Ingredients:
Portobello mushrooms - 2-3 per person
A handful of kale/baby spinach/shredded zucchini per person - chopped
Goats cheese
Pine nuts
Olive oil
pinch of seasalt

To make:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees
​Peel the mushrooms and pop onto baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil.
Chop kale/baby spinach and pile on top of mushroom.  Break goats cheese into little pieces and balance on top, then add the pine nuts.
Sprinkle with a little seasalt and black pepper
Pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes.  Done.  Enjoy!

Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme which helps break down protein - so it is known as a digestive enzyme as it helps us break down foods.  Great for people who tend to get indigestion after meals as it lifts the digestive enzymes in our gut needed to break down foods.  Curcumin is the active ingredient in Turmeric, which is know n to reduce inflammation.  These days, pretty much everyone has some kind of inflammation - be that aches and pains, too much sugar or meat, rashes, allergies etc -so we could all do with the anti-inflammatory benefits.  If you need another reason, this is delicious too - Think pine-lime splice!

To make:
Finely grate parmesan and crush garlic.
Add all ingredients into food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Place ½ in a clean jar, top with olive oil and keep in fridge up to 5 days.  Split the remaining 2 portions and store in freezer to use later.

​To make with a Thermomix:
Cut parmesan into chunks, add to bowl and grate 15 secs/sp10.
Add all other ingredients to bowl and chop 20 sec/sp 7.
Place ½ in a clean jar, top with olive oil and keep in fridge up to one week.  Split the remaining 2 portions and store in freezer to use later.

Try some of these ways to use it:
We know it is great for kids (and grown ups) afternoon tea, or with an evening drink.  Some other great ways to use pesto:
Breakfast: 
 - Pesto eggs:  2 eggs, 1 tablespoon of pesto - whisk together,  and pop in the pan with a drizzle of olive oil - throw in a handful or two of of baby spinach for a breakfast with a serve or two of veggies.
Snack / lunch: 
- top some sourdough toast or a couple of wholegrain crackers with it - add some sunflower seeds/pepitas and some microgreens/sprouts for a quick & filling snack (see my lunch today above!)
- Delicious with poached chicken on a sandwich with some baby spinach.

Dinner: 
- Coat Chicken breasts or fish with it:  and bake in the oven with some cherry toms, broccolini, brussels sprouts, pumpkin - or whatever veg you have about.  Approx 20 mins @ 180 degrees.
-  Try my Roast Vegetable, Quinoa & Pesto salad or just toss through roast vegetables & some quinoa -  add some rocket or baby spinach and you have a super salad!

Ingredients:
130g unsalted butter softened (or coconut oil)
180g Banana flour (or 220 g wholemeal spelt / wholemeal flour)
350g ripe bananas  (I freeze the ones that have gone black and use for this)
150g medjool dates
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
a pinch of seasalt
1/3 cup  milk (80g)
2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon chia (optional)
2 teaspoons of natural vanilla extract.
 
To make: 
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Grease and line a loaf tin (25 x 10 x 11cm).
Place bananas and dates in food processor and mash to combine (Thermomix 6 sec sp 6)
Add butter/coconut oil and mix well (Thermomix 20 sec sp 4), scrape sides with spatula
Add eggs and mix well (Thermomix 10 sec sp 4)
Add everything else:  flour, baking powder, salt, bicarb soda, milk, yoghurt, vanilla, chia (if using).  Mix well.  (Thermomix 20 sec sp 4).  You may need to scrape the sides and repeat.
Pour into prepared loaf tin and bake for 55-60 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in tin for 30 mins, turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Ingredients
100g Medjool dates (deseeded)
40g coconut oil (melted if necessary)
25g chia (soaked in 1/4 cup water for 5 mins or so)
75g Almonds (1.5 cups)
100g Cranberries
75g rolled oats
75g mixed seeds (pepitas, sunflower, sesame, whatever you have)
50g shredded or dessicated coconut
1 heaped tablespoon of vanilla protein powder / or a teaspoon of vanilla essence

Method
Thermomix: Combine dates, coconut oil and chia mixture in Thermomix  speed 7 for 10 seconds, scrape sides and repeat until it is a paste.  Add all other ingredients and mix on reverse speed 3 for 5-10 seconds, scrape sides and repeat until well combined

Non Thermomix:  Combine dates, coconut oil and chia mixture in food processor until it is a paste.  Add all  put all other ingredients into a large bowl and then add date, coconut  & chia paste and mix until well combined.

