Baked potatoes are definitely a hot-potato favourite in our house at the moment. So I thought I would share with you a recipe for our worlds best baked potatoes.
World's best baked potatoes
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Berry Pancakes for toddlers
Babies loves berries! In fact natural yoghurt with some frozen berries can be a popular dessert! Berries are a superfood packed full of vitamin C. Something our toddlers need a lot of with all the nasty bugs flying around daycare centres, kindy and playcentre. This recipe could also be used for finger food for babies 10 months and older.
This recipe also includes wheatgerm which has a sweet, nutty that enhances the recipe. Wheatgerm is a good source of fibre and omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that are needed for human health which, like omega 3 fatty acids, we have to get through our diet. We need them for brain function, and normal development and growth.
You can freeze these and whip them out for a fast morning tea or at breakfast time for a change to cereal and toast
Healthy Breakfast Cereals
Breakfast cereals are a product that come with a fair amount of packaging. Many families can get through lots of packets of cereal per week. Making your own cereals like this easy homemade muesli is a great way to reduce packing waste. The core ingredients for this can all be bought in bulk using reusable containers or packaging.
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 3/4 cup nuts (eg slivered almonds, chopped hazelnuts or brazil nuts)
- 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 cup dried fruit (eg apricots, chopped or sultanas, raisins, craisins, blueberries)
Steps
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Cover 2 baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add honey and canola oil. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
- In a large bowl combine all the oats, seeds, nuts and coconut. Pour the honey and oil mixture in and stir to coat.
- Pour onto the lined trays and bake for 15 minutes. Stir every 3-4 minutes.
- Allow to cool after toasting and stir through the dried fruit.
Why not make a compote from our Munch Lunchbox Cookbookto go with the muesli, along with some fresh cut apples. You will find that most kids will enjoy a cut up apple for breakfast or as a snack. But make sure you find fresh crispy apples as no one likes an old soft apple!
Other easy homemade muesli recipes by Munch include our seeded Weetbix Granola recipe.
Beetroot Chocolate Cake
Beetroot is mostly available between November to April, and is abundant and cheap in summer time. Why not try making this beetroot chocolate cake?
Beetroot contains fibre, potassium, folate and other B group vitamins, and a little iron and vitamin C. Beetroots have a high anti-oxidant value because they contain a group of red pigments known as betalains. Its crimson colouring is not seen in any other vegetables.
And, did you know that you can use beetroot juice as a natural food colouring? Simply add a few drops to water to make pink drinks, or add a few drops to your favourite icing recipe instead of food colouring.
BEETROOT CHOCOLATE CAKE
For a long time I wanted to make a beetroot chocolate cake, but they seemed like a lot of work. I wanted to find a recipe where I didn’t have to cook the beetroot first. After perusing a few versions online, I decided to modify my standard chocolate cake recipe, and came up with something I am pretty pleased with. It is dairy free, and uses coconut oil so you could say it is almost healthy.
The end result is a moist, chocolately cake with only a hint of the earthiness of beetroot in the aftertaste. The batter has a beautiful crimson hue, but once cooked you wouldn’t know there was a vegetable in it.
This cake is a great way to sneak in another 5+ a day into their diets. Adjust the cooking time for muffins/cupcakes. I syphoned off a small amount of batter and made some mini muffins for the lunchboxes. For more lunchbox inspiration be sure to check out the Munch Lunchbox Cookbook which is filled with easy healthy recipes.
Easy Walnut Pasta Sauce
I have made this recipe on several occasions, and it is fair to say that I probably modified it each time. The original inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe I found in Taste magazine, March 2011.