Gluten Free Vegetarian Pasta Bake

There is just something about the old classic, the pasta bake...
It instantly reminds me of my mother and dark, rainy nights snuggled in front of a cosy fire when we lived in the country. Happily eating her pasta bakes covered in crochet blankets!
Warm memories.
I love the way food is such an experience that certain foods are linked for us with events and times of our lives. Food really does tell a story and for me the pasta bake was one of my first comfort foods.

Now I make it for my kids too, but with a healthy twist, now we are also not gluten intolerant but I like to do a large amount of our meals and snacks gluten free as I believe it is more kinder on the bowels!!

This dish can be whipped up in not very long at all, it freezes really well and makes fantastic leftovers and school lunches too or a bring a plate dish for the next BBQ!

If you like pasta bake or macaroni cheese you will love this healthy version.

Gluten Free Vegetarian Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 1 box of gluten free pasta, cooked according to packet directions.
  (I also find it helps to add a little dash of oil in the boiling water with gluten free pasta to stop it all sticking together.
• 2 tablespoons gluten free flour
• 500ml almond, soy or dairy milk ( I used almond.)
• half a teaspoon nutmeg ground
• 2 teaspoons paprika (look for a really good quality one - it makes a lot of difference!)
• !/2 cup broccoli, very finely chopped.
• 2 carrots peeled and finely grated.
• 4 stalks celery, finely chopped.
• 3 large tomatoes. 2 chopped one sliced.
• 1 zucchini, peeled and grated.
• 1 cup grated cheese.
• Freshly chopped parsley to taste ( I used about a good handful ).
• Fresh and thinly chopped chives to taste. (I used about 9 stalks).
• 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard (or to taste)
• 1 free range egg.
• 1/4 cup of sundried tomatoes (optional)
• pepper
• himalayan salt - to taste
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped.

• Cook gluten free pasta according to directions, rinse very lightly and then drained and set aside.
• Very, (extra very for fussy eating kids) chop the broccoli
• Grate the carrot and zucchini.
• Place the vegetables into a mixing bowl or even straight into the baking dish.

• Place the butter into a saucepan and melt slowly over a low heat.
• Once melted add in the flour, stir constantly for 1 minute.
• Add small amounts of the milk stirring the whole time until they are combined with the flour mix, keep doing this until all the milk has been used and it is a nice consistency. Use a whisk of needed to make sure it is nice and smooth.

• Season with the nutmeg, paprika and a pinch of himalayan salt and add in the mustard. Taste. 
• Add in the cheese and stir through until melted in. Taste again add more mustard or salt and pepper if needed.
• Let the sauce cool a bit and then whisk in the egg.
• Mix everything together except the sliced tomatoes and a small amount of the chopped mixed herbs.
• Pour into a deep baking dish top with the sliced tomato and some of the fresh herbs.

• Bake at 180' fan forced for 20 minutes or until nice and golden on top.
• Serve on its own as a simple dinner or with a nice fresh salad with a zesty dressing and optional garlic bread for a great tasty meal.

Notes

• This dish is great for leftovers and school lunchboxes.
• Make and freeze ahead for those tired nights.
• Add some chili for more punch.
• Add mushrooms at the last step before cooking.
• For VEGANS, leave out the egg, make the white sauce with olive oil in place of butter and leave out the cheese, add another half cup of milk when making the sauce and instead add savoury yeast flakes for a lovely cheesey flavour.

Toddler/Kids Tips

• Kids love the cheesey flavour. You can make it even stronger my adding a strong flavoured cheese that is suitable or more grated cheese.
• Freeze lunch sized amounts in container for easy lunchboxes and pack on the day with a fresh salad or chopped raw crunchy vegetables.

Live Well. Eat Beautiful. Stay Calm. Be Active.

Bek xx

Delicious Avocado & Coconut Muffins

I still remember the very first time my mother made me avocado muffins. I remember thinking she was mad, until I ate one! The delicious, nutty flavour was so nice and they were not too sweet like muffins can sometimes be.
It is drizzling with rain here where I live on the Sunshine Coast so a batch of these warm from the oven is a just perfect for filling the house with warmth and oh so yummy smells this morning X

Avocado & Coconut Muffins

These healthy, nutty flavoured muffins are packed full of goodness.

