Berry “Icecream” (Dairy free) December 7, 2010

Cut about 4 bananas into chunks and blend in a food processor until smooth. Put in a freezer-proof container and freeze until just frozen. Remove from the container and blend again to make a creamy frozen icecream-like consistency. You can repeat for another freeze-blend step if you like.

Divide the frozen/blended mixture in half, and add about a handful of frozen blueberries to one batch and a handful of frozen raspberries to the other

Blend each one separately to incorporate the berries, then spoon into the container again.  You can swirl the 2 flavours together.  Freeze again, or serve.

Sultana & coconut cakes February 13, 2010

Ingredients:
1 can coconut cream
1 handful of sultanas
2 eggs
2 cups SR flour

Method:
Soak the sultanas in the coconut cream overnight to plump up the sultanas. Then mix all of the ingredients together (you may have to add a little water if the mixture is too dry). You can add sugar and spices (or dessicated coconut if you want a stronger coconut taste). Spoon into muffin tins and bake at 180ºC for 20 mins.

Slowcooker Chickpea Curry January 16, 2009

Ingredients:
500g chicken
Potato
Sweet potato
Pumpkin
Cauliflower
Broccoli
1 tin chickpeas
1 tun coconut milk
1 green chilli
Cardamon, Cumin, Coriander and Garlic to taste (about 1/2 tsp each)

 
Method:
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and brown this is a frypan, then place the chicken in slow cooker. In the frypan, heat the spices, then add those to the slow cooker. Cut the vegetables into bitesized pieces, then add to the show cooker with the chickpeas and coconut milk. Cook on low for several hours.

Potato Pancakes January 16, 2009

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes
3 eggs
1/2 cup wholemeal SR flour
salt, garlic and chives to taste

Method:
Peel, dice and then cook the potatoes to cook them a little (eg microwave for 2 mins). Blend everything together until smooth. Cook like you would a pancake.

Guilt Free Fruitcake January 16, 2009

Ingredients:
750g dried fruit
2c wholemeal SR flour
600mls milk
 
Method:
Soak the fruit in the milk overnight (or at least several hours)… then mix in the flour. Pour into a lined lammington tin, and bake at 170C for around 50 mins.

 

 

Change the types of fruits for different flavoured cakes. Try around 500g of sultanas and 250g mixed fruit, or use dried apricots and apple….
 
You can add cocoa powder to make a chocolate fruitcake.
 
Substitute coconut milk or soy milk for a vegan/dairy free version

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes January 6, 2009

Another recipe I found when looking for cupcake recipes using oil. I haven’t tried it yet.
http://www.chow.com/recipes/10794

Vegan Chocolate Cupcake Recipe January 6, 2009

I found this recipe was too moist (as in fell apart when the paper was taken off), So I’m going to try it with 2 cups flour next time…still, they tasted alright!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups wholemeal self raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbs cocoa (or 1/2 tsp powdered ginger + 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/2 tsp ground cloves)
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tablespoons oil
1 cup cold water.

Method:
Put all dry ingredients into the bowl, then add the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour into patty cases and bake at 180C for 15-20 mins.

From: http://forums.naturalparenting.com.au/recipes/15648-cupcake-recipe-please.html#post250295

Banana Bread January 4, 2009

Ingredients:
6 ripe bananas mashed
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of plain flour
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
as much cinnamon as you want

 
Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add banana and vanilla, mixing well. Transfer to a loaf tin and cook at 180 for 40-50 minutes.

 
(From Sarah from http://www.joyousbirth.info) I hate using baking powder, so maybe use SR flour instead and leave out the baking soda & powder?

Slow Cooker Lentil Curry December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
Handful of red lentils
1 onion (chopped)
1/2 butternut pumpkin (diced)
Small sweet potato (diced)
Red capsicum (diced)
Fresh tomato (chopped)
Green beans (sliced)
Spices – cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, tumeric and chilli

 
Method:
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker (Add water – but not sure how much), mix well, put the lid on and allow to cook for several hours.

