avocado + egg crispibreads

Per serve

Ingredients

Orgran Multigrain Crispibread with Quinoa

egg, boiled and chopped

1/4 avocado, diced

cracked black pepper

Method

The method is, there is no real method! Just pile the ingredients on the Crispibread for a quick snack. Obviously, this is more a concept than a recipe - so feel free to use toasted gluten-free bread, corn crackers, rice crackers or any other type of base. You can smash the avocado instead of dicing it, and add any ingredients you have to hand. I quite like adding dried cranberries for a sweeter version.

beef sausage cassoulet

Serves 4

Ingredients

packet of Peppercorn Food Company Extra Lean Beef Sausages

onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 potatoes, diced

410g tin of crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon organic tomato paste

500ml organic chicken stock

400g tin of cannellini beans

1/2 bunch thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

Fresh thyme

Method

1. Cook sausages and set aside
2. In a large pot, saute onion and garlic
3. Add potatoes, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, cannellini beans, thyme and bay leaves. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes
4. Remove lid, add sausages and simmer for a further 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is reduced

Notes
Depending on the type of sausages you use, season with celtic sea salt and pepper to taste before serving.

dog food

As all my followers will know, Poppy is our gorgeous West Highland Terrier. When it comes to food, Poppy is a typical female and can be very picky. A few years ago, in addressing a common West Highland Terrier skin condition, we put her on a veterinarian Hypoallergenic dog food, which helped to regulate her eating habits whilst also addressing her skin condition. We found that each meal time, we had to entice her to eat her food by adding a few nibbles of either meat or raw vegetables, and you would never dare to add the same thing for more than one meal in a row - how dare you!

Anyway, we take Poppy to a special Westie groomer half an hour away from her home - we figure it is worth the extra travel for a groomer that treats the dogs well and doesn't stress them out. This particular groomer also grooms show Westie's, so we have full confidence that he knows what he is doing when it comes to the haircare of Poppy. On our last visit, he introduced us to a New Zealand brand of dog food he was importing that is so good, I just had to tell you all about it!

It is called Ziwi Peak, and it is the perfect gluten free, dairy free and sugar free food FOR YOUR DOG! We buy the air-dried dog food which comes in three flavours: lamb, venison and venison + fish. As I mentioned before, Poppy has always been a picky eater, but since feeding her Ziwi Peak, she has become a real foodie! As soon as she hears the jar which we store her food in being opened, she comes racing in. We no longer have to add anything to her dog food to entice her to eat, just give her the Ziwi Peak and she is a happy Westie.

The only way I was able to take this picture of Poppy looking up at me was to dangle some Ziwi Peak in front of her, hehe

So what is so special about Ziwi Peak?

1. 1=3...Gently air dried to lock in great nutrition. Their unique, gentle air-drying process preserves the goodness of raw meat, organs and fish. 1 portion of air-dried ZiwiPeak = 3 of raw meat.
2. No preservatives, fillers or carbohydrates from grains. Only natural ingredients go into ZiwiPeak. It's totally free of any nasties, added sugars, salt, glycerines, antibiotics, hormones or preservatives.
3. Over 90% meat content. With over 95% digestibility rating, ZiwiPeak ensures your pet gets almost all the nutritional benefit or raw feeding.
4. 100% of all ingredients from New Zealand. From trusted pastures and clean oceans, safely and conveniently, to your pet's food bowl.
5. Wild-prey diet...A completely  balanced, natural, wild-prey, meat diet.  Exactly what your pet's digestive system has evolved to thrive on.

Some of my friends have complained that ZiwiPeak is more expensive than other brands of dog kibble. And it is, but it is still affordable at around $150 for a 5kg bag. You also no longer need to add anything else to their food to either entice them to eat or in an effort to give them a more rounded diet; just feed them ZiwiPeak alone - they never get sick of it and it provides them with all the nutrition they need! Plus, can you honestly put a price on your dog's health and well-being?

For more information and stockists, go to http://www.ziwipeak.com

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.

pork + pineapple salad

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. Cook
   2 cups brown basmati rice and leave to cool (best to cook rice earlier in day or night before).
   
   
2. In a large frying pan, saute
   shallot, finely sliced, 
   2 cups red or green cabbage, shredded and
   1/4 pineapple, cut into pieces in
   olive oil until onion is slightly browned.
   
