Date and banana pancakes

May 15 2011
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by emma

There’s something about cooler weather which makes me want to make elaborate warm and cosy breakfasts.

In summer I throw some cereal in a bowl or have some toast, or if I’m feeling really energetic, will make a fruit smoothie but Autumn just makes me want to cook pancakes or French toast or bacon and eggs and stay in my pyjamas all morning and drink lots of tea and make toast.  Bliss.

We had these on Easter Saturday – almost like sticky date pudding but in pancake form.  I didn’t serve the suggested sauce in the recipe as I thought adding sliced bananas and maple syrup was easier, healthier and more breakfast appropriate.

They were fluffy and sweet and just right for Autumn.

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Remember having a treehouse when you were young?

May 1 2011
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by emma

I never had one.  But, my friends who lived across the road when I was a kid had a treehouse down in their back paddock which we used to sleep overnight in sometimes on weekends (parents never seemed to worry about their children back then, it made for a fun childhood I think).

It was a bit old though and if it got windy and we were freaking out we might fall out or something, we’d sleep on the ground on blankets and sleeping bags and their horse would come along and try to eat our food and we’d stay up with torches and tell spooky stories and talk about boys we hated but secretly liked and eat chips and lollies until 2am then pass out and walk home in the misty dawn to our warm, toasty beds.

Good times.

Images:

1. A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh House
and 2, 3, 4 via Pinterest

ANZAC day baking – anzac biscuits with nutella filling

April 25 2011
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by emma

Anzac Day, for those readers who aren’t from this neck of the woods, marks the date of the first military action fought by Australians and New Zealanders in WW1 (ANZAC = Australian and New Zealand Army Corps).  We remember those who fought on 25th April.

To commemorate, I though Anzac biscuits would be nice to make in all their coconutty and chewy loveliness.  Then I thought sandwiching Nutella between two Anzac biscuits would be a good idea.

It was.


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Strawberry, chocolate and peanut butter smoothie

April 24 2011
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by emma

I received this in the mail the other day and couldn’t wait to try something out of it.  I felt it was time for a healthy breakfast after the sugar fueled, indulgent days I’d been having and let me tell you, everything in this is good for you and, like Sophie says, has a very milkshake appeal about it.

Sadly I didn’t have any blueberries so I substituted with extra strawberries.  Just lovely and perfect for a sunny weekend.

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Vegan pumpkin soup

April 20 2011
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by emma

I make this deliciously thick, creamy soup every winter and, as we’re heading into cooler weather in Australia, it’ll soon be time for cosy, warm lunches so I whipped up a batch the other day.  This soup freezes well and apart from blitzing it in the food processor and the washing up after, is super easy.

This soup has no dairy added; the creamy texture comes from cannellini beans.  It’s a fragrant dish as I add ground cumin seeds and rosemary to the onion and garlic mixture when I’m sautéing it down.

The options for toppings are endless – I often add toasted and chopped walnuts or cashews, crème Fraîche or some spring onions.  If you prefer a thinner soup, then add more water before the cooking time.

pumpkin cannellini souppumpkin

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Spicy vegan Mexican wraps with quinoa

April 5 2011
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by emma

We had a bit of a Mexican theme tonight.  I love this cuisine – there’s something so cheerful and fun about Mexican restaurants, I find it very difficult to be depressed if we ever go out for Mexican.  I guess it’s a bit cheesy (do you see what I did there?!) but sometimes you just need that.

I thought of this recipe a few years ago when I had some spicy bean mix left over from another recipe and had some wraps to use up.  I originally sautéed these because the wraps were a bit stale and it was so tasty I continued it, but it’s not strictly necessary, although it does add a little something.

Spicy bean filling, quinoa and avocado in a crispy mountain bread wrap – so delicious and spicy.  It’s also a pretty fast meal if you make the filling beforehand and it freezes well (keeping it in the fridge for a day or so also allows the spicy flavours to develop).

You could replace the avocado with cheese or sour cream if you prefer, and maybe use brown rice instead of quinoa.

 

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Healthy egg salad sandwich

March 1 2011
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by emma

I, like a lot of people, used to make egg sandwiches with mayonnaise.  Nothing wrong with that!  Eggs are healthy, full of energy-giving nutrition and protein and it’s a handy lunch to take to work.

Still, if you’re trying to eat food as close to nature as possible, this recipe from Limes and Lycopene is the way to go.

Despite being a sometimes fan of organic mayonnaise and it’s creamy texture, the combination of the olive oil and mustard was a delicious, far superior replacement as it doesn’t have that too sweet flavour mayo has.  It’s still creamy and in combination with the fresh herbs, made a satisfying, rustic and fresh lunch today.  Do use a good bread, and although nutritionists might disagree, I always feel continental unsalted butter makes bread (or anything really) taste even better but this is totally optional.

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Movie review – It’s Kind of a Funny Story

February 25 2011
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by emma

This cool little movie about a depressed 16 year old (played by Keir Gilchrist, known for United States of Tara) who unwittingly admits himself to an adult psychiatric ward, is an absolute gem.

The movie has a number of clever, charming fantasy scenes played out in our lad’s mind which give a contemporary sort of alternative feel to the movie as well as honest, gently funny and sometimes poignant dialogue between the characters.  There are not-so-subtle messages; mental illness crosses all boundaries, live your life, take risks, or it passes you by.

If you want to see a movie which gives a different insight into the mental health system, from the perspective of an insightful, likeable teenager and his fellow inpatients, with a healthy sprinkling of genuine, down to earth humour and pathos, then see this movie.

This scene is well worth clicking on by the way!

Image via
Video belongs to: Focus Features

Quinoa, lentil and bean salad with summer vegetables

February 20 2011
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by emma

I made a south west style salad tonight from blogger Jacqueline at tinned tomatoes.  I added corn kernels because I had some fresh ones I’d frozen previously which I wanted to use, I also only had the French puy lentils, and tweaked the amounts a bit to suit 3 people.  This is Jacqueline’s own recipe and I’m really pleased I found it as it includes so many of my favourite ingredients.

This is a lovely recipe, very fresh, with a slight chilli hit and sweet flavour from the balsamic vinegar.  It’s so healthy I can’t even believe it; just about every single ingredient in this salad is a super food – I’m just full of energy after eating it and was feeling quite smug at how health conscious I was.

Then I ruined it by having a hot chocolate and blueberry scone later on.  oops.

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