Chinese style braised Pork Belly

Its been a little while since my last post, I have been finding it hard to keep juggling all the balls that is life without dropping a few along the way.

I'm trying to spend less time using technology and more time engaged with my daughter. A few weeks ago I started to notice that each time I was looking at my phone, my little lady would take my face in her little hands and turn it towards her and away from whatever I was looking at. That was a little wake up call for me. So, I apologise if I say I will post a recipe and it doesn't happen until a week or two later, or I forget completely. I do this blog for me, its something I enjoy and I truly hope it provides inspiration and help to others that are looking to transition their families to a wholefoods lifestyle. However, my little lady is and always will be my number one priority and I think as mother's or parents in general, we can all agree that sometimes we just have to prioritise and make sacrifices.

Today I am home from work, nursing a mind exploding headache and a silent tone. I've lost my voice, I feel like winter has finally defeated me. All winter I have had nothing but a slight runny nose and a few sneezes and it diminishes as quickly as it arrived. I've been so lucky, until now. I've been feeling sombre this past week. Tired of the repetitiveness, tired of the cold weather, tired of the daily grind. I am so eager for long summer days and watching my baby splash in the paddle pool at the beach, the warm sun on my skin and sweet stone fruits. All my life my moods have always been weather dependent.

On a more positive note, the rich and delicious comfort foods that come out of winter always help to perk my mood. This Chinese style braised Pork Belly surely put a smile on my face and will not just be a winter warmer, this is good enough to eat in all seasons.

Ingredients:

1.5kg Freerange Pork Belly
1.5 x extra large garlic Cloves or 6 small cloves
4cm piece of fresh Turmeric
The juice from 3 oranges
2 tbsn Apple Cidar Vinegar
2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1/4 tsp hot Paprika
1 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Himalayan Salt (or season to taste for children)
1 heaped tsp Organic Seeded Mustard
200g Organic Tomato Paste
300ml Bone Broth
1 tbsn Ghee (for frying)

Method:

1. Cut Pork Belly into Strips or cubes (depending on how you would like to serve it), set aside.
2. Place Garlic and Turmeric into the bowl of your food processor and process until broken down.
3. Add all other ingredients into the food processor and process until you have a rich smooth sauce
4. Brown off your Pork Belly strips in Ghee. Only fry the skin side down. Once browned off and skin starting to crisp. Place the Pork belly into your slow cooker or pressure cooker. Pour the sauce over the top of the pork and move around to make sure the pork is completely coated.
5. Lid on and slow cook for 4 hours or Pressure Cook for 30 minutes.
6. Once cooked the Pork belly should be soft enough to pull apart with a fork.

You will notice that the sauce has doubled due to the fat that has liquidized from the pork. Serve the Pork Belly over stir fried vegetables (I served with Cabbage, Zucchini and Snow Peas) or Cauliflower rice. Do not discard the sauce, you can use this again. My husband poured this sauce over poached chicken for lunch the following day. It is delicious!

My hubby said this is definitely a dish that I will need to make again, and with how simple it was to make I have absolutely no issues with that!

Love and Gratitude

x

Pumpkin, Kale and Lamb Ragu

I’m starting to notice a pattern in my little lady’s eating habits. Some weeks her appetite is fierce and she eats like a little trooper and then as quick as it commences, we will have a food drought for what seems like eternity (slight exaggeration).  

As frustrating as the drought periods may be, I find it quite amazing that her energy levels do not subside or are not the slightest bit affected and it’s literally like her body will not allow anything in it until it’s ready. I think this is a very powerful tool that children have in listening to their body’s needs. As adults we often eat even though we are not hungry. We eat for comfort, for the feeling of being ‘full’ or satisfied, we eat for social reasons or just purely because we think we have to.

As my baby grows older and I am much more relaxed and tuned into her food patterns, I have learnt not to stress out about the drought weeks. Instead, I use the big appetite weeks to fuel her with the most nutrient dense foods. 

We are currently in one of those awesome fierce appetite weeks, where I can put a plate of veggies, a curry, a ragu, a wholesome pie, a piece of fish or basically anything I please in front of my little lady and it will be eaten up without too much fuss. I love these weeks.

