guacamole

 Poppy cooks...

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl add
   2 tablespoons onion, finely diced,
   1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt,
   2 tablespoons coriander leaves, minced; and mash together with a fork.
   
   
   
2. Add
   2 avocados to mixture and mash together.
   
   
   
3. Add
   1/2 lime, juiced and
   1 roma tomato, finely chopped; and stir together.
   

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.

spinach + ricotta cannelloni

Serves 4-6

Poppy cooks...

1. Place
   360-400g spinach and
   olive oil in a large pot with the lid on over low heat, stirring occasionally until spinach has cooked down. Set aside in a bowl to cool.
   
   
2. Place
   onion, diced in same pot with
   olive oil until onion softens.
   
   
3. Add
   2x 400g tins of diced tomatoes,
   2 cloves garlic, minced,
   bay leaf,
   15g basil and
   zest of 1/2 lemon and bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
   
   
4. Squeeze liquid out of spinach, chop, then return to liquid in bowl. Add
   egg, beaten,
   2 teaspoons parmesan cheese, grated,
   250g ricotta.
   
   
5. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
   
   
6. Place
   250g gluten-free cannelloni (approximately 18 tubes) in an oven proof dish and then fill the tubes with the spinach mixture.
   
   
7. Cover the cannelloni with the tomato sauce mixture and slice
   250g mozzarella balls and place on top.
   
   
8. Place in the oven for 40 minutes.

frittata

Serves 24

A great easy dish to get a decent serve of vegetables into your (or your child's) diet. Whilst this is a Thermomix recipe, a food processor would do exactly the same job.

Poppy cooks...

1. Preheat oven to 170ºC and either line two small slice trays with baking paper, or oil two pie dishes (or one of each!).
   
   
2. Place
   onion, chopped and
   2 cloves of garlic, peeled in mixing bowl and chop 3 seconds / speed 7.
   
   
3. Scrape down bowl, add
   splash olive oil and saute 2 minutes / varoma / speed 2.
   
   
4. Add
   2 carrots, chopped,
   zucchini, chopped,
   small sweet potato and chop 5 seconds / speed 5.
   
   
5. Add
   400g corn kernels,
   100g bio cheese, grated,
   1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard,
   180g gluten free self raising flour,
   6 eggs,
   1 teaspoon baking powder,
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper and mix 20 seconds / reverse / speed 4.
   
   
6. Pour mixture into slice tins or pie dishes.
   
   
7. Sprinkle
   pepitas and
   sunflower seeds over the top.
   
   
8. Place in oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown.

lentil ragu with cauliflower mash

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. The day before you make this dish, soak
   1/2 cup puy lentils in
   filtered water.
   
   
2. Add to a pan
   onion, finely diced,
   carrot, finely diced,
   celery stick, finely diced,
   2 garlic cloves, minced,
   2 sprigs thyme,
   sprig rosemary,
   bay leaf with
   olive oil on medium heat.
   
   
3. Once the onion is translucent, add drained lentils and
   3 tablespoons tomato paste, cooking for 10 minutes.
   
   
4. Add
   tin crushed tomato,
   1.5 cups filtered water,
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt,
   cracked black pepper, to taste,
   1/4 teaspoon nutmeg,
   pinch of cinnamon, turning heat down and simmering (if ragu looks dry, add more filtered water at any point).
   
   
5. In a large pot, saute
   2 garlic cloves, sliced in
   3 tablespoons olive oil and
   sprig thyme.
   
   
6. Add
   cauliflower, cut into small florets coating in oil for 5 minutes then add
   1/2 cup filtered water and put a lid on pot until cauliflower is soft (add more filtered water if needed at any point).
   
   
7. Add
   1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar to ragu and stir.
   
   
8. Put cauliflower in thermomix with
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt and blend on speed 5, scraping bowl down and mixing as necessary to get an even consistency.
   
   
9. Serve
   handful rocket onto each plate, cauliflower mash next to that, then spoon ragu on top, and finish with
   flax seed oil, drizzled and
   cracked black pepper.

salmon + potato rosti

Makes 24

Another great recipe for kids and adults!

Poppy cooks...

1. In a non-stick frying pan with
   coconut oil, saute
   onion, finely diced and
   2 purple/red potatoes, grated with excess moisture squeezed out, and then allow to cool in a mixing bowl.
   
   
2. While the above is cooling, make the optional avocado sauce by blending
   avocado,
   1/8 cup olive oil,
   1/4 cup filtered water,
   couple sprigs of coriander, finely chopped,
   1/2 lime, juiced and
   celtic sea salt, to taste. I then pour it into a squeeze bottle and place in the fridge.
   
   
3. Returning to the rosti, combine potato mixture with
   200g tin salmon,
   1 egg and
   2 tablespoons gluten free plain flour.
   
