Recipe: Magic apple cinnamon muffins

First off, a disclaimer, these aren't really magic apple muffins. However, if I called them "use up the leftover apple from my school child's lunchbox" muffins, they don't sound as appealing.

I like to think of that old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon when I'm making these... watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat... nothing my my sleeve. Except in this case, I have half apples that my daughter has brought home (her school sends home all uneaten lunch so we can track what gets consumed) with various reasons so far:

• She was too busy playing to finish it
• Biting the apple made her teeth hurt
• She remembered she didn't like apples anymore
• No one else was eating an apple

I smile, grit my teeth (because of course when helping me plan her lunches before grocery shopping, she told me apples were what she really wanted so we bought them) and resolve to use them up somehow because I hate waste.

I figured muffins would be a good addition to lunch boxes, and who would honestly turn down a muffin right? So, previous days half eaten apples now get grated up, mixed with pantry staples and turned into delicious lunch box friendly snacks that freeze perfectly, and seem to be a lunch box hit. Winning!

I've made these both with and without sugar, and honestly, I like them better with a tiny amount of coconut sugar added. The spices make it extra flavoursome, so I think we're onto something here - at least I haven't had any muffins coming home!

Magic apple cinnamon muffins
(makes approximately 18 mini muffins)
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Ingredients

• approximately 2 apples, skins on, grated coarsely
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour (wholemeal or plain)
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (shredded would also work well)
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 cup milk (I like almond, but any would suit)
• splash of almond essence (or vanilla)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C degrees. 
2. Add everything into a mixing bowl and combine.
3. Spoon mix into a mini muffin tray.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cooked.
5. Let them cool slightly before popping them out of the tray and allowing them to cool.
6. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

• You could mix up the spices, and add some ground nutmeg and/or ginger. I've also used some pumpkin pie spice, just because I have some on hand.
• I know vanilla essence is more traditional, but the almond essence is yummy.
• I like using wholemeal flour because I like to squeeze in more fibre when I can. I think it would also work with plain and maybe a couple spoonfuls of wheatgerm or bran flakes instead though.
• For a richer muffin, you could add in a tablespoon or two of coconut oil, but I honestly don't find it necessary.
• These muffins freeze really well - I just wait for them to cool and then freeze them in a container, separated with baking paper (or reusable equivalent) so I can grab one and pop it in a lunchbox as is. I try not to use any glad wrap or plastic when making school lunches.

Recipe: Mushroom and lentil loaf

For nearly 10 years now, I have brought a version of this loaf along to our family Christmas lunch. I'm very lucky that my family makes many of the festive sides vegan-friendly, but if I want something substantial to eat, I need to bring it along. For awhile, one of my cousins was vegetarian, so I became the default supplier of the main part of the meal for the 'picky eaters'. I don't mind, and over the years, people have started to ask for portions of the loaf too - no more serving myself a slice then putting it away to save room on the table, no sirree!

I posted a couple of my practice meals online in the lead up to Christmas, and had quite a few questions so I thought I better finally type up the recipe. It started from a long ago recipe I found online, but I have since tweaked what I do so much, it wouldn't be recognisable in any way to the original.

It's delicious, scales well, is very flexible and forgiving, and best of all, can be made ahead and then just popped in the oven on the day. Winning! I often make multiple at the same time because if I'm going to do one, I might as well make a few, and who doesn't like to share food right?

The original recipe called for a specific ratio of cooked brown rice and cooked French lentils. I have since simplified that for myself by mixing equal amounts of the uncooked and rinsed grain/pulse in the rice cooker and then using the amount I need once cooked. I think it tastes equally good this way and makes my life easier too.

Mushroom and lentil loaf
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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (any will do, I tend to use button as they're so readily available)
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 2 3/4 cup cooked brown rice/lentil mix
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce (Coles brand is vegan for Australia)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard
• fresh parsley, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (mine was made from the stale crusts of my sourdough loaves)  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C degrees. Line a small loaf tin with baking paper and set aside. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, molasses, liquid smoke, and about 1/3 of the minced garlic. Set aside.
3. In a fry pan over medium heat, add some olive oil and 1/2 cup onions. Sauté 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Add a little more olive oil to the pan, and sauté celery, carrot, the remainder of the garlic, salt and pepper over low heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. In a food processor, pulse rice and lentils until they combine nicely but are not complete mush (about 10 times), then transfer to a large bowl. Again in the food processor, pulse cooked vegetables, Worcestershire sauce, remaining soy sauce, mustard, parsley, cornflour, and 1/3 of the tomato mix about 10 times, then add vegetable mixture to rice and lentils. Fold in reserved sautéed onions and mushrooms, breadcrumbs, and the 1/2 cup raw chopped onion. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.
5. Assembly time! Press half the mixture into the loaf pan and spread with half of the tomato topping. Add the rest of the mixture into the pan and press it down (wet hands help) and coat with the remainder of the tomato topping. Cover with foil. At this point you can stop, and put it in the fridge to be cooked later. If you do this, let it come to room temperature first. 
6. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered until the top is browned. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before serving. 

