There’s nothing like soup to warm you on a cold winters day. This Moroccan tomato and chickpea soup contains a warming mixture of spices, including the Tunisian chilli paste called harrisa. This is made with chilli, garlic, caraway seeds and other herbs and spices. It’s available at specialty food stores and many supermarkets. I bought a tube for $2.50. Using a little of this gives the soup a little kick, but it’s not super spicy.
Unlike some winter soups, this Moroccan tomato and chickpea soup is super quick to make as it uses canned tomatoes and chickpeas. It’s also very budget friendly. It’s easy to make up a pot and have a warming lunch ready within 20 minutes.
This feijoa and coconut loaf tastes amazing and is a nice way to use up feijoas . If you’ve got a tree no doubt you’ll have them in abundance and when you can’t eat any more as they are, then there are plenty of yummy ways to cook with them.
I have to admit, I’m not a fan of moving into the cooler seasons, but one thing I do love is feijoas. These green gems are only available for a few months a year which probably makes them even more appealing.
While my feijoa trees have only just started fruiting, I was lucky enough to be given a big box from Old Road Estate. I got creative in the kitchen and made this feijoa and coconut loaf. It has an intense feijoa flavour and uses coconut flour which makes it moist, high in fibre and gives it a slight coconut flavour which complements the feijoa nicely.
The feijoa and coconut loaf only uses a small amount of sugar, but if you wanted you could leave it out altogether. Of course, it won’t be very sweet without it.
Interested in the nutritional benefits of feijoas? They provide a source of dietary fibre and a serve of two feijoas will also give you 64% of your RDI for vitamin C.
If you’re after other feijoa recipes, you might also like my recipe for fejioa cheesecake which you can find here.
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Feijoa and coconut loaf
AuthorNicola
Ingredients
2cupsfeijoa flesh + 2 extra large feijoas
1bananachopped into pieces
1/4cupground linseed or LSA
1/2cupplain flouryou could use wholemeal/spelt or gluten free flour too
1cupcoconut flour
3eggs
1/4cupsugar
1.5teaspoonsbaking powder
coconut chips for the top
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Add all the ingredients, except the extra feijoas to a food processor or blender and mix until well combined.
Peel the 2 feijoas and slice thinly. Lay over the top of the loaf.
Pour into the loaf tin
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cooked in the middle. Top with coconut chips.
No time for breakfast? Here’s some ideas for grab and go breakfast ideas for those days you struggle to find time to eat in the morning.
Breakfast is an important meal but sometimes when you’re busy making time for breakfast doesn’t always happen. Research shows that breakfast eaters tend to have an increased nutrient intake and improved concentration. I’ve been on a bit of a mission to mix up my breakfast lately and been trying new ideas. And while eating in the morning isn’t an issue for me (since I have a toddler who wakes early!!), I know that some days it’s not always easy.
While ideally it’s nice to be able to eat breakfast with your full attention, it’s not always a reality. So here’s some quick and easy ideas for grab and go breakfasts when you need to eat on the run, or at work.
Grab and go breakfast ideas
Frittatas
Frittatas are one of those things that are suited to any meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner! You can create the perfect hand sized frittata by making them in a muffin tray then the frittata in wax paper and you’ve got a yummy grab and go breakfast that can be enjoyed cold or heated.
Here’s some of my favourite frittata recipes: Roast vegetable, feta and mushroom frittata Cherry tomato frittata Feta, pumpkin and spinach frittata (pictured above)
2. Yoghurt, fruit and nut jars
Mixed berries, yoghurt, nuts and seeds mixed together in a jar creates a portable breakfast that combines the different food groups for a sustaining breakfast. Use your favourite yoghurt, and create whatever mixes you want, for example my favourite is frozen raspberries, Greek yoghurt, walnuts, coconut and banana. Prevent the yoghurt from going runny by adding a teaspoon of chia seeds absorb any liquid from the defrosting raspberries.
3. Chia Puddings
Chia puddings are a simple breakfast recipe that can be made in advance. What is a chia pudding exactly? Well chia seeds are magical wee things. They absorb lots of fluid, so by mixing them with milk and other ingredients they create a yummy breakfast that can be adapted in lots of different ways. Nutritionally, chia seeds are a good source of fibre, provide plant based omega 3 fats and a range of vitamins and minerals. This is one of my favourite versions – Raspberry, almond and coconut chia pudding
Other ideas include banana chia pudding and this yummy nut and fruit version.
