Gluten Free Savoury Herb Pikelets

Do your kids come home from school famished? My oldest does and my youngest, well she is just always eating so I am always making snacks for them that also double for something nice for the lunchbox.
I made them these savoury herb pikelets yesterday and they ate the whole batch they loved them so much and none even got close to a lunch box, oh well, at least I know they love them. Looks like I'll be whipping up another batch!

Savoury Herb Pikelets

Ingredients

• 125 g butter
• 2 free range eggs
• 1/2 large raw sweet potato, finely grated
• 1 cup buckwheat flour ( can be found in health food shops, whole food stores and coles)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (gluten free)
• 1/2 cup finely grated cheese
• 1/4 cup natural yoghurt
• 1/2 cup milk of choice (almond, soy, dairy) 
• 1/2 cup mixed chopped parsley and coriander (fresh)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• dash or to taste himalayan pink salt
• 2 teaspoon chili (my kids did not notice it all but you could leave out, reduce or increase to taste)
• 1 heaped tablespoon SuperFood For Kids Vital Veg Powder (optional - this is a gorgeous added extra to boost their immune systems, can leave out, see notes)

Method

• Soften the butter in a large bowl with a wooden spoon
• Add in the eggs mix together
• Stir in the paprika, salt, fresh herbs, cheese, yoghurt, sweet potato and vital veg powder
• Mix the baking powder with the buckwheat flour and then add into the bowl.
• Stir in the milk, if it looks to dry or is too thick add more milk or some water
• Heat a little oil in  a frying pan on a medium high heat.
• Drop small amounts of the mixture into the warm pan as you would normal pikelets.
• When you start to see a few bubbles form around the edges or a little browning carefully flip them over. Note: I find these a little gooey at the flipping stage as compared to normal flour so it just takes a little more care to flip, don't worry if they are not perfect they will turn out lovely!
• Remove from pan once lightly browned on both sides and cooked through the middle.
• Enjoy.

Notes

• My kids absolutely loved these COLD. In fact it was their preferred way to eat them.
• I have not tried a dairy free version of these but you could definitely experiment, why not let me know if you do and it works!
• If your not gluten intolerant you can of course make these with normal self raising flour (just leave out the baking powder)
• The vital veg powder is a gorgeous organic, raw, vegan, allergy friendly superfood powder for kids. If you have fussy eaters, colds going around the school or day care or just want to give your kids a boost this powder is gorgeous. Even if your kids eat really well I think it is an exciting thing that we can give their immune systems and bodies. It really helps super charge their health and I love adding some of these beautiful powders in our cooking.
  I am not normally one for adding powders and things, especially with kids. My two eat lots of fruits and vegetables but this range I really love.
  The creator of these products, also a mum has made a truly wonderful brand with honest ingredient labeling that you can read and say "love this".
  You can of course leave this out of the recipe if you wish.

Toddler Tips

• My toddler just loves these, I made her toddler hand sized ones and gave them to her with hard boiled egg, cut up capsicum, carrot, snow peas and cherry tomatoes and she was delighted. The cheesey, savoury flavour was a hit.
  
  
  (c)rebeccamugridge2014

Marigold Biscuits - Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Easy and Delicious

Marigold Biscuits

As a child my mother use to make calendula biscuits and there was something so enchanting about them, like they had come straight out of my favourite book, The Lord of The Rings.

As a horticulturalist I love combining gardening with cooking and these biscuits are so incredibly easy to make and marigolds are such a delight to grow, so I just love these biscuits. We always have marigolds on hand, of all different kinds, I just love their vibrant beauty and they are an important inclusion in our organic plantings for their ability to repel nematodes in the soil and many other garden pests.
Companion planting partners include eggplant, strawberry, leafy greens, tomatoes, potato, pumpkin, squash, chili's, capsicums but not too close to legume crops.
Marigolds grow easily with a nice compost rich soil, good drainage, plenty of sunshine and some regular liquid fertilizer like seasol. They grow very easy from seed and most nurseries have seedlings in punnets.

Ingredients

• 125 g butter
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar if you have sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 & 3/4 cup cup almond meal
• marigold petals, removed from flower, trim ends if needed, washed and let dry (about 4 flower heads)

Method

• Preheat oven to 160ç
• In a bowl combine the butter and sugar together, add in vanilla
• Mix in the almond meal and about half the marigold petals
• Roll the mixture into small balls - note - it should be fairly dry not too moist or the biscuits wil spread when you bake them, if it feels to moist add a little more almond meal
• Place the balls on a tray lined with baking paper, press each one down slightly and then press a few petals on top for a decorative look
• Bake the biscuits gently, they do not take that long so stay close by.
• Once they are gently browned on top and have a golden hue, around 12 minutes in my own take them out and let them cool on the tray or on a wire rack
• Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Bek XX

Eat beautiful - Live Well.
Recipe and photography (c) Rebecca Mugridge 2014

The Edible Garden Adventure Begins at Woolworths with Jamie Oliver's Garden Collectibles

As a passionate horticulturalist, real food cooking presenter and mum I was thrilled when I was contacted about the new Woolworths Jamie's Garden Collectibles.
Already a long time fan of the inspirational Jamie Oliver I was just so delighted about these new collectibles and stickers from Woolworths inspiring kids with the incredible world of food. Growing food, cooking food and seeing food as the amazing and beautiful part of our lives that it can be.

"The Jamie's Garden Collectibles range includes 128 stickers featuring fresh produce and garden animals with special effects such as 3d, thermal ink and scratch and sniff technology.
Children can keep track of their stickers in a special scrapbook-style album with interesting facts, puzzles and kid friendly recipes that teach children about healthy nutrition, fresh ingredients and the origin of food.

There are also eight of Jamie's super power fruit and vegetables plush toys to collect as well as gardening tools and a nifty tin to keep stickers safe.
What did my kids think of it all?
Well lets just say that there was serious sibling rivalry going on over who got the Super Broccoli Man and who got the sticker album!! Yes, absolute hit with my two, even with their 5 year age difference (and yes, looks like I will be getting a second album and plush toy and more stickers ASAP!)
So I can say these will no doubt be an even bigger hit than the previous  hero's Woolworths cards and how exciting for us parents this time too, not only seeing our kids excited about something and collecting things and interested in things outside electronics but they are excited and its all about real food and growing food!!!

I am so excited about these because I believe, every time a child wants to grow something edible at home, even a single tomato plant, a whole new door to an exciting healthy life begins for that whole family!

And kids just really do love to eat vegetables that they themselves helped to grow, they just do!

"