Notes/Variations

• This is one of my favourite dishes and always makes me think of Christmas. Served hot from the oven and cold as leftovers for lunch, both ways are delicious. When I can't face eating it anymore, I freeze individual slices ready to pull out for making sandwiches or quick meals when needed.

• It's very forgiving - you can add more carrot and celery or change the ratio of rice/lentils if you prefer. Sometimes I've been lazy and just mashed with a fork instead of getting out the food processor and that works well too.
• It's great if you happen to have gravy (everything is amazing with gravy!) but it doesn't really need it.
• You could leave out the Worcestershire sauce if you wanted, and maybe add a bit more soy sauce instead.

Recipe: Eggplant parmigiana

I recently posted about my eggplant glut and asked my Instagram followers for some suggestions to use up the harvest. Someone said eggplant parmigiana and I thought that sounded amazing.

It worked out well, because Mr Fork was craving chicken parmigiana so it was a nicely themed meal for everyone.

It was such an easy dish to make, very flexible and uses simple staple ingredients that I generally have on hand. I grew the eggplants and the basil used in it, I made breadcrumbs from the crust of my sourdough, and I got to include a few sneaky extra vegetables in the sauce. I was so happy with how it turned out, I thought I'd share. I think this would be great for a festive meal, and I know it's going to be fabulous as leftovers for work lunches this week too. Everyone wins!

In my opinion the key to making this dish especially delicious is the tomato sauce. I made mine from a mix of tinned and fresh tomatoes that I cooked up with onion, garlic and other seasonings, let it reduce until it was thick and concentrated, and then added fresh herbs to really jazz it up. You could always use pasata and add your own seasonings as well.

Vegan Eggplant Parmigiana
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Ingredients

• 5 medium sized eggplants (or maybe 3 large ones)
• olive oil
• garlic, minced
• dried oregano
• 1 onion, diced
• tomatoes (I used a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, and maybe another 400g fresh ones, diced)
• fresh basil
• salt
• pepper
• nutritional yeast
• a large handful of breadcrumbs (mine was made from the stale crusts of my sourdough loaves)

Method

1. Slice the eggplants into rounds, and salt them. Leave that to sit for 10 minutes or so while you get the sauce going.
2. In a saucepan, add a little olive oil, the garlic and onion, and a shake or two of dried oregano. Fry that up until it gets fragrant and then add the tomato. I also added a little water to mine, but you may not need to do that - you want the sauce to be thick and not too watery. Cover and let it simmer away for 15 minutes or so.
3. Rinse the eggplant rounds and then fry or grill them. I did them in batches in a fry pan, putting the done ones aside on a plate while I cooked the next lot.
4. Check on the sauce and season it. It should be reduced, and the tomatoes should be broken down - I added a little salt, pepper and a bit of red wine vinegar. I also stirred in some fresh basil and some baby spinach leave that needed using up. 
5. Time to assemble! I used a square dish, about 25 x 25 cm. I started with a thin layer of sauce, then a sprinkling of nutritional yeast, then a layer of eggplants. Keep going in that order: sauce, nutritional yeast, eggplant until everything is used up. Finish with a layer of sauce then a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.
6.  In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with some dried oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil. I also added a bit of fresh minced garlic, but I know that's not to everyone's tastes. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the dish.
7. I baked it for about 30 minutes in a 200C fan forced oven until it was all bubbly and golden.

Notes/Variations

• This was so good. Served hot from the oven and cold as leftovers for lunch, both ways were delicious. I plated it topped with torn basil on my plate, and little pieces of mozzarella for the kids.
• If you wanted, you could sub parmesan for the nutritional yeast, but I wanted a vegan version. You could also mix cheese into the breadcrumb layer as well.
• Next time for more protein and to help absorb a bit of the moisture from the eggplants as they cook, I will add some quinoa into the sauce to help thicken it up a bit. Also, I think sliced mushrooms would be a great sauce addition. 

What will you be eating for Christmas festivities?

Recipe: Coconut Scones

It's hard to find a good scone. Everyone has their own variations and favourite recipe but I think what really makes a scone good is the fluffiness and the freshness. I'm always disappointed by scones when I'm at a coffee shop or a high tea as they just never live up to my expectations - they're usually dry, dense or could serve equally well as a hockey puck. Not when I can whip something up at home, exactly to my taste, and have it fresh from the oven and served with exactly the right toppings (none of that horrible cream from a can the places I go to seem to love). 

