Vegelicious Muffins and Super Foods for Kids

These muffins have become a houshold favourite and school lunch box must for my two.

Vegeliscious muffins

Ingredients

• 125 grams butter
• 2 free range eggs
• 1/4 cup finely grated cauliflower
• 2 large tablespoons Super foods For Kids Vital Veggie Powder READ about this below!
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked with 1 teaspoon of curry powder
• 1/4 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin 
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
•  1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• cherry tomatoes extra
• peppita and sunflower seeds extra

Method

• Pre heat oven to 180 c.
• Line a muffin tray with muffin cases.
• Combine the butter and eggs together.
• Add in the quinoa, grated cauliflower, mashed pumpkin, grated cheese, vital veggie powder, herbs and salt. Combine well.
• Gently fold in the spelt flour combined with the baking powder.
• Pour muffin mixture into muffin cases.
• \Decorate tops with thinly sliced cherry tomatoes and/or peppita and sunflower seeds.

Notes

• These are so yummy and filling, the smell when they cook is just gorgeous too, something the kids will enjoy coming home too.
• Make them a bit more adult with some freshly chopped chili and even optionally a little feta cheese.
• Perfect with soup.
• Great for picnics.

Toddler Tips

• Use a mini muffin tray to make perfect toddler hand sized muffins.
• These are really tasty and very appealing to toddlers, especially when decorated with a tomato slice on top!

I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is a love and understanding of their own bodies and part of this is knowing how good we feel when we give our bodies, real, nourishing food.

If there is ever going to be one thing that I am happy to spend money on in regards to my kids, even when on a budget it is their health and nutrition.

This Winter I am delighted to share that we have not had any colds in our house! No flu's or runny noses, no tummy bugs. It has been GREAT!!

Do I have a secret tip? You bet I do!

We have combined lots of healthy, yummy food. Lots of home grown and organics, lots of exercise and sunshine with an extra boost of Superfoods for Kidz products.
My kids are not fussy eaters, they love their vegetables and fruit, their meals and snacks, in fact you could say they are both little foodies!! And I do SO love superfoods and anything that gets a big power boost of nutrition, antioxidants and all those great super food power ingredients into them so I was really excited to come across superfoods that were especially for kids!
What an exciting way to really boost your kids health and immunity, especially with all the things they do and places they play...
I was familiar with adult superfoods and I like using them a lot so I was thrilled to discover this range and could also really see how helpful they would be too if you had fussy eaters.

''Superfoods for Kidz are Australia’s first ever all natural, nutrient-dense super food formulations designed for kids’ tastebuds and parents’ peace of mind.
Superfoods for Kidz are combinations of wild harvested Superfoods,organic fruits and vegetables carefully selected by our nutrition team for their intense nutritional properties to support the wellbeing of kids and because they taste YUMMY!. Our products are also 100% organic and were also carefully developed with allergies in mind so they contain no Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn, Nuts or any artificial flavours, colours or additives.


Why do we need Superfoods for Kidz ? because our soils today are over harvested and have little or no nutrients left in the soil. Nutrients are vital to keep our immune system healthy, and our immune system is what fights off disease.


Superfoods for Kidz are a better source of nutrition than multivitamins for a number of reasons:
Superfoods for Kidz are natural, whole FOODS! They provide bioavailable vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Bioavailable means ‘naturally occurring’, so your body can recognize them, break them down, and use them for maximum health benefits. Multivitamins, on the other hand, bear no

resemblance to real food. They have NO enzymes, and they lack a lot of the whole food factors your body looks for when breaking down and utilizing nutrients. Multivitamins are synthetically produced and are often full of wax, binders and emulsifiers; some children’s vitamins even include artificial sweeteners. Superfood for Kidz are digested, absorbed and used by your body more easily than multivitamins because they are 100% NATURAL!"