   
4. Press into patties of your preferred size (I use a cookie cutter to get all of them to be the exact same time) and fry in batches with a little
   coconut oil
   until golden.
   
   
5. To serve, I squeeze a dollop of the avocado sauce onto each rosti.

butter chicken

Serves 4

We have nicknamed this dish butter chicken in our household as the consistency of the sauce reminds us of it. It is by no means a traditional butter chicken dish as we can't eat nuts and don't eat dairy in our house - just a little disclaimer so you don't have different expectations of this dish, haha.

Poppy cooks...

1. Cook
   2 cups of basmati rice and set aside.
   
   
2. Saute
   onion, diced in
   coconut oil.
   
   
3. Add
   4 garlic cloves, minced and
   2 teaspoons ginger, grated.
   
   
4. Add
   2 teaspoons garam masala,
   2 teaspoons ground cumin and
   1 teaspoon ground turmeric, stirring until fragrant.
   
   
5. Add
   400ml coconut cream and
   8 tablespoons tomato paste and bring to the boil.
   
   
6. Add
   500g chicken tenderloins, diced until cooked, stirring occasionally.
   
   
7. Add
   broccoli, cut into florets and
   1 cup corn kernels.
   
   
8. Add
   1 teaspoon cornflour and incorporate.
   
   
9. Season with
   2 teaspoons celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper.

As a summer version, omit the broccoli and corn but make a side salad of shredded cabbage, mango, cucumber and coriander. If you have young kids or toddlers, you can also omit the celtic sea salt and it still tastes amazing!

kedgeree

Serves 6

Poppy cooks...

1. Soak
   1 cup puy lentils for at least an hour, then drain.
   
   
2. In a saucepan, boil
   4 eggs with
   2 fillets salmon in a steamer insert above. Once the salmon is cooked through, flake; and once the eggs are cooked, cut into quarters; then set all aside.
   
   
3. Saute
   2 onions, sliced to your desired level of caramelisation, then set aside.
   
   
4. Melt
   2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large pan, then add
   1.5 cups basmati rice, lentils,
   2 bay leaves,
   4 garlic cloves, minced,
   knob of ginger, grated,
   sprinkle of chilli powder to your liking,
   1 teaspoon ground turmeric,
   2 teaspoons ground cumin,
   2 teaspoons ground coriander and stir until fragrant.
   
   
5. Add
   3 cups filtered water and bring to the boil then reduce heat to low and cover, cooking until the rice and lentils are done.
   
   
6. Stir through
   bag spinach, then add fish, eggs, onions and
   bunch parsley, chopped.
   
   
7. Serve with a
   wedge of lemon.

paleo macaroni and cheese

Serves 4

For a non-paleo version that the kids will love, substitute the cauliflower (so, substitute the whole of step 1) for some brown rice pasta.

Poppy cooks…

1. Saute
   1.5 cauliflower, cut into florets in
   2 tablespoons nuttelex,
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt and
   1/4 cup filtered hot water until cauliflower is cooked and lightly caramelised, then set aside and keep warm.
   
   
2. Saute
   2 tablespoons nuttelex,
   3 squash, diced,
   carrot, diced,
   onion, diced,
   3 garlic cloves, minced,
   3/4 teaspoon ground mustard and
   1 teaspoon celtic sea salt.
   
   
3. Add
   165ml tin coconut cream and simmer until the coconut cream is slightly reduced.
   
   
4. Place in a blender and puree until smooth.
   
   
5. Add an
   egg yolk and blend well.
   
   
6. Return sauce to the pan, then add a
   bag of spinach and stir through until spinach is slightly wilted.
   
   
7. Add
   cracked black pepper to taste.
   
   
8. Serve cauliflower florets topped with sauce.

turkey + vegetable buckwheat pasta

Serves 6

Poppy cooks…

1. Saute
   onion, diced and
   4 garlic cloves, minced in
   olive oil.
   
   
2. Add
   3 carrot, diced,
   2 red capsicum, diced,
   2 zucchini, diced,
   1/2 cup semi sun-dried tomatoes, quartered and sauté until vegetables are softened then set aside. Feel free to add more olive oil if necessary. You can also use any seasonal or left over vegetables you might have.
   
   
3. Cook
   500g turkey mince until browned then add vegetables back in with
   700g passata,
   3 teaspoons dried oregano,
   1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes,
   handful basil leaves, torn,
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste and allow to simmer while cooking the pasta.
   
   
4. Cook
   500g buckwheat spiral pasta according to packet instructions.
   
   
5. Add pasta to sauce, combine, then serve with
   parmesan cheese (optional).

vegetable stir fry with mango tahini sauce

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. Cook
   2 cups jasmine rice in a rice cooker.
   