·        2 ripe avocado’s

·        ½ cup coconut oil, softened (or use butter)

·        1 free range egg

·        ¼ cup LSA mix

·        ¼ cup hazelnut meal

·        ¼ cup desiccated coconut

·        ¼ cup honey

·        1 teaspoon chia seeds

·        1 cup soy, dairy, almond or rice milk

·        1 & ½ cups organic self raising flour

·        ¼ cup shredded coconut

·        ¼ cup dark coconut sugar

·        muffin cases

Method

·        Pre heat oven to 180`c.

·        Line a muffin tray with muffin cases.

·        Blend avocado, coconut oil and honey together until smooth.

·        Pour into a bowl and add in LSA, chia seeds, hazelnut meal, desiccated coconut, milk and egg, mix together.

·        In a separate small bowl combine the shredded coconut and coconut sugar together

·        Gently mix flour through avocado mixture, being very careful not to over mix it, add a little extra milk if needed.

·        Fill muffin cases approximately ¾ full of muffin mix.

·        Top each muffin with a little of the coconut/sugar mix.

·        Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden on top and springs back lightly to the touch.

Notes

·       * Easily made Dairy Free for allergies/vegan
*Swap coconut oil for organic butter for a richer flavour

·        *You can add almond, walnut or macadamia pieces for a really scrumptious muffin

·        *When losing weight make these into mini muffins using a miniature muffin tray, great to have for afternoon tea

Avocado’s are a great natural source of vitamin c, are high in fibre, wonderful for skin and eye health, are a source of vitamin e and powerful antioxidants, are very beneficial during pregnancy and an important part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Recipe and photography © RebeccaMugrigde2013
This recipe was featured in WHY Fitness magazine
www.authorrebeccamugridge.com

Bek's Beautiful Blueberry, Yoghurt Spelt Muffins with a hint of Coconut!

I love blueberries but I don't even come close to loving them as much as my youngest does. From the moment she took that very first solids mouthful she has been a total foodie and never looked back!
She especially loves raw vegetables and fruit and she just loves blueberries so she is very excited when they are in season and sqqeals when she spots them in the shops in a big display, forget freedo frogs its a punnet of blueberries hands down!
Along with eating them fresh she loves them in salads, in fruit salads, in smoothies and in muffins!

I have always made blueberry muffins and now we make these really tasty spelt flour ones, our favourite flour to use now, balanced with the cream, thick natural yoghurt they have a great texture.

Ingredients

• 1 punnet blueberries
• 100g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup dark coconut sugar (not the refined white one)
• 1 free range egg
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla paste
• 1 cup natural yoghurt ( I use beautiful Maleny Dairies)
• 1/2 cup milk of choice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 & 1/2 cup organic wholemeal spelt flour
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• extra desiccated coconut and coconut sugar

Method

• Preheat oven to 180ç
• Grease or line with cases muffin tray
• Beat butter and coconut sugar together briefly, add vanilla essence
• Add in the yoghurt, mix well.
• Add in the egg and mix through well.
• Stir in the milk.
• Throw in around 3/4 of the blueberries and then very carefully fold through the flour and baking powder. Be very careful  not to over-mix at this stage or you will get tough muffins.
• Pour into prepared tray.
• In a small bowl mix a little coconut sugar with desiccated coconut.
• Top each muffin with the left over blueberries and a sprinkling of the coconut mixture.
• Bake until lightly golden on top and bounces back when touched approx 10-20 minutes depending on oven and size of muffins.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Try the same recipe with blackberries, mulberries, raspberries!
• You can use coconut yoghurt and coconut oil or olive oil for a vegan allergy friendly version if required.
• Use stevia in place of coconut sugar if desired and leave the mixture off the top.

Toddler Tips

• Make them toddler hand sized friendly by using a miniature muffin tray
• These freeze well so are great for school lunches!

(c)rebeccamugridge2014

Living and loving a little ECO

When I was a teenager I was full of such passion and I was sure I was going to be an environmentalist out there changing the world, saving the world.

