Baby's Mexican Chicken with Mango and Black Beans

Adult’s bowl ~ Adapted from Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mango Salsa

As promised this is part of my series of recipes for babies. The main idea of this series of recipes are foods which are baby friendly, which can be prepared alongside the family meal. This makes preparing it easy, and it’s a two birds with one stone kind of approach. This recipe was inspired by an old recipe of mine Chicken Burrito bowls with Mango Salsa.

If you’re making this as I did with the adults meal alongside baby’s then the first ingredient list is the total ingredients you need. The second list is the parts which go into baby’s pot. So if you only want to make this for baby, just look at the second list. However, if you’re going to be making some for baby, you may as well make yourself some dinner while you’re at it! I always do four adult servings. This means that there is leftovers for lunch the next day too!

Total ingredients (serves 4 adults and 6-10 serves for baby):

• 600 grams chicken
• 1 tin of black beans
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup peeled chopped pumpkin
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• juice of lemon
• salad greens, avocado sour cream and cooked brown rice to serve

In a small 1L capacity pot place the following ingredients (from the list above, not in addition to) cover and simmer for 40 minutes till very soft. Keep an eye on it during cooking and add more water if necessary.

Baby's Portion

• 100 grams of diced chicken
• 1/2 a cup of black beans
• 1/2 a cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 a cup of diced mango
• 1 cup peeled chopped pumpkin
• 1 cup of chopped zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
• enough water to cover
• optional: 1/4 cup of Only Organic's Iron Fortified Baby Rice added to baby's pot at the end of cooking

Meanwhile prepare the adult meal. Chop the chicken into 2 cm cubes and marinate in a bowl with sliced onion, oil, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper for 20 minutes.

While this is marinating put the rice on the stove (I find 1 1/2 cups of uncooked brown rice, with 3 cups of water is sufficient for four adults, but cook as much as your appetite needs).

Prepare the mango salsa with the remaining mango, finely dice and stir through chilli flakes and lemon juice. Set aside till serving.

Finally heat a frying pan and cook the marinated chicken and onion for 5 - 10 mins on a medium-high heat, turning frequently. Add the remaining tomato and black beans, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for another 5 minutes till the chicken is cooked through.

Divide cooked brown rice into bowls and top with chicken, mango salsa, sliced avocado, sour cream and salad greens.

To complete baby's meal, cool and pulse in a food processor or blender until you reach the desired consistency. If it is too runny, you can add in the 1/4 cup of Only Organic's Iron Fortified Baby Rice, I keep enough in the fridge for the next two days, then freeze the rest into ice trays (or you can get these Closer to Nature Freezer Pots), which when frozen I store in a dated and labelled zip lock bag. I find 4-6 cubes is enough to satisfy Master 7 months, but each baby is different.  

  

Toasted Muesli

As the mornings get colder (and often wetter) firing up the oven and making your own muesli is the perfect way to toil away a wet weekend morning. This version is refined sugar free and is loaded with delicious clusters of crunchy oats as well as being loaded with nuts and seeds. 
Feel free to adapt it as you like. Here I've used a mixture of quick cooking oats (for the clusters) and larger wholegrain oats, but if you want a richer clusterful muesli, omit the larger oats at the end. 
Also feel free to adapt the combinations of nuts and seeds which are added. I love walnuts, so went with that this time, but cashews, macadamia, almond or pecan would also be delicious and no doubt I'll be mixing it up with my next batch. If you're a dried fruit fan, you can add that at the end once it has finished cooking. 

Ingredients (makes 10 cups of muesli; 20-30 serves):  

• 3/4 cup dried pitted dates
• 2 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1 tbsp cinnamon 
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup water extra
• 3 cups of quick cooking oats
• 1 cup coconut
• 3 cups of traditional wholegrain oats - I used Harraways 
• 1 cup nuts - walnuts, almond, cashew, macadamia, pecan or a mixture
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup chopped dried fruit of your choice - sultanas, apricot, cranberries etc (optional) 

Put dates, vanilla, cinnamon, and 3/4 cup of water into a small saucepan. Simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. We want the dates to begin to dissolve in the water, and the water to reduce so the result is a date paste. 

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius, and place 3 cups of quick cook oats and coconut into a large roasting dish. 

Add 1/4 cup of oil, and another 1/4 cup of water to the date mixture. Mix well to combine, then stir through the oats. It should be a sticky mess at this stage. Excellent. 

