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Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

INGREDIENTS
Wet Ingredients:
100 g / 3.5 oz pitted dates (1 heaped packed cup)
1/3 cup / 85 ml boiling water
1 egg
3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
3 tbsp coconut oil , melted, or other plain oil
1 tsp vanilla essence

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flaked almonds
1/4 cups desiccated coconut
1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
3/4 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan/convection). Line a tray with parchment/baking paper.

Roughly chop dates. Place in bowl, pour over water. Cover and leave to soak for 10 minutes+.
Mash with potato masher or fork until it becomes a paste.

Add remaining Wet ingredients. Mix well with wooden spoon.

Add Dry ingredients. Mix until all flour is incorporated - should be a thick batter.

Measure out just shy of 1/2 cup (6 cookies) or 1/3 cup flat (8 cookies). Flatten to 1.7cm / 2/3" thick rounds. Bake 20 minutes until golden.
Remove from oven, leave to cool on the tray.

One Pot Chicken and Rice

INGREDIENTS
6 Chicken Thigh
1.5 cup white rice uncooked
2 Shallots chopped
1.5 tbsp Garlic Minced
1 teaspoon Paprika
0.5 teaspoon cumin
1.5 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
½ tsp Tumeric
¼ tsp Garlic Powder optional
2.5 cups Chicken Stock or Water
Green Onion to garnish

Optional Black Pepper Sauce:
2.5 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sugar
0.5 tbsp Sesame Seeds
0.5 tbsp Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Season the chicken with paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, turmeric, and garlic powder (optional). Rub the chicken to make sure it is coated well with seasoning.

In a pan, drizzle in oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Place the chicken skin side facing down first, and pan-fry for 4 minutes on each side.

Remove and set aside on a plate.
Add shallots and minced garlic into the pan. Saute for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

Next, add the rice and mix well. Make sure the rice soaks up all the chicken juices and oil.

Turn the heat to medium; place the chicken on the rice, and pour in chicken stock or water. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until all the liquids are absorbed into the rice.

In the meantime, mix dark soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, and black pepper.

Optional: before serving, turn the heat up to medium-high, drizzle on the sauce, and mix everything, so the rice gets crispy on the bottom.

Super Simple Veggie Bake

INGREDIENTS
1 medium head broccoli, cut into medium florets
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
bake mixture:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
5 tbs olive oil
1⅓ cup milk of choice
3/4 cup flour of choice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp each paprika + garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the cauliflower and bring back to a boil. Cook for 7minutes then add in the broccoli and cook for another 2 minutes or until the broccoli is just fork tender. Drain both vegetables to dry.

While the cauliflower and broccoli cook, in a small pan, saute your onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes or until translucent on medium heat.

Preheat your oven to 350℉. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, onion and bell pepper to a 9x13" baking dish. Spread out evenly and colorfully and season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, add your eggs, olive oil, milk and whisk to combine. Next mix in the flour, grated parmesan and spices and lastly the parsley. Pour this mixture evenly over the vegetables then top with shredded cheese. Bake this for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool for 10 minutes prior to slicing.

Pea and Ham Soup

INGREDIENTS
• 500g / 1lb dried split peas
• 1.2-1.5kg / 2.4-3lb ham hock (aka ham bone), bacon hock or MEATY leftover ham bone
• 1/4 tsp salt (start with less, adjust later)
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 bay leaves , dried or fresh
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 carrot , peeled and finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks , finely chopped
• 8 cups (2 litres/qts) water

Garnishes / serving:
• Parsley , finely chopped
• Crusty bread for dunking!

