Banana and carrot loaf

Ingredients

100g butter, room temperature

¼ cup of granulated sugar such as panella, white, brown, rapadura etc…

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 large carrot, grated

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder

½ cup of LSA

1 cup of wholemeal spelt flour- you can use wholemeal wheat, white spelt or gluten free flour

Method

Preheat oven to 180 c

Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs and beat in well. Then using a wooden spoon stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, flour, carrot, baking powder, banana and LSA until combined. It should be quick thick, if it is too thick add a little milk. It’s not a pourable mix. Then spoon your loaf mix into a loaf tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. A skewer should come out clean. When cooked leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool. 

Serve sliced with butter or hot as a dessert with ice cream. 

You can ice with a lemon cream cheese icing also, yum yum!

You can make these as muffins but will take less time- about 15 minutes or so.

Corn fritters

Makes 8-10

Ingredients

The kernels from 3 cobs of cooked corn, this should be about 2 cups. You can use frozen corn that has been defrosted or canned corn. Whatever suits you.

¾ -1 cup of rice flour

2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup of milk

Method

Mix the corn, salt and pepper, eggs, baking powder and ½ a cup of the rice flour, mix well. Add more flour as needed the mixture needs to be really thick.

In a large pan heat a little oil. Spoon your mix in, about 4-5cm in diameter. Cook on a medium heat until golden brown underneath, then turn over and cook the other side. They don’t take long!

You can make these the night before and just heat in the morning. They are good in a child’s lunch box.

This is your basic mix- this to add to the mix include grated zucchini, diced red capsicum (which is what I used in there) diced mushrooms or other cooked vegetables like sweet potato, broccoli, grated haloumi, herbs like chives, parsley, basil. You can add jalapenos, diced olives, sundried tomato, cooked diced bacon…so many thing you can do here!

To serve you can do bacon, avocado and tomato. Just cook your bacon and tomato together in the pan. You can top with smoked salmon, sweet chilli sauce and sour cream. Top with poached, fried or scrambled egg and wilted spinach.

With your mix just remember that whatever you add it may have a higher water content which will make the mix more watery- when you are ready to cook you need the consistency to be really thick, if it’s not just add more rice flour. Easy as.

corn and capsicum fritters with smoked salmon, sweet chilli sauce and sour cream

With bacon, avocado and tomato

Lentil and vegetable bolognese sauce/nachos

I made this the other day and i'm using 1/4 of it for nachos and I still have another 1/4 to use up!!

The sauce is vegetarian which you can have without the meatballs if you prefer. I blended the sauce at the end so the kids could not see what was in it. I was delighted to tell them when they finished dinner that their most hated vegetables were in there, mwahahahaha! (zucchini, mushroom and pumpkin)
Lentils are a great addition to bolognese sauces as they break down and add extra nutrients plus extra fibre.

You can serve this with rice or mash or use it as a savory mince dish. Use as a baked potato topping with melted cheese, or jaffles, pies or shepherd's pie.
When you use the rest you can fry some more onion and garlic add some cumin and paprika and as well as some kidney beans and chopped tomatoes and simmer until really thick. Use for burritos, tacos or nachos.

Lentil and vegetable bolognese sauce
Ingredients
1 brown onion
4 cloves of garlic
2 zucchinis
300g pumpkin
150g broccoli
150g mushrooms
1200 ml tomato passata
½ cup of red lentils
3 tsp each of dried oregano and basil
Salt and pepper

Meatballs is just 500g mince, kneaded until sticky with some herbmare or salt and pepper. Roll into balls and fry in a pan for 6-7 minutes. You can either add the sauce to the meatballs in the pan and simmer a few minutes
- or you can stir the sauce through the pasta and serve the balls on top. If you do it this way you can set any leftover balls aside and make a meatball salad or stuffed into some pita bread and salad.

Method
I used the grater attachment on my food processor but you can finely chop by hand. It gets blended up at the end anyway (although you don’t have to).
Fry off onion and garlic for 30 seconds and then add everything else. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Use a stick mixer to blend until the sauce is to your liking. Serve with pasta like spaghetti, penne, rigatoni or whatever you like. Instead of parmesan cheese I used some feta.

