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Spelt

Gingerbread Loaf with Caramel Drizzle

November 27, 2019 | Baked Sweets, Desserts, Members only

This healthy Gingerbread Loaf with Caramel Drizzle is a low sugar, wholegrain version of the classic catering to various dietary goals. If you love ginger, you’ll love this loaf and whilst it’s sweet, it’s not sickly sweet.   Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to…

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Pear and Ginger Yoghurt Cake

May 9, 2018 | After School Snacks, Baked Sweets, Desserts, Healthy Lunchbox

This healthy yoghurt cake has long been a go-to cake of mine. Like all of my recipes, it’s evolved over the years (from a high sugar, refined flour cake) – I’ve always loved the nice moist crumb yoghurt cakes produce. I’ve been keeping this recipe aside for a special occasion and with Mother’s Day coming up, here we have it.

Seeing as the weather has cooled off a bit, I thought I’d make it with winter fruit and warming ginger. When I made this one to photograph, my daughter said it tastes like a ‘real tea cake’ – ha ha! Compliments are hard to come by from teenagers so I’ll take it as a win.

If you’re not a fan of pear and ginger, don’t despair, it is very easily adapted to other flavours. Take a look at the variations below for all the details as well as suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.


Healthy yoghurt cake - This yoghurt cake has long been a go-to cake of mine, I've always loved the nice moist crumb it produces. It can be varied to so many flavours too. This is a Pear and Ginger Cake.
Print Recipe
4.84 from 24 votes

Pear and Ginger Healthy Yoghurt Cake

This simple, healthy yoghurt cake is an adaptable basic cake that I know you'll keep coming back to.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Snack
Servings: 12
Author: Georgia Harding

Ingredients

  • 100 g butter or macadamia nut oil -melted
  • 250 g full-fat natural yoghurt (1½ cups)
  • 170 g rice malt syrup or honey (½ cup)
  • 3 free-range or organic egg/s
  • 1 lemon/s -zest
  • 3 tbsp ginger root -finely grated or 2 tsp ground
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 300 g wholemeal spelt flour (2½ cups)
  • 1 ripe pear -cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar or rapadura

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 170℃/340℉ (fan-forced). Grease and line a spring form pan/ tin with baking paper. I used a 22cm cake tin.
  • In a mixing bowl or food processor, beat the butter, yoghurt, sweetener of your choice, eggs, zest and ginger until well combined.
  • Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt and blend again for a few seconds to just combine.
  • Now gently fold in the spelt flour and mix until the flour is just combined. The more you mix this, the heavier the cake will become, so less is certainly best.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, top with the pear, sprinkle over the sugar and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is firm in the middle (a skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean). 

Thermomix

  • Melt your butter 90, 1 min, speed 3. Add the yoghurt, sweetener of your choice, eggs, zest and ginger and blend 1 minute, speed 4.
  • Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt mix 5 seconds speed 4.
  • Add the spelt flour and mix 5 seconds, lock the lid, on the flour symbol. Scrape down the sides and fold any uncombined flour as much as you can by hand. You really don't want to over process it, less is best.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, top with the pear, sprinkle over the sugar and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is firm in the middle (a skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean). 

Serve

  • This is so yum served with double cream, or creme fraiche.

Store

  • In an airtight container for a few days. 
  • It can also be frozen (also in an airtight container)

Notes

Dairy-free

Replace the butter with macadamia nut oil and the yoghurt with coconut yoghurt. If you need it to be nut-free you can use coconut oil, but it will effect the taste and texture (the cake will toughen as it cools). Another option is olive oil.

Fructose friendly

Choose rice malt syrup as your sweetener and replace the pear with berries and omit the sugar on top. Take a look at the flavour combo's below.

Gluten-free

I haven't tested this with a gluten-free flour as yet. But this Basic Easy Healthy Cake recipe is my all time favourite gluten-free cake (but not nut-free). Another great gluten and nut-free cake is my Vanilla Bean Cupcakes (this recipe also makes one large cake).

White spelt

You can certainly replace the wholemeal spelt with white spelt flour - this will produce a lighter, less dense cake batter.

Egg-free

I also haven't tested this but suspect it will work well with chia egg or aquafaba.

Another flavour

So for all of these - omit the ginger and pear.
  • Lemon Yoghurt Cake - double the lemon zest and place very thinly sliced pieces of lemon on top (before baking). This is lovely with the ginger too (your call).
  • Orange Yoghurt Cake - add the zest of one orange and place very thinly sliced pieces of orange on top (before baking). This is lovely with poppy seeds sprinkled on top too.
  • Raspberry Yoghurt cake - top with fresh or defrosted raspberries.
  • Apple Tea Cake - add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the cake batter. Thinly slice one apple and arrange on top. Mix a teaspoon of cinnamon in with the sugar and sprinkle on top.
  • Spiced Nectarine Cake - I reduced the ginger to 1 tbsp and added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the batter. Top with a sliced nectarine (I used one large nectarine).