The older I became the more I despaired at the state of our planet and felt it was all too big a problem.
The forests disappearing at lightening speeds, whole species disappearing off the planet forever, children starving, people living in terror, rubbish islands in the ocean, polluted rivers, climate change, wild, majestic animals being treated like they were worthless, rubbish tips growing beyond imagination.
You can feel so helpless when you look at all that has, and is going wrong, you can feel overwhelmed with sadness and that the problems are just too big...
OR
You can decided that you as one person do matter.
That you can do things in your everyday life that make a difference.
That even a small difference is a positive step.
That even the most budget conscious homes can help the planet.
That there is always hope and the more of us who do care the more we can all do together.

I chose to vote with my $ as much as I can, when I can, for a better future for all.
This is why I am so passionate about shopping local, buying local and supporting your local businesses.
And why I chose to make at least some of my purchases and the gifts I give each year ethical ones.
Your not only helping the planet you are supporting businesses doing the right thing as well.
These are some of my current favourite Eco buys

 My absolute favourite chopping board
Fab Slabs Chopping Boards
These beautiful boards are natural and ethical. They are made from the camphor laurel tree which while beautiful is a pest species here in Qld that does some real damage.
These boards are fantastic, they don't blunt your knives, they don't stain, they are naturally anti bacterial and they are wood. Beautiful, natural material.
I just cannot bare the thought of plastic chopping boards myself, I always picture tiny particles of plastic ending up in all your food - all those grooves from all the chopping! 

Fab Slabs

Re-usable food covers

Now how clever is this Sunshine Coast business too,  4MyEarth

They also come in different sizes and patterns.
They are ECO, washable and re-usable so after your initial outlay they will save you so much money!

4MyEarth ECO sandwich wrappers
These are perfect for the real push for kids to have clean, rubbish-free lunchboxes at school now.
They are easy to use, easy to wash, best of all easy for the kids to open and use and nice and safe.
I have bought a few eco lunch alternatives and would have to say these have impressed me the most.
There is also little bags of various sizes and they have a waterproof smooth inner coating.

 I was so excited to come across the If You Care range.
From gorgeous recycled aluminium foil to FSC certified unbleached greaseproof paper.
Did you know that most baking paper is coated with something called Quilon which contains heavy metals? And they use chlorine in production which often ends up dumped in streams and lakes.

I have baked with this baking paper many times now and just love it.
I even love the earthy look of it. It really makes those healthy baked goodies look so much more at home as they cook compared to the unatural looking bright white!
You can get it and all the If You Care range from Organics on a Budget

 How cool is this notepad!
After filling my last booklet for my newsletters from all the Edible Sunshine Coast events, festivals and shows I have been doing I found this one and fell in love with it right away!
It is by Collected & Co

My absolute favourite gift idea for kids at the moment are these sensational Planet ECO gardening kits for kids! There is vege and flower and they are just so super cute and a really exciting way to get kids into the wonderful world of organic gardening!

 My mum loves a clean house. She always has. I do not have a single childhood memory of even once the house being 'out of sorts'' not even one! Along with a passion for cooking, food and interior design she has always had a passion for being house proud and making her home feel like a magazine, spotlessly clean and yet homely all at the same time - usually with baking smells!
She only recently tried Enjo and fell in love with it, and all inspired, bought my a kitchen set as a gift!
I have to say I had it for a whole week before I even tried it! Yes, yes, I love a beautiful clean, styled house but I do not share her energy levels there! I try. So I carried on with my usual things before getting around to trying it. I loved that it means you use no chemicals at all - not even natural cleaners so no buying products - just water and it is actually cleaner then all the commercial cleaners, so yes, it now has pride of place in my kitchen ( but oh, if only it was in blue and white - sigh- hehe) (the green alas does not go with my kitchen! But it works so awesomely I will make an exception!) You can find out more about Enjo products and how they work and the whole range HERE

And finally I have to say one of the easiest and most practical things we can ALL do is remember those green bags!! Yes, I have been guilty on more than one occasion of forgetting them myself so how thrilled was I to get this free magnet by the very clever IGA supermarket from inside the Real Food Festival show bag!

Are you in love with a living a little eco too? Or want to find some inspiring ideas?
Check out Natural New Age Mum - NZ EcoChick - Healthy Interiors

These are just some of the fantastic products and ideas I have come across, I am always looking for more ways and great products to live a little bit more eco and I always will.

I bring my two girls up with a wonder for the natural world and I take them every weekend into forests, to

waterfalls, the ocean, lakes, rivers, up mountains so they can truly fall in love with the beautiful natural world around them.

