This rocky road inspired chocolate bark is a slightly healthier alternative to the original. It’s also a great gift idea if you’re wanting to save money and still give to those you care about this Christmas.

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate (aim for at least 70%)

140g Pomegranate seeds

60g pistachios (shelled/chopped)

20g unsweetened coconut flakes

Method

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the pomegranate seeds, pistachios and coconut flakes in bowls.
2. Fill one large pot with water and place a smaller pot inside. Bring to a boil then reduce to lowest heat. Ensure no water is able to escape into the smaller pot! Break the dark chocolate into pieces and add it to the smaller pot. Stir continuously just until melted. Remove from stove top immediately once melted. Do not overheat as this will cause the chocolate to get lumpy.
3. Pour the melted chocolate onto the baking sheet. Use a spatula to smooth the chocolate into an even layer, about 1/4 inch thick. Quickly sprinkle the pomegranate seeds evenly over top, followed by the pistachios and finally the coconut. Transfer to the fridge or freezer and let chill for 20 to 30 minutes, or until firm.
4. Once the chocolate is firm, break or cut it into pieces. Enjoy!

The post Pistachio & Pomegranate ‘Rocky Road’ Bark – RECIPE appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Below is a recipe from Lilly Lloyd, who has shared some wonderful nutrition information and recipes over at my instagram and facebook pages the last couple of months. She has moved on to a different path and is no longer providing nutrition consults, but here is a yummy recipe from her to say Goodbye!

Honestly, who doesn’t love a perfect eggie?! I absolutely do and they taste even better when they’re paired with this epic salad! Anything with halloumi and you’ve got me SOLD!

So, with anything we put in our mouths we should be curious of what and how it’ll feed our bodies. Ok so, the best time of year is here to eat fruit and even better stone fruit, yum! Peaches, mangoes, nectarines, cherries, so much yes! Can we take a moment of appreciation for these please, they are some delicious pieces of fruit. Peaches are too good, juicy, sweet and soft – so what are the nutritional benefits of them? They’re rich in vitamin C, potassium, fibre, antioxidants, cofactors contributing to the production of melatonin (our sleep hormone), antioxidants and so much more!

Peaches paired alongside Quinoa and Halloumi has this meal flying off the nutrient radar. 

Benefits of Quinoa & Halloumi: Unlike most plant-based foods, quinoa is a complete protein, which means it contains all of the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins that make up your muscles, bones, skin, and blood. The nine classified as “essential” must be obtained from food daily — your body cannot produce or store them — and quinoa provides all nine. Halloumi is a good source of important nutrients, including protein and calcium. Its exact content of fat and calories depends on how you prepare it. 

Benefits of eggs – a nice little hit of protein, plus it’s a brilliant source of choline, a nutrient essential for brain health, fertility and digestion.

These ingredients paired with peach is just a dream in heaven when it comes to a nourishing and delicious salad. Check the recipe below, cook it for yourself or take it to a friend’s BBQ this weekend.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

– Handful Mixed Leaves, rinsed

– Coriander

– Basil

– 1/2 an Avo, sliced or cubed

– Peach, sliced

– 28g Halloumi, cubed and fried until golden

– Handful Pecans, lightly toasted

– 1/4-1/3 Cup Leftover Bone Broth Quinoa

– 2 Eggies, boiled for 8 mins

– Salt / Pepper

– 1-2 Tbsp Basil Pesto 

METHOD

1. Precook your quinoa or at least let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours for the bone broth to sink in.
2. Boil your eggs (I let my cook for 8 mins, they’re PERF). Whilst they’re cooking, assemble your salad.
3. Toss together the mixed leaves, coriander, basil, avo and peach in a bowl. Add the pesto and toss further, sit aside.
4. Pan fry your halloumi whilst your eggs are still cooking away. Once you’ve done the halloumi, in the same pan, toss the pecans lightly.
5. Toss the quinoa, halloumi and pecans through the salad.
6. Place your eggies on top once cooked and crack some salt/pep over the top!

Enjoy!

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Before jumping into the yumminess of these, let’s talk about the benefits of Macadamia nuts for your health. So, what is so good about Macadamias?