I also love watching her little legs get chubbier, her little pot belly poke out and her little round face get all squishy. These are all the signs that she is right in the midst of a growth spurt. First her little body produces the right amount of fat, her appetite increases, her naps become longer and deeper, and then the spurt comes and she grows a little taller and thins out again. It’s been this way since she was a baby, and it always seems to happen in the same pattern.

We have been eating a lot of warm hearty meals lately, since the weather has taken such a cold turn this week. I also have been using these heavy hearty meals to pack in as many nutrients into our meals as possible for my little lady. This Lamb Ragu is no exception. It is packed with nutrient dense ingredients, is a cheap and affordable family meal, and is so delicious and versatile. My little lady ate this whole meal for dinner, and had leftovers for lunch the following day without a fuss.

Ingredients:

3 x Grassfed Lamb Forequarter Chops

1 x onion chopped finely

¼ x head of Cabbage chopped finely

1 x full head of Kale chopped finely

½ x Jap Pumpkin (cut into large size chunks, this makes it easier to mash into the sauce at the end)

2 x tbsn Garlic and Herb seasoning (I use Flavorgod additive free seasoning)

2 x tsp Himalayan Salt (or season to taste)

2 x tsp Italian dried herbs (or use fresh herbs chopped finely)

1 x can Organic diced tomatoes

2 x tsp Organic Tomato Paste

1 x Small handful of Goji Berries (I know this is a strange addition, but it adds some sweetness to the sauce and extra vitamins. Nobody will know they are in there)

1 x tbsn Chia Seeds (for thickening, add more or less depending on how you would like the thickness of your sauce. I prefer a thick sauce)

2 x tbsn Bone Broth (for sautéing)

1 x tbsn Tallow, Ghee or good quality fat of choice for frying

Method:

1.      Saute Onion and Cabbage over high heat in Bone Broth
2.       Once the Onion and Cabbage have become translucent, add in the kale and the Garlic & Herb seasoning.
3.       Once the Kale has wilted a little, transfer into the bowl of your slow cooker (or if you are making this on the stove top, set aside and return to the pan after when the lamb has browned)
4.       Brown the Lamb in your fat of choice, just a quick flash fry will do (this step is not mandatory). Add into the slow cooker.
5.       Pour Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Herbs, seasoning and goji berries into the slow cooker on top of the sautéed vegetables and lamb
6.       Place the Pumpkin pieces on top of the sauce (remember these will be mashed into the sauce at the end)
7.       Slow cook for 4 hours
8.       Once cooked, remove all of the lamb bones (please take the time to do this thoroughly and don’t worry if you have to press down and mash this, remember is supposed to be a thick sauce). Forequarter chops can have small sharp bones in them so be confident that you have them all before serving to your kids.
9.       With the back of a wooden spoon, press down on the pumpkin and mix it through the sauce. The pumpkin will thicken the sauce a little.
10.   Depending on the thickness of your sauce, add in the chia seeds to thicken it further if required. Stir it through the hot sauce and they will expand and absorb some of the liquid.

Serve over steamed or roasted vegetables (I served this over roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli), Cauliflower rice or Zucchini noodles.

I hope you have as much success with this meal as we did. Enjoy!

Love & Gratitude

x

Choc Coated Brunch Bars (Allergy Friendly)

This is a follow on post from my last one regarding my mission to create healthy nut free Paleo treats for my little lady that can be brought into playgrounds, activity centres and packed in school lunchboxes. 

This one ticks all the boxes. It is Nut Free, dairy free, grain free (quinoa is a fruit seed not to be mistaken for a grain), refined sugar free, gluten free and egg free!! 

These are just so delicious, definitely one I'll be making again. 

Ingredients (brunch bar): 

1 cup dried Organic Turkish Figs (always check the ingredients when you buy dried fruit, they often have added sugars and preservatives)

1/2 cup Unhulled Tahini (if you are not worried about nuts, almond butter or natural peanut butter would also work great)

4 tbsp pure Maple Syrup

4 tbsp boiling water

Pinch of Himalayan Salt

1.5 cups Quinoa Flakes

2 tsp Raw Cacao

Ingredients (choc frosting):

1/4 cup Coconut Oil (melted)

2 tsp Raw Cacao

1 tsp Maple Syrup

Method:

- preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a loaf tin with baking paper

- place the figs in the bowl of your food processor and process until you have a crumble consistancy 

- add in the Tahini, Maple Syrup and the boiling water (1 table spoon at a time as you process)

- once all combined add in the quinoa flakes, Raw Cacao and salt. Process until all combined and you have a sticky dough

- pour the dough into the lined tin and press down with your hands. Press the dough into the tin evenly and level out as much as you can so it cooks evenly. 

- bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned around the edges.

- (I made the mistake of waiting until these were completely cooled to cut them but they became very crumbly and messy, I recommend cutting them when still soft and warm)

- allow to cool in tin and transfer to wire cooling rack once cut. 

- combine all ingredients for the frosting in a small bowl and wait until the oil cools and thickens a little. Spread the mixture onto the brunch bars. It will harden as the oil cools and solidifies. 

This recipe made 8 large brunch bars which I then cut in half to make 16 mini bars for my little lady. 

Change up the dried fruit to create different flavours of this delicious bar. Enjoy!!

Love & Gratitude 

X

Allergy friendly Carrot Cake Cookies

When Lady Lalo and I are out and about in playgrounds and activity centres, I always try and pack a couple of healthy treats in her lunchbox. Such as biscuits, muffins, bliss balls etc, I don't offer them to my little lady unless she asks first or as a last resort if she is being fussy with her lunch or morning tea that I have packed her. Having these 'treat' foods on hand also makes me feel a little more at ease when we are around other children who are snacking on foods that she either cannot eat or I prefer she does not eat. 

Most of the time she cannot tell the difference between my healthy treats and the sugar filled ones, other than the packaging, so I try and wrap mine up for her with a little extra fanciness to make them more appealing. Stickers on a zip lock bag, a reusable yoghurt pouch or a container with her favourite TV character on it will usually do the trick. 

The Challenge I find with these 'treat' foods is that most of the Paleo and/or Gluten Free recipes that I have found usually contain either almond meal, or another type of nut meal. This always worries me when we are around other children as I would never forgive myself if our food came into contact with a child with allergies. So I am always playing around with different nut free muffin, cookie and bread recipes to keep a stash in the freezer for my little lady's snackbox.

Yesterday morning Lady Lalo and I went to see a kids live music show, she loved it and spent the majority of the show dancing. After the concert, I had a meeting with our Daycare centre to discuss my little lady's dietary requirements in more detail (we had a very successful meeting and my mind and heart is now at ease knowing that they are on the same page as we are with Savanna's diet). On the way over to the daycare centre she fell asleep in the car, I put her down in her bed at daycare whilst I had my meeting. She was so tired and out of it after the concert, her carers suggested that she stay for the afternoon to play with her friends and for me to go home and take the afternoon off (between my part time work and full time mummy role, and this blog.. I hardly EVER get any 'alone time'). I took their advice and left Lady Lalo to sleep peacefully and play with her friends for the afternoon. 

When I arrived home to a quiet house, I remembered that I had used the very last of the allergy friendly treats I had in the freezer for my little lady. So it seemed like the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen. 

I originally had intended on making Carrot Cake muffins with this recipe, however when I felt the texture of the mixture after it went through the food processor I immediately knew that cookies would work much better. These little cookie cakes are completely Nut Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free and Grain Free.

These are not a hard crunchy biscuit, the name really does sum them up. They taste like Carrot Cake and have the same soft and fluffy texture but in a mess free little cookie that fits perfectly in a busy toddlers little hand. 

I had these ready for my baby girl as soon as she arrived home yesterday afternoon and she swiped 3 off the bench top before I could even snap a photo. They are a hit!! and a healthy one too, which is always a bonus :)

 Ingredients:

• 3 small Carrots (Grated - I used the grating attachment on my food processor)
• 2 Apples (Peeled, Cored and Grated as above)
• 1/2 Cup Dessicated Coconut
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh Ginger (or if you only have powdered that should work too)
• 4 Chia Eggs (Chia Eggs are a wonderful replacement to eggs in a recipe. All you have to do is make a Chia meal out of 4 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds. I used a spice grinder to do this, you could also use a food processor or mortar and pestle. Place the Chia Meal in a small bowl with 12 tablespoons of Water. The general rule is 3 tablespoons of water for 1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds. The Chia meal with absorb the water and create a thick gooey sludgy consistency, this is your chia egg.)
• 1/2 cup chopped Medjool Dates
• 3/4 cup Coconut Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan Salt
• 2 tbsp Sunflower Seeds
• 2 tbsp Raw Honey
• 1/2 Cup Melted Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp Organic Vanilla Paste or Extract