   
2. Make sauce by blending
   mango,
   1 tablespoon ginger, grated,
   1 tablespoon tahini,
   1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar,
   1 tablespoon tamari sauce and
   1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
   
   
3. In a large frying pan or work, heat
   1/2 tablespoon coconut oil then add
   onion, thinly sliced,
   2 garlic cloves, minced,
   3 cups red cabbage, finely sliced,
   2 cups celery, finely sliced,
   2 cups sweet potato, finely sliced and
   2 tablespoons filtered water, stirring until the vegetables are cooked.
   
   
4. Serve rice, topped with vegetables, drizzle mango tahini sauce over the top and sprinkle with
   black sesame seeds.

gnocchi + pork ragu

Serves 6

Poppy cooks…

1. Place
   1kg de-boned pork leg,
   2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped,
   400g tin of diced tomatoes,
   2 tablespoons tomato paste,
   2 cups filtered water,
   4 garlic cloves, peeled,
   2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce,
   tablespoon of dried mixed herbs,
   2 teaspoons smoked paprika, (you can use sweet paprika too, depending on the smokiness level you prefer)
   2 tablespoons coconut sugar,
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt and
   1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper into a large pot on medium heat for 4 hours or until the pork is soft and pulls apart easily.
   
   
2. Place
   1kg nadine potatoes and
   1/2 head of garlic (skin left on) on a baking tray in a 180ºC oven for 1 hour or until they are easily pierced by a skewer.
   
   
3. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then halve and scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl.
   
   
4. Add the roasted garlic, skin removed, then mash until smooth.
   
   
5. Add
   2 egg yolks and combine.
   
   
6. Add
   1.5 cups gluten-free plain flour, half a cup at a time to the potato mixture, mixing together to form a dough, but be careful to not overwork the dough.
   
   
7. Prepare a lightly floured surface, then roll handfuls of the dough into long strips. Cut strips into gnocchi pieces and place on a floured tray. Using a fork, make indents in the gnocchi to absorb the ragu sauce later.
   
   
8. When the pork is soft, remove from the sauce, shred the meat and place back into the sauce.
   
   
9. Bring a separate pot of
   filtered water with
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt to the boil, add gnocchi and remove as soon as they rise to the surface - approximately 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into the pork ragu. Then serve!

The pulled pork can also be cooked in a slow cooker...I cook it on medium for 5 hours, then remove the lid and cook on high for half an hour to reduce the sauce while I shred the meat.

As an alternative, the pulled pork is perfect with my apple coleslaw, served in hard tacos!

orange + beef stew on creamy mash

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. Between 12 to 24 hours before you plan to cook this meal, put
   500-600g organic diced beef in a large pot or french oven and season with
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper.
   
   
2. Add
   750ml red wine (1 bottle),
   3 sprigs fresh thyme,
   2 bay leaves,
   5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks,
   half an orange cut into wedges,
   onion, cut into rings, and
   2 garlic cloves, sliced. Place in the fridge to marinate.
   
   
3. When you are ready to start cooking, heat some
   olive oil in a frying pan, remove the beef from the marinade and brown on all sides, then set aside.
   
   
4. Place pot with marinade on the cooktop and bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer.
   
   
5. Add chuck steak back into the pot with
   170g tomato paste and
   2.5 cups of hot filtered water and leave to cook on low with the lid on for 2 hours or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid for approximately another 30 minutes for the liquid to reduce to form a thick sauce.
   
   
6. In a separate pot, boil
   1.5 kg royal blue potatoes, peeled and diced until they crumble with no resistance when pierced with a fork. Drain water and mash with
   tablespoon nuttelex and
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt.
   
   
7. Serve mashed potato topped with stew mixture, making sure to discard the bay leaves and orange peels.

baked eggs in tomato kale

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. In a large deep frying pan, heat a swig of
   olive oil over medium heat, then add
   onion, diced,
   2 carrots, finely diced,
   celery stick, finely diced and
   3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped, stirring frequently until browned.
   
   
2. Stir through
   1 clove of garlic, minced,
   sprig of rosemary and
   2 sprigs thyme for one minute.
   
   
3. Add
   bunch kale, finely chopped and cook until the kale has softened.
   
   
4. Add
   1 tablespoon tomato paste,
   tin of diced tomatoes and
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper, to taste, simmering for 8 minutes.
   
   
5. Make four wells and crack
   4 eggs into each of the wells, either covering the pan or placing the pan in the oven until the egg whites are cooked.

lamb stew

Serves 5

Poppy cooks…

1. Heat a drizzle of
   olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven.
   
   
2. Season
   700g lamb shoulder, diced with
   celtic sea salt and brown in batches, then set aside.
   
   
3. Add to the pot
   onion, diced,
   3 carrots, chopped and
   2 cloves garlic, minced and cook until the vegetables soften.
   