As the great legend Steve Irwin said, "If they love it they will want to save it." Such a powerful and positive message.

We grow food together and have organic gardens, compost, we look for organic foods, ethical foods and local foods as much as our budget will allow and we do interesting things together like take a trip occasionally to a recycling plant and even a rubbish tip to remind ourselves that everything that goes into those handy bins we wheel out each fortnight doesn't just magically disappear.

We have visited many times local town water supply lakes and dams to make it more real and also seen the devastation of dry creek beds and parched farmland, to understand more how important and fragile it all can really be...

I love that I have had the opportunity in my life to teach composting and edible gardening workshops, to do eat local inspire taste testing events and when I ran a large Bunnings nursery I ran it organically with no chemical use at all very successfully and encourage the thousands of customers to do the same.
The 300 newsletters I wrote each month for the garden club were packed full of organic gardening inspiration.
I think we often don't realise how much difference we can all make, in our own ways, wherever we live and the chain reactions what we do can have.

We are not perfect in the eco stakes but we are conscious of trying to live more eco as a family, conscious of the environment and always striving to live more eco and I think that is a powerful thing.

Bek XX

Bek's Banana Bread - Gluten Free

Bek’s Banana Bread

Banana bread is such a classic delight and there are so many classic recipes and ways to make it.
This is my moist, gluten free version made using coconut flour, no refined sugar and delicious macadamia meal. It is soft, sweet and nutty deliciousness sweetened with banana.

Ingredients

• 4 very ripe bananas ( yes you can absolutely use those mushy black looking in ones in the fruit bowl!)
• 3 free range eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup dark coconut sugar, powdered or finely grated (see notes)
• 2 cups macadamia meal
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (or almond, soy)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon himalyan salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 8 drops vanilla stevia
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Extra shredded coconut & cranberries to sprinkle top of cake

Method

• Pre heat oven to 180'c
• Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper, I use If You Care baking paper - ethical and safe 
• Mash the bananas, adding in the cinnamon
• Whisk the eggs and mix in with the banana
• Stir in the oil, mix together and then the milk
• Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and pour the banana mixture in mixing together to form a batter
• Pour into the loaf tin
• Top with extra shredded coconut and some cranberries
• Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked through and a skewer comes out clean
• Leave in tin to cool slightly for ease of slicing
• Slice into bread slices or into snack friendly sliced cubes (pictured)
• Serve warm as is or with butter

Notes

• Lovely warm or cold
• Perfect for lunchboxes and afternoon or to use up very ripe bananas
• Coconut sugar - look out for the dark brown coconut sugar at your local health food store, supermarket or Asian grocery store where you can usually buy it in a hard log for under $5 and sometimes already ground.

Toddler Tips

• Banana bread is such a hit with kids and they often especially like it served warm with cold butter on top.
  
  
  Happy Cooking
  
  Bek XX
  
  Recipe and photography (c)Rebeccamgridge2013

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!

Custard Apple Coconut Crumble

Custard Apple Coconut Crumble

Using beautiful, in season, local custard apples in a fresh twist on an old favourite, the apple crumble. Served with the lovely local Maleny Dairies cream.

Ingredients
• 3 large ripe custard apples
• 2 large or 3 medium green apples
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• Water
• 2 cups organic oats
• ½ cup almond meal
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
• ½ cup raw organic virgin coconut oil
• ½ cup spelt flour
• 1 cup organic desiccated coconut
• 1 cup dark coconut sugar
• 1 large apple crumble baking dish (or 2 smaller ones)
• Maleny Dairies cream to serve (or coconut yoghurt for dairy allergies/vegan)

Method
• Preheat oven to 180`c
• Break open custard apples and remove flesh, making sure to remove the seeds, place in a deep saucepan.
• Wash and chop the apples into bite sized pieces, place in saucepan with custard apples.
• Cover with water and place in cinnamon stick and 3 tabelspoons coconut sugar.
• Simmer slowly on a medium low heat until apples have collapsed slightly. Remove from heat, remove cinnamon stick.
• In a bowl combine the oats, flour, sugars, coconut oil , desiccated coconut, chia seeds and cinnamon. Mix together really well.
• Pour the apple mixture into the baking dish.
• Top with the crumble mixture, press down gently to make sure it is evenly and neatly topping all the apple mixture.
• Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the crumble on top has a nice rich, golden colour to it.
• Remove and serve while still warm with fresh Maleny Dairies cream.