I have to admit I have tasted a lot of superfoods and powders from health food shops in my life but I was shocked at how yummy these products were, and especially blown away at the fantastic organic and natural ingredient listings on the back of them all, you feel goosebumps of goodness all over as you read them and you are really that delighted to be giving these great products to your kids. 

You feel like, finally, someone really gets it that we want only the best for our kids.

And the kids verdict?

Well let me just say that these products are so moorish I wouldn't expect them to be around for long!
For me their coco biotics bars are, I kid you not, yes, I am going to say it, better than chocolate bars! Yes yes, I know, it is a big call and those that know me well know how much I love (a lot) my chocolate but I can honestly say I was blown away with these bars and I honestly would reach for one of these of a chocolate bar, I truly would they are YUMMY...! And no guilt afterwards...
And they also have a gorgeous, perfect portioned size kids version too, perfect bars for lunch boxes.

They have a fantastic range of products and I will be sharing some recipes with you on the blog and fb featuring the products so stay tuned for them all, they alos currently have a sale on with 15% off so go and have a look!!
You can find all the fabulous products online here>
https://www.nutraorganics.com.au/ and you can also find all their stockists on their website too.

Recipe and photography (c) Rebecca Mugridge

Growing Tomatoes and A Tasty Spelt Tomato Tart

I love tomatoes. I love cooking with them, eating them, and especially growing them. This is a great recipe to really showcase their taste and beauty.

Tasty Spelt Home Grown Tomato Tart

This recipe was featured in Holistic Bliss Magazine

Ingredients
• 1 & ½ cups mixed fresh home grown tomatoes ( I have used heirloom varieties here)
• ½ medium sized leek
• 3 free range egg yolks
• 1 & ½ cups spelt flour
• ¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese, finely grated
• ¼ cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
• 85 g goats cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, stalks removed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, stalks removed
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 125g butter, chilled and cut up into small cubes

Method
• Pre heat oven to approximately 180’c.
• Grease a tin or dish for your tomato tart.
• Wash and then dry the tomatoes.
• Sift flour into a bowl.
• Add in the chilled butter, rub into the flour using your fingers, working your way through the mixture until it looks a little bit like breadcrumbs.
• Add in the rosemary, mix through.
• Add in the egg yolks and the water, kneading it into a smooth looking dough.
• Wrap and chill in the fridge for around 20 minutes.
• Remove from fridge and roll it out between 2 sheets of baking paper to make a reasonably thin large shape.
• Cut to shape to fit your prepared tin, pressing edges into place around the pan.
• Layer the pastry with the leek, followed by the grated cheeses.
• Break up the goat’s cheese and place in segments around the tart.
• Slice all the tomatoes to a similar thickness and arrange on the tart. Trying not to have it too thick in any one place and a nice even coverage, sprinkle the thyme over the top.
• Bake in a medium hot oven for approximately 30 minutes or until pastry is cooked. Pastry should be golden and cooked and tomatoes should be visibly cooked on top.
• Serve with a fresh green salad.

Notes
• This is a great recipe for home grown tomatoes, especially organic, interesting heirloom varieties. If you don’t grow your own you can use bought tomatoes like cherry, roma or other varieties. If you don't have your own tomatoes look out for a packet of heirloom tomatoes when you are shopping.
• Tomatoes are an easy and rewarding crop to grow and one I recommend highly for kids.

Tomatoes

Solanum lycopersicum, Tomatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and they have so much reward, and because of this they are great for getting kids interested in real foods and gardening. Kids love being able to pick tomatoes and eat them fresh straight from the garden, especially cherry tomatoes.

Belonging to the nightshade family and originating from Mexico and eaten widely around the world there are estimated to be more than 7 and 1/2 thousand cultivars and several wild varieties and some of these are truly incredible but for me it is the older, heirloom varieties that interest me the most along with some of the trusty favourites.

