With my ‘planning ahead’ hat on, I thought about all the ways we could get more than just a meal out of them that day. I didn’t really have to think that hard either! Because of their size, they are perfectly suited for the kids’ school lunchboxes. And because they’re ready to go, they save oodles of time in the morning helter skelter. Or, you could simply heat up some of your stash for a quick heat-it-up-dinner with a scrummy salad for the kids if you’ve made plans to be out with friends (as I did that week!).

After a long Sunday of work, chores and cooking, I was incredibly grateful when the kids eagerly jumped up to take over the cutting of the pastry rounds, scooping the meat into the pastry, glazing with the egg wash, and sprinkling with sesame seeds. I was even more relieved when they gave the finished product the double thumbs up! (I’m always a nervous wreck waiting for their ratings!)

Because the pies are so little, they are a little time consuming to make, so I highly recommend making them as a school holiday activity and getting the kids involved in helping out. There are so many benefits to getting the kids in the kitchen, and it’s such a lovely way to connect with them too. You could also just make them into the bigger sized pies for a heartier meal or I’ve been known just to pop some pastry into a dish, fill it up with the meat mixture, top it with pastry and shove it in the oven!

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:

Oregano
Cayenne pepper
Curry powder
Tomato paste
Tamari
Salt and pepper
Spelt flour
Milk
Sesame seeds

Print

Mini Meat Pies

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 brown onion finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot finely chopped
• 1 small zucchini finely chopped
• 5 mushrooms finely chopped
• 400 gms beef mince
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 heaped teaspoon curry powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon spelt flour
• 3 - 4 sheets butter puff pastry
• 1 egg
• splash of milk
• Sesame or poppy seeds

Instructions

• Gently cook onions in the butter in a large frying pan. Add garlic after a couple minutes and saute for a minute.
• Add the carrots and continue to cook until soft, then add zucchini and mushrooms and cook for a further couple of minutes.
• Add the beef and cook until it is well browned, then add the oregano, cayenne pepper and curry powder and saute for 1 minute.
• Stir through tomato paste, tamari, salt and pepper and then add the beef stock and simmer for a few minutes.
• Add the spelt flour, mixing well, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
• Grease 2 x 12 hole muffin tins.
• Whisk together the egg and splash of milk.
• Using a cookie cutter or empty glass jar, and while the pastry is still cold but malleable, cut out circles to fit into the muffin holes and for lids (noting I stretched out the pastry circles a little further with my hands for the bottom of the muffin holes).
• Spoon in approximately two tablespoons of mince mixture into each hole (be careful not to overfill) then top with the lid and press sides down gently to seal the pie.
• Brush the top of each pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.
• Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Here’s my boy having fun helping out while my daughter continued cutting out rounds…then they swapped roles for the second batch.

Do you have any plans to cook with your kids these school holidays? What are you going to make? Check out the recipes on my blog for some easy and fun dishes you can create!

Enjoy!

With all the goodness from the coconut oil and good quality eggs, and a bit of a pick-me-up with the cacao, and potassium and vitamins and minerals from the dates, I think these make a nice healthy lunchbox treat. Miss 8 has ordered hers with cream already!

I always hold my breath around the family taste test. After all, I’m using quality organic ingredients which are a bit of an investment, so there’s nothing worse than a recipe flop.

But this one got the family thumbs up, though apparently it’s more of a ‘Brownie Cake’ than a straight-out brownie.

It’s easy to make, lovely and moist, and is extra-delish served with fresh berries in season.

For more favourite healthy treats to create (and eat!) which are perfect for lunchboxes, my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes recipe ebook is proof of this with family faves like Coconut Rough Cookies, Muesli Biscuits, and Strawberry Chia Jam Drops, to name a few.

