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Quirky Cooking

Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake & Christmas Recipe Round-Up

QuirkyJo by QuirkyJo
December 15, 2017
in Cakes, Christmas, Dairy Free, GAPS, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Holidays, Naturally Sweetened, Paleo, Thermomix
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Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake, Quirky Cooking

by Jo Whitton, recipe by Sarah Moran

Well it’s that time of year again, when the Christmas excitement (and the Christmas stress) begins to escalate, and we madly scramble for Christmas cooking ideas and gift ideas, try to tidy up the house because family is coming, and wonder why we didn’t get organised earlier this year like we were planning to??? (Or is that just me? Ha ha!)

Christmas always seems to creep up on me. Probably because I’m working and travelling hard, planning for next year, finishing off the homeschool reports for the year, developing new Christmas recipes, cooking for gifts and parties and Christmas day, and also trying to take some time out with family and friends. 

However, we DID manage to get a beautiful Quirky Christmas recipe ebook together using the grain free dough/pastry recipe from our Life-Changing Food cookbook – yay us!!! Hopefully you got your copy via our newsletter, but if not you can subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll get the link in your confirmation email*. (If you don’t have our cookbook – or it’s wrapped up and sitting under your Christmas tree and you’re not allowed to open it yet – you can use your favourite pastry recipe with our filling ideas, so make sure you check it out!)

* Note: If you are already subscribed to our newsletter and can’t find the link to the ebook, we’ll send it out again soon in our Christmas Cooking Newsletter!

FB_ad_ebook3

 

For those of you are still trying to work out your Christmas cooking, here’s a Quirky Christmas Recipe Round-Up for you, as well as our new Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake recipe. And don’t miss our latest Christmas podcasts with three very inspiring women – you’ll find them very helpful for planning your Christmas menus, and calming down that Christmas stress with simple ideas and helpful ways to make this season a time of love, joy, peace, and deliciousness!!


 
Listen in to our Christmas podcasts here:

 

Quirky Christmas Recipe Round-Up

Chocolate Christmas Tree, Quirky Cooking
Raspberry Jelly Cheesecake Slice, Quirky Cooking
Raw Macadamia Lime Cheesecake, Quirky Cooking

Breakfast Ideas

  • Christmas Breakfast Casserole (pictured left) – prepare ahead with a delicious casserole you can pop into the oven on Christmas morning while everyone opens their gifts!
  • Huevos Rancheros – another savoury breakfast favourite that can be prepared ahead
  • Pancakes, 3 Ways (spelt, gluten free & grain free options) – for those who like a sweet breakfast on Christmas morning; serve with blueberry syrup for a delicious start to the day
  • Chia Pudding with Roasted Berries – prepare ahead and layer in the morning
  • Coconut Vanilla Rice Pudding – an old favourite; add some sultanas and spices to make it Christmassy if you like!
  • Banana Pecan Spice Bread – keep it simple and make this bread days ahead, slice and freeze, and toast on Christmas morning

Mains, Sides & Salads

  • Turkey with Grain Free Stuffing – if you want a traditional Christmas dinner with a beautiful roast turkey as the centrepiece, here’s a recipe I developed a couple of years ago with a grain free stuffing
  • Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Red Wine Sauce – This is one of my favourite recipes for ANY special dinner! The recipe is on the blog and in our Life-Changing Food cookbook. Super quick to prepare, and very delicious!
  • Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic – another delicious family favourite – make it look amazing by roasting the chicken whole (or butterflied)
  • Herb-Crusted Salmon – a very impressive dish that everyone will love! Use King Salmon or your preferred fish if you can’t get wild-caught pink salmon. The traditional recipe is in the Life-Changing Food cookbook, and there’s a Thermomix version on the blog!
  • Cauliflower-Leek Mash – a simply delicious side dish for those trying to keep carbs low
  • Quinoa Salad – bright and colourful and filling! Serves a crowd
  • Moroccan Cauliflower ‘Cous Cous’ Salad (gluten free, grain free) – a main meal salad that is perfect for taking to Christmas parties and BBQs!

Baking & Treats

  • Christmas pastries (grain free) – see our Quirky Christmas Recipes Ebook (above) for party favourites like Chocolate Hazelnut Christmas Tree (pictured left), Grain Free Mince Pies, Boxing Day Pasties, Mini Beigli, Apple & Nutmeg Franigpane Tarte, Feta & Mint Fatayer, and more!
  • Steamed Christmas puddings (grain free) – GAPS & Paleo friendly recipe with Thermomix method
  • Gingerbread Biscuits (grain free) – make your gingerbread men and gingerbread stars, and even Pfeffernussen with this dough!
  • Chocolate – our favourite chocolate recipe is in our LCF cookbook – Nutty Chocolate – or if you don’t have the book use this recipe and get creative with fillings!
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge – cheaper than chocolate as it used butter instead of cacao butter, and very ‘moreish’ – we nickname it ‘fat bomb fudge’ as it’s half peanut butter, half butter!
  • Rapadura & Maple Syrup Butter Toffee – my kids’ favourite Christmas time treat, perfect for a little treat in Christmas stockings, or for gifts