My top tomato growing tips:

• Tomatoes love and need lots of SUN. Make sure where you plan to grow them gets lots of lovely full sun.
• Get the soil right. I say this all the time in gardening workshops, one thing you should never scrimp on in gardening is getting your soil the best it can be. This means compost, manure, lots of organic matter, and for tomatoes some lime and a little potash too all prepared into a beautiful, rich soil mix before planting. The more effort and time you spend here in the beginning, the better, healthier and stronger plants you will get. 
• Water right. Try really hard not to be a sposmadic waterer. Get yourself into a routine. Don't give them heaps one day and then forget them for a week only to drown them again. Try and water them well (not drowned) on a regular basis, and water at the roots rather than spraying water on their leaves. 
• Keep them healthy. Strong tomatoes are pretty hardy, but tomatoes are of course susceptible to a few pests and diseases. Prevention is always better than cure. Tomatoes can get a disease from calcium deficiency, hence why it is good to add lime to to soil when you prepare it, before planting, another tip > back in my nursery days the best tomato grower I knew, an elderly Italian man with his prize winning tomatoes gave his epsom salts, how do they work? They give the plants magnesium, when plants are deficient in magnesium it makes it hard for them to absorb other nutrients they need and they can be weak and even get sick. A good rich soil should provide them with this but you could also try just a little, every so often watered in around the roots at a weak ratio.
• Seasol. Seaweed emulsions and fish emulsions are my favourite fertiliser. Seasol can be added to your watering can and poured right over the entire plant, it is one of the safest of all fertilisers, even safe with orchids, and protects and strengthens plants making them better able to cope with stress, frost, drought, winds even salt spray and plants fertilised with it are much less likely to suffer insect attack.
• Companion plant. I plant carrots, basil, mint, parsley, marigolds and chives around my tomatoes.
• If you see just a few insects, don't panic straight away! It is important in an organic garden to encourage natural predators and many of these will be insects too, killing all bugs kills them as well so this means letting a good balance develop in your garden and only treating insects in large numbers or hand removal if possible. If your plants are healthy and strong, well nourished and watered, they are far less likely to be attacked so focus on keeping them healthy, right from the start.
• Support them, remember to stake and trellis where needed.
• As much as you can, try and grow them organically. Avoid the synthetic fertilisers and if you do have to spray try natural remedies. 
• Grow to your climate. Tomatoes are pretty versatile and in a lot of Australia will grow pretty much all year round but if you live in a specific area like a cold climate or really tropical spot - check with your local nursery for varieties that grow really well where you live as some will be more suited than others and you may also need to grow only in a set season or with some added tools.
• Be adventurous. Tomatoes vary from tiny pea sized to giant beefsteak varieties, so don't be frightened to try a few different ones, look out for heirloom, organic and unusual varieties. I would recommend getting seed from seed saver clubs as well as seeing what your local nurseries have to offer.
• Growing in pots. Yes tomatoes can be grown in pots, if needed, some varieties are much better suited than others and go for a nice, really large pot and a really good potting mix with plenty of added compost.
• Get the kids involved, right from the start. Let them help choose seed or seedlings, prepare the soil, I always tell my kids it is like a giant cake mix and you need all the ingredients just right. Let them help water and why not make it an experiment and let them keep a journal, writing down each step and taking measurements at how they are growing right through to their first harvest. They can then look up recipes and you can do some fun cooking together with your own home grown tomatoes!
  Why not check out a gorgeous PLANET ECO kids gardening gift pack!
• Stay interested. One of the biggest thing I have seen is people starting out really well but losing interest after a few weeks and then plants get neglected and neglect usually leads to weak plants which leads to sick plants or insect attack and so on.
  I recommend planting some very pretty annuals along the edges of your garden bed, seems such a little thing, but it truly can help you interested and enjoy being out their more watering etc it makes the whole area inviting and beautiful. I often grow vegetables in amongst flowers, to me vegetables are gorgeous plants well worth showing off and make stunning centre pieces too.

Happy Cooking & Gardening!

