Orange Anzac cookies

Who doesn’t love Anzac cookies? They are easy, delicious and most of the ingredients are in the pantry!!

What I love about Anzac cookies is how easy they are to alter – something simple can transform these cookies from good to great!

I love citrus – the smell, the taste and how you can add it to just about anything, from savoury to sweet dishes. Ever had a lemon and lime cheesecake, key lime or lemon meringue pie or use lemon to spruce up a fish dish?

If your answer is no – give it a try.

So, for me it was a no-brainer to add orange rind and juice to my kids favourite homemade lunchbox treat, the humble Anzac cookie. And it was a hit!

So, that’s enough chit chat – I’ll just give you the recipe:

Ingredients:

– 125g butter

– 1/2c coconut sugar

– 1/2 tsp baking soda

– 1 Tbsp maple syrup

– 1Tbsp orange rind

– 2Tbsp fresh orange juice

– 1.5C flour

– 1.5c rolled oats

– 1/4C desiccated coconut

Method:

1. Melt butter, orange rind, juice and maple syrup together. When completely melted, add baking soda.

2. Mix all dry ingredients, including sugar in a bowl and and pour in wet mixture.

3. Bring together and roll into small balls on a baking tray. Flatten slightly with a fork.

4. Bake 15mins at 180°C

Enjoy with gusto or add as they are to a zero waste lunchbox!

Apricot Muesli Slice – dairy free

My kids love muesli bars, but I can’t stand the wasteful packaging or all the unnecessary sugar. So, I thought why not make them myself. Most of the ingredients will be in your pantry already and they taste amazing – not to mention provides a morning or afternoon protein hit – which is great for busy minds and bodies.

The great thing about this slice is you can add whatever you like. Don’t like apricots, no problem, add dates, currants, sultanas or cranberries or no fruit at all!

So, let’s not fluff around anymore – here’s the recipe.

– 1/4c coconut oil or butter (melted) – 1 egg – 1/4c brown sugar – 1Tbsp date paste or molasses – 1/2c almond or oat milk – 1/4c diced apricots – 1/4c sliced almonds – 1/4 c peanut butter – 1c flour – 1c wheaten flour – 1tsp baking powder – 1/2tsp baking soda – 1tsp cinnamon

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare a rectangular shaped baking dish.

Add all the wet ingredients, including the brown sugar to a bowl and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix till it all comes together. It will be quite thick and wet.

Using a spatula, push the ingredients into the pre-prepared baking dish and scrape the sides of the bowl. Slightly wet your hands and using your moistened fingertips, push the mixture around to evenly fill the dish and then even the surface.

Bake for 25minutes. Once cooled remove from the baking dish and cut into thin rectangles and store in an airtight container for up to five days.

Serve in a lunchbox or enjoy with afternoon tea with some dairy free yoghurt.

Waste free oat & almond milk

With three out of four family members allergic to dairy, it can get very expensive buying dairy milk alternatives that suit the whole family.

My children like almond or coconut milk.

I like oat milk.

My husband drinks cows milk.

I can’t stand the waste that comes with all these milks, even though most can be purchased in recyclable plastic grades 1 and 2, it’s still plastic not to mention expensive.

Two liters of dairy milk costs about $3-5, compared to the one litre non dairy milks which cost as much as $5.

More often than not, store bought nut milks can contain as little as two percent of the actual nut – so we are paying for water, preservatives and shipping.

I flat out refuse to buy those hideous non recyclable tetra packs of it milks which can be slightly cheaper but cost the planet.

You can use oats or almonds bought at the store, but if you want to be as zero waste as possible, buy them from a wholefoods store. We don’t have one close to where I live, so I get them online and they are sent in brown paper bags and delivered promptly in a cardboard box. I recommend either of these two NZ stores:

Good For or Refill Nation

The only alternative for me is to make my own and it’s surprisingly easy. I can have both almond and oat milk ready to drink in less than 5 minutes.

And I’ll show you how!

You will need rolled oats or whole almonds, a blender or food processor, muslin cloth (or thin tea towel) and a bottle.

One litre glass bottles are very cheap and reusable. But if you don’t have one, save a plastic bottle to reuse. I only recommend reusing it once though.

Ingredients:

– 1c rolled oats or 1 c *whole almonds

– 1/2tsp salt

– 1litre of water (room temperature or cool)

Optional additions can include:

– 4-5 hazelnuts,

– 1tsp natural vanilla paste

– 1 medjool date or 1tsp date paste

*no almonds – you can blitz 1litre of water with 1Tbsp Almond butter, with the bonus being you don’t need to put it through muslin.

Method:

Add all ingredients to your blender or food processor and blitz for one minute.

