Mango Loaf

So while this amazing smelling loaf bakes away in the oven, (yes, I bake on 37 degree days! Hello, aircon!) I decided I would share the little back story that led to this tasty little loaf! 

First, do you know what I love most about January? Mango season. The juicy little morsels are by far one of my favourite fruits, and I can never resist stocking up when I see them at a good price! Unfortunately, this isn't as common down here in Victoria. Not like the sunshine coast, where amazing ripe mangoes can be purchased just about everywhere, at prices that have the potential to turn anyone into a person who lives solely on mangoes!
Ahh, Sunshine Coast. Take me back!!! Your glorious beaches, weather, and cheap fruit are the things dreams are made of!

Anyway, basically the only way to get cheap mangoes down here is when they're all borderline overripe. Which is fine if you want to gorge on mangoes that day, but sucks when you already have a few in the fridge ready to eat!! 

I had this genius idea to combine my need to use the overripe mangoes with my need to prep snacks for Spawn to take to school! This of course, led to serious googling and a trip down the rabbit hole......but after a few hours, I resurfaced with ideas! Mango loaf! YES.
However, the recipes I found contained ingredients I don't own (all that sugar?! No thank you!), so I found the tastiest looking recipe and tweaked it until it could be consumed by my naturally hyperactive child without inducing a sugar rush! Said original recipe can be found here. 

Fresh out of the oven... Mmm, delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups (150g) plain flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup (190ml) coconut oil
3-4 mangoes; 2 pureed, 1-2 chopped (small)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup (30g) sultanas or raisins (optional)

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees, then grease and line a loaf tin. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, beat eggs and oil together then add to flour mixture along with the mango puree and lemon juice. Add chopped mangoes and raisins(if using). Pour into loaf tin and cook for about 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

I am also making a mango butter to go with this loaf, that I will put on each slice before freezing, to make it easier when putting in Spawn's lunchbox. 

Enjoy!

- L. x

I would chop two mangoes to add next time! It's yummy, but needs more mango for me!

Holy God in Heaven. [Churro Popcorn]

Get in my mouth.

I did a thing. I was googling random snack ideas yesterday and ended up on the topic of popcorn. Spawn LOVES popcorn. I'd almost say his obsession is borderline unhealthy, but he's not quite that bad, and he does enjoy it straight out of the popcorn popper thing.
Maker.
Popcorn maker.

Wait, where was I?

Right, popcorn. School snacks.
Anyway, Americans are crazy and do the weirdest things to the simplest of foods. Some are too bizarre for my lowly Australian self to comprehend, whilst others leave me with an, 'OMIGODINEEDTHATINMYMOUTHBEFOREIDIE!' face. I love that face.

Who loves churros? Who loves popcorn? Who loves cinnamony goodness? Who loves the idea of combining this into one orgasmic snack?!
Thought so. Me too, my friend. Me too.

So here we go. Churro popcorn!
This will be a little more complex for us Aussies as opposed to the lucky Americans, as we have to make our own cinnamon chips. But it's okay; they keep for ages and you'll inevitably use them in everything anyway.
Muahahahaha.

Cinnamon Chips!
INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup sugar
3 tbspn ground cinnamon
2 tbspn vegetable shortening (could possibly use copha; not sure??)
2 tbspn light corn syrup
1/4 tspn vanilla extract - optional

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 95c. Line baking trap with baking paper and spray liberally with oil.
In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients until they have come together and are crumbly.
Spread onto baking paper using a spatula, shaping into a rough rectangular shape, about 5 mm thick.
Put in oven for 35 minutes, or until it is bubbly. You do not want it to crisp in the oven, it will do so when it cools.
Allow to cool completely and then chop into small square chips.
Store in an airtight container.

Well, there's one part done. Now for the fun part! POPCORRRRN!

Churro Popcorn.
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup cinnamon chips, melted
2 tbspn caster sugar
2 tbspn sugar
1 tspn cinnamon

METHOD:
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, sugar, and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, drizzle the melted cinnamon chips over the popcorn. Toss to coat and then immediately sprinkle sugar mixture over popcorn. Toss again to coat.
Allow the popcorn cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container.

I got this recipe from here.
http://www.melissas-cuisine.com/2012/04/churro-popcorn.html?m=1

Enjoy, fellow crazies! I know I have.