Another idea to use this up is nachos

For the spaghetti above I used half the recipe then I used 1/4 to make nachos. (still have 1/4 of the mix left!)

In a large pot add 1 chopped brown onion, 3 cloves of crushed garlic, fry off in some olive oil for 30 seconds, then add 3 tsp paprika and 2 tsp ground cumin, stir again until fragrant. 

Then add on 1 x 400g can of rinsed and drained kidney beans, your leftover mix and 3 chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 25 minutes stirring occasionally. it should be nice and thick.

Now you have yourself some vegetarian nacho mix. You can also use for burritos or tacos or on a bed of brown rice.

Serve up with corn chips, melted cheese, guacamole and sour cream, so good!!

Oaty breakfast muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

¼ cup rapadura or other granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

125g butter, melted

1 cup unsweetened applesauce or I used 2 blitz bananas

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Top with

Cranberries and pistachios

Blueberries and shredded coconut

Chocolate chips and almonds

Blueberry and chocolate chip

Raspberry and chocolate chip

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan forced

Grease muffin tin really well or lined with paper cases.

In a large mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar and baking powder. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine eggs, applesauce/banana, milk and vanilla and whisk thoroughly.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. Put your topping on.

Bake at for 30-35 minutes

Serve as an on the go breakfast, you could serve with some greek yoghurt too if you wanted, or warmed with ice cream for a dessert

These can also be frozen and taken out when needed.

Cauliflower and potato pakoras

Pakoras are spiced vegetable fritters. The great thing about pakoras is that you can use any vegetable you like. I had these with a simple raita. Natural yoghurt blended with a little garlic, mint and salt.

Makes about 30

Ingredients

2 cups chickpea flour (also known as gram or besan flour)

5 tablespoons rice flour (can be omitted but makes extra crispy)

2 tablespoons coriander powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3-5 chopped green chilies according to spiciness desired (can be omitted)

½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)

1/3 of a cup finely chopped coriander

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 – 2 cups water (until medium batter forms)

Oil or ghee to fry

½ a large cauliflower, cut into small florets, or grate as I did using a food processor

1 medium potatoes, grated

Method

Mix together the cauliflower, potato, chickpea flour, rice flour, salt, cumin, coriander, and chili powder if you are using it. Add the coriander and chilies and mix.

Add water, mixing until a smooth batter forms (similar to pancake batter).

Place the ghee or oil into a frying pan and heat on medium/high heat, you know the oil is hot enough when a drop of batter dropped in will rise to the top straight away but not immediately change colour.

When oil is hot enough dip vegetables into batter one at a time and drop carefully into the hot oil. It is best to fry smaller batches of pakoras. Turn the pakoras from time to time to ensure even browning.

The pakoras are done when they are golden brown which should take approximately 5 minutes. If your pakoras are greasy then you may be frying them on too low heat. If your pakoras are turning brown before the vegetables inside cook then lower your heat.

Tandoori chicken with a broccoli, chickpea and cauliflower salad

Ingredients

600g chicken thighs (about 5-6 thighs)

¼ cup of natural yoghurt

1 ½ tbsp tandoori spice rub (about half the recipe-below)

Method

You can half the thighs if you like. Mix together and marinate overnight if you can. Try and make leftovers as this makes a great salad!

I served this with a cauliflower, broccoli and chickpea salad (recipe below)

Tandoori spice rub

Makes 1/3 cup

Use this for beef, lamb or prawns

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons white pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne or chilli powder

Method

Mix together and store in an airtight container.

 Indian spiced cauliflower, chickpea and broccoli salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

½ large head cauliflower, cut into small florets

2 medium heads broccoli, cut into florets

400g can chickpeas, rinsed, and drained

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup coriander leaves

1/2 cup mint leaves

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Combine the cauliflower, broccoli, chickpeas, oil and spices in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Spread over the lined tray. Bake turning occasionally, for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is lightly golden brown and tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a large bowl. Add onion, coriander and mint leaves and toss to combine.