Crispy BBQ Chicken Pizza

Yep, that's right- Crispy BBQ Chicken pizza...

Crispy BBQ Chicken pizza...

Crispy BBQ Chicken pizza...

Crispy BBQ Chicken pizza...

Crispy BBQ Chicken pizza...

Crispy BBQ Chicken pizza...

It was even more delicious than it looks... Even better heated up the next day!

To make:

Pizza bases,

Tomato paste,

BBQ sauce,

Pineapple pieces,

Bio life cheese,

And mushroom (optional- not pictured)

For the chicken pieces:

You will find these in your local Asian grocer, you can get any vegan crispy chicken.

To prepare for the pizza, just fry it until crispy, cutting the pieces in half if they are too big.

Slap it all together, chuck it in the oven and ENJOY!!!

Mexican Bolognese

As I write this I am sitting on the couch at my In-laws' beach house, with my sick 2 year old cuddling me. It really doesn't get much better than this! 

And here is my view

It has been a long while since my last post- I had baby number four in February, a girl called Minnie, and things have been a little bit busy since then! 

As things get easier I will be able to post more- and have I got some good recipes to post! 

Today's recipe is a super easy bolognese, with Mexican flavours- not a sprinkle of oregano in sight!

I get my burrito seasoning from the burrito kits in Aldi. I use the salsa for burgers, the tortillas for Mexican wraps, and the seasoning on anything, really. I use barely any, so one packet lasts me a couple of recipes.

Ingredients;

1 pack Linda McCartney's mince

1  large onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 large carrot, grated

2 cans crushed tomatoes

8 button mushrooms diced

2 cups (roughly) of veg stock

Burrito seasoning to taste (I used about 1 tbsp)

Sea salt to taste 

1-2 packs of your favourite pasta, depending on how many people you are feeding. The bolognese will feed about 6 people, possibly with leftovers. 

Method:

Boil a large pot of water for the pasta, meanwhile-

Pour a small amount of stock in a large pan, add onion and garlic, and sauté until onion is soft, and mushrooms and carrot and a splash more of the stock and sauté  for about 5 minutes. 

Add pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente.

Add the mince, tomatoes, seasoning, and remaining stock to the pan and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly, and adding more stock if the mixture dries out. 

Pour bolognese over cooked pasta and serve immediately. 

Perfectly Cooked Quinoa

A huge shout out to my good friend Gwyneth Paltrow for this recipe...

Here is a photo of her on one of our coffee mornings (decaf, soy, of course) in Venice.

1 cup of quinoa

1 3/4 cups of water

Coarse sea salt

Rinse the quinoa thou roughly in a fine mesh strainer (although this may sound like an unnecessary step, it really makes a huge difference in flavour, since quinoa's natural coating tastes like soap).

Place it in a pot set over high heat with the water and a pinch of salt. Bring the quinoa to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa's germs look like lots of little spirals, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat off, place a dry paper towel between the pot and the lid and let the quinoa sit for at least 5 minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork.

Shallow fried vegetable fritters

This week I have learnt a valuable lesson in feeding my family, particularly my husband, vegetables; SHALLOW FRYING!!!! 

Anything, rolled into a ball and shallow fried WILL BE EATEN!!! 

Quinoa and veg fritters.

These ones have mushroom and asparagus, but you could substitute any vegetables. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked quinoa - you can refer to my perfectly cooked quinoa post 

1 onion, finely chopped (the smaller the better) 

Almost one cup of chopped veges (again, the smaller, the better)

3/4 cup spelt flour

Some sea salt (how much you put in is up to you, I put about 5 shakes of my grinder. You can add more if you are cooking for adults, less if cooking for kids)

About 1/4 cup of almond milk- this amount may vary, depending on your mixture

The juice of half a lemon

Oil for frying

Method:

Mix the quinoa, onion, veges, flour and salt in a large bowl until the mixture is consistent.

Add the lemon juice and milk, a small amount at a time, and mix with your hands, until the consistency is thick and moist when you squeeze it in your hand. If the mixture is too runny, add some more flour.

Roll into balls, footballs, patties, fritters, or shape you like, cover, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Heat up some oil in a pan, and add your fritters. Turn over after a few minutes, the cooked side should be quite solid, and golden brown.

When both sides are cooked, (it should take about 8 minutes, depending on the size) place on some paper towel and allow to cool slightly. This is the hard part! 

Enjoy by themselves, or with a sauce, we love it with soy sauce, or tomato sauce (ok, it wasn't my most creative moment- I was hungry ok?) you could experiment with any sauce though.

These can be kept in the fridge for a few days, in a container wrapped loosely in paper towel, but I can assure you, that unless you make a double batch, there won't be any left overs! 

People are actually reading my blog!

Wow, I never actually thought it would happen to me, I am almost treating this blog as my own favourites recipe book- do you remember the one your grandma had, with magazine cut outs, handwritten recipes, notes, and looked about a million years old? Well, this is the modern version! 

Being 6 weeks off having a baby, I don't have much energy for much really, but I think I had better give you my latest favourite meal.

Sun-dried tomato Alfredo fettuccine, or as my son calls it:

The Best Pasta in Town! 

This is not my recipe, I wish it was, though! 

I put a cup of vegetable broth, as I found it was too thick, and I don't put the basil leaves in - kids don't generally like whole basil leaves. 

My tip for making a great meal in only half an hour for the whole family- start soaking the cashews, boil the water for the pasta, and whilst waiting for the pasta to cook and cashews to soak, add all of the ingredients into your blender (or if you are lucky, thermomix). Your cashews and pasta will be ready at the same time. Blend, and add to the pasta- and you are ready to go! 

My husband loves this, as well as my mum, brother and mother in law. So far, 100% of people that have tried it love it! 

Let me know what you think! 

Just an ordinary dinner...

This is what I would consider an ordinary dinner for my kids. 

The asparagus is fried in some nuttelex, as is the tofu, after I coat it in cornflour. 

The sauce for dipping is Japanese Teriyaki. 

Most nights they are happy with what they are presented with! 

I always give the kids a dessert after dinner, but a kind of healthy dessert. 

Tonight I have made a yogurt mix:

 Banana, muesli, goji berries and a seed mix, mixed with vanilla yogurt.

It's simple, easy to prepare, delicious, and good for them. Ticks all my boxes! 

20 Minute Cheat's Risotto

This risotto has pumpkin and peas, but you could also use sweet potato, spinach, or anything else similar. I usually ask my kids to choose a vegetable each, and then they feel that they have contributed!

The cheat to this recipe pre-cooking the rice in your rice cooker, you can use any rice, and really, any amount. A huge shout out to my sister in law, Jilda who first gave me the idea. 

Whilst the rice is cooking, boil, in a large saucepan, chopped pumpkin, peas, and an onion. As these are cooking, add vegetable stock, mustard and curry powder, and a little pepper if you wish. 

Just as the veges are almost cooked, add the rice. You will probably need to add more water as you allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Done! 

It is so quick, and a lovely, and healthy meal that the kids love!