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.

Thermomix version...

1. Place
   onion, cut into chunks,
   3 cloves of garlic,
   1/2 teaspoon dried basil,
   1 teaspoon dried oregano,
   1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary in Thermomix bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 5.
   
   
   
2. Add
   400g tin diced tomato,
   carrot, cut into chunks,
   3 celery stalks, cut into chunks,
   1/2 zucchini, cut into chunks,
   red capsicum, cut into chunks, and chop 8 sec/speed 5.
   
   
   
3. Add
   500g beef mince and break up 3 sec/speed 5.
   
   
   
4. Add
   50g ghee,
   6 button mushrooms, chopped,
   100g tomato paste,
   1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar,
   1 teaspoon honey,
   1.5 teaspoons celtic sea salt,
   pepper to taste and cook 25 mins/Varoma/rev/speed soft.
   
   
   
5. Transfer bolognese to a dish and make white sauce by adding
   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 to Thermomix bowl and cook 7 min/90C/speed 4.
   
   
6. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
   
   
7. Cover a large lasagne dish with a think layer of the bolognese sauce.
   
   
8. Place a layer of
   gluten free lasagne sheets, cover with half the bolognese sauce and a quarter of the white sauce.
   
   
9. Place a second layer of lasagne sheets, the remaining bolognese sauce and the second quarter of white sauce on top.
   
   
10. Place a third layer of lasagne sheets and the remaining white sauce on top. Sprinkle some
    grated cheese (optional) on top and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. If necessary, you can grill the top a bit longer to make it more crispy and golden.
    
    
11. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

braised lamb shanks

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. Heat
   1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large pan (with lid) and brown
   4 lamb shanks, then set aside.
   
   
2. Saute
   leek, cut lengthways in half and sliced,
   2 celery sticks, diced,
   3 carrots, diced and
   6 garlic cloves, sliced until soft.
   
   
3. Add lamb shanks back in with
   2 cups red wine,
   4 cups beef broth,
   10 sprigs thyme,
   4 sprigs of rosemary,
   teaspoon celtic sea salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for at least 2.5 hours with the lid on, or until meat falls off the bone.
   
   
4. In the meantime, boil
   2kg sweet potato, peeled and chopped, then drain and mash.
   
   
5. This stage is optional, but I like to remove the lamb shanks, shred the meat and return the meat to the sauce to mix through. If necessary, you can let the sauce reduce with the lid off while shredding the meat and add
   2 teaspoons cornflour to thicken the sauce too.

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.

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.

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, 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.

osso bucco

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. Heat
   olive oil in a large pan / french oven and brown
   4 osso bucco cuts on each side, and then set aside.
   
   
2. Saute
   2 carrots, finely chopped and
   3 celery sticks, finely chopped in olive oil for 2 minutes.
   
   
3. Place osso bucco on top of vegetables in a single layer.
   
   
4. In a separate bowl combine
   1 cup dry white wine,
   410g tin diced tomato,
   1 tablespoon tomato puree,
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper.
   
   
5. Pour over osso bucco - if the meat is not covered, add extra wine until it is submerged in liquid.
   
   
6. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and leave covered for 1 hour.
   
   
7. Remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the meet is falling off the bone.
   
   
8. Cook
   2 cups rice.
   
   
9. To make the gremolata, combine
   zest of 1 lemon,
   2 tablespoons parsley, chopped and
   garlic clove, minced.
   
   
10. Serve rice, topped with vegetables, osso bucco and sprinkled with gremolata.

crispy skin salmon with a dill, cucumber + celery salad

Serves 2

Poppy cooks…

1. In a bowl combine
   4 tablespoons coconut yoghurt,
   1 tablespoon dill, roughly chopped,
   garlic clove, minced,
   2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar,
   1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar,
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt and
   1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper.
   
   
2. Add
   lebanese cucumber, finely sliced and
   2 celery sticks, finely sliced and toss to combine.
   
3. Place salad in the refrigerator and cook
   2 salmon fillets in a non-stick frying pan, skin side down first.

french beef stew

Serves 9

Poppy cooks...

1. In a slow cooker place 
   500g organic diced beef,
   2 onions, cut into chunks,
   5 celery stalks, cut into chunks,
   600g carrots, cut into chunks,
   600g potatoes, cut into chunks,
   100ml tomato paste,
   750ml filtered water,
   150ml dry cooking sherry (or 40ml red wine vinegar and 110ml extra water),
   4 teaspoons coconut sugar,
   3 teaspoons celtic sea salt,
   cracked black pepper, to taste,
   3 teaspoons dried basil and set on medium for 5 hours.
   
   
   
2. 250g green beans, chopped and
   3 tablespoons of tapioca pearls, to slow cooker and set on medium for another 2 hours.
   
   
   
3. Cook
   6 cups rice using whichever method you prefer.
   
   
   
4. Serve stew on top of rice.

cauliflower paella

Serves 4

Ingredients

onion, diced

red capsicum, diced

3 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 cauliflower, diced in food processor

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 cup hot filtered water

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt

bay leaf

cracked black pepper

1/2 cup artichokes, diced

400g tin diced tomato

1/4 cup olives, sliced

juice of 1 lime

parsley, for garnish

Method

1. Saute onion in olive oil
2. Add capsicum and celery until softened
3. Add cauliflower and stir for 3 minutes
4. Add garlic, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, artichokes, tomato and olives
5. Bring to the boil, and reduce to a simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed
6. Serve with lime and parsley

Notes
A paella without rice?! Who knew cauliflower was such a great rice substitute. This vegetable-packed meal tastes even better the next day! I love to heat it up in the oven to caramelise it further until the top is slightly crunchy.