Notes
• This is a beautiful dessert the whole family will love. Great for home dinners, entertaining and dinner parties.
• A great recipe for beautiful, seasonal custard apples.
        Swap the dark brown sugar for coconut sugar.
• Make it a real coconut experience by serving with some CoYo coconut yoghurt.

Toddler Tips
• Kids love apple crumble, it is one of those desserts that is popular with nearly everyone, making this a great family friendly recipe.
• Be careful the crumble is not too hot when you serve.
• For an extra treat serve with vanilla ice cream.
This is equally nice the next day so great for in the school lunch box too.

This recipe was created for the Maleny IGA  Local Product Local Recipe Cards, promoting producers from the region.    Recipe & Food Image Photography ©RebeccaMugridge 2013

Moist Carrot and Ginger cake with Orange Icing

My Ginger and Carrot Cake with Orange Icing!

When your having desserts, treats why not have one that has some goodness in it and still tastes amazing! PLUS your house will smell AMAZING when you bake this one! Served with the DELICIOUS Ginger Maleny Gourmet Yoghurt

Ingredients

• 1 cup dark coconut sugar or organic brown sugar
• ¾ cup oil
• 3 free range eggs
• 2 cups organic self raising flour (or spelt flour with added extra baking powder)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 &1/2 cups finely grated carrot
• ¼ cup finely grated freshginger
• 1 & ½ packets of Philadelphia cream cheese (375g), softened
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup icing sugar (or try Natvia stevia icing sugar!! We love this in our house)
• Rind of 1 orange, 1 teaspoon kept separate
• A great yoghurt to serve

Method

• Preheat oven to 180`c.
• Grease and line 2 round cake tins with baking paper.
• In a bowl add the brown sugar and oil, beat together.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beat in.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder.
• Mix in the carrot and ginger, stir well to combine.
• Pour mixture into cake tins.
• Bake until firm, approximately 1 hour.
• Remove cake from oven, leave a few minutes before turning onto wire racks to cool.
• In a bowl place the cream cheese, lemon juice, icing sugar and orange rind.
• Beat together.
• Put one layer of a completely cool cake on the serving dish, spread with a layer of the cream cheese.
• Top with the second cake.
• Cover with remaining cream cheese mixture.
• Sprinkle separate teaspoon of orange rind and decorate with walnuts.
• Serve each slice with a dollop of the Maleny Gourmet Ginger Yogurt.

Notes

• For real ginger lovers you could increase the ginger in this recipe for more bite.
• Powdered ginger can be used but is much stronger in flavour so you would only use a fraction of the amount.

Toddler Tips

• Serve a small piece with some vanilla ice-cream or yogurt.
• If ginger is not popular remove a small amount of cake mixture after the carrots but before the ginger and make them their own miniature ginger free version or with just a slight hint of ginger.

This recipe is from my professional portfolio and was a featured recipe in the Maleny Supa IGA local product local recipe - recipe card series I created for them, with over 52 recipes featuring local products.

Recipe & Food Image Photography ©RebeccaMugridge2012

How DO you get children to eat spinach?

What is the best way to get children eating spinach and benefitial greens like silverbeet?

Make it fun-make it exciting-make it tasty!

How do we do this?

By getting children involved with real, fresh ingredients. Getting them out into the garden and enjoying the stimulating experience of growing ingredients themselves and bringing this experience together with a great tasty recipe and the experience cooking of a meal with your children.

This is one just such perfect recipe that brings the home garden, cooking with children and healthy eating for your kids all together.
It is one my family loves to make and I loved to create!

Enjoy!!

My Garden Quiche

This is a gorgeous and lovely smelling dish that is so easy to make and has the added delight of many of the ingredients being really easy and cheap to grow yourself, making it another great recipe to get children involved with as they can help ‘gather the ingredients’ with you making the dish something they will be excited to eat!

