Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

Shepherds Pie! Another childhood favourite and in perfect time for the cooler weather that has started to hang around. This has to hands down be one of the easiest and hearty meals out there… and this version… More

Yummy Moist Paleo Chocolate Cake (gluten, dairy & refined sugar free)

Growing up my dad was a pastry cook and decorated beautiful wedding cakes. I used to be so fascinated by all the time that went into them and just thought my dad was so talented… More

Delicious Gluten Free Pancakes! (Also dairy & refined sugar free!)

You are going to be in the good books with your kids with this amazing and delicious pancake recipe. Not only is it a great option for those family members with allergies to gluten, grains… More

Vegetarian Zucchini Fritters (gluten & grain free)

Whether it’s from growing them ourselves, or picking them up cheap from the local fruit & vegetable store, we always have plenty of zucchinis in the fridge! Zucchinis are a wonderfully versatile vegetable, and I regularly use them in fritters, slices, stir fries, to make zoodles (zucchini noodles/spaghetti), lasagna sheets or just simply steamed for dinner. I’ve even had to dipped in tempura batter and made into zucchini chips! Yum!

Today’s Zucchini Fritter recipe is fantastic, because, as with many of the other recipes on this site, it can be used for all types of occasions. Make then into regular sized fritters and have then for breakfast with egg and avo (or a little sneaky bacon) or salad for lunch or dinner. They are a great option for school lunchboxes as they are gluten, grain, dairy (lactose) and nut free! You can also make them really small and use them as canapes, with some cauliflower puree and smoked salmon on top.. ooh la la – that sound decadent! See below the recipe for a full list of serving suggestions.

Zucchini Fritters (gluten & grain free)

Ingredients

1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
4 shallots, white part and a little of the green, thinly sliced
2 tbs ground coriander
2 tbs coconut flour
1/2 tsp fine salt
3 large eggs
Olive oil

Method

1. In a bowl, mix the grated zucchini with the shallots.
2. Add the ground coriander, coconut flour and salt, mix until the zucchini is evenly coated.
3. Beat the eggs and add to the zucchini mixture. Mix well.
4. Heat a frypan on a medium heat, add a splash of olive oil.
5. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, spoon the mixture into the pan and press it into a round shape, about 1cm thick. Cook for 4 minutes and then flip and cook for a further 2 minutes. Note: These times are a guide only, cooking time will depend on the heat, pan and thickness of the fritters. Cook until nicely browned on each side and you can be guaranteed they will be cooked through!

Serving Suggestions

• Breakfast – hot with bacon (or omit for vegetarian version), avocado and fried/poached egg
• Lunch – hot/cold with salad
• Dinner – hot/cold with salad/vegetables, or hot with cauliflower rice, fried bacon bits and asparagus
• Snack – great for lunchboxes or a quick snack on the go
• Canape – instead of using 1/4 cup per fritter, just use 1 tbs and make small zucchini blinis ( and reduce cooking time), then top with creamed cauliflower and smoked salmon, or some dijon mustard, caramelised onion and beef.

Fried Sweet Potato, Bacon & Cauliflower Side Dish

In our house, meat and 3 vege is a staple – I mean, it’s just so easy, not to mention really healthy. It’s also the type of food that I was bought up on. Despite having strong Italian roots on my mothers side, our meals had far more English and Aussie influence than Italian. For me the most memorable meal growing up was a cold meat salad. Crisp iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato and cucumber, canned beetroot, plastic cheese (eek!) and deli ham and silverside – it doesn’t sound too appetizing, but I loved it!

What is the one meal you remember the most from your childhood? Leave me a comment below!

So back to the topic at hand. Despite meat and 3 vege making a regular appearance in our house these days, sometimes I really feel like having something a little special and creative, and that is where this recipe was born! Fry ups are a great way to incorporate more flavour into your vegetables, especially when you add a little bacon, speck or chorizo. Yum!!

You can absolutely get creative with the ingredients in this recipe, however you do need to stick to hard vegetables and leafy greens rather than vegetables with more moisture like zucchini. Adding these will add too much moisture and not allow the dish to get all crisp and yummy. I will list the variations below so you can just use whatever you have in the fridge, cupboard or in season at the time.