Spread evenly across the roasting dish and break up any large clusters. 

Roast for 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. You want the oats to dry out. 

Now add the remaining wholegrain oats, nuts and seeds. Continue cooking for another 10 - 20 minutes turning once. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. If using dried fruit add it once cooled. Finally, store your muesli in an airtight container for up to a month. 

Serve with your choice of fruits, yogurt and milk.    

Pea and Ham Soup

I'm pretty sure that every family has a pea and ham soup recipe that's been handed down through the generations. Except mine... It's something I never ate as a child and for years couldn't work out what all the fuss was about. In the last few years however I've become quite a fan of the humble bacon hock and the powerful flavour hit is delivers when gently simmered away in this hearty warming soup. Despite never having it as a child, I know my children and their children will definitely be familiar with this recipe. Finally, I think I've perfected it! Let me know what you think. 

Ingredients (Serves 6):

• 4 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 400 grams of dried green split peas
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 bacon hock, or leftover ham bone - make sure it still has some meat on it though! I use freedom farms bacon hock, they're about $8 each and it has a decent amount of meat still on the bone. 
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste
• buttered bread or toast to serve. 

In a large soup pot heat oil on a medium heat. Add onions, garlic and sage, saute gently for 3-5 minutes. Add the leek and carrots and continue cooking on a medium heat for another couple of minutes. 

Add the dried green split peas, peppercorns, bacon hock and cover with 2 Litres of water. Bring to a gentle boil before reducing heat to low and covering. 

Simmer for 2 - 2.5 hours stirring occasionally. You may need to top up the water if it starts to reduce too much. After 2 - 2.5 hours you'll notice the peas have begun to disintegrate. Perfect! 

Use tongs to remove the bacon bone from the soup and set aside to cool a little. Ladle about a third of the soup into a blender to whizz till smooth, return to the rest of the chunky soup before adding the cup of frozen peas. 

Simmer for another 3 - 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the meat from the pork bone and shred with a fork. 

Finally taste the soup, and if necessary add a little salt and pepper. Remember the bacon bone is already very salty, so it shouldn't need more than a teaspoon extra. 

Ladle soup into bowls and top with shredded meat. Serve with buttered bread or toast. Or if you're like me, add a smear of marmite to your toast as well, for an extra salty kick! 

Crayfish Tortellini with butter and herb sauce

There's something very classic about a kiwi summer and crayfish. However if you're interested in something different that the good old garlic butter BBQ style, this is a great way to impress, and stretch out the precious crayfish meat. 

I've always been passionate about Italian food, and in 2009 I took Italian cooking classes. A wonderful Italian woman was running them from her own kitchen and offering lessons of the Italian four courses from her familia recipes handed down from her Nona's Nona. Here we learned antipasti, fresh pasta, gnocchi, traditional sauces, meat dishes, and desserts - including the infamous tiramisu. 

Then in 2013 I travelled to Italy, by this time she had returned to Italy and was kind enough to host my husband and I for a week. She showed us the local sights, and each night we cooked, or shared local cuisine. It was a truely amazing experience. One thing I learned while staying with her in Italywas making fresh tortellini. Previously having learned pasta, this was a natural progression. To be completely honest though, I have never actually made the pasta. That's my husbands job and I like to keep it that way, besides he does a great job. My job is creating the filling, folding, cooking, and the sauce.

Usually I would only make the ricotta and spinach filling as I had been taught. However today we were gifted two crayfish from a friend and I decided it might be worth trying it in pasta. I did some research, but there aren't many crayfish tortellini recipes out there. So, I sort of had to make this up, luckily it turned out deliciously successful. 

If you don't want to go to the effort of making fresh pasta, just buy the fresh lasagne sheets, they will work perfectly fine, but trust me, it's not that hard and is worth the effort. I'll detail the instructions as much as possible. The recipe calls for plain flour, though you can use a mix of half plain and half wholemeal if you like. We did this time, purely because I'd run out of white flour, but it still tastes just as great. 


