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!

To make: 
Thermomix:
​Place ginger in mixing bowl and chop 2 sec/sp 7.  Scrape sides of bowl.
Add Onion/Shallots & chop 2 sec/sp 7.  Scrape sides of bowl.
Add olive oil and saute 2 mins/120/sp 1
Add water/stock/broth,  tamari & chicken & cook 10 mins/90/sp 1
Add corn and cook 7 min/ 90 / sp 1,  add chopped bok choy* & coriander stems and cook 1 min / 90 / sp 1
(if using baby spinach, I add this at the end and don't cook it - it will wilt enough in the hot liquid)
Serve topped with coriander leaves.

Stovetop:
Finely grate ginger and chop onion/shallots.
Heat oil in a large saucepan and add ginger, onion/shallots - saute for a couple of minutes until soft and fragrant.
Add water/stock/broth, stock powder/paste (if using) &  tamari & sliced chicken and bring to just before boiling, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add corn and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add bok choy, stir through while simmering for 1 minute.
Serve topped with coriander leaves.
(if using baby spinach, I add this at the end and don't cook it - it will wilt enough in the hot liquid)

Keep leftovers for lunch tomorrow or freeze for later!

​​​Serves 4 as a main or 8-10 as a side.

• 2  carrots, roughly chopped into 1-2cm chunks
• 250 g pumpkin cut into 1-2cm chunks
• 1 large red capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
• 1 large onion red onion roughly chopped into 8ths.
• 1-2 medium beetroot, well scrubbed and chopped into little chunks - 1-2cm 
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp olive oil 
• a handful of fresh herbs - thyme, rosemary, sage  or 2 tbsp mixed dried herbs
• 150g - 200g leafy greens - I use the beetroot leaves (wash well and chop) and add some rocket or baby spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas or sesame seeds (or a combination)
• sea salt and black pepper
• ½ - ¾  cup BB pesto  (or a good quality bought pesto)
• 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 50-60g feta cheese (optional)

Quinoa
​1- 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa   (I cook quinoa and freeze in batches to use in recipes like this to save time mid week)

• 1.5 cups bone broth or water
• ¾ cup quinoa (rinsed well several times)
  
  

To make:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. Lay the roughly chopped vegetables & whole cherry tomatoes in a single layer on a large roasting tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter over the herbs.
3. Roast for 30–40 minutes or until the veg is tender (pierce with a knife to check). Halfway through the roasting time, use a wooden spatula to turn the veg
4. Meanwhile, make the pesto if you don’t have pre-made.
5. Place quinoa and water/stock in saucepan and bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for another 15 mins until tender (check on it ½ way through in case it needs more water).
6.  To make dressing combine ½ - 1/3 cup pesto with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar.
7. Combine the quinoa, chickpeas and roasted vegetables in a big serving bowl, toss in your pesto & olive oil and the rocket/baby spinach salad leaves, sprinkle with crumbled feta (if using)  nuts/seeds and serve warm or cold.

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!

​I love meals we can eat together as a family and all enjoy. This is another of my favourites to hide veggies in.  We love chicken, but try it with different meats (pork, beef, chicken) – or a mix of meats if you like.
My kids like to not see the veggies in their mince – so I chop them finely.  If your kids aren’t as fussy as mine, julienne the carrots and slice the mushrooms and add them in when you add the tamari etc .  Beansprouts are also great added in at the end for extra crunch.  
This is a great way to get lettuce into kids by making it fun - you can also serve on brown rice.
Any leftovers are great for lunch the next day, for lunchboxes I roll them up into rice paper rolls to make them easy to eat.

Ingredients

• 1-2 carrots (roughly chopped)
• handful of coriander leaves
• 1 stick of celery (I've also used bok choy, beans or snow peas if I'm out of celery!)
• 5-6 shitake mushroom (fresh – sliced) or dried – about 1/3 cup and soak for 10 mins
• 1 brown onion (halved)
• 2 cloves of garlic (peeled)
• 3 cm piece of ginger, peeled
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 500g chicken mince, beef or pork mince  (mince yourself in Thermomix –  Partially frozen - 300g at a time speed 6 for 6-7 seconds, check consistency & repeat for a 2-3 more seconds if needed)
• 1 tin (230g) water chestnuts (not essential but add a good crunch – if you need to hide – add them in when you add celery etc)
• 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons of tamari or shoyu
• 2 baby cos hearts – break apart to form “boats”, or a cos lettuce broken into "cups" for the meat filling.
• 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds for sprinkling
  ​

Method - Thermomix

• Add carrot, celery, mushrooms, water chestnuts and coriander to Thermomix bowl and chop 3 sec/sp 7 (check consistency depending on how fine you like your veggies).   Set aside.