Bek XX

recipe, text and photography (c)RebeccaMugridge2013

Olives! Olive tarts, Olive Bread, Olives Direct

Olives

It's funny how your tastes can change.
I remember strongly not liking olives as a child, just as I remember my mother saying, "Just wait until your older, you'll love them."
And you know what? She was so right.
I love olives now. I love them in salads, on a pizza, with cheese and crackers, baked in breads and muffins, so many ways and real olives are that zing of flavour that makes certain recipes burst with flavour in your mouth.


You can almost feel warm Mediterranean sun on your skin as you enjoy their rich flavour.

Olives - Olea Europaea were always one of my favourite plants, long before I liked their fruit.
They are hardy and strikingly beautiful.
Their thin, hard silver grey/green leaves are a beautiful contrast in landscaping.
They make great feature trees, hedges, wind breaks and topiaries as well as being a food source.
A small growing tree that can also be grown in large tubs they originate from the Mediterranean and are also said to be traced back to the Middle East and also Africa.

Throughout history olive branches are said to represent abundance, glory and peace and olives are referenced and symbolic in many cultures.
They even found olive branches in Tutankahmun's tomb.
It is said to be one of the oldest of all cultivated trees and it is a species that can live for thousands of years, while tolerating drought, salt spray, storms and even poor soils.

Olives were popular throughout history for good reason, they taste wonderful but have many health benefits too and olive oil rich diets, such as those from the Mediterranean are said to be amongst the healthiest in the world with places like Crete having the highest rate of olive oil consumption per person and  also having the lowest rate of all heart related diseases.
I was truly fascinated recently to visit a local olive producer, where I live on the Sunshine Coast in Qld, called Olives Direct - The Olive Drop. I first discovered the company when creating a recipe suitable for Christmas time around their dried balsamic olives for the Maleny Supa IGA and their local product local recipe - recipe cards.

As we pulled up the (very steep) driveway you were transported by the sensational smells of just baked olives.
It smelt warm and delicious all at the same time.
We got to see the mouth watering just cooked olives ( and we got to taste some!) as they were being put into the jars and talk to the cook.
We met the lovely owner and heard about the family behind the business, the family history that is so entwined with this gorgeous, real and tasty business and all about the wonderful traditional recipes, techniques and knowledge about olives.

One of the things I love most about eating and supporting local food is discovering the families and the stories behind these entrepreneurs. Hearing where they started and what inspired them to start.

Olives Direct also got behind the Edible Sunshine Coast events and participants got to taste test these gorgeous olives and some lucky people even got to win some!

What impressed me greatly was the ranges they produced.
Not just what you first think of when someone sais olives, they had olives preserved in many different ways and using their traditional names too, not just green,black and blonde.
You see they not only create these beautiful products but they also love to share their knowledge and expertise.

They produce olives but also olive oil, flavour infused olive oils, glazes and more.
As a foodie your imagination runs wild with ideas and recipes.
These gorgeous little olive and goats cheese tartlets are part of the recipe collection for the Maleny Supa IGA's local product local recipe cards which if your on the Sunshine Coast or visit here you can pick up in store. You can all find all the gorgeous Olives Direct products in their gourmet section in store.

Olive and Goats Cheese Miniature Tartlets

With beautiful Olive Drop dried olives in aged balsamic glaze, fresh herbs and goats cheese these Hors d'oeuvres are perfect for entertaining and special occasions like Christmas day, your next dinner party or just a really tasty snack at home.

