This is a great recipe to whip up at the last minute and is wheat, dairy and sugar free.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole cauliflower roughly chopped
• 1 small sweet potato roughly chopped
• 2 small potatoes (skin on) roughly chopped
• 4 celery tops (the leafy bits) chopped finely
• 2 onions diced
• 1/2 cup split red lentils
• 1tbsp rice bran oil
• 1 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt or himilayan salt
• 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs

Directions:

1. In a large pot, fry onion with herbs and celery tops until softened.
2. Add remaining ingredients, then add enough filtered water to cover.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Let cool slightly and blend with a stick blender (be careful not to splash yourself).
5. Serve with toasted organic sourdough bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 small pumpkin, roughly chopped
• 1 small sweet potato, roughly chopped
• top half of a whole celery, roughly chopped
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1tbsp coconut or rice bran oil
• 1/4 cup barley
• 1/2 cup split red lentils
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaf, fresh or dried
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 5cm piece fresh ginger,chopped finely
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• water
• Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, to taste (about 1 1/2 tsp)

To Serve:

• coconut milk & coriander leaf

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan,place oil, onion, ginger, chilli and spices. Saute` until soft and aromatic.
2. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover completely.
3. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, or until barley is tender.
4. Turn stove off and allow to cool slightly.
5. Using a stainless steel stick blender, carefully blend soup to a smooth consistency.
6. Add more water if required. NB: Once you have blended the barley will thicken the soup further.
7. Place soup in bowls and top with a splash of coconut milk and some chopped coriander.

I love lentils. Although they take a long time to cook this soup is very easy. It is a great source of iron and protein – enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green or brown lentils
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme, or 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 2 large portobello mushrooms (about the size of your hand), diced
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 1tbsp butter or rice bran oil
• filtered water
• sea salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cover lentils with water and soak for 24 hours. Discard water, rinse and place in a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 90 minutes with the lid on.
2. In a large saucepan, fry onions and thyme in butter or oil until softened. Add mushrooms, tomato and capsicum. Cook on low for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add lentils (and the water they were cooked in), plus 1 extra cup of water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
4. Take off heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. With a stainless steel stick blender, blend to desired consistency.
5. Serve with sourdough bread drizzled with olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 2 large roasted or boiled beetroots, peeled after cooking
• 100g organic feta cheese
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach
• 1/2 red onion
• sunflower seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil – cold pressed
• Balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Cut beetroot into 5 – 10cm cubes, and finely slice red onion.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add a large glug of olive oil and a generous splash of balsamic vinegar
4. Gently toss together and serve now or later.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh cob corn – corn cut off the cob
• 1 cup roast pumpkin – cut into small cubes before roasting
• 1/4 red capsicum, diced
• 1/4 cup pepitas or pine nuts
• 1 small handful of fresh parsley or coriander, chopped finely
• Extra virgin olive oil – cold pressed
• Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix all vegetables and seeds/nuts
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic and toss to combine.
3. Serve after at least 30 minutes in the fridge to help infuse dressing.

Serves 1 and keeps well.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 600g organic or free range chicken breast
• 1 orange
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3tbsp macadamia oil
• 2 large ripe peaches
• 1 small red onion
• 1 punnet (250g) cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup raw macadamia nuts

Directions

Juice orange and place 1/3 of the juice in a bowl with 1tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp macadamia oil to make a marinade.

• Slice chicken breasts in half or thirds through the middle, leaving you with large 2-3cm thick slabs of chicken. Place in marinade and leave for at least 1 hour.
• In a food processor or using a knife and chopping board, process macadamias in small pieces.
• Place chicken on a preheated BBQ or grill plate. Cook for 4 minutes, turn and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
• Cut red onion in half and slice into very fine strips. Cut cherry tomatoes in half.
• Slice peaches in half and remove the stone. Gently slice into thin wedges.
• In a large bowl place rocket, onion, tomatoes, macadamia, peaches and remaining orange juice, oil and balsamic vinegar.
• Remove chicken from grill and slice into strips. Add to salad, toss gently and serve immediately.

TIPS:

1. Try substituting orange for pomegranate juice
2. Also works well with mango

This dish is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. For the protein component you can serve with some organic meat, organic chicken or fish. For a vegetarian option, serve with some quinoa or add some drained and rinsed canned legumes of your choice to the roasting pan at the last minute.