Personally, I'm a big believer in some delicious jam with my scones, and perhaps if they're fresh from the oven, a bit of Nuttelex as well. For a truly decadent occasion, I might whip up some coconut cream, but it's not a must.

I baked these coconut scones to satisfy the cries of my smalls for cake and quite frankly, I really just wanted a cup of tea and a good scone. These delivered! I made them with coconut oil instead of butter, and I thought while I was coconutting them (can that be a verb?) I'd add some coconut flour too. I got a result that was light, flaky and perfect for afternoon tea. 

The mix would easily double, but we weren't having company and scones don't keep very well, so I was happy making a small batch.

Coconut Scones

Makes 6

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plain flour 
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup milk (I used soy, but that's just what I had in the fridge, any non dairy milk would work)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC and grease your baking tray with a little coconut oil.
2. Combine the flour and baking soda together in a decent sized bowl, and then add the coconut oil, rubbing it into the flour gently until it looks like breadcrumbs.
3. Mix the sugar, baking powder and salt in, distributing evenly.
4. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add in most of the milk (you may not need it all). With a light touch - I find a butter knife works perfectly - mix the milk into the dry ingredients until it forms a ball. If you need to add a little more milk to help everything combine, now is the time to do it.
5. On a lightly floured surface, gently press the dough to about 3-4cm high. Use a floured glass or cutter to shape the scones. Place them onto the baking tray, making sure to position them with sides touching to help them rise nicely.
6. Bake 12-15 minutes until they are done, then cool on a wire rack.

Best served immediately, we kept ours simple with some homemade raspberry jam. I was really impressed with how well the coconut oil did as a butter substitute, and the coconut flour added a small hint of coconut to the scones. They were delicious and perfect for afternoon tea. Most definitely they were approved by my smalls as well (although that may also be influenced by the late amounts of jam they smothered theirs in!). 

Do you have a favourite scone recipe?

What's in my kitchen, August 2016

Although our usual hostess Maureen is not formally hosting the IMK event while she focuses on getting well, I'm still putting up a (late) post. I know that I've let my blog post frequency slip of late, but reading (and writing my own) kitchen posts really is something that I look forward to each month. It seems that the year is just flying by. Where did July go? How is it August already? With that said though, bring on Spring! If I'm honest, the weather in Brisbane has been unseasonably warm for Winter so it's almost as though Spring is here. Some of my colleagues from Melbourne were up recently and they were happily walking around in short sleeves and soaking up the sun while I was shivering in tights and a trench coat. It's what you're used to I guess!

The 'cold' weather has been playing havoc with my sourdoughs lately (hence the lack of posting results online) but I am discovering other things that I can ferment...

In my kitchen is...

The beginnings of kombucha and a weird looking scoby. I recently attended a food fermentation workshop and came away inspired to have a go at making my own kombucha. While I'm a little grossed out at the way scobys look, I can't deny that I like to drink the results, and so I decided to give it a go. The workshop included a bottle of kombucha to take home, so I drank most of it and then used the last of it to start a scoby off. The first picture was taken a few days after I made up the jar of sweet tea, and the second picture is perhaps two weeks later. Probably could have given the jar a clean before I took the photos though...

I have since bottled my first batch, and the second is well on it's way to being ready. I still think it looks horrid, but I can get past that. Mr Fork despairs that I'm taking up significant kitchen bench space with all of my food projects, but I think home made deliciousness is worth it! 

In my kitchen is...

A new dishwasher. Our old one finally just gave up. We couldn't repair it anymore and all of the tweaks and love that Mr Fork tried to give it didn't work either. I think it had a good run - it was in the house when we bought it, and I'd estimate it's age at about 12 years, so that's pretty good for something used with frightening regularity (frightening because we go through an astounding amount of dishes here).

We procrastinated about replacing it as I wasn't sure I really wanted another one, but I'm happy to give up having to hand wash everything (see previous frightening amount of dishes comment), and it's quite exciting to have a new appliance. I'd thought that dishwashers were a standard size, but turns out there are small variations. This one was a mm or so too small for our existing space, but Mr Fork was able to take off part of the top cabinetry to make it fit. It's only obvious from the angle that I've taken this picture from, otherwise you don't see the gap.

In my kitchen is...

Cashew and dill cheese. I'm always excited to support local companies, and Peace Love and Vegetables from Byron Bay tick loads of boxes for me with their ethos, products and general way of doing business sustainably.

