Choc Banana Breakfast Bars

April 6, 2017July 9, 2021 ~ desertcook ~ 2 Comments

Well, breakfast, or any time you need a filling snack to fuel you well!

These are a twist on my Banana Oat Biscuits. Super easy to make from stuff I always have in my pantry and quick enough that you can have a batch knocked up for breakfast in 5 minutes!

The fibre, great fats and protein help to boost your energy levels and keep you full for a while and the cinnamon in the mixed spice is useful for stabilising blood sugar levels … what’s not to love?!

See below the recipe for a Coeliac version and a few extras.

2 large bananas, very ripe
3 cups rolled oats
1 tsp mixed spice
1 heaped tbsp sunflower seed butter (or other nut butter)
1tbsp cocoa
1tbsp honey/maple syrup
2tbsp almond meal
3 tbsp milk of choice (unsweetened almond is great here)
3 tbsp aquafaba OR 1 whole egg
Pinch salt flakes

In your blender/processor/bullet/thermal cooker add the bananas, milk, aquafaba, honey and seed butter until smooth. (Speed 3 working up to speed 5 for 15 seconds).

In a large bowl use a whisk to mix together the remaining dry ingredients.

Pour the wet mix into the dry and fold together until well combined.

If using your blender or thermal cooker or processor to combine the two mixes use a low speed, so that you don’t shred the oats.

Place into a lined baking dish (mine is 25cm x 18cm), smooth and press down firmly.

Place into a preheated moderate oven for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool before slicing. Makes about 12 bars.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge or even in the freezer.

Extra Options:

To make these coeliac friendly use 2 cups puffed rice and 1 cup rolled quinoa in place of the oats.

For nut free use a seed meal OR replace with 2 tbsp of wholemeal flour

For a sweeter option you could mix through some chopped dried fruit (dates or sultanas are my favourite but cranberries or apple work too)

20170405_081134-1 — This little dude takes aaaages to get going in the morning so breakfast is often ‘on the go’ for him – these are perfect!

Enjoy

Honey Biscuits

April 3, 2017September 20, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

These ones are a little twist on my Tiny Teds.

They’ve had a bit of a nutritional boost but they still passed the taste test from my very perceptive and discerning Harry 😉

No-one messes with his favourite bikkies and gets away with it …. or do they?! He has happily eaten many of these and literally jumped up and down in the kitchen when he has seen that there were more stashed away in the pantry!!

See below the recipe for a Coeliac friendly version and a ginger snap option too.

These are super delicious and quick to make – and everyone loves home made bikkies!

30g plant based Butter
30g Sunflower seed butter (or other nut butter that suits)
140g honey/maple syrup/golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
220g plain flour of choice (I use spelt and do half wholemeal)
50g almond meal OR 60g hemp seeds
3/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a saucepan, over a medium heat, melt together the butter, honey and vanilla (100C, speed 2 for 2 11/2 mins or until completely melted). Remove from stove.

Use a whisk to mix the bicarb, almond meal, cinnamon and flour together and then add to the wet mix (Speed 4 for 8 seconds with the bicarb, then add flour and speed 5 for 15 seconds). If your mix feels too wet, add in 1 tsp more of flour at a time and pulse to combine).

Mix gently until combined.

Tip out on to a silicone mat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 2-3mm thick (much thicker and you get a softer biscuit rather than a crunchy one).

Use a shaped cutter to cut our your desired shapes (today we went with farm animals) and lay on a lined baking tray.

Place in a preheated moderate oven for about 8-9 minutes, or until golden brown. They will be soft when you remove them from the oven.

Leave on tray to harden and cool. Store in an airtight container for about a week.

Makes about 40-50, depending on the sized cutter you use … and how much dough your 3 year old helper eats in the process 😉

*Some tips

If this dough cools too much it can become a little stiff and crumbly, a couple of seconds in the microwave will soften it and make it more workable.
If you don’t have time to cut out the whole batch (it happens!), you can save half of this dough, tightly wrapped in the fridge for several days, before bringing it back to room temperature and gently warming it.

Enjoy!

For a Coeliac friendly option: switch to a gluten free flour mix, and use only 190g and add 1 tsp of psyllium husk.

To make a ginger snap version of these bikkies: Replace the honey with equal weight of maple syrup and replace the vanilla with 1.5 tsp ground ginger and an 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. These are a much quicker to make than traditional gingerbread but very similar in taste.

