In the Kitchen: Pumpkin, Mushroom & Pea Risotto

One of my favourite reasons to look forward to cooler weather is the food. Rich risottos, creamy vegetable soups with crusty bread and lots of hot cups of tea are the perfect winter warmers. Risotto is one of my favourite dishes this time of the year. It is such an easy and versatile dish to make. Once you have the basic recipe you can use whatever ingredients you like! This risotto I have made is hearty and creamy without an excess of calories. Instead of using cream I have mashed pumpkin and stirred it through which has given the dish a lovely creamy body. The hint of nutmeg is a welcomed surprise on the palate too. The risotto recipe is gluten free, and could also be vegan if you left off the parmesan cheese at the end. Not only does it make for a yummy dinner cosied up on the couch under a blanket, it also does well as a left over for lunch the next day! Yum, yumm!

> Click to download the full recipe 

In The Kitchen: Apple, Mint & Rhubarb Pie

Lately when doing my Saturday Farmer's Market shop I have been picking up these gorgeous bunches of rhubarb and fresh mint. Not putting two and two together I would use them separately; the rhubarb on my granola and the mint in salad and smoothies. I got to thinking of what I could make if I used them together and just like that the Apple, Mint & Rhubarb Pie was born! I tried to keep everything as simple and as easy as possible - using pre-made shortcrust pastry is definitely the biggest time saver here. All you really need to do is chop everything up, combine, cover and bake. It really is as easy as pie! 

It tastes just as good, if not better than I had imagined in my head. Serve warm (or cold if you like) with some thick custard and a green tea for the perfect spring after-dinner treat!

> Click here to download the full recipe

In the Kitchen: Smoothie time!

Smoothies are one of the best ways to start the day, especially if they are done right! The aim is to get as much nutritional value into the one tumbler. Days when I have smoothies with my breakfast I have more energy, better concentration and no topsy-turvy cravings. If you have yourself a blender, water and ice then you have all of the foundations for becoming an ace smoothie creator. The best part is that there is no set recipe; you can experiment with all of your favourite fruits and vegetables until you come up with your own favourite signature smoothie! The two I have included above are my go-to's. Just add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (depending on how much ingredients you include) and a handful of ice cubes, then blitz until creamy. Sometimes I use coconut water instead of tap water too.

What are some of your favourite smoothie creations?

In The Kitchen: Basic Brekky Granola

Personally, I like to start my day as healthy as I possible can. This means a good, wholesome and nutritious breakfast that sets the tone for the rest of the working (and eating) day. After eating oat and quinoa porridge for the last two wintery months I thought it was time to add some variety into my breakfast routine. This is a basic granola recipe that I came up with using ingredients I already had in my pantry. I used rice malt syrup which is a fructose free alternative to honey and maple syrup to make this granola. Most people eat their daily sugar intake from a single serving of breakfast so I try to eliminate that first thing in the morning, you never know when you might feel like a sneaky chocolate later in the day! The great thing about this recipe is that it is super easy, nutrient dense and affordable.

This is what you will need:

1 + 1/2 cups of quinoa (I used red but you can use white or black, what ever floats your boat)*

1 + 1/2 cups of oats

1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds*

1/2 cup of flax seeds*

2 tablespoons of chia seeds*

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup of rice malt syrup*

2 tablespoons of macadamia oil

* I find it's much more economical to buy these ingredients by the amounts needed from a health food store rather than from the supermarket in bulk. Rice malt syrup can be found in the health food isle of Coles and Woolworths.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.

Line a tray with baking paper. Spread mixture evenly onto the baking paper. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

The granola should be a light and crunchy with the occasional bits that are all stuck together.  

With this basic recipe you get a healthy, nutritious, sugar-free breakfast that you can personalise with whatever other ingredients you would like to add; whether they be dried apricots, shredded coconut or nuts. I prefer mine the way it is with some stewed rhubarb (or seasonal fruit), yoghurt, a bit of almond milk and honey. 

In the Kitchen: Lemon Cheese Tarts!

Lemon cheese, or lemon butter which ever you prefer to call it, is also another recipe from my Nana’s cookbook. Every time I visit my Nan on her farm my fingers are crossed that she has a couple of jars in the fridge and some tart shells ready to go! The lemon cheese has a fresh zing that dances on your tongue when you take your first bite and then the short crust tart shells come in and balance it all out.

This is what you will need:

2 eggs

pinch of salt

juice of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon of lemon rind

1 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of butter

Beat eggs, salt, juice, rind and sugar until frothy. Add butter and cook over a saucepan of boiling water until thick, stirring with a wooden spoon. This took me up to 15 minutes to get the right texture.

The lemon cheese is ready when it coats the back of the spoon.

To make the tart shells you will need:

1 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon of caster sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon of milk

5 tablespoons of self-raising flour (sifted)

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer. Add egg yolk and milk, then sifted flour. A dough should start to form that will look like the picture above.

With a rolling pin, roll pastry out onto a floured surface. Using a cooke cutter cut out circles and place into a greased mini-muffin tray.

Bake in a 200 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until nice and golden, like above.

Spoon the mixture into the tart shells and enjoy! You can also keep your leftover lemon cheese in a jar in the fridge.

In the Kitchen: Florentines!

Freshly baked florentines take me right back into my Nana's kitchen on her five acre farm at morning tea time. Their fresh-out-of-the-oven scent would mix with the fresh country air and send a sugar rush through your body before you even bite into the crunchy biscuit. Their substantial serving size paired with a nice cuppa is the perfect way to see through morning tea-time and on to lunch. This recipe is uncomplicated and easy as pie. The hardest part is spreading the chocolate over the back of the biscuits and then waiting patiently until they set in the fridge!

This is what you need:

1 and a quarter cup of sultanas

1 and a quarter cup of crushed peanuts

3 cups of cornflakes (lightly crushed)

1 cup of glace cherries

1 tin of condensed milk

125 grams of chocolate (Go for a quality chocolate over a cooking one. You can use either milk, white or dark chocolate recipe; I have used milk.)

Preheat your oven to 180c.

Combine all of the dry ingredients, including the glace cherries, in a large bowl.

Mix through the condensed milk.

Line trays with baking paper and spoon small heaps of mixture onto trays.

Bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes  - make sure you do keep any eye on them though because they can burn quite quickly and no one wants to eat burnt bickies! Allow them to cool once out of the oven.

Meanwhile break up your chocolate and melt it in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water (also known as a ‘double boiler’).

With a butter knife spread the melted chocolate over the base of the cooled biscuits. Place on a tray and refrigerate until set. 

Pop the kettle on, get out your finest morning tea plate set, make a pretty arrangement, sit down, and savour every bite. Enjoy!