4. Overnight oat jars
Overnight oats, also known as bircher muesli is transforms oats into a delicious breakfast delight. Soak oats overnight with goodies such as yoghurt, milk and seeds and fruit in a jar with a lid. You can make a few at a time to last a couple of days. Here’s a couple of recipes to get you inspired, including the recipe for the blueberry banana overnight oats pictured above.
5. Smoothies on the go
Finally, smoothies are the ultimate grab and go breakfast idea as there are so many ways to create a smoothie. ‘Meal prep’ smoothie bags by putting fruit and your favourite smoothie additions such as chia seeds, nuts, cucumber etc in a resealable bag in the freezer, then all you need to do is blend it with milk and yoghurt in the morning.
What are your go to grab and go breakfast ideas? I’d love to hear them so let me know in the comments below 🙂
With over a year of working mum life under my belt, there’s one thing I’ve discovered. You just can’t do everything. Time and energy are precious and after a hectic 2018, this year I’ve decided to really review how I can make life easier. So when I was offered the chance to try out HelloFresh, I jumped at the chance. The convenience and peace of mind knowing my menu for the week was sorted and delivered to my door definitely saved time and made life easier.
Here’s what I thought:
No more rushed supermarket visits
I tend to be a frequent visitor to the supermarket to get extras for dinners, but this week that all changed! My HelloFresh box was delivered to my doorstep filled with quality meat, produce, seasonings and condiments needed to create the recipes.
The meals (minus the chilled items) come in prepackaged meal bags which are colour coded to match the recipes, making it super simple to know what goes with what when it comes to cooking. At dinner time, you can just grab the bag, then the other chilled ingredients and you’re ready to cook.
The recipes were simple to follow and only took around half an hour to prepare and cook. This meant we could get dinner on the table early, which is always a necessity with a toddler in the house.
No more stressing about dinner time
The biggest plus for me with HelloFresh was the peace of mind. It might sound silly, but thinking about what to have for dinner has felt like a big chore when there’s already so much else to think about. It honestly felt like such a relief not having to think about what I was going to eat for the week or if I needed to rush to the supermarket in my break or after work to pick up something I needed for dinner. I knew I had everything I needed to create a delicious meal. And that frees up both time and mental energy for the more important things in life, such as spending time with my little girl.
Ordering made easy
The process of ordering with HelloFresh was also straightforward and it is made even more accessible with their mobile app. You can switch meals, change your plan settings, check the menus for the next few weeks and more from your phone. I ordered the Classic Box for four, but the Family Box also looked great and I might switch plans to that next time.
Discovering new cuisines
Despite owning a slightly embarrassing number of cookbooks, I tend to repeat the same recipes over and over again. It’s been exciting to come home to trying different meals and ingredients and I’ve felt like I’ve enjoyed cooking more than usual for this reason. And the flavours are perfect even for my little eater.
My favourite meal this week was the Middle Eastern Yoghurt Chicken, with Roast Vegetable, Feta & Coriander toss. It was such a nice combination of flavours and textures. Other yummy meals were cheesy beef nachos (with homemade tortilla chips), Bacon & Basil Pesto Pilaf, and Sage & Rosemary crumbed chicken. The meals were generously sized and because I went for the box for four, we had plenty of leftovers. This meant there was the added bonus of lunch being sorted the next day too.
Life as a working mum definitely felt a bit easier this week thanks to HelloFresh. There’s been less stress, less energy spent thinking about what to eat, fewer trips to the supermarket and less time spent in the kitchen. And all of that means more time for myself and my family.
If you’re keen to experience HelloFresh, I’m treating you to a $35 discount off your first box! Simply use my code EATWELL or click here to redeem the offer. While it’s not a quite a week off cooking, it certainly makes it faster, convenient and enjoyable too.
WIN!
I’m giving away a HelloFresh box to one lucky person. To be in the draw, simply comment below with what you’d like the most about HelloFresh.
Competition will be drawn Friday 15th February and the winner will be notified via email.
Chocolate peanut butter granola sounds more like a dessert than a breakfast but for something a little bit special, it’s quite delicious. I love to serve mine with milk, natural yoghurt and some banana and sit down and enjoy every last mouthful. Then you also get the ‘chocolate milk’ left in your bowl at the end!
You can really mix and match the base ingredients to suit your taste when you’re making muesli. If you don’t have the exact ingredients, changing things like the nuts or seeds used generally doesn’t make a big difference if you use similar sized ingredients.
