Christmas Fruit Balls (Kid's Version Rum Balls)

This is my alcohol-free rum ball recipe for all the little people and pregnant ladies out there.

As far as sweet treats go, these fruit balls actually make quite nutritious little snacks. Full of dried fruits and calcium rich sweetened condensed milk, they are high in sugar but also high in fibre, and a source of calcium and iron.

Christmas Fruit Balls

400g mixed dried fruit

100g glace cherries, chopped

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (approx. 2 oranges)

250g milk arrowroot biscuit

1 cup milk powder

2 tbsp pure cocoa powder

1 cup dessicated coconut (plus extra for rolling in)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (400g)

1. Preparation should begin a few days in advance. Pour orange juice over mixed fruit and cherries, cover, and store in refridgerator for at least 2-3 days.
2. Use a blender or food processor to crumb arrowroot biscuits.
3. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients - biscuit crumbs, cocoa powder, milk powder, and coconut.
4. Make a well in the centre of dry mix and pour in condensed milk and fruit. Stir well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mixture will be reasonably difficult to stir.
5. Use a teaspoon to measure mix, form into balls and then roll gently in additional coconut to coat.
6. Place coconut coated balls on plate and then freeze until needed. 

Date and Almond Biscotti

For a lower fat tea time treat, try biscotti instead of cake or regular sweet biscuits. They are surprisingly simple to make and also make a wonderful food gift during the festive season.

Date and Almond Biscotti

1 cup plain flour

1 cup SR flour

120g blanched almonds

150g pitted dates

1/2 cup castor sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, almonds and dates
2. Make a well in the centre and add eggs and vanilla
3. Mix well with a wooden spoon to form a sticky dough
4. Use floured hands to roll the dough out into a long snake. You may find it easier to divide the dough into two parts when doing this.
5. Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 160 degrees for about 30min or until surface just starts to brown slightly.
6. Cool on trays then slice diagonally into 1cm thick slices.
7. Lie slices flat on lined baking tray and bake again at 160 degrees for about 25 min, turning over at halfway.



Chickpea and Carrot Salad

Bored with steamed vegetables? Salads are made for summer. This is such a simple salad to make and it is a great example of how you can incorporate more legumes into your diet.

Take leftovers to work for lunch. Turn it into a meal by adding a small can of salmon and a dollop of cottage cheese.

Suitable for 12mths+

Chickpea and Carrot Salad

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 onion, finely diced

1 red capsicum, finely diced

1 carrot, coarsely grated

Dressing

1/2 lemon, juice only

2 tbsp French dressing

Ground white pepper to taste

Asparagus and Ricotta Tart

Asparagus is at its seasonal best in Spring. Use reduced fat puff pastry in this tart and serve warm for a quick and nutritious mid-week dinner. Or for a more decadent version, bake with flaky short crust pastry. 

Asparagus and Ricotta Tart

1 sheet reduced fat puff pastry

250g light ricotta cheese

5 eggs

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2 bunches of asparagus, ends trimmed to fit tart tin

Cracked black pepper and salt

1. Line a tart tin with the sheet of pastry.
2. In a bowl, whisk eggs together with ricotta, nutmeg and parmesan cheese
3. Season with pepper and salt to taste
4. Pour egg mix into pastry lined tin
5. Lightly lay trimmed asparagus on top of egg mix
6. Bake at 180 degrees for about 45 min or until top is golden and egg just set



Rum Balls (Adults Only Version)

Finally, the highly coveted and super secret family recipe has been released...

Best made a month in advance and stored in the freezer until required.

Rum Balls

400g mixed dried fruit

100g glace cherries, chopped

1 cup rum

250g milk arrowroot biscuits

1 cup milk powder

2 tbsp pure cocoa powder

1 cup dessicated coconut (plus extra for rolling in)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (400g)

1. Preparation should begin a few days in advance. Pour rum over mixed fruit and cherries, cover, and store in refridgerator for at least 2-3 days.
2. Use a blender or food processor to crumb arrowroot biscuits.
3. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients - biscuit crumbs, cocoa powder, milk powder, and coconut.
4. Make a well in the centre of dry mix and pour in condensed milk and fruit. Stir well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mixture will be reasonably difficult to stir.
5. Use a teaspoon to measure mix, form into balls and then roll gently in additional coconut to coat.
6. Place coconut coated balls on plate and then freeze until needed.