 

 
 

I'd love to hear how you enjoy this cake - please post any questions or feedback in the comments below or rate this recipe.

Savoury Veggie Crackers

February 7, 2018 | Healthy Lunchbox, Savoury Snacks

My kids are big veggie lovers, but this hasn’t always been the case. I’ve written extensively on the topic of raising real food loving kids here – it’s a topic I’m super passionate about. I also have a whole chapter in my ebook ‘The Well Nourished Lunchbox’ about delicious ways to include vegetables in your kids diet (as well as over 50 sensational recipes including loads of savoury cracker options). Click HERE to find out more.

One thing I know for sure, is the more vegetables your kids eat, the more they will enjoy and be open to eating them. So when my kids were little and reluctant to eat a wide variety of veggies, I used to hide them in everything I cooked, including sweet and savoury baking (as well as presenting them in their whole form throughout the day and with every meal). You can read my thoughts on the benefits and pitfalls of ‘hiding’ veggies for picky eaters here.

I first made this cracker when my kids were teething (as a rusk of sorts). So I thought I’d re-invent it as a cracker my kids will enjoy now – and it’s safe to say they do! I love adding extra veggies anywhere I can and this  cracker is really quick and easy to make. I hope you and yours enjoy it too.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit any specific dietary requirements.


Savoury veggie crackers - These Savoury Veggie Crackers are a delicious, very easy to make and a great way to include a little veggies. They are wheat, dairy, nut and egg-free and have a gluten-free option too.
Print Recipe
4.86 from 7 votes

Veggie Crackers

This is an easy to make, crunchy savoury cracker that the whole family will love.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Snack
Servings: 50 crackers
Author: Georgia Harding

Ingredients

  • 60 ml water (¼ cup)
  • 50 g baby spinach (2 large handfuls)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil -extra virgin
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar or rapadura
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds -optional
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast -optional
  • 1 tsp garlic granules -or powder, optional (I've also used a clove of garlic processed with the spinach too)
  • 200 g wholemeal spelt flour (1¾ cups approx.) see below for GF

Instructions

  • Pre heat the oven to 180℃/350℉.
  • In a high speed blender mix the water and spinach, scraping the sides until pureed. Thermomix 1 minute, speed 5 (you will need to scrape the sides quite a few times).
  • Add the olive oil, sea salt, sugar, baking powder (and any optional ingredients) and mix together until combined. Thermomix 20 seconds, speed 4.
  • Add the flour and mix until a dough the consistency of play-doh forms (so it holds together but doesn't stick to your hands).
  • IMPORTANT - All whole flours are slightly different in the rate they absorb water. This is the reason white (highly refined flours) are used in processed foods because they bring consistent results. So you may need to adjust the amount of flour (or water) slightly to achieve the right consistency as described above (especially with the GF variation below). 
  • Form into a rough disc, place between two sheets of baking paper (or silicone sheets). I use 'If you Care' brand of baking paper, it's very non stick and can even be reused (it's that good).
  • Roll until VERY thin (1-2mm). If they aren't thin enough they won't crisp up so keep rolling until the dough stops expanding. Remove the top piece of parchment and cut the dough with a pizza cutter or plastic ruler (my new way to get the squares nice and even). 
  • Lift this carefully onto a baking tray. 
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes. I find the outside rows cook quicker than the inside squares so I often take it from the oven at 20-25 minutes, remove the outer rows and return the middle crackers which are still not crisp enough to the oven for 5 minutes or until they are dry and crunchy.

Store

  • In an airtight container. They can also be frozen and packed into the lunchbox (from frozen). 

Notes

Gluten or grain-free

I've recipe tested these crackers with both gluten-free and paleo flours (both are also nut-free). I found these needed extra time in the oven to crisp up. 

Beetroot (pink crackers)

Replace the spinach with 50g of raw beetroot (about half a small beetroot), peeled and diced. This makes for little pink crackers. 

Garlic and sesame-free

Simply omit from the recipe.

I'd love to hear how you enjoyed these - post your feedback in the comments below. 

Healthy Chocolate Caramel Muesli Bar

January 24, 2018 | After School Snacks, Baked Sweets, Healthy Lunchbox

I have a sneaking suspicion that this weeks Chocolate Caramel Muesli Bar is going to be popular. I’ve had a few requests for a healthy caramel slice recipe and though it looks nothing like the sugar laden three layer slice, it is a super delicious, nourishing caramel choc treat.

As a kid I spent every weekend at my nan’s house and we cooked and baked together- a lot! Most of my childhood memories are centred around tending to our chickens and ducks, digging for potatoes (my favourite job as the kids in my favourite Enid Blighton book ‘The Faraway Tree’ used to dig for potatoes) and long sessions of cooking in her old wood-fired stove, always experimenting, always creating ‘new’ recipes and searching for delicious flavour combo’s.