INSTRUCTIONS
• Place peas in slow cooker, push ham in. Scatter all ingredients around the ham bone, then pour over water.
• Slow cook 8 to 10 hours on LOW or 6 hours on HIGH. (Or 2.5 hours on low on stove, 1 h - 1 hr 20 min pressure cooker/Instant Pot on HIGH)
• Remove ham bone, shred ham meat. Discard bone and fatty skin.
• Remove bay leaves. Use a stick blender to blitz 2 or 3 times - thickens soup but doesn't make it completely smooth (my preference, you can blend completely if you want).
• Return ham into slow cooker, stir. Taste and add more salt if needed (soup gets lots of salt from ham).
• Serve garnished with parsley. Serve with crusty bread for dunking.

Peanut Chicken Protein Bowls

INGREDIENTS
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
4 c. cooked brown rice
1 avocado, thinly sliced
2 c. baby spinach
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°. On a large baking sheet, toss potatoes and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season chicken with garlic powder, ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until golden and no longer pink, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice.

Step 3
In a small bowl, whisk garlic, lime juice, peanut butter, honey, and soy sauce until combined. Whisk in sesame oil and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil until smooth.

Step 4
Divide rice among bowls. Top with potato mixture, chicken, avocado, and spinach. Sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds. Drizzle with dressing.
sliced chicken in a grain bowl with sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach and a peanut dressing.

3 Ingredient Lemonade Scones

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups self raising flour , plus extra for dusting
1 cup thickened cream (heavy cream), not whipped!
1 cup lemonade
To serve
Whipped cream
Jam

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Line tray with baking/parchment paper.
Combine the flour, cream and lemonade in a bowl and mix until flour is mostly combined. Do not over mix, it will make the scones dense! The dough should be soft and fairly sticky.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead gently just 3 - 5 times to bring dough together, then gently pat into a disc shape 2.5cm/1" thick.
Use a 6cm/2.5" round cutter to cut rounds - press straight up and down (don't twist), flour cutter in between.
Use a knife or similar to scoop up (avoid touching sides) and place on tray, slightly touching each other (they help each other rise).
Brush the tops lightly with milk.
Bake for 15 minutes until golden on top. Place on rack to cool. Place tea towel over them to stop the tops from getting crusty.
Serve with copious amounts of cream and jam, and of course tea!

NO FUSS WAFFLES

INGREDIENTS
Waffle batter:
2 1/4 cup flour , plain / all purpose
2 1/2 tbsp caster sugar / superfine sugar (sub granulated / ordinary sugar)
Pinch cooking / kosher salt
4 tsp baking powder (if yours is old, check it's still good)
1 1/3 cup milk , full fat, slightly warmed (not piping hot)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
4 large eggs , at room temperature (what this means)
150g / 11 tbsp unsalted butter , melted and slightly cooled (not piping hot)

Topping options:
Butter , softened (strongly recommended!)
Maple syrup (strongly recommended!), or honey
Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting
Strawberries, other fruit , whipped cream, melted chocolate, jams, fruit compotes, creme fraiche, strawberry sauce, blueberry or other sauce, ice cream

INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk dry - Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to mix.

Whisk in wet - Add milk, eggs and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add melted butter then whisk until lump free. The batter should be pourable but thick - slightly thinner than pancakes.

Recommended resting - Cover then refrigerate overnight, or for at least 2 hours. Softer insides, better flavour. Else, proceed immediately with cooking.
Preheat a waffle maker. A non stick one will not need oil, plus there is butter in the batter.

Cooking - Use a ladle to pour batter in to just cover the iron. Don't get greedy - it will leak out the sides! Cook until golden and crisp - my good waffle iron takes 3 1/2 minutes, my Kmart one takes 6 minutes.

Serving - Transfer onto plates and serve as you go, with desired toppings. Or, put on a rack and keep warm in a preheated 70°C/150°F oven while you continue cooking!

Lemon Garlic Salmon Tray Bake - Easy & Healthy!

