waffles

 Poppy cooks...

1. In a large bowl whisk together
   1 cup almond meal,
   1 cup gluten free plain flour,
   1 cup tapioca flour and
   1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder.
   
   
   
2. In a smaller bowl combine
   2 eggs, beaten with a fork,
   1 cup coconut/rice milk,
   2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar,
   1 teaspoon vanilla essence and
   1/2 cup maple syrup.
   
   
   
3. Add just under
   1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and whisk well.
   
   
   
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk well again.
   
   
   
5. Add 1/2 cup of mixture to waffle iron and cook until golden brown (our waffle iron takes 3 minutes and 20 seconds).

Anzac biscuits

1.  In your Thermomix bowl mix
   160g gluten free plain flour,
   80g coconut sugar,
   100g rolled oats,
   70g desiccated coconut, and
   1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt for 10sec/speed 3.
   
   
2. In a small dish mix
   1/2 teaspoon baking soda and
   2 tablespoons boiling water.
   
   
3. Add this and
   130g coconut oil (slightly melted) and
   1 tablespoon honey to the Thermomix bowl and mix 10 sec/speed 3 or until combined.
   
   
4. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
   
   
5. Form mixture into cookies about 5mm thick on a lined baking tray.
   
   
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes then allow to cool on the trays until nice and crisp.

popcorn

Poppy cooks...

1. Heat
   1.5 tablespoons coconut oil in a large pot with a lid on medium heat.
   
   
2. Test whether the oil is hot enough by placing one corn kernel in the oil to see if it pops. If not, wait until it does.
   
   
3. Add
   1/4 cup popping corn and
   1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt, tossing in pot to coat corn kernels in oil and salt.
   
   
4. Periodically shake pot to keep the corn kernels from burning and leave the lid slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape to prevent chewy popcorn.
   
   
5. Once all the corn has popped, turn off the heat and stir through
   1 tablespoon nuttelex until melted.

oat bliss balls

Makes 20

Poppy bakes...

1. Soak
   8 medjool dates in boiling water for 10 minutes.
   
   
2. In a food processor, blend
   90g rolled oats,
   80g desiccated coconut,
   2 tablespoons cacao powder,
   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon until fine.
   
   
3. Add pitted dates,
   2 tablespoons raw honey,
   1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and blend until combined.
   
   
4. Roll into balls and coat with desiccated coconut.

mexican bowl

Serves 4

This dish is so quick and easy, and can all be done using just one pan, so less washing up! Feel free to add jalapeños if you like extra heat, or to omit the chilli powder and cumin like I do when cooking this for my toddler. This is quite a light meal, so great for summer. If you would like to bulk it up, then you can try accompanying it with grilled meat, gluten free flat bread or some sweet potato chips.

Poppy cooks...

1. Heat
   1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large pan and saute
   2 garlic cloves, minced.
   
   
2. Add
   1.25 cups quinoa,
   tin diced tomatoes,
   1.25 cups vegetable stock,
   tin black beans, drained and rinsed,
   1.25 cups frozen peas*,
   1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (optional),
   1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional),
   celtic sea salt and cracker black pepper to taste; bringing to the boil and reducing to a simmer with a lid on until quinoa cooked.
   
   
3. Serve topped with
   avocado,
   lime wedge and
   coriander.
   

* The more traditional option here is corn, but we are currently eliminating corn from our diet for health reasons. Feel free to google the pros and cons of corn.

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.

chocolate + date brownies

Serves 20

Poppy bakes...

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC.
   
   
2. Line slice tray with baking paper.
   
   
3. Break
   160g 70% dark chocolate (I use Loving Earth) into mixing bowl and mill 10seconds / speed 9.
   
   
4. Add
   150g dates (approximately 9-10), pitted and diced into mixing bowl and chop 15 seconds / speed 10. (I find that if I don't dice them, depending on the brand of date, that my thermomix struggles to chop them and ends up heating up the chocolate which makes it very hard to mix together.)
   
   
5. Add
   180g coconut oil and cook 5 minutes / 60ºC / speed 2.
   
   
6. Add
   30g coconut flour,
   4 eggs,
   1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract,
   1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt and mix 20 seconds / speed 8.
   
   
7. Scrape down sides and mix for another 10 seconds / speed 6.
   
   
8. Scrape mixture into slice tray and bake for 15 minutes or until just firm before it burns.
   
   
9. Remove from oven, cool, cut into squares and keep in the fridge.

roast potatoes

Poppy bakes...

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC.
   
   
2. Add
   1.5kg Royal Blue potatoes, peeled, chopped, rinsed to a large saucepan.
   
   
3. Cover with
   filtered water and
   pinch of celtic sea salt; and parboil for 8 minutes.
   
   
4. Drain into a colander to steam dry for 3 minutes.
   
   
5. Shake colander to fluff up potatoes and place on a baking tray.
   
   
6. Drizzle
   coconut oil over and season with 
   celtic sea salt and cracked black pepper, toss to coat and roast for 30 minutes. (You can pause before roasting and pop in fridge until ready to cook).
   
