The Sweet Life

There is something so sentimental about lasagne (or lasagna), it is so comforting and more-ish. The oh-so-yummy layers of cheese sauce, pasta and meat sauce are delicious. Plus it is always better the next day (if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers).  Ingredients MEAT SAUCE 500g mince 1 onion (diced) 2 cloves of garlic (diced) 1 can of tomatoes 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon mixed herbs 2 teaspoons paprika 1 beef stock cube 1/4 cup parsley (finely chopped) Lasagne sheets CHEESE SAUCE 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 2-3 cups milk 1 + 1/2 cup cheese (grated) Method Preheat oven to 180 on bake. 1. Add olive oil to frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions and fry until soft, add garlic and fry for 1-2mins. Add mince and fry together until browned. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and beef stock cube. Mix together until combined. Add most of the parsley (leave s...

Spaghetti and meatballs are one of our household favourites! They're easy to make, on the table in under an hour and super tasty!  Ingredients MEATBALL MIX 500g mince 1/2 - 1 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup tomato sauce 1 egg 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon mixed herbs 1 teaspoon paprika Handful basil leaves (chopped) Salt + pepper SAUCE 1 can of tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 onion (diced) 2 garlic cloves (diced) 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 beef stock cube Handful of basil (chopped) 1 tablespoon coconut sugar Salt + pepper Method 1. Mix all meatball ingredients together in a bowl. 2. Roll into heaped tablespoon sized balls. 3. Heat oil on medium to high and fry meatballs until brown on all sides. Remove meatballs from the pan and set aside. 4. Reduce heat and add onions to the pan, fry until soft. Add garlic and fry for 1 minute. 5. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, onion and garlic powder, beef stock cube, half a tin of water and...

Ingredients 500g chicken breast or thighs (diced) 1/4 cup tamari or gluten free soy sauce 2 garlic cloves (crushed) or 1 heaped teaspoon of crushed garlic 1 teaspoon crushed ginger or freshly grated ginger 1 lime (zest and juice) 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes Sprinkle of white pepper 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup of gluten free flour Oil for frying Garnish Toasted peanuts Corriander Spring onion Burnt Lime Mayo Method 1. Place diced chicken in a large bowl. Add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lime zest and juice, chilli, pepper and rice wine vinegar to the bowl. Mix until combined. 2. Sprinkle just enough gluten free flour until the mixture goes sticky (around 1/4 to 1/2 cup). Mix together so sticky flour mixture coats the chicken pieces. 3. Place in the fridge to rest for 30mins. 4. Take the chicken out of the fridge and add the remaining flour (about 1/2 cup) . Mix around until all chicken pieces are coated, each piece should have a fl...

This burnt lime mayo recipe is so simple but so delicious. I use it when I am making Crispy Asian Fried Chicken as a dip for the fried chicken or if I'm making wraps, bao buns or burgers.  It adds a creamy citrus flavour to any meal. Ingredients 1 lime 4 tablespoons of mayo (or more if it is too acidic, keep adding mayo to balance out the citrus tang) Method 1. Heat a frying pan on med-high heat. Cut the lime in half and add to the dry frying pan, flesh side down. 2. Fy until flesh is slightly 'burnt', the flesh turns slightly brown/black. 3. Squeeze lime juice into the mayo and mix until combined. Enjoy x

The perfect chocolate chip cookie should be soft and chewy with just the right amount of chocolate... these healthy chocolate chip cookies tick all of those boxes and are so ridiculously delicious. The dark choc chunks are oozy when warm and once cooled seriously taste like a Cookie Time Cookie. Ingredients 3 cups almond meal 1 teaspoon baking soda Pinch of salt 2 eggs 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (paste or essence) 1/3 block of Whittakers Dark Ghana Chocolate (broken/chopped up into small chunks) or you could use dark choc chips Method 1. Preheat oven to 190 ℃. 2. Place the almond meal, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix together. 3. In a separate bowl add the eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla. Whisk together with a fork until mixed well. 4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together. 5. Add the chocolate and mix in. 6. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Use a la...

There is nothing better than a big scoop of pumpkin soup on freshly baked bread covered in butter, then add in the slight taste of roast garlic and your bread suddenly changes into garlic bread, yup it just got better! The hint of roast garlic really gives this pumpkin soup a splash of flavour. I think roasting the pumpkin and garlic first is what really adds depth of flavour to your pumpkin soup. I made Chelsea Winter's Beer Bread to go with this soup and it was a match made in heaven. I know people have their personal preferences when it comes to pumpkin soup but for me, it is the thicker the better. If you like a more runny consistency to your soup then add in more stock. Ingredients 1 whole pumpkin (cut into small cubes and peeled) 2 whole garlic bulbs (cut into halves) 1 onion (diced) 2 sweet potatoes/kumera (peeled and cut into small cubes) 6-8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock 1 can of coconut milk or cream Olive oil Salt & pepper Method 1. Preheat ...