Cheesey Sprinkles (vegan Parmesan cheese substitute)

April 2, 2017 ~ desertcook ~ 12 Comments

Cheese replacements are tricky for us. The 3 boys eat dairy cheese now, but I don’t eat much dairy and Ellie can’t tolerate any.

All of the delicious creamy nut based cheeses are out for us and we try not to eat much soy. Hm.

Little miss has adapted beautifully to eat Bio-Cheese …. but …. for those of us who have actually eaten cheese in the past, it is really not that palatable an option. So if we are all eating the same dinner, we don’t use bio-cheese, instead, often making a cheesey tasting sauce with nutritional yeast flakes.

Then I was on a recipe sharing FB page and I saw one of the ladies mention that she made a dairy free Parmesan with Cashews and nutritional yeast and salt. I was so intrigued and started tinkering with a version that was safe for us.

And here it is! Such a cheesey flavour and aroma, and SO simple!

1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup roasted almonds OR roasted sunflower seeds
2tbsp, heaped, nutritional yeast flakes
1tsp pink salt flakes
Few grinds black pepper
1/2 tsp Italian herbs

Place all ingredients into your processor/bullet/thermal cooker and pulse until you get a nice crumbly consistency.

Store in an airtight glass jar. Leave it in the fridge if you’ll use it up within a week or so. We don’t so I pop it in the freezer to avoid the oils from seeds or nuts going off.

Sprinkle it on to your Lasagne or your Bolognese. I found that its cheesey flavour together with the creaminess of my avocado dressing was a real winner on our pizza too!

I’ll be using it as a topping for some savoury crackers next!

Enjoy 🙂

Creamy Avocado dressing

March 31, 2017April 1, 2017 ~ desertcook ~ 3 Comments

Salad dressings are bit of a challenge when you are dealing with food allergies, or if you want healthier options! The store bought variety are mostly loaded with sugars plus stabilisers and emulsifiers that we tend to avoid when possible.

As such, we have just mostly avoided dressings – when I do use them, a vinaigrette of some description is my normal ‘go-to’, but occasionally the mood strikes for something a bit different and creamy!

This super simple dressing is amazing! Creamy and rich, it holds beautifully to salads that you toss through it and it’s delightful drizzled on salmon or chicken … maybe even lamb or beef, but I haven’t tried that yet!

the flesh of one avocado, very ripe
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp fresh chopped dill
a good pinch pink salt flakes
a few grinds of black pepper

Optional: If you want a more liquid version of the dressing, add in 1 tbsp of Aquafaba (liquid drained from a can of chick peas)

Place all ingredients into your blender/processor/bullet/thermal cooker and process until smooth. (Speed 5, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat).

20170331_190456-1 — Oops – I forgot to take a photo of the whole batch!

Tonight we tossed a good tablespoon of the dressing through a raw broccoli and beetroot salad and then topped our baked salmon with some more! Divine!

This quantity of dressing is probably enough for 5-6 people, and lasts a couple of days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Enjoy 🙂

Chocolate protein hotcakes

March 26, 2017April 6, 2017 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Hotcakes are a very popular weekend breakfast in our house. I love that they can be loaded with goodies to make them nutritious and filling. This version is a twist on my Vanilla Almond hotcakes.

They got absolutely demolished …. 4 very full little people at the end of breakfast!!

1 1/2 cups, wholemeal spelt flour OR 1 1/3 cups plain GF flour mix
1/2 cup of my chocolate protein drink mix*
2 tsp GF baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk of choice – I like unsweetened vanilla almond milk (add an extra splash if you use GF flour)
1 small overripe banana
1 heaped tbsp sunflower seed butter (or other nut butter that your diet allows)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
3 tbsp aquafaba (liquid drained from a can of chick peas) OR 1 whole egg
vegan butter/butter/nut butter to serve

*If you haven’t made the Choc Protein Drink – then you can roughly replicate it with 1 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp coconut sugar and 2 tbsp almond or seed meal.

For a nut free/lunchbox safe version make sure you follow the nut free version of the Protein Drink mix

For a more chocolately version, replace the sunflower seed butter with some of my chocolate seed spread or choc hazelnut paste!

In a large bowl whisk together all of your dry ingredients (Speed 4, 10 seconds). Then set aside.

In a blender/food processor/bullet/thermal cooker, place the banana, milk, sunflower seed butter, vanilla, aquafaba/egg and blend until well combined (Speed 6, 10 seconds)

Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and whisk well to combine. (Speed 4, 10 seconds, scrape down and repeat).