   
7. Using a potato masher, squash each potato.
   
   
8. In a small bowl stir together
   3 tablespoons coconut oil,
   bulb of garlic, smashed,
   splash of red wine vinegar and
   bunch of rosemary and pour over potatoes, putting back in the oven for another 40 minutes.

oat + goji berry pikelets/pancakes

Makes 24 pikelets, 7 medium pancakes for stacking or 2 large pancakes

This is a great breakfast or snack for adults and kids alike that is easily frozen. It reminds me of hot cross buns - yummmmmmm.

Poppy cooks...

1. In a mixing bowl stir together
   1 cup quick cooking rolled oats*,
   1 cup oat milk,
   1 egg and
   1/4 cup maple syrup.
   
   
2. Stir through
   1/2 cup gluten free plain flour,
   2 teaspoons baking powder,
   1 teaspoon cinnamon.
   
   
3. Stir through
   1/2 cup goji berries (or sultans if you prefer).
   
   
4. In a pan, with a little
   coconut oil, pour batter to whatever size pancakes/pikelets you want. I find 1 tablespoon is a good pikelet size and 3 tablespoons is a good pancake size. Flip them over when the first side is cooked and they are firm enough to flip. Remove once second side is cooked. (Note: these pancakes look much darker than "normal" pancakes but they actually taste better when they are darker in my opinion).

Serving suggestion:

Make 2 large adult sized pancakes with this mixture (or 2 large with about 4 pikelets if you are a 2+1 family like we used to be), topped with coconut yoghurt, seasonal fruit, maple syrup or my favourite, I will heat some frozen berries in a pot slightly to defrost and warm them. Now that we are a family of 5, I double this recipe for breakfast and use leftovers in the kids lunchboxes through the week (if we are lucky enough to have any leftovers).

Some other options I have tried and tested is replacing the cinnamon with vanilla protein powder (great for my growing toddler and during pregnancy), or replacing the cinnamon with açai powder to supercharge these healthy pancakes!

Order:

I'm in the throws of figuring out an online store, but you can now buy this pancake mixture ready to cook for $16, pick up from the Perth city area. Leave a comment or send a private message to my Facebook or instagram accounts to order xx

* When I write quick cooking rolled oats, I'm referring to the whole grain oat that is essentially the same as rolled oats but rolled thinner and cut finer so is a more suitable texture for this recipe.

baked apples

Serves 2

Poppy bakes...

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
   
   
2. Combine
   1 tablespoon sultanas,
   1 tablespoon activated buckwheat,
   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
   1.5 teaspoon coconut oil and
   1.5 teaspoon maple syrup.
   
   
3. Core
   2 pink lady apples, set on baking paper, fill with above mixture, wrap paper around apple and twist in a knot at the top.
   
   
4. Bake for 1 hour or until soft.
   
   
5. Serve on their own or with
   coconut ice cream.

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.

spelt + apple rusks

Makes 12

Poppy bakes...

1. Roughly chop
   3 granny smith apples on speed 7.
   
   
2. Add
   30g coconut oil and cook for 20 minutes / Varoma / speed 2.
   
   
3. Puree for 1 minute / speed 9, but slowly turn dial up to 9.
   
   
4. Weigh the apple puree (you will need to scoop it out into a bowl, tare the scales and then return puree to the mixing bowl to weigh) and then add an equal weight of
   spelt flour (usually around 200g), then mix on speed 5 until it forms a single lump in the mixing bowl.
   
   
5. Kneed for 1 minute using dough mode.
   
   
6. Remove dough and roll out into roughly 1cm thickness and cut into desired shapes.
   
   
7. Bake in a 140ºC oven for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

chocolate + avocado mousse cake

Serves 12

Poppy bakes…

1. Line a cake tin with baking paper.
   
   
2. Mix together
   1 cup gluten free self raising flour,
   3 tablespoons cacao powder and
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt.
   
   
3. Beat in
   2 eggs,
   4 tablespoons coconut oil,
   6 tablespoons maple syrup,
   3 tablespoons rice milk and
   teaspoon vanilla extract.
   
   
4. Pour into cake tin and bake at 185ºC for 25 minutes, then allow to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge to chill.
   
   
5. Blend
   2 avocados,
   4 tablespoons cacao powder,
   1.5 tablespoons coconut cream,
   6 tablespoons coconut oil,
   4 tablespoons maple syrup and
   tablespoon vanilla extract.
   
   
6. Pour mousse on top of cold cake and set in the fridge.

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.

gingerbread cookies (paleo version)

Makes 16

Poppy bakes…

1. If you are unable to buy sunflower seed flour, you may want to start by milling sunflower seeds in a thermomix to create the sunflower seed flour required at step 8.
   
