It was a Monday night and I was caught out for dinner because I hadn’t had a chance to meal plan on the weekend and my husband and I couldn’t figure out what we wanted for dinner.

All we knew is that we wanted something light but tasty and my mind wandered to all the things I felt would tantalise my tastebuds and we were rewarded with this simple, fresh, vegetarian pasta dish which served as leftovers in the kids lunch boxes the next day and went down a treat.

Tip: While you’re cooking the pasta get started on the other bits and you’ll have dinner on the table in under 15 minutes.

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration take a look at my ebook, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes.

It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved and take the guess work out of what delicious, healthy food to make your kids for lunch!

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Pasta
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper

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Simple Zucchini, Pea, Mint and Ricotta Pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 6

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 500 grams pasta, whatever type you like
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 medium size zucchinis, cut in half lengthways and finely chopped into half discs
• 350 grams fresh ricotta
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice, to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• sea salt or river salt and black pepper
• parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)
• handful greens like baby spinach and rocket to serve

Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet.
• Add the peas to the pasta pot for the last three minutes of the cooking time. Drain and rinse with cold water once cooked.
• In the meantime, heat oil in a large pan and gently saute garlic for a minute. Add zucchini and cook for another minute or so.
• Add drained pasta and peas, lemon zest, lemon juice and mint leaves and toss well to combine.
• Crumble over the fresh ricotta and season with salt and freshly ground pepper and gently stir through.
• To serve stir through baby spinach and/or rocket and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and chilli flakes if you like.

Other easy light and fresh recipes you might like are…

Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Rice Salad

San Choy Bow

Garlic Prawn and Pea Spagetti

Fresh and Raw Zucchini Noodle Salad

This recipe was born out of my craving for mushrooms and something earthy, hearty and comforting.

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Mushroom and Brown Lentil Rice

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 500 grams mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 tspn dried thyme or sage
• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 450gm tin brown lentils
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter optional
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and saute until cooked and translucent, stirring frequently, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a further 2 minutes.
• Stir in mushrooms and thyme or sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5-6 minutes.
• Stir in rice, lentils, salt and pepper and broth. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to a very low heat and gently simmer until rice is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in butter and allow to melt.
• Remove from heat, stir in parsley and serve.

Do you love mushrooms too?

If you make this recipe and share on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook.

Other rice based dinner recipes you might like are Middle Eastern Lentils and Rice (Mjaddra) and Garlic Prawns and Coconut Rice and Spicy Pork and Vegetable Nasi Goreng or Easy Paella.

I had to think quick and get creative before guns were a-blazing.

With some leftover chicken in the fridge and a couple tins of black beans in the cupboard, I saw a way of pleasing all the people and the idea for Tex Mex Burrito Bowl was born.

By simply throwing together a bunch of yummy things into a bowl, this dinner was an instant hit and you should see the smiles on the kids faces when they hear it’s Tex Mex Burrito Bowls for dinner. Sometimes feeding the family is just all about simple, fresh ideas.

These Tex-Mex bowls are fun, filling and delicious and can be served hot or cold, so it’s a great one to prepare ahead.

The Tex Mex Burrito Bowl is also a great example of packing as much nutrition into one delicious meal as possible. Here’s are the ingredients which help to upgrade this dinner into a powerhouse of goodness:

Bone Broth

In this case chicken broth is added to cooking the bean mix and is used to cook the rice in too.

Bone broth is loaded with nutrients that many people lack, and in a form our bodies can easily absorb and use like calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals, like silicon and other trace minerals, amino acids like proline, glycine, and glutamine (which have anti-inflammatory effects).

• It’s exceptionally healing for your gut,
• It treats leaky gut syndrome
• Helps to overcome food intolerances and allergies
• Improves joint health
• Reduces cellulite
• Boosts immune system

The benefits are endless.

Garlic

Garlic is loaded with vitamins like B & C, and minerals like calcium, potassium, copper, manganese, and selenium.

It also contains the active ingredient, Allicin, which is released when the garlic clove is sliced or minced or chopped. To take full advantage of the health benefits you should eat garlic within 1-2 hours of cutting into it. If you are going to cook chopped garlic let it sit for 15 minutes before cooking it. This allows for the allicin to be activated.

Allicin is anti bacterial, contains high levels of anti-oxidants, which helps to prevents cancer, has antimicrobiral properties so it’s great for skin, fights cold and flu symptoms. Lowers bad cholesterol and improves good cholesterol (HDL)

Kale

In terms of nutritional density, kale is virtually unparalleled among green leafy vegetables.

It’s got the highest level of protein out of all the vegetables.

Like beef, it also contains all nine essential amino acids needed to form the proteins within the human body, plus nine other non-essential ones.

It contains omega-3s in a beneficial ratio to omega-6, and is really rich in vitamins A, C, and K1.