Studies have shown that including low GI (glycaemic index) nuts like macadamias in a healthy kilojoule-controlled eating plan, combined with regular moderate exercise, can help with weight loss by curbing your appetite.

 Good Fats

Nuts contain good unsaturated fats and don’t increase blood glucose and insulin levels that cause hunger. The macadamia is one of very few plants to include Omega 7, a monounsaturated fatty acid. These healthy oils, combined with fibre and small amounts of plant sterols, help maintain good cholesterol levels, healthy blood vessels and optimal blood supply throughout the whole body, including the brain. They also contain Omega 3 – an essential fatty acid with a wide range of health benefits, including lowering your risk of cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, and migraine headaches.

 High in Antioxidants

Macadamias have the Heart Foundation’s (Australia) coveted Tick of Approval. Antioxidants are part of your body’s natural defence system, and they work by de-activating potentially harmful substances, called free radicals, that damage cells and are thought to contribute to the development of chronic disease.

 Digestive Health

Macadamia nuts are also an easy solution to boosting your digestive health and keeping you regular. Macadamias contain about 2g of fibre per 30g serve, which is like a slice of wholemeal bread.

 Vitamins and Minerals

Macadamias like other plant foods contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Just a handful (30g) of raw, unsalted macadamias (15 whole or 30 halves) provides you with:

•       8% of your daily thiamine (vitamin B1), an important vitamin for releasing the energy from food, and necessary for normal functioning of the heart and nervous system.
•       31% of your daily manganese, a trace element important for antioxidant defences, bone health and normal metabolism.
•       9% of your daily magnesium for electrolyte balance, nerve and muscle function and bone strength.
•       4.5% of your daily iron for healthy blood and energy levels
•       12% of your daily niacin for a healthy nervous system, releasing energy from food and good skin structure and function
•       12% of your daily copper for antioxidant protection, immune system function and healthy- looking skin and hair.
•       1.4 grams carbohydrates and 1.9 grams of dietary fibre

Macadamias are packed with essential nutrients, enjoy these beauties, knowing that every handful is doing you good!

Recipe

 Let’s jump to the recipe, it was posted on my Instagram a few weeks ago and everyone loved it! 

These would hands down have to be the easiest, simplest, and convenient after dinner treat or dinner party addition! They have the perfect balance of sweet and salty alongside their beautiful monounsaturated fat. 

Ingredients

Punnet of Organic Fresh Raspberry

Block of Dark Chocolate (Lilly used super blackout @altereco_foods )

Organic Macadamia Nuts

Pinch Salt

Methods

1. Rinse / pat dry raspberries.
2. Insert maco nut into raspberry and sit aside.
3. Melt the block of chocolate and start dropping / tossing the raspberries in.
4. Place all onto some baking paper on a tray or plate and sprinkle with salt.
5. Slide them into the fridge and it’s good as gold.

Enjoy making these fun and delicious bites!

Lilly 😀

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Packed full of veggies, low in sugar, free from preservatives, high in fibre, protein and prebiotics and downright yum.

This meal is great for starting the day because it’s going to keep your blood sugar levels stable for a while, and keep your tummy full.

I make this for the kids a lot but it’s a regular dinner for he adults too, because it just tastes so good!

This meal works well if you are using baby led weaning, as the beans are a good size for bub to pick up with their hands, and the texture of the sauce is fun to explore. The beans and veg are all soft (check the carrot as depending how small you cut it it could still be a little firm) so it’s okay for babies to mash with their gums. If they’re learning utensils it’s not a slippery meal so fun for them to practice using a spoon. Not into BLW? This meal is fine for you to feed bub as well.

Making your own baked beans isn’t hard to do, and when you cook it in a big batch you’re setting yourself up for success. Great for any meal of the day but one of my favourite quick dinners is to reheat a batch of these baked beans, and sometimes I must serve it with some toast and some extra greens, but often it’s perfect on its own.

If you’re concerned about a bit of windiness from the beans, you can use the dry beans and soak them overnight. This breaks down the phytic acid which is often responsible for causing gas, digestive irritation and to some extent it can bind with minerals. After soaking the beans overnight you will need to rinse them thoroughly and make sure they’re cooked through well.

Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 3 cups beans soaked overnight and rinsed or 2 x 400g can beans rinsed and drained. I like butter beans, cannelloni and kidney beans.
• 2 can diced tomatoes
• 250ml stock or bone broth
• 1 onion finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves crushed/finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 florets cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 sprig rosemary (finely chopped) and/or thyme

Method

1. Sautee the onion over medium heat until it starts to soften
2. Add the zucchini, carrot, cauliflower and garlic and sautee until they are cooked through.
3. Add the herbs and spices, stir for a minute, then add the beans and tomatoes and stock. Stir through, then bring to the boil.
4. Reduce down to a simmer on low heat, cover and let it cook for 30 minutes or until it’s all at a good consistency.

The post Baked Beans for BLW and the whole family appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

This recipe is a staple for me – whenever I see some really good looking exotic mushrooms they go into my trolley, and making Mushroom San Choy Bow is one of my favourite ways to use them. But it’s great even with regular mushrooms. After you’ve cut all the mushrooms up it’s pretty quick and easy to make, and the ratios of the ingredients can be flexible, I don’t measure precisely when making this – a splash here and there of the various sauces and balance to taste.

Mushrooms are so good for you!

Mushrooms are a very healthy food – they are good for your brain health, good for your immune system and they’re a prebiotic, so they feed your good gut bugs.

Learn more about medicinal mushrooms here – Medicinal Mushrooms Podcast

There is a lot of naturally occuring sulphur in this dish with the onions, cabbage, leek and garlic, so it’s also very good for your liver, hormonal detoxification and your skin.

Don’t want a vegetarian san choy bow? Fodmap issues? Check my options at the bottom of the recipe.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 tsp ginger, finely grated
• Half leek – halved vertically and washed, then thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded green cabbage
• 1 full bag paper mushrooms, or equivalent quantity of mixed mushrooms (I use mostly button mushrooms, and add shiitake, king oyster and enoki mushrooms)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp soy
• Splash fish sauce (omit if vegan)
• 1 tsp mirin
• Splash rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 lime, juiced
• Small pinch of salt
• 1/4 cauliflower, very finely chopped/shredded
• 1-2 green onions
• 1 Iceberg or cos lettuce (see step 5 – you may want to do this in advance if you’re not confident).

Method

1. Heat some olive oil in a large fry pan on medium heat and sautee the red onion until soft. Add the leek and continue to fry for a further minute.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft.
3. Add the cauliflower, cabbage, ginger and salt and cook until it’s all adequately softened, then add the sauces. Balance to taste.
4. Dice up the spring onions and stir most of them through, reserving a little to garnish with.
5. Take the iceberg lettuce apart into leaves (allow some time for this a it can be fiddly, you want to avoid tearing the leaves). Wash and dry them, then assemble on a plate.
6. Put the mushroom mixture into a bowl, sprinkle with the remaining spring onions or some sesame seeds, I also like to drizzle a little sesame oil over the top.
7. Now you can eat it – take a lettuce leaf, place a couple of spoonfuls of mushroom mixture into the lettuce, wrap up the lettuce so you can hold onto it and take a bite.

Tweak it.

Add some unflavoured medicinal mushroom powder into this mix before you serve it for some extra oomph! I like to use Lion’s Mane, or a blend of Reishi, Cordyceps, Shiitake, and a few others.

Not keen on a vegetarian dinner? Use pork or beef mince to replace 1/3-3/4 of the mushrooms. Sautee the mince off after the red onion, then proceed with the rest of the steps.

If you’re fodmap sensitive this recipe may give you some gas so you may choose to swap the mushrooms for pork or beef mince, skip the red onion and use the green part of the leek and spring onions only. You can probably handle some mushrooms, but maybe not this much.

The post Mushroom San Choy Bow appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Meatballs are such an easy food for toddlers who like to feed themselves, and you can get creative with the ingredients to give kiddo lots of variety. You can sneak veggies in them, which is good if you’ve got a fussy eater, but still handy if you’ve got a little one who doesn’t have teeth to chew up spinach.

I introduced food to both Ash and Lara with baby led weaning techniques. Ash took a few months to get the hang of eating, but Lara seemed to be a champion eater right from the start. It’s an effort to keep up with her appetite!

These meatballs are good if you’re introducing finger food to babies, they’re great for toddlers, and they’re good for adults too.