   
3. Add cold rice,
   punnet cherry tomatoes, halved and season with
   gluten free soy sauce and
   cracked black pepper to taste. Toss for 3 minutes and set aside.
   
   
4. Season
   pork fillet with
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper and cook in frying pan.
   
   
5. Slice pork and serve on bed of fried rice.

beef hotpot

Serves 10

Poppy cooks...

1. Chop
   800g eggplant into 2cm cubes then heat
   olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, cooking eggplant in batches so not to crowd the pot until light browned and transfer to a plate.
   
   
   
2. Repeat process with
   1kg diced beef in batches to brown and set aside.
   
   
   
3. Add
   2 onions, diced to pan and cook in olive oil until golden.
   
   
   
4. Stir through
   1 tablespoon garlic, minced and cook until soft.
   
   
   
5. Add
   1 tablespoon ground cumin,
   2 teaspoons ground coriander and
   1 teaspoon ground allspice and cook for 1 minute, or until aromatic.
   
   
   
6. Stir through
   1/4 cup tomato paste for 1 minute, or until well combined.
   
   
   
7. Add back in beef,
   400g tin of diced tomato, 
   500ml chicken broth,
   1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt and
   1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper then reduce heat to low, cover and stir occasionally for 1 hour.
   
   
   
8. Stir in
   800g carrots, chopped and cover for an additional 1 hour or until carrots start to soften.
   
   
   
9. Stir in eggplant and cook until beef, carrot and eggplant is tender. If there is a lot of liquid, remove the lid; otherwise, leave the lid on.
   
   
   
10. Cook
    6 cups rice separately.
    
    
    
11. Stir through
    handful of parsley, chopped before serving on steamed rice.

Notes
This Egyptian spiced dish is a great hearty meal for the winter months. I actually cook this and divide into 3, freezing 2 of the quantities to make the whole batch last for 3 dinners for our family of 5.

pumpkin soup

At Poppy Loves Pear, we are not only about tasty and healthy food, but also easy food. We live in an age where everyone is time poor, so we need to work smart as much as working hard.

I love pumpkin soup, and stumbled across this La Zuppa Roasted Pumpkin soup which has no nasties in it and tastes beautiful. I could make pumpkin soup myself, but this product saves me the time and mess. Simply pour into a saucepan and bring to the boil on the stovetop and it is done!

As the label says, it has no artificial additives, is gluten free and dairy free. The ingredients list is simply: water, 38% pumpkin, potato, onion and salt. It is fast food, but it is healthy and tasty fast food. It is a great pantry staple to draw upon for those stressful days when cooking is the last thing you have the head-space to do.

I find this to be a great lunch time meal when I have no time to cook. It serves 2, and I usually accompany it with 2 slices of toasted gluten-free bread (I will give you my top tips for gluten-free bread in another blog post) and with cracked black pepper and pepitas sprinkled on top.

I buy La Zuppa from Farmer Jacks in Claremont or Subiaco. Here is the La Zuppa website for more information: http://lazuppa.com.au

vegetable + bean soup

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. In a large soup pot, heat
   1 tablespoon coconut oil.
   
   
2. Add
   1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn,
   onion, diced,
   3 garlic cloves, crushed,
   carrot, diced,
   zucchini, diced,
   red capsicum, diced,
   1/4 cup coriander, chopped,
   1/4 cup parsley, chopped,
   1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds,
   1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and
   1/4 teaspoon ground paprika. Saute uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften.
   
   
3. Add
   2.5 cups filtered water and
   2 teaspoons celtic sea salt, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
   
   
4. Stir in
   2 400g tins of red kidney beans, drained and mashed and
   2 400g tins of black beans, rinsed. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occassionally for 10-15 minutes.
   
   
5. Serve with desired garnish such as cracked black pepper, pepitas, coriander and flax seed oil.

Notes

You can also serve with gluten-free bread or coconut yoghurt. The use of cumin is a great source of iron and was used traditionally to help relieve allergy symptoms, reduce heartburn and improve digestion.

lamb quinoa

Serves 3

Method

1. Cook
   2 onions, halved and thinly sliced with
   olive oil in a large frying pan until soft and golden.
   
   
2. Add
   500g lamb mince and cook until well browned.
   
   
3. Stir in
   4 garlic cloves, minced and
   1 tablespoon ground cumin for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
   
   
4. Stir in
   1 cup quinoa,
   red capsicum, finely diced,
   1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce,
   chilli powder, to taste (optional),
   pinch of celtic sea salt and
   2 cups filtered water.
   
