Dessert cups

I put together these dessert cups using Pura Veda coconut yogurt and a few things lying around the kitchen. A clean, tasty and of course healthy dessert that the kids (and adults!) can have anytime.

Simply layer:

Banana,

Coconut yogurt,

Chia seeds,

Strawberry,

Maple syrup,

Shredded coconut,

In that order,

And top with a cherry.

You can prepare these ahead of time, and the banana won't go brown, as long as it is under the coconut yogurt. 

Lx

Some of my favourite safe products

Becoming additive free can be really daunting. I know that when I realised that we would become an additive free household, I stood back and looked at my pantry- feeling overwhelmed. Where would I start? 

I threw everything that had additives in the bin. I didn't even question it. The products, no matter how expensive, tasty, or useful had become a poison that was killing our son. 

Drastic? Maybe. But if you knew what we had been through with our son, then you would do it too. But really, should we be throwing our money at companies that put this crap in our foods, and then market them to our kids? I'd much rather support a company that has wholesome foods, even if it does cost more.

So below I have taken a quick series of photos of random products in my pantry that are additive free. As I find more great products, I will create new posts.

I'm also very interested in knowing about the great products that you have found. There is nothing better than a recommendation from a friend!

Jam. Good ol' raspry jam. You can get this from Aldi. 

Kidney beans and pears in juice. A great base for meals. These are also Aldi.

Fruit wise fruit straps, these are from Woollies, and only cost $5 for 10.

Rice crumbs. Next time you go to the shops pick up the "ordinary" bread crumbs and read the ingredients. It's like a novel. A novel written in another language. By a dyslexic author. These are from Coles or Woollies. 

Coconut water is great for smoothies and an alternative to juice for the kids. The natural sweetness means that you don't have to add a sweetener to your smoothie. This brand is available at Aldi, and is about half the price of coconut water anywhere else. 

Pure maple syrup, well this is really a no- brainer. It's so delicious. We have it everyday on our oats with a spoon of butter and some rice milk. You can buy pure maple syrup anywhere, but the cheapest is from Aldi.

Thickened coconut cream. I just discovered this in Woolies. I haven't used it in anything yet, other than my infant daughter's apple purée. I can't wait to try it on pancakes with jam. 

BBQ sauce. Of course, when you become additive free the first thing you throw out is all of your sauces. Which is a shame, because who doesn't love sauce? This BBQ sauce has a really lovely natural flavour, that is different to what I am used to, but I am really enjoying it. I have been using this in my cooking to add flavour. You can get this at Woolies or Coles.

The peanut butter is from Aldi and the soy sauce is from Woolies/Coles. Make sure you purchase the Naturally Brewed soy sauce. 

Our kids don't have cordial, but my husband and I love to have something sweet to drink from time to time (we don't have soft-drinks in the house), but the only cordial that I have been able to find without Aspartame has been Ribena. Until now. Not only is this lovely cordial aspartame free, but it is also additive free. It is sweetened with stevia, which I find has a strange aftertaste, but I am getting used to it. I got this from Woolies.

Well, there is my quick little pantry run around. I hope that you find this useful. Please let me know how your additive free journey is going, or for any blog requests!

Lx

Weetbix Slice

I made a weetbix slice this week, and the kids loved it, and friends are now asking me (little ol' me!) for the recipe, so here is it. 

Ingredients:

100g butter

1 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup rice malt syrup

A handful of chia seeds

A handful of shredded coconut

2 weetbix, crushed

3/4 cup sultanas

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup self raising flour

Extra almond milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 170'c. Line a square cake tin with baking paper.

Place the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly. 

Combine the remaining ingredients, except the almond milk, in a large bowl. Add the butter mixture and combine. If the mixture is too dry, add a little bit of almond milk until it is wet enough. 

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the surface. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside in the pan for 30 minutes to cool completely before cutting into slices. 