However as an adult, whilst I’ve always loved cooking meals, it wasn’t until I had kids (and they started school) that I baked again. Once my youngest noticed all the biscuits and crackers her friends had in their lunchbox (and wanted the same) I realised the only thing I could do was to get my bake on again. The rest they say, is history!

A healthy-ish treat

I always try to inject as much nourishment as I can into all of my recipes, including sweet treats. I’ve made this  Chocolate Caramel Muesli Bar nut-free so it’s good for the school lunchbox. The seeds and wholegrains really help to add protein, good fats and a bit of sustenance to this sweet treat. My kids feel like they’ve hit the jackpot with this slice – it’s a new favourite.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many dietary requirements.


Chocolate caramel muesli slice - This Chocolate Caramel Muesli Bar is a delicious, nut-free, whole foods lunchbox treat. It's easy to make and has variations for gluten and dairy free too.
Print Recipe
4.78 from 59 votes

Chocolate Caramel Muesli Bar

A sweet, sticky muesli bar that freezes really well for a quick, easy to pack lunchbox snack.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Snack
Servings: 18 slices
Author: Georgia Harding

Ingredients

Base / crumble

  • 125 g butter -cubed
  • 170 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (½ cup)
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 120 g mixed seeds (1 cup approx.) I used sunflower seeds and pepitas
  • 120 g wholemeal spelt flour (1 cup)
  • 200 g rolled oats (2 cups) or quinoa flakes (or a mixture)
  • 30 g cacao (4 tbs approx.) unsweetened Dutch process or raw

Caramel

  • 115 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (⅓ cup)
  • 120 ml canned coconut milk (½ cup) preferably full-fat, I use Ayam brand
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180℃ / 350℉ (fan-forced).
  • Begin with the caramel.
  • In a small pot mix the sweetener, coconut milk and sea salt and bring to a bubbling simmer. Simmer rapidly (it looks a bit foamy on top) for about 10 + minutes or until the caramel starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and allow to cool (it will further thicken as it cools).
  • Whilst the caramel cooks/cools, make the slice.
  • In a small pot melt the butter and sweetener, mixing to combine. Add the bicarb and stir well.
  • Place the seeds in a food processor and grind into a meal. Add the flour, oats (or quinoa flakes) and cacao and mix until well combined.
  • Add the butter/ sweetener mix and process to combine. The mixture should come together into a coarse dough.
  • Line a small tin (27cm x 18cm) with baking paper. Press ⅔ of the mixture into the base of the tin and press very down firmly with wet hands. I like to make sure the outer edges sit a little higher than the middle so I get an even coverage without the caramel making its way down the sides. 
  • Top with the caramel. It is not a thick layer as a traditional slice would be, rather a randomly gooey, thin layer. More caramel means a lot of sugar which is why I've kept it minimal. 
  • Crumble the remaining dough over the caramel pressing lightly.
  • Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until just golden brown.
  • Allow to cool in the pan, refrigerate until firm and then cut into slices (chilling it allows for it to be sliced without crumbling).

Thermomix Method

    Caramel

    • Heat the sweetener, coconut milk and sea salt, 10-15 minutes, temp varoma, speed 3 (cap ajar or off so the steam can escape) or until it thickens (this can vary a bit). You can set this aside to cool and use the bowls without washing it. 

    Base

    • Grind your seeds and set aside. No need to rinse the bowl.
    • Melt the butter and sweetener 1 minute, temp 90, speed 3 or until melted and combined. Add the bicarb and mix 5 seconds speed 3. 
    • Add the rest of the base ingredients and the butter/sweetener and mix 15 seconds, speed 4. You may need to scrape the sides a few times to fully combine.
    • Assemble as above.

    Store

    • Airtight in the fridge or freezer. You can pack in school lunch boxes from frozen.

    Notes

    Gluten-free

    Substitute the spelt for gluten-free flour and the oats with quinoa flakes (rolled quinoa). Many fans have reported this is great made with buckwheat flour. 

    Dairy-free

    Substitute the butter with coconut oil.

    Vegan

    Chose rice malt or maple syrup as your sweetener. Substitute the butter with coconut oil.

    Nutty

    The seeds can be substituted with any nuts. I love this with chopped hazelnuts or pecans or walnuts.

    Coconut-free

    Replace the coconut milk in the caramel with regular cream. 

    After more healthy lunchbox inspiration

    My best selling ebook The Well Nourished Lunchbox has you covered and is choc-a-block full of healthy lunchbox inspiration - and not just sweet but heaps of savoury crackers, sandwich-free lunch recipes and so much more. In fact, it's 150 pages of goodness!
    Click HERE to find out more about this fabulous ebook (and read the many, many reviews).

     

     

     

    I'd love to hear how your kids like this slice? I have a feeling it is going to be very popular. Comment and/or rate this recipe below (it really helps my recipes to reach more people so thanks in advance). 