This recipe is so much more than a side dish. It can be eaten as a meal by itself, especially if you add some diced chicken, prawns or calamari to it. You can omit the bacon if you want to have it as a vegetarian or vegan option and still get brilliant flavour by frying the onion a bit more. It can also be eaten hot or cold, making it a great dish for preparing early for a BBQ lunch the next day.You can also have it for breakfast with a fried egg on top and avocado.. yes!!!!

I have listed some great tips below the recipe so make sure you read all the way to the bottom. As always if you have any questions about substituting ingredients in this recipe then drop me a line in the comments below, or contact me via the details on my About page.

Finally – if you NEVER want to miss a recipe, then click on the “BE NOURISHED! CLICK HERE” button up the top and right of the screen, and you’ll get a little email each time I release a new blog post!

Prep time: 15 minutes     Cook time: 20-30 mins     Serves: 4 (if used as a side dish)

Ingredients

1 x sweet potato (around 500g), peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
1 brown/red onion, peeled and sliced thinly
4-5 cauliflower florets (around 150g), thinly sliced, or use course cauli rice
4 brussell sprouts (around 80g), bottom removed, cut in half and thinly sliced
3 rashers middle bacon (or 5 streaky bacon), 1cm dice
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

I have included the weight of the vegetables for easy substitution. For ingredient substitutions, variations and serving suggestions, see below the method.

Method

1. Put a large fry pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion. It will look like too much oil but you have lots of other ingredients to go it!
2. Cooked the onion out for 2 minutes, or until they start to soften.
3. Add the sweet potato, give it a good stir/toss to coat with oil. Fry for 4 minutes, stirring every so often to get an even cook (I tend to toss rather than stir).
4. Add the bacon, fry for a further 4 minutes.
5. Turn the heat up slightly, add the brussell sprouts & cauliflower.
6. Now you just continue to cook until everything is nice and browned and yummy. How long depends on how hot you have your pan, and the type and size of your pan. It can take 10 or more minute but make sure you stick around to move it every so often so it doesn’t burn!

Note: if it’s getting too brown too quickly and before everything is cooked through, reduce the heat back to medium and keep an eye of it.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Sweet potato – swap half of the sweet potato for another root vegetable like carrot, swede or parsnip. If using carrot dice a little smaller.
• Cauliflower – use broccoli and add 4 minutes after you add the brussell sprouts.
• Brussell sprout – use any sort of cabbage, same weight, thinly sliced.
• Avoid using – zucchini or squash.

Other Variations

• Omit the bacon to make this vegetarian and vegan.
• Add baby spinach or other quick-to-cook leafy green in the last few minutes of cooking.
• Add some fresh basil in the last few minutes of cooking.
• Add a tbsp of your favourite spice like paprika, cumin or coriander.

Serving Suggestions

• Dinner/Lunch – as a hot side dish to a protein like steak, lamb chops or chicken.
• Dinner/Lunch – as a cold side dish to a BBQ chicken or hot smoked salmon.
• Dinner/Lunch – hot or cold, eat it by itself!
• Breakfast – hot with a fried egg on top and avocado.

Enjoy!

Let’s Talk Berries, plus Blueberry & Coconut Crepes

I’ll give it to you straight! Berry BERRY Good!! When it comes to what fruits to eat, berries should definitely be at the top of the list.

A couple of years ago my husband Paul and I had our honeymoon in Tasmania, Australia. Whilst travelling around the east coast we were amazed at how many of the roads were lined with blackberry brambles. It didn’t take us long to pull over and feast on these naturally sweet (and sometimes a little sour) delights. It took me back to my childhood where my siblings and I would spend hours out in the paddocks, keeping our tummies full by eating blackberries from the many plants growing.

These days my berries come from the supermarket or local fruit and vegetable store, and with blackberries being fairly hard to source due to their short shelf life, I mainly eat fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries and raspberries.