Cover a bowl with your muslin cloth, double folded to really catch all that fibre. Double layering prevents a thick fiber build up at the bottom of the bottle.

Hold the muslin in place while you slowly pour the liquid through it.

Gather the edges of the muslin and twist to push all the liquid through.

Using a steady hand or a funnel, pour the liquid into your bottle.

Ta da! Instant, preservative and waste free nut milk.

I personally think a cup of tea is best with oat milk and I love it with porridge – it really enhances that oaty taste.

Enjoy with gusto everyone!!

Tomato sausage gnocchi

My husband and I both work full time – and with very little time between getting home and the kids bedtime I am always on the look out for a quick easy meal the whole family will enjoy.

For us, gnocchi anything is always popular. It’s filling, goes with anything and the kids will eat it.

My favorite pairing with gnocchi is tomato and chorizo, combine that with a little smoked paprika, rich feta and some basil and winner, dinner chicken dinner (or sausage dinner).

It’s certainly not an inexpensive meal but as a once in a while dish it’s very nice and worth a few extra bucks if you can afford it.

Try a few variances and make it vegetarian without the sausage, add pesto or a bit of chili for a bit of heat.

So, with no further ado – here’s the recipe:

1Tbsp olive oil

1 brown onion – diced

3 cloves of garlic – finely diced or grated

1Tbsp dried basil

1Tbsp Smoked paprika

1 can chickpeas (drained)

1 small zucchini

1/4c basil pesto

1 can chopped tomato or cherry tomato

360g sliced chorizo (about 4) – I like Franks Sausages

1/2 c chicken or vege stock

300g fresh baby spinach

100g feta (optional)

250g packet gnocchi

1Tbsp olive oil

– 50g pinenuts

Method:

– heat the oil in a large frying pan

– fry onion + garlic until soft

– add basil, paprika, chickpeas and chorizo and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant and sausage slightly browned and chickpeas are soft

– while chorizo mixture is cooking, set a medium pot to boil. Once broiling, add gnocchi. The gnocchi will float when it’s cooked.

– turn off the heat when gnocchi is cooked, add the second measure of oil and put aside.

– add tinned tomato, stock and zucchini to the chorizo mixture and set to simmer on low heat for 10 minutes for flavors to infuse

– drain the gnocchi and add with the basil pesto to the pan and mix for 1 minute, stirring gently till it’s totally covered in the tomato mixture

– remove from the heat and add feta and spinach

– serve immediately with a sprinkle of pinenuts over top

Enjoy with gusto

Banana oat pancakes – gluten and dairy free

Pancakes – we love them!! We have them at least twice a month (maybe a bit more often during the Covid-19 lockdown).

Following a slight digestive upset, we recently switched our young son to gluten and dairy free to see if it would help. Not a great time with gluten free flour pretty much non existent at the moment. So, I had to get crafty with my cooking and with all my allergies I have about five flour alternatives (except gluten free) in my pantry. I couldn’t let him watch everyone else enjoy his favourite breakfast so I got to experimenting with an oat flour base. It turned out perfect.

The recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, the acidity necessary to activate the baking powder and make them fluffy – but if you don’t have it, try white vinegar or a splash of lemon juice.

If you have all the ingredients to hand, this recipe can’t be easier. Throw everything in the blender, food processor or mixer and mix. Allow it to to sit for about five minutes to activate and slightly thicken and then pour small blobs onto your hot plate.

It’s taken me a while to get the temperature for pancakes just right. I start with it in medium and cook the first batch, then turn it down to low, cooking only slightly longer than the first batch.

So, let’s just get into it shall we?

Ingredients:

Makes 8 medium pancakes

11/4 c oat flour

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2c almond/oat/coconut milk

1c water

1 egg

1tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

2 tsp liquid sweetener (optional) I use pure maple syrup

1 ripe banana

Method:

1: Put everything into a blender, food processor or stand mixer and blitz till smooth

2: heat your hot plate while you leave the mixture to thicken for 5 minutes

3: Pour small to medium rounds into your hot plate. Or large if that floats your boat

4: Keep each pancake warm in the oven on about 50°C

5: Serve with pure maple syrup, caramelized banana and seasonal fruit (I like blueberries and strawberries) and eat with gusto

Vegan Cottage Pie – gluten free

I will admit I have got into a bit of a funk in lockdown – and Alert Level 3. My tummy does so much better when I eat the same thing everyday, it’s kind of boring, but then at least I don’t have any upset tummy from eating the wrong thing.

My delicious roast vege salad has been great and I have eaten it everyday for the last five weeks – every day! Well, now I am a bit over that (no suprises there) and it was a time for change. I prefer a meatless diet, however I am certainly not vegetarian as when steak calls me, I answer! But this one has no meat or dairy products and all the ingredients are very easy to get.