Ingredients (serves 4 as a main or 8 as an entree):

Pasta

• 300 grams flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten 

Filling

• 2 crayfish tails, cooked, shelled, finely chopped 
• 4 tbsp cream
• 1 tsp salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Sauce

• 2-3 tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried dill (or 1 tsp fresh) 
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 50 grams butter
• fresh basil, to serve
• parmesan, to serve

**If you are using fresh store bought lasagne sheets, skip steps 1, 2, and 5.  

1. First prepare your pasta. In a large bowl, or a bench, dump your flour, make a well in the centre for your beaten eggs. Use a fork to gradually work the flour into the egg mix, keep going until all the flour has been incorporated, then begin to lightly knead the dough. 
2. Cover in cling film and set aside for at least 30 minutes. 
3. Prepare the filling: Mix all ingredients and set aside till ready. 
4. To make the sauce, mix all ingredients, except for butter, basil and parmesan. Rest in fridge until a few minutes before serving.
5. Once rested you can begin to roll the dough. We have a pasta machine, otherwise you can use a rolling pin, start on the largest setting, and keep running the dough through until it's on the smallest, about 2mm thick. 
6. Now cut your dough into roughly evenly sized squares, 10 x 10 cm. Place a tablespoon of filling in the centre of each square. The following instructions describe how to fold tortellini, alternatively you could place another square on top and press all four edges to make ravioli.
   
   
   
   
   
7. To fold tortellini pick them up, one square at a time, fold on the diagonal to make a triangle. Hold it in two hands, so that your index fingers and thumbs can gently press the edges along each side together, then tuck the bottom corners down and around to join each other. Press, and you have your tortellini. Place on a tray, and repeat. Rest them so that they are not touching one another. When complete, chill until required. 
   
8. When you're ready to serve, heat a pot of boiling salted water. Make sure you have everything else ready and work quickly as it doesn't take long. 
9. Drop the tortellini into the boiling water, a few at a time, till they are all in the pot, cook for 3 minutes, and when the rise to the top, they are done. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain. 
10. Meanwhile in a large saucepan, or frying pan, melt butter on a medium heat, when melted, add the tomato mixture. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes, then toss in the drained pasta, stir gently to coat, finally pour it all into a large serving dish, sprinkle with parmesan and fresh basil leaves. 

Enjoy. 

Pumpkin'n'Spice Muffins

Earlier this year I completed Junk Free June and thanks to all my sponsors raised $700 for The Cancer Society. One of the main things that challenge taught me was how much hidden sugar I eat, daily. Or ate. One lasting change I have made is to my 'snacks'. Once upon a time, a muesli bar-oholic. Eating at least one, sometimes more, every day. I was kidding myself thinking that these chocolate coated morsels were 'healthy', usually full of sugars and contributed to my 3pm crash, which was usually fuelled by more muesli bars or chocolate. 

The lasting change I have made is no more processed morning teas. No more muesli bars. I'm not saying that all muesli bars are unhealthy, there are definitely some good options out there, and they can be a great grab'n'go snack to resort to. However, part of my goal was to cut them out. As a result, I've discovered a range of easy to make refined sugar free lunch box fillers, as I go I'll update the blog with the 'lunch box' tag. 

These muffins are gently spiced with cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. I've raved about the health benefits of turmeric before, as a natural anti-inflammatory it's a wonderful inclusion in a healthy diet. 

Ingredients (makes 12): 

• 3/4 cup mashed pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk (almond, coconut, or dairy) 
• 1/3 cup rice malt syrup (or maple or honey) 
• 3 tbsp oil (olive, rice bran, or coconut) 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup mixed nuts and seeds (walnut, sunflower & pumpkin) 
• 1/4 cup dried fruit (diced dates, currants or raisins) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 

Grease 12 muffin holes with oil. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius. 

In one bowl mix all the wet ingredients, including mashed pumpkin. In another bowl mix dry ingredients, including nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. 

Divide mixture into the muffin holes and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. 

Cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out. 

Delicious served warm with butter and a drizzle of honey. 

Chocolate Coconut Layer Cake with Pineapple Curd

Birthdays are always worth celebrating, and always need cake. Always. No exceptions. 

My husband couldn't be phased when it comes to cakes, but with his birthday approaching I was determined to make something impressive, and something he would be phased about. However, when it comes to icing, decorating and any of the other delicate and fiddly jobs like that I am not very skilled, or let's be honest, not very patient. So I decided to make a layered cake. Combining a few of his favourite flavours together to make a spectacular cake. Well, actually two cakes: chocolate and coconut, which were split, layered and pieced together with pineapple curd buttercream frosting. 

The cakes can be made and chilled a day or two in advance and the pineapple curd can be made up to a week in advance. 

