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.

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Looking for dinner inspiration that is anti-inflammatory and low in histamine? This recipe is courtesy of Jenna Gulli, a lovely student Naturopath who has been completing some of her study with me.

Turmeric is a wonderful spice which is great for your digestion and is also anti-inflammatory and anti-aging. It provides a gorgeous golden colour to any foods it’s added to, and your body will thank you for it.

While not typically bad for you, foods high in histamine can be an issue for some people – especially those with hayfever, inflammation or period pain type issues including endometriosis. Because the list of foods to avoid for a low histamine diet is quite extensive it can be tricky figuring out what you actually can eat. This is the first of hopefully many more recipes to come which will provide some inspiration for the low-histamine peeps.

Turmeric Chicken

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 250g chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil (for the pan)
• Fresh or dried mixed herb spice (1 tablespoon)
• pinch of celtic sea salt
• pinch of cracked pepper
• 1/2 cup of quinoa (ideally this has been previously soaked)
• 1/2 head of broccoli, broken into florets (2 cups)

Method

1. Marinating the chicken. Mix the salt, pepper, dried herbs and turmeric together and coat the chicken breast in this spice mix
2. Preheat oven to 180C
3. Cooking the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa under cold water, gently rubbing together between your fingers. This helps to reduce some of the bitter flavour and properties which can potentially cause bloating. Place the rinsed quinoa into a medium saucepan and cover with water so that it comes up to double it’s height (this would equate to about 3/4 cup water. I usually use a ratio of 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups water). Add a pinch of salt then bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed, then remove from the heat and leave covered for 5-10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
4. Cooking the chicken. Meanwhile, heat a frypan over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, add the coconut oil, then place the spice coated chicken breast(s) into the pan. Leave it for 3-4 minute until starting to turn gold, then turn over to the over side. After 2-3 minutes, cover the pan with foil or a lid and place it into the oven for about 5-6 minutes or until it’s cooked through (you can tell because the juices from resting it should run clear, not pink or red). Remove from the oven and place on a plate, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Cooking the broccoli. You can choose to either steam or bake the broccoli. To steam, you could put it in a covered steamer basket over the quinoa for the last few minutes of cooking until it’s tender but still vibrant green. To bake, cut into small florets and cover with a little coconut oil, salt and pepper and place on a tray, then bake for about 15 minutes.
6. Assemble. Place the quinoa, broccoli and chicken breast, top with a garnish such as alfalfa sprouts or fresh herbs (try parsley or coriander) and enjoy!

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Want something tasty and fresh to serve with your New Years meal? This recipe is a big crowd pleaser. The dressing is asian inspired but it can easilly be served with a big variety of meals.  Not just suitable for a big day though, this dish is a great salad for mid week dinners or lunches as well.

~Serves 4-6~

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• 1 red onion
• 2 tsp sea salt

• 1 large handful coriander, mint and basil or dill, roughly chopped.
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced into batons or ribbons.
• 2-3 large handfuls (about 700g) red or wombok (Chinese cabbage) leaves
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped.
• 1 handful bean sprouts

Dressing

• 125ml rice wine vinegar
• 55g brown sugar
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp soft brown sugar or grated palm sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger
• 2 garlic cloves

Method

Julienne the carrot and thinly slice the onion, then combine with the salt in a non metal bowl and allow them to sit for 30 minutes.

Grate the ginger into your serving bowl (or a plate, and squeeze out the juice from the ginger). Crush or grate in the garlic, then whisk together with the rest of the dressing ingredients.

Shred the cabbage with a knife or with the slicing attachment in a food processor and dump on top of the dressing. Add the cucumber, bean sprouts and chilli and mix through.

Squeeze out the liquid from the carrot and onion then add to the rest of the slaw along with the herbs, then mix through again and serve.

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~Serves 2~

Ingredients

• ½ cauliflower
• ¼ bunch kale (the flat leaf or the curly is fine), finely chopped.
• Handful mint and basil leaves, finely chopped.
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pinch dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 salmon fillets

Method

In a food processor, blitz the cauliflower until it turns into a coarse breadcrumb like consistency.