    Healthy Gingerbread (and a lovely spice mix to gift)

    November 29, 2017 | Baked Sweets, Healthy Lunchbox, Holidays & Entertaining

    With less than a month until Christmas, I though it time I shared a healthy Gingerbread recipe. Whilst I was developing the perfect spice blend, I ended up with quite a lot of it. Because there’s only so many gingerbread biscuits a family can eat, I started experimenting with other ways to enjoy this nourishing, healing blend and came up with quite a few yummy drinks and eats.

    As usual, I just don’t know where to stop when it comes to sharing yumminess, so, I thought I’d share it all! I think the spice mix would make a lovely gift – especially as it is very hardy and has a very long shelf life.

    How would you use it I hear you ask? Here are a few ideas:

    • Add it to hot chocolate (or even your latte)
    • Add it to my delicious basic cake mix (think spiced tea cake)
    • Sprinkle it over baked sweet potato (with a dollop of butter)
    • Add it to your favourite pancake batter (it could replace the spices in this Carrot Cake Pancake recipe)
    • Mix it with maple syrup and drizzle it over yoghurt
    • Add it to my No-bake Muesli Bar (replace the cinnamon)
    • Or add it to your favourite chocolate bliss ball recipe
    • Add it to your banana smoothie – a flavour match made in heaven!

    Really, the possibilities are endless! So now for the recipe…

    Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit any specific dietary requirements.

     

    Healthy Ginger bread and spice mix
    Print Recipe
    4.78 from 59 votes

    Healthy Gingerbread (and a lovely spice mix to gift)

    This Gingerbread recipe is versatile and delicious. Make it into biscuits, gingerbread boys or girls, or any shape you like really. 
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Snack
    Servings: 20 biscuits
    Author: Georgia Harding

    Ingredients

    Spice mix

    • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
    • 2 tbsp ground ginger
    • 1 tbsp mixed spice
    • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
    • 1 tsp ground clove
    • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
    • Ground black pepper -to taste

    Gingerbread biscuit

    • 180 g wholemeal spelt flour (1½ cup) gluten-free variation below
    • 1-2 tbsp spice mix -how much you add depends on how ginger-y you like your biscuits
    • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 50 g butter (¼ cup) 
    • 30 ml milk (2 tablespoons) of your choice
    • 85 g maple syrup (¼ cup)

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F (fan forced).
    • In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, spice mix, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
    • In a blender or food processor, mix melted butter, milk and maple syrup until well combined.
    • Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix together until dough forms. If the mixture seems a little wet, add a little more flour, or dry add more milk (it should be like playdough and not stick to your fingers).
    • Roll into a ball, wrap in baking paper and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
    • If you aren't bothered with shapes, roll the dough into a log, chill and then cut the log into slices (to form round biscuits).
    • Place the dough between two pieces of baking paper and roll to approximately 2-3 millimetres thick.  
    • Cut shapes with a cookie cutter, place on a lined or greased baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until golden (gluten free may need a bit longer).
    • Leave on the tray until completely cooled. They firm as they cool.

    Thermomix method

    • Melt butter 1 minute, temp 90 speed 3.
    • Add the milk and maple syrup and mix 30 sec, speed 4.
    • Add the dry ingredients and mix 30 sec, speed 4 until a thick dough forms.
    • Continue as above.

    Store

    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

    Notes

    Gluten and grain-free

    Substitute spelt flour with 180g almond meal plus 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder. Or, for a firmer gluten-free cookie use half buckwheat/almond meal. Alternatively replace the spelt with your favourite gluten-free or paleo flour.

    Dairy-free and vegan

    Choose a non-dairy milk and replace the butter with coconut oil (it will produce a tougher biscuit once cooled).

    Low-fructose

    Replace the maple syrup with rice malt syrup as your sweetener.
     

    I'd love to hear how you like this versatile recipe? Also if you can add to my list of ways to use the spice mix, that would be wonderful. Post a comment below or rate this recipe.

    Healthy Ginger bread and spice mix

    Cumin Scrambled Eggs with Yoghurt, Green Olives and Flatbread

    July 13, 2017 | 30 Minute Meals, Breakfast, Vegetarian

    These Cumin Scrambled Eggs with Yoghurt, Green Olives and Flatbread is a breakfast that my hubby often makes on the weekend, at least the scrambled egg part. It’s become our new family favourite breakfast and is the next of my recipes to feature on JamieOliver.com – it’s my spin on Jamie’s Silky Masala Eggs.

    I think the flavours of the cumin scrambled egg with the yoghurt (or labne), green olives and olive oil are a match made in heaven.

    Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit any specific dietary requirements. Also check-out the ‘mid-week’ version for a much quicker brekkie.

