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.

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).

buckwheat pasta with tomato + avocado pesto

Serves 3

This meal is perfect for when you want some comforting home-cooked food but don't have a lot of time. I usually whip this up in about 10 minutes and it is yum!

Poppy cooks…

1. Cook
   340g buckwheat pasta in accordance with packet instructions.
   
   
2. Blend
   avocado,
   1/2 cup semi sundried tomatoes,
   1/4 cup basil,
   2 garlic cloves,
   1.5 tablespoons lemon juice,
   1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt and
   1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes.
   
   
3. Once pasta is cooked, toss through pesto and serve!

sausage + roast pumpkin salad

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. Place
   500g pumpkin, cut into chunks, on a roasting tray with
   olive oil,
   celtic sea salt and
   cracked black pepper and roast in a 180˚C oven until it starts to caramelise
   
   
2. Cook
   1 cup of quinoa in
   2 cups of hot filtered water
   
   
3. Cook
   4 gluten free beef sausages in a fry pan or on the barbecue, then slice diagonally
   
   
4. Combine pumpkin, quinoa, sausages and
   2 cups of baby spinach in a bowl
   
   
5. Garnish with
   basil leaves and a drizzle of
   balsamic vinegar

broccoli + zucchini bake

Serves 4

Ingredients

red onion, diced

broccoli, cut into small florets

2 zucchini, sliced

celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper

crushed chilli flakes

hot filtered water

1/2 cup rice milk

4 free-range organic eggs

ground nutmeg

handful basil, chopped

Method

1. Saute onions in a frying pan with olive oil until softened
2. Add broccoli and zucchini, season lightly and add a pinch of crushed chilli flakes to taste. Add a dash of hot filtered water to the pan to soften the vegetables, and add more as necessary
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, pinch of celtic sea salt and a pinch of ground nutmeg until fluffy
4. Stir basil through egg mixture
5. When vegetables are softened and slightly browned, place in a baking dish and pour egg mixture over the top
6. Bake in a 180°C oven for about 30 minutes

Notes
If you are not following a dairy or lactose free diet, then sprinkle with cheese before placing in the oven.

chicken risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g chicken tenderloins, chopped into bite-size pieces

olive oil

celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper

onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups arborio rice

500ml chicken stock

1 cup hot water

tin of diced tomato

1 cup sliced green beans

2 tablespoons basil leaves, sliced

Method

1. Cook chicken in rice cooker with oil and seasoning. Remove and place in a separate bowl
2. Cook onion and garlic in rice cooker. Add additional oil if necessary
3. Add rice and toss to coat with oil
4. Add stock, water and tomato. Stir and cover with lid
5. When most of the liquid is absorbed (but before the rice cooker turns itself off) add beans and stir through
6. When the rice cooker turns itself off stir through chicken and basil leaves

Notes
If you don't have a rice cooker, the same method can be used on a cooktop or in the oven. If you don't have fresh green beans, frozen green beans work just as well, or even peas. Feel free to grate fresh parmesan cheese if you aren't avoiding dairy.