This recipe is a throw together – and lets be honest, they are often the best ones right?

It’s super easy to make – boil kumara and chuck everything else into your large frying pan and let it simmer before baking it together for half an hour. If you aren’t vegan, or you have some vegan cheese at home, by all means out some on top and grill it for the last five minutes of cooking time.

Well, as you have guessed by now I really hate long blogs that make you scroll for five minutes just to get to the recipe so you won’t find a long drawn out one here – here’s the recipe.

Serves six

Ingredients:

Topping:

4 large orange kumara (don’t like kumara – no problem, switch for potato or pumpkin)

salt

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

Base:

1 can chickpeas – drained

1 can legumes or lentils – drained

1 can chopped tomatoes (don’t wash the tin out, half fill it with water, swirl and add tomato remnants to pan)

1/2 c water

2 large carrots – grated

3 large handfuls of baby spinach

2 Tbsp ground turmeric

2 Tbsp dried basil

2 Tbsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp dried chives

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

Salt and pepper

Method:

• Pre heat oven to 180°C
• Prepare an oven proof dish with a lid
• Dice kumara and bring to the boil in a large pot of salted water till soft and mashable
• Place all other ingredients into a large pan (I use an electric one, it controls the heat so much better) and allow it to simmer together for at least 15 minutes, stirring often
• Place the base ingredients into an oven proof dish
• Mash kumara and dollop on top – then gently spread to cover entire base mixture
• Sprinkle nutritional yeast over top and add a sprinkle of salt if desired (feel free to grate cheddar or vegan cheese on top)
• Bake covered for 30 minutes
• Enjoy immediately with gusto
• Refrigerate for up to three days – if it lasts that long

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perfect pumpkin soup

I much prefer winter to summer – for so many reasons but mainly the food.

Warm dishes are so much heartier and they make the house feel warmer. The mixture of the colder weather and daylight savings keeps the family inside and we spend way more time together.

One of my favourite dishes during winter is soup, and I’m totally biased, but my pumpkin soup is the best. The family loves it.

It’s better with chunky cut freshly baked homemade bread served warm. When you can’t get that, try supermarket sliced bread with garlic butter and cheese, grilled. So amazing! Of course I can’t eat it, but I love the smell of all those things.

I won’t make you wait any longer, here’s the recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1tbsp coconut oil (or butter)

1 onion (diced)

5 cloves of garlic (diced)

1litre vegetable stock – (or chicken)

1Tbsp turmeric

1 Tbsp curry

1tsp dried basil

1tsp dried oregano

1 whole round pumpkin (diced with skin and seeds removed)

1 medium orange Kumara (diced with skin on)

1 400g can coconut cream (reserve 2Tbsp)

Water as required just to cover the vegetables

1Tbsp fresh parsley

Method:

– Melt oil or butter in a large saucepan.

– Once melted, add diced onion and garlic and cook till onion is translucent (keep it moving, don’t burn it)

– Add herbs, turmeric and curry

– Compulsory – breathe in the delicious aroma

– *Add diced pumpkin and kumara and mix together with the hot onion mixture

– Add stock and additional water as needed (I can’t offer a specific measurement of water because pumpkins vary in size)

– Simmer away until pumpkin can be broken with a gentle nudge of a spoon

– Remove from heat and add coconut cream

– Blitz with a whiz stick or add to a blender and mix to a very smooth consistency

– Serve hot with fresh bread (options in blog) and drizzle reserved coconut cream on top and fresh parsley.

Eat immediately and with gusto!!

*The smaller you dice the vegetables the faster they will cook.

Sugar free orange spiced cookies

It’s week five of lockdown and the official last day. Sadly it means my husband leaves us to go back to the office and I have to admit I’m gonna really miss him. It’s quite pleasing to know after 13 years of marriage he is still very much my sweetheart.

So I think it’s safe to say the fridge and pantry has been regularly visited during the lockdown. And in the beginning I became incredibly frustrated with being asked for food every five minutes by miss 9 and mr 5. So I started packing them a lunchbox just like they would have at school so they could graze to their hearts content on the condition that once the food was gone, there was no more until dinner.

It worked a treat and I could get some work done semi uninterrupted. Complaints about boredom followed instead.

So my task became filling that lunchbox with yummy food they would eat that would keep them happy and interested but was also not loaded with sugar. And I came up with this recipe – loaded with spices and the warm apple and orange flavour instead of loads of sugar. They really loved them.

