lasagne

Serves 4

This is a favourite of mine and Ella and is a family crowd pleaser. I love this reduced dairy version as we seem to be able to tolerate ghee and cheese in small doses.


Poppy cooks...

1. In a large pot add
   onion, diced,
   3 cloves of garlic, minced,
   1/2 teaspoon dried basil,
   1 teaspoon dried oregano,
   1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary,
   400g tin diced tomato,
   carrot, diced,
   3 celery stalks, diced,
   1/2 zucchini, diced,
   red capsicum, diced,
   500g mince (beef, pork, chicken, lamb or turkey),
   6 button mushrooms, sliced,
   100g tomato paste,
   1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar,
   1 teaspoon honey,
   1.5 teaspoons celtic sea salt,
   pepper to taste with
   2 tablespoons ghee, cooking on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
   
2. In a small saucepan add
   750g rice milk,
   3 eggs,
   45g ghee,
   1.5 teaspoon dried onion powder,
   1.5 teaspoon garlic powder,
   0.75 teaspoon honey,
   1.5 teaspoon celtic sea salt and
   55g tapioca flour, stirring with a whisk until it thickens.
   
   
3. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
   
   
4. Grease a large lasagne dish with ghee and cover bottom with some of the bolognese sauce.
   
   
5. Place a layer of
   gluten free lasagne sheets on bottom of dish (I soak mine in water for just a few seconds to stop them curling), cover with half the bolognese sauce and a third of the white sauce.
   
   
6. Place a second layer of lasagne sheets, the remaining bolognese sauce and the second third of white sauce on top.
   
   
7. Place a third layer of lasagne sheets and the remaining third of white sauce on top. Sprinkle some
   grated cheese on top and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
   
   
8. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

tofu + mango salsa

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. Cook
   1 cup basmati rice in a rice cooker.
   
   
2. In the meantime, make the optional sauce first by whisking together
   tablespoon tahini,
   tablespoon apple cider vinegar,
   tablespoon tamari sauce,
   tablespoon olive oil,
   teaspoon agave syrup and
   wedge of lime, juiced, then set aside.
   
   
3. Saute
   2 cups green cabbage, finely sliced in
   olive oil seasoned with
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper.
   
   
4. Add rice, toss together and serve onto plates.
   
   
5. To make tofu marinade, in a large mixing bowl dissolve
   4 teaspoons cornflour in
   2 tablespoon olive oil and
   2 tablespoon tamari sauce.
   
   
6. Add
   2 packets firm tofu, diced to marinade, tossing to coat, then cook in a frying pan until the tofu is slightly crispy and the marinade is sticky and reduced.
   
   
7. While the tofu is cooking, prepare the mango salsa by combining
   2 mangos, finely diced,
   red capsicum, finely diced,
   1/2 bunch chives, chopped,
   handful coriander, chopped and
   1/4 lime, juiced. Serve salsa on top of cabbage rice.
   
   
8. When tofu is cooked, place on top of salsa, drizzle sauce over each dish and garnish with
   fried shallots.

apple coleslaw

Serves 6

Poppy cooks…

1. In a mixing bowl, combine
   2 cups green cabbage, finely sliced,
   1.5 cups red cabbage, finely sliced,
   carrot, julienned and
   granny smith apple, julienned.
   
   
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together
   3 tablespoons mayonnaise,
   2 tablespoons olive oil,
   1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar,
   1 tablespoon lemon juice,
   2 teaspoons poppy seeds,
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
   
   
3. Pour dressing over coleslaw and serve.

fake fried rice with fake honey chicken

Serves 4

I was amazed when I first cooked this dish as it immediately reminded me of being a child because it tasted exactly like my mother's cooking. Without compromising on taste, this version of fried rice with sticky honey chicken is so much healthier than the traditional version - you have to try it to believe it!

Poppy cooks…

1. In a large pot combine
   1/4 cup apple cider vinegar,
   1/4 cup coconut amino sauce,
   2 cloves garlic, minced,
   1.5 teaspoons manuka honey,
   4 black peppercorns and
   2 bay leaves.
   
   
2. Add
   500g chicken thighs to the pot and add enough 
   chicken stock until the chicken is submerged. Place in the fridge to marinade for at least 3 hours.
   
   
3. Whilst the chicken is marinading, cook the fried rice. Begin by scrambling
   4 eggs with a pinch of
   celtic sea salt and pepper, then set aside.
   
   
4. In a wok or large frying pan on high heat, sauté an
   onion, diced,
   4 cloves garlic, minced and
   2 carrots, peeled and diced until onion is golden and carrots are softened, then set aside.
   
   
5. Pulse
   1/2 cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice. Then sauté in work with oil until the cauliflower browns slightly.
   
   
6. Add carrot mixture back into the wok, along with
   2 tablespoons coconut amino sauce and
   1/4 teaspoon tamari sauce.
   
   
7. Then add
   1/2 cup frozen peas and stir until peas are cooked, then set aside and keep warm while you cook the chicken.
   
   
8. Place the pot with the marinaded chicken on high heat to bring it to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot.
   
   
9. Reduce the remaining sauce until it forms a thick and sticky consistency, then add the chicken back in to heat up before serving.
   
   
10. Just before serving, combine the scrambled egg into the fried rice.

noodle stir fry

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. Blend
   juice of 1 lime,
   1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper,
   3/4 teaspoon ground ginger,
   4 tablespoons tamari sauce,
   2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar,
   3 tablespoons manuka honey and
   5 medjool dates, pitted in a food processor until dates are fully broken down and set aside.
   
   
2. In a wok or non-stick frying pan scramble
   4 eggs, whisked with a drop of olive oil and set aside.
   
   
3. In the same wok/pan, heat
   olive oil over medium heat before adding
   500g chicken tenderloins, diced with
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper for 3 minutes.
   
   
4. Add
   onion, thinly sliced and
   5 garlic cloves, minced until chicken is fully cooked and onion is browned. Drain any excess liquid.
   
   
5. Stir through
   1 packet of konjac or rice noodles, prepared according to instructions on packet,
   3 baby zucchini, julienned,
   2 carrots, julienned and
   2 spring onions, diagonally sliced tossing until ingredients start to stick to the pan.
   
   
6. Pour sauce over ingredients and stir to combine. Cook until sauce is absorbed/reduced.
   
   
7. Before serving, stir through egg and
   1/2 cup coriander, chopped.
   
   
8. Serve with
   lime wedge and garnish with
   coriander.

Notes
If you like spicy food, just increase the amount of cayenne pepper in the sauce. And if you aren't allergic to nuts like I am, then top this dish with some toasted cashews.