Gosh, it can get tiresome can’t it!

Thankfully there’s one person in my household I can turn to to help me meal plan, my daughter! When she shoots out all her suggestions I feel the relief wash over me that I don’t have to do all the heavy lifting thinking on my own.  She’ll usually choose familiar recipes, mostly from my blog, but occasionally she’s come up with something random, like San Choy Bow!

So clearly she also provides me with inspirational ideas for recipes and it’s always refreshing adding new meals to my meal planning repertoire. Below I share my new recipe for San Choy Bow which my whole family absolutely loved by the way.

By the way, my daughter’s ALL TIME favourite meal is my Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs. She can’t get enough of it and luckily it’s probably one of the easiest recipes on my blog!

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:

Noodles
Tamari
Chicken broth powder
Cornflour
Extra virgin olive oil
Cloves garlic
Sesame oil

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San Choy Bow

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 cake vermicelli noodles or any time of noodel you prefer
• 2 tbsps mirin
• 3 tbsps soy sace or tamari
• 3 tbsps oysster sauce
• 3 tbsps chicken broth or you can use chicken broth powder (linkied above)
• 21/2 tspns cornflour
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 small corn cob, kernels sliced off
• 140 grams green beans, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tspn ginger, minced
• 300 grams chicken mince
• 5 large mushroom, finely chopped
• 8 large lettuce leaves, cos or iceberg
• roasted peanuts, crushed for serving
• coriander, chopped for serving
• 2 tbsp sesame oil

Instructions

• Prepare noodles as per packet instructions.
• In a small cup or jar, mix together mirin, soy sauceor tamari, oyster sauce, chicken broth, and cornflour and mix together well.
• Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for a couple of minutes then add carrot and corn kernels and green beans cook for a minute. Add garlic and ginger cook for a minute then add chicken mince. Cook for a few minutes then add the mushrooms until just soft and chicken is cooked through.
• Chop up the noodles into small pieces and stir through. Add sauce and stir through for cook for a minute or two.
• Transfer filling into a serving bowl and stir through the sesame oil. Put lettuce leaves onto a serving plate with the peanuts and coriander on the side to serve. Everyone can fill and enjoy their own lettuce cup! 

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 Spicy Pork and Vegetable Nasi Goreng and Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken and Potato Curry.

Once you’ve given this recipe a go, try a different combo of Notella and Banana Wraps. Yum!

Get the kids in the kitchen to help make them!

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:

Raw Honey
Nut butter
Cinnamon
Coconut Oil

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Golden Honey & Ricotta Wraps

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 8 slices of Mountain Bread
• Raw Honey
• Fresh Ricotta
• Banana sliced
• Nut butter
• Cinnamon
• Coconut oil ghee or butter for frying

Instructions

• Lie Mountain Bread on kitchen counter
• Spread honey and nut butter at the end of each slice
• Next spread the ricotta cheese
• Place slices of banana on top
• Sprinkle with cinnamon
• Roll it up remembering to fold in the ends as you go
• Heat coconut oil, ghee or butter in large frying pan on medium heat, when hot fry the rolls for approx 3 minutes each side or until lightly golden.

TO SERVE

• Allow to cool slightly and serve warm with a side of sliced fruit or berries

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

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

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 easy breakfast ideas you might like are Gingerbread Smoothie and Brenda’s Big Batch Bircher Muesli. 

The kids were raving about these cookies when they discovered them in their lunchboxes.

They have just the right amount of delicious spices and the texture is what’s getting us most excited, it’s a gorgeous crispy texture on the outside with a bit of chewiness on the inside. They also make a perfect afternoon snack with a lovely cuppa.