    Cumin Scrambled eggs flat bread - My Cumin Scrambled Eggs, with Yoghurt, Green Olives and Flatbread is a delicious and nourishing breakfast or anytime meal. My whole family adore this recipe
    Print Recipe
    4.67 from 6 votes

    Cumin Scrambled Eggs with Yoghurt, Green Olives and Flatbread

    My Cumin Scrambled Eggs, with Yoghurt, Green Olives and Flatbread is a delicious and nourishing breakfast or anytime meal. My whole family adore this recipe
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Breakfast
    Servings: 4

    Ingredients

    Spelt flatbread:

    • 180 g wholemeal spelt flour (1½ cups)
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tbsp olive oil -or melted butter/ghee
    • 60 ml water (¼ cup)
    • 1 tbsp olive oil -or melted butter or ghee to cook with

    For the eggs:

    • 8-10 free-range or organic egg/s (large)
    • 60 ml milk (¼ cup) of your choice
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
    • ½ tsp sea salt - or to taste
    • Ground black pepper -to taste
    • 120 g labne (or natural yoghurt) (½ cup) or thickset full-fat natural or Greek yoghurt
    • 8 Sicilian green olives
    • 1 tbsp olive oil -extra virgin, to serve
    • 1 lemon/s -cut into quarters, to serve (optional)

    Instructions

    • Start with the flatbread. Combine spelt flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix with your fingers until it’s crumbly (you can also do this in a food processor or Thermomix, 10 sec speed 5). Slowly add water and mix until the dough just comes together (TMX 10 seconds, speed 3). If the dough doesn't come together easily, mix in a little more water, teaspoon by teaspoon.
    • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to your fingers, about 2 minutes. (TMX flour symbol, 2 minutes). Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 15 and up to 30 minutes.
    • Whilst your flat breads are resting - in a large bowl or jug whisk the eggs, milk, cumin, turmeric, sea salt and black pepper until the eggs are frothy. Set aside.
    • Plate up your labne or yoghurt, making a little well in the middle of it to hold a little olive oil. Add the Sicilian green olives and some leafy greens (dressed with olive oil, sea salt and pepper).
    • Divide the dough into 8 balls. Lightly flour a rolling pin and a clean work surface. Flatten and roll it out, picking it up and rotating it to make sure it isn't sticking, until quite thin and about 15cm in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing them on baking sheets so they don't touch.
    • Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and rub with a little butter or oil to coat the cooking surface. Add the flat bread and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute each side until slightly puffed. Wrap them in a clean tea-towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining breads, stacking and covering them as you go to keep them warm and pliable.
    • Once the flat bread is cooked, heat a little more oil or butter in the pan and pour in your eggs, folding the mixture over with a wooden spoon. Remove as soon a the egg is just set, taking care not to over cook.
    • Add the scrambled eggs and flat bread to the plates and serve immediately.
    • I love to serve with wedges of lemon.

    Notes

    Dairy-free

    Sub the yogurt for coconut yoghurt,omit the milk in the scramble and choose olive oil to cook in/ for the flat bread.

    Gluten-free

    Sub the spelt for a good quality gluten-free ‘bread’ flour.

    Mid-week 'fast' version 

    We often have this for breakfast mid week and obviously don't have the time to make the flat bread. So we just do the scramble with a dollop of yoghurt on top, drizzle of oil, handful of salad greens and toast. Not as pretty, but tastes as good and it's really quick to make too. We also love kim chi with this.
     

    I can't wait to hear what you think. Post a comment below or rate this recipe. 

    Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar

    February 6, 2017 | After School Snacks, Baked Sweets, Healthy Lunchbox

    I love to make this slice if I need to use up over ripe fruit. I’m not a fan of using dried fruit (like dates/sultanas etc) in baking as I find it gives me a big sugar rush (followed by brain fog and energy slump) and I’ve also noticed my kids desire for sugar increases if they eat dried fruit. So I prefer to use fresh fruit in my baking and this Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar is one of my families favourite whole food treats.

    Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.


    Fruit crumble muesli bar - This delicious Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar is great for school lunches & can be frozen for a hassle free snack. It is nut-free, gluten, dairy-free options.
    Print Recipe
    4.94 from 49 votes

    Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar

    Nut and dried fruit-free, this Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar is a delicious, nourishing edition to any lunchbox. It freezes well also, so it's great to batch-bake.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Servings: 12

    Ingredients

    Base / crumble

    • 125 g butter or coconut oil -cubed
    • 170 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (½ cup)
    • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 120 g mixed seeds (1 cup approx.) I used sunflower seeds and pepitas
    • 120 g wholemeal spelt flour (1 cup)
    • 200 g rolled oats (2 cups) or quinoa flakes (or a mixture)
    • 50 g desiccated coconut (½ cup)
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

    Filling

    • 1 cup your choice of seasonal fruit (fresh plum, apricot, nectarine, peach, berries, apple, pear, cherries) -finely diced or sliced
    • 2 tbsp rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (optional)
    • 1 tbsp butter
    • 1 tbsp chia seeds