Makes approximately 12 miniature tartlets 

Ingredients
• 100g The Olive Drop, dried olives in aged balsamic glaze
• 100g Billy goat cheese, cut into cubes
• ¼ cup Kenilworth mild cheddar cheese, grated
• 6 Essensual Tastes semi dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Rawganix free range eggs
• ½ cup Maleny Dairies cream
• 8 fresh basil leaves
• 3 stems of fresh chives
• 1 stalk spring onion, sliced thinly
• 1 cup Maleny IGA plain flour
• 75g chilled butter, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons soy or Maleny Dairies milk
• ¼ teaspoon Karom Himalayan salt
• Black pepper to taste
• Miniature muffin or tart baking tray

Method 
• Using a food processor combine flour, butter and salt, until it looks like breadcrumbs.
• Add in milk and process until it comes together.
• Kneed into a ball.  Wrap in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 180’c.
• Grease miniature muffin or tart tray.
• In a bowl whisk eggs lightly, add in cream and then cheddar cheese. Season with black pepper to taste.
• Cut olive flesh from the dried olives in pieces, removing the pips as you go.
• Roll out pastry onto a floured bench with a lightly floured rolling pin.
• Cut out pastry circles with a biscuit cutter or by tracing around the outside of a small glass. Ensure you make them slightly bigger than the size of the muffin/tart holes.
• Place pastry circles into the greased or lined muffin/tart tray.
• Place a cube of goats cheese and a couple of small pieces of olive in each one
• In the base of each one put a piece of torn basil leaf, sundried tomato, a cube of the goats cheese, a bit of olive and a little spring onion.
• Carefully cover each one with some of the egg mixture, careful not to overfill.
• Top with a piece of dried olive and a small amount of freshly chopped chives. Bake for 15 minutes of or until filling is firm.

Notes
• A very tasty entrée that looks great too
• Can be served hot or cold

Toddler Tips
• These are perfect sized for little hands, making them very appealing to children.
• These dried olives have a delicate subtle taste that kids will like and all the flavours combine together well to make for a tasty snack they will love.

Another of my favourite ways to enjoy some of these gorgeous flavoursome olives is also in freshly baked bread like my
 Olive, Onion and Rosemary Bread 
pictured here.

Made with beautiful rich olive oil, kalmata olives, red onion, thyme and fresh rosemary.

Perfect accompaniment for soups, stews picnics and great cheeses.Want the bread recipe too?
Leave me a comment or let me know on Facebook 

Happy cooking!

Rebecca XX
text, recipe and photography (c)RebeccaMugridge2013
(excludes any linked up material  or comments)

Do you have a great Olive or Olive oil recipe?
Join in the Olive love and link it up here for some communal olive loving Xx

Healthy & Delicious Picnic Food Recipes

There is something so magical about a picnic.

Packing a basket of lovely scrummies and heading into nature.
Basking under the sun's rays.
Breathing in that fresh air.
 Kids laughing.
Relaxing.
 Everybody slowing down for awhile and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature.

It is a joyful escape from our busy schedules, a really great way to have some downtime together as a family and with friends.
To me at the heart of a picnic is also the glorious food.
I love food and I love making food so the idea of picnic is always an exciting opportunity to me to bring some lovely recipes, ingredients and food creations together and share them with loved ones, even better is when we can all bring some food creations we have made to share and bond over our food together.

Here are some of my favourite picnic food ideas X

Spelt TomatoTartAs seen in Holistic Bliss Magazine HERE

Carrot & Zucchini Rolls RECIPE (super easy)

Perfect Kids in the Kitchen recipe

 Healthy Cacao and Maca Bliss Balls RECIPE

 Sundried tomato & marinated feta savoury muffins RECIPE 

Tasty Tempeh chickpea bites RECIPE

No added sugar - choccyliscious muffins RECIPE
All the yummiest of chocolate indulgenec without the refined sugar!

 Pineapple & Sweet Corn Mini Quiches RECIPE (Super Easy)
Great Kids in the Kitchen recipe!