I haven't tried many commercial non-dairy cheeses, but this is so dangerously more-ish. It was good as a dip with vegetables, spread on a sandwich and even eaten by the spoonful. It was creamy and just really, really good. It wasn't cheap, so it's not something that I'd have very often, but for a treat and an occasional luxury, it's definitely something I'd get again.

In my kitchen is...

Again from the Peace Love and Vegetables company is a jar of sauerkraut. It was another attendee bonus from the fermentation workshop, and I've been adding it to just about everything in small amounts. It's a mild tasting kraut, and I've not found much that it doesn't go with. It's even quite nice and not too overpowering on it's own. When I've finished this - quite large - jar I'm well convinced that I'd have great fun mashing cabbage and salt about to make my own sauerkraut too. Stay tuned for that adventure :)

In my kitchen is...

A Costco find, a large box of vegan felafel sausages. While it's quite odd to me to have felafel in anything but ball form, I can't deny that it's super handy to have this sort of product on hand. One of the first things that I do after a Costco shop is to divide the large packages into normal portions. These sausages are now packaged in pairs in the freezer. I find them quite tasty - not too dry and certainly flavourful.

They were great for a quick meal of hotdogs one night. Mr Fork had meat dogs, and we made a variety of sides to share - sliced mushrooms fried up, sliced onions just on the cusp of being burnt (Mr Fork's favourite way of eating them), cheese, sauerkraut, tomato sauce, mustard. Everything was put in the middle of the table so that we could all make hot dogs to suit own personal tastes. Dinner win all around!

There is no official link up for the In My Kitchen this month, so I'm just going to throw it out there to all... what's going on in your kitchen this month?

Banana bread

Seems odd to post a recipe that I've not actually eaten, but I promise that it gets positive reviews and I was asked to put it up so who am I to deny a personal request? I personally loathe bananas and if it were up to me, they wouldn't be allowed in the house as I can't even stand the smell of them. Unfortunately, I have two children who just love them, and I shouldn't say no when they ask for fruit right? There always seems to be one or two bananas out of every batch that just don't get eaten though, so I relegate these to the freezer (skin and all) until I'm ready and willing to do something with them. Since our hens have started laying so prolifically, and since there is no way that I'd consume banana bread myself, I don't mind adding eggs to this recipe.

(as a bonus, while the oven is on, I bake up the empty egg shells and then crush them up for the hens to eat and increase their calcium too)

It's a simple recipe that makes a moist loaf and both of my children love it. As it's dairy and nut free, it's also my go-to dish to bring to children's parties too so most people can eat it. I can tell from the texture and look of it that it's a nice moist loaf and I rarely have leftovers. Mr Fork assures me it tastes the way that banana bread should... although he did make the comment that it would be better slathered with Nutella. Hmmm. The receipe freezes well so you can always save time by baking two loaves and putting one away for later.... and who doesn't love to have food on hand coming into the Christmas season, right!

Banana Bread
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Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cup flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil 
• 3 mashed bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C, and line/grease your loaf tin.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients, then, into a well in the middle, add the eggs, oil, bananas and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is combined. 
3. Pour into your loaf pan and smooth the top. 
4. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean (my oven is fan forced and unpredictable so I like to check it at 50 minutes). 
5. Leave in the pan for five minutes and then cool on a rack.

Notes:

• This recipe freezes well, so you can make a double batch and freeze the other (I slice it first so I can pull it out for children's snacks easily)
• Before baking, I like to sprinkle the top of the loaf with sugar and extra cinnamon, but I bet chopped walnuts would be yummy too.
• This recipe is dairy and nut free (if you don't sprinkle any on) so it's a good thing to take to bring a plate events where you have special diets there.
• You can serve as is, or for extra decadence, try some yoghurt, extra banana slices, butter or honey. Or try Mr Fork's suggestion of Nutella if you have a real sweet tooth...

Mushroom stroganoff

Sometimes, you just need a dinner that is delicious and hearty and warms you from the inside out. Comfort food to me has always been something creamy and rich, and mushroom stroganoff fits that description quite nicely.

Instead of using a soy milk or cream to make the sauce, the creaminess in this version is achieved with raw cashews, blended until smooth and silky. Any types of mushrooms will do, in the pictured version, I used a mix of white and brown button mushroom, but a good meaty portobello is always a winner as well.

Served with lots of fresh rosemary from the garden, over brown rice, this meal is like a great big hug in a bowl. Yum.

Mushroom Stroganoff
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Ingredients:

• 800g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, brown, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• knob of margarine (I used Nuttelex)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine the cashews and water and set aside to soak while you get everything else started.