Pour the batter into a hot, lightly greased frying pan, wait until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and cook until both sides are a deep golden brown.

Top with butter of choice and serve warm.

They freeze well too – I make double batches and freeze sandwich style with a filling in between for an easy, filling, low mess snack.

Enjoy 🙂

Date and carrot loaf (or muffins)

March 25, 2017March 25, 2017 ~ desertcook ~ 2 Comments

We have busy afternoons after school most days. Filled with activities for very boisterous, active kids! The parents at these activities are forever digging into their bags for goodies to fend off the cries of “I’m huuuuuungryyyyyy”. A while ago, a friend had date loaf for her kids to keep them going at Jujitsu (Hi Kylie!).

It inspired me to have a go at my own. I’d grown up with my Mum’s version, but these days I’m after less oil, sugar and refined ingredients …. and look for any excuse to hide bonus goodies. So these ones were created. Hope you enjoy them – they’re are like a cross between traditional date loaf and a carrot cake!

10 medjool dates
1 tsp bicarb soda
1tsp instant coffee (optional)
1 cup boiling water
2 medium carrots
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce*
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 1/4 cup wholemeal spelt/ rye flour
1/2 cup rolled oats/quinoa/desiccated coconut
1 rounded tsp GF baking powder
Pinch pink salt flakes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts OR 1/4 cup each roasted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

* To make my apple sauce I just core my apples and cut them into quarters (don’t peel – keep the benefit of the skin’s nutrients!) and steam them until soft with a little bit of water and a pinch of cinnamon and then blend or process until you reach the consistency you like. (Speed 2, Steam Temp for about 10-12 minutes, then turn off temperature and increase speed gradually up to 6). I make it in bulk and store it in reusable squeezy pouches in the freezer.

Remove and discard the seeds from the dates, then place them in a bowl, sprinkle over the coffee (if using) and bicarb soda and then pour over the boiling water. Set aside.

Use your processor to blitz the oats into a flour (Speed 6, 8 seconds) then set aside

Grate or process the carrot until fine (drop onto blades spinning on speed 5, then up to speed 6 for 8 seconds).

Add the apple sauce, vanilla and all of the date mixture to the processor and process until smooth and well combined (start on speed 4 then gradually work up to speed 6 for 15 seconds).

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oat flour, flour, baking powder, salt and seeds/nuts. If you haven’t used the coffee, an added teaspoon of cinnamon here.

Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and fold together until combined.

Spoon into a lined loaf tin or muffin holes. Place into a pre heated moderate oven, until well risen and golden. Takes about 25 minutes for the muffins or 50 minutes for the loaf.

Allow to cool. Makes about 14 muffins.

20170325_095356-1 — Toddler tick of approval – My cheeky boy as he pinches his 3rd one!!

If you want a sweeter more desserty kind of treat, you can top them with an icing made from whipped cream cheese (dairy or soy), sweetened with maple syrup and a pinch of cinnamon. A scattering of extra nuts or seeds on top is yummy too.

Enjoy 🙂

I haven’t made a coeliac friendly version of this one yet. I’d try 1 cup of a GF flour mix, and maybe have another tablespoon of flour to add in if it looks too thin. Let me know if you try!

Roasted pumpkin pastry rolls

March 22, 2017April 19, 2018 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Years ago, many years ago(!), when I was a poor uni student, there were a few things that sucked me right in at the campus cafes – $1 student guild coffee, $2 Coke zero and the vegetarian sausage rolls.

The Coke Zero addiction is well and truly beaten, the coffee … well …. let’s not go there! And as for the vegetarian sausage rolls – I’ve never seen another one like it after Graduation. I have seen vegetarian ones around but they are usually loaded with dairy and nuts and, since pastry doesn’t feature very often in our diets, I just haven’t considered them.

Recently, with my desire to add variety to our diets, but decrease our meat consumption, I’ve been playing around with a vegan and nut free version and I think we have a winner!

Obviously you need to use a puff pastry that suits your dietary needs, but if you need a mutli-allergy suitable pastry and live in WA you really, REALLY have to check out Busy Bees Gluten Free pastry (I buy from Weigh n Pay in Woodvale)! It is amazing! It comes in a long roll and it handles just like wheat based pastry. It is soft and easy to work with and even non GF people have been happy to eat it!

3 sheets puff pastry of choice (GF if required)
1 medium butternut pumpkin, peeled and seeds removed
400g tin chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp garlic olive oil
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp pink salt flakes
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
Optional – 1 large handful chopped spinach (frozen is fine)
Optional – add in a fist sized piece of diced sweet potato too

Dice the pumpkin and toss it in the olive oil. Place it in a lined baking tray and sprinkle with the rosemary and salt.