Pineapple curd is the same as lemon curd, but just uses pineapple juice instead. All you need is a little time and a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler you can put a few inches of water into a small saucepan to simmer, then place a metal or glass bowl over the top so that no steam can escape. Just make sure that the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Keep stirring throughout the cooking process so that you don't end up with scrambled eggs. 

What's great about this cake is when you cut it open you get  a kind of bumble bee effect with the different coloured cakes, which you don't really realise from the darkened edges. Serve with lashings of whipped cream and extra pineapple curd and maybe a handful of pineapple lumps. 


Pineapple curd (makes approx 1 1/2 cups) 

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks 
• 100 grams butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice

Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a metal or glass bowl till thickened a little. Place bowl over small saucepan of simmering water. Whisk in pineapple juice, and put butter cubes in. Continue whisking till all butter is melted, and then every minute or so for another ten minutes till the mixture has thickened. Pour into a sterilised jar and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until needed. 

Chocolate Cake 

• 200 grams butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla essernce 
• 3 eggs 
• 3/4 cup milk 
• 2 cups self raising flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 cup cocoa 

Preheat oven to 180 celsius. Grease and line the base of a 22cm cake tin. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. 
In a separate bowl sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda. 
Alternatively add parts of flour and milk into the creamed butter and eggs, beating well as you go. Spoon batter into the cake tin and gently bang the tin down on a flat surface a few times - this removes any air bubbles and lets the top settle. Place in the centre of your hot oven and bake for 40 - 50 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean. 
Leave in tin for 10 minutes before removing to a cake rack to cool. Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Coconut Cake 

• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut 
• 1 1/3 cups of coconut milk 
• 1 tsp coconut essence, optional
• 180 grams butter, room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 3/4 cups of self raising flour 

Preheat oven to 160 celsius. Grease and line the base of a 22cm cake tin. Put coconut, coconut milk and essence in a bowl and set aside for an hour. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. 
In a separate bowl sift flour.
Alternatively add parts of flour and coconut mix into the creamed butter and eggs, beating well as you go. Spoon batter into the cake tin and gently bang the tin down a few times again. Place in the centre of your hot oven and bake for 60 - 70 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean. 
Leave in tin for 10 minutes before removing to a cake rack to cool. Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Buttercream frosting 

• 250 grams softened butter
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tbsp hot water 
• Pineapple curd

Beat butter and sugar till softened light and fluffy. Add about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of pineapple curd. If you want to fluff up the frosting a little more, you can add a tablespoon or two of hot water to the icing as the beater is going. 


To assemble 

• Whipped Cream 
• Remaining pineapple curd
• Pineapple lump lollies 

Take the chilled cakes from the fridge and using a bread knife level the top of each if the centre has raised up. Cutting the cakes when they are cold makes it much easier to get a clean cut. Once the are levelled, cut each cake in half through the centre. 
On a serving plate place the bottom half of the chocolate cake, cut side up, top with 1/4 of the frosting, and spread outwards towards the edges. Place the top layer of the coconut cake next, repeat with the next quarter of icing. Repeat with next chocolate cake, and icing. Finally place the bottom half of the coconut cake on top, cut side down. Spread the last amount of frosting. Scatter pineapple lumps around the outside. 
Whip cream to serve with the cake, and spoon any remaining pineapple curd through the cream. 

Spicy Mexican pulled pork with pickled onions, beans and rice

This recipe is a little different from my previous BBQ pulled pork recipe, being less sweet, and more spicy. Either way it's delicious, and a real crowd pleaser. 

Unlike your usual pulled pork,  I add onion, tomato and capsicum into the meat mixture. It's a great way to add moisture, vitamins and sneak in some veggies. This recipe can be cooked as instructed, in the oven, or put in a slow cooker and left to simmer away throughout the day. Just make sure you have a little time before serving to reduce the cooking liquid. 

I use whole cumin and coriander seeds, then lightly toast them in a dry pan before crushing in a mortar and pestle, but pre-ground spices will also work. This recipe is quite spicy, if you prefer a medium heat simply half the amount of cumin, coriander and chilli flakes. 

Served with beans and rice, and pickled red onions this is an authentic Mexican meal. The meat and onions can be prepared ahead to give you more time to spend with friends... in fact I'm trialling this recipe for our family christmas get together, of course, Mexican themed. 

First, prepare the spice marinade, leave the meat for three hours, or overnight. 

Firstly, the Pulled Pork. 