   
4. Add
   tin diced tomatoes,
   500ml beef stock,
   2 sprigs thyme,
   1 sprig rosemary and the lamb, bringing to a boil then reducing to a simmer before placing the lid on for 2 hours.
   
   
5. Stir through
   1.5 cups butternut pumpkin, cubed and cook for another 20 minutes or under the pumpkin is cooked.

honey tofu with fried quinoa

Serves 3

Poppy cooks…

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together
   1/2 tablespoon olive oil,
   1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce,
   1 tablespoon coconut amino sauce,
   2 tablespoons manuka honey and
   juice of 1/4 lime.
   
   
2. Add
   packet firm tofu, cubed into mixture and marinade for at least half an hour.
   
   
3. In a deep frying pan on medium heat, fry
   1 cup quinoa until it crackles and becomes aromatic then set aside.
   
   
4. In a rice cooker, add
   onion, diced to the pan with
   olive oil and cook until lightly browned.
   
   
5. Add
   green chilli, deseeded and chopped and
   2 cloves garlic, minced and cook for 1 minute.
   
   
6. Add
   500ml vegetable stock and quinoa and cook until all the stock is absorbed.
   
   
7. While the quinoa is cooking, steam some
   asian greens in the steamer insert.
   
   
8. Also while the quinoa is cooking, cook the marinated tofu in a frying pan; cooking until the sauce caramelises, tossing frequently to coat the tofu.
   
   
9. Stir
   juice of 1/4 lime,
   4 spring onions, sliced diagonally,
   handful coriander, chopped and
   1/4 cup pepitas through the quinoa mixture.
   
   
10. Serve the tofu on top of the quinoa and sprinkle with
    sesame seeds, with the asian greens to the side.
    

caramelised onion + cauliflower

Serves 2-4

This dish goes really well with a good cut of fillet steak. If you aren't serving it with anything else except a protein, it is enough for 2 people; but as a side to accompany other dishes, it can serve 4. For a vegetarian or lighter option, try serving it with brown rice or quinoa.

Poppy cooks…

1. Cut
   cauliflower into florets and place on a baking tray.
   
   
2. Preheat oven to 210˚C.
   
   
3. Toss cauliflower with
   olive oil and
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper. Place in oven for 45 minutes.
   
   
4. Saute
   2 onions, sliced with
   1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar until caramelised.
   
   
5. Combine onion with cauliflower 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.

roast pumpkin risotto

Serves 4

This is somewhat of a cheat's risotto using a rice cooker that doesn't compromise on taste but is a lot easier and quicker than cooking it on the cooktop or in the oven - but if you don't have a rice cooker, feel free to cook this recipe the traditional way by slowly adding 1 cup of hot stock to the risotto at a time until it is absorbed. You will also need twice as much stock if cooking with this method.

Poppy cooks…

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
   
   
2. Place
   500g butternut pumpkin, diced on a baking tray. Coat with
   olive oil and
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper. Bake for 40 minutes or until slightly caramelised.
   
   
3. Turn on your rice cooker and sauté an
   onion, diced and
   4 cloves garlic, minced.
   
   
4. Add
   1/2 teaspoon curry powder,
   1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg,
   1.5 cups arborio rice and stir to mix.
   
   
5. Stir in
   1 cup white wine and leave for a few minutes.
   
   
6. Then add
   500ml vegetable stock.
   
   
7. When the rice cooker has finished cooking the risotto, and the pumpkin is roasted, add the pumpkin to the rice and stir through.
   
   
8. Serve risotto with
   pepitas,
   parsley, chopped and
   dried cranberries.

lamb, rosemary + orange cassoulet

Serves 4

This is my first recipe using certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils in cooking. My naturopath introduced me to dōTERRA and I have been blown away by the power of these essential oils in all areas of holistic health. I will have to write more about them another time, but this recipe uses dōTERRA's lavender oil which you can substitute with fresh or dried lavender.

Poppy cooks…

1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat up some
   olive oil and brown
   700g lamb, diced with
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper.
   
   
2. Add
   onion, diced,
   3 carrots, chopped,
   3 celery sticks, chopped and cook for 5 minutes.
   
   
3. Add
   3 garlic cloves, minced,
   orange zest and juice,
   2 sprigs rosemary,
   1 drop of dōTERRA lavender oil,
   2 cups pinot noir,
   2 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, covered for 2 hours (or up to 5 hours if you have the time to make the lamb meat really tender), stirring occasionally. If the dish starts looking dry, add more stock; or if there is too much liquid, remove the lid.
   
   
4. Before serving add
   1 tin cannellini beans and stir through.