Smoked Trout, Avocado & Pomegranate Salad RECIPE

Mushroom and Brie Cheese Strudel RECIPE

Chocolate zucchini and chia seed cake RECIPE

Spinach, Pesto and Feta Savoury Scrolls with Quinoa and Avocado Oil RECIPE

Moist Carrot and Ginger Cake RECIPE

And by popular request from FACEBOOK
My Mushroom and Quinoa mini pasties

Ingredients

• 200 grams fresh mushrooms
• 3/4 cup Quinoa flakes
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 4 teaspoons garlic (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• Himalayan salt to taste
• 2 sheets puff pastry or your own homemade puff pastry alternative
• 1 free range egg
• 1 free range egg yolk

Method

• Pre heat oven to 180'c.
• Line two baking trays with baking paper.
• De - frost pastry just slightly. 
• In a frying pan saute the leek and garlic together until lightly transparent.
• Add in the turmeric, stir through.
• Add all the mushrooms, stir together over a medium heat until all the mushrooms are lightly collapsed.
• Remove from heat, mix mushrooms mixture with the quinoa flakes and whole egg until all well combined.
• Lay a sheet of puff pastry out on a bench. Cut into 16 small squares.
• Place a small amount of the mixture in the middle of a pastry square.
• Pick up two opposite corners and bring together, then do this with the other two and you should have a little square parcel. Pinch the edges together.
• Continue with all the pastry squares, placing them onto the trays with baking paper.
• Lightly whisk the egg yolk and use a pastry brush to brush the little pasties.
• Bake in the oven until they are golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• Serve.

Notes

• These are really quick and easy, tasty and perfect for picnics and lunch boxes.
• You can really increase the garlic in these to give them a great, rich flavour and cold fighting power!
• You can use normal quinoa, pre cooked and cold if flakes are unavailable.
• Use bigger squares to make bigger pasties.

Toddler Tips

• These are excellent for toddlers due to the great little hand friendly sizing.
• Add some cheese to make them extra tasty.

Happy Picnicking!!

Rebecca xx

Recipes, photography and text by Rebecca Mugridge
(c) RebeccaMugridge 2013

Recipe - Mushroom and Brie Strudel

I love mushrooms, they are one of my favourite ingredients and I love brie cheese so putting them together in a recipe is just deliciousness on a plate for me! I have always been a huge fan of brie cheese, it was a very long nine months both pregnancies with no brie! When I first tasted the Maleny Cheese's brie I fell in love..
They have really created a stunning cheese here, it is creamy and full of texture and flavour.
This is a really easy recipe that will impress dinner guests or is perfect for a picnic or a quick, tasty and special family meal,.

Mushroom Strudel

Using beautiful fresh local mushrooms and the gorgeous Maleny Brie cheese, an absolute winner at any dinner table. Perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients
• 500grams fresh local mushrooms
• 1 x Maleny Cheese Brie cheese
• 1 RawGanix FreeRange Egg
• 2 medium sized leeks
• 4 teaspoons Gourmet Garden garlic
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ cup Quinoa flakes
• 2 sheets shortcrust pastry (or gluten free puff pastry see notes)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Method
• Pre heat oven to 180ç.
• De-frost pastry sheets.
• Chop and sauté leeks, garlic and turmeric together until leeks are wilted.
• Slice and add in mushrooms, stir together well.
• Remove from heat.
• Chop brie cheese into chunks.
• Finely chop the fresh parsley.
• Mix brie and parsley into mushroom and leek mixture.
• Lay one sheet of pastry on a greased or lined baking tray.
• Fold 1 cm of the edges in on itself along all 4 edges.
• Top with the mushroom mixture, leaving a small space along all edges.
• Cover with the second sheet of pastry, you can optionally cut patterns into the top piece.
• Pinch all sides together to seal.
• Whisk the egg in a small bowl and brush folded edges lay one sheet of pastry on a baking tray
• Bake in the oven until pastry is nice and golden.

Notes
• This is a simple yet beautiful dish that is perfect for entertaining or a dinner that feels a bit special.
• The combination of fresh local mushrooms with the delicious local brie is stunning.
• Use The Pastry Pantry Gluten free puff pastry to make gluten free or use your own homemade pastry.