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper
• Grate the Carrots and Apples through your food processor with the grating attachment on or grate by hand.
• Make your Chia Egg and Set aside
• Add all ingredients in to the food processor except the Coconut oil, sunflower seeds and dates.
• After all ingredients are combined, add in the last 3 items and give the mixture a quick process again to combine these ingredients and break down the seeds a little (I prefer a bit of crunch from the seeds through the cookies so I left them quite chunky). The reason I leave the oil until last is because when it comes into contact with the cold apples and carrot it starts to solidify and creates chunks through the mixture. A quick mix through right at the end doesn't give it enough time to do this so you can move quick and start rolling the mixture into balls.
• Once all combined, with your hands roll the mixture into small balls (don't spend too much time on this, they can be rough)
• Place the balls on your baking tray as you go and flatten them with the back of a fork. 
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until brown
• They will still be soft and delicate when you remove them from the oven, leave them to cool completely so they can harden and form properly before consuming. 

Enjoy with a warm cup of Spiced Chai, Turmeric Milk or a delicious Raw Cacao and Almond milk 'hot chocolate' for the kiddies. YUM!

I'd love your feedback, if you try these delicious little cookie cakes leave a comment below.

Love & Gratitude

x

Raw Nut Free Chocolate Crackle slice

On Monday we received some frightening news, our beloved 7 year old Labrador / Retriever Charlie had to undergo emergency day surgery as he had two tumours in his mouth. Hubby and I have been sick with worry all week about him and endlessly praying that the tumours were not malignant. 

Today we received the wonderful news from our Vet that Charlie's tumours were benign and we have no need to worry. We were so pleased to hear these words, yet overcome with guilt at the same time. Our dogs were our first baby's, if Charlie had these tumours growing in his mouth, why didn't we spot them sooner. What if they had been more serious? 

It dawned on hubby and I that we had not been giving our pups 100%. Sure they get walked everyday, fed and loved and they are by no means being neglected but life has gotten in the way. Our priorities have shifted, our little lady demands so much of our time and energy we are finding it hard to divide ourselves in so many directions. Between our work, our relationship, our family, our house, our social lives .. where do we find the time to give more. 

As I stared out into the backyard at this beautiful creature, with his wagging tail 2 hours after waking up from surgery and he starring right back at me all dough-eyed and gorgeous. I realised that he expects nothing more from us, he is the one thing in our lives that is totally and utterly content as he is. With no further expectation then a walk everyday, food in his bowl, shelter and some affection. We really could learn a thing or two from him. 

I came up with this simple recipe early yesterday morning, when I awoke early and needed to get my mind off thinking about the 'What ifs'. It has been a big hit with my little lady and so darn' simple!

Ingredients:

 1.5 x cups Puffed Buckwheat(you could also use popped Popcorn, if not grain free)

1/2 x cup Organic Dried Blueberries (you could also use Dried Cranberries, always ensure you check the ingredients for hidden sugars and preservatives. Dried Fruit are often sold as 'healthy' options, yet packed with added sugars.I use Honest to Goodness brand)

2 x tbs Sunflower Seeds

2/3 x cup Melted Coconut Oil

1/4 x cup Raw Cacao powder

1 x tsp Raw Mesquite powder

2 x tbs Pure Organic Maple Syrup

Method:

Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir well until all of the dry ingredients are coated in what looks like a chocolate sauce. 

Line a loaf tin with baking paper, and pour mixture into the tin. Using the back of a spoon press down and compact all of the ingredients. Let it set in the fridge for at least 20 minutes or until hard.

Slice and Enjoy!

Remember.. the coconut oil will start to melt if left out of the fridge or in warm temperatures. Its best to keep this one refrigerated. If you are sending this as a lunch box treat to school. It should be fine during the winter months in a cooler bag. 

Love & Gratitude

X