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!

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.

​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.

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.

Ingredients:

• 150 g  desiccated coconut  (about 2 cups) - plus about 30g for rolling
• 100g almonds*
• 100 g medjool dates,  seeds removed (about 10)
• 30g cacao (2 tablespoons)
• 100g coconut cream** (about 5 tablespoons), or 50g of coconut oil.

To make:
Place all of the ingredients into Thermomix and blend 15-20 seconds sp 7.  Or if using a  food processor blend until well combined.  Roll into balls and refrigerate.   They last a week or so in the fridge (if they last that long!).
* Nut free option:  replace almonds with extra coconut or sunflower seeds.
** use a good quality coconut cream (100% coconut cream - beware those with other additives!) - or make your own.  Freeze the remainder coconut cream in ice cube trays for the next batch (or curry).

These are a lovely sweet treat for the lunchbox or for an after school treat.  Apricots are high in soluble fibre, Vitamin C and iron.  Make sure you choose organic sulphite free apricots - they will be brown in colour as they don't contain the preservative sulphite which can trigger asthma and other allergic / sensitivity reactions.
As well as being a lovely vegetable protein and fat source, sunflower seeds are high in B Vitamins including folic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids , antioxidants including vitamin E and minerals  calcium, iron, magnesium & selenium.
Coconut has anti-microbial  anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities, as well as being delicious - again,  choose sulphite free coconut.


Ingredients
200 g dried apricots (Organic Turkish)
150 g dessicated coconut (Plus a bit extra for rolling balls in)
100 g sunflower seeds
50 g Coconut Cream
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method
Thermomix:  Place all ingredients into bowl and mix speed 7 for 15-20 seconds until well combined.
Food processor:  Place all the ingredients in a food processor and and process until well combined.

Roll into balls and coat in coconut, and store in the fridge.

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.

It's that time of year again so I've updated my lunchbox post....
I get asked the question almost every day…”what do you put in their lunchboxes?”.  Now I don’t know about you, but making three lunchboxes in the morning doesn’t leave me a lot of time to make smiley faced sandwiches and cute fruit shapes – so my lunchboxes are practical and nutritious for busy mums and dads!

Don’t despair if your children are fussy….most are!  My children are creatures of habit,  I try to change it a little each day, adding new foods a few times a week, to build the variety.  (this applies to dinner as well)

Basics to include in Lunchboxes
Nude food:   As far as possible keep it “nude food” – non packaged and non processed – it is so much cheaper, healthier and kinder to the environment. 

One of my big tips for everyone is to ensure there is a good balance of protein, complex (unrefined) carbohydrates and good fats.

Protein. The macro nutrient I see lacking in many lunchboxes is protein (think fruit and crackers, or a honey sandwich on white bread).  Protein is “the building block” – it is needed for cell development, renewal and growth.  It helps fill us up and stay full for longer, it helps even out our blood glucose – this means we crave less sugar, we avoid that afternoon slump, and importantly it really helps children’s concentration.  So I include a little protein for breakfast, morning tea, lunch and dinner.  A serve of protein is roughly palm size – so the size of your child’s palm – I’m aiming for around ½ serve at meals and ¼ to ½ for snacks.
Protein ideas for lunchboxes:
•     Chicken drumstick, thinly sliced roast beef, lamb, turkey
•     Boiled egg wrapped in lettuce leaf
•     Sandwich fillings – see meats above, also nut butters (if allowed)
•     Tofu (Soyco Japanese is our fav)
•     Frittata, savoury muffins with egg and meat source
•     Yoghurt (make your own or buy quality plain yoghurt – Merideth/Jalna, add frozen berries/pear/banana (a drop of maple syrup if needed).  You can even buy the squeezy tubes to put it in instead of buying the pre-packaged sugary one
•     Seeds, hommus, (raw & unsalted nuts at home).
•     Seed mixes and nuts (if allowed at school)
•     Rissoles – veggies and protein​
•     Casseroles, stir fries and soups (leftovers!) with meat and veg,  brown rice, tamari and some chicken or beef
•     Pieces of cheese with some brown rice crackers