 
(From http://www.joyousbirth.info)

Vegetable and chickpea curry December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 lge brown onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbl sp curry powder
3 tsp cumin
800g can diced tomatoes
1/2 lemon juiced
300g chickpeas drained
1lge sweet potato
1lge carrot
4 squash
250g broccoli
250g cauliflower

 
Jasmine rice and natural yoghurt to serve

 
Method:
1. You can fry the onion and garlic in a frying pan first, or just put it in the crockpot with all but the last 2 ingredients.
2. cook on high for 4 hours, or slow for 6 hours.
3. Serve with rice and yoghurt.

 
(From http://www.joyousbirth.info)

Slow Cooker Beef Curry December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
800g beef, diced
1 onion – diced/chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed/finely chopped
1 ½ tbs madras curry powder ( or 3 tsp of madras 3 tsp normal curry)
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cup beef stock
400g can diced tomatoes
2 med carrots diced
1c chopped pumpkin
400g chat potatoes quartered

 
Method:
1). Brown the meat.
2). Place all ingredients in the slow cooker, cook on low for around 6 hrs. serve with rice

 
Slightly adapted from http://www.nappycino.com.au

Vegetarian Curry December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp Chilli
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Coriander
1/2 tsp Cummin
1c Lentils
1 litre vegetable Stock
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Carrots, diced
1c pumpkin, diced
1c potato, diced

 
Method:
Lightly fry the onion and garlic, then add the spices. Add the lemon juice, lentil and stock. Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Pour this into to the slow cooker and add the vegetables. (You may need to add more water/stock) Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low 7-10 hours).

 
Slightly altered from the recipe posted by Debbie Lee:
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums/showthread.php?t=17924

Lamb Shanks with Lentils December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 cup washed lentils
2 lamb shanks
2 cups beef stock
1 tin whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Herbs & spices to taste

 
Method:
Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low for about 9 hours or on high for about 4 hours.

 
Recipe from Donna Hay’s “Off The Shelf” Cookbook, adapted and posted by Annabel:
http://members.essentialbaby.com.au/index.php?showtopic=91279&st=40#

Slow Cooker Vegie dhal December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
1/2 sweet potato, diced
2 cups of red lentils
2-3 teaspoons each of minced garlic and ginger
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
1 tablespoon or more of curry powder
About 1 litre of stock
2/3c coconut milk

 
Method:
Add everything to the slow cooker, and cook on high for 3 hours then add in some vegetables of your choice (capsicum, pumpkin, carrot, cauliflower, peas, beans etc.) serve with yoghurt and mango chutney.

 
(Recipe by Brazen: http://members.essentialbaby.com.au/index.php?showtopic=91279&st=120)

Vegetarian curry December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 packet of marinated tofu or vegie sausages.
onion
red capsicum
sweet potato
green beans
broccoli
cauliflower
carrot
curry
sweet chilli sauce
soy sauce
peanut oil
Light coconut milk
Basmati/brown rice

 
Method:
1). Cook rice as normal (or steam/use a rice cooker)
2). Chop/slice vegetables and tofu/sausage into bit sized pieces.
3). In a hot wok, fry the vegetables and sausages in a tablespoon of peanut oil for 2 mins.
4). Add 2-3 tb curry powder and continue to fry until the ingredients are coated.
5). Add the coconut milk, 1 tb soy sauce, 2tb chilli sauce and reduce the heat to simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Serve with the rice.

Potato and Leek Soup December 13, 2008

This is a recipe for a soup that doesn’t use a cream base. The potato thickens this soup nicely. The Cumin gives this soup a nice flavour, but you can leave it out if you prefer.