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 3 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp crushed peppercorns
• 4 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes 
• 2 tsp smoked paprika 
• 2 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp ground allspice 
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cloves 
• 2 kg leg of pork
• 1 400g can of tomatoes 
• 1 diced capsicum 
• 2 diced onions

Method:

Prepare spice paste. Mix garlic, peppercorns, cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, oregano, allspice, salt, cloves and lemon juice, in a large non-metalic bowl. 

Trim visible fat off the pork, remove meat from the bone and dice to roughly 4cm cubes. Stir meat through spice paste, cover, and chill for 3 hours or overnight if you have time. 

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Put the meat in a large casserole dish, and stir through tomato, onion and capsicum. Cover with foil, and place the lid on the casserole dish. Bake for 3 hours, stirring every hour, (alternatively, you could put all ingredients into a slow cooker on high for 6 - 8 hours). 

Drain liquid from the meat, and put in a heavy bottom saucepan, heat so that the sauce simmers and reduces. This will take about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, use two forks to shred the meat. Stir everything back together and set aside. 

Warm in a moderate oven before serving. 

Pickled Onions 

• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 limes, juiced - about 1/4 cup
• 1 tbsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and set aside to marinate for a couple of hours. The onions will go bright pink, and taste tangy and delicious, without fear of that dreadful onion breathe. 

Beans and Rice

• 2 cups brown rice 
• 1 bunch of coriander, roots and stems finely chopped, leaves reserved
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil

Soak rice for an hour, in a about 6 cups of water, with finely chopped coriander root and stems. 

Boil rice for 20-25 minutes till al dente, then drain and set aside for 10 minutes. 

Drain and rinse beans. Add to warm rice with oil and stir through, allowing the beans to mash a little, salt to taste. 

Serve beans and rice on the side of onions, and pulled pork. To make it a complete meal add slaw, sour cream, grated cheese and salsa. 

Spiced Grapefruit Marmalade

Do you have an over supply of grapefruit this season?? Looking for a way to use them up? They're the type of bitter sweet fruit that you can't really over indulge in, so this week I made marmalade. It's actually ridiculously easy, and just involves a little time and care. Oh, and jars. You definitely need jars to store it in. So save up all your glass jars, clean and remove the labels, so you can fill them with this homemade recipe. 

Ingredients (makes approximately 4 cups) 

• 1.5kg whole grapefruit
• 1.5 kg white sugar
• 5 cardamom pods (optional) 
• 2 tbsp crushed ginger
• Jars 
• Baking soda 

The day before wash and dry your grapefruit to remove any dirt from the skin. 

Cut each fruit in half, and thinly slice them, skin, pith and all. Place slices, and any juice into a large soup pot. Cover with 1 & 1/2 cups of water. Put the lid on and leave overnight to soak. 

The next day add 1.5kg of sugar, bruised cardamom pods and ginger to the pot and turn onto a medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally (be sure not to let it get too hot and boil over) for about an hour. It will thicken and you will know it's ready by testing it. 

To test your marmalade is ready drop a small spoonful onto the bottom of a small plate, allow to cool for 20 seconds and tilt the plate, if it isn't runny then it is ready. I like mine quite thick, others prefer a runnier marmalade, so you have to decide for yourself. 

While your jam is cooking you need to sterilise some jars. I prefer to do it in a pot of boiling water and baking soda, but there are other methods. To do the baking soda method, bring a large pot of water, with 2 tbsp of baking soda mixed in, to the boil. Submerge each jar and lid for at least a minute, remove carefully with tongs. Also clean your ladle in this mixture. 

While your marmalade is still hot, ladle it into the sterilised jars, put the lid on tightly and set aside to cool. Jars will keep for up to a year. Refrigerate once opened. 

Friday night = Pizza night

Pizza is one of those things that's always satisfying. Especially, when it's homemade. Sure you can buy a plethora of pizza bases ready to go, and sure, they taste good enough, but homemade, homemade is always so much more satisfying. Tonight I split the base in two and made one, a vegetarian favourite, broccoli and feta, the other, spicy chorizo and mushroom, with homemade tomato sauce. 

Friday pizza night is a bit of a tradition in my house. One that began about 4 years ago, when I was flatting with other pizza and beer enthusiasts. We'd each do our own toppings, and share to see who could come up with the best combination. Tonight was the best night to bring the tradition back to life, firstly because I finally have a new oven (YUSS!!) and secondly, the rugby's on. 