Toddler Tips
• This is such a great dish for kids because pastry is always so popular and the flavours of this one appeal to them.

You can collect this recipe card and all the ingredients including the delicious Maleny Brie Cheese from the Maleny Supa IGA . Created for their Local Product Local Recipe - recipe cards, promoting Sunshine Coast producers and Sunshine Coast food!

Fresh Pineapple & Spelt Upside Down Cake

Pineapples!
I love fresh pineapple. It smells and tastes so wonderful. I am really lucky to live on the beautiful Sunshine Coast where they grow them too. I love taking the kids for a drive and showing them what fields of growing pineapples look like, and even showing them of course the Sunshine Coast's very own icon, the Big Pineapple in Nambour! Here is a cake I created celebrating lovely, fresh, in season pineapples from a commercial project I did for Maleny Iga.

Fresh Pineapple & Spelt Upside Down Cake

Using beautiful fresh, local pineapples in a very decorative upside down cake.  A delicious with a tropical feel.

Ingredients
• 1 fresh ripe pineapple
• 1 cup sour pitted cherries (I used Morello)
• 125 grams butter
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla paste
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 2 free range eggs
• 2/3 cup dark coconut sugar or dark brown sugar
• 1 & 1/2 cups spelt flour
• ¾ cup coconut sugar
• 1 &1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Paper towel

Method
• Pre heat oven to 180’c.
• Grease a deep cake tin really well, especially the base.
• In a saucepan gently melt the 5 tablespoon butter with the dark brown sugar. Stirring constantly. Once it has all melted together, remove from heat.
• Pour the butter/sugar mixture into the prepared cake tin.
• Remove top and bottom and all skin from the fresh pineapple. Either core the pineapple so you can slice it into rings or cut into cubes. Pat dry on paper towel.
• Arrange the pineapple pieces onto the sugar/butter mixture at the base of the cake tin. Fill in the spaces with the Morello sour pitted cherries
• Beat the butter and coconut sugar together well, then beat in the vanilla paste, and the eggs.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into the butter mixture.
• Gradually add the pineapple juice bit by bit, mixing it all together.
• Pour the cake mixture on top of the pineapple and cherries.
• Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden and firm on top to the touch.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit in its pan on a cooling rack for approximately 10 minutes.
• Carefully run a knife along all edges of the pan to loosen the cake.
• Invert the cake onto the serving dish.

Notes
• A beautiful sweet cake that looks very decorative so perfect for entertaining.
• If fresh pineapples are unavailable you could use tinned but fresh gives it a beautiful flavour.

Toddler tips
• The sweetness of pineapple makes this a very popular cake with toddlers and kids of all ages.


Images and recipe (c)RebeccaMugridge 2013

Special Note: I love china, especially blue china and I am *just a bit* in love with Maxwell Williams too (no I am not paid to say that in any way) The china you see here in this picture is called Sprinkle by Maxwell Williams and I got it for Christmas from my mum - awww I know right? Best present ever, shes a wonderful mum) sharing with you as I have been asked at a lot at the taste testing events at the Maleny IGA and from facebook posts and this blog post where I get my china/plates/display dishes and what it is called XX

Cheesey Potato & Carrot Hash Browns

Cheesey Potato & Carrot Hash Browns

Tasty for dinner, lunch and school lunch boxes or makes a great hors d'oeuvre. Delicious hot or cold. Flavoured with local Gourmet Garden Herbs and delicious local Kenilworth Cheddar Cheese and introducing the new Kenilworth Organic Cold Pressed Olive Oil. 

Ingredients

·         1 large sweet potato.

·         1 washed potato, washed.

·         1 large carrot, washed and peeled.

·         2 stalks spring onion.

·         1 teaspoon Gourmet Garden Chives.

·         2 teaspoons Gourmet Garden Garlic.

·         1 cup Kenilworth Cheddar Cheese, grated.

·         3 Sanitarium rashers.

·         1 teaspoon Tumeric.