2. In a pot, saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms in the margarine until the onions are clear and everything is smelling amazing
3. Add the stock and reduce the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

4. Blend the cashew and water mixture until it's smooth, then add to the mushroom mix, along with the rosemary.

5. Simmer another 20 minutes, then check consistency and seasoning. If the mixture is too thick, add some water.
6. Serve over the top of a textured pasta or with rice. I like the added chewiness of brown rice.

Notes:

• You can add more or less mushrooms. Any type, they're all yummy. Its the star of the dish so I'd say you can't really have too many, although for a bit more texture, some seitan is also a nice addition.

• You could mix up the herbs as well. Oregano, thyme, maybe a little sage would be nice.

What's your go-to comfort type meal?

Recipe: Healthy vegan Anzac biscuits

It's a rainy afternoon and I have both the toddler and the baby home with me. It's too wet to go out and play, so what better way to distract them than by baking? With Anzac day approaching, I thought I'd have a go at making the traditional Anzac biscuit a bit healthier and these turned out nicely. Just the thing for a yummy afternoon snack!

Historically, Anzac biscuits were sent to soldiers during the first world war by wives concerned about the nutritional value of rations. The biscuits were designed to be as nutritionally dense as possible, and able to survive a journey of two months or so with no refrigeration. The traditional recipe uses no eggs (as poultry farmers were off fighting so eggs were scarce), but it does contain butter. My version uses neither, and I've done away with the faffing about melting ingredients - just one bowl and some mixing here!

The coconut oil makes the biscuits crispy on the outside but they're still soft in the middle - just the way I like them! I know that some people like a flat crispy biscuit, but I'm firmly in the high and soft camp, so that's how I've made them. While desiccated coconut is more traditional, I prefer the texture that the shredded coconut lends to the biscuit.

Healthy vegan Anzac biscuits
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Ingredients:

• 1 cup wholemeal flour 
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla essense
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150C and line two baking trays with paper
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined
3. Form into small balls. I got 24 cookies out of this mix. Divide onto the two trays and flatten slightly, leaving room to spread
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown
5. Transfer to a rack to cool - biscuits will harden slightly as they cool

Do you have favourite Anzac biscuit recipe?

Recipe: Barley and cous cous bake

It's a Christmas tradition that even though we are guests for Christmas lunch, as I am the only vegetarian, I supply the vegetarian main. Gradually, this has morphed into me being responsible for all the 'picky' eaters - that is, the vegans, the vegetarians, the gluten free and those who want a healthier option. I therefore always play it safe with my contribution and make it relatively spice free and appealing to most palates and diet types.

This year, I wanted a change from my usual mushroom and sage loaf, particularly as we are still in a delicate stage with Jimmy's feeding, and sage tends to dry up breast milk supplies, something I really didn't want to inflict on my baby on a day when he'd want the extra comfort of nursing with all the new people around him.

I decided that I would make a spiced grain bake, flavoured with spices and some lemon juice to keep it fresh as it was a hot Christmas this year. It turned out quite tasty, although not as 'sliceable' as my loaf option, so there were no perfectly cut portions, more of a delicious heaped serving upon plates.

Barley and cous cous bake
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Ingredients:

• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1 cup pearl (israeli) cous cous
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tin green lentils
• 1 tbsp ginger, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp garlic, chopped finely
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp tumeric
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 small carrots, grated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C and line your baking dish with baking paper
2. Cook the barley and cous cous in boiling water. Just before the water is completely absorbed, remove from the heat and leave it to sit, covered, for an extra 15 minutes
3. While the grains are sitting, saute the onion in the coconut oil until softened
4. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste
5. Transfer the mix into your prepared baking dish and press down firmly
6. Bake for 45 minutes and allow to sit an additional 15 minutes before serving

Notes:

• You could easily use other grains if you prefer. Quinoa would be nice and give it a slightly nuttier flavour. I think brown rice would also be delicious
• Feel free to switch up the spices and even add herbs for a different taste. I played it safe and omitted chilli, but if it was just for me, I would have added it in
• This was super easy to prepare. In fact, I made it the night before I needed it, then just removed it from the fridge, allowed it to come to room temperature and then baked it on the day I needed it. I think this really helped the flavours to infuse throughout too

How was your Christmas? What was on the menu and are you still eating the leftovers?

Recipe: Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies

Breastfeeding is hungry work. My Jimmy is a hungry little milk monster and feeds regularly at two hour intervals or thereabouts. Which is fine(ish) during the day but not so fun at night, let me tell you. It's not all his fault though - we are going through a growth spurt, so cluster feedings are normal and expected. He doesn't have the best latch and exhausts himself with the effort of extracting milk (oh to be a newborn!) and therefore feeds (much) more frequently as he isn't filling up as much as he could at each opportunity.