Ingredients:

Rosti

• 900g potatoes, halved if large (scrub skin and leave on if possible)
• Pinch sea or Himalayan salt
• Rice bran oil, for frying

Roasted Vegetables

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• I tbsp balsamic vinegar
• I tsp honey
• I red capsicum, deseeded and quartered
• 2 zucchini, sliced length ways in quarters
• 2 red onions, quartered
• I small fennel bulb, cut into thin wedges
• 16 cherry tomatoes
• 8 garlic cloves, skin on
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs removed from stems
• Sea salt and pepper

For vegan pesto dressing

• 1 fistful of basil leaves
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper
• Boiling water

Directions

1. Toss roasting vegetables in the oil, vinegar, rosemary and honey mix together in a large shallow dish. Leave to marinade for at least one hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C . Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes, or until partially cooked. Strain and leave to cool, then coarsely grate.
3. Transfer the vegetables, except the tomatoes and garlic to a roasting tin with the marinade. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then add tomato and garlic and roast for a further 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and slightly blackened around the edge.
4. To cook the rosti take a quarter of the potato mixture in your hands and form into a roughly shaped cake. Heat just enough oil to cover the base of a frying pan over medium heat. Put the cakes in, two at a time and flatten with a spatula to make them 2cm thick.
5. Cook the rosti for 6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp.
6. For the dressing, blend basil, pine nuts, salt, pepper and olive oil in a food processor. Add enough boiling water to make the liquid thin enough to pour.
7. To serve, top each rosti with the roasted vegetables and drizzle with a little pesto dressing.

This meal is very high in protein so is beneficial for weight loss. Adding some other steamed vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and beans can help to make this a complete meal.

Ingredients:

• 250g lean lamb mince (preferably organic)
• I onion, finely chopped
• I tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• ½ tsp ground coriander seeds
• ¼ tsp chilli powder
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Chickpea mash

• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
• 50ml rice, oat or Bonsoy milk
• Pepper
• 2tbsp chopped coriander

Directions:

1. Put the lamb, onions, herbs, spices, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until thoroughly combined. If you do not have a food processor, chop ingredients as finely as you can and mix thoroughly.
2. Divide the mixture into 8 portions, and using wet hands shape each portion into a sausage shape around a wooden skewer (you must soak wooden skewers in water for at least 2 hours prior to use to prevent burning). Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a griddling pan or barbecue (or heavy based saucepan) and brush with a little oil. Cook the skewers, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until browned on all sides and cooked through.
4. For the chickpea mash, heat the oil in saucepan and gently fry garlic for 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and milk and heat through for a few minutes. Transfer into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and stir through fresh coriander.
5. Serve the koftas with mash and steamed green veggies on the side.

Ingredients:

• Spice mix, combined in small bowl:
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tbsp paprika
• 1½ tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1kg of lamb, trimmed and cut into chunks
• 2 large onions, grated (or chopped fine)
• I large yellow sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 large cans chopped tomatoes
• 100g organic dried apricots, cut in half
• 50g organic raisins
• 100g sliced almonds
• 1 tsp saffron threads, soaked in cold water
• 500ml lamb stock (or vegetable stock)
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp celery leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Place the lamb in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius
   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of other oil in a large tagine or other casserole dish.
3. Add the grated or chopped onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not colored. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes.
4. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb on all sides ,then add the browned meat to the casserole dish.
   De-glaze the frying pan with ½ cup of water and add these juices to the casserole dish.
5. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, sweet potato, apricots, raisins, almonds, saffron, lamb stock, celery leaves and honey to the casserole dish.
   Bring to the boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.
6. Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and serve with brown rice or quinoa.

These muffins are free from, sugar, wheat and even dairy if you choose, but taste fantastic! They are a great source of calcium and fibre, so are great for kids lunchboxes or morning tea!

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 250g pitted dates, roughly chopped
• 45g butter and 45g coconut oil (or 90g coconut oil for dairy free option)
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
• 1 cup white spelt flour
• 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
• 3 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 large bananas, mashed with a fork
• 2 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Grease muffin pan and set aside.
2. Place dates, butter/oil and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling turn off, let cool slightly and add bicarb soda.
3. In a bowl, sift flour, baking soda and cinnamon, then stir in coconut. Make a well in the centre.
4. Add dates mixture, eggs and banana to the well and stir through until combined.
5. Spoon mixture into muffin pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until you insert a skewer and it comes out clean.
6. Leave to rest for a few minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack, or eat!