Cookies and biscuits are some of my favourite healthy treats to create (and eat!), 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:

Spelt flour
Bicarb of soda
Sea salt
Vanilla powder
Ground ginger
Cinnamon powder
Nutmeg powder
Macadamia Oil

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Crispy Ginger Spice Cookies

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour I used spelt flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
• 1/2 cup sugar use white sugar for a harder, crispier cookie
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder
• 1-2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons is quite strong, but we like it like that, I would suggest trialling 1 teaspoon if this is your first batch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon all spice or ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons mild flavoured oil I used macadamia oil, I've also used mild EVOO

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees C.
• Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper
• Combine flour, bicarb soda, salt, sugar, spices in a bowl.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients.
• Roll a tablespoon of the dough into balls, place on the prepared baking sheet and flatten. Make sure they are 2- inches apart as they spread substantially.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the tray for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store in a glass container

Notes

These cookies stay crispy on the outside for the first couple days but soften thereafter but are still super delicious! But I choose not to double batch them so we get more crispy-ness leverage.

If you know someone who could use some lunch box inspo, please share this recipe with them!

And please take photos and send them to me, or if you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek

Bren x

;

Some of the measurements were missing, including the amount of flour, but her mum suggested to just add enough flour to make a semi thick mixture : )

As usual mums back then never wrote down recipes, they just went by look, smell and taste.

This is my adapted, ad libbed version which I recently took to a picnic and they went down a treat!

Note the dried mint goes perfectly with the cheeses and gives the muffin a lightness and lift.

These are perfect for breakfast, lunchboxes and are just delicious dipped into soup.

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 flour
Aluminum-free baking powder
Bicarb soda
Extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper

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Savoury Cheese Muffins

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 15

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 6 eggs
• ½ cup mild extra virgin oil oil
• 2 & ¾ cup spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 1 cup romano cheese grated
• 1 cup feta crumbled
• 1/2 cup cheddar or tasty cheese grated (extra to sprinkle on top)
• cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried mint

Instructions

• Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin cases
• preheat oven to 180 degrees
• In a jug whisk together milk, eggs and olive oil.
• Into a large bowl add the flour, baking powder and bicarb soda, all the cheeses, black pepper and dried mint .
• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it.
• Stir lightly with a fork until almost combined. (the batter should be lumpy, don't overmix) Spoon into muffin tin and sprinkle with remaining cheddar.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean and muffins are golden on top.
• Allow to cool in tray for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack

If you’re looking for more recipe 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!

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.

Other similar recipes you might like are Egg Muffins and Rich and Delicious Chocolate Muffins (with vegetables!).

Bren x

Mother Nature helps us keep toasty in the colder months with the aid of heat producing spices like ginger and cinnamon which also make a perfect flavouring for autumnal and winter produce like pears.

The humble crumble is elevated by the combination of fresh, in season pears, with the warming spices and the buttery, oat topping that make this unpretentious dish burst with flavour and at the same time, soothe the soul.

Enjoy warm or cold for breakfast or dessert with cream, ice-cream and/or custard.

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, take a look at my new recipe ebook which is getting rave reviews, 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!

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:

Wholewheat flour
Rolled oats
Desiccated coconut
Rapadura sugar
Cinnamon powder
Sea salt

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Pear and Ginger Crumble

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 6

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 5 just ripe pears peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon peeled and freshly grated ginger
• 3/4 cup wholewheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup ground almonds or desiccated coconut
• 1/3 cup rapadura sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup butter

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180 C. Butter an 20cm x 25cm baking tray.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, ground almonds or desiccated coconut, sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter
• Rub the butter into the mixture until it’s a bit clumpy (get the kids involved!)
• Combine the sliced pear, lemon juice and ginger in the baking tin and sprinkle the crumble topping over the pears.
• Bake crumble until the pears are tender and the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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.

Other similar recipes you might like are Raspberry Coconut Squares and Apple Crumble Slice.

Bren x

I’ve been a busy Lizzy creating recipes for my upcoming lunchbox ebook (we start shooting it next week, eeek!) but with an abundance of lemons and poppyseeds, I decided it was time to create a new simple cake recipe for the blog while I was at it.