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat the oven to 180℃ / 350℉ (fan-forced).
    • In a small pot melt the butter and sweetener, mixing to combine. Add the bicarb and stir well.
    • I pulse the seeds in a food processor to break them up and make a finer slice (but you don’t have to). Mix the seeds, flour, oats (or quinoa), coconut and cinnamon in a bowl.
    • Add the butter/ sweetener mix and stir to combine.
    • Line a small tin (27cm x 18cm) with baking paper. Press ⅔ of the mixture into the base of the tin and press down firmly with wet hands and bake for 10 minutes. The remaining ⅓ will form the crumble top (so set aside until after the fruit is ready).
    • Whilst this is baking, put all the filling ingredients into the small pot (that you used in the first stage, no need to wash). I’ve used cherries and plums in this photograph as they are in season right now
    • Simmer until the fruit starts to soften, stirring occasionally.
    • Once the base is cooked, top with the fruit mixture and with wet hands, place with the rest of the crumble over the fruit.
    • Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until just golden brown.
    • Allow to cool in the pan, refrigerate until firm and then cut into slices (cooling it allows for it to be sliced without crumbling).

    Thermomix Method

    • Melt the butter and sweetener 1 minute, temp 90, speed 3 or until melted and combined. Add the bicarb and mix 5 seconds speed 3. Set aside.
    • Pulse the seeds, turbo button 3-4 times (check through the lid after each pulse to chop as required). Add the rest of the crumble ingredients and the butter/sweetener and mix 15 seconds, speed 3. You may need to scrape the sides to fully combine.
    • The filling can also be cooked in the TMX, all of the ingredients into the bowl, temp 90, 100, reverse speed 1. The time depends upon the fruit (softer fruit needs less time), approx 3-5 minutes.
    • Assemble as above.

    Store

    • Airtight in the fridge or freezer. You can pack in school lunch boxes from frozen. I also love this heated up with fresh cream – very indulgent!!

    Slice gone 'green' (or flecked green)

    • You may have noticed that your seed containing cakes, slices or cookies turn or fleck 'green'. I can explain...Sunflower seeds contain chlorogenic acid which reacts with the baking powder and bicarb when it's heated and turns various shades of green when cooled. To reduce the ‘shrek-look’ you can reduce the baking powder or bicarb (by about a third) or add 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to the wet ingredients. But remember - even if they do turn green, they are completely safe to eat.

    Notes

    Gluten and grain-free

    Substitute the spelt for gluten free flour and the oats with quinoa flakes (rolled quinoa).

    Dairy-free 

    Substitute the butter with coconut oil.

    Vegan

    Choose rice malt or maple syrup as your sweetener. Substitute the butter with coconut oil.

    Nutty

    The seeds can be substituted with any nuts. I love this with chopped almonds and pecans or walnuts.

    Fructose friendly

    Choose rice malt syrup for your sweetener and low fructose fruits for the filling (raspberries, rhubarb is my fave).

    Coconut-free

    Replace the coconut with ¼ cup of ground seeds or nut meal (if nut free isn't important). 

    After more healthy lunchbox inspiration?

    My best selling ebook The Well Nourished Lunchbox has you covered and is choc-a-block full of healthy lunchbox inspiration - and not just sweet but heaps of savoury crackers, sandwich-free lunch recipes and so much more. In fact, it's 150 pages of goodness!
    Click HERE to find out more about this fabulous ebook (and read the many, many reviews).

    I think this is one of my favourite snacks - would love to hear how you and your kids like it? Comment and rate this recipe below. 

    Healthy Hot Cross Buffins

    March 26, 2014 | Baked Sweets, Breakfast, Healthy Lunchbox, Holidays & Entertaining

    With Easter approaching, this is my recipe for a Healthy Hot Cross Buffins (a cross between a bun and a muffin according to my creative recipe tester). I have purposely chosen to move away from traditional yeast leaven buns and create a buffin for two reasons.

    Firstly, I have found that yeast burdens the gut of lots of people. Many wheat or gluten intolerant patients I have consulted with over the years have discovered that it actually isn’t the grain so much, as it’s the yeast that adversely affects their gut. I consider myself to have a cast iron gut, but yeast does not make me feel good at all. That is why I always choose a sourdough bread if I’m going to eat it and why these are yeast free.

    Secondly, I personally just don’t have the time or motivation to wait for my dough to prove. I like a throw it all in approach and that’s what I’ve done here.

    A note…whilst I think these taste on the mark, these aren’t and never will be the soft doughy, shelf life of many weeks style of hot cross bun gracing our supermarket and bakery shelves in the months leading up to Easter. They are best eaten out of the oven or toasted.

    Healthy Hot Cross Buffins

    It really is a struggle not only to find a ‘healthy,’ whole food only hot cross bun but one that isn’t actually damaging to you and especially your kids health. Even ‘fresh’ bakery buns have a long list of ingredients (I counted 29 in a ‘traditional’ supermarket baked bun). Common ingredients include dangerous vegetable oils, excessive amounts of sugar (almost 4 teaspoons per bun), and a cocktail of additives and preservatives. To make matters worse, ALL supermarket brands contain Palm Oil (why you need to avoid Palm Oil here).

    If you value your families health, please don’t buy these buns. I have made it as easy as possible for you to make your own with ‘real’ ingredients that your body can identify and thrive with.

    Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.


    Healthy Hot cross buns
    Print Recipe
    4.97 from 26 votes

    Hot Cross Buffins

    Because I'm too lazy to wait for buns to prove (plus yeast makes me feel awful) I made these 'buffins' - a cross between a bun and a muffin for Easter. They are SO much nicer than any bun I think and a whole lot healthier too. 
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Servings: 6 buffins

    Ingredients

    • 200 g wholemeal spelt flour (1½ cups) or if you'd prefer, white spelt will give a more commercial result
    • 125 ml milk (½ cup)
    • 85 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (¼ cup)
    • 60 g butter, ghee or macadamia oil (¼ cup) melted
    • 1 free-range or organic egg/s
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp mixed spice
    • ½ tsp vanilla -powder, extract or essence
    • 80 g currants (½ cup) or sultanas or raisins (or a mixture) preferably preservative and vegetable oil free

    For the glaze (optional)

    • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1 tbsp rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup
    • 1 tsp water

    Pastry crosses (also optional)

    • 2 tbsp wholemeal spelt flour
    • Water

    Apple crosses (recommended)

    • 1 apple/s -julienne (personally, I’m too lazy for crosses as they don’t improve the flavour at all). My recipe testers mum suggested cutting strips of apple for the crosses which I absolutely love and it tastes better too. Your call!

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 160℃/320℉ (fan-forced).
    • Place your flour in a big bowl and make a well in the middle.
    • In a blender, food processor or by hand, beat your milk, sweetener, butter, egg, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, acid, cinnamon, mixed spice and vanilla for about a minute until well combined and a little frothy (Thermomix melt your butter, 1 minute, temp 80, speed 4, then add the milk, sweetener, egg, rising agents, spices and mix 1 min, speed 5). 
    • Gently mix in your dried fruit (Thermomix reverse blade, 10 seconds, speed 2).
    • Add this to the flour and fold through gently until just combined. Don’t over mix it.
    • For the crosses, mix 2 tablespoons of flour with enough water to form a dough. Roll it into little sausages to lay over the buns in a cross. This is a great job for the kids.
    • Alternatively, julienne apple to make quick, easy, delicious crosses. 
    • Spoon into the muffin cases and place your cross.
    • For the glaze, mix all ingredients together. 
    • Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through (firm to touch in the middle). Brush over the glaze whilst hot.
    • Enjoy hot out of the oven or to reheat, toasted in a sandwich press.

    Store

    • Can be frozen in an airtight bag or container.

    Notes

    Gluten and grain-free

    Substitute the flour with 130 grams of buckwheat (or sprouted buckwheat) flour and 70 grams of almond meal. They may need an additional 5-10 minutes in the oven too.

    Dairy-free

    Substitute the butter with melted ghee or macadamia nut oil. Replace the milk with an unsweetened nut milk or coconut milk (I have only recipe tested the coconut milk and macadamia nut oil at this stage).

    Low-fructose

    Choose rice malt syrup as your sweetener and omit the dried fruit or replace with cacao nibs.

    Chocolate hot cross buns

    Add 1 tablespoon of cacao powder to the wet mix and replace the dried fruit with approximately 50g of cacao nibs. If you tolerate fructose, you might like to replace the fruit with chocolate chips.

    Would love your feedback so please post a comment below (or even better rate this recipe).

    "They are just wonderful. The apple cross worked fabulously! I was only reading the ingredients of the supermarket ones the other day and was overwhelmed by all the nasty stuff in them!" Sally

    Whole grains – the best choice

    May 26, 2013 | Carbs, Protein, Fats, Healthy Carbohydrates, Healthy Food Choices

    Whole grains are nutritious, though like anything, in moderation. In this post, I hope to give you a better understanding of why grains are getting a bad wrap, as well as the healthiest way to include grains in your diet and those best avoided.

    I’ve decided to post about grains, basically because it is a great place to start to gain an understanding of how processing can change something whole and nourishing, into a nutritionally void product. Also, because grains are grown in greater quantities, and provide more food energy than any other staple in the world. In fact in many cultures, grains constitute the majority of daily sustenance. As such, refined grains have sadly become the industrialisation of our food chains greatest nutritional disaster.

    Whole grains, as they naturally occur, are a source of vitamins, minerals, a little (incomplete) protein, good fats, complex carbohydrates and fibre – all packed in one tiny little grain! They provide the body with a slow release, sustained form of energy, especially when soaked or sprouted. The process of refining grains basically removes the parts of the grain that house the vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and fibre, leaving only simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates equate to a hit of energy (in the form of glucose) without the accompanying nourishment. The effect this has on the body is one of the primary drivers of many modern day diseases.