It’s loaded with minerals including more calcium per gram than whole milk, and in a more bioavailable form.

Black Beans

They’re packed with protein and iron, they’ve got crucial minerals like copper, manganese, thiamine, phosphorus, and magnesium. So if you don’t use these in your Mexican dishes already, try to scatter them through.

Dulse flakes –which is a sea vegetable that has a strong umami flavour

 In many cases, seaweed is even more nutritious than vegetables from the land. Dulse, rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. High in iodine which is a mineral that is used to make thyroid hormones, make efficient metabolism. It’s also crucial for breasts, skin, brain, stomach, salivary glands.

By seeking out a supplier with high standards and ethics, you’ll receive a true superfood without any risks of contamination or environmental harms.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil is an essential fatty acids which provides the basic building blocks of fats and they have many roles within the body and they play a critical role in supporting your child’s physical, emotional and mental growth. They’re the fats that we can only get from our food, namely Omega 3 (which is the primary fatty acid found in the brain and Omega 6 (helps to support a healthy immune system). They help to …

• Promote heart health
• Protect your brain
• Fight depression
• Relieve inflammation
• Reduce joint pain

They are so important when we’re talking child development and in many of the nutritional diseases that arise later in life.

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Tinned Black Beans
Basmati Rice
Cumin Powder
Chilli Powder
Passata
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

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Tex Mex Burrito Bowl

A fun and filling family friendly dinner the whole family will enjoy.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 5

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• Splash of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning or a mix of cumin paprika and chilli powder
• Two big handfuls chopped kale
• 2 x tins black beans
• 1 cup tomato passata optional: add if you know your kid prefers their Mexican with a tomato base
• ½ cup of homemade bone broth I used chicken broth
• Handful fresh coriander leaves chopped
• Squeeze of lime juice
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 corn on the cob steamed and kernels sliced off
• 1 avocado smashed up with lime juice
• 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
• Sour cream to serve
• Cucumber lettuce and tomatoes, chopped
• Leftover roast chicken optional
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Extra lime for serving.

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a big pan on low heat and saute the onion for five minutes
• Add the garlic and kale and saute for a couple of minutes, then add the Mexican spices and saute for another minute
• Stir through the black beans
• Add chicken broth and passatta if using
• Stir and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes
• Assemble the plate with rice, bean mix, chicken if using, chopped lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, corn kernels, avocado smash, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of grated cheese
• Drizzle the lot with olive oil and a good squeeze of lime

If you make this recipe let me know if your family loves it as much as we do, and please take photos and send them to me, or if you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek

You might also like these other family-friendly dinner ideas Potato and Zucchini Slice or Chicken Leek and Mushroom Pie

Bren x

As it’s his favourite recipe from the book, we thought we would share it with everyone.

I kept his love of bold, punchy flavours in mind and I was absolutely bang on cause he LOVES this recipe!! Even my capsicum/coriander-sceptic (to put it mildly) daughter gobbles them up (what a relief to get all those extra veges into her!).

The best part is that they make a versatile breakfast (#thinkoutsidethecerealbox) lunch or dinner option.

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HEARTY BLACK BEAN AND SWEET CORN QUESADILLA

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 tin of black beans or you could kidney beans or a mix
• Juice of half a small lime
• Pinch of sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chilli flakes or powder optional
• Quarter of a small red onion finely chopped
• Half a large corn on the cob kernels sliced off
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander finely chopped
• Quarter of a large red capsicum finely chopped
• Half a zucchini finely chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 5-6 Mountain Bread Wraps
• Sour cream
• Avocado roughly mashed with a squeeze of lemon or lime

Instructions

• Drain and rinse the black beans.
• Place the black beans in a large bowl and lightly crush with the back of a fork so some of the beans split open.
• Squeeze in the lime juice, adding salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chilli flakes and stir.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
• Heat a frying pan on medium heat.
• Place half a cup of the mix into the middle of a Mountain Bread wrap.
• Fold long side over, followed by short side, then long side then short side to make a package or pouch.
• Place folded side down into the frying pan and cook until lightly golden browned and crispy and cheese has melted.
• Using a spatula carefully flip the quesadilla and cook the other side until lightly golden brown.
• Either serve whole or cut into triangles and serve with a side of sour cream and/or guacamole.

Notes

We used Eden brand beans because they have been soaked overnight and thoroughly cooked to make them more digestible. They are additive free, and the cans are bisphenol-A (BPA) free. Winning!

If you’re looking for some lunch inspiration, take a look at my recipe ebook, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes. It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

Bren x

It seems like there’s nothing in the fridge or in the pantry, and there are some hungry family members wandering aimlessly about, moaning like the zombie apocolypse has begun.