Yummy, who doesn't love some good old wedges! Well, this recipe takes those plain homemade wedges to restaurant-quality wedges in a few very easy steps. I also use this exact same recipe when I am making sweet potato fries, you could cut them into wedges too if you wanted. Ingredients 4-6 large potatoes or sweet potatoes  (I always use Agria when it comes to potatoes) 1/3 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt  1/2 teaspoon pepper  Method 1. Preheat oven on bake or fan bake at 200 ℃. 2. Cut the potatoes/sweet potatoes into wedges. Cut in half longways, then in half again longways, then cut each quarter into two or four wedges (depending on how thick you want them). For fries follow the same method until you get to quarters then cut them into thin strips.  3. Place the wedges into a large bowl and add all the remaining ingredients, olive oil, thyme, garlic pow...

I LOVE fried chicken, it is the one thing I always gravitate towards when I go out to eat.  - Crispy chicken wings - Buttermilk fried chicken burgers - Fried chicken & waffles - Fried chicken bene - Fried chicken tacos Honestly I could go on forever when it comes to fried chicken! Since we are currently in lockdown and we cannot visit any local cafes and restaurants I was keen to try out a new fried chicken recipe to see if it would hold up to my high 'fried chicken' expectations. Well, I can tell you it definitely did! While the chicken was marinating in the buttermilk overnight I was actually dreaming about fried chicken. The excitement levels were running high when I tested the first tender and it seriously was looking very similar to a KFC chicken tender, I was trying not to get too excited just in case the crunch and taste factor wasn't up to standard. Holy heck I can tell you the 'crunch factor' was out of this world! The most crunchy fr...

This Korean beef bowl is quick and easy! If you are looking for a quick but super tasty dinner, then look no further! You could add any extras you like - like substituting out cabbage for lettuce or grated carrot. Ingredients 400g beef mince 4 cloves of garlic (finely sliced) 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1/4 cup tamari 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon crushed ginger 1/2 fresh red chilli (sliced) Pepper Olive oil 2 eggs Olive oil 1 cup of rice 1 stock cube (beef or chicken) Shredded red cabbage Spring onion (sliced) Sweet chilli sauce Method 1. Cook rice and add a stock cube to the water. 2. While rice is cooking, add olive oil to a pan and heat. Add mince and cook until browned. 3.  Add garlic, maple syrup, tamari, sesame oil, ginger, chilli, and pepper into a bowl and mix together, 4. Add marinade mixture to cooked mince and cook for 5-10 minutes until the mince is fully coated and liquid thickens/slightly evapourates. 5. Add oil to separat...

I've discovered a little trick to making the best healthy banana bread recipe. It's a combination of things you see. Quality ingredients, extra ripe - brown spotted bananas, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a touch of natural sweetener. This bread is naturally sweetened with a touch of pure maple syrup and has a boost of protein thanks to the eggs. This recipe is flexible so if you don't have coconut oil you can use olive oil, you can omit the chocolate entirely or use any percentage of dark chocolate. I haven't tried it with any other flour but I'm sure you could use chickpea, coconut or spelt flour instead of buckwheat. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for it to last longer or can be kept frozen. Ingredients 2 cups almond meal 3/4 cup buckwheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 block of Lindt 85% dark chocolate 3 eggs 3 ripe bananas (mashed) 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) Method ...

Yummy! These banana choc chip muffins are gluten-free and can be refined sugar free, if you omit the choc chips - they are delicious just as banana muffins too.  This recipe makes exactly 12 muffins.  Ingredients 3 ripe bananas 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey) 1 large egg (room temperature is best) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt  1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I like lots of chocolate chips so I usually use around 3/4 cup) Method 1. Preheat oven to 180 ℃ . Lightly grease a 12 muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or butter.  2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork until only small lumps remain.  3. Add the oil, maple syrup, egg and vanilla to the bananas and mix well. 4. Add the remaining dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) to the wet ingredients and gently combine, careful not to over mix...

This shredded beef recipe is so simple and hassle-free! It is perfect with these Coconut Flour Tortillas or an ideal workday lunch. I often make the shredded beef in the crockpot on a Sunday and add it to a salad to have for my lunches during the week. The recipe does have a bit of a kick to it with the cayenne pepper, if you are not a huge fan of spice then you can leave it out or just add in 1/4 of a teaspoon instead. Ingredients 1kg chuck steak (I have found this the best cut of steak for this recipe as it just falls apart) 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less or none at all if you don't want it spicy) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon garlic (minced) 1/4 cup beef broth (use beef bone broth if you have some made up or frozen) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2-3 limes) 1 onion (diced) Method 1. Season the beef with salt and pepper, sear all sides over medium-high heat in coconut oil until br...

  The dough for the tortillas is really easy to make. It does take a little bit of time for the coconut flour and psyllium husk to absorb the wet ingredients so the dough is a little moist at first, I like to rest the dough in the bowl for 10 minutes to let the psyllium husk absorb the moisture and create an elastic, soft dough. The dough feels wet to touch but should not be really sticky on your fingers.  The easiest way to roll out the dough is to use 2 pieces of baking paper. Place the dough between the two pieces of baking paper and roll it out. The thicker and smaller the dough, the easier it is to handle. To shape the flatbread, place a plate on top of the rolled-out dough and cut around the edges. The tortillas are delicious served with my Slow Cooked Shredded Beef recipe. Ingredients 1/2 cup coconut flour 2 tablespoons psyllium husk 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 cup ...