- L. x

Pizza Scrolls

This is without a doubt, one of my favourite recipes! There are so many ways to mix it up, and they're the perfect size to fit in Spawn's Yumbox! They're the thing I always make for play dates, or during lunch prep (like today!) as they freeze really well.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups self-raising flour
90g butter, (room temp) cut into small cubes
pinch of salt
1/2 tspn lemon myrtle (optional - I use it with certain topping combinations to spice up the dough)
2/3 cup milk
plain flour, for dusting
Pizza sauce (or tomato paste/chutney/whatever you like - think of it as a pizza base, which it is!)
Grated cheese - I use pizza blend, as it melts really well.
**the following is a base recipe: alternate as desired! I occasionally make them vegetarian by using sliced roast vegetables, etc)
150gm (approx) smoked ham, chopped
Small tin pineapple pieces, drained
You can also add mushrooms, salami, bacon, etc. I did today's batch super simple, as I forgot to buy a bunch of stuff at the supermarket yesterday. Grrr.

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 210° and line baking trays with baking paper.
Sieve flour into bowl and then add salt and butter. Rub until the butter is combined with the flour - vaguely resembles breadcrumbs.
Add milk and use a round-bladed knife to 'cut' the milk into the mix, until just combined.
Flour surface and rolling pin, then tip dough onto bench (this is where I add myrtle/other herbs to bread), and knead until combined.
Roll dough until it's as thin as you can get it, without it falling apart. Length will vary, but you should aim to have it approximately 20cm wide - too much wider and they start getting a bit fat to fit into bento compartments, and get too big to be 'bite size'.
Spread sauce onto dough, then thinly sprinkle meat (or alternative) onto dough, followed by a sprinkle of cheese (don't use too much or the cheese goes everywhere - I speak from experience, during a cheesymite attempt, LOL!), and then pineapple, if using. Do not place toppings too close to top/bottom edges, as it all shifts during the rolling process.
Roll lengthwise, carefully and tightly, then if needed, brush a little milk to seal the edge. Then, cut into bite-sizes scrolls (I do mine about an inch thick) and place cut-side up on the tray. You need to leave enough space between the scrolls for them to expand, but I find that leaving too much space between causes them to dry out a little. Find that middle ground.... I think it's about 1cm apart. I'm not much of a measurer - always do things by sight!
Then put in oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden and yummy. If you're a scentsy* lover like me, feel free to turn them off during the baking process, so you can enjoy the heavenly aroma. :)

Peace out.

- L. x

Make sure you watch them towards the end, they go from done to DONE really quickly if you get distracted! 

*scentsy link directs to a consultant friend of mine - she's lovely. :)
**This recipe was originally found on Taste, however I have changed it a fair bit to suit my own tastes.

Lunchbox Inspiration.

Every day, Spawn takes lunches to school that not only meet our needs (no additives, refined sugar, minimal gluten) but also the schools needs (no eggs, fish, kiwi, nuts). Being a single mum, I cannot afford to buy expensive pre-packaged food that meets our requirements - and finding such items is almost impossible anyway - so I make it all myself. Don't get me wrong: sometimes Spawn's lunch consists of nothing more than a carrot, a couple of mushrooms, a piece of fruit, and rice crackers with vegemite.... But most days I'm able to pull some stuff out of the freezer and give him an awesome lunch! It all comes down to how great your time management skills are, and how organised you can be.

I bet you're wondering what, exactly, does Spawn eat every day??? I'm blessed with a child who loves to eat healthy and knows that "too much sugar makes me silly, mummy!" He loves raw vegetables, which makes my life easier, so I just prep a heap of stuff once a week and pack his lunchbox the night before with delicious, healthy, homemade goodies from the freezer (or fridge, depending).

I see so many mothers complaining about being time poor, but it's really not that difficult - I dedicate an hour or two most weekends to meal prep, and then spend five minutes (max) each night packing Spawn's lunch.

Personally, I believe it to be worth it. Not cheating and giving Spawn packaged stuff (or boring sandwiches) means he is happier, calmer and more satisfied, as he loves eating his delicious lunches! Given his behavioural issues, I'm all for anything that helps keep him from having a full-blown meltdown!

So here we go. Below are some yumbox examples, and I've mentioned the things I make myself: some of these recipes can be found on my blog. We also use a 'regular' lunchbox when I'm too lazy to do the dishes, and Spawn enjoys rummaging for the good stuff on those days. ;)

Peace out. 

- L. x

Grilled chicken, anti-LCM..

Chicken Sausage rolls, homemade tzatziki..

Pizza scrolls (gluten free), muesli bar..

Rice paper rolls, dried fruit muesli bar..

Chicken pasta, hummus, banana & fig cookie..

Chicken Parma Balls

I LOVE these! They're so simple and affordable, yet so yummy! This recipe was originally a "4 Ingredients" recipe, however I have tweaked it a little to suit our tastes.