You can replace the puffed amaranth for more oats if you wish. I used it because it adds a different type of grain into the mix (and I had lots in the pantry!). Variety is a good thing when it comes to nutrition. Since different foods contain a different combination of nutrients, having variety helps ensure you get a range of nutrients in your diet. The grain amaranth contains copper, manganese, magnesium and phosphate. It’s also is a source of iron and calcium, and is a gluten-free grain. Because I’ve used puffed amaranth it also adds a lighter texture to the chewy oat mix. You could also swap this out for puffed quinoa if you prefer.
The freeze dried raspberries make this chocolate peanut butter granola extra delicious and add a wee bit of luxury to breakfast. It would make a lovely home made Christmas gift too. Just place in a large glass jar and tie a pretty ribbon around the top.
In a small microwavable bowl, mix together the honey, cocoa, oil and peanut butter.
Place in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave again for 1 minute until the mixture is melted together.
Stir well to combine.
On a large oven tray, place the oats and sunflower seeds.
Pour over the melted chocolate mix and rub into the oats and seeds with clean hands
Place in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, stirring half way through cooking.
Add the nuts and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Leave the mixture on the bench to cool. To speed this up, tip the mixture onto a cold oven tray.
When cool, mix through the remaining ingredients and store in an air tight container.
If you’re after more granola / muesli ideas, this apricot and cashew muesli is also delicious and our home made muesli bar recipe is a winner for snacks and the lunch box.
Raspberry chocolate brownie combines tart raspberries and chunks of dark chocolate to create a delicious slice.
I actually created these brownies by accident. My idea was to create a cashew cookie recipe but when that didn’t go to plan I decided to turn it into something else. And that turned out to be yummy raspberry chocolate brownies!
I’ve always loved to bake and experimenting in the kitchen is something I find quite relaxing. I had a big bag of cashews that I had forgotten about and needed to use, so I decided to get creative. Usually when things don’t go to plan it’s a waste of ingredients, but luckily this time it could be repurposed!
Using ground cashews create a delicious, nourishing base while coconut flour helps keep the brownie moist. Cashews are a source of magnesium, potassium, iron and other vitamins and minerals. If you don’t have cashews, feel free to swap them for ground almonds. This can also be gluten free by switching the wholemeal flour for gluten free flour and making sure the rest of the brand ingredients are gluten free.
The brownie keeps quite well in the fridge and makes a yummy addition to the lunch box when you’re feeling like something sweet. Keeping some in the freezer is also handy. Just keep in an air tight container.
PS If you like this recipe, you might also like these peanut butter cookies
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until cooked in the middle.
Cream the butter, sugar and oil together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. Next, stir through the baking powder, flours, ground cashew nuts and cocoa and mix until combined.
Line a slice dish with baking paper and spread over the mixture. Top with the frozen raspberries and chocolate chunks
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until cooked in the middle.
Homemade muesli is a winner when it comes to taste and nutrition plus it’s very easy to make! This homemade muesli recipe contains chunky mixed nuts, coconut chips, lightly toasted oats and a little sweet, tangy dried fruit. The result? It tastes amazing and provides a sustaining, nourishing breakfast.
The importance of variety
I’ve been in such a breakfast funk lately so this was a recipe to help get me out of it! In between feeding a toddler, packing lunches and scraping bits of the child’s breakfast off the floor, sometimes cooking a bowl of porridge seems like too much effort! So I tend to grab the same thing over and over again since it’s easy and I love it. I’m talking about you, crunchy peanut butter on toast. However, variety is one of the factors that’s important for a balanced diet. By mixing up your meals and food you get a range of nutrients, different types of dietary fibre and antioxidants to help keep you healthy.
To remedy my breakfast rut I’ve been creating new muesli and granola recipes to keep breakfast interesting and give me some different options. If you don’t want to toast the oats with the honey mix, you can simply make an untoasted version which makes it even easier. But I think the toasted one tastes better!
To create this homemade muesli (also known as granola), the oats are toasted with a small amount of honey and oil. This adds flavour and crunch. Then I add lots of nuts, seeds, coconut and dried fruit finish it off. The result is a breakfast that provides a source of fibre plus a range of vitamins and minerals. The mixture of plant based ingredients, including wholegrains, nuts and seeds also provide a variety of types of fibre which are beneficial for our gut bacteria
Homemade muesli Recipe:
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Homemade muesli
Homemade muesli is simple to make and you can mix and match different nuts, fruit and seeds if you prefer others.