• Place onion, garlic and ginger into TM bowl and chop for  5 sec/sp 7.
• Add sesame oil and saute for 3 mins/Varoma/sp 1.
• Add the mince and cook for 10 min/ Varoma reverse sp 1
• Return carrot, mushrooms etc to bowl
• Add oyster sauce and tamari and cook for 3 minutes / Varoma reverse sp 1
• Pour into Thermoserver until you are ready to eat. 
• Spoon into baby cos leaves, sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy.

Method - Non Thermomix

• Finely chop carrot, celery, mushrooms, water chestnuts and coriander - or you could chop in food processor until fine (check consistency depending on how fine you like your veggies).   Set aside.

• Finely chop onion, crush garlic and ginger 
• Heat sesame oil in pan and lightly saute onion, garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes. 
• Add the mince and cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently
• Add carrot, mushrooms etc pan and cook for approximately 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Spoon into baby cos leaves, sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy.

I love Spring!!  The soft sun of Spring brings a sense of uplifting optimism with it.  Time to shed the layers of winter and lighten up a bit....Spring clean the house, the mind and the body and get rid of that stuff we no longer need.
It's a great time to lighten up our meals with more raw food, leafy greens, sprouts etc - which means salads!
I'm a huge fan of salads as complete meals - so they have carbs, complete protein and some good fats.  I love versatile salads that we can have for dinner, and then have pre-prepped for the next day's lunch (or dinner), in the fridge - ready to add the protein and dressing for a super quick and healthy meal.
Over the next few weeks I'll be adding plenty of ideas for salads as meals.  So look out here and on my instagram: Pachamama_nutrition

If yIngredients:

• 1 medium sized fennel bulb - finely sliced,  stalks and fronds chopped 
• 200g baby rocket
• 1/2 bunch of parsley chopped (I use stalks as well)
• 1/2 cup quinoa - rinsed well, soaked (if you have time)  / or 1 cup of cooked quinoa (I often cook a bigger batch and freeze in portions to pull out to add to salads etc)
• 1/2 capsicum
• 1 avocado chopped
• 2 tablespoons of mixed seeds - sunflower, pepitas, pine nuts - lightly toasted
• 1 small piece wood smoked trout per person,  (you can also use fresh cooked ocean trout/salmon)  broken into bite size pieces or you could use chicken, lamb or beef.
• 2 tablespoons of capers
• 100g feta - crumbled (Optional)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Mix dressing in a small jar until creamy looking

To Make:
Rinse quinoa well and add to 3/4 cup boiling water with a pinch of sea-salt. Turn down heat simmer, covered, for about 10-12 mins until just cooked - leave a little crunch. (check while cooking - you may need to add a little more water in the process)
Finely slice fennel and stalks (my $12 mandolin is perfect for this), I add the fennel raw, if you prefer you can saute sliced fennel  and stalks in a little olive oil until just soft.  Chop the fronds and add them to the greens below.
Add the rocket and parsley, roughly chopped fennel fronds, chopped capsicum and avocado* to the bowl.

Allow quinoa to cool if you prefer, or add it warm, then add the dressing *and give it all a mix through. Then sprinkle capers, crumbed feta, mixed seeds and trout. 

* If you are having the salad the next day for lunch, hold the avocado & dressing on what you won't be using right away.  Save your seeds, capers, some trout (or you could use chicken, beef, lamb, or extra nuts and seeds as your protein) and some dressing and add it all in when needed.