INGREDIENTS:
500g chicken mince (or turkey!)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I use GF crumbs)
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 tbspn (approx) mixed herbs
salt & pepper, to taste
2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup pizza sauce 

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180° and line a tray with baking paper.
Combine the mince, breadcrumbs, spring onion, herbs, salt & pepper, and half the cheese in a bowl. Mix together using your hands, until well combined.
Put the sauce into a small bowl, and the remaining cheese into another bowl.
Roll the mixture into meatballs (I like them to be 'two-bite-size', but do them whatever size - you may need to adjust cooking time accordingly) then dip them into the sauce and place on tray, sauce side up. Repeat until mixture is all rolled, then put in oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, dip in sauce again, but this time dip in the cheese after dipping in the sauce. Bake for a further 5 minutes, or until cheese is golden, "having become one with the sensuously delicious balls"**.

I serve these with anything - salad, vegetables, you name it! They're also great in the kids lunchboxes the next day!

Enjoy!

- L. x

**This description is one the 4 Ingredients author used, but I had to "borrow" it! It's too good! ;)

Sausage Rolls

So, I'm not really a fan of sausage rolls... Something about the texture of sausage meat makes me ill.... It's so.....sausagey. Bleh!

Anyway, I experimented and tweaked recipes to my tastes, whilst still keeping Spawn happy (Spawn LOVES sausage rolls!). These are still a work in progress, but I have the 'meat' aspect perfected! Next stop, pastry. Gluten-free pastry can be a pain in the backside!!!

INGREDIENTS:
500g lean beef mince
300g lean chicken mince
2 eggs
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
1 cup breadcrumbs (I use GF, but regular would work the same)
1 tbspn mixed herbs
1/2 tspn ground nutmeg
Squirt BBQ sauce
Salt & pepper, to taste
3 sheets frozen puff pastry (or your own puff pastry, if you're better than I am - feel free to share your recipe!)
Sesame seeds, to garnish

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 200° and line two large trays with baking paper. 
Add all ingredients, minus 1 egg to a large bowl and mix well, using your hands to ensure the two meats are combined. 
Cut each sheet of pastry in half. Grab enough meat mix to cover approx. 1/3 of the pastry, and roll into a sausage before adjusting to fill the pastry from one end to the other. Crack the remaining egg into a small bowl and gently whisk, then spread a little on the other edge of the pastry, before rolling lengthways. Place sausage roll on tray with join facing down, and repeat until all are done. Brush the tops with egg and then sprinkle with sesame seeds (or cracked pepper) and then put in oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden.
If you plan on cutting the sausage rolls into snack-size, gently mark the tops of the sausage rolls with a knife, but do not cut through until they have cooked and cooled slightly, as this ensures they don't dry out.

Serve with sauce, or on their own.
Can be frozen in airtight container/bag for 6 weeks. 

- L. x

Blackberry & White Chocolate Muffins

So these are the result of inter-species breeding between a muffin and a friand. They're not quite as dense as a friand, but too dense to be a muffin. To summarise; they're awesome! :D

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups plain flour
2 tspn baking powder
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g white chocolate bits
1 cup buttermilk**
1 tspn vanilla extract
100g butter, melted
1 punnet blackberries

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180° and lightly grease a muffin pan.
Sift flour and baking powder into large bowl, then add sugar, choc bits, and stir until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and butter, then add to flour mixture and stir with a metal spoon until combined. (do NOT over-mix!) Then gently mix through blackberries.
Divide the mixture between 12 muffin holes, then using the back of the spoon, gently swirl the top of the muffins to smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool slightly before removing. Best enjoyed warm, or within 24 hours. I made these yesterday and they're already getting a little dry. (Good enough for the 5 year old, though!)

**you can make your own kind of buttermilk by adding a little white vinegar to a cup of milk and letting it stand for 10 minutes.

Banana & Fig muffins

I made these this afternoon to use up some figs I randomly purchased. These muffins are actually pretty good! I shall tweak, because it's what I do (I'm gluten intolerant, so I always make recipes I like friendly for my tummy once I know they're good to start with!).
Anyway, here you go!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tspn baking powder
1 tspn baking soda
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1/2 tspn salt
200g fresh figs, chopped into small pieces (approx)
1 1/2 cups banana, mashed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 tspn vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)

**You could also add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, however I omitted these due to school being nut-free.

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180°, and lightly grease muffin tray.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, then add in figs (and walnuts if using), tossing to coat the figs.
In another bowl, whisk the banana, brown sugar, egg, melted butter and vanilla, then add to dry ingredients and fold until all combined.
Divide batter evenly amongst the twelve muffin spaces, then bake for 20-22 minutes, or until tops are golden and skewer comes out clean.
Cool on rack before storing. Can be frozen for up to four weeks.