I make meatballs in big batches and freeze them, reheating a few at a time in the oven to give her for dinner or to put into her lunchbox.

You can have a few variations in the freezer so you can keep it interesting.

I made these meatballs at a time when Lara was about 8 months old, so I wasn’t adding any salt, wheat flour or egg into her food. If you had an older child or you were cooking this for an adult you could add a little salt to season it, however I found it tasted fine as is.

Also, these aren’t just for kids! They taste pretty darn good so if you’re in need of a quick dinner, use them yourself. Just make a quick tomato sauce, throw in the meatballs until they’re heated through and serve alongside some pasta, zucchini noodles, rice.

One of the tricks is to roll them small. It makes it easier for kids to handle, and it’s quicker and easier to cook. Rather than turn them over in the pan with tongs, I just give the pan a good shake every now and then, so they get cooked evenly.

Recipe

Ingredients

• Large handful pork mince (this might be about 300g)
• Small handful wombok
• 1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
• 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 brown onion
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Olive oil for cooking

Method

1. Dice the onion very finely or chop in a food processor. Add this to a pan and saute gently over medium heat until softened. Scrape this into a bowl, and then add the chia seeds and a splash of water. (This helps to bind the meatballs as a replacement to egg).
2. Finely chop the wombok or shred in a food processor, then stir through the onion.
3. Add the garlic powder, sesame oil, mince and coriander to the bowl. Mix it all together well with your hands for a few minutes. The more you can work it, the better it will hold together as this breaks the proteins down. Alternatively, you can blend it in a mix master.
4. Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then roll about 1 tbsp mixture at a time and add into the pan. Cook them in batches and don’t overfill the pan.

The post Toddler friendly Pork and Wombok Meatballs appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

This salad is a classic Tuscan dish that is a great way to use up stale bread. It is refreshing in summer, and like many foods if you start with good quality ingredients like juicy tomatoes and good quality bread, it is delicious.

You could have this salad on it’s own or as a side.

Serves 2 as a main or 3-4 as a side

Ingredients

• Approx 200g (or 2 handfuls) stale bread, such as a sourdough or ciabatta
• 1 lebanese cucumber, cut into bite size chunks
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 tsp sumac
• Olive Oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 small anchovy (optional)
• 2 tsp capers
• handful fresh herbs such as basil, coriander or dill
• small handful kalamata olives, pitted and roughly cut
• large handful of baby tomatoes or 1-2 larger tomatoes, cut into bite size chunks
• large handful mixed lettuce, rocket or baby spinach leaves

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Thinly slice the onion and place into a bowl, then sprinkle with the salt and a few good splashes of red wine vinegar. Massage with your fingers and allow that to sit while you make the rest of the salad. Soaking the onion helps to reduce the burn from it.
3. Tear the bread into bite size chunks and sprinkle with olive oil and a little salt. Spread it on an oven tray and then place into the oven. Keep an eye on it as you make the rest of the salad, and give it a shake/stir so that it gets evenly browned. It should take about 10-15 minutes to get golden, at which point remove it from the oven.
4. Start assembling the rest of the salad into the bowl with the onion. If you choose to use the anchovy then chop it up very finely before adding to the vinegar an onion, then stir it around a bit more.
5. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, cucumber, lettuce and herbs.
6. Sprinkle the sumac and pepper over the top, then drizzle with the olive oil. Mix it all together.
7. When the bread it golden, allow it to cool for a minute then stir through into the salad.

The post Panzanella and Sumac Salad appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Next time you’re cutting up a pumpkin, save the seeds and give them a good wash. These roast up nice and crunchy and are a great source of zinc and protein. Add some chickpeas to make it go further – another wonderful source of zinc and protein.

You can add whatever flavours you like – I like a mix of spices, but you could also do a salt and vinegar blend, a simple dried herb mix or a bit of soy sauce.

Roast Pumpkin seeds with Crispy Chickpeas

Ingredients

• Reserved seeds from a pumpkin, washed.
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp spices (I don’t measure them, but give a few shakes of whatever I feel like on the day. My favourite combination is garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and cumin).
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas
3. Add the pumpkin seeds to a small bowl with the rinsed chickpeas.
4. Drizzle over the olive oil and add the spices to your taste. Add a good pinch of salt if desired, and stir through
5. Spread the chickpeas and seeds onto a tray lined with baking paper and transfer to the oven
6. You may need to stir the chickpeas and seeds once depending on your oven
7. When they are crispy and golden, approx. 20-30 minutes, take them out of the oven and allow to cool slightly.
8. They are delicious warm but can be kept in an airtight jar for a couple of days.