I like to keep my base quite no frills, using the edmonds pizza base ratio, that way I let the toppings shine. The boys, both meatlovers, decided the broccoli was "all good!" and struggled to pick a favourite. 

Base

• 1 tbsp Edmonds active yeast
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup of warm water - it should be body temperature, mix half a cup of boiled water with cold water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups of plain flour
• 1 tbsp oil

Mix yeast, sugar and warm water in a bowl. Set aside, somewhere warm and draught free (a 35 degree oven works well for this if its a cold day) for about 15 minutes till yeast has become frothy. Meanwhile get started on making on the toppings, as below. 

Mix in sifted flour, salt and oil. Combine with a knife till the dough starts to come together. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. You'll feel the dough become smooth and elastic. 

Oil a large bowl, place the dough in and cover with a tea towel. Put back in the draught free warm place for about an hour till it's doubled in size. 

Preheat your oven, and pizza stone to 220 degrees celsius Punch the dough down and knead again before splitting it in half (or quarters if you want smaller pizza's). 

Roll gently, or press into 30cm pizza tray. Or if you have a pizza stone, roll the dough out on greaseproof baking paper - this makes it easier to get it off the bench and on the stone pre cooking. 

Once rolled, oil the base. 

Broccoli Feta and Red Onion Pizza 

• 2 red onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• Oregano, salt and pepper
• 60g feta

Heat oil in a saucepan and on a low heat, sauté the onion, balsamic and garlic for about 10 minutes till softened, stirring often. Set aside

Prepare broccoli by lightly steaming or microwaving for 2 minutes

To assemble spread sautéed onion onto prepared base, sprinkle grated cheese and arrange broccoli florets over the top. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. 

Bake 15 - 20 minutes till golden. Remove from heat and crumble feta over top. Slice. Serve. 

Spicy Chorizo and Mushroom Pizza 

Tomato Base 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 tin crushed tomatoes (or 6 fresh) 
• 1/2 cup water or stock
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp each of dried marjoram, thyme, chilli flakes and pepper
• 1 tsp each of dried basil, oregano, and salt

Toppings

• 1 chorizo finely sliced
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• handful of jalapeños (optional) 
• handful of marinated eggplant - artichoke, sun-dried tomato, olives or other antipasto veggies would also work well, just don't go overboard, simple is best. 

To make the sauce heat oil in a saucepan, add herbs and spices till they start to sizzle, reduce heat and add garlic, celery and carrot. Sauté for 5 minutes till softened. Add tomatoes and water or stock, increase heat, and cook, stirring every couple of minutes till sauce is thick. You can puree it, or leave it chunky, I like it chunky to be honest. 

Once base is ready, spread the sauce over, then half the grated cheese. Arrange mushrooms, chorizo, marinated veggies, and jalapeños on top. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes. Slice. Enjoy. 

Baking bread: the old fashioned way

I love books, and in particular I love cookbooks. However not all cookbooks are created equal. Some filled with glamorous pictures might be nice to look at but are never things that you would bother making due to extravagant ingredients or laborious steps. Some on the other hand are down to earth, practical, easy and downright delicious. My all time favourite cookbook I 'borrowed' from my mother a few years ago. She was given it as a 30th birthday gift, the inscription tells me. It has come to be my favourite book. Beautifully handwritten, illustrated and never fails to taste good and feel good, Mollie Katzen's Enchanted Broccoli Forest. 

Today I made Mollie's Date and Wheat Germ bread. Naturally sweetened with a drop of honey and softened dates. Despite, the dates, this is a savoury bread and best served warm with butter. Rested three times for optimal flavour and texture. 

Below are pictures of her step by step bread making guide, I couldn't explain it better, or more beautifully. She uses these steps to make a dozen different breads in this book. 

Date and Wheat Germ Recipe

Ready for the oven... 

Finished loaf

Finished rolls

Gnocchi with Burnt Butter, Sage & Walnuts

A few years ago I had the privilege of learning how to make gnocchi, among other things, from an Italian woman who was running cooking lessons from her kitchen and has now become a great friend, hosting my husband and I when we went to her hometown in Italy. 

I tried to make it a few times before with varying success, but with this recipe, handed down from her mother's mother's mother, generation after generation, I have always had great success. Elisa is happy with me to share this recipe, just as she shared it with me. Trust me, once trying this gnocchi, nothing else compares. 