Ingredients:
• Approximately 5 good sized fresh Silverbeet leaves
• A small handful of baby English spinach leaves ( around 6-8)
• 2 stalks spring onions, chopped
• Approximately 10 good stalks fresh chives
• A sprig fresh thyme
• A sprig fresh Rosemary
• 2 stalks fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 large zucchini, finely grated preferably skin on
• 1 medium sized washed potato, finely grated
• 2 cups grated low fat cheese divided into two lots-1 x ½ cups and 1 x ½ cup
• 1 tablespoon low fat sour cream
• 2 sheets reduced fat puff pastry
• 3 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 3 free range eggs, whisked
• Paprika
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Dried mixed herbs
• 1 teaspoon milk


Method:• Preheat oven to approximately 200` ( not fan forced )
• Grease a round baking dish, at least 4 cm deep and
• Remove pastry sheets from freezer and allow to slowly thaw
• Wash and then pat dry with a clean tea towel or paper towel the sliver beet and spinach leaves, then finely chop until they resemble green confetti
• Place this into a large mixing bowl
• Add into silverbeet the 1& ½ cups grated cheese, zucchini, potato, egg, parsley, spring onion and sour cream and mix together
• Finely chop the fresh chives into the mix with scissors, adding also the leaves of the rosemary and thyme sprigs removed from the stalks.
• Season mixture with sea salt, pepper and paprika and mix well.
• Arrange the pastry sheets into the greased baking dish in two diamond shapes cutting off the overlapping pastry and then attaching this to the least covered edges to ensure a good coverage of the entire base and sides.
• Pour mixture onto pastry base and spread out evenly, top with the remaining cheese
• Arrange in a circular pattern the finely sliced tomato on top
• Sprinkle with a small amount of paprika, teaspoon of dried mixed herbs and some pepper.
• Lightly paint any bits of pastry sticking out with the milk
• Bake in a medium oven until pastry is well cooked and the quiche mix has set.
• Serve hot with fresh ripe tomatoes and a dressed garden salad. or a selection of crunchy and colourful fingers of veggies for the kids like yellow capsicum, carrot and snow peas.

Kids in the kitchen notes:
• This is an excellent recipe to get kids enjoying eating spinach and silverbeet!
Kids of all ages from the very young will enjoy growing their own silverbeet and it is one the easiest and quickest veggies to grow-they require next to no space, grow really easily in pots and gardens and are even very forgiving of general forgetfulness and irregular watering or an insect attack!
• If the kids grow it and harvest it and help cook-they will definitely want to eat it!From the silverbeet to the chives and rosemary this is an excellent recipe that you can go out into the garden together to collect the ingredients and even better if you are fortunate enough to have your own free range chickens for eggs too. Limited in space? Many of these things will grow easily on a sunny balcony or could be a great little project for a local kindergarten, school, church or community garden.

• Kids Jobs in the recipe!
Other than the harvesting ( or sourcing from a local farmers market ) this recipe has some great steps the kids can get involved in.
Tasks:
Egg cracker! In our house my 4 year old is the resident egg cracker and has been for a couple of years ( even if we do have to remove little bits of shell from time to time)
Chives chopper. Using kid safe scissors let them chop the fresh chives straight into the mix
Silverbeet dryer. Get them patting the washed leaves dry ready for use.
Tomato decorator. Let them be the artist and arrange the tomato slices at the end.
Official Grater. Depending on the age of the kids grating can be a great task for the older children to help with.
The mixer. What child doesn’t love the job of mixing the ingredients-regardless of the recipe?
Pastry painter. Using a clean pastry brush let the kids paint the edges of the pastry so it can brown nicely.

Toddler Tips:

For small fingers and mouths try making some mini versions for your young toddler using circles of pastry lined into min muffin trays filled with the mixture and you can always reduce the amount of spring onion.

Parent Tips:
The key to an enjoyable ( and still edible ) cooking experience with kids in the kitchen I have found is to make sure you have what you need ready before starting and are distraction free so it can be fully supervised during the whole procedure.
And most important of all...to relax! Enjoy the experience of bonding with young children over healthy fresh ingredients and making food together, things can and often do go wrong when working with kids-so be flexible and patient and you will all be sure to create not only delicious healthy dishes the whole family will enjoy but great memories too!

ENJOY!!
(c)RebeccaMugridge2010

You can find heaps more great recipes like this one along with great gardening ideas and projects you can do with kids in THE PRAM DIET book.
See the links on this blog page for stockists.