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:

Coconut Flour
Cacao Powder
Medjool Dates
Baking Powder
Coconut sugar or Rapadura sugar
Coconut oil
Coconut milk
Dark chocolate chips

Print

Brownie Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 2/3 cup Medjool dates chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar or rapadura sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unhomogenised milk or coconut milk if dairy free
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate-chips optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C
• Lightly grease a 20cm square tin and line with baking paper
• Process all the dry ingredients and dates in food processor or Thermomix
• Add wet ingredients and continue to process until just combined (don't overmix)
• Stir through dark choc-chips
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin lined with unbleached baking paper, and bake for 20 minutes or until set
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool before cutting into squares
• Enjoy plain or with cream and raspberries

Do you bake with coconut flour? I love using it for the occasional healthy treat, but you need to remember that it doesn’t behave like other flour in baking. A small amount of coconut flour sucks up lots of liquid very quickly!

I hope you enjoy my Brownie Cake recipe!

If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek.

Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life.

Some other healthy lunchbox treats you might like are Raspberry Coconut Squares and Orange and Poppyseed Bars.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! And by everyone, I mean Mums.

I’m never quite sure where the apostrophe goes in ‘Mother’s Day’. That’s true of most apostrophes, bothersome little things that they are, but is that the right place? Or is it ‘Mothers’ Day’, as in the collective noun that describes a hotbed/brilliance/sparkle of Mothers? Whatever the case, in this house it will be ‘Mother’s Day’ (there being only one, as far as I know), where my agenda will include lots of things that make life very simple … for me.

Specifically, I’m expecting:

– no responsibilites (I’m not here, I’m not here … unless you’re spoiling me)

– no decisions (which, granted, could go pear-shaped if history is a guide)

– a general smattering of spoiling by my family (so I hope you’re reading!)

– no apostrophes

– palm leaves and grapes (soaring too close to the sun?…)

– breakfast in bed (no, hubby, you’re not invited – get your apron on)

When I thought about brekky, it dawned on me (get it? get it?) that I had so many breakfast ideas on this little blog of mine, and I had quite forgotten how many. So, strap yourself in for a short compilation of some of my favourite brekkies. ‘Get your orders in early’ is my advice!

My latest and favourite is the Date and Walnut Muesli. It’s so totally simple that it can be prepared the night before in 5 minutes flat, even by males (well, 25 minutes and four days for them). It’s so full of goodness and it’s great to know that some of the ingredients are boosting my immune system. This is a great one for the kids if they want to do it themselves and serve to Mama with some extra yoghurt and fresh fruit.

I haven’t made my famous ‘Notella’ for a while, so bring it on so I can lather it onto some Spelt and Buckwheat pancakes, or some Sonoma Spelt Sourdough bread. It’s so simple to make in the food procerssor or Thermomix, I think the kids could handle this one on their own. Dad could help them out with a warming cup of chai tea to accompany. Mmmmmm!

But what if I’m feeling in more of a savoury mood? Well, cue my tasty Egg Muffins, which never let me down. I just hope the kids remember that I particularly love them wrapped in a piece of organic bacon, or they could ‘surprise. Perhaps a variation like spinach and ricotta! Just as long as they remember the cheese please (love the stuff!)

Any recipe that includes the words ‘coconut cream’ or ‘ginger ‘ automatically gets my vote. So a steaming bowl of my Coconut and Ginger Infused Rice Porridge would be a welcome breakfast in bed. So nourishing and grounding and made out of only properly prepared natural ingredients. Yum!

These Date and Cinnamon muffins are a cracker! With the gorgeous richness of dates and the warming sweetness of the cinnamon, it’s a match made in heaven! Plus with all the added benefits of vitamins and minerals and the cinnamons’s blood-stabilizing effects. These would be complemented beautifully with a steaming mug of hot chocolate made from my ‘Notella’ stirred into some hot milk. So indulgent, but still so healthy!

What’s your favourite Mother’s Day breakfast? I’d love to hear from you!

If you are interested in finding out my families top 10 breakfast recipes then sign up for a copy of my free breakfast ebook here.