Complex carbohydrates –  vegetables and legumes, wholegrains, wholegrain and sprouted breads, wholegrain and wholemeal sourdough, grain wraps. These provide a sustained source of energy.   Avoid simple carbohydrates like sugary snacks, honey and jam sandwiches, white bread and rolls, sugary drinks  – they are empty calories,  spike blood sugar and give a slump afterwards, inhibiting concentration and learning for little people (and big people for that matter).
•     Choose good quality breads
–    Without preservatives, wholegrain, sourdough.
–    Sprouted breads, Burgen grain breads, Mountain bread wraps – quinoa, chia, rice

•     Sweet potato “chips” – (slow bake little chunks)
•     Legumes – dried chickpeas, lentils etc in salads, casseroles and soups
•     Brown rice crackers (health food aisle)
•     Brown rice cakes, Ryvita
•     Fried rice (brown basmati rice), brown rice / quinoa with casseroles –
•     Puffed brown rice, puffed corn, popcorn

Include some vegetables
•    Try veggie dipping sticks – with hommus, tzaziki, pesto or other dips
•     A little salad:  Snowpeas, mini toms, corn, cucumber, carrot
•     Veggies in frittata, rissoles, savoury muffins,
•     Greens on a sandwich, lettuce around an egg
•     Slow roasted pumpkin, sweet potato
•     Frozen peas and corn
•     Kale chips, sweet potato chips (bake in oven w/olive oil)

Some fruit – one to two serves per day is ideal.  Limit dried fruit (remember one dried apricot is one apricot! which is about 1/2 a serve of fruit).  A packet of sultanas is a lot of grapes.
Good fats – needed for brain and nervous system development, help us feel full and stay full longer,
Sources Avocado – in salad, sandwiches (instead of butter), on brown rice cakes, Olive oil / macadamia oil /avocado oil on salads, Coconut – chips are great in a trail mix (coconut chips, corn/rice puffs, seeds (5-8 nuts ), a few cranberries/sultanas), Raw seeds and nuts, Nut spreads – so easy to make in the Thermomix, or you can buy some great ones with no sugar or nasties, even at the supermarket - try Mayvers brand.

Some tips to make it a bit easier:

• make it quick and easy to eat (so they can get out and play!)
• prepare as much as you can the night before – eg cut up veggie sticks, boil egg, cut up tofu etc while you are cooking dinner.
• Prep and freeze - eg muffins, frittata, quiche, casseroles etc
• Cook extra at dinnertime for leftovers.
• Keep trying new foods, have staples, but add something new each day.

Savoury snacks and lunch ideas

• a boiled egg (you can peel it and wrap it in a lettuce leaf to keep it fresh – adds a nice crunch to it, and means they don’t have to fiddle with peeling it)
• a chicken leg / piece of cold meat (cut up / not cut up)
• mini frittatas / slice of frittata / mini quiche                                                             
• Savoury muffins
• a piece of tofu (Soyco do a great Japanese one), cut into slices
• a couple of slices of cheese and some brown rice crackers
• nuts (5-8 nuts) and seeds (if allowed at school – else save for an afternoon snack)
• hommus or other dips  and veggie sticks – carrot, celery, beans, snowpeas, cucumber, asparagus all work well   (look out for additives/preservatives in some of these dips – choose the ones with the simplest ingredients – I like Pilpel Hommous or home made)
• plain popcorn (pop it yourself in a little macadamia oil– so much cheaper and healthier – takes 5 mins) 
• Leftovers / extras cooked at dinner

                 extra roast or steamed veggies are easy to add to some greens in the morning for a salad, 
                 leftover chicken legs / a piece of cold meat is a great snack/part lunch.
                 Casseroles , wholemeal pasta, fried rice and soups (you can heat up in the morning and put into a flask to                      keep it warm)
                 Rissoles – beef/chicken – packed with vegetables

Sandwiches and wrap ideas
We use soy-lin sourdough, Burgen Soy-Lin, or Mountain bread chia or rice wraps.