3 tablespoonsoilGrape seed, macadamia, melted coconut can be used
3 teaspoonshoney
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5cupsmixed nuts
1/2cupsunflower seeds
1/4cupdried cranberries
1/4cup chopped dried apricots
1cupcoconut chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celcius
Melt together the coconut oil and honey then stir through the vanilla.
Place the oats on a large baking tray and pour over the honey mixture. With clean hands, rub this through the oats.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Stir the oat mixture and add the nuts and seeds. Put the mixture back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add the coconut chips and leave to cool.
Once cooled, stir through the dried fruit and store in an air tight container.
Another yummy recipe is this plum, cashew and coconut granola . It uses freeze dried fruit which have an intense flavour and make it a little bit special.
What are your favourite muesli or granola combinations? I’m always keen for new ideas so do let me know in the comments below.
It’s that time again – a round up of ‘What I ate Wednesday’ featuring the most delicious falafels and my fave salted caramel snack balls. Here it is!!
Breakfast:
I’m a real sucker for the reduced to clear bins at the supermarket and I found some organic sourdough bread in there that was close to it’s best before date for $1.50. So I put it in the freezer to use for toast. I found it hard to get moving this morning so it was a super simple breakfast of crunchy peanut butter on the sourdough toast accompanied with a coffee. As you can see I like my peanut butter thick!
Snack:
For morning tea I had a banana, an instant coffee plus I had some chocolate in my bag and I had a row of that. I think when it comes to dark chocolate, this is one of my favourites.
Lunch:
I made falafels on Sunday night (which you would have seen on instastories if you follow me on Instagram) and even though I REALLY couldn’t be bothered I’ve been super grateful this week as they’ve been delicious for lunch! They’ve got kumara in them which gives them a delicious texture and stops them from going dry.
I also cooked and froze some brown rice which is a good to the falafels. Lunch looks like it took a lot of time but it was actually super simple because I had the falafels and rice ready already and the salad was left over from dinner the night before. I just added an extra tomato and a big blob of pesto, some mayo and chutney which make it taste delicious.
To finish off lunch I had a decaf coffee and some Tom and Lukes Salted Caramel Snack Balls. I am in love with that flavour.
Snack:
Even though I really like fruit I’ve found I’m not always eating two pieces a day. So I’ve been trying to make an effort to include more variety. I love mixed berries and yoghurt so I bought this to work. I add some chia seeds with the frozen berries as they soak up the liquid as the berries defrost and stop the yoghurt from getting too runny. This yoghurt was a mix of plain unsweetened probiotic yoghurt and the boysenberry Collective yoghurt. I find it a wee bit sweet by itself but love the flavour so I often mix it. I only had blueberries in the freezer and they weren’t that nice defrosted so this snack was kind of disappointing and not very satisfying.
Someone in the office had quinoa chips, which are really just the same as any other chip but made out of quinoa flour. I had a few of these which were tasty. I think if my berry snack had been satisfying I wouldn’t have had them but it wasn’t and I felt like something else.
Dinner:
Wednesdays are always a bit of a rush at dinner time as I work half an hour later. I quite often do something in the crock pot and today it was a casserole. I had it with veggies (which I overcooked – doesn’t that suck!) and potato/kumara mash. It’s definitely not the most attractive meal in the world (especially with this photo taken in the evening), but it’s always a satisfying meal!
And that’s a wrap! See you next week for another episode 🙂
What I ate Wednesday used to be a regular feature here on Eat Well NZ until mum life hit and it’s been a long time since it featured. But after a few requests, I’ve decided to start it up again.
What I ate Wednesday is not about what you should eat. Because diet culture (sometimes sneakily disguised as ‘wellness’) has taken us so far away from what ‘normal’ eating can look like, some people have told me it’s helpful to see what ‘normal’ eating can look like and that food isn’t just about fuel but about enjoyment, pleasure and nourishment. And I know I’m nosey and like looking at other people’s meals and snacks for inspiration so I thought you guys might like to do the same too! Everyone has different dietary preferences and need different amounts of food (which varies day to day too) – so keep that in mind when reading.
So here we go. Here’s my latest ‘What I ate Wednesday’ post – and yes it is Friday haha! I never got time to post it until today.