Bren x

Here are the favourite ways we enjoy it…

• • • Serve with vegetable crudités and Mountain Bread Chips
    • Spoon over steamed green vegetables, fritters, chicken or fish
    • Use as a dressing on salad
    • Stir through pasta with some sustainable tuna and olives
    • Spread on some sourdough with some feta, tomato and rocket
    • Fold through scrambled eggs
    • Serve on baked potato

  If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, take a look at my lunchbox 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!

• 

  Print

  Lunch-box Friendly Pesto

  Prep Time 5 minutes

  Cook Time 5 minutes

  Total Time 10 minutes

  Author Brenda Janschek

  Ingredients

  • 4-5 healthy bunches of basil or a mix of greens coriander, parsley, baby spinach or rocket
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts or pepitas
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Good squeeze of lemon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  Instructions

  • Put all the ingredients except olive oil in food processor or thermomix and blend to form a paste. Add olive oil and blend to preferred consistency.
• If you make this recipe please do take photos and send them to me.If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life.

  And remember, if you haven’t already, grab your copy of Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes here.

  Here are is another dip recipe for you to enjoy, Roast Pumpkin Dip and a round up of some of my favourite dips here.

  Bren x

  • 

    Free Breakfast Recipe eBook

    As far as breakfast cereal goes, I always say, “you may as well eat the box’, it’s probably more nutritious than what’s inside! Here are 5 things to think about before you reach for the boxed cereal in the supermarket.

    Download Now

This recipe is not only lip smacking tasty, but it’s versatile enough to prepare for a family lunch, dinner, bbq or I used to roll it out when I ran my kids cooking classes, where even I was taken aback by the kids raving about how gorgeous the beans were ‘done this way’. One little girl looked at me accusingly and said suspiciously, “I don’t know how you’ve done it, but you’ve got me eating and liking broccoli.”So cute! Happy days!

I have to admit, we rarely eat tofu. I’m not a massive fan of it from a health perspective, but every now and then I like to change things up, so we went for an organic tofu (meaning not-GM). Tempeh would be a better choice,  as the process of fermenting reduces the anti-nutrients and creates a natural probiotic food. Using prawns is definitely my favourite!

But really, you can leave it out if you so desire, increase the seeds, add some cashews, or whatever you favourite protein may be.

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:

Udon noodles
Salt
Sunflower seeds/pumpkin seeds/sesame seeds
Coconut or rapadura sugar
Olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Tamari sauce
Sesame oil

Print

Asian-Style Vegetable and Noodle Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• Noodle Salad
• 300 g broccoli cut into small florets
• 150 g green beans halved
• 270 g organic udon noodles or kelp noodles if gluten free
• Coconut oil
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon ginger grated
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 cake firm organic tofu sliced thickly (or fried tempeh, seared sliced beef, sliced chicken or pork)
• 1/4 cup sunflower/ pumpkin seeds/sesame seeds I used a mix
• Optional: seeds can be dry roasted on frying pan to create a depth of flavour
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Lemon or lime wedges for serving
• Dressing
• 1 teaspoon coconut or rapadura sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 35 ml apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon tamari sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

• For noodle salad, boil a saucepan of water and blanche vegetables for 2 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
• Cook noodles according to packet in same water (full of alkaline goodness left from the veggies, strain and leave to cool.
• In a frypan, sauté the onion in a little coconut oil for a few minutes, add garlic, ginger and salt and continue cooking until onion is soft. Pour mixture into a bowl. Add more coconut oil to the frying pan and fry tofu, beef, chicken, pork or prawns until cooked
• For the dressing, In a jar combine all the dressing ingredients and shake well. Taste for seasoning.
• In a large bowl combine all the components and toss with dressing (use as much or as little dressing as you prefer) and serve with lemon or lime wedges.

If you make this please take photos and send them to me, or if you share them on instagram remember to tag me.

Other recipes you might like are Spicy Pork and Vegetable Nasi Goreng and Homemade Miso Ramen. 

Enjoy!

