing ingredients and shake well Taste for seasoning In a large bowl combine all the components and toss with dressing (use as much or as little dressing as you prefer) and serve with lemon or lime wedges

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Healthy Mexican Serves 2-4

Here’s a tasty, healthy way to enjoy Mexican without all the cheese, meat and chips that all add up to way too many food intolerances for some people! This is a simple, easy and delicious recipe idea that is perfect for a special family movie night over the weekend or a simple mid-week meal. It is tasty and is great because it is like a treat but it is healthy and avoids Mexican food always having to be about corn chips fried in GMO vegetable oils or overly-processed tortilla wraps. This is a nice light way to enjoy Mexican flavours! The recipe is already gluten-free and if you serve it with cashew cheese it is dairy-free and vegan as well. Mexican Wedges 4 large potatoes, washed & cut into thin wedges 4 tsp cumin, ground 4 tsp coriander, ground 4 tsp smoked paprika, ground 2 tsp chilli powder salt

Guacamole 1 large / 2 sml avocadoes, mashed Juice of 1 lemon Salt & pepper

Salsa 3 tomatoes, diced ½ red onion, finely diced 1 bunch Coriander, finely chopped 1 long red chilli, deseeded & finely diced juice of ½ lemon salt 1 tbs olive oil

Bean mix 1 can pinto/black beans 1 tsp cumin, ground juice of ½ lemon 2 tbs olive oil

4 tbs water salt If you want to avoid dairy you can blend 1 cup of raw cashews with 5 tbs – 10 tbs water (depending on desired consistency – add gradually), good pinch salt, juice of 1 lemon and serve as ‘cashew’ cheese

Also delicious served with quark (for dairy lovers) and jalapenos

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200 C̊. Toss potato wedges in spices & salt and spread out on a baking tray. Sprinkle oil all over wedges and bake for approx. 40 mins to 1 hour or until crispy and cooked. For the guacamole mix avocados with lemon juice & seasoning and set aside in a bowl. For salsa mix tomatoes, onion, coriander, chilli with lemon juice, oil, and salt a stir together. Set aside. For the bean mix place beans and other ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until it becomes a puree or paste then set aside. When the potatoes are cooked to your liking then you can top with the guacamole, salsa, beans and serve with some quark and jalapenos or extra chilli sauce depending on how you like it.

TIPS&/TRICKS – * You can also use all sweet potatoes instead of potato or half and half for extra nutrition and colour * You can substitute kidney bean for the black bean or pinto beans *

This recipe is by Foods-Kool for Alisha Lynch from Naughty Naturopath Mum

Healthy Fish Fingers

Commercial fish fingers are just horrid.

Here is the ingredient list for a popular brand of fish fingers. Hake or hoki fish (53%), water, wheat flour, maize flour, canola oil, wheat starch, maize starch, salt, wheat gluten, yeast, acidity regulators (450, 451). So, yes, a lot of ‘fillers’ and only half fish! I am not a fan of the canola oil or the acidity regulators either (or paying for water!!) I know it’s easy to whack a few in the oven for the family on nights when you can’t be bothered, but this recipe is seriously quick and easy.

Ingredients

500g firm white fish fillets 1 cup organic tapioca flour 4 tablespoons organic sesame seeds 1 1/2 tablespoons Herbamare (or to taste) Coconut or macadamia oil for frying (or use ghee, tallow, lard if you like)

Preparation

Cut the fish fillets into thick strips. Place the tapioca, sesame seeds and Herbamare onto a plate and combine well with a fork

Roll the fish in the coating, pressing on firmly and then shaking off the excess

Heat your oil/fat (about 1cm deep in your pan) to medium-high on your hot plate

Add the fish fingers and fry gently on both sides until golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately

Serve with homemade garlicy mayo with a hint of apple.

They are also great to serve on buns for a fish burger or rolled into a wrap with lots of salad

Recipe by Sonia Donaldson from Natural New Age Mum

Sticky Orange Chicken Serves 4-5 10 free range or organic chicken drumsticks Coconut Oil, melted, about ¼ cup 2 Oranges A good drizzle of honey (around 2 tablespoons) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Preparation

Rinse and pat dry the chicken then place in a baking dish

Pour over the coconut oil and massage it in to the chicken

Cut one orange in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken

Slice the other orange and tuck it in around the chicken pieces, along with the juiced orange

Drizzle over the honey and season with salt and pepper

Bake at 200C for about an hour, turning once or twice

Serve drizzled with the pan juices

Serve it with some roasted potatoes and green beans.