·         Karom Himalayan pink mineral salt to taste.

·         Pepper to taste.

·         Organic tomato sauce to serve.

·         1 & 1/2 tablespoons  organic cold pressed olive oil ( I use Kenilworth).

Method

·         Heat ½ tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan.

·         Slice thinly and fry the rashers until nicely cooked, set aside.

·         In a bowl grate the potato, sweet potato and carrot, mix together

·         Add in the chives, garlic, turmeric, salt and pepper to taste, cheese and rashers, combine well.

·         Heat 1 tablespoon or so of oil in a frying pan.

·         Take tablespoon size amounts of the mix in your hands and press the mixture together to make a patty shape, squeeze out excess moisture.

·         Fry just a couple at a time on a medium heat, allowing to go golden brown on each side, press down gently as you do.

·         Drain on paper towelling.

·         Turn onto a wire cooling rack.

·         Serve with a bowl of organic tomato sauce.

Notes

·         Great for kids lunch boxes, include a small container of the tomato sauce.

·         Use ham instead of the sanitarium rashers.

·         Swap the dipping tomato sauce for a bowl of sour cream mixed with gourmet garden chives and some fresh chives on top.

·         Great for picnics.

Toddler Tips

·         Make theirs toddler hand sized for ease of use. Serve with a fresh crunchy salad including things fresh beans, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and red capsicum.

This recipe I created for client Maleny Supa IGA and their Local Product Local Recipe - recipe cards. 
Recipe & Food Image Photography ©RebeccaMugridge 2013

RECIPE - Pineapple & Sweet Corn Mini Quiche's

This recipe is an absolute hit with kids! I have yet to see a child not love it. There is never left overs with a tray of these are they are SO easy. A real fail safe recipe you know the kids really are going to eat! They can even easily be made gluten free too!


These are perfect for school lunches, picnic's and entertaining. The flavour combinations of sweet and savoury make them a real hit with kids and adults alike. Freezable. Makes 24.

Ingredients

·         1 cup cheddar cheese, grated.

·         4 free range eggs.

·         ½ cup cottage cheese.

·         1 tin Australian sweet corn, drained.

·         1 tin pineapple pieces, in natural juice, drained OR fresh pineapple - local is best!

·         3 sheets butter puff pastry or gluten free puff pastry or homemade pastry.
            1 tablespoon Superfoods for Kidz Vital Veg powder (OPTIONAL) see notes

Method

·         Pre heat oven to 180’c.

·         Lightly grease 2 muffin baking trays.

·         Remove pastry sheets from freezer.

·         Make sure pineapple and sweet corn are really well drained.

·         Crack the eggs into a large bowl, whisk lightly.

·         Add in cheeses, sweet corn, vital veg and pineapple, combine well.

·         Cut pastry sheets into 9 squares.

·         Line each muffin hole with one square. Remove pastry corners (optional).

·         Fill with mixture.

·         Bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes or until nicely golden and pastry is cooked. This will change depending on the size of the quiches you make.

Notes

·         Perfect portion sized for school lunch boxes.
            The Nutra organics SuperFoods for Kidz range is absolutely amazing and products I happily give to my own children all the time. Everything is honestly labelled and organic, raw, vegan and paleo friendly. Even if you have kids that eat well these powders taste great and can be added to all kinds of foods to really boost their immune system and overall health and vitaliy.
Find them HERE

Toddler Tips

·         Use a miniature muffin tray and this makes lots of tiny, toddler hand sized quiches.

This was a recipe created for the Maleny IGA's Local Product Local Recipe - Promoting local Sunshine Coast producers.

Along with my blog, books and cooking events I am available for professional recipe creation and styling and photography work or even just recipe styling and photography of YOUR recipe.
I specialise in healthy cooking, plant based cooking and product promotion and creating recipes around brands and products.
EMAIL ME for a quote!

Recipe and photography (c) RebeccaMugridge2013