   
2. Soak
   5 dates in warm water until soft (a minimum of 30 minutes).
   
   
3. Blend dates until smooth to form a paste.
   
   
4. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, heat up
   1/3 cup manuka honey,
   1.5 tablespoons ground ginger,
   1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon,
   1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg and date paste until the edges begin to bubble slightly.
   
   
5. Remove saucepan from the heat and stir through
   3 tablespoons coconut oil until combined.
   
   
6. Add
   1/2 teaspoon baking soda,
   1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt, and slowly add
   1.75 cups sunflower seed flour.
   
   
7. Allow mixture to cool or place in the fridge.
   
   
8. Roll out dough between two pieces of baking paper to desired thickness, then cut into desired shapes.
   
   
9. Bake in a 180ºC oven for approximately 10 minutes or until they brown.
   
   
10. Allow to cool before eating.

strawberries + cream tart

Serves 12

Poppy bakes…

1. The night before you plan to make this dish, soak
   1.5 cups dates in
   filtered water. If you don't have time to soak the dates, you can steam them for approximately 10 minutes.
   
   
2. At high speed, blend
   1.5 cups desiccated coconut until it forms a paste.
   
   
3. Set aside 1/3 cup of the soaked dates and place the remainder in the blender with the coconut and process until the dates are broken down and combined well with the coconut.
   
   
4. Press mixture into a loose-base tart pan and bake in a 160º oven for 20 minutes. Then set aside and allow to cool.
   
   
5. To make the filling, blend
   1.75 cups coconut milk, remaining 1/3 cup of dates,
   2 tablespoons powdered gelatin,
   1/4 cup arrowroot flour and
   1.5 tablespoons coconut oil then pour on top of crust and place in the fridge while you make the strawberry layer.
   
   
6. For the strawberry layer blend
   2 cups strawberries,
   2 tablespoons coconut oil,
   2 tablespoons powdered gelatin and
   1/4 cup coconut milk then pour on top. You can create a pattern by using a butter knife to drag the strawberry layer through the coconut layer.
   
   
7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving and garnish with any leftover strawberries you may have and a sprinkling of desiccated coconut.  Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge or the freezer.

quinoa + blueberry slice

Serves 12

This yummy and healthy slice has a hidden ingredient...dōTERRA'S lemon essential oil, which is dōTERRA's top-selling essential oil. Lemon has multiple benefits and uses, being a powerful antioxidant that can help ward off free radicals due to its high limonene content. When ingested, it provides cleansing and digestive benefits, can soothe an irritated throat, and supports healthy respiratory function. Extracted from the lemon rind, a single bottle of dōTERRA lemon essential oil is equal to 45 lemons; with the lemons used in dōTERRA's product sourced in Italy. You can purchase the oil from my online dōTERRA shop at http://www.mydoterra.com/kerryjacobs/

Poppy bakes…

1. Preheat oven to 180º and line a slice tin with baking paper.
   
   
2. In a mixing bowl combine
   2 cups quinoa flakes,
   1/2 cup brown rice flour,
   1/2 cup fine desiccated coconut,
   2 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
   1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder and
   1/8 teaspoon celtic sea salt.
   
   
3. In a small saucepan on low heat, melt together
   4 tablespoons coconut oil,
   1/2 cup manuka honey and
   1/3 cup coconut sugar, then add to dry ingredients and combine.
   
   
4. Mix through
   2 free-range eggs and
   2 drops dōTERRA lemon essential oil.
   
   
5. Fold through
   1 cup blueberries, then pour mixture into the slice tin and spread evenly.
   
   
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly golden. Allow to cool and then slice.
   
   
   I like to store mine in the fridge and heat up in the oven for 5 minutes before eating to make the batch of slices last longer than a few days.
   
   
   

gluten-free apple crumble

Serves 8

Poppy bakes…

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
   
   
2. In a mixing bowl place
   6 granny smith apples, cored and diced then squeeze a bit of
   lemon juice over the apples and toss to coat.
   
   
3. Stir through
   2 tablespoons agave syrup then dust with
   2 teaspoons tapioca flour and toss to coat.
   
   
4. Poor the apple mixture into your baking dish or ramekins.
   
   
5. In another mixing bowl combine
   1 cup quinoa flakes,
   3/4 cup gluten-free plain flour,
   1 cup coconut sugar,
   2 teaspoons ground cinnamon,
   1 teaspoon ground ginger and
   1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt and mix together.
   
   
6. Add
   3/4 cup coconut oil and combine.
   
   
7. Spoon crumble mixture over apple mixture and bake using bottom element only for 15 minutes, and then with both top and bottom elements on for another 20 minutes or until the crumble topping is crisp.