Recipe by Kristin Cosgrove from Mamacino

SNACKS Cheats’s Apple and Berry Crumble Serves 6

This dish makes a lovely well-balanced breakfast or dessert option, providing good carbs from the apples, berries (not to mention all the antioxidants) plus oats, good fats from the cream and butter and protein from the almonds.

Make some of the topping nut free by leaving them out and/or replacing them with sunflower seeds, so you can pack some of this deliciousness into lunchboxes.

Ingredients

3 medium green apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced or chopped 1 cup mixed frozen or fresh berries2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon A pinch of nutmeg Cream to serve

Crumble

1 cup spelt flour ¼ cup rapadura or coconut sugar 1 cup oats ½ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder200 grams butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced

Combine the apples, berries, spices, lemon juice in a bowl and pop into an ovenproof dish with 1/3 cup of water

To make the crumble, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine

Spread the crumble mixture over the fruit, then pop into the oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown

Serve with cream and a sprinkling of the macadamia nuts

Tips: Also delicious served cold. Make extra crumble topping which you can keep in the fridge or freezer. The topping is handy to throw on top of fresh fruit and into the oven for an easy breakfast while you get lunches ready. Or you can cook the crumble topping on a baking tray and then store in the fridge or freezer ready to sprinkle over chopped fruit and served with yoghurt for a quick breaky, snack or lunchbox idea.

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Hearty Hummus

Hummus is a great idea because it’s high in protein, and is also a good source of fibre, heart-healthy fats and essential vitamins and minerals.Ingredients

1 can chick peas 2 tablespoons tahini 1 – 1.5 lemon, juiced Good dash of salt Dollop of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 garlic clove Water as needed for consistency

Preparation

Put it all in a food processor, expect water, and blend Add water slowly as needed, and blend Serve with vege sticks, lebanese bread or toasted mountain bread triangles.

Tips:Double the recipe and freeze for later To add more grunt add sprinkle a generous amount of chilli over the top

A snapshot of the goodness in hummus!

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are naturally low in fat, high in dietary fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals.

It’s a fibre rich food which can help promote a healthy intestine.

It’s full of Vitamins including B-vitamins (which support the immune system ) , vitamin A and Beta-caratone (helps support the eyes, bones and normal cell division as well as the immune system) and Vitamin C (helps the body form the collagen needed for skin, blood vessels and other tissues).

Tahini

Tahini is very easy to digest, and many of its nutrients find their way in to the blood stream within about half an hour of consumption.

Has high nutritional value.

Tahini contains B Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B15. B Vitamins play an essential part in the running of the body. They promote healthy cell growth and division, including that of red blood cells, which will help prevent Anaemia. They also support and increase the rate of metabolism, enhance immune and nervous system function as well as helping to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone. Recent studies have also shown that Vitamin B can help protect against one of the most deadly forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer, but only when consumed in food.Just 35gms of tahini can contain almost 35% of your recommended daily calcium intake. In fact many people believe that tahini has a higher concentration of calcium than any other food.

The problem is that the majority of our calcium intake comes from cow's milk, which our body finds difficult to digest. This in turn can cause many problems ranging from intestinal irritation, intestinal bleeding, anemia, and allergic reactions, to more serious conditions like leukemia, lymphoma and cancer.Tahini is a source of healthy fatty acids.

Lemon

Vitamin C is an important, water-soluble vitamin that assists in forming collagen in your cartilage, bone and blood vessels. Additionally, vitamin C, because it is an antioxidant, gives your body protection from free radicals, which damage your body and contribute to diseases. Vitamin C also helps strengthen your immune system.Lemons are a source of certain B vitamins. The B vitamins assist your body with a variety of functions, from helping your central nervous system to supporting your immune system.

They are a source of Choline, vitamin A and folate which assist your body with inflammation, eye health and the formation and maintenance of new cells.

Lemons are a good source of minerals containing calcium, potassium and magnesium.. Magnesium helps your body with energy transportation, protein production and muscle function.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Ingredients

1 young coconut 2 avocados ½ cup almond or coconut milk 3 tablespoons raw honey ½ cup cacoa powder ½ - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 – 4 medjool dates, soaked in warm water for 20 mins Pinch salt

Preparation

Scoop out the flesh of the coconut with a spoon, chop up (make sure to get rid of brown fibrousy bits), place in blender with the coconut water.

Add avocados, milk, honey, vanilla extract, cacao and dates

Blend until silky and smooth.

