Clean Fried Rice

A hit with my children and i! Dont think you have to cut out the family faves, just switch them to healthy :)

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

1 cup brown rice (can also use cauliflower 'rice' or quinoa)

Meat of choice (i switch between prawns, shredded chicken & chicken/turkey mince or you can simply omit meat for a vegetarian version!)

1 onion, chopped

1 capsicum, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 cup of frozen peas

1 cup of frozen corn

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1 cup cauliflower, chopped

Any other vegetables you like :)

Herbs/spices (i use garlic, oregano, chilli, salt and pepper)

3-4 tablespoons of tamari

1 tablespoon olive oil to cook

Method

1. Cook rice/quinoa as per directions on packet. If using brown rice, drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.

2. Place oil and herbs/spices in a large frypan or wok. Heat up and place onion, capsicum and carrot in. Cook for 2-3 mins then add meat.

3. Add cauliflower and broccoli. Cook for another 3-4 mins or until meat is cooked through

4. Add all other ingredients and cook for 1-2 mins

5. Add rice/quinoa and heat through.

6. Serve!

School Lunches Part 1

Well its that time of the year again, nearly time for school to start! 

I believe healthy kid's lunches and snacks are ESSENTIAL; they need healthy filling food to keep their energy up and their brains going! There are too many children at kinder and schools who dont eat enough (if any!) fruits, veggies and whole grains.
After school has started i will post part 2 of this blog post, with more ideas and photos but here is a list of what will be going in my not-so-little man's lunchbox! Recipes with '#' next to them are in my e-book. If your school has a nut ban, just omit nuts :)

• A sandwich made with rye bread. NO butter or margarine, unnecessary fat/preservatives for a teeny tiny bit of extra taste. Use avocado instead if you like :) Fillings will depend on your child's taste but my son's faves are:
• Low fat ham/turkey, low fat cheese, grated carrot and lettuce (& any other salad you or you child like!)
• Hard boiled eggs and lettuce
• Cheese and vegemite (vegemite isnt 100% clean but my kids still have it in moderation)
• Low fat ham, low fat cheese and tomato
• Natural peanut butter (found at the health food section of the supermarket or health food shop)
• A low fat ham/turkey and salad wrap made with a rye wrap

 Some snacks could be:

• Quinoa Veggie Muffins #
• Veggie Frittat
• Greek yoghurt (i drizzle a little bit of agave/honey/vanilla essence in mine and mix)
• ANY fruit & veggies; apples, strawberries, oranges, mandarins, grapes, peaches plums, carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumber... or anything else you child likes. Can also send some clean dip
• Nuts
• Sultanas (these are quite high in natural sugar so possibly not the best for everyday)
• Coconut balls #
• Banana bread #
• Clean crackers #
• Clean muffins #
• Clean cheese and vegemite scrolls
• Home made muesli bars
• Wholemeal rice cakes with vegemite/low fat cheese/tomato/avocado

Roasted Maple Syrup Buckwheat

Buckwheat isnt actually wheat, they are a fruit seed! Great in greek yoghurt, in home made granola or just by itself!

Ingredients 

2 cups buckwheat groats (i got mine from our local health food shop)

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (you could also use honey or some other liquid natural sweetener but maple syrup is my fave)

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 200 degrees celcius and line a flat tray with baking paper

2. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix very well

3. Spread buckwheat evenly over tray

4. Bake for around 20 minutes, turning 2-3 times. Keep an eye on them every few minutes until they are ready because they can burn quickly. Time will depend on your oven. They should be golden brown and crunchy. Allow to cool and store in a jar!

Choc Nut Truffle Slice

I had no idea what call this arvo creation i made today... But choc nut truffle slice it is! It has a similar texture to my coconut balls for those who have made them :)

Ingredients

1 cup almonds plus an extra 1 cup

1/2 cup cacao

1/2 cup dessicated coconut 

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 cups dates (soak for at least an hour in 1-2 cups of water)

3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

(If you want it more 'chocolatey' add an extra 1/4 cup of cacao, if you want it more sweet, add 1/2 cup of extra dates and a tablespoon extra of maple syrup; taste the mixture at step 6 and adjust accordingly!)

Method 

1. Place 1 cup of almonds in food processor/blender and blitz until a meal/flour consistency

2. Pour into a large bowl and add cacao, coconut and chia seeds and mix well

3. Place the other cup of almonds in processor and blitz a few times until they are broken up; you want pieces/chunks of nuts this time, not all flour! Place in a separate bowl.

4. Place soaked dates and water into food processor and mix until smooth

5. Pour date paste into bowl with all other ingredients and mix well

6. Pour almond pieces into mixture and fold through. 

7. Pour into a lined tray and spread evenly. Press down. Place in fridge overnight to set!

 

Hidden Greens Smoothie

If you have trouble getting greens into your little ones, or even yourself, then this is the smoothie for you! Can't see or taste any greens and it also has lots of hidden extras :)

 

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 cup almond/low fat milk

2 cups spinach

1 frozen banana, sliced before frozen 

1.5-2 cups of blueberries (could also use strawberries)

3 tablespoons of chia seeds (white or black is fine)

A handful of almonds (optional)

Could also add 1-2 tablespoons of maca or mesquite powder, a few teaspoons of stevia to make it extra sweet for kiddies, or even spirulina powder for extra greens :)

Method

1. Place milk and spinach in blender and mix until all combined

2. Add nuts (if using) and chia seeds and mix until all smooth

3. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth again! If the smoothie is too thick, you can add some cold water, or if its too watery and you want it a bit thicker, add a few more slices of frozen banana :)

 

 

Detox Green Smoothie

Flush out your body after some un-clean food or a big weekend with this simple detox smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup of water

1-2 cups of kale or spinach

1/2 a banana

1 green apple, cored and cubed

Juice of 2 lemons

3-4 ice cubes

Method

1. Blend water and kale/spinach first, until smooth

2. Add remaining ingredients until smooth!

Clean Spaghetti Bolognese

Keep everyone happy with a feed of clean spag bol!

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 packet of wholemeal or slim pasta (can also use home made zucchini noodles)

250g of beef/chicken/turkey mince

1 onion

1 capsicum

2 cups spinach

5-10 mushrooms

1 tin of organic tinned tomatoes

Garlic

Olive oil

Oregano, parsley, cayenne pepper, chilli, whichever suits your tastes!

Grated low fat cheese to serve, optional

1. Put olive oil in saucepan and cook meat, onion, capsicum and garlic until brown. Add tinned tomatoes, mushrooms & herbs and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta as per packet directions.
3. Add spinach to meat mixture.
4. Serve with extra spinach on top and/or low fat cheese!