Ingredients:
4 large Potatoes
1 large Leek
2 Cloves Garlic
2 teaspoon ground cumin Seeds
1 cup frozen/fresh/tinned Corn kernels
2 teaspoons of cracked black pepper
Salt to taste

Method:
1). Finely chop the Garlic, Thinly slice the Leek and chop the potatoes into quarters. Add these to a soup pot with a little bit of oil. Fry a little, but don’t let the garlic burn.
2). Add approx 4 cups of water (enough to cover the ingredients), the cumin, pepper, salt and Corn and simmer this for around 2 hours.
3). Allow to cool slightly, then mash this with a potato masher to remove any large lumps. You could puree with a hand held blender or food processor – but I like a little bit of substance to the soup, and I like the corn to be whole.

When done pour the soup into containers to freeze or leave in the fridge.

This makes a great soup to have on a cold day. The cumin and pepper adds some warmth. A nice soup to put in a thermos and have on a picnic in colder weather.

Pumpkin Soup December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
Pumpkin
Sweet Potato
Pepper
nutmeg
Onion
Brown Sugar
vegetable Stock

Method:
Chop up pumpkin & sweet potato. Mix up some olive oil, ground pepper & nutmeg, toss pumpkin pieces in the oil to coat thoroughly. Bake pumpkin in a moderate oven for about 40-60 minutes (until really soft).

Roughly chop an onion or 2, coat it in the olive oil (but this time add a little brown sugar to the coating mix as well as the nutmeg). Add it to the oven tray about 15 minutes into cooking the pumpkin.

Heat up some stock in a large pot till it’s simmering. Add the roasted vegetables. Use a hand blender to completely mash down the vegetables & mix until the consistency is right (I start with a little stock & add more if needed). Adjust seasoning if necessary

Slow Cooker Lentil Curry December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
Handful of red lentils
1 onion (chopped)
1/2 butternut pumpkin (diced)
Small sweet potato (diced)
Red capsicum (diced)
Fresh tomato (chopped)
Green beans (sliced)
Spices – cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, tumeric and chilli

 
Method:
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker (Add water – but not sure how much), mix well, put the lid on and allow to cook for several hours.

 
(From Susan on http://www.joyousbirth.info)

Almond Milk (dairy free milk) December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 Cup raw almonds
4 Cup water, cold
3TB maple syrup or honey

 
Method:
1. Soak the almonds in boiling water for 15 mins. Remove the skins, allow to dry then place in blender or grind until almonds are a very fine meal.
2. Add half of the water and the honey/syrup and blend on high for 2 mins.
3. Add the remaining water and blend for another 2 mins.
4. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or filter paper to separate the liquid from the almond meal. Keep the liquid as a milk substitute and the meal for use as a facial scrub.

 
May be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

 
(from mellyette79 on http://www.joyousbirth.info)

Spicy Bean Burgers December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped or grated
½ green capsicum, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ to ½ teaspoon chilli powder, to taste (optional)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 x 425 g cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried breadcrumbs, for coating

 
Method:
1). Lightly fry the onion in a little oilive oil for 5 minutes.
2). Add the capsicum and carrot and fry for another 5 minutes
3). Add the spices and garlic, and heat for 1-3 minutes, stirring well, then remove from heat.
4). Puree half of the beans, and combine with the remaining half of the beans, the fresh breadcrumbs, onion mixture and add any seasonings.
5). Divide the mixture into 8 portions, and form into burger shapes.
6). coat the burgers with dried breadcrumbs, and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet on an oven try and bake at 180°C for 15-20 mins on one side, then flip and cook the other side for a further 15-20 mins.

 
The burgers can be frozen (separated with pieces of baking paper). Cook for an additional 10 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes on the other if cooking the frozen burgers.

Tuscan Chickpea Soup with Pasta December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained.
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
750 ml vegetable stock
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon tomato puree
Freshly ground black pepper
50g soup pasta

 
Method:
1). Puree the chickpeas and tomatoes, add stock and mix well.
2). Fry the garlic in a little olive oil until soft, then add the remaining ingredients except the pasta, and bring to the boil.
3). Simmer for 5 minutes then add the pasta and continue to cook another 10 mins or until the pasta has cooked, stirring often.