So, here you go:

Ingredients:

2tsp orange rind

90 g softened butter

1tsp cinnamon

1tsp ground ginger

2Tbsp apple sauce or purée

1 egg

1.5g all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3Tbsp warm milk

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp honey

1/2c sultanas

Method:

Heat oven to 180°C and grease a baking tray or like with baking paper

Mix together orange rind, honey, butter, and spices until smooth and creamy

Add egg and apple and mix. (It looks quite separated at this point)

Add dry ingredients and sultanas and mix well

Finally add soda to warmed milk and give it a final mix

Roll dessert spoon size amounts into balls and place on baking tray, slightly flattening each one

Bake for 15mins until slightly golden

Enjoy with a cuppa or add to a lunchbox

Vegan Roast Vege Medley

When we first started our lockdown, I set goals for myself and our two children (ages 5+9) thinking we would have time to do a lot of things I had been putting off.

Well being an essential worker means I am pretty busy – if not more than normal and all my goals went to the wayside. One of my goals was to bake up a storm everyday and load my blog with recipes and the other was to learn Te Reo Māori through WINTEC correspondence school. Well the month is nearly up and this is my first post and I sadly haven’t had time for correspondence school. Best laid plans and all that

Aside from not having time for my own goals, lockdown hasn’t been unenjoyable. For us, the best way to get through this is to focus on the positives. We have time together as a family, the children are rediscovering toys they had forgotten and our days are much slower. No longer rushing the little people to get ready and stress levels are lower. We exercise together, talk more and eat all our meals together. All in all, it’s pretty good. 

I realize we are in a much better position than many in our country. I am sympathetic to those who are stressed and worried about their jobs or who have lost their jobs. It’s certainly not an easy or enjoyable time for everyone. 

If you are in the Waikato, and your family need support with groceries – if you can’t get to the supermarket or can’t afford food, call 0800 800 405.

If you have overwhelming feelings about the lockdown and it’s effect on your life you can text 1737

So, I’ve rattled on long enough. I can’t stand the blogs that take forever to get through before the recipe is revealed, so I won’t do that to you. With no further ado – here is my vegan roast veg medley.

Ingredients for the roast vege salad:

2Tbsp olive or coconut oil 

3 orange kumara

3 carrots 

4 small potato

1 beetroot

1 can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) 

2Tbsp hemp seeds

1/4c pinenuts

Ingredients for the seasoning: 

2Tbsp dried basil,

2Tbsp rubbed chives 

2Tbsp dried oregano

1Tbsp ground turmeric 

Salt and pepper 

1tsp dried chili flakes (optional)

Method: 

Dice all veges into 1cm pieces and add everything (except the fresh herbs and spinach) to a roasting dish and ensure all the veges are coated in oil and seasoning. Roast on fan bake for 1hr and 10minutes at 200°C, mixing the veges around at least once during cooking. What you aim to achieve are slightly caramelised veges and herbs on the bottom of the baking dish.

Once cooked, stir through fresh herbs and spinach and enjoy while hot. Like all leftovers, the taste only improves with time, so store in the fridge for up to three days. 

While the dish is vegan, it’s delicious as a salad with steak and chicken. (Personally, Steak is better). 

Enjoy with gusto x

Mixed Berry and Dark Chocolate Crumble

I love summer – the sun, warmth, jet skiing and boating, annual holidays and beach days.

What I enjoy most is the fresh, summer fruit – peaches, nectarines, blueberries and strawberries. Strawberries are my favorite and in our house they are devoured pretty swiftly – diced on cereal, puréed for ice cream, cooked into jam for pancakes and my new go to dessert – this crumble.

This is a family favorite – my kids and husband absolutely love it and I’ve made it for others as a wee treat too, it’s become very popular. With its deep red colour mixed with chocolate, it’s also very suitable for Christmas.

This recipe is dairy and egg free, and is easily swapped for gluten free. Ticks all the boxes.

So, that’s enough blabbering, here’s the recipe:

The base:

• 500g strawberries

• 100g blueberries (optional)

• 3/4c water

• 1Tbsp coconut sugar

• 20g dark chocolate (min 70%)

Topping:

• 1/4 c softened (but not melted) coconut oil or 20g softened butter

• 1/2c almond flour

• 1c flour (gluten free is fine)

• 1/2c shredded coconut

• 2Tbsp coconut sugar

• 2Tbsp cocoa or cacao

Method:

Roughly chop strawberries and add, along with blueberries if using, to a baking dish and spread evenly out to cover the base. Pour water evenly over the fruit and sprinkle sugar over the top. Grate or roughly chop the dark chocolate and sprinkle evenly over top of the berries.

For the topping, mix all dry ingredients and add coconut oil or butter. Use fingers or a pastry cutter to blend all topping together. Once it resembles breadcrumbs, spread evenly over the fruit.

Bake 35mins at 180°C

Once cooked, serve immediately with your favorite milk, cream or coconut cream, yoghurt or ice cream. Enjoy with gusto!!

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.