    In the beginning…

    So why are grains refined I hear you ask? Lets back track a little and discuss the primary reason, which is to extend their shelf life. By removing the germ and bran, grains last longer without going off. Interestingly, the refining process also makes grains less desirable to their natural predators – namely rodents, bacteria and fungi, all of which have the ability to destroy quantities of grain before it can be sold. For example, in the case of wheat, rats and mice are much less likely to consume it refined (their instincts are obviously better than ours)! So food manufacturers (in the name of profit), removed all the nutritious bits (fibre, fat, protein and over twenty vitamins and minerals – that we know of) to produce flour, a malleable commodity with a very long shelf life. However soon after wheat began to be refined, the people consuming flour and its products developed terrible deficiency diseases like beriberi (caused by a vitamin B1 or niacin deficiency). These same diseases occurred in countries consuming large quantities of polished white rice.

    You would think the process of refining would have been re-evaluated at this stage? Think again. Not when there’s a large industry and lots of money at stake. Thus, the process of grain fortification was introduced to correct these clinical deficiency diseases. Today Food Standards Australia and New Zealand dictates a mandatory niacin and folate fortification in all wheat flour used for making bread. Whilst this process synthetically corrects the niacin and folate deficiency associated with making flour, it neglects the other nutrients critical to the nourishment derived from the whole grain.  Judging by the growing epidemic of modern degenerative diseases linked to processed foods, I think that foods governing bodies may be missing the big picture all together.

    Choose variety

    In Australia we are fortunate to have a choice. To eat processed grains, which have had a few of their original nutrients replaced, albeit artificially, or consume whole grains with their nature given nourishment in tact. So what grains should we include in our diet? First I would say to eat ALL grain in moderation, especially wheat. The consumption of wheat has become quite insidious in our culture with many people starting the day with an often wheat-based breakfast cereal or toast. This is followed by a biscuit, cake, cracker or health bar for a snack, a sandwich at lunch and pasta for dinner – sound familiar? Even if you are choosing whole grain products, this is too much wheat. My mantra of variety, variety and more variety needs to be applied. When you eat the same food repeatedly (i.e., wheat), you are really limiting the amount of nutrition you can derive from your diet. Wheat and grains are not so much the problem, as is the way they are prepared and the quantities they are consumed in.

    Nourishing v’s empty calories

    Here are some suggestions for including a variety of whole grains in your diet. I refer to ’empty calories’ and by this, I mean food providing energy but with little or no nutrition. If you’d like to know more about a particular grain (and where to find it) then click on the link-

    • Eat brown rice rather than processed white rice.
    • Try spelt, Kamut, rye, millet or mixed grain bread instead of a straight wheat bread (more details on the most nourishing bread next post).
    • Quinoa is a highly nutritious seed (containing a complete amino acid profile) and a delicious and an easy to prepare substitution for rice, couscous or pasta.
    • Include rolled oats for breakfast or make oat based cookies, slices or crackers for snacks. Try my muesli for a great wholegrain breakfast.
    • Any grains that are whole then rolled or ground (to flour) are nutritious grain choices, especially when soaked or fermented.
    • Love pasta, then perhaps try some other varieties. I like rice and quinoa pasta (gluten free). Try different blends and brands as they do vary.
    • Avoid refined, white flours – substitute with wholemeal or spelt flour. Forget all together ‘added fibre’, ‘added omega oils’ etc products. Health claims are just a marketing gimmick to persuade you to buy inferior products containing empty calories.  Remember that if a product is ‘fortified’ or ‘enriched’, the whole grain just isn’t there to start with.
    • Puffed or flaked grains, as found in the majority of breakfast cereals and many crackers, are best avoided. They are processed at such high temperatures that the fats and proteins can be dangerously altered and they really don’t contribute much nourishment.
    • A frightening study has been described by Paul Stitt in his book Fighting the Food Giants. In the study, four groups of rats were fed a) a diet of whole wheat, vitamins and minerals, b) puffed wheat, vitamins and minerals, c) white sugar only and d) vitamins and minerals only. The whole wheat group lived for 1 year, the vitamin and mineral group lived for 8 weeks, the sugar only group lived for 4 weeks and the puffed wheat group lived for just 2 weeks. Time to look at alternative breakfast ideas perhaps?  Click here for some inspiration.
    • Lastly, consuming grains with fats like butter or full-fat dairy assists the absorption of many of the important nutrients that grains provide. So get out the butter, milk and cream to make the very most of your grain based meal.
    • I’d also like to add that there are NO nutrients in grain that are not found in other foods. We seem to have been brain washed to think that we need grain for fibre and energy, we don’t. Fresh fruit and vegetable are more nutrient dense sources of fibre and carbohydrate.
    • What about the bread I hear you ask? Oh, how I love to devour a hot crusty loaf fresh out of my oven, slavered with butter! Sadly not all bread are created equal, in fact, many are outright dangerous to consume. But more on how to navigate the minefield of your daily bread here.

    Want to know more

    Be kind to your grains, and your grains will be kind to you by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig is a worthy read.

    Try some of my fabulous whole grain recipes…
    Nourishing Toasted Muesli
    Healthy Grain Salad
    Nourishing Anzac biscuit
    No bake, nut-free muesli bar

     

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