Brenda x

Last Saturday I had one of those days. I was unstoppable! Which is another way of saying I was in a snowball-like frenzy. Yes, we’ll mash anything in this house, whether it’s food or grammar! Anyway, while Master 10 and his dad were doing the cricket and golf run, Miss 7 and I had the kitchen production line set to 11, churning out a variety of beauties.

While I like to create my own recipes, I adore discovering, trialling and sharing recipes by other wellness mums. As a result, we had lots of nourishing goodies to see us through the week, which dramatically reduced the drama of ‘what should I cook today?’

Here’s what I made:

Nectarine sorbet

Thermie made this delicious icy treat with only 4 ingredients – nectarines, coconut sugar, egg white and ice cubes. We had it as a special after dinner treat over a few nights. Mr 10 is desperate for a mango version so I’ll get onto that this weekend.

Choc-Mint Fudge

This one was made specifically for the lunchboxes, but has been gobbled down by guests on two occasions for afternoon tea. I love the extra boost of nutrition with the addition of pepitas. Pepitas are full of goodness like magnesium, zinc and Omega 3’s.

The recipe is by Cut Out the Crap and you can find it here

Gluten-Free Banana bread

I am mindful of reducing the wheat and gluten load when cooking for my family, and this recipe by Alexx Stuart is a total gem. It’s the second time I’ve made it, but this time I included the ginger. The whole family enjoyed it toasted for breakfast with a side of cinnamon yoghurt and frozen berries.

Mayonnaise

This is the best recipe ever! Another thermomix recipe from the awesome Quirky Cooking. I didn’t add the shallots cause I didn’t have any, and raw shallots don’t really agree with me anyway. Also, I used a mix of Avocado, Macadamia and mild Olive Oil. We dolloped it over fried barramundi one night and chicken schnitzel the next and dipped our vegetables in it both nights. Mr 10 has requested some chicken schnitzel for his lunchbox and demonstrated the (huge) size of the container to be filled with mayonnaise to dip his schnitzel strips into!

Pizza

Thermomix sure got a work out today! Next on the list was pizza dough, which Thermie conjured in a flash. I use Quirky Cooking’s spelt flour pizza dough recipe. We made the dough for pizzas to have the following night and topped them with home-made pesto, lightly fried garlic, red onion and kale, fresh mushroom and goats cheese. And there were leftovers galore for the kids lunchboxes. Yipeee!

 

Huevos Rancheros and Vegetarian Nachos Sauce with Kidney Beans

I was exhausted by the end of the day, but had two hungry men heading home and Miss 7 starting to bug me about dinner. Somewhat ironically, I couldn’t think of a thing to make! A deep breath and a quick search later, and Quirky Cooking saves the day again. This recipe is sure to become a family staple, it took 10 minutes to make and hit the spot after a long, but productive, day in the kitchen.

I also had some brown rice soaking to cook the next day so I could make the kids some sushi rolls for their lunch boxes.

The next day I spent lazing about the beach and swimming in the ocean – it’s all about balance, after all!

Do you ever have the urge to cook all day? What do you like to make? I’d love to hear from you.

If you are keen to learn about how you can create nutritious real food lunchboxes and how to make some of my favourite lunchbox recipes, check out my next workshop here.

Bren x

For such an act of generosity, she dreamed up this sweet (yet savoury!), healthy (yet delicious!) cake as a tasty thank you.

To dress the cake, Julie used freshly harvested tumeric, which she acquired from both her green-thumb Mother, and Milkwood Permaculture Farm, where she was doing a course. I would never have thought of adding tumeric to a cake! But it makes sense when you think about the health benefits, and it adds the pizzazz that Julie is known for.

To introduce her cake, and introducing her cake instinct, here’s Julie:

“I made it with my cake instinct (no trademark, but you can use it), so please use your very own cake instinct when attempting to reproduce this uniquely flavoured and textured wonder.

I encourage using organic and biodynamic ingredients where possible. Whatever you can get your hands on, really. It’s open to experimentation!”

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.

