IN MY KITCHEN | Deliciously Addictive Granola

I love food. And it seems like a lifetime ago when I was able to eat whatever I wanted. 

I confess to having McDonald's sausage muffins with an icy cold coke for breakfast every morning on my way to University, followed by either Pizza Hut, KFC or more McDonalds for lunch on the way home.

Fortunately about 14 years ago, my body told me in a not so polite way that it had taken all it could with my less than self loving eating habits, by blessing me with full on allergies and food intolerances. Yes, I did say fortunately and blessed. I feel lucky my body told me so early on what it didn't like.

Now, I eat whole foods that are nourishing for my body, admittedly sneaking in the occasional potato chip (I'm only human!). 

I get excited about foods that are high in minerals. Like the humble pumpkin seed that is a little pocket rocket full of magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc and iron. 

Bring in something that is nutritious, delicious and easy to prepare, and you've got my attention. 

This granola is all that. I was inspired by this recipe here but took out certain ingredients to cater for my and my boys'  diets.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 cup pumpkin seeds

- 1/8 cup sesame seeds (too much makes the granola bitter)

- 3/4 cup whole almonds
- 1 cup (maybe just under) preservative free desiccated coconut 

- 2 tablespoons of honey*

- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil*  

- 1/8 teaspoon of himalayan sea salt 

- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

* 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons

STEP 1: Preheat fan forced oven to 150 C (fan forced). Pulse pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and almonds until they are roughly chopped. Do not over blend otherwise you will end up with flour.

STEP 2: Transfer into a mixing bowl. Add desiccated coconut, sea salt and cinnamon and combine well.

STEP 3: Melt honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan.

STEP 4: Add melted honey-coconut oil mixture into dry ingredients and combine thoroughly.

STEP 5: Line a large shallow baking dish with baking paper and spread mixture. Use the back of a tablespoon to make sure all the ingredients are nicely compacted. This will help the ingredients stick together in the baking process.

STEP 6: Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, remove from oven and give everything a stir. Use the back of a tablespoon and press down of the ingredients again before returning to the oven for another 10 minutes until golden brown. Make sure you keep a close eye on it in the last 5 minutes so it doesn't burn. 

STEP 7: Allow to cool fully before storing in an airtight glass container. 


It should keep well for a week but it doesn't last 2 days at my house. Serve with milk, or use as a topping for yoghurt/fruit or eat by the spoonful straight from the jar.

Hope you like it as much as we do! xx

Sweet Potato "Frisbees"

Sweet potato, coconut oil and salt. What a treat!?! 

Mr 10 calls these Sweet Potato Frisbees. He thinks it sounds way more exciting than Sweet Potato Slices, and he is probably right too!

The boys absolutely love these -- and so do I. They are a quick tasty side dish, or great for a quick snack. I make them with rice crumbs so they are also gluten free.  

INGREDIENTS:

- sweet potato (as many as you want to make)

- rice crumbs

- coconut oil

- sea salt

STEP 1: Peel sweet potato and slice to approx 5mm thickness.

STEP 2: Steam for 7-8 minutes until they are soft enough to pierce easily with a fork or end of a sharp knife. It's a good idea to check them after 7 minutes because it's a fine line between just right and overcooked. You do not want to overcook them otherwise they will crumble when go to crumb and fry them.

STEP 3: Place rice crumbs in a shallow dish and add a sprinkling of sea salt, and combine.  Gently place the sweet potato slices in the crumbs and coat both sides. You can also add onion powder to the crumb mixture for a different flavour.

STEP 4: Melt a decent amount of coconut oil in the fry pan (if the oil is solid...depends on the weather) and add the crumbed sweet potato slices. Keep turning them until they are browned and crispy enough for your liking. 

STEP 5: Add salt to taste and enjoy! Be warned: these are a little addictive.

IN MY KITCHEN | Low Allergy banana pikelets

The boys and I do not have gluten, dairy or egg in our diets, but we can still have yummy treats. Banana pikelets being one of them.

I make these pikelets when we have over ripe bananas and nothing for breakfast. (usually the day before food shopping day)

This recipe I have adapted from a normal pikelet recipe and replaced the egg with bananas.  

INGREDIENTS:

- two very ripe medium sized bananas

- 2 level cups of brown rice flour

- 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda

- rice milk

- pinch of pure vanilla powder  

- a couple of tablespoons of honey 

- dollop of coconut oil for mixture

- coconut oil for cooking

STEP 1: Sift dry ingredients and set aside.

STEP 2: In a separate mixing bowl, mash bananas with a masher or a fork.

STEP 3: Add 1-2 tablespoons of honey to mashed bananas.

