Bacon and Eggs

Keeping daycare lunches interesting with eggs and bacon. My cherub loves these little cups of yum and they are simple enough for kids to make too. Getting kids involved in cooking means that they are learning amazing and fun skills but also they know what is in their food and are more likely to eat them because they made them.

The idea of these is to have the bacon as the ‘crust’ in replacing the traditional pastry you would normally have. They are a great freezer option and great made ahead of time for picnics and parties.

Give them a go this week.

 

 

Bacon & Egg Cups

PREPARATION TIME        COOKING TIME                         10 minutes              30 minutes

makes 12-16 cups, gluten free, dairy free, low FODMAP, kids lunches

INGREDIENTS

12 rashes of good free range bacon
15 eggs
3 sausages (optional)
Dried Italian herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, oregano)
salt and pepper to season

INSTRUCTIONS

• Line muffin trays with baking paper squares
• Add 1/2 -1 rash bacon per muffin mould depending on size you may need to cut to fill the mould.
• Beat eggs until fluffy, add salt and pepper and herbs
• Slice sausage into inch pieces (you can pre cook sausage)
• Alternatively use left over meat from previous meal- roast chicken, lamb, beef, fish, prawns
• Place sausage in each mould and pour in egg to almost the top
• Pop into preheated oven at 200 and cook until egg is set (30 mins max)

Add avocado on top and devour!

Leave to cool before refrigerating.

ENJOY!

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Chocolate Granola

Just made the best tasting ‘nola’ (aka granola, cereal, muesli….whatever you call it) so I have to share my triumphs.

It tastes just like coco pops but it’s good for you!!! My cherub is impressed with her chocolate for breakfast.

Coco-Nola

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 Cup Almonds
1/4 Cup Cashews
1/4 Cup Walnuts
1/4 Cup Macadamia Nuts
1/4 Cup Sunflower seeds
1/4 Cup Pepitas
1/4 Cup Goji Berries
1 Tbsp Chia seeds
1 Tbsp Cinnamon Powder
1 Tbsp Mesquite Powder
2 Tbsp Cacao Powder
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)

Step two Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Coconut Flakes
1 Cup Sprouted Buckwheat (Buckinis)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. On an oven tray combine all the nuts and seeds
2. Add powders, oil and maple
3. Toss
4. Pop in an oven at 200c
5. After 5 minutes mix on the tray(you don’t want to burn the powders and get it stuck)
6. Add Buckwheat and coconut. Leave oven door open (this is to make sure the coconut doesn’t burn)
7. You will smell an aroma of chocolate and coconut, this is when it’s done (about another 5 minutes)
8. Open oven door fully, pull tray out of doorway, leave tray on rack and leave to cool.
9. Once cool, grab a pestle or a measuring cup and squash all the nuts until crushed to your liking.
10. Put in jar
Serve with Coconut milk or nut milk, berries and banana.
Enjoy in moderation. For us a small portion is substantial as it’s packed with fats, protein and carbs.

Over indulgence may lead to belly ache ha ha

Kangaroo Burgers

Probably not the first mince you would grab from the meat section but Kangaroo meat is great. Great for you, great tasting and can be used as an alternative to almost all beef mince dishes.

We love our burgers, you can add whatever you like to them too and the family can get a veg packed patty of yum.

Super easy to make, can be prepared ahead, taken along for a BBQ lunch, great in school lunches, great for breakfast and even for a cold healthy snack.

INGREDIENTS

500g kangaroo mince
1 zucchini grated (squeeze out the excess water)
1 carrot grated
1 cup of mushrooms diced or grated
1 onion diced (optional for Low FODMAP)
1 egg
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste (low salt)
1/2 Tbsp Chia seeds
1 tsp sumac (sweet and tart)
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp salt
grind of pepper to season
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

NOTE: you can add any herbs or spices you like.
Add some minced liver too – a great way of packing in more that no one can taste.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine everything in a bowl and mix with hands until combined (really massage the mix to maximise flavour)
Form into balls. Vary in size if you have big and little people in the house to feed.
Pop into fridge to set for at least 20 minutes

Season the grill with some coconut oil (or better yet brush each burger with macadamia oil)
Grill on medium for 5 minutes each side
Kangaroo is a game meat so is best to cook just under done

Serve with grilled veggies, in a burger with tonnes of greens and homemade chilli mayo.

 

 

Chilli Steak

My favourite day…….TACO TUESDAY

Here’s a quick and easy meat for tacos well anything really, but was amazing in some grain free tortilla’s with avocado, cucumber, coriander and kraut!! Pleases the family and especially the ‘cave man’

 

 

Chilli Steak for Taco Tuesday

PREPARATION TIME             COOKING TIME
10 MINUTES                   20 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

Coconut Oil for cooking
600 grams Grass Fed Steak (I used Rump)
2 Tomatoes (diced)
2 Red Chillies (diced with seeds)
1 Zucchini (diced)

Taco Seasoning
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Turmeric
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
(onion and garlic powder optional)

400ml bone broth

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Season meat both sides and heat grill with a little coconut oil
2. Cook meat 3 minutes each side and take off to rest
3. In a pan add a little coconut oil taco seasoning and vegetables, cook to soften
4. Add broth and simmer for a few minutes
5. Slice steak into thin strips and add to sauce
6. Simmer for another few minutes depending on how you like your steak. We split three ways- my daughter and I like rare so we took a portion out and let the rest simmer and absorb the sauce and cook a little longer
7. Serve with Tacos, Salad, Vegetables or any side dish you love.