• Turkey, avocado, lettuce
• Free range ham, cheese and lettuce
• Shredded chicken, finely chopped celery avocado, lettuce and mayonnaise**
• Lamb, roasted pumpkin, rocket/spinach (and mustard/chutney *if they like it) – yes – this is the lamb roast leftovers!
• Roast beef, avocado, tomato and lettuce/rocket (pop tomato between the lettuce and beef – away from the wrap/bread), add chutney or mustard if they like.
• falafel, rocket, avocado and hommus
•  Nut butter (if nuts are allowed) – Almond/brazil/Cashew – great source of protein and fats
• Rissole (sliced), avocado, lettuce/rocket and tomato/chutney
• Tuna, chives (mayo if desired) & mixed leaves – spread leaves across wrap to keep tuna away from wrap/bread.
• Smoked salmon, ricotta & or avocado, (capers) and mixed leaves (see above re leaves)

* Chutney – home made/organic – see your organic store or your local produce market.  Bear in mind they do include sugar – so use sparingly.
** Mayonnaise – use a good quality olive oil mayonnaise.  This is my favourite mayo recipe - simple and clean.   Bear in mind, most commercial ones contain sugar so again (and the low fat ones are even worse), use sparingly.

Something sweet..but not too much
Most days the sweetness  in our lunchboxes is from fruit.  But a couple of times a week I like to include a nutritious sweet treat in lunchboxes or for afternoon tea.  These are treats without refined sugar or refined carbohydrates/flour, they are nutrient dense include protein and fibre.  Some ideas below,   click on the purple links for recipes:

• Better Banana Bread
• Wholemeal spelt pikelets 
• Protein Ball or apricot coconut ball
• Pumpkin Cranberry muffins, Banana, coconut, date and apple muffins
• Fruit is always good – I limit fruit to 1-2 pieces serves per day – nutrient dense fruit like berries are always popular.  I always add some snowpeas, carrots or green beans with some fruit for “crunch and sip”.
• Nutrient dense breads and muffins see here and here.
• Yoghurt (natural is best – add your own frozen berries/fruit).  Reusable pouches like the Little Mashies allow you to fill and refill pouches (cheaper, healthier and more sustainable than the packaged yoghurts).
• Home made nut free muesli bars, or these muesli bars, or Carmen’s are quite good for a fast alternative
• Nutrient dense cookies like the oat cookies or the Coconut crunch cookies.

Example lunchbox for a week.
I've included breakfast ideas here too because it's so important to start the day with a good breakfast, which includes protein, to set children up for a good day.  My children eat a lot for breakfast so will often have two of the items in the breakfast column.  Links to recipes are in purple.

Because most schools don’t allow nuts, I’ve adapted these delicious bars to be nut free.  You can make gluten free by replacing the rolled oats with millet puffs and/or quinoa flakes.  These are great for morning or afternoon tea – especially before sport/training, or even a breakfast on the run.  And they’re not just for kids!






Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil, extra for greasing.
1/4 -1/3 cup rice malt syrup,
1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
1 tsp pure vanilla essence or vanilla bean powder
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup millet/quinoa or brown rice puffs (or extra cup of oats)
1/2 cup shredded coconut.
1/2 cup sunflower seeds.
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup sesame seeds.
2 tablespoon chia seeds.

Variations: For an extra energy boost you could replace the vanilla with 1/4 cup of good quality organic protein powder (Vanilla is best) -  and/or add ½ a cup of cacao nibs for a chocolate hit.

To make:
Preheat oven to 160°C
Line a medium baking dish with baking paper and generously rub coconut oil on the paper.
Melt coconut oil if required and combine in a large bowl with rice malt syrup and  sea salt.
Add the oats, coconut, vanilla, chia and seeds. Combine well.  If using cacao nibs and or protein powder add now also.
Spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press down firmly – I use a large egg flip /spatula – the better you squash it down, the better it will stick together.
Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes until golden brown around the edges and the middle is semi set. Have a look at it after about 15 minutes, if browning a lot, cover with baking paper.
Remove from oven and cool completely in the baking dish. 
Lift from pan by lifting edges of baking paper and transfer to a chopping board.  Cut into squares of 3-4cm