I avoid most store-bought dips as they are full of processed oils, preservatives, sugar, and numbers.

Besides,, dips are so easy to make from scratch, literally taking no more than 10 minutes!

After receiving a massive pumpkin in my vegetable delivery box, I was determined to get inventive and spin a few pumpkin based recipes in ways I thought they might like #pumpkinhaters

I do love me a cooking challenge : – )

I’m happy to report big success with this pumpkin dip recipe, it went down as a perfect after school snack along side some vegetable sticks and wholegrain crackers and they loved it! It’s perfect to pack into lunchboxes too.

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. 

It pays to remember that even though kids may not like a particular vegetable one way, they may like it another. My kids are also happy enough to eat pumpkin when it’s this Pumpkin and Root Vegetable Soup, and paired with some garlic-y sourdough for dipping.

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ROAST PUMPKIN DIP

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 500 grams pumpkin cut into 2 cm cubes
• 4 garlic cloves whole and unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons plain or Greek yoghurt
• ¾ cup Greek feta cheese
• ½ cup raw or roasted cashews
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Place pumpkin and garlic on a lined baking tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and toss. Roast for 20 minutes or until cooked.
• Place pumpkin, yogurt, feta cheese, cashews, cumin, paprika, sea salt, cracked pepper, and coriander leaves into a food processor. Process until a smooth dip forms.
• Spoon into a small serving bowl. Serve with vegetable crudités, wholemeal pita triangles, or seeded crackers

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 my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes recipe book here. 

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

Here are a couple of other dip recipes you might like – Auntie Helen’s Hummus or my Lunchbox Friendly Pesto.

Bren x

It’s always so thrilling when you hit on a winner dinner that you can add to the repertoire.

Variety is the spice of life (and pursuit of mums around the world!).

I couldn’t believe my eyes watching my kids hoover down the roasted eggplant and zucchini in this dish. I’m guessing it was just the mix of flavours all matching perfectly, with the tahini dressing tying it all together that did the trick.

This recipe came about because I had been craving tahini, I had meatballs in the fridge, and a red cabbage that was calling out to be eaten.

This is how most of my new recipes are inspired : )

Not a trained chef am I!

While there are a few elements to this recipe, believe me, it’s dead easy to make, and if you double it, you’ll have extras for lunch or dinner the next day, trust me, everyone will want some more!

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:

Extra virgin olive oil
Basmati rice
Tahini
Sea salt
Paprika

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Mediterranean Buddha Bowl

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant diced into small cubes
• 1 large zucchini diced into small cubes
• 1/4 cauliflower chopped to similar size to eggplant and zucchini
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 6 meatballs or you could use felafals or chickpeas, I used meatballs because that's what I had in the fridge, I just bought them from my butcher
• 1 small red or brown onion chopped
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 red cabbage finely sliced
• 1/2 carrot grated
• 1-2 tablespoons mint finely chopped

Tahini Dressing

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons tahini make sure you stir the tahini in the jar first
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 7 tablespoons warm water
• pinch sea salt
• shake of paprika sweet or smoked
• Hummus optional find the link to my recipe below.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees.
• Pop eggplant, zucchini and cauliflower onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and using your hands, mix olive oil through. (Note: you could bake any of your child's favourite vegetables for this). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop in the oven.
• After 20 minutes remove from oven and pop meatballs on the same tray and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked. Remove from the oven and chop up the meatballs.
• While the vegetable/meatball tray is in the oven, heat olive oil in a small pan on the stove and add the onion. Saute for around 5 minutes.
• Add the rice and stir it through the onion, add 2 cups of water and bring to the boil. Lower heat to a very low simmer and cook rice and onion with lid on for 15 minutes. Once rice is cooked, turn off the heat, and mix through the baked vegetables and meatballs.
• While the rice is cooking throw together the cabbage, cabbage, carrot and mint to form a salad

Dressing instructions

• Pop all the ingredients into a Magi-Mix or blender, blend until smooth

To Serve

• Put some salad into a bowl and the rice mix next to it and drizzle over lots of tahini.
• Serve with a generous dollop of hummus.
• Or you can serve it deconstructed as I have in header pic.

Hummus (optional) find the link to my recipe here

#addicted

If you know someone who could use some healthy lunch or dinner inspo, please share this recipe with them and while you’re at it feel free to share my FREE breakfast ebook below.

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.

For more Buddha Bowl recipe inspiration click here.

And here are a couple other lunch and dinner recipe ideas you might love – Tex- Mex Burrito Bowls and Middle Eastern Spiced Chickpea Rice

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

Print

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

… sometimes only a smoothie will do!

Your kids will think they’ve hit the jackpot and you’ll still be serving them a nutrient-packed dinner option that will keep everyone full and satisfied and nice and cool!

Here are 8 of my faves.