Place in a preheated 200C oven for about 45 minutes.

Add the chick peas to the pumpkin and mix in well to coat in oil. Return to oven for further 15 minutes.

Place pumpkin mix into a bowl, add in the rice and spinach (if using) and use a fork or potato masher to crush all the ingredients together. If you want a smoother mix, use your processor or thermal cooker to combine all of the ingredients (Speed 5, in 6 seconds bursts).

Cut the pastry sheets in half and divide the mixture up between the sheets.

I find it is best to place it in a line down the middle of the pastry.

Roll the pastry over the top of the mix to form long cylinders.

Lay on a greased baking tray with the join side facing down (helps the join to hold together as it puffs).

Cook in a preheated 200C oven until pastry is puffed and golden brown. (You can use a short burst under the top grill to get them extra golden and flaky). Takes about 30-35 mins in my oven.

They freeze well – just reheat in an oven, not a microwave otherwise you get soggy pastry.

Enjoy

Popeye pancakes

March 8, 2017March 8, 2017 ~ desertcook ~ 2 Comments

After the success of my Hulk muffins and with the continued abundance of spinach in my garden I thought I’d try my luck at making a super healthy green breakfast pancake.

Pancakes are a very regular breakfast in our house – I love that I can add in whole grains and great fats and protein to fill hungry tummies and power little brains for a busy day – my vanilla almond hotcakes are our standard so I thought I’d change those ones up a bit …. and cross my fingers 😉

These were incredibly well received …. to my surprise, Harry (my most avid green avoider!) ate 2 of then and then said “Hey! These are green! What did ya do to ’em?!”. I told him it was spinach and it’d make him strong like Popeye. He just shrugged and ate another 3!!!!!!! Ellie loved them so much that she has taken a couple of them to school for lunch, sandwiched together with a nice thick layer of Chocolate seed spread in the middle.

These are loaded with fibre, calcium, protein, iron, magnesium and more – What a win!!!!!

A few notes:

You’ll need a good blender/high powered processor/nutribullet/thermal cooking machine for this one.

This is a double sized batch – there’s just no point making single batches with my hungry hoards any more!!! I freeze the left overs in a zip lock bag and use them for morning tea. It makes about 45-50 pikelet sized – so go ahead and halve the recipe if you don’t need as many!

My kids are used to eating things with added spinach (even if they are not aware of it!!) so if this is a new idea for your kids, maybe start with 150-200g of spinach instead of the 250g I used.

250g fresh spinach
2 cup spelt flour (I did half wholemeal) OR 2 cups plain GF mix (I like half each Bob’s red mill all purpose and white wings)
1 cup rolled oats/rolled quinoa/desiccated coconut
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 very ripe banana
8 medjool dates, deseeded
1 cup boiling water
2 cups milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp fat (coconut oil melted/vegan butter/light tasting oil etc)
4 tsp GF baking powder
Pinch pink flaked salt
1 rounded tsp mixed spice.

Place the dates in a small bowl and cover them with the boiling water, and the vanilla, then set aside.

Place the oats and seeds into your blender/processor etc and process until you have a fine flour (Speed 7, 8 seconds, scrape and repeat).

Add in the spices, salt, baking powder and flour, then process again until evenly combined. The set the dry mix aside.

Into your processor tip the spinach, the dates and their water, the milk, your fat and the banana. Blend very well until the mixture is smooth. You may need to pulse and scrape down the sides of your processor a few times. You want the mixture to be very smooth – not to have stringy bit of spinach left in it!! If you’re using a Thermal cooker, start on speed 4 for about 8 seconds, the gradually work up to speed 8 for about 20 seconds. Then scrape down and repeat.

Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and use a whisk to combine well. (I found this double batch to be too heavy for my thermal cooker, but if you are using a single batch, then add the dry mix into the wet that is in the bowl and process on speed 4 for about 10 seconds, the crape down and repeat for another 6-8 seconds).

Look at that colour!

Pour the batter into a hot, lightly greased frying pan, wait until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and cook until both sides are golden brown.

Enjoy them warm or cold with your choice of topping.