From – http://www.phpbber.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=205&mforum=yummystuff

Baked chicken and rice December 12, 2008

Ingredients:
1cup rice
2-3 large mushrooms
1/2 a leek
1-2 chicken breasts
4 pieces “eye” bacon
2 bacon stock cubes, crumbled (optional)

Method:
1. Chop chicken and bacon into bite sized pieces. Finely slice leek and mushrooms.
2. Put rice and all ingredients into a ceramic baking/casserole dish (with a lid)
3. Pour about 1.5-2 cups water over the ingredients and bake in the oven (about 180C) for about an hour or until rice is cooked. Stir and test at half an hour, then at an hour, then every 15 mins after that.

Bean Cannelloni December 12, 2008

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red capsicum, finely chopped
1 medium green capsicum, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1 x 440 g tin four bean mix, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
12 instant cannelloni shells
1 x 425 g jar chunky pasta sauce

 
Method:
Fry onion and garlic until soft. Add the capsicum and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add herbs, tomato paste and half the beans. Mash or process the remaining beans, and add those to the onion mixture.

 
Spoon the mixture into cannelloni shells. Pour about 1/4 of the mixture into a heatproof dish, then lay the filled shells on top, cover with remaining sauce.

 
Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 190°C.
(Recipe from http://www.phpbber.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=207&mforum=yummystuff)

Homemade Sausage Rolls November 18, 2008

A healthier alternative to the standard sausage roll.  Made from mince, rather than prepackaged sausage mince.  You’ll need a food processor.

 

Ingredients:
Puff pastry sheets
1 medium carrot, peeled, roughly chopped
500g premium mince
1 clove garlic (optional)
½ small Onion (optional)
1 medium zucchini, roughly chopped
1/3 cup (dried) breadcrumbs (optional) *
2 slices wholemeal bread
1/2 can or about 1 cup cooked lentils  (optional) *
Seasoning as desired (I use approx 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tb mixed herbs and salt and pepper)

Method:
In a food processor, blend the carrot, onion, garlic, zucchini, breadcrumbs  and seasoning until very finely chopped (almost pureed), then remove from processor and add lentils and mince. Process to sausage mince consistency. Add the veg mix and the meat mix (if it will all fit in your food processor) and  mix until combined.  (If it doesn’t all fit, divide the mixtures into 2 parts and mix it in 2 lots.)

It should resemble this

* If you want to leave out the lentils, then leave out the dried breadcrumbs – the lentils add a lot of moisture, so you need the extra dryness of the breadcrumbs if you use the lentils.  If not, the fresh bread should be enough to balance it out.

Lay out the pastry sheets and cut them in half. Spoon or pipe the mince mixture down one side of each half and roll up in the pastry to form one long sausage roll. Using a piping bag makes things easier and gives a nice neat sausage roll.

Cut into smaller sections, brush with egg, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if you like, and bake at 200°C until golden brown (about 15-20 mins).

 

This mixture always makes twice as much as we need, but rather than halving it, what I do is make it all up into sausage rolls and then only bake what I need to, and wrap the rest for another day.  I just lay the long roll of glazed and sprinkled rolls, one on each end of the sheet of plastic the pastry comes with, and roll each end into the centre.  Then I bundle a few of these together, put them in an airtight container and pop them in the freezer or fridge.  That way I get freshly baked sausage rolls another day too…. reheated sausage rolls are never as tasty as freshly baked.

Hedgehog Meatballs November 18, 2008

These little meatballs end up with spikes of rice, hence the name.

 
Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely chopped
500g lean mince
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
100g Uncooked rice
400mls stock
1 clove garlic, chopped

 
Method:
Fry the onion and garlic until soft, then mix with the mince, any seasonings you wish and rice. Shape into 24 meatballs and lightly fry these until browned all over. Pour the tomatoes and stock, cover the pan and simmer for 30 mins.