   
5. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is almost cooked (add extra water if necessary).
   
   
6. Stir in
   1 cup frozen peas,
   2 tablespoons currants and
   sprig parsley, chopped.
   
   
7. Serve once peas are cooked and all the liquid is absorbed with a
   lemon wedge.

Notes
The fresh lemon juice really makes this dish pop. If you like chilli, feel free to slice extra red chillies and put on top as a garnish, or you can even try it with coconut yoghurt to counter-balance the hot chilli!

This is a great dish that uses pantry and freezer staples, so is great when you have run out of fresh ingredients and don't have time to go to the markets or shops. AND...it's a one-pot-wonder!!!

water purifier

I used to boil tap water, as the thought of a tacky looking plaster water filter that would be expensive to buy replacement filters for didn't appeal to me. It wasn't until I spotted a Southern Cross Pottery water purifier in a magazine that I realised there were some really good options available.

To be honest, what attracted me to the product was the aesthetics of the brightly coloured glazed pottery. When I had a look at their website, I then realised the enormous benefits of investing in a good quality water purifier as a long term investment.

I ended up buying the Ultra Chic water purifier in the Turquoise colour for $269 and absolutely adore it. There is a top chamber within the purifier that you fill up where the replaceable filter is fitted. I love the quaint stainless steel tap of the gravity fed purifier too. We found the perfect block of teak timber to set it on so that it is at a functional height and looks great in our kitchen.

Here are some facts and benefits of the Southern Cross Pottery water purifiers:

• They are gravity fed so don't require any special plumbing or electricity like modern fridge filters
• The filtered water substantially reduces risks of ill health
• Unlike distilled water and reverse osmosis, purified water using a carbon filter retains natural energy vibrations with healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium being retained
• Also acts as a water storage container. My model holds 10 litres (7 litres in the storage container and 3 litres in the purifier compartment)
• Water is filtered through a replaceable ceramic filter at a cost of less than 3 cents per litre
• Our bodies are at least 75% water. Adults should drink a minimum of 8 glasses of pure water a day to prevent hydration. Water is essential for our bodies to function properly as it facilitates nutrient absorption and removal of wastes
• Anything other than hydrogen and oxygen should be considered as a pollutant in our water and many of these pollutants are now positively linked to acute, chronic and terminal illnesses.
• Tap water can contain variable levels of contaminants such as chlorine, cryptosporidium, bacteria and giardia
• The purifiers are supplied with a Royal Doulton carbon activated ceramic filter which are extremely efficient at removing impurities such as bacteria, chlorine, amoeba, suspended solids, organic pesticides, heavy metals and cysts
• Laboratory test results show that this system will remove up to:
• Cyst reduction (Cryptosporidium & Giardia) > 99.999%
• Removes algae, rust, sediment & suspended solids > 99.99%
• Reduces harmful bacteria (E coli, cholera, shigella, salmonella, klebsiella) > 99.99%
• Turbidity reduction > 97%
• Removes guinea worm 100%
• Chlorine reduction > 95%
• Absolute filtration 0.9 micron > 99.99%
• For particles between 0.5 and 0.8 micron > 99.9%
• Flow rate under gravity = 1 LPH
• The ceramic wall of the filter is impregnated with silver ions to prevent growth of bacteria in the filter itself as it is a natural biocide inhibiting microbiological growth meaning there is no need to sterilise the filter
• Each purifier is hand made on the potter's wheel and individually decorated in a variety of colours
• Unlike terracotta and earthenware systems, stone water will not grow mould, become stained, deteriorate with age or leave a clay taste in your water
• The inside of the purifier is glazed allowing ease of cleaning
• No fumes are given off as with plastics or metals allowing safer long storage
• The insulating properties of stoneware will help keep water naturally cool for drinking

For more information, head to the Southern Cross Pottery website:

http://www.southerncrosspottery.com.au

passionfruit, coconut + chia cake

Serves 8

Wet ingredients

2 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup rice milk

1/4 cup honey

1.5 tablespoons nuttelex

1/3 cup passionfruit pulp

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt

Dry ingredients

1 cups gluten-free self-raising flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup fine desiccated coconut

1/4 cup ground chia seeds

Method

1. Prepare 18cm round cake tin by greasing with coconut oil
2. Preheat oven to 180°C
3. In a food processor or hand-blender, mix wet ingredients until well combined and smooth at medium-high speed
4. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently to combine
6. Spoon mixture into a cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
7. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving

Notes
You can sprinkle extra desiccated coconut or passionfruit pulp for decoration. It also tastes great served with vanilla coconut ice cream. 