Decorate with nuts and shredded coconut and fruits or whatever you fancy.

Can be stored in fridge for 3 days.

Raw Cacao Balls

Ingredients

2.5 cups dessicated coconut ¼ cup coconut oil ¼ cup of raw honey or your preferred sweeter (add more sweetness if needed)1/4 - ½ cup cacao powder (more cacao powder makes them richer, avoid caca o for really young kids as it is a stimulant) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract filtered water if needed

Preparation

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whiz them together well (If you don’t have a food processor try mixing all by hand)

If mixture is too dry add small amounts of filtered water to get the desired consistency, if too wet add more desiccated coconut

Roll the mixture into tablespoons size balls with your hands then roll the ball into shredded coconut and place them on a cookie tray

Put them in the freezer for approx 30 mins or until they set (doesn’t take long)

Either store in the freezer (where they become firm, but not frozen) or the fridge

Health benefits

Coconut – full of fibre and good saturated fats (the medium-chain kind) which make you feel nice and full, and coconut has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.

Cacao powder – a raw and unprocessed superfood that contains iron, fibre, zinc, potassium, calcium and anti-oxidants

Coconut oil – boosts HDL cholesterol (our good cholesterol), high in anti-oxidants, antimicrobial

Raw honey – contains beneficial compounds such as pollens, enzymes and anti-oxidants, full of vitamins and minerals

Vanilla – antioxidant, calms the nervous system, fights infections

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Hardboiled eggs with Vege sticks and olivesMakes 4 eggs

Ingredients 4 large eggs Cold water Ice

Preparation

Place 4 eggs in a saucepan and fill with cold water, covering the eggs by an inch

Bring the water to a rolling boil uncovered As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove the pan from heat and cover the pan Leave the eggs in the covered pan for the right amount of time:

Runny soft-boiled eggs: 3 minutes Slightly runny soft-boiled eggs: 4 minutes Firm soft-boiled eggs: 6 minutes For very firm hard-boiled eggs: 15 minutes

Remove the cooked eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water for 1 minute then peel and serve

Kale Chips

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale 2 tablespoons of coconut oil Sea salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 150 degrees

Place coconut oil into oven for 1 minute to melt

Cut/pull kale off the stem & wash well

Spin in a salad spinner to dry then place on tea towel to absorb any extra moisture

Put coconut oil in a bowl and using your hands, massage the oil into the until well covered

Lay strips of kale onto large flat pan (I usually need 3 pans) and put in oven for approx 10-12 mins

Check kale at 10 minutes to make sure they are becoming crispy and not turning brown

Spin the tray around (to ensure even heating).

Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with Celtic sea salt or Himalayan rock salt

Don’t forget to make sure they are completely cool before storing in glass mason jars or plastic container

Kale nutrition info:-

Kale is a dark leafy green (we all know we should be eating more of these), full of health benefits and nutrients:

- is loaded with vitamins, especially vitamin A, but also vitamins C and K and folic acid;

- is rich in calcium, potassium, copper and iron. These nutrients are necessary for healthy bones, skin and eyes;

- contains important anti-oxidants such as carotenoids & flavonoids which can help to prevent cancer;

- is low in calories & high in fibre, so it’s great for digestion;

- is an anti-inflammatory food with lots of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to fight inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.

Kale is a very versatile plant that can be cooked in many ways, including steaming, stir-fries and salads ... oh, and chips!

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Banana Cinnamon Pancakes

Boost the nutrrition of pancakes by adding in some extra protein/good fats/healthy carbs in the form of ‘seed-meal’ to your pancakes for extra nutrition. Adding in some ripe banana (plus cinnamon!) proves to be a great way to reduce the amount of sweetener required, whilst boosting that all important tryptohphan which helps to keep their spirits up for the day!

To save time, you can even make this mixture the night before, ready to be turned into these tasty little delights in the morning.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/4 cup chia seeds 2 tablespoons raw honey 1 cup spelt flour 1 cup buckwheat flour 1-2 cups milk (we do 1 cup because we like a nice thick pancake) 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2-3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

Preparation

Process seeds in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs

In a bowl mix the mix the seeds, flour, baking powder and cinnamon

In a separate bowl mix honey, milk, eggs and bananas

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients

Pop a medium frypan on medium heat and melt some butter or coconut oil (I like using a mix of both)

Ladle in the pancake mixture and flip once sizzling Serve on it’s own, in lunchboxes or with some whipped cream and berries. Yum!