Anyway, ramblings aside, breastfeeding is hungry work. I like to make sure I have snacks and plenty of water handy, and if they're going to boost my milk supply and make it easier for little Jim to chunk up, by all means point me at the food! I concocted these peanut butter cookies as an experiment, and it's been a bit of a challenge not to hoover them all up at once. They aren't the prettiest but they taste nice and serve their purpose.

Peanut Butter Lactation Cookies

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter (other nut butter substitutions are fine - I used some almond, brazil and cashew butter too)
• ½ cup agave nectar
• ¼ cup flax meal + ½ cup water
• 1 cup flour (you could be fancy and use coconut, spelt, buckwheat etc, but plain will also do)
• ½ cup rolled oats 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2-3 tbsp brewers yeast 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• ½ cup milk (I used soy)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C and prepare your cookie trays.
2. Combine flax meal with water. Allow to rest until it is goopy and most of the water has been absorbed. 
3. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, and brewers yeast.
4. Once the flax mixture is ready, add it and all the remaining ingredients to the flour mixture.
5. Stir well to combine. Add more milk in tablespoon increments, if necessary. (Coconut flour in particular is prone to soaking up liquids)
6. Once a dough has formed, use a tablespoon (or thereabouts) to roll into balls and place on tray.
7. Flatten each ball slightly before placing in the oven.
8. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Notes:

• These would be delicious with chocolate chips or nuts added I think
• I skipped the flattening step as Jimmy woke up and was crying, so my cookies didn't flatten much. I don't mind, they look rustic and taste the same anyway

What's your favourite go-to snack?

Recipe: Apple oatmeal muffins

With a new baby in the house, it takes a lot of energy to keep up. When you add a toddler into the mix who is in turns enthusiastic about her new brother, and cross because she is no longer the centre of attention, it's a bit of a volatile mix. I'm well aware that Ellie is experiencing feelings of neglect and loneliness, so I make a big effort no matter how tired I am to spend time with her and let her know she is loved.

Part of that is continuing on with our mama/daughter baking tradition. With the large box of fruit we had available, we decided a fruity baking effort was called for. I decided that it should be something that would help enhance mama milk supplies, so what better to make than an apple oatmeal concoction?

Super easy, delicious, very forgiving in terms of ingredients and both toddler and mama approved! While I have called these apple muffins, they could quite easily be any other type of fruit as well.

Apple oatmeal muffins

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour (I used wholemeal)
• 1 ½ tsp baking  powder
• 1 cup rolled oats (milk boosting qualities!)
• 1 cup 'milk' (I've made these with both oat and soy options)
• 2 tbsp  raw sugar
• 1/3 cup oil (I used coconut)
• fruit (I grated two small green apples, skin on) 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C and prepare your muffin tray.
2. Mix all the ingredients together. The mixture will be quite thick. Spoon into your tray and bake 10 - 15 minutes.

Notes:

• Other fruit options could include grated  or chopped pear, apple, banana, berries, nectarine, peach, strawberry, cinnamon, apple and rhubarb, coconut - use your imagination! 
• Any type of flour, milk, oil and fruit can be used - I have listed what I used but feel free to experiment.
• For extra milk boosting qualities, I also added two tablespoons of brewers yeast to my mixture. I don't think that this impacted the flavour at all.

Recipe: Easy Coconut bread - toddler and freezer friendly

Lately I've been on a bit of a baking binge. I'd guess that it has something to do with nesting, and something to do with knowing the bone numbing tiredness that comes with having a new baby and wanting to stave off some stress by knowing that at least my freezer has food in it. Also, one of Ellie's current great joys in life is to help with the baking - I'm not sure whether it's the pouring and mixing of ingredients, the eating of the batter when she thinks I'm not looking, or the finished product that has the appeal, but who am I to thwart her?

Coconut bread

I think this is a great recipe - it's quick, easy, freezes well and best of all, is toddler approved. Winner all around!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup sugar (I used raw)
• 1 cup milk (I used a 155ml can of coconut cream and made up the extra 1/4 cup with soy milk)

Method:

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 170C and line a loaf pan with baking paper.
2. Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine.
3. Pour into pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes.

I told you it was easy! Eat as is, or top with butter or icing. I don't think it needs either, with the coconut cream the bread is sweet enough and doesn't need anything extra.

Notes:

• The recipe freezes beautifully. I cut it into pieces and freeze each slice individually for ease of defrosting and future snacking.
• You could easily make this into cupcakes as well, just adjust the baking time to suit.
• I ran out, but if you use gluten free flour, you're ticking all the dietary bases with this recipe, which also makes it perfect to share with friends.
• A splash of vanilla essence added would also be delicious.

Delicious, crumby and more-ish!

Inspire me! What are your freezer friendly meals/snacks?

