ROAST TOMATO & RED CAPSICUM RELISH

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I do adore a good old fashioned condiment to spice up the simplest of dishes and homemade tomato relish is such a fabulous way to make use of Blush tomatoes, that are so juicy and sweet. Tomato relish is the perfect addition to a summer BBQ or to jazz up your next cheese platter and making your own is surprisingly easy. I find that roasting tomatoes and capsicums before simmering them away in a pot gives the relish a delicious smoky flavour. Add in some spices or perhaps some chilli and you have yourself a little jar of happiness that keeps on giving. Continue reading →

STRAWBERRY CHIA & CHOCOLATE PARFAIT

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Have you noticed a faint sweetness in the air of late? It is of course the welcomed blossoming of spring and the perfume of its bounty, strawberries being the most fragrant of all. It has been a late start to the season in Melbourne but Victorian strawberries are now, thankfully, in abundance and they are just waiting to be taken home to be eaten on their own or whipped up into a delightful dish. Continue reading →

THE WHOLEHEARTED WELLNESS RETREAT

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I never thought that I would be the type of person that would fall in love with Bali. But here I am after two trips in 12 months and I’m completely head over heels. I recently returned home after experiencing pure Bali bliss completely inspired and wanting to share this special place with you. As a result I have been busy creating the ultimate week away, The Wholehearted Wellness Retreat. I even have a special Super Early Bird Offer for you (see below)!

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Nourish your body and nurture your soul: one blissful week in Bali with The Wholehearted Cook. 

Imagine you have one whole week to nourish your body with delicious wholefoods. One week to nurture your soul with sunrise salutations and twilight cocktails. One week just for you. (Read: no work, no laundry, no kids, no demands, no interrupted sleeps. Yeessssss).

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BEETROOT FELAFEL RAINBOW SALAD

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My mum always said to me, ‘eat your greens!’ which lucky for me (and mum) I always have. But I think I’ll start to tell my daughter to ‘eat the rainbow!’ Admittedly Harlow would take one look at this meal and throw it back in my face, as 22 month old toddlers have a tendency to do, because she’s not quite into raw veggies yet. The poor farmer who hands Harlow a little carrot every weekend at our local market  would be devastated to know that we feed it to the miniature ponies after visiting his stall. But sneakily I can get a rainbow of veggies into her in other ways! Continue reading →

FUDGY CHOCOLATE & WILD ORANGE CAKE

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Every cook needs a good go-to chocolate cake recipe that you can bring out on special occasions or to satisfy when a craving for sweetness hits! However I realised recently that I didn’t have this in my recipe arsenal so I set about creating the ultimate chocolate cake that was fudgy, delicious and not sickly sweet. The result is this cake! I am not going to lie, this is quite different to most chocolate cakes you may have eaten, as it doesn’t have that fluffy floury texture that you might be used to. But to me this cake has answered my calls for a crowd-pleasing cake that doesn’t make you feel like you are going to have a heart attack after eating it. It’s also gluten, dairy and refined sugar free! Bonus.  Continue reading →

PALEO PISTACHIO & CINNAMON CHOCOLATE COOKIES

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Guess what? I use my oven as a heater. True story. Our house is nestled in the foothills of the Yarra Valley and it gets freezing in winter. Of course we have a fireplace, which is lovely, but not so lovely getting it going on icy, cold mornings. So as a quick-fix solution, I crank up my oven until I get the fire sorted. Oh the joys of living in a country ‘hobbit house’. But considering it is winter it is seriously the perfect time for indulging in a little baking, not only to heat up your house, but also to warm your soul.

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THE BEST ZUCCHINI NOODLE CARBONARA

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Man how I love carbonara, it’s so creamy, so indulgent, and so delicious. But after a bowl of mum’s carbonara that is ladened with cream, Parmesan cheese and heavy wheat pasta, inevitably I feel sick and bloated afterwards. Perhaps that’s also because I had two bowls!

Of course every now and again eating a traditional carbonara is fine but I love turning a classic dish into something that still tastes just as good but is better for you and that you could eat every week without feeling bad about it. Continue reading →

HEALTHY PACKAGED FOOD FOR BABIES & TODDLERS

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Packaged food for babies and toddlers has come a loooong way since back in the day! With harmful preservatives and additives thankfully disappearing from most ingredient lists, at least in Australia. But there are still some food companies out there that are doing better than others, even some that are truly smashing it. I’ve put together a short list of my favourite brands that make life a little easier, especially when I have an unbearably hangry toddler in the passenger seat that just can not wait to eat until we get home! You know you’ve been there…

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