Minted Lamb Patties

Fresh mint and peas add a lift to spring lamb in these hamburger patties. Using herbs is a great way to boost the flavour of meals without adding salt. Suitable for 7-9mth+.

Minted Lamb Patties

500g lean lamb mince

1 garlic clove

1 onion, finely diced

1 cup peas

1 bunch fresh mint leaves (just remove any woody stalks)

1 royal gala apple, cored and roughly sliced

1 egg

1. In a food processor, blend the garlic, mint, apple and egg
2. Once mostly smooth, add the peas to the food processor and pulse once or twice only. You want some of the peas to remain intact.
3. Combine the puree mix with the minced lamb in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with clean hands and shape into patties.
4. Cook on a hot BBQ, turning once only.



Christmas Cake

Fruit cakes are naturally packed with goodness from all the dried fruits and nuts they contain.

Use a canola based margarine instead of butter and make sure to soak the dried fruit in the fridge for at least a few days before you start. I use rum, but you could also use brandy or even home-squeezed orange juice. Don't worry, the alcohol cooks off during the cooking process!

Christmas cakes are best made a month ahead. Consider 'feeding' the cake with a few teaspoons of liquor each week in the lead up to Christmas.

Christmas Cake

400g currants

325g sultanas

200g raisins

200g glace cherries

100g mixed candied peel

2 cups rum

1 apple, cored and pureed fresh with skin on

4 eggs, lightly beaten

175g margarine

175g soft brown sugar

200g SR flour

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tbsp black treacle

28 blanched almonds (for topping)

1. Place all dried fruit, treacle and apple in a bowl and cover with rum. Cover dish and refridgerate for at least a couple of days before you start the cake.
2. Grease and line a 2cm round cake tin. Tie some additional paper around the outside of the tin and prepare a double layer square of baking paper with a small cutout in the middle. The square is to be placed gently on top of the cake to prevent burning during the long cooking time.
3. Preheat oven to 140 degrees.
4. Sift flour and spices into a bowl.
5. In another bowl, beat together sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating all the time. Adding the eggs slowly should prevent them from curdling, but if the mixture does curdle, don't worry too much as the cake will still taste delicious!
6. Fold the flour gently into the egg mix.
7. Gently fold fruit and almond mix in now.
8. Transfer cake mix to the cake tin, spreading out evenly.
9. Place almonds in a circular pattern on the cake surface.
10. Cover with baking paper square and bake for 4 - 4.5hrs or until skewer tests clean.







Salmon and Dill Spaghetti

This is fresh and nutritious one pot pasta meal. A dash of cream brings the sauce together nicely and the whole cherry tomatoes add a delightful burst of flavour when you bite into them.

Salmon and Dill Spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 onion, finely diced

1/2 cup white wine

1 carrot, peeled into ribbons

2 cups broccoli florets

200g cherry tomatoes

50mL thickened cream

200g smoked salmon, sliced into large ribbons

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Cracked pepper and salt to taste

200g spaghetti

1. Cook spaghetti in boiling water till al dente. Drain and set to the side.
2. In a large pan, heat oil. Saute onions and garlic. Add tomatoes and cook briefly on high heat.
3. Pour in wine, allowing to reduce slightly before adding broccoli and carrots. Cook briefly to preserve some texture and crunch to vegetables
4. Season to taste, remembering that when you add the smoked salmon it will make the dish saltier.
5. Remove from heat, stir through cream, cooked pasta, fresh dill, and salmon.
6. Serve immediately.  



Spaghetti with Olives and Ham

This is an fresh and tasty pasta meal that can be whipped up with whatever vegetables you find in the fridge. The more the merrier!