INGREDIENTS
4 x 180g/6 oz salmon fillets , skin on or off, doesn't matter (Note 1)
Marinade slather:
1 tsp lemon zest (1 lemon)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard (Note 2)
2 garlic cloves , grated using microplane (Note 3)
1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Vegetables (optional):
3 bunches asparagus , woody ends snapped or trimmed off (Note 4)
200g/ 7 oz cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes, 1 Aussie punnet)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Cooking & serving:
Olive oil spray
Parmesan , finely grated
Lemon wedges or slices , optional
Parsley , finely chopped, optional
Crusty bread or toast , for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
Lemon garlic paste - Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Slather onto the top and sides of the salmon. If time permits, marinade for 1 hour. Otherwise, proceed with recipe.
Preheat oven grill / broiler to 280°C/525°F or as high as yours goes. Place the oven shelf 20 cm /8" from the heat source.
Prepare tray - Toss the asparagus and cherry tomatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a large tray then clear space for the salmon. Place salmon on the tray leaving a bit of space between each. Spray surface of salmon with oil.
Cook - Grill/broil for 11 minutes or until the salmon is done - the flesh should flake, the internal temperature should be 50°C/122°F (Note 5).
Serve - Transfer salmon and vegetables to plate. Grate parmesan over the vegetables. Squeeze lemon juice over the salmon, sprinkle with parsley. Eat!

Best Anytime Baked Chicken Meatballs

INGREDIENTS
• 450 grams ground chicken or turkey
• 1 egg
• 54 grams panko breadcrumbs
• 40 grams grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoon olive oil (optional – makes meatballs more moist and yummy)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste
• additional seasonings optional!

INSTRUCTIONS
• Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and a little cooking spray.
• Mix: Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
• Roll: Roll the mixture into about 30 small balls. Place on baking sheet.
• Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• ENJOY!

ANCIENT GRAIN SALAD WITH HALOUMI

INGREDIENTS
600g sweet potato, cut into 1.5cm cubes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g (1/2 cup) wild rice
180g (1 cup) freekeh
400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
4 green shallots, thinly sliced
250g haloumi, cut into 1cm slices
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
55g (1/3 cup) pistachios, toasted, chopped
45g (1/4 cup) pomegranate arils
Dressing
100ml extra virgin olive oil
60ml (1/4 cup) red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey

METHOD
Step 1
Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan forced. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Place the sweet potato on prepared tray. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of the oil and season. Bake for 35 minutes, tossing once during cooking, or until tender and lightly browned.

Step 2
Meanwhile, cook the rice in a large saucepan of boiling water for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly. Cook the freekeh in another saucepan of boiling water for 35 minutes or until tender but still chewy. Drain and cool slightly.

Step 3
To make dressing, place the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and honey in a screw-top jar and season. Seal and shake to combine.

Step 4
Combine the rice, freekeh, sweet potato, chickpeas and shallot in a large bowl. Pour ¾ of the dressing over the grain mixture and stir gently to combine.

Step 5
Just before serving, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the haloumi for 1 minute each side or until golden. Transfer to a chopping board and cut into 2cm pieces. Toss through the salad, along with the mint, pistachios, pomegranate and remaining dressing. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

MEATLOAF WITH HIDDEN VEGETABLES

EQUIPMENT
1 Thermomix (optional)