This cake is deliciously tangy and lovely and moist due to the yoghurt and olive oil.

It’s bright, tangy taste pairs perfectly with a good dollop cream and sweet, tart berries.

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 flour
Baking powder
Desiccated coconut
Rapadura sugar
Olive oil
Vanilla powder

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Lemon Yoghurt Poppyseed Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 2-3 tablespoons poppyseeds
• ¾ cup rapadura sugar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup yoghurt
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Notes

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
Grease and line a loaf tin or square tine with baking paper
Place the flour, baking powder, coconut, poppy seeds and rapadura sugar into a large bowl and mix to combine creating a well in the centre.
Place the oil, eggs, yoghurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla into a jug and whisk to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry and mix until just combined
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted removes cleanly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so in the tin before removing it to cool completely on a wire rack.
Best served with cream and berries.

If you know someone who could use some wholefood recipes please share this recipe with them. Feel free to share my FREE breakfast ebook below  too : – )

If you make my recipes please take photos and send them to me, or if you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek or #brendajanschek,  I’d love to see what you make!

Here are a couple other easy cake recipes you might like – Cardamon Spice Cake or my Gluten-Free Brownie Cake.

Bren x

With my husband chaperoning Mr. 14 at his first 4-day golf tournament in the Hunter Valley, NSW, my daughter and I had a simpler (and less noisy!) week to ourselves.

This translated to uncomplicated dinners, noticeably less housework and nightly chick flick sessions cuddled up on the lounge. And what goes perfectly with movies? Popcorn!

But not just any old popcorn. I’m talkin’ serious stuff now. And seriously, Taco Popcorn is our new favourite snack!

Versatile enough to be enjoyed with margarita’s by the pool as well as in the school lunch box, you’ll love how easy this tasty popcorn it is to make!

Making popcorn is made easy with my popcorn machine, but you can certainly make it the old fashioned way in a saucepan as I explain in the recipe below.

I highly recommend making your own taco seasoning.

It’s easy, delicious, cheap and a much better option than the store bought varieties which are full of preservatives and artificial colours.

If you make a batch of the taco seasoning and have some leftover, mix it through your guacamole dip, add it to to your tacos or to my delicious Tex-Mex Burrito Bowl.

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration take a look at my popular 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 pack your kids for lunch!

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Taco Popcorn

Cook Time 2 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• ½ cup popcorn kernels
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder optional
• 1 teapsoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions

Taco Seasoning

• In a small bowl mix together the chilli powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and cracked black pepper.
• I pop my popcorn in the popcorn maker I mention above
• Or, over medium heat up some olive oil or coconut oil in a medium saucepan and once the saucepan is hot, add in the popcorn kernels, pop the lid on and shake the pan to evenly disperse the kernels.
• Shake the pan intermittently to prevent kernels sticking and burning until all the kernels have popped
• Pour popcorn into a large bowl and add half the taco seasoning, taste test, and add more to suit your tastebuds then pour over the melted butter and stir very well.

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

Here are a couple other easy recipe ideas you might like – Roast Pumpkin Dip and Crunchy Kale Chips.

Don’t get me wrong.

I love nothing more than a good old cooking and baking session in the kitchen when time is on my side.

But let’s face it, those times can be few and far between for us working mummas.

Which means I’m always on the lookout for short cuts in the kitchen.

When you can throw a handful of ingredients into a bowl, mix it around, roll it into balls, and stick it in the fridge, life starts to feel easier.

The inspo for these delicious balls of goodness came because my gal oh so does love ‘licking the bowl’.

Always proclaiming how much more she loves my Anzac Biscuits, before they go into the oven.

So why don’t I knock out an entire cooking step I thought, and do the raw thang using a few of our favourite ingredients?

And the No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball was born and they make a perfect little after-school energy snack or mama afternoon snack and when you’re in the heat of summer and it’s too hot to turn the oven on!