Recipe: Anti nausea cookies with ginger

I have a good friend who loves to bake. I honestly think there is nothing that she cannot make in a kitchen. While I can cook well enough, she really knows her stuff and how things work together, so, when I wanted to create something to eat that would be relatively healthy but help to quell my nausea, I knew just who to turn to for help.

 

We started off knowing that I wanted cookies. There is a real cookie-palooza going on at the moment, everywhere I turn I see cookies being made and shared. Rightly so. Who doesn't love cookies? They're portable, delicious and very flexible and forgiving.

The brief was that they were to contain lots of ginger and be yummy and textural and just all around amazing. I think we succeeded pretty well actually, and so, I'm going to blog about it! 

Measurements are a bit funny because we wanted to make a small batch and sort of made it up as we went, but I assure you, the end result is delicious and more-ish. It was pretty apparent they were going to work when the raw dough itself was delicious (yay for vegan dough and eating it straight from the bowl!). Apparently that's an early marker of a good cookie!

 

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1 1/6 cup wholemeal flour (we used spelt but you could use regular too)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tblsp coconut oil
• 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup pepitas
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/3 cup dessicated coconut
• 2 tblsp grated fresh ginger
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp bi carb soda

Method:

Preheat your (fan based) oven to 180C. Line your cookie trays.
 

I like a low fuss recipe and I don't think you could get less fussy than this one. It's pretty simple really. Add everything into a bowl and combine. You want the mixture to be sticky but not too wet. You may need to add a little more flour or water to get it to the right consistency.

When you're happy, roll the mixture into appropriately sized balls, flatten slightly and put onto your trays. I found it was easier to do this with wet hands. My balls were probably 2 inches or so across when flattened. They didn't spread very much which was surprising.

 

Bake 15 minutes (but check progress at 10 minutes).

I didn't count exactly, but I'd say the recipe probably made 20+ cookies, and I'd say they'd keep fresh for at least a week. They are a soft cookie, which is my preference, but not too soft.

 

 

Notes:

• The raw recipe will freeze beautifully if you wanted to multiply the batch and store some away. Just defrost the dough completely before cooking.
• Add as much ginger as you like. I personally think I'll add in some more next time.
• I don't think the spelt flour made that much of a difference to the recipe. At $7.49/kg versus $0.79/kg for regular whole meal flour, I would be ok using regular flour next time.
• You could mix up the nuts and the coconut. I think next time for added texture I will use a shredded coconut instead.
• They could definitely cope with more nuts and seeds added if you wanted some extra crunch when you bite in.

Do you have a favourite cookie recipe? I'd love to hear about it!

Review: Franjo's Kitchen - Belly Bump Biscuits

I'm not sure how I came across Franjo's Kitchen, I think I was trawling through Instagram and they were tagged in something I was looking at. I started following their account, and I was hooked - biscuits designed in a collaboration between a cook and a naturopath, both of whom are mothers?

And they're vegan, gluten free, nutritious and healthy? And especially designed with new mums in mind? Well sign me up, stat!

They recently had a promotion where purchasing a month of their lactation biscuits (available in two delicious sounding flavours) would score you free postage, but on investigation, Attila might or might not be here within the biscuit shelf life, and I didn't want to buy them and not use them for their intended purpose. Besides, I knew if I had them, I would eat them, and then Ellie would also want some, and we mightn't be able to stop.

So I continued stalking their page, and I was given a little heads up about a new product designed for pregnant mamas - Belly Bump Biscuits.  These are a limited run at the moment, to test the product out, and I was lucky enough to get my hot little (pregnant) hands on a pack.

Six months in and I'm still a bit nauseous so frankly, anything that Attila will tolerate, I will eat. Even better if it's full of good things to boot - like fibre, omega 3, iron, calcium, b vitamins and zinc. Wrapped up with a bunch of other organic ingredients, and some ginger to help combat nausea, and they're a winner in my book!

They did take a while to get to me - I ordered on a Wednesday night, and they didn't arrive until a week later, and if I'm honest, postage was a bit steep - $11.95 for a single pack of biscuits sent from Melbourne to Brisbane. Having said that, they were packaged beautifully in their bag, then in a box, surrounded by packing beans, then in a courier bag so there was no chance of any biscuits breaking enroute. Still, a week? And only ordering one bag (at $13.95 a bag) isn't very cost efficient. I worked out I had 14 biscuits in my 250g bag, and at a cost per biscuit of $1.85 (including the postage) it's a bit pricey.

Having said that though, they were yummy and filling and everything that I could want in a snack. I had to restrain myself from eating them all in one go... but it was tough. They're deliciously soft and chewy, sort of cakey and just the right amount of sweetness and flavour to be delicious. There is plenty of texture from the coconut and pepitas, and the ginger is just the right amount. I'm sold and so is Attila I think.