Before they reach the salt and pepper and start to season me, or before my head combusts from jibberish overload*, quick thinking is required to restore balance to the household.

* they’re not that bad, honest!

Mums understand the old adage that necessity is the mother of all invention quite well, but it always helps to have some leftovers to really get the creative juices flowing.

A couple of weeks ago I had some leftover spelt pasta in the fridge that needed eating. Combining it with a few regular fridge staples, a hearty, delicious dinner was served with super-nutritious eggs, the hero of the dish. The family was fed, I was saved from the wrath of the living dead, and we could all approach witching hour with the tiny morsel of knowledge that at least our bellies were full and satisfied 🙂

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Spelt pasta
Chicken stock
Nutmeg
Basil/Parsley

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Healthy Vegetarian Pasta Bake

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 150 gms spelt pasta shapes or gluten-free pasta, cooked al dente
• 6 pastured or organic eggs
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock optional boost of nutrition for the non vegetarians
• 150 grams baby spinach chopped
• 1/2 grated cheddar cheese
• 150 g feta
• 2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs I used basil & parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius
• Grease a pie dish with butter and scatter pasta in dish
• Melt butter or ghee in frying pan and gently saute garlic on low heat for a minute
• Throw in baby spinach and lightly saute for for an extra minute. Turn heat off.
• Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl then add the cream, stock (if using), herbs, nutmeg, garlic and spinach mixture and cheese and combine well
• Pour the mixture over the pasta and crumble the feta over the top
• Bake for approx 30 minutes
• Make sure the eggs are set and the feta is slightly browned. If you need to, place dish back in oven for a further 5-10 minutes.

Notes

Serve with a big garden salad.
The leftovers are perfect when warmed up, placed in a thermos and sent to school the next day. It's always a great idea to make extra for lunchboxes and my kids loved it in theirs!

If you make this recipe and share on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek.

Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook.

Some other delicious dinner recipes you might like are Garlic Prawns and Coconut Rice and Healthy Lasagna.

I took advantage of the cool change the other day and snuck in a wintery meal which I’d been planning to make, but hadn’t got around to – until now. Knowing that my opportunities would diminish as the summer really kicked in, now was my chance.

I pulled out my Thermomix Everyday Cookbook to make the Cauliflower Soup recipe, but found the recipe evolved right before my fingertips into a more nutrient-dense version that had my family licking the bowls! Memo to self: don’t take them out in public!

This soup is perfect for dinner or packed to take to work or school for lunch.

I’m often asked how to keep the food hot until lunchtime.

Well, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Boil the kettle and then pour the water into the thermoses, be sure to pop the lids on
2. Heat up the food
3. Pour out the hot water  add the warmed up food into the container,  then pop the lid on immediately.

Here are my fave insulated jars which have lasted me years:

Lunchbots Insulated Stainless Steel Container 470ml 16oz
In these containers I pack soups, pastas, any hot meals and also cold salads.

Goodbyn Insulated Food Jar 12oz 350ml – Blue
I like this smaller size option to keep things cool like yoghurt, granola and fruit, overnight oats or to keep things warm like the chicken nuggets or smaller serves of things like soup, stew, pasta.

If you’re looking for more lunch inspiration, take a look at my recipe ebook, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes. It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

There’s even a delicious recipe for Kale and Cannelleni Bean Minestrone which my kids love taking to school in their insulated container.

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Chicken stock
Salt
Nutmeg

So I’m excited to say this is my first (adapted!) Thermomix recipe, but an easy one to make the conventional way too.

Here’s how to make it both ways:

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Cauliflower and Potato Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 30 g parmesan cut into cubes (optional)
• 600 g chicken stock I used home-made for all it's benefits or 300mls chicken stock and 300mls water
• 600 g cauliflower cut into small florets
• 3 medium potatoes diced
• sea salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/4 cup cream
• pinch of nutmeg

Instructions

• Place parmesan into mixing bowl and grate 10sec/speed 9. Set aside.
• Place stock/water, cauliflower, potato and salt into mixing bowl and cook 15min/100 degrees C/speed 1
• Add butter and cook 5 min/100 degrees/speed 1
• and Blend 1 min/speed 9, gradually increasing speed from speed 1 to speed 9
• Add parmesan and cream and blend for 10 sec

Notes

CONVENTIONAL INSTRUCTIONS
Grate 30g parmesan. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan and add cauliflower and potato and sweat with lid on for  10 minutes. 
Add stock and salt and bring to boil.
Simmer with lid on for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Pour contents into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

If you know someone who could use some inspo in the kitchen, please share this recipe with them.

And if you make any of my recipes please take photos and send them to me, or if you share them on Facebook or instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. I get a total kick out of seeing you make my recipes!

For more nourishing and soothing recipes, check out my soup round up, 7 Soup Recipes To Soothe the Soul.

Bren x