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No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 15

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup raw honey add a little more if needed
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
• 1/4 cup dark choc chips or chopped 70% dark chocolate
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

• Throw all the ingredients into a food processor, except the choc-chips, and blend up to your desired consistency. We like ours not too smooth, just with a bit of texture left.
• If consistency is too dry to roll, add more melted coconut oil
• Once blended, add dark chocolate chips and fold through
• Pop a tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of your hand and roll into a ball
• Once you have rolled all the mixture store the balls in the fridge

Notes

This recipes should make 10-15 balls depending on size.

There are more wholefood snack recipes in my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes ebook.

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

Here are a couple other No Bake recipe ideas you might like – Raw Cacao Balls and these Protein Balls for Busy Women.

Bren x

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Nana's Coconut & Raspberry Slice

Cook Time 30 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

Base

• 1/3 cup rapadura sugar
• 100 gms butter
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch sea salt

Middle layer

• 1/2 cup raspberry jam or see alternative in notes

Topping

• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 2 tablespoons rapadura sugar
• 1 egg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 175 degress and grease a 20 x 20 cm baking tin with butter and line with baking paper.

Base

• Beat together butter and sugar for 2 minutes then add egg and beat until just mixed through.
• Stir together spelt flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Add the flour mix into the butter mix and stir until just combined.
• Press this into the prepared pan.

Middle layer

• Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam onto the base, you don't want it too thick otherwise it can make the slice a little soggy.

Top layer

• Pop the desiccated coconut, sugar and egg into a small bowl and whisk together with a fork.
• Gently spread the mixture on top of the raspberry layer.
• Pop into the oven for 30 - 40 minutes (check after 20 minutes and rotate the pan). The slice is ready once the top is golden.

Notes

Make your own raspberry jam by popping one cup of frozen rapsberries with 1 tablespoon maple syrup or rapadura sugar into a saucepan on a low heat, stirring and mashing up the berries as you go.
Remove from heat and stir through 1 tablespoons of chia seeds which will thicken up the jam.
Allow to cool before spreading onto the base of the slice.

If you know someone who could use some healthy dessert inspo, please share this recipe with them!

Please take photos and send them to me, or if you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. You know I get a kick out of seeing you make my recipes.

Here are a couple other classic healthy treat recipes ideas you might love – Jam Drops and Raspberry Swirl Slice.

And if you haven’t done so already, grab a copy of my Free Breakfast recipe ebook below.

Enjoy!

Bren x

The beauty of this little recipe is that you can substitute away with your kids preferred vegetables.

When I make these for dinner (with extras for next day’s school lunch) I serve them with guacamole and sour cream and the kids demolish them.

Once again, I’ve avoided the grand mess that comes with frying on the stove and saved myself lots of time by simply popping these fritters into the oven, using the time to tidy up the kitchen and throw together a salad while they cook.

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

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 flour
Baking powder
Milk

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Golden Baked Vegetable Fritters

Servings 16

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs of choice like parsley basil or mint
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 2 small carrots
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 corn kernels sliced off cob
• 1 cup chopped ham
• ½ cup cheddar cheese
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup spelt flour add extra if mixture is too wet, needs to have medium firmness to hold circle shape on baking tray
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup melted and slightly cooled butter
• 3 eggs lightly beaten

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees C
• Line two or three baking sheets with baking paper
• Finely chop onion and garlic and herbs
• Pop sweet potato and carrot in a food processor, finely chop/grate and place into a large bowl
• Finely chop/grate zucchini in food processor and pop into the same bowl as sweet potato and carrot, placing all other ingredients into the bowl and stir well
• Add extra flour if the mixture is too wet, it needs to have medium paste consistency
• Dollop the mixture onto the baking paper and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until fritters are firm and golden

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.

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 my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes recipe book here. 

It contains 40 scrumptious sweet and savoury recipes which are nut and refined-sugar free.

You might also like these other family-friendly dinner ideas Sweet potato, corn and wild salmon fritters and Baked chicken nuggets.

Bren x