Spaghetti with Olives and Ham

250g spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil

200g lean leg ham, sliced into strips

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, finely diced

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup reduced salt chicken stock

1 carrot, julienned

1 red capsicum, sliced into strips

1 cup frozen peas

100g pitted kalamata olives

200g deli reduced fat ricotta

Cracked black pepper

1. Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente
2. Heat oil in saucepan. Add ham, garlic and onion.
3. Add wine, cooking briefly.
4. Add chicken stock and carrot, capsicum and celergy, cooking until tender
5. Add peas and olives, cooking until heated through
6. Stir through pasta and crumbled ricotta cheese
7. Serve immediately

Homemade Stocks

• When preparing vegetables for everyday dishes, don’t throw away the trimmings. Woody stalks, onion skins, carrot ends all add wonderful flavours to a stock base. Pop the trimmings in a freezer bag and store in the freezer until you have enough to boil up for a stock or soup.


• When you are preparing a meal, save any meat trimmings, including bones, or bits of fat that still have meat attached. While cooking the meal at hand, place the meat trimmings in a saucepan of water and boil. Add leftover vegetable trimmings from the freezer, and continue boiling gently for as long as possible.


• Remove from heat, cool for a short while, and then pour the hot stock liquid through a sieve, and into a glass container. Seal with a lid, and then cool on bench until suitable temperature for freezing.


• The stock is now fully prepared. As it cools, the fat will rise to the top and form a distinct layer that can easily be removed before use. You will be left with a full flavoured, low-fat stock that can quickly and easily be defrosted for use in any meal.


• Try boiling up the ham bone after Christmas and use the ham stock in spaghetti Bolognese or lasagne dishes.


• To make a lovely seafood udon style soup, buy green prawns, boil gently until cooked. Remove prawns, peel, and store. Return the prawn heads and shells to the water, add vegetable trimmings, and spices. Boil stock for immediate use, or prepare and freeze for later.

Banana Bread

My family loves this. It tastes wonderful straight out of the oven or even toasted with margarine and honey.

The small amount of sugar and walnuts can be omitted if cooking for babies under 12mths. Otherwise, this is a healthy and nutritious alternative to commercially bought cakes and fruit bread that the whole family can enjoy. 



Banana Bread

1 cup wholemeal SR flour

1 cup white SR flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

4 overripe bananas, roughly mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup light Greek yoghurt

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. 
   
   Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. 
   
   Grease and line silicon bread loaf tin with baking paper
3. 
   
   Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl
4. 
   
   In another medium sized bowl, combine mashed bananas, vanilla, yoghurt, milk and eggs
5. 
   
   Pour wet mix into dry and fold gently with a spatula
6. 
   
   Pour into loaf tin, spreading flat
7. 
   
   Sprinkle with course brown sugar and a dusting of cinnamon
8. 
   
   Bake at 180 degrees for about 50min or until skewer tests clean

Mini Chargrilled Vegetable Quiches

Eat these tasty little quiches hot out of the oven or serve them cold at a picnic. They are a fantastic way to use up leftovers.

I used chargrilled eggplant, mushrooms, and courgette leftover from a BBQ the day before. My personal preference is to use puff pastry. I choose the reduced fat variety for health reasons. However, an even healthier option is to use lavash bread or filo pastry instead.

Mini Chargrilled Vegetable Quiches

2 sheets of reduced fat puff pastry

40g pepperoni salami, very finely diced

1 onion, finely diced

Mixed roasted or chargrilled vegetables, finely diced

(1 zucchini, 1/2 aubergine, 3 portobello mushrooms, 1/2 corn cob)

1 cup frozen peas

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

4 slices reduced fat Kraft cheese slices

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Lightly spray two muffin trays with oil. Cut up pastry into squares and press into muffin holes.
3. In a small fry pan, heat pepperoni with onion, cooking until fat has rendered off and onion is translucent. Set to the side to cool.
4. Combine remaining vegetables, eggs, and mozarella in a large bowl.
5. Spoon egg mixture into pastry lined muffin trays, but only half filling.
6. Unwrap and fold cheese slices to divide each into 4 small squares. Lay a small square on the egg mix in each muffin hole. Cover with spoonfuls of the remaining egg mix, dividing it evenly among all muffin holes.
7. Bake at 180 degrees for about 50min or until egg is set in the middle.
8. Delicious served hot or cold.