If you like fruit then here are 4 reasons you should be eating berries:

1. Berries are, for the most part, lower in sugar than any other fruit (excluding blueberries). Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries contain less than 5g (1 tsp) of natural sugar per 100g, with blueberries coming in at a little under 10g/100g. Just to compare and keep things in perspective, 100g of banana contains around 12g of natural sugar, and mango around 15g.
2. Berries are packed full of good stuff like immune boosting vitamins, free radical fighting antioxidants, essential nutrients to ensure our bodies can absorb everything it needs to from the food we eat, and fibre for gut health.
3. Berries are so darn versatile! Besides eaten them raw as nature intended in smoothies or as a meal topper, they can also be baked into sweet treats, simmered into syrups and even made into sauces for savoury dishes! (yes.. this is true – I saw it on Masterchef! Duck with Raspberry Sauce anyone??)
4. They are DELISH!

Of course, fresh berries are not always available and can depend on the season it currently is, or what the years particular growing season has been like. Whilst fresh is always best, frozen varieties can also be just as useful for many recipes. Here are some ideas for how to use berries the next time you have a punnet or two. You can use either fresh or frozen:

Smoothies: Blend half a cup (50g) of berries into your next smoothie with 1 cup of coconut water or filtered water, 1/2 a frozen banana, 1 tbs honey and 1 cup spinach.

Breakfast Topper: Throw a handful of berries on top of your breakfast cereal, granola or coconut yoghurt. Of course, I’m talking about the grain and gluten free version of all of these.

Pancake Topper: Frozen berries are especially fantastic for pancakes. Pop 1/2 cup per serve into a small saucepan on low heat with 1 tbs honey and let them heat up and get all syrupy before pouring over your pancakes. Finish with a little whipped coconut cream and mint leaves. Yum! (see full recipe below)

Sweet Baking: Stick some fresh raspberries or blueberries into your next cake or batch of muffins that you are baking! Both are low in juice so pending you stick to 1 cup or less of fresh berries, it won’t make a big difference to the consistency of the final product. You could also use this recipe and substitute half the apple for blueberries or raspberries.

Now – it’s important to remember that although berries contain lots of goodies, they do still contain natural sugar, so remember to eat them in moderation.

Alright – well a blog post isn’t a blog post without a recipe. Here is my gluten, grain, refined sugar and dairy free blueberry coconut crepe recipe. Enjoy!

Crepes with Blueberries & Coconut Whip

Ingredients

For the crepes… (4 serves)
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup tapioca flour (or 1/4 cup tapioca, 1/4 cup coconut flour)
2 eggs
1 cup water
Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil  (for cooking)

Note: the quantities for the crepes above makes 8 crepes (4 serves), however the quantities below are per serve of 2 crepes

For the blueberries… (single serve)
1/2 cup blueberries
1 tbs honey

Plus… (single serve)
3 tbs coconut cream, whipped a little with a fork or mini-whisk
Mint leaves to serve

Method

For the crepes… (4 serves)

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined
2. Place a 20cm crepe pan (or fry pan) over a medium-high heat and brush with a very small amount of oil
3. Once the pan is hot, pick it up off the heat and slowly pour some batter into the pan, swirling the pan around to evenly and thinly coat the pan. I pour it from a jug, but it can also be done using a deep ladle to get the quantities the same each time
4. Once you can see that all the batter has become solid on the top side, carefully lift the edge of the crepe and flip over for 30 seconds, then remove from the pan
5. Repeat until all mixture is used up (it will make approximately 8)

For the blueberries (one serve)

1. Place the frozen blueberries into a small saucepan with the honey and heat on a low heat until the blueberries are heated through and nice and syrupy

To assemble (one serve)

1. Lay out one crepe and spoon 1/4 of the blueberry syrup and 1/4 of the coconut whip along the middle in a line. Carefully roll the crepe up. Repeat with the second crepe
2. Put the rolled crepes side by side on a plate and drizzle the rest of the blueberry syrup and coconut whip over the top.
3. Garnish with mint leaves and EAT!

Note – you don’t have to follow the order I have the method in. I tend to make the crepes first and put them aside, and then get the rest ready. The crepes heat up easily in the microwave for 10 or so seconds and can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days with no worries! These crepes can be also be used for savoury dishes like creamy coconut seafood or chicken crepes… but that’s a recipe for another day!