Get out two frying pans, one on medium high and the other on medium heat. Add some olive oil to both pans.

In the medium high heat pan add the salmon fillets (first season them with salt and pepper) skin side down.

In the medium heat pan, tip in the cauliflower. Stir through until it starts to soften then add the kale. Season with salt and pepper and add the dried chilli and cumin. Cover with a lid.

After about 4-5 minutes or the skin is crisp, turn the salmon over.

Cook the salmon for another 3-4 minutes or until cooked to your liking.

Remove the lid from the cauliflower, then add the mint and basil and cook for another minute, then take off the heat.

Serve the cauliflower scramble into bowls and place the salmon fillet on top. Garnish with some cracked pepper and torn up basil leaves.

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To me, a roast is synonymous with Sunday dinner and for me this entails crispy roast vegetables and gravy made from the juices of the roast meat. For a long time, a roast dinner was considered a luxury meal and even now it can be seen as being expensive, but if you make use of the leftovers in a clever way it can be a real money saver for the rest of the week.

I like to opt for cuts of meat that are both versatile for later uses, but also taste good.

Compared to a roast leg of lamb, lamb shoulder is a cheaper cut of meat that when slow cooked is melt in the mouth tasty. It can have a lot of fat pockets, but don’t let this put you off, as most of these melt out of the meat and it’s also essential for keeping the meat tender during the long roasting period.

Ingredients

• Lamb Shoulder – around 1.5 kg
• Handful of rosemary sprigs
• 8 garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 140°C

Place two-thirds of the rosemary sprigs in the bottom of a baking dish (there’s no need to pick the leaves, just throw them in whole), and scatter the garlic cloves on top. Place the lamb shoulder on top of the garlic and rosemary, then season generously with salt and cracked black pepper. Cover the dish tightly with a double-layer of aluminum foil, and bake for 4-6 hours, or until the lamb pulls apart easily with a fork, or the bone pulls out with little resistance.  Remove the foil and increase the heat to 200°C, and roast for a further 20-30 minutes just to create a bit of a crust on the exterior.

Remove the lamb from the oven, and rest covered for at least 30 minutes.

Shredded lamb shoulder and coleslaw wrap

~Serves 2~

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls of leftover roast lamb shoulder, shredded
• mountain bread wraps
• 1 avocado

Coleslaw:

• 1 carrot
• ¼ red cabbage
• ½ red onion
• Handful flat leaf parsley
• ¼ fennel bulb
• 1 long red chilli, deseeded (optional)

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive, macadamia or avocado oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp mirin

Method

Use a slicing attachment on a food processor, a mandolin or a knife to shred the cabbage, onion and fennel. Use a grater (or grating attachment of the food processor) for the carrot. Pile it all into a bowl. Finely chop the chilli and roughly chop the parsley and add these in.

Mix the dressing together and pour over the salad, and allow to pickle for a few minutes.

To assemble, place a handful of the dressed coleslaw, a few slices of avocado and a half handful of lamb on a wrap, roll up and dig in.

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~Serves 2~

Ingredients

• 2 lamb fillets
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• ½ tsp fennel seeds

• ½ cup brown lentils
• 1 large handful of rocket leaves (arugala)
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 handful flat leaf parsley or mint, roughly chopped
• 3-4 tbsp Greek/Natural yoghurt
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon
• Olive oil

Method

Soak the lentils overnight or for 8 hours, then rinse thoroughly. (read why I suggest doing that here)

Simmer the lentils for 45 minutes or until tender, then drain and set aside.

If you have time, dry-fry the spices in the form of the whole seeds then grind up with some salt in a mortar and pestle, otherwise just use the cumin and coriander powder.

Preheat the oven 180°C.

Heat a frying pan to medium high heat, and add a good splash of olive oil.

Coat the lamb fillets with the spices and season with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes on one side, then turn over and place the pan in the oven for 5 minutes, then place on a plate, cover with foil and allow to rest for a few minutes (this should make it medium rare).

Heat a griddle pan on high heat. Coat the asparagus in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then place onto the griddle pan. Turn a few times so they are cooked evenly.