Ingredients:
1 onion (peeled and quartered)
2 cloves of garlic clove (peeled)
1 zucchini (roughly chopped)
2 carrots (no need to peel, but chop into 2 cm bits)
1 apple (cored and seeds removed, no need to peel)
a few sprigs of parsley and or basil
75g sweet potato - (I add whatever vegetables I have in the fridge including brocolli stalks)
500g organic beef or pork mince
1 tablespoon of Thermomix vegetable stock (or 1/2 tsp salt)
1/4 tsp cracked pepper (or to taste)
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons chia (or 1 cup of breadcrumbs - use wholemeal bread and blitz in Thermi or processor)
6 sheets puff pastry - cut in half
egg yolk for glazing
Sesame or chia seeds to sprinkle on top

To make:
Thermomix version:
Pre heat oven to 220 C.
Blitz onion and garlic in Thermomix 3 sec/sp 7,
Add veggies and apple into mixing bowl and chop 5 sec/sp 6, scrape sides and repeat as required.
Pop the mixture into the simmering basket and let sit for a few minutes to drain excess liquid - give it a squash down to help it along.  (This is important or you'll find the liquid comes out in the cooking)
Add mince, vegetable mixture , stock/salt, chia/breadcrumbs and eggs   and mix on reverse 10 sec/sp 4 using the spatula to assist with mixing, repeat for 5 secs if necessary until mixture is combined.

Place strips of mix vertical along the halved sheets of puff pastry. Cut sheets in half and roll into sausage roll shape. Cut into desired size pieces and place on lined baking tray with the seam of the pastry face down.  Baste top with a little milk or egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or chia seeds, or a combination.

Cook in a hot oven (220°C) for approx 20 mins until golden on lined baking trays.

Non Thermomix:
Crush garlic and add to onion in food processor, scrape sides.  
Add vegetables and process until veggies are fine.  Pop into a strainer to remove excess liquid, give it a squash down to help it along.  (This is important or you'll find the liquid comes out in the cooking)
Place mince, vegetable mixture and stock/salt, chia/breadcrumbs and eggs in a bowl and combine well.
Place strips of mix vertical along the halved sheets of puff pastry. Cut sheets in half and roll into sausage roll shape. Cut into desired size pieces and place on lined baking tray with the seam of the pastry face down.  Baste top with a little milk or egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or chia seeds, or a combination.

Cook in a hot oven (220°C) for approx 15-20 mins until golden on lined baking trays.

What’s so good about it:
Its a really tasty way to get more vegetables into the diet and it is a great gluten free alternative for pizza. Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable – same family as broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts  - high in powerful antioxidants – so it is detoxifying and anti-ageing!  Here are just a few things it is good for:

• Immune system - high in vitamin C  and anti-inflammatory & antioxidants
• Bone health - boron – which helps calcium be absorbed into bones
• Digestive health - high in fibre so it helps move things along in the digestive tract
  • contains sulphorophane, a powerful antioxidant which can reduce the incidence cancers particularly prostate and breast as it helps modulate oestrogen metabolism.
  • also helps prevent bacterial overgrowth in gut and protects the gut lining – so it is gut healing as well.

 The first part of this recipe makes cauliflower rice - a really delicious alternative to rice/pasta ...baked in the oven gives it a really beautiful taste which kids (and you) will love!

This recipe is adapted  from Louise Fulton Keats “Something for Everyone”, Thermomix cookbook - which I highly recommend as a great resource for family meals.
I often make a double batch and freeze half with a piece of baking paper between each pizza base.

Ingredients
500g cauliflower  (about 1 average sized cauliflower)
80g parmesan, roughly chopped
1 egg
60g tomato paste/tomato passata  (I use my home-made tomato passata)
8 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
4-5 strips of sulphite free - free range bacon (optional)
olive oil
3 small bocconcini
1 -2 basil sprigs, leaves only

Method
Thermomix:  Place cauliflower into the mixing bowl and chop 4 sec/sp 5. Transfer to a large baking dish and bake in oven for 15 mins to dry out, stirring once or twice during the cooking time to prevent burning.  Set aside and let cool slightly.
Place parmesan into mixing bowl and chop 20 sec/sp 7.  Scrape sides of bowl and add the cauliflower and the egg and mix 6 sec / sp 6, scrape down sides and repeat.

Spread the cauli mixture onto baking paper forming 3 small pizzas – about 8mm thick.  Bake in oven for about 20-25 mins until light golden.
 