Breakfast:
I mentioned over on Instagram that I’ve been in a bit of a food ‘funk’ lately. I haven’t been organised and I haven’t been planning which has often meant I haven’t had foods at home that appeal to me and since I’ve been tired thinking about preparing food in the morning has been an effort! So I got organised in the weekend and made some things to have on hand, including this chocolate peanut butter granola. It has a base of oats toasted with a peanut butter/cocoa and honey mix with added almonds, sunflower seeds, cranberries and freeze dried raspberries. I had this with some probiotic yoghurt and milk which was a tasty combination!
I wasn’t that hungry this morning so I just had a small bowl, then I made a latte and had this while catching up on a few emails at home. I definitely think the coffee machine is my favourite appliance at home.
Morning Snack
Tasti sent me these yummy nut mixes so they’ve been on the menu lately for morning tea. I also went out and bought a second coffee….. I’ve been super tired lately because I’ve been busy and I’ve had too many late nights. So I went for a walk to the cafe down the road and got coffee. I have a Keep Cup but I have lost it – so yes it’s a takeaway cup but at least the Mojo ones are plant based and compostable! And the lid can go in the recycling.
I think wanting a second one is sometimes psychological – simply wanting something nice for a pick me up. I definitely can’t have more than two or I start feeling agitated. I started to watch this webinar but then our internet connection went slow so I gave up (for now). Gut health is such a fascinating topic!
Lunch
I’ve got a thing for coleslaw at the moment. I like the crunch and flavour of it when it’s combined with something creamy in texture like mayo and hummus. So for lunch I had it with brown rice, hummus, avocado and a couple of eggs I boiled in the morning when I was getting ready. When I’m more organised I cook my own rice and freeze it to use for lunches but sometimes I just buy the instant rice packets. This was a satisfying, yummy lunch and I finished it off with a couple of these Tasti Peanut Butter and Caramel Balls because I felt like something a little sweet.
Afternoon Snack
Bananas are an easy snack for me – prepackaged, portable and ready to go!!
Dinner
I work later on a Wednesday so dinners are always something that’s quick and easy since I have a hungry child that needs to eat early-ish. I made spaghetti Bolognese with pulse pasta. I have nothing against normal pasta but I love the fact that this is a great source of fibre and made from legumes which are nutrient dense. Plus I like the taste (which is of course important!). I made the bolognaise with mince, lots of mushrooms, onions and leeks (because I’ve still got quite a few leeks in the garden that need using). I cheated and used a jar of garlic, onion and tomato pasta sauce to go with it. I served it with some broccoli and cheese on top. Mince and pasta dishes are always a hot fave with Elise so we usually have something with mince once a week.
I was sent a box of Remedy Kombucha the other week so I had one with dinner – this flavour is my favourite one I’ve tried so far from the Remedy range.
After Dinner
It was such a nice warm evening my husband suggested we go for a walk down the road to the shop and get an ice cream. I was still quite full for dinner so I got one to have later.
I’ve seen the new Whittaker’s & Tip Top ice creams advertised and since I love Whittaker’s chocolate I got one. Having the Whittaker’s chocolate coating was delicious but the maple caramel swirl in the ice cream was a wee bit sweet for me. The dog enjoyed everyone’s left over ice-cream!
PS I did drink water through the day too – I just didn’t photograph it 🙂
Banana bread is one of my favourite things to bake because it’s so quick and easy and it always turns out well. This oaty banana raspberry and coconut bread was one of those recipes that turned out perfectly the first time. I love this with a hot cup of coffee for my morning break. It’s a lovely moist, filling loaf that makes a nourishing and delicious snack. It’s even better spread with a little butter too!
Here’s the recipe.
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Oaty Banana Raspberry and Coconut Bread
Ingredients
1 1/4cupswholegrain oats
1cupflourGluten free, plain, wholemeal, spelt – your choice
2teaspoonsbaking powder
2tablespoonschia seeds
1/2cupcoconut
1/2cupmacadamia nut oilor melted coconut oil
3heaped dessertspoons of honey
1handful of chopped pecan nutsoptional
zest from one lemon
3large ripe bananasblended
3eggs beaten
1/4cupmilk
1cupfrozen raspberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a loaf tin with non stick baking paper (handy hit – make sure it is non stick!! Once I used the wrong type by mistake and it ruined my baking…)
Mix the oats, flour, baking powder, chia seeds, nuts and coconut in a bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil and honey together, stirring well.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the macadamia nut oil/honey mixture, the banana, eggs, milk and raspberries.
Gently fold together until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for around 45 minutes or until cooked. An easy way to check is to insert a skewer in the middle. It will come out clean once cooked. Garnish with a little coconut and lemon rind.
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