STEP 4: Melt a dollop of coconut oil in the fry pan (if the oil is solid...depends on the weather) and add to wet mixure

 

STEP 5: Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to banana mixture and alternate with rice milk. I do not have a specific measurement for the rice milk because depending on the size and ripeness of the bananas, I adjust quantity of rice milk accordingly. It is a matter of testing it out and seeing what you like.

The photo below shows the consistency I like (it's a bit hard to describe...). You can add more milk if you prefer a lighter pikelet, or use less milk if you prefer a denser pikelet.

STEP 6: Melt some coconut oil in a fry pan on a medium heat and spoon mixture into fry pan. Once the edges look cooked (browning and drying out), use a spatular to gently lift the pikelet to avoid it sticking too much when it comes time to flip. Flip when you see bubbles (as with normal pikelets).

STEP 6: Serve with butter (if you can have dairy) or dairy free butter, and your choice of toppings. ie. syrup, jam, peanut butter, honey. Peanut butter AND jam is a yummy combo. ENJOY!

IN MY KITCHEN | My Obsession with Chicken Bone Broth.

I am obsessed with Homemade Chicken Bone Broth. I love it! 

During the past couple of months, I have started a weekly ritual of making my own chicken bone broth every weekend. Aside from it tasting amazing, it is unbelievably healing and full of nutrients that is easier absorbed by the body than taking a supplement.

The large stock pot of bone broth I make does not last long in our house. My youngest asked me if it was "chinese healing soup like what Jackie Chan drinks after a fight". Put it this way - my little man needs time to deliberate when given a choice between soup and chocolate. 


WHY THE BONE BROTH OBSESSION?

I have allergies which present as eczema. Fifteen years ago, the allergies hit me like a tonne of bricks and Dermatologists said they could not help me. Not one to be disheartened, I went on a quest for answers which lead me to an Environmental Medicine doctor who was awesome. Dr Barry (not his real name) told me I had leaky gut syndrome -- also known as gut hyper-permeability. This is essentially what causes food allergies. (Google it to read more)

The most difficult phases of my condition were after the birth of each of my babies. My doctor wanted to hospitalise me. I likened the pain to being severely sunburnt with chickenpox itch. 

Through self nurture, soul searching, commitment and the guidance of a wonderful acupuncturist/mentor/nutritionist/friend, I have my life back! I have the occasional mild flare up, but grateful to feel "almost normal". 

I appreciate the ordinary and "mundane" of my every day more than ever, having experienced the physical inability to do these ordinary every day things when I was unwell. Showering without the water stinging my raw skin is one such ordinary thing I appreciate greatly. 

So here's the thing. Bone Broth HEALS leaky gut! It is all the rage at the moment and for good reason. 

Check out these links to read out more of the amazingness of what I call "liquid gold".

Top 5 Reasons why Bone Broth is the Bomb

Bone Broth - One of Your Most Healing Diet Staples


MY CHICKEN BONE BROTH RECIPE.

The supplies and ingredients I use:

- large stock pot
- enough filtered water to cover the ingredients in the pot
- 1 x large leek* washed and chopped in half
- 2 x onions* quartered
- 4-5 cloves of garlic* peeled
- half bunch of shallots* washed and chopped in half
- 4 organic chicken frames 
- juice of 1 lemon
- sea salt
- Coconut oil

*use organic where possible

Heat a few tablespoons of coconut oil in a stock pot. Add leek, onions, garlic and shallots and fry until lightly browned and fragrant. Add chicken frames and filtered water to cover the ingredients in the pot. Add lemon juice*** and sea salt (I use himalayan sea salt). Increase the heat to high and bring to boil. Skim off the scum (the frothy stuff) that comes to the surface and discard. Turn the heat to low and pop the lid back on the pot. Simmer for 6-8 hours. Strain (I use a sieve) and store in fridge or freezer**. Enjoy!

**please follow food safety precautions regarding the amount of time it is safe to store the broth in the fridge and freezer.
***I use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar due to my sensitivity to fermented foods. The lemon juice/vinegar helps draw out the minerals from the bones.


HOW I USE THE BROTH.

I portion and freeze the broth for use in soups, and in general cooking (risottos, stews, gravy etc) where the recipe calls for stock. The glass jars I keep in the fridge as I know I will use them within a few days.

Mostly, we love to drink it straight. I bring it to the boil in a saucepan, season with sea salt to taste and drink it from my favourite soup mug. It's the one pictured above. My eldest son bought it for me at the school Mother's Day Stall a few years ago. I love it.

Homemade Bone Broth is how I am boosting the vitamin/mineral intake for my family. And hopefully healing my gut. 

I am sure there there are plenty of ways to boost our vitamin and mineral intake, but bone broth feels right to me. It is affordable. Easy to make. And it tastes so good!

Let me know if you try it out, would love to hear how you go!