I've left the measurements out of the ingredients list because with real cooking, you just know. And if in doubt, more is better. (Except for the flour, if the dough's a little sticky, it's probably just warm, don't be tempted to add more flour)

Ingredients 

• Red skinned potatoes - I don't know why red, but that's how she taught me, so that's what I do. 
• Flour 
• Nutmeg
• Parmesan 
• Egg
• Butter 
• Walnuts
• Fresh Sage
• Capers 

Method

Boil potatoes - skin on - in salted water till cooked through. Drain and allow to cool a little so that you can handle them. 

Gently peel using your fingers, the skin should come off easily, then mash while still warm. Set aside till room temperature. 

Once completely cooled, weigh, and add flour and eggs according to this ratio: 

• 600 grams potato
• 200 grams plain flour
• 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan 
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg

The above ratio makes enough for 6 entree's. Traditionally pasta or gnocchi is served on small plates before a main meal, and followed with meat, veggies and potatoes/bread etc. 

Mix all the gnocchi ingredients together and knead gently on a floured surface. It should feel similar to a scone dough. Shape into a rectangle about 2cm thick. Gently cut into 2 cm wide strips. If its a little sticky that's ok. Using a fork edge, cut 2cm pieces off the end of the strip and gently roll the edge of the piece with the fork, not pressing, but so that it rolls with the grooves of the fork. Place each piece onto a floured tray. Repeat until all the dough is used. 

If making excess you can freeze the dough on the tray. Once frozen store in a ziplock bag, or airtight container. Cook from frozen. 

Boil a large pot of salted water. Once boiling, gently drop the gnocchi into the water. Stirring occasionally to make sure they haven't stuck to the bottom. Once they rise to the surface they are cooked, scoop out with a slotted spoon into a colander to drain. 

In a heavy based saucepan, on a medium-high heat melt 90 grams of butter (or more). Once melted add a large handful of freshly picked sage leaves, a handful of walnut pieces and 2 tbsp of drained capers. Cook stirring occasionally till the butter turns slightly brown. Add the gnocchi and toss through the sauce. Serve on a platter. Grate more parmesan on top. Place in the centre of the table. Share. Enjoy. Devour. 

This gnocchi is also delicious with a rich tomato or puttanesca sauce. Freezes and reheats well, though I don't often have leftovers. They're light fluffy and moorish morsels. Warning: Once you try these, you won't be satisfied with substitutions. 

Bakefree Coconut Rough Slice

So for those of you who don't know, I am currently having my new kitchen built. YAY! But this means I temporarily do not have an oven. BOO! So I've been having to improvise. Slow cooker roasts, and apple puddings and today, raw slice. This recipe I got from begoodorganics, they have a heap of raw food recipes, if you are interested. But if you just want to dabble, this one is relatively easy, as apart from the coconut oil, and carob (feel free to use cocoa instead) it's pretty much just household items.  

Personally, I love carob. As a child my mum used to buy us carob coated marshmallows and I loved them! These days you can get carob powder and chocolates at most supermarkets in the health food sections, or specialty stores will definitely have it. It's used as a chocolate substitute as it doesn't contain caffeine. Some people just don't like it, I think because it doesn't taste like chocolate, but why should it - because it's not! Either way, good quality cocoa, or cacao for you health nuts our there, will work. 

Base Ingredients

• 1 c raw almonds - soaked for at least 8 hours, rinsed and drained. 
• 1/2 c carob powder or cocoa/cacao 
• 1 cup of dried dates - soaked for a couple hours, drained
• 2 c desiccated coconut 
• 3/4 c coconut oil - melted, and cooled to room temp
• pinch of salt

Icing Ingredients

• 1/2 c raw cashews
• 1/3 c carob powder or cocoa/cacao
• 1/2 c dates - soaked for a couple hours, drained
• 1/4 coconut oil - melted, and cooled to room temp

Method

In a food processor, process almonds till finely chopped. Add carob, salt and mix again. 

Drop dates in one by one through the hole in the top. It may clump to a ball but keep going. 

Once fully combined, remove from the processor and mix in coconut, once mixed, pour in the cooled coconut oil. Mix again 

Press into a lined tin and put in the freezer to set. 

To make the icing, blend cashews till fine. Add carob, mix. 

Drop dates in one by one. 

Once mixed pour in the 1/4c of cooled coconut oil. Process till it makes a smooth ball. 

Press this down onto the cooled base. Leave in freezer for an hour to set, then slice. 

Store in fridge or freezer.