20170308_072607-1 — Crazy babies! Harry has butter and a drizzle of honey and Ellie has Chocolate Seed spread

Chocolate Seed Spread

March 7, 2017 ~ desertcook ~ 4 Comments

My kiddos see their friends eating that famous store bought chocolate spread …. but since the first ingredient is refined sugar, followed by hydrogenated oil, it is not something I really want to feed them! So a couple of years ago I set about making a sweet hazelnutty choc spread of my own – and it has been a winner (you can find it here).

However, as it is based on hazelnuts, to care for those kids who are allergic, I don’t want to send it to school. So more recently I have made a seed based version – and the kids didn’t even tell the difference! So here’s my healthy and lunchbox friendly chocolate spread – hope you like it as much as we do!

1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 heaped tbsp cocoa (or 1 flat tbsp cacao)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 tsp flaked pink salt
160 mls boiling water
8 medjool dates (pick the big fat juicy ones!)
Optional: 1-2 tbsp maple syrup OR coconut sugar

Roast your seeds first. I did mine on a tray under the grill (and watched them very carefully!!!), they only take a few minutes.

While the seeds are roasting, seed the dates and cover them with the boiling water. Add the vanilla and salt to the water.

Process the seeds for 10 seconds on speed 10. (This will take longer in a food processor). Their oils release best while they’re hot so if you’ve bought roasted seeds, place them in a hot oven for a couple of minutes first).

Add in the cocoa and sugar (if you’re using it) here. Scrape down sides and use speed 6 in 45 seconds intervals, scraping down in between until you get a paste like consistency.

Add the date mixture, water and all, to the seed mixture and process again until well combined (Speed 4 for 10 seconds in the gradually increase to speed 7 for 15 seconds, scrape and repeat until mixture is smooth and very well combines). Add maple syrup at the same time (if you are using it) as the date mixture.

Make sure any little helpers get to ‘clean’ the bowl!

Store in a clean, airtight glass jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Enjoy 🙂

Incredible Hulk (Spinach) Muffins

February 15, 2017December 15, 2019 ~ desertcook ~ 4 Comments

My boys are big on ‘getting muscles’ at the moment and my little miss is loving her gymnastics classes and is also very keen to get “super strong and even gooder” than she is now 😉 … I’d like to think they’re aiming to be like their mum …. but really I know that there is just a bit of uncle worship happening and they want to be super buff like him!! Oh well, if they are keen to eat healthy and exercise, I’m all for it!!

These were created to use up the serious mass of spinach we currently have in our garden. I wanted to make them a muffin that was a bit sweet but packed in a punch for great energy. And one that looked a little different to try and push them to eat some new things…. Normally, except for the big one, they’re not huge fans of ‘green stuff’.

I ‘hide’ veg in a lot of things, but this, well, this wasn’t hidden at all!!! I took one look at the colour of the batter and knew I was going to have to sell it well if I wanted them to taste – it’s all about the marketing!! So … Incredible Hulk muffins it is. “Probably best not to eat these guys. They’re just for Mummy. You’ll get too too strong if you eat them” ….. queue 4 children digging in … my fussiest eater polished off 4 of them and asked for them in her lunchbox!!!

They are sweet and fragrant, a fabulous breakfast or a great afternoon pick-me-up and they’re quick to whip up … you just need your blender/processor. Hope you like them too!

3 tbsp of aquafaba OR 1 whole egg OR 1 flax egg
1 1/2 cups spelt/rye flour – we do half wholemeal
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup almond/seed meal
1.5 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp bi carb soda
good pinch salt flakes
100g fresh spinach (you can use frozen but you won’t get the vibrant colour)
8 medjool dates OR 1/2 cup honey/maple syrup/coconut sugar
3/4 cup milk of choice (I love unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 medium banana, overripe
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
half a medium avocado, very ripe (OR 2 tbsp butter of choice)

If you’re using a flax egg – Start by mixing together your flax meal and water, then set aside.

Blitz the oats until they are fairly fine (Speed 6, 6 sec)

Mix together all dry ingredients and use a whisk to evenly combine.

Soften the dates for about 8 seconds in the microwave or cover in boiling water for 1 minutes and then drain.

In your blender/processor/thermal appliance, place the spinach, softened dates, avocado, banana, milk and vanilla and then blend until smooth – and bright green! (Speed 6, 10 seconds, scrape down and use Speed 7 for 8 seconds) Add the egg (or substitute) here and blend quickly until combined (Speed 5, 6 seconds)

Pour the wet mix into the dry and fold through until just combined (Speed 4, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat if required)

Pour into greased muffin tins and place into a preheated moderate oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the are well risen and the top springs back to a light touch.