I definitely want to try some of their tanker topper biscuits for when Attila is born - the fig and almond variety sound amazing.

** In the interest of full disclosure, I purchased the Belly Bump Biscuits as any other customer would. This is not a paid review, but I like the product, the company and their ethos and I really wanted to share. All opinions are my own.

Recipe: Celery and mushroom soup

A friend recently gave me a bunch of celery, which reminded me that I'd seen a recipe for celery soup floating around and that it sounded delicious. Of course, I couldn't find that recipe again but I thought gosh, how hard could it be to wing a soup creation? So I did, and now I'm sharing it with you all.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of celery chopped, leaves removed (save those leaves to use for making stock if you're keen).
2 large onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks
200g button mushrooms, sliced
6 cups of good vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Method:

1. Start with some olive oil in your soup pot. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant. 
2. Add the celery, potato and mushrooms and stir for another 2 minutes or so.

   
   
   
   
3. Add the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Take the soup off the heat and blend, either using a stick blender, or in batches in a regular blender. 
5. Return to the stove for a further 5-10 minutes to allow the starch in the potato to thicken then season to taste. 

This was delicious served with a drizzle of truffle oil over the top. So yummy, and also toddler approved! Yes, thanks to the mushrooms it isn't the prettiest colour, but the taste more than makes up for it I promise.

Serves 4 generously, with leftovers.

Variations:

• To make it extra fancy, you could add some white wine to deglaze the pot after sautéing the onion and garlic - just saute a little longer to burn off the alcohol.
• Mr Fork actually tried this and said it was tasty, but added some dukkah to the top of his instead of the truffle oil. Hey, if the man eats vegetables it's a win!
• Celery and apples are also a nice combination. You could sub out the mushrooms and add two green apples which have been peeled, cored and chopped for a different flavour variant.

Have you made any soup lately? Please share if you have, it's perfect for the chilly nights we've been having lately!

What's in my kitchen, July 2014

In my kitchen is... 

Truffle infused olive oil. This was an absolute bargain buy from Aldi, at $3.99 for 200ml. I love truffles, I love olive oil, this was bound to be a hit!

Truffle oil yumminess

So far I have used it drizzled over a button and enoki mushroom risotto (Ellie and mummy approved indeed!), added to a homemade semi dried tomato and basil pizza and to jazz up some roasted pumpkin and potatoes. It has not failed me yet!

Mushroom risotto - made even better with truffle oil

In my kitchen is... 

Home grown lemons from my dad's tree (and maybe a sneaky passionfruit too!). This is half of what he gave me, and I have grand plans for this batch. I plan to make some preserved lemon, freeze some into lemon ice cubes and do some baking for Ellie. Is there anything else I should consider? Any favourite recipes?

Lemons on display in my favourite bowl

In my kitchen is... 

A tea maker from T2. I've been eyeing these devices off for awhile, and finally was convinced by their 18th birthday sale where everything was 18% off.

This nifty little device is perfect for my oversized cups and works well to brew up delicious beverages. I am still nauseous so have been experimenting with different tea combinations in case that helps. The winner at the moment is a combination of Turkish Apple together with a Lemongrass and Ginger blend. I make this one both hot and cold, and it seems to be helping out with Attila a little. Plus it keeps up my fluid intake. Apologies for the bad lighting in my night time photos.

In my kitchen is... 

Bowls of pear crumble, because well, crumble! Made for me by a friend to indulge my sweet tooth, it is delicious, and I've been stopping myself from eating huge portions of it and then trying to justify it saying the 'bump wants it'. That never ends well, so I've been restricting myself to dainty portions, best served with some raspberry coconut ice-cream.

In my kitchen is... 

A glass straw. In a further effort to increase my fluid intake during the colder weather, I've been carrying around a drink bottle all the time. The only issue was, it has a rather wide neck so I tended to tip it on myself often. No more with this straw! Instead of using a plastic one which doesn't break down easily I now have a lovely shiny glass one which I can just throw in the dishwasher when it gets a bit manky. I have to say, it also makes whatever I'm drinking feel just a bit posh... making me want to drink more so I can use the straw. Displayed here in a shot glass with a fabulous looking Donna Hay cake picture in the background (as an aside, photographing a glass straw is rather hard!). I bought this one online from Glass Dharma because they offered a bunch of different diameters and lengths which was helpful in making sure it would a) fit my bottle and b) suit the things I like to drink.

I haven't been eating much lately, nor have I been shopping so I feel like this is another lean IMK post... I have grand intentions to remedy this next month.

I am linking this post in with Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?