Press into a lined slice tray (approx 20cm x 20cm) and press down flat - sprinkle extra seeds on top if you like and press in a little.  Cook in oven for approximately 30mins at 170 degrees.  Allow to cool before cutting.  I refrigerate for about 30 minutes or so which makes cutting easier.

This is delicious for breakfast or for a wholesome dessert - for everyone.  Make the chia mix  when you first get up – it needs to soak for at least 45 mins (You can also do it the night before - adding the berries, yoghurt and nuts just before serving).

Chia is high in fibre and protein so helps fill you up and stabilise blood sugar levels, so a great food to start the day with.   It is also packed with Omega 3 fatty acids which we need for  brain development and function, it is high in calcium, manganese, phosphorus, tryptophan (regulates appetite, sleep and improves mood), and the latest research shows it helps increase healthy cholesterol and decrease the LDL (the “bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons of Chia
  
• 1 cup of milk (soy, almond, cows)
  
• ½ tsp pure vanilla essence or vanilla powder
  
• ¼ cup nuts – hazelnuts, almonds, cashews  - your choice
  
• ¼ cup fresh or frozen (and defrosted) berries, or grated apple, sliced stone fruit , poached pears or whatever fruit you like
  
• ¼ cup natural yoghurt
  
• drizzle of honey or maple syrup
  

 This makes plenty for two adults or one adult and 2 or 3 children.

METHOD
Mix chia, milk and vanilla in a glass/ceramic bowl and place in the fridge for 1-8 hours. 
Once the chia has become gelatinous add the yoghurt, chopped nuts, berries and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.  You can layer it in a jar or just in a bowl.  Delicious.

A great lunchbox or after school treat, also good for an "on the run" breakfast. Baby Hannah loves these for morning tea.  Delicious warm or cold.
Wholemeal spelt is high in fibre and higher in protein than regular flour.  The bananas and dates add plenty of sweetness.

Ingredients
1 red apple (grated with skin)
6 medjool dates finely chopped (or 9 dried dates)
2 small bananas mashed
2/3 cup of shredded or dessicated coconut

1 tablespoon of ricemalt, maple syrup or unrefined honey
 
1/3 cup coconut oil (liquid)
3 eggs
2 cups wholemeal spelt flour  (gluten free option use oatbran or brown rice flour)
1 tsp baking powder (I like Honest to Goodness - no nasties)
½ cup milk

To make:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees C, grease muffin tins/or line with muffin cases.  (I do a mixture of standard and mini muffins – mix makes 10 standard and 10 small muffins)
Place apple, bananas, dates, coconut oil, ricemalt/honey or maple syrup and eggs in bowl and mix until well combined.
Add coconut, flour, milk  and mix gently with spoon until just combined (the best muffins are not overmixed!).
Spoon mixture into muffin pans and cook for approximately 20-25 mins (smaller ones will be ready after 15-20).  Check with a skewer at 15-20 mins – if no mixture comes out they are cooked.
Cool in tin for about 5 mins, then turn out onto wire rack to cool.


Variations - add 3/4 cup of roughly chopped walnuts for a lovely crunch and added protein.

To make:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
Add all dried ingredients (except cranberries and shredded coconut), to a bowl and mix well.  Add the coconut oil, vanilla and maple/rice syrup and mix till dry mixture is well coated.   
Pour mixture onto lined baking tray and spread out.  Place in oven for 25 minutes, giving it a mix every 5 minutes or so and adding cranberries and coconut after about 15 minutes.
When cool, store in an airtight container.  Enjoy with your choice of milk and yoghurt and some berries.