Choc-Banana Nut Butter Smoothie by Brenda Janschek

Ginger Mint and Green Apple Smoothie by Brenda Janschek

Bone Broth Smoothie by Nourishing Lola and Sage

Pineapple and Mint Smoothie by Eager for Life

Detox Smoothie by Eager for Life

Super Hero Smoothie by Low Tox Life

High Energy Mango and Macadamia Smoothie by Quirky Cooking

Carrot and Turmeric Smoothie by Guide to Organics

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.

You might also like 8 Nutrient Packed Smoothies for Dinner and 20 Reasons to Love Smoothies and 10 Recipes

Bren x

This makes me laugh because, truth be told, the best way to describe dinner around here is ‘grub’!

Life’s too busy for anything too fancy. It’s all about sausages with mash, butter chicken, beef stroganoff, spicy chicken wings, lentil soup, quesadillas … you get the picture.

Often I’ll just throw things together based on what I have left in the fridge and which may match the tastebuds of my family.

I don’t often blog these recipes, but, as mums we are all in the same boat, so I’ve decided to blog my ‘grub’ …

Creamy cauliflower and bacon bake is what I’m talking about here, and while it probably isn’t something Michelangelo might consider art, it’s tasty as (granted, anything with bacon is almost cheating).

Make enough to feed the family with a serving of leftovers for the next day. Our kids loved it on their leftover spelt pasta (a bit of a carbonara vibe) and side salad. For myself, I ate it straight up with a big side of salad. It would actually be pretty delicious with rice too and it’s a perfect side dish to a main meal.

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:

Cannellini or red kidney beans
Paprika
Chicken stock

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Creamy Cauliflower and Bacon Bake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 5

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 200 grams bacon chopped
• 1 tin cannellini or red kidney beans
• 1 teaspoon each paprika thyme and oregano
• 1/2 cup homemade chicken or vege stock
• 1/2 head broccoli chopped into small florets
• 1/2 head of cauliflower chopped into small florets
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese finely grated
• extra cheese to sprinkle on top

Instructions

• Heat over to 180 degrees C
• In a large frying pan, fry onion and bacon on medium heat for a few minutes, until onion softens
• Add garlic and cook for a few minutes.
• Add beans, paprika, thyme and oregano and stir for 30 seconds
• Add stock and stir well and take off the heat
• While the onion and bacon are cooking, chop up cauliflower and broccoli and place in baking dish
• Stir through the onion and bacon mix
• In a small bowl whisk together cream and cheese and pour over cauliflower and broccoli and bacon
• Pop in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until cauliflower and broccoli are tender
• Be sure to stir the bake 2-3 times during cooking
• Once cooked, sprinkle the bake with a handful of cheese, and sprinkle with paprika and grill for 5 minutes until golden brown
• Serve on top of pasta, rice, as a side dish or as is with a garden salad

Onion and bacon fry up

Cut up vegetables on pop in baking tray

Stir through onion and bacon mixture

Stir through creamy cheese sauce and pop in the oven

End result – a bubbling,creamy,cheesy,flavoursome home-style dish.Yum!

Bren x

Add fish, sardines or your favourite protein if you like, or keep it as vegetarian.

If you’re still trying convince your kids that cauliflower is as delicious as rice, a great tip is to mix through some cooked basmati rice to get them over the line.

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:

Olive oil
Salt and pepper

I love seeing the pictures of when you make my recipes, so please share them on my Facebook page or Instagram and tag #bjhealthandlifestyle

Berleena has been the wonderful recipe developer helping me create a series of delicious recipes, here’s a bit more about her…

Berleena Eberle — Food Mindset Coach
Berleena specialises in helping her clients develop a healthy relationship with food and their body. Her clients know how to deal with food triggers, let go of guilt, identify cravings and make healthy eating simple again with nutrient-rich, real food. Berleena strips back nutritional confusion to develop an intuitive eating approach.

Am I right or am I right?!

You can get the kids home after sport, settled into homework and gets started on dinner.

Once you pop it into the oven you’ve got time to throw together a big salad (make enough for leftovers to take to work the next day) to enjoy on the side.

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Crispy Chicken With Garlicky Potato Cream Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Author Berleena Eberle for Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsn olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 800 g organic or pastured chicken thighs - skin on
• 6 kiplfer potatoes or 3 medium sweet potatoes roughly chopped into 2cm pieces
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 2 tbsn butter
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons spelt flour or gluten free flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup chicken broth or more, as needed
• 1/2 cup of cream
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
• Season skin well with salt and pepper. Preheat a large ovenproof pan to med – high, add oil and pan fry chicken skin side down for 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken, searing bottom side for a further 2-3 mins. Turn off heat and scatter potatoes and spinach between chicken.
• Prepare the garlic potato sauce by melting butter in medium skillet over med heat. Add garlic, and stir for 1 min. Whisk in flour, stock and thyme. Turn off heat and stir through cream and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour garlicky cream sauce over chicken, spinach and potatoes and bake into the oven for 20-25 mins.
• Garnished with parsley or a squeeze of lemon juice.

Notes

Add as many vegetables as you like!

Enjoy!