Food processor:   Place cauliflower into bowl and pulse until it is like cauliflower rice.   Transfer to a large baking dish and bake in oven for 15 mins to dry out, stirring once or twice during the cooking time to prevent burning.  Set aside and let cool slightly.
Process parmesan until finely grated.  Scrape sides of bowl and add the cauliflower and the egg and mix until well combined.
Spread the cauli mixture onto baking paper forming 3 small pizzas – about 8mm thick.  Bake in oven for about 20-25 mins until light golden.

Both methods:
Remove from oven, spread tomato passata, scatter mushrooms, chopped bacon and bocconcini or your choice of toppings, drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 8-10 minutes. Scatter basil leaves and serve.

Ingredients
1/2 cup puy lentils (French lentils)
1/2 cup quinoa
2 tbsp pine nuts
¾-1 bunch coriander, chopped
½ bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely diced
Arils of ½-1 pomegranate
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp baby capers
1/2 cup currants
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to season
 
To make
Cook lentils in 1 1/2 litres of water.  Bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 20-25 mins until tender but with still a bit of bite. Drain and cool.
Cook quinoa with 1.5 cups water.  Bring to boil and then turn down heat, cover and cook for about 15-20 mins or until just tender.  Cool down.
Toast the pine nuts until lightly golden.
Chop the coriander, parsley and red onion.  Remove the arils of the pomegranate and juice 1 lemon.
Mix everything.  Season with salt to taste and spoon into serving bowl.

OK so mum was right....researchers have proven that chicken soup does actually help colds, it is anti-inflammatory and can help loosen congestion.   Soups and plenty of liquid are always recommended in colds as they are easily digested , prevent dehydration and aid a faster recovery.   
This is a supercharged immune boosting soup and perfect if you have a cold or just want to keep colds away, it is loved by the whole family.  I love it any time.
Bone broth is wonderful in healing our gut and thereby boosting our immune systems, recipe and notes here.  
Shitake Mushrooms have been used by the Chinese for 6,000 years or so, and have long been a favourite for boosting immunity.  They are high in bioavailable iron, B Vitamins, selenium and zinc, which are all important for healthy immune systems.   In Chinese Medicine they are a symbol of longevity...perhaps because they support heart health, help lower cholesterol and are beneficial to prostate health.  And they are delicious.

I often do the chicken cooking part at lunchtime  or the night before and pop it all in the fridge to throw together quickly for a 5 minute delicious dinner.  It makes wonderful lunch the next day and also freezes well.

You’ll need a stock pot big enough to hold a whole chicken plus liquid.

Ingredients
½ tablespoon of coconut, sesame or olive oil
2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
sprinkle of chilli flakes (optional)
2 onions – diced
1 organic chicken (whole)
1 cinnamon quill
4-5 star anise stars
2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce
a handful of dried shitake mushrooms (you can use fresh, just add later in the cooking process – after you have returned the chicken to the pot to heat up)
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
½ teaspoon of seasalt
1 bunch of bok choy / choy sum or your favourite Asian green – water spinach is great too.
About 1/2 litres of liquid.  I use half chicken bone broth and half water, but you can also use water or chicken stock and water (use less salt if using chicken stock)

To make
Lightly sauté garlic and onion in the oil for about 2-3 minutes and add chilli flakes if using, stirring for another minute.

Pop the chicken in the pot (Did you ever watch the Muppet Show?…think the chef), add the bone broth/stock and water – enough to just cover the chicken.  Add the cinnamon stick, star anise and shitake mushrooms cover and bring just to the boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 45 minutes (covered), be careful not to boil as it will make the chicken tough.

Remove chicken from pot and put on plate and refrigerate for about ½ an hour – until cool enough to pull apart,  (you can leave it as long as you want really and return to it later.  If you do that, put the soup in the fridge too.

When chicken is cool enough, or you are ready, return the soup to the stovetop and pull apart chicken and shred meat.  Return the chicken to the soup, warm through, if any of the chicken was still a little pink give it a few minutes to cook through.  Add half of the seasalt and fish sauce and taste, adding more if needed .  Cut the Asian greens into fine stii and add to the soup just as you turn off the soup.  Serve and enjoy!

Variations
-        Add buckwheat noodles for a chicken noodle soup
-        Add extra shitake mushrooms for extra flavor and to give your immunity a big kick.