Chocolate and Ginger Angel Mud Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups almond meal
1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
1 cup rapadura or coconut sugar
125 g melted butter
1 1/2 cups macadamia oil
6 or 7 eggs depending on the size
1 cup grated fresh ginger
1 cup cacao
1 tsp baking soda
a few tablespoons of milk to get the right consistency

Preparation:

Pre heat oven to 190 degrees C

Butter two cake tins and make two cakes (or you can make 1 large cake)

Bake for 40-45 mins for two cakes or approx an hour for 1 large cake ( you will know it’s ready when your kitchen smells like CAKE!!)

Test with a skewer

Let cool in tin then run knife round the edge and gently tip out onto wire rack

When totally cool scoop the caramel icing on, it should not be too runny and dress with the Crystallised Tumeric

Caramel Icing:

75g butter
1/4 cup rapadura or coconut sugar
2 tablespoon milk
Melt butter, add sugar and mix until dissolved. Add milk and mix until smooth, and to thicken, add a tablespoon or two of sifted spelt flour and stir out the lumps if any.

Crystallised Tumeric:

Pop a handful of peeled and grated fresh tumeric into a saucepan with a cup of sugar along with a wee bit of water and stir it up until it’s the consistency of jam.

Keep going until you are happy with the texture. Don’t let it dry out too much because its always good to retain a little bit of moisture. Dress the top of the cake with the Crytallised tumeric.

“Good luck everyone! Don’t forget to use your very own cake instinct and fiddle with the sweetness and consistency until you are confident. If it means using more or less oil, then don’t be afraid to adhere to the ‘more is better’ motto. Then again, ‘less is more’, as they say, so there you go – it’s fate, it’ll be perfect!

If you are using the best quality ingredients you are making actual food and not empty calorie confectionary.”

Happy Baking!

Bren x

I have great memories of hot summer days spent at the beach, running to the kiosk to grab a Split or Banana Paddle Pop. If only my mother knew what was in them!

There’s no need to deprive our kids completely, but be warned – most store-bought ice blocks are full of preservatives and refined sugars, and pose more of a health risk to them than a benefit. Sure, eating the occasional one is alright for our healthy kids, but the reality is that in summertime, our kids can easily hoover down more than one a day. That’s where the Zoku Quick Pop Maker comes in, where you can whip up your favourite healthy ice-blocks within minutes!

It has taken me some experimenting to figure out the Zoku and what will work (I can be daft like that). In the end, I opted for the ‘keep it simple, stupid’ approach and created a couple of recipes that cooled the kids down, provided a well-balanced snack, and tantalised their tastebuds all at once!

The other day my kids could not hide their disappointment when I brought out the old ice blocks that we had previously made in plastic moulds. They like to be involved in the spontaneity and magic of the Zoku – creating, mixing and pouring the mixture and watching it freeze before their eyes.

In only seven minutes you have an icy, delicious flavour explosion!

The recipes I created make a fruit-filled snack full of fibre, vitamins, good fats and protein (yoghurt, milk and little extras to boost the nutritional content of the ice blocks).

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.

Banana Choc-Honey, Mango Lime, Blueberry Smoothie, Mango Surprise!

Mango Lime

1 – 2 mango cheeks (to taste)
1 cup natural yoghurt
1/2 lime
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Blend all the ingredients, pop into fridge to chill, then pour into the Zoku

Miss 7 loved the mango suprise

Mango Surprise (variation of Mango Lime!)

Chop 1 mango cheek into small cubes
Blend yoghurt, lime and maple syrup
Drop 2-4 mango cubes into bottom of Zoku, pour over the yoghurt mixture and repeat until the top

Could they look any happier?!

Banana Choc-Honey

1 large banana (fresh or frozen)
1 cup milk (I use raw or unhomogenised)
1 tablespoon cacao
1-2 tablespoons raw honey

Blend all the ingredients , pop into the fridge to chill, then pour into the Zoku

Berry Smoothie

I used leftovers from the bluberry version of this recipe so just popped it in the Zoku. No waste and great taste!
Halve the recipe if you just want to make it specifically for the Zoku.

