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.

mongolian beef

Serves 2

Poppy cooks…

1. Cook
   1 cup jasmine rice in a rice cooker with
   bunch of asian greens in the steamer tray on top.
   
   
2. In a frying pan saute
   4 cloves garlic, minced,
   3/4 teaspoon dried ginger and
   1/8 teaspoon dried chilli flakes.
   
   
3. Add
   3 tablespoons coconut aminos,
   1 teaspoon chicken stock paste (or 3 tablespoons chicken stock) and
   1.5 tablespoons manuka honey stirring frequently until the honey dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly.
   
   
4. Add
   500g stir fry beef and toss until cooked.
   
   
5. Stir through
   3 spring onions, sliced diagonally and serve on steamed rice with steamed greens to the side.

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.

give a dog a bone

Poppy eats…

Poppy has always had a love-hate relationship with food. After seeing a holistic vet, we have learned that her appetite is closely linked with her emotional state and past experiences relating to food.

In a nutshell, she has a history of being a fussy eater but we are so glad to have found an alternative and holistic vet practitioner who has been able to help her. 

Following our previous post on ZiwiPeak food, I thought we would this time talk about Poppy's relationship with dog bones and her teeth.

Poppy has never liked Dentastix or other types of dental bones. Because of this, last year we spent close to $600 on a good scale + clean at her old vet (for many reasons we have decided to stop seeing this vet, which I will talk more about another time).

We were then recommended to try sun dried kangaroo bones and have never looked back! We think that because they are sun dried, they have bits of jerky effectively left on the bone, that Poppy finds a lot tastier. They are a good size for her too, as lamb shanks were too big and anything smaller ran the risk of splintering. Compared to products like Dentastix, there are no grains, fillers or preservatives either.

So, if you have a fussy dog, we highly recommend these "Triple side brush teeth cleaners" of organic, and raw, human grade kangaroo!

Poppy now has sparkling teeth and loves her weekly chomp on some kangaroo - how aussie for the dog from Belfast.

mápó dòufu

Serves 4

Poppy cooks…

1. Cook
   2 cups brown basmati rice.
   
   
2. Before putting on the heat, in a wok combine
   1 egg, lightly beaten,
   1 tablespoon cornflour,
   1/2 teaspoon ground five spice,
   1 tablespoon spring onion, finely chopped,
   1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar,
   1/4 teaspoon olive oil and
   1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt.
   
   
3. Add in
   500g free range pork mince, mixing to coat pork in marinade; then cook pork mixture on a high heat.
   
   
4. Add
   red capsicum, finely diced,
   handful green beans, finely chopped,
   1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes,
   1 tablespoon garlic, minced,
   1 tablespoon ginger, minced,
   2.5 teaspoons coconut sugar and combine.
   
   
5. Add
   1 cup chicken stock,
   2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce and
   2 tablespoons coconut amino sauce, reducing the heat if it starts to spit.
   
   
6. In a small dish, dissolve
   2 teaspoons cornflour in
   2 teaspoons filtered water and add to the pot and stir through.
   
   
7. Add
   4 spring onions, finely sliced, and
   2 packets of firm tofu, cubed until most (but not all) of the liquid is absorbed.
   
   
8. Serve on cooked rice with extra
   spring onions, sliced on top.

beetroot + apple salad

Serves 2

Poppy cooks…

1. In a bowl combine
   250g beetroot, cooked, peeled and diced,
   granny smith apple, cored and diced,
   1/2 bunch chives, chopped and
   4 tablespoons mayonnaise (such as Norganic).
   
   
2. Garnish with additional chopped chives.

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.