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Succulent patties that are rich in nutrients but tasty as heck… I have a recipe for you that offers this!

These days I create meals that can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike, and with a bit of alterations are suitable for a baby that’s just starting to eat (although by the way she is going you’d think she was a eating competition winner in a previous life). And this was a hit!

These patties were so tasty, I made larger patties for hubby and I, smaller patties for Ash and small patties of a mixture without salt for Lara (baby led weaning). Everyone loved them!

Tinned salmon is a great source of calcium and other minerals as the bones can be crushed up and eaten – you won’t even know they’re there. On top of that, it’s so easy to just open a can, smoosh it up and through it together with some other ingredients for an awesome meal. Extra bonus – it’s a very cost effective meal.

I used red salmon and tricolour quinoa but you could use pink salmon or any other colour quinoa if you’d prefer. I cooked the quinoa earlier in the day and let it rest until I was ready to make the patties. If you haven’t cooked quinoa before, I would say it’s just like cooking rice via the absorption method. You want it to be tender but not entirely mooshy. When it cooks, the germ ring becomes visible so it gets a white outline around it.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup quinoa, cooked and then cooled
• 415g can salmon
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• Handful coriander leaves, finely chopped (you could also use dill)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• Rice flour 2 tbsp
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Drain the salmon, and transfer it into a bowl and mash it with a fork to break up the bones
2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix together
3. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes
4. Heat a fry pan over medium high heat, then add 2 tbsp olive oil
5. Scoop a small handful of the mixture out and loosely form into a ball then place in the pan. Slightly flatten with a spatula so that it forms a disc shape
6. Fry for about a minors or until it turns golden brown. Turn the patty over and cook until it turns golden brown.
7. Transfer cooked patties to a plate and cook the remaining mixture in batches, adding more oil to the pan in between as needed. After a few batches you might need to turn the heat down in the pan.

Meal ideas :

​

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Ours isn’t a gluten free household, but I do like to cut down the amount of wheat consumed, and I also like to experiment with recipes for my patients. So in the search for gluten free cookies that are easy to make and toddler friendly, this recipe was born.

Millet is a gluten-free ‘ancient’ grain. It is one of the oldest crops known to man, and was one of the first grains that man made bread from. It is more closely related to corn than to wheat. It is usually better digested than most grains, and being free from gluten it is a good alternative to wheat.

It has a nutty taste usually, but there is a potential for slight bitter aftertaste if the flour is a bit older which means the fat has started to oxidise. This can be lessened by keeping the flour in the freezer, or grinding the flour fresh (this would be ideal as you are going to retain more nutrients, but not an option for many people). Use the flour within a few weeks of opening.

Millet is rich in magnesium, as well as vitamin B3 (niacin).

It does have a caution – it acts as a goitrogen, which means it can reduce the uptake of iodine into the thyroid gland. In the ocassional meal (and you know I love to vary up the diet) it’s not going to be an issue, but as a staple it would potentially cause an issue. For those with hyperthyroidism or iodine excess, this is actually a bonus. And if you have enough iodine in your diet, the effect of millet is likely not an issue.

Gluten Free Choc Chip Cookies

These are easy to make and toddler approved. I like to get Ash involved with cooking by measuring out the flour and other ingredients into the little measuring cups and and then getting him to tip it into the mixing bowl. I also ask him to help stir, which he does a little and then I finish up the rest.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup millet flour (140g)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips, or more if desired
• 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp butter or melted coconut oil
• 3-5 tbsp milk of choice, as needed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190 C.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients and mix through well.
4. Now you can separate into the cookies by taking a small handful, or a large spoonful and rolling it between your palms to form a ball (approximately golf ball size).
5. Bake for 7 minutes, then remove and let stand on tray for 10 minutes. They will be slightly under cooked when you take them out of the oven but that’s okay because they will finish up on the tray when they’re resting.

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