mushroom + cauliflower penne

Serves 2-3

Poppy cooks...

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
   
   
2. In the meantime, saute
   3 cloves garlic, finely sliced,
   15g thyme in
   1 tablespoon olive oil until golden.
   
   
3. Add
   300g mushrooms, sliced and
   350g cauliflower, riced (i.e. pulsed in a food processor until it turns into fluffy rice), cover with a lid and cook until softened for about 10 minutes.
   
   
4. By this point, the large pot of water should be boiling. Add
   250g brown rice penne and cook according to instructions.
   
   
5. Stir into the mixture
   120g ricotta,
   1 teaspoon celtic sea salt and
   1/2 lemon, juiced.
   
   
6. Drain penne and add to mixture with
   25g parmesan cheese and
   15g flat-leaf parsley, chopped.
   
   
7. Serve with a little extra celtic sea salt, lemon juice, grated parmesan and/or parsley to taste.

shepherd's pie (lamb + sweet potato)

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. Saute
   onion, finely diced in
   olive oil until translucent.
   
   
2. Add
   2 garlic cloves, minced,
   2 bay leaves,
   2 carrots, finely diced and
   4 celery stalks, finely diced; cooking until soft.
   
   
3. Add
   2 tablespoon tomato paste; cooking for 5 minutes.
   
   
4. Add
   600g lamb mince (you can also use turkey mince which is just as delicious and a little less fatty too),
   2 sprigs rosemary and
   8 mushrooms, diced until mince browns.
   
   
5. Sprinkle
   2 tablespoon buckwheat flour and stir through.
   
   
6. Add
   1/2 cup vegetable stock and
   1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce and
   cracked black pepper until sauce thickens.
   
   
7. To make mash, boil
   1kg sweet potatoes, diced in a large pot until soft, drain and mash.
   
   
8. To make crumb, blend
   1/4 cup sunflower seeds,
   1/4 cup pepitas,
   small handful parsley,
   1.5 tablespoons olive oil,
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper.
   
   
9. In individual ramekins or a large dish, serve filling, cover with mash and sprinkle seed crumb on top. Place under a grill for 5-10 minutes or until topping is slightly browned.

chia pudding

Poppy makes...

Serves 2

1. In a large measuring jug combine
   2/3 cup filtered water,
   1/3 cup rice milk,
   2.5 tablespoons white chia seeds,
   1/8 teaspoon vanilla bean powder and
   1 teaspoon maple syrup with a fork.
   
   
2. Leave for 10 minutes, stir again then pour into serving bowls, glasses or containers.
   
   
3. Serve with
   seasonal fruit and/or some
   chocolate buckinis.

Feel free to double or triple this recipe to make more serves if you prefer to make a large batch or simply larger serves. 

raw broccoli salad

Serves 4

This is a variation on a Thermomix classic to make it dairy free. Love this recipe for its speed and healthiness.

Poppy cooks...

1. Place
   250g broccoli, cut into florets,
   100g carrot, cut into pieces,
   95g apple, quartered,
   1/4 red onion,
   100g coconut yoghurt,
   1/2  lemon, juiced,
   pinch of celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper and chop 8 seconds / speed 4.
   
   
2. Scrape down sides of bowl and chop 3 seconds / speed 4.

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.