Mix the lentils with the juice of ½ lemon, a good glug of olive oil and some salt and pepper, then mix through the rocket leaves and herbs.

Serve the lentils onto the place. Cut the lamb fillets into thick slices and arrange over the top of the lentils. Serve the asparagus on the side along with a good dollop of natural yoghurt and a lemon wedge or cheek, and sprinkle over some salt and a crack of black pepper.

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This recipe is a bit different to your usual stuffed eggplant recipes, which are usually based around tomato and cheese, and bound with breadcrumbs and egg. The contents of this are much looser, but it’s tasty, fresh, and not difficult to make.

Okra is probably not a vegetable many people like or are familiar with, but when I learnt about it’s healing properties for the digestive system (that gooeyness that grosses people out is very good for you) I endeavoured to come up with a way to make it more palatable. Roasting did the trick for me. It’s got a different texture than you’d be used to but I really enjoyed it. Go on, be brave, give it a try!

While baking potatoes whole takes time, I think it’s worth it because all you have to do is put it in the oven and let it do it’s thing, leaving you free to make the rest of dinner, and the end result is always scrumptious. I like to cut a cross into the top of the potato once it’s cooked, give it a quick squeeze and then put a teaspoon of butter in the top where let it melt down into the fluffy insides. So good.

~Serves 2~

Ingredients

• Stuffed eggplant
• 1 large eggplant
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• ¼ fennel bulb, or 1 tsp fennel seeds if fresh fennel is out of season
• 1-2 button or swiss brown mushrooms, diced.
• Small handful flat leaf parsley
• 1 tray okra
• 2 small potatoes
• Pinch dried chilli

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Scrub the potatoes them wrap up in foil with a small knob of butter and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place in the oven, you can put them directly onto the oven racks. These take at least an hour, preferably an hour and a half. Have a bit of a break before you start of the rest of the meal.

Trim the stalk off the top of the eggplant then halve it lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh from the inside (keep this), leaving approximately 1cm of a shell.

Place the eggplants in a tray, skin side up and drizzle with olive oil and crack on some pepper. Place in the oven while you’re preparing the stuffing.

Heat a frying pan on medium heat, and add some olive oil, butter, ghee or coconut oil. Add the onion and fennel and cook until it starts to soften. Crush in the garlic and continue to stir for another minute.

Dice up the flesh from inside the eggplant and add to the pan along with the mushroom.  Cook for another 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Take the eggplant shells out of the oven, turn them over then spoon in the stuffing. Place back into the oven and cook until the eggplant shell is cooked through and the top of the stuffing looks like it is starting to turn crispy, about 20-30 minutes.

Trim the ends off the okra and place into a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried chilli flakes. Place into the oven and cook until they start to turn golden, about 20 minutes.

Place everything onto a plate to serve, sprinkle over the parsley leaves, and enjoy!

So were you brave and gave okra a try? I’m keen to hear how you went!

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My mother introduced me to this recipe last year as part of a delicious Indian feast she prepared, and oh boy was this dish a winner. It’s so delicious, so fresh and it is perfect for these warmer months as well. This would be a good dish for Christmas lunch too, I’m thinking!

Mangoes are in season now, so get excited. Buy them cheaply buy the box, freeze half of them for smoothies and chow down on the rest of them fresh, or in meals like this.

Rich in Vitamin C, betacarotene, and low in calories. Oh and did I mention, delicious?

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 300g dessicated coconut
• 2 dried chillies, seeded and chopped
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar, coconut nectar or rice malt syrup
• 300g ripe mango flesh, cubed
• 1 tbsp macadamia or melted coconut oil
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 6 curry leaves

Method

1. Put the coconut, chilli and sugar/syrup in a blender and add enough water to make a thick, coarse paste.  If you don’t have a blender, crush everything together in a mortar and pestle, adding a little water as you go.

2. Transfer the paste to a bowl and toss the mango through.  Season with salt to taste, and then refrigerate.  Heat the oil in a small frying pan over low heat and add the coriander, mustard seeds and curry leaves.  Cover and shake the pan until the seeds start to pop.  Pour the oil and seeds over the mango mixture and stir.

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