Rhubarb, Orange & Hazelnut Cake {gf}

When a friend offered to pay me back “in kind” I knew just what to ask for. Rhubarb. Fresh, home grown, organic rhubarb. Of all the things that could turn me into an avid gardener, rhubarb would be it. It’s one of my favourite fruits, but also the one that never seems to go down…

Pear, Chocolate & Ginger Muffins with crunchy nut topping {gf, df}

Pear and ginger; it’s hardly an original idea, but it’s certainly a good one, as the classic combination features over and over again in cookbooks, magazines and on baking websites. This is my first foray, though I’ve had the idea on my mind for some time now. It was probably autumn last year when I…

Fruit & Yoghurt Slice {gluten-free and dairy options}

Fruit & Yoghurt Slice {with gluten-free and dairy-free options}

Okay, we’re going super-healthy this time, and it’s ugly but oh, so good! It’s a slice that could be co-opted as breakfast food, or packed into the lunchbox as a healthy snack. Rules surrounding what one can consume at school are getting so rigid these days, but never fear! This baby is nut-free. It is…

Butterscotch Blondies {with gf/df option}

Isn’t it funny how food goes in and out of fashion? (I mean certain ingredients of course, not food in general!) Ingredients that were once commonplace – such as suet, copha or even glace cherries – are rarely seen or eaten anymore. New or recently discovered foods are in vogue; health-conscious foodies eat kale and…

Essie’s Cobbler

It’s official; summer’s over (cue sad face). And with the cold stretch of wintry weather we’ve had this past week, all I’ve wanted to do is to hibernate: stay inside where it’s warm, beside the heater. No, make that the oven. Because what better way to use one’s hibernation than to make a warming dessert?…

Banana, Berry & Chia Seed Muffins {gluten-free + dairy-free options}

The first time ever that I came across chia seeds was while teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) to adult migrants and refugees. A relative newcomer, Tuoy (pronounced ‘Twee’) had lived in Australia for many years, but had next to no knowledge of the English language. The first day she entered the class I…

Carrot, Currant and Coconut Salad + a muffin recipe

I feel like I’m becoming a bit like those chefs you hear about, or those Italian mammas, who cook by feel. A wodge of that, a glug of that (as per Jamie Oliver – love him). Don’t get me wrong. I follow recipes strictly, until I know them well enough to ad lib. But this…

Chewy Fruit and Seed Slice {gluten-free, and very, very addictive}

Is it too early to start talking about lunchbox snacks? Probably. But with less than one week to go until the new school year begins, I thought it was time to get some healthy snacks on the radar. What actually prompted this post was a visit to the beach in the incredibly cold, wet weather…

Chocolate Chip & Coconut Cakes (gluten-free + dairy-free + egg-free}

Call me a soft touch. But when I see a young boy’s face crumple with disappointment because he can’t eat the cakes all the other kids are eating, it calls for an intervention. These mini chocolate chip and coconut cakes are the intervention. They are super-easy, super-quick, and devoid of all those nasties that seem…

Baked Pumpkin Coconut Custard {dairy-free}

Although I was once a dedicated pumpkin-hater, it turns out that this vegetable has become quite the staple here in this house since the boy started on solids a year ago. It was so easy to boil up half a pumpkin, mash it and then fill ice block trays to store in the freezer for…