Hearty family pie

I have been a bit quiet lately. Things have been going down at home- child number 3, Henry, has proven to be intolerant to many preservatives, and nasty additives (such as msg). So, our house has had a big haul out of the pantry, and everything has been replaced with "safe" foods. 

These things are pretty nasty, for anyone, and so, when we experimented with H (who has had issues for a while now, but we couldn't figure out why/what) we also decided to experiment with the other kids. Who knew that my daughter, 5, Rosie, would immediately stop her daily oppositional, monstrous, defiant tantrums, and turn into a beautiful, caring, polite and compliant angel? Who knew that Georg, 4, who only seemed to know the language of whinging, and was always tired, to the point where he would beg (yes, beg) to go to bed at 5pm, suddenly become ummm, 'normal'? 

So, the benefits are amazing, and now friends are also experimenting with their kids, and noticing similar changes, they are more polite, they can play for longer periods, houses are quieter, families are happier... And so on. 

Our kitchen has been turned upside down, and so now I have had to change how I cook (no more fake meats), and what I cook with. Slowly I am figuring it out, and luckily tonight I cooked something that was a hit with the family. The ingredients that I list are all "additive free", which is really just a term for nasty additive free. There are about 60 or so to avoid, if you want some more information, please feel free to email me at Leesa@Cosentino.com.au.

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 small/ medium onions, diced

Dash of olive oil

A cup of mushroom, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 smallish eggplant diced 

About 3 tablespoons of Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce

About 1 tablespoon of homemade veg stock paste (if you don't have this, then just add a little more of the other sauces/flavours)

About 1 cup of Cambell's liquid vegetable stock

About 1 tablespoon of Masterfood's traditional BBQ sauce

2 cans of kidney beans, drained and mashed

2 sheets of Pampas Puff Pastry

Method:

Heat oven to 180'c.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan ( I use my Dutch oven), and sautée the onion and garlic until just soft, then add the mushrooms, continuing to sautée, and the add the eggplant, carrot, and soy sauce until eggplant becomes mushy. When the mixture becomes dry add the BBQ sauce, and homemade veg stock, and a couple of dashes of the liquid stock. Stir until the mixture dries out again, and then add some more stock. Repeat this process until the veges are soft and cooked. The amount of liquid stock you use is up to you, I used about a cup. 

Turn off the heat, and add the mashed kidney beans, and stir to combine. 

Line a pie dish with the pastry, pop in the mixture and add another sheet of party to make a pie. Using a knife cut a big V (for vegan if course!) into the centre of the pie to allow any steam to escape, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is crispy and golden. 

This pie should be hearty, and very tasty, with a meaty flavour. 

Enjoy.

Whoops Soup

Last night I accidentally made one of the best soups I have ever tasted. It was just divine.

I was doing that thing you do when you really need to go grocery shopping, but can't find the time, so you clean out everything in your fridge, and try to make something edible with it.

I had some celery and a can of tomatoes.

Hmm.

The beginnings of Minestrone maybe? Ok, lets give this a go. Whats the worst that could happen?

Well, it turned out delicious! Please try this next time you want something warm and nourishing.

Whoops soup.

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 litre of veg stock (I like Cambell's liquid stock)
About a cup full of celery, sliced
A dash of soy sauce (Kikkoman Naturally Brewed)
1 can of crushed tomatoes
about a handful of soup pasta

Sautee the onion and garlic in a heavy pot until soft. Add the stock, and when it starts to boil add the celery, soy sauce, tomatoes and pasta. Continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked.

Croutons.

Ingredients:
Sliced wholemeal bread (not fresh if possible)
olive oil
Italian herbs
Garlic powder

Put the oven onto 180 Degrees. Dice the bread, and place into a salad bowl, drizzle oil, and sprinkle herbs and garlic powder on top. Cover the bowl with cling wrap, and shake the croutons. If you want, repeat the process. Place onto an oven tray and bake until golden brown - about ten minutes.

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.