I love seeing the pictures of when you make my recipes, so please share them on my Facebook page or Instagram.

Other chicken recipes you and your family might like are Baked Chicken Nuggets and Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pie.

Berleena has been the wonderful recipe developer helping me create a series of delicious recipes, here’s a bit more about her…

Berleena Eberle — Food Mindset Coach
Berleena specialises in helping her clients develop a healthy relationship with food and their body. Her clients know how to deal with food triggers, let go of guilt, identify cravings and make healthy eating simple again with nutrient-rich, real food. Berleena strips back nutritional confusion to develop an intuitive eating approach.

One way I like to up the quota of vegetables for my whole family is by including vegetables for breakfast.

Not only does this jumpstart our day with a boost of nutrients, but the phytochemical-rich foods with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds start pumping through our bodies right from the beginning of the day.

Initially, when I help clients to start thinking outside the cereal box, typically we start moving away from things like boxed cereals, vegemite or nutella on toast and breakfast drinks like Up & Go. Depending on the family, we may move towards muesli, bircher muesli, porridge, notella on sourdough. Then start including recipes like smoothies, banana bread, parfaits and breakfast ice-creams.

It’s when I suggest vegetables for breakfast that I get the most resistance. “Vegetables for breakfast!! We would never eat that!”

There are some really simple, non-confronting ways to ease the whole family into the idea of eating vegetables for breakfast. Here are a few examples of breakfast ideas which are rotated in my house:

Placing an egg with a side of sausage on a bed of baby spinach and chopped tomato, capsicum and cucumber;

Haloumi on sourdough toast with avocado, baby spinach and tomato slices;

Open omelette with rocket, chopped tomato and avocado;

Sourdough with scrambled eggs, ham, herbs, baby spinach and tomato.

You’ll note the ‘realness’ of these photos, no fancy plating up during rush hour!!

Need some more inspiration? Here are some delicious recipes for you to try.

Ginger, Mint and Green Apple Smoothie by Brenda Janschek Health and Lifestyle

Shakshouka with Tomatoes, Feta and Peppers by Yummy Inspirations

Veggie-Loaded, Super- Nutrient Primal Pizza Omelette by The Holistic Nutritionist

Garlic Mushroom Omelette Wrap by Well Nourished

Carrot Cake Pancakes by Well Nourished

Cauliflower Toast by The Holistic Ingredient

Sweet Potato Bruscetta by Vegan Sparkles

Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Vegetables by Salus Southern Highlands

Enjoy!

Growing up in a Middle-Eastern family, one of those dishes was a popular cultural dish, mums delicious and comforting spinach, lentil and lemon soup.

Mum still cooks it for me. Well, to be honest it’s my kids she’s really cooking for these days. Every second week she’ll come around and stock my fridge full of foods to last up to three days, the selection based on the specific requests of my kids. Some of her popular dishes are za’taar, homemade pies, spanokopita and her cannelloni. It’s really special to see that they also love her lentil soup as much as I do.

It’s unassuming in in it’s simplicity, but manages to pack a truly delicious punch, and makes a perfect mid-week meal the whole family will enjoy and leftovers can be 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.

Kleen Kanteen TKCanister with insulated lid 8oz 237ml
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 new 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:

Olive oil or coconut oil
Lentils
Salt and pepper

Print

Spinach, Lentil and Lemon Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 5

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• Splash of olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 cups red lentils
• 6 cups water or vegetable stock I throw in a couple of my frozen chicken stock ice-cubes too
• 1 bunch English spinach leaves washed and chopped
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium heat
• Add the onion and gently fry for up to 5 minutes
• Add the lentils and water/stock and bring to the boil
• Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender and starting to fall apart, adding in spinach in the last 5 minutes of cooking
• Stir in the lemon juice just before serving and season with salt and pepper
• Ladle into bowls and serve with toasted buttery, garlicy sourdough and extra lemon juice to taste

Notes

You can blitz the soup until smooth if texture is an issue for little kids

So it’s important to allow these toxins to move out of our body and replenish it so it can be thriving on all levels. We can easily kick- start our natural cleansing mechanisms by ensuring we include food rich in natural compounds which support the liver.

Vegetables like bitter greens such as rocket, radicchio or watercress as well are great detoxifiers, as are brassica vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts. Beetroot and turmeric (fresh or powdered) are great to have in the mix too.

Use the salad recipe as a base to throw on whatever protein you have hanging around. Things like sustainable tuna, slices of leftover steak, hardboiled egg all make tasty options.

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Super Cleanse Salad

Author Brenda Janschek and Naomi Judge

Ingredients

For the salad

• 2 cups rocket
• 1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
• ½ cup cucumber chopped
• ½ celery chopped
• ½ cup grated beetroot
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup white button mushrooms halved
• large handful of parsley chopped
• ¼ avocado
• 100 gm roast chicken or ½ cup puy lentils

For the dressing

• Mix together-
• juice from ½ lemon
• pinch salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

• Toss dressing through salad
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Remember to chew and eat slowly