Mediterranean Pasta Salad

A tasty lunchtime meal.

Ingredients:
250g GF pasta
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
3 slices of middle bacon (rind etc removed)
1/2 cup pitted olives, cut in half
1 tsp chilli flakes
250g tuna in brine, drained
2 tomatoes, diced & seeds removed
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup fresh pasley, chopped
salt
pepper

1.  Cook pasta per packet instructions.
2. When cooked, drizzle oil over pasta and stir. Put aside.
3. Heat a frying pan with 2tbs oil, garlic, bacon, chilli and olives and cook for 2min.
4. Add the tuna, tomato and pine nuts and cook for another 3-4min, or until tomato is soft.
5. Stir in the pasta. Add the parsley and salt and pepper if desired.
6. Serve.

*This is a great lunch box addition, or tasty treat for a toddler.*
To Freeze: separate into small containers, allow to cool fully then freeze.

To Thaw: place in fridge in the morning, or add to lunch box and it should defrost by lunchtime, if it doesn't quickly zap in microwave for approximately 15seconds.

Apple and Cinnamon Oat Cakes

Here's to a healthy breakfast!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup GF rolled oats
1cup GF flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Shake of chia seeds
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup apple puree
4 shakes of cinnamon

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Heat frying pan.
3. Using a tablespoon, add mixture to pan making small "cakes".
4. Cook for approximately 2min, then flip and cook for a further 2min.
5. Cut one in half to ensure cake is cooked.

These can be frozen for 3wks.. But I doubt they'll last that long!!

Tropical Porridge Fingers

Porridge Fingers are one of the best breakfast recipes for a baby or toddler. The original recipe came from the Baby Led Weaning Cookbook, but me being the creative soul that I am, didn't stick to the recipe for very long!

No need to use cutlery to eat this yummy breakfast!!

Fletcher's favourite is the Tropical Porridge Fingers, and I now make it for him once a week!

Ingredients:
3 tbs rolled oats (not the quick cooking kind)
4 tbs rice milk*
a good shake of chia seeds
1 tsp coconut
1 tsp sultanas

*(I tried using Almond milk - epic fail! 
Zymil works for those who can have dairy)

Method:
1. Combine the rolled oats and the milk in a microwave proof bowl. Allow the oats time to soak in some of the milk, approx 1min.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
3. Cook in the microwave on high for 2min.
4. Immediately remove from the bowl by using a spoon to softly unstick it from the sides.
5. Cut into "fingers" for a baby just starting out, or cut in half for a more experienced bub.
6. Allow to cool, and then serve to your bubba... and watch them devour it!!

NOTE
~ For a non-tropical version, omit the coconut & sultanas.

Other flavours that work....
~ Frozen blueberries
~ Mashed banana (although personally.. yuck!)
~ Goji berries

Basic Pancake Recipe

In yesterday's post I mentioned that recently my "go to" food for Fletch has been my pancakes. Well, even though next week I'm going to be playing with my pancake recipe to make them a little more healthy, I thought I should share the original recipe with you.

These pancakes are not really pancakes... they are based loosely on a recipe from the Baby Led Weaning Cookbook, but the real trick is what you put in them!

Pancakes are a wonderful, wonderful way to "hide" lots of weird and wonderful things from your baby (or husband!), in a tasty and easy to eat form!

So here's the basic recipe... and following that are some of my favourite additions!

Bon Appetite!!

Katie's Basic Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 egg
150ml milk (I have used almond milk, rice milk and zymil and we can't taste the difference!)
a good shake of chia seeds (for a good burst of protein, always add chia!)

Method:
1. Combine all basic ingredients.
2. Add additional extras (see notes below)
3. Spoon small amounts into heated non-stick pan (dry cook or use nuttalex)
4. Cook for 3 - 4 min on medium heat, until cooked through

This recipe makes enough for approximately 10 pancakes.

 I freeze them individually in ziplock bags and they make a great, easy snack for FJ during the week!

FJ enjoying a pancake while out and about

Additional Extras - now lets get into the fun stuff!

Sweet Alternatives:
~ Goji berries (approx 2tbs)
~ Raspberries (a good shake)
~ Banana (1 mashed)
~ Blueberries (a good shake)
~ Coconut & sultanas (1 tbs of each)
~ Lemon (1/2 a lemon freshly squeezed)

Savoury Alternatives:
~ Basil Pesto (1tbs)
~ Sun-dried tomato (2tbs - including juice)
~ Tuna (1/2 a 90g tin)
~ Corn (1/3 of a small tin)
~ Carrot (1/2 carrot, grated and squeezed to remove excess water)
~ Chives (1 small "stick", finely chopped)

As you can see, anything goes with this great snack foods, the only limit is your imagination!!