 

Ghee

Dairy or Casein sensitive?
On the butter train but it makes you feel a bit yuck?

Why not try Clarifying your butter. Removing the milk solids breaks down the butter and leaves you with a golden jar of goodness that is actually great for digestion.

You’ll need; butter, a spoon, a pan.
1. chop butter into cubes

2. Put butter into a stainless steel pan on a medium heat

3. Stir the butter as it melts. The first stage is ‘foam’. The butter will start to boil and foam. This will happen after a couple of minutes.

4. Next the foam will settle. Keep stirring occasionally, the bubbles will get bigger and slower. This is a good sign the fat and solids are separating. This stage takes about five minutes.

5. The solids will become more visible in the pan. The pan shows solids on the side. Keep stirring as you go and scraping the sides down and the solids from the bottom so they don’t burn.

6. Final stage is foaming again. It will happen pretty quick after the last stage and will quickly rise to the top of the pan. This is when you know it’s done

7. Pour through a sieve covered in cloth so it catches the solids.

8. Solids settling in the strainer. I strain twice incase I missed some on the first pour.

9. Leave to cool. It will set and be a golden fabulous ghee. Use in cooking. Roast vegetables will never be the same again I PROMISE
Pop in a jar. Refrigerate in warmer weather and leave on bench in cooler months

Supporting Local Growers & Farmers

REPOSTING from last year…….

 

This is a huge passion of mine! Whether you are living in a big city, country town or something in between…support the local producers.  A while ago I convinced my husband to come grocery shopping with me in a supermarket. I had him do most of the shopping while I pushed as I wanted him to see what we bought. At the end of the shop we were behind a family with an overflowing trolley filled with foods that I would not want anyone in my family consuming. Hubs watched them go through (most likely thanking god that we only have one child) and their total was $126, then it was our turn. Half a trolley of vegetables and meat later and our total exceeded the family in front; $150. He was blown away and I caught him saying ‘how can a family eat crap for less?’ I told him commercial food from big supermarkets are cheap. A family assorted pack of biscuits for arguments sake is half the price of a tub of strawberries, it’s a shame really.
The following week I took my hubs to the market where I buy all my vegetables and whatever else I can. Once again I gave him the money and free reign to purchase the weeks worth of fruit and veg. Three green bags later and we’d spent $30. A stop at the butcher $30 and an order of organics from health food shop ($100 for the month) and we were in front by $50. He was so happy and relieved the exercise paid off.

Since then he has told half a dozen mates that exact story in hope that they will stop shopping at the chains and start buying local. It is sad and disgraceful that supermarkets (even the ones that are the cheapest) continue to have people spend too much money on crap let alone fresh produce. But it is uplifting and so so satisfying to find local suppliers that are half the price, great quality and people you can trust.

Think Local before you enter the supermarket next time..

 

FARMERS’ FEED

This month is at Farmers Feed they are setting a challenge to shop and eat from your local farmers market for a whole week. Register to commit and see the savings, education and the overall feeling of eating REAL seasonal foods that are grown/raised by the seller.

Check out where your local market is.

 

Grainfree & Nutfree Banana Bread

Bananas seem to be everywhere in my house. My organic supplier has a new variety and I swear by day two they are twice the size. We love them though, especially when they go brown as they are better for our sensitive digestive system.

I had some ‘damaged goods’ so to speak (I dropped a large squash on a few ha) so it was to the mood board for some banana inspired recipes. Every recipe called for dates, sweetener, almond flour, tapioca, walnuts etc; we wanted a clean version as really come on a banana is sweet enough!

This is what we ended up with. ….

A little flatter than normal and a little dense as I did forget to put the baking powder in until it was in the loaf tin so I mixed it around in tin…whoops. It also was hard to know when it was cooked (as with all coconut recipes I find). Let me know how yours turns out.

 

 

Banana Bread

grain free ,nut free, sugar free, dairy free, low FODMAP
preheat oven to 200c, line a loaf tin with baking paper

PREPARATION TIME       TOTAL TIME
10 MINUTES             1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS

3 Large Extra Ripe Bananas
5 Eggs
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add bananas to food process and whizz on high until a smooth paste.
2. Add Cinnamon and Tahini and whizz again until combined (the mix will turn brown)
3. Add Eggs and Oil while the food processor is going along with vanilla
4. Add Flour and Baking Powder last of all
5. Pour into a lined loaf tin
6. Bake at 200c for 50mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean in the centre.

Cool slightly before slicing.
Slather with Butter and Enjoy.
Portion and freeze if it doesn’t get eaten in the first hour.

 

Watch for those little hands