The cake pictured above was baked using double the quantities of ingredients to serve 12 larger pieces. I found that the centre of the cake didn't cook as well being a very moist mixture. That is why this cake recipe is also great for making muffins...

Does Poppy want a passionfruit, coconut + chia muffin? Sleepy face with ears pulled back in confusion.

sultanas + pepitas

I may not have mentioned before what I do for work, but my husband and I run our own building design + interior design practice in Perth. As any owner of a small business will tell you, it is hard work. But we love it!

Eating well to maintain our health, productivity, concentration + creativity is key. And knowing easy-to-cook meals and easy snacks makes our aim to eat well a whole lot easier! I tend to eat lots of smaller meals through the day and one of my favourite snacks is a handful of no-fuss sultanas and pepitas. Being allergic to nuts rules out a lot of other options, so pepitas are my nut alternative. The nutty flavour of the pepitas, and sweetness of the sultanas, go perfectly together.

It is important to find a good brand of sultanas that are juicy as they do vary between brands. I prefer sultanas over raisins as they are plumper, sweeter and juicier. The benefits of sultanas are:

1. They are a great source of energy
2. Contain vitamins B1, B2, magnesium and calcium
3. Reduces inflammation and fever
4. Aids recovery from kidney and liver diseases
5. And new research shows raisins are a good source of inulin which is great for colon health

Pepitas are even more exciting:

1. Pepitas contain amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids
2. Contain minerals such as calcium, potassium, niacin and phosphorous
3. High in most of the B vitamins, and vitamins C, D, E and K
4. Rich in beta carotene that can be converted into vitamin A as needed by the body
5. Rich in the eye protective carotenoid, lutein
6. Snacking on one handful of pepitas provides 9 grams of body building protein, along with manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, copper and zinc

Here is an extract from naturalnews.com on some other health benefits of pepitas:

Pepitas are chocked full of monounsaturated oil that has been shown to interrupt the triggering of prostate cell multiplication by DHT, a product of testosterone conversion. The omega-3 fats found in pepitas are also being studied for their potential prostate benefits. The significant amounts of carotenoids in pepitas are of interest to researchers because men with higher amounts of caroteoids in their diets have a lowered risk for prostate enlargement. The high zinc content of pumpkin seeds adds to their prostate protective virtues. 

Another reason for men to eat zinc-rich pepitas is their effect on bone mineral density. Although osteoporosis is usually thought of as a women's disease, it can affect older men, a group that suffers 30 percent of the hip fractures. 

Pumpkin seeds offer powerful anti-inflammatory properties. The addition of pepitas to the diet was shown to work as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in reducing symptoms of inflammation. And they did this without any unwanted side effects or threat to the liver. 

In fact, pepitas have recently been shown to be protective of the liver. In a recent study reported in the December, 2008 journal Food Chemistry and Toxicology, mice fed a mixture of pumpkin seeds and flax seeds showed their lipid parameters decreased significantly compared to controls. Plasma and liver fatty acid composition showed an increase of alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid, monounsaturated acids, and a decrease of stearic fatty acids. Plasma and liver toxins decreased, and the efficiency of their antioxidant defense systems was improved. 

Phytosterols are compounds found in plants with chemical structures similar to cholesterol. When the diet contains high levels of phytosterols, blood levels of cholesterol are reduced. Phytosterols also enhance the immune system response, and can help reduce the risk of developing certain cancers. They are present in high amounts in seeds and nuts. Pistachio nuts and sunflower seeds are the richest in phytosterols, with pepitas coming in third of all the nuts and seeds usually eaten. 

The oil in pepitas has an excellent ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids. This ratio is important for cellular function and oxygenation. It is also why pepitas make hair glossy, skin clear, and energy levels high.

In a nutshell, they are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!