INGREDIENTS
250 g mixed vegetables chopped into cubes (we’re talking broccoli stalks, cauliflower stalks, carrots, celery—sky’s the limit, up to 250g)
100 g onion I choose brown here.
3 garlic cloves because what’s a meatloaf without a hint of garlic?
20 g olive oil for sautéing our base to perfection
50 g tomato paste adds richness and depth
10 g Worcestershire sauce for that tangy kick
30 g Dijon or wholegrain mustard your choice of wet mustard 30g is about a tablespoon
5 g 2 tsp of my special herb blend (or any blend that tickles your fancy) Herb Blend
1 continental beef stock pot or a tablespoon of TM vegetable paste for that umami bomb What are Continental beef stock pots
800 g mince avoid super lean or use the veg and Panko bread crumbs I suggest; we don’t want a dry loaf, do we?
80 g dried panko breadcrumbs see notes for gluten-free options
2 eggs to bind our masterpiece together
1 – 2 tablespoons of favourite sauce. I used my homemade BBQ/Tomato but use what you have and like. my BBQ Tomato Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Thermomix Method:
First up you want to get those hidden veg out of the way. I weighed in around 250g of veg I had in the fridge then I blitzed it 4 seconds/speed 5 scraped down and repeated. You can mince at a higher speed if you really need to hide it but I think this texture is pretty good. Remove the chopped veg from the bowl and set aside.
Toss the garlic, onion, and olive oil into the Thermomix bowl. Chop for 4 seconds at speed 6, then sauté for 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 2. (I take out the MC for this)
Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and herb blend, stir it make sure it's not sitting on the blades then cook for another 2 minutes. 2min/120°C/speed 2. (MC out again)
Scoop out a couple of tablespoons of this mixture and set aside; this is your secret weapon for a moist loaf later, we will get to that.
Throw in the stock pot into the TM bowl through the hole in the lid and let it melt down a bit while you weigh in the rest.
You have a choice here: You can either use another bowl or weigh everything into your TM bowl now or use a large bowl and mix by hand. If you go for the TM bowl, you will need to use the TM spatula to keep everything moving.
Weigh in the mince, breadcrumbs, and eggs. Mix for 10 seconds / reverse speed + 3. Help it along with the spatula through the lid hole. Remove the lid and lift the mix to make sure it's all combined well. Repeat if necessary.
Transfer this mixture into a loaf tin. Mix the reserved sauce with 2 tablespoons of any sauce you like. You're going to ask, my tin is a USA loaf tin this is the size, you'll have to do a Google search to find one near you.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 1 hour. Give it a spin and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Aim for an internal temp of 70°C (160°F) if you’re into precision like me. I used the new Thermomix Sensor for this recipe and had an interesting discovery. See my notes in the post above.
Rest your masterpiece for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This patience pays off in slices that hold together. Or if you are going to serve it cold in sandwiches cool then chill, it will slice even better then.
Conventional Method:
Finely chop the onion and garlic, then fry them up in a hot pan with the olive oil until they’re singing.
Meanwhile, blitz your veggies in a food processor or by hand to a fine, unrecognizable state if need be.
Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and herb blend to the pan, cooking until the tomato paste has mellowed out and that metallic taste has gone.
Reserve a couple of tablespoons of this flavour-packed mixture, adding sauce to it for later.
Turn off the heat, stir in the beef stock pot to dissolve, and transfer this saucy mix into a large bowl.
Add the mince, breadcrumbs, minced veg, and eggs. Mix thoroughly, then lovingly set into a loaf tin.
Going back to the topping you put aside earlier, add a couple of tablespoons of your favourite sauce mix well then add it to the top of your loaf.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 1 hour. Give it a spin and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Aim for an internal temp of 70°C (160°F) if you’re into precision like me. I used the new Thermomix Sensor for this recipe and had an interesting discovery. See my notes in the post above.
Rest your masterpiece for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This patience pays off in slices that hold together. Or if you are going to serve it cold in sandwiches cool then chill, it will slice even better then.

Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

WET INGREDIENTS
▢3/4 cup ricotta cheese , full fat
▢3 large eggs (55g/2oz each)
▢3 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
▢3/4 cup milk (full fat best but low fat fine)
▢1/2 tsp vanilla extract
▢1 tsp white vinegar (or other clear or clear-ish vinegar)

DRY INGREDIENTS
▢1 1/3 cups plain/all-purpose flour
▢2 tsp baking powder
▢1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarb) or 3/4 tsp extra baking powder
▢Pinch of salt

SERVING/COOKING
▢1 tbsp (15g) butter , melted
▢8 oz / 250g strawberries , halved or quartered
▢1 tbsp caster/superfine sugar
▢Maple syrup , for dousing

INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk wet – Place the Wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. You should have little ricotta curd bits in it, but you don't want giant ricotta clumps.