Thank you LimeTreeKids for sending me the Zoku, we plan to have lots of fun beating the heat this summer!

Do you have a Zoku? I’d love to hear your favourite recipes?

Bren x

While strawberry daquiri immediately sprung to mind, it was only 2pm … anyhow, for the second punnet, I took the sensible option and decided to use them to make muffins for school lunchboxes this week.

Mr 9 was in the kitchen lending a hand as usual. He just loves it so much! And he’s getting used to me snapping photos of him for my blog and social media, as you can probably tell by his wry smile.

Inheriting another munchkin after nippers, I soon had all three of them circling the hot-out-of-the-oven strawberry muffins like a pack of sharks. And I kid you not, the first bite sent their eyes rolling into the back of heads and into orbit. But all good things come to an an abrupt end, and it was a case of “Sorry kids! I’m a busy lady. The rest are for lunchboxes this week!”

I hope you all enjoy them. And just a little tip, it might be worth making a double batch : )

For 40 more scrumptious sweet and savoury recipes which are nut and refined-sugar free grab your copy of my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes recipe book here. 

Print

Strawberry Yoghurt Muffins

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 12

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 cup white spelt flour
• 3/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour
• 3/4 cup coconut or rapadura sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 3/4 cup yoghurt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups of washed and sliced strawberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees and grease 12 muffin hole tin.
• Mix dry ingredients together - flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb of soda, salt, cinnamon. Make a well in the middle.
• Mix wet ingredients together - butter, yoghurt, egg, vanilla and pour into the dry mixture well.
• Add sliced strawberries and gently fold mixture until combined. Don't over mix.
• Divide batter into muffins holes and top with extra strawberry slices and a sprinkle of sugar.
• Pop in oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer poked into middle of the muffin comes out clean.
• Rest the muffins in the tin for 5 mins then turn out onto cooling rack.
• Muffins come out a little soft but will firm up on cooling.

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

Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life.

Some other delicious muffin recipes you might like are these Apple and Carrot Muffins and these Date and Cinnamon Muffins. Or you might like this Strawberry and Coconut Crumble.

I haven’t had enough time cooking my warming winter dishes to comfortably move onto lighter spring-like offerings. So, I may be busting out the thongs and singlets on the streets
but in my kitchen I am ignoring the fact that spring is with us to allow me more
time to get my autumnal cooking urges out of my system.

My favourite dinner of this week was a lamb stew/pie creation (Actually called French Baked
Lamb with Crispy Potato Topping, thanks to Delicious Mag, September 2013).

Pros about this dish: It is quick and easy to make, requiring only a
few ingredients and tastes like you have been slaving for hours.
Cons: Zero.

Next time I make this recipe I will make my own sugo
(passata) and chicken stock but if you are looking for a quick and
delicious midweek dinner, this is it. If you want to make it more seasonally
appropriate perhaps whack some zucchini on the side. We can call this
‘trans-seasonal cooking’.

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.

French Baked Lamb with Crispy Potato Topping

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

4 waxy potatoes such as dutch cream
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to brush ( or you could use coconut oil or ghee)
6 x 200 grams lamb chump chops
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped, plus extra sprigs to serve
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock
1and 1/2 cups (375ml) passata

Preparation

Place potato in a saucepan of cold, salted water.Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for 5-10 minutes until par-cooked. Drain, cook and thinly slice.

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Heat oil in a large frypan over high heat. Season the lamb then cook, turning, for 8-10 minutes until browned. Remove from pan and reduce heat to medium.

Add the onion and carrot, then cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the rosemary and cook for a further 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the stock and pasta sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, then season and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced.

Place lamb in a baking dish and pour over the tomato sauce . Layer potato over the top and season, then brush with your oil of choice. Bake for one hour or until potato is golden.
Rest for 5 minutes then serve garnished with extra rosemary sprigs.

Thank you to Kim Brill for sharing this recipes – mum of two, wife of one and fellow food lover who adopts a 70/30 rule to good health.