Add dry – Scatter the Dry ingredients across the surface then whisk until combined. The batter is a little thicker than standard pancake batter.

Lightly butter pan – Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat until hot (I use 2 pans). Brush lightly with melted butter (or melt a bit then wipe off excess with paper towels).

Batter – Pour in 1/4 cup batter – it should just about spread evenly into a round but may need a bit of coaxing. (I use an ice cream scoop)

Cook 3 minutes – Cook the first side for 1 1/2 minutes or until golden brown (turn heat down if browning too fast). Flip then cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes or until golden. Remove onto a plate.

Cook remaining – If your non-stick coating is good, you won't need more butter though a very light brush of melted butter every 2nd or 3rd pancake won't hurt. Continue cooking, lowering the heat as you go as the pan gets hotter. You should get 9 to 10 in total. Keep cooked pancakes stacked so they keep each other warm (or use a low 50C/125F oven).

Serve ricotta pancakes with macerated strawberries (below), softened butter and copious amounts of maple syrup!

MACERATED STRAWBERRIES (OPTIONAL)
Toss together strawberries and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow them to sweat and soften slightly. (Even overnight in fridge is fine.) Serve on pancakes!

FARRO AND QUINOA SALAD WITH SPINACH AND PEAS

INGREDIENTS
1 c. farro
1 c. multicolored quinoa
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. fresh spring peas
2 c. coarsely chopped baby spinach
1/2 c. chopped fresh herbs (such as dill, cilantro, basil, and chives)
1/2 c. chopped roasted peanuts
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
3 Tbsp. lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Step 1
Cook farro and quinoa according to package directions. Spread grains on a rimmed baking sheet or large plate and refrigerate until dry, about 30 minutes.

Step 2
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas and simmer until tender, 4 to 6 minutes; drain and chill peas.

Step 3
Combine grains, peas, spinach, herbs, peanuts, oil, and lemon zest and juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

UP-AND-GO BREAKFAST MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS
WET:
• 1/3 cup coconut oil , virgin or unrefined (normal oil also works but not as tasty, Note 1)
• 1 large egg , at room temperature (~55g/2oz)
• 2/3 cup milk , at room temperature – full fat best (low fat and non-dairy ok too)
• 1/3 cup yogurt , plain/unsweetened
• 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DRY:
• 1 1/4 cups wheat germ (best) OR 1 1/4 cups (80g) wheat bran (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour (sub ordinary flour – Note 3)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp baking powder (Note 4)
• 1 tsp baking soda , sifted if lumpy (or 3 tsp extra baking powder)

ADD INS – CHOOSE ONE:
• 250g / 8 oz raspberries , 18 set aside and cut in half to decorate top if desired

• 2 cups diced fresh fruit (not watery) – like apples, pears

• 1 1/4 cups dried fruit, nuts, choc chips etc

INSTRUCTIONS
• Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan). Line a 12 hole standard muffin tin with muffin cases OR spray generously with oil.

• Whisk wet – Place coconut oil in a microwave proof bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds on high or until melted. Add remaining Wet ingredients, whisk until smooth.

• Mix in Dry – Sprinkle the Dry ingredients across the surface in the order listed. Mix just until combined.

• Raspberries – Gently stir in the whole raspberries or other add-ins of choice.

• Fill muffin tin – Divide batter between the 12 holes using an ice cream scoop. Decorate top with halved raspberries.

• Bake 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

MEAL-PREP CHILLI-LIME CHICKEN BOWLS

INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 pound cooked Chili-Lime Chicken
• 1 cup julienned jicama
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup pico de gallo
• 1 avocado, diced
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Hot sauce, such as Cholula

DIRECTIONS

• Combine quinoa and rice; divide among 4 single-serving containers with lids. Top with chicken, jicama, corn, pico de gallo and cilantro, dividing evenly. Seal the containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Serve with diced avocado, lime wedges and hot sauce.