Desserts

  • Raspberry Jelly Cheesecake Slice (both dairy & dairy free versions) – this looks so festive with the bright red jelly on top, and is a healthy, delicious version of an old favourite!
  • Raw Macadamia Lime Cheesecake (dairy free) – a Quirky Cooking classic, loved by thousands of people the world over! If you’ve never tried it, you need to!!
  • Lemon Berry Trifle (gluten free, grain free) – this quirky trifle is a healthier version of traditional trifle, but don’t be scared off – it’s always been a hit at every party I’ve taken it to!
  • Strawberry Jelly Pie (gluten free, grain free) – beautiful, bright red, strawberries-in-jelly filling with an almond meal pastry
  • Coconut Vanilla Sorbet (dairy free) – this sorbet is very refreshing, great for a hot Christmas day, served alongside pie or fresh berries
  • Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse – simple to make, and an impressive dessert served in crystal glasses with fresh berries on top!
  • And of course our Paleo Christmas Cake, recipe below!
IMG_4919

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

We hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends, plenty of delicious, wholesome food, and some time out to rest and recover from a busy year. Please post some photos of your Christmas cooking in our Quirky Cooking Chat Group or tag #quirkycooking or #lifechangingfood on Instagram, we’d love to see what you make! 😀

Love from Jo, Fouad and the team at Quirky Cooking xx

Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake

Spice up your Christmas with this delicious, grain free Christmas Cake!

Paleo Christmas Cake (Grain Free)
2017-10-25 04:35:44
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Ingredients
  1. 100g Medjool dates, pitted
  2. 1 large orange, zest and juice (100g juice)
  3. 3 eggs
  4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  5. 60g olive oil, macadamia oil or coconut oil
  6. 600g dried fruit, preservative and oil free, chopped finely (eg. sultanas, raisins, apricots, cranberries and figs)
  7. 100g whole pecans
  8. 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  9. 1 tsp ground ginger
  10. 1 tsp nutmeg
  11. 1 tsp mixed spice
  12. ¼ tsp salt
  13. 200g almond meal
  14. 100g (approx) blanched almonds or pecans, to decorate
Thermomix Method
  1. Preheat oven to 150ºC.
  2. Grease and line a 22cm round cake tin.
  3. Place pitted dates into TM bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 6.
  4. Add orange zest and juice, eggs, vanilla and oil and mix 5 sec/speed 4.
  5. Add fruit, pecans, spices, salt and almond meal and mix 10 sec/Reverse/speed 4.
  6. Scrape edges of bowl and mix 5 sec/Reverse/speed 4.
  7. Pour into prepared cake tin and decorate with blanched almonds.
  8. Bake 1 ¼ -1 ½ hours (check by inserting skewer into cake after 1 ¼ hours) on the middle rack of the oven.
  9. Cool in tin before serving.
Conventional Method
  1. Preheat oven to 150ºC.
  2. Grease and line a 22cm round cake tin.
  3. Chop pitted dates finely in a food processor or by hand.
  4. Mix together chopped dates, orange zest and juice, eggs, vanilla and oil in a large bowl or food processor, until well combined.
  5. Add fruit, pecans, spices, salt and almond meal and mix until combined.
  6. Pour into prepared cake tin and decorate with blanched almonds.
  7. Bake 1 ¼ -1 ½ hours (check by inserting skewer into cake after 1 ¼ hours) on the middle rack of the oven.
  8. Cool in tin before serving.
Quirky Cooking https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/

Our lovely assistant, Sarah Moran from Pursue What is Lovely, has joined us in the kitchen to develop this great recipe for Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake for us. Thanks Sarah!

 

Tags: almondsbakingcakesChristmasdairy freedatesgapsGluten FreeGrain FreeholidayLunchesNaturally SweetenedpaleoThermomixvegetablesVegetarianwheat freewholefood
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Comments 33

  1. Annabelle says:
    3 years ago

    Any chance anyone has tried this egg free?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      No we haven’t, it would probably need a bit of baking powder if you replace the eggs, as it’s already quite a dense cake and the eggs help it to rise.

      Reply
    • Sarah Tangye says:
      2 years ago

      Use chia seeds in water to make chia eggs. 1 tablespoon chia seeds to 2-3 tablespoons water. let it soak for 15 minutes. It ill go gluggy and a perfect substitute for eggs

      Reply
    • Maria says:
      1 year ago

      Tried this with chia seeds as an egg replacement. As I doubled the recipe, it was 6 tablespoons of chia and 3 times the amount of water and let it sit for 15 mins to absorb. Also added 4 teaspoons of baking powder (again recipe was doubled)
      I baked in a large sheet pan and it was light and fluffy. Gorgeous recipe

      Reply
      • QuirkyJo says:
        1 year ago

        So good to know, thank you!!

        Reply
  2. Heidi Holt says:
    3 years ago

    Oh Jo and Fouad!! Thank you thank you for all of these paleo and gluten free recipes for Christmas! I cannot Wait get into the kitchen and start cooking now. Mwah!

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      You’re so welcome!! YAY!! Have fun! x

      Reply
  3. Jen Crawford says:
    3 years ago

    Hi Jo. Thank you for your beautiful recipes. I was wondering how far ahead the cake can be made and how long it will keep for? Have a lovely Christmas. Jen

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      You could make it a few days ahead and store in the fridge, or freeze it and it will last for months if well-wrapped!

      Reply
  4. Nancy says:
    3 years ago

    Would that be 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      1 Tablespoon 🙂

      Reply
  5. Therese says:
    3 years ago

    I had a piece of this cake made by my daughter in law! it was so delicious , I’m off to get the ingredients to make it now!

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Yippee!!! So glad you liked it, enjoy! xx

      Reply
  6. Karen says:
    3 years ago

    Hey Jo, I have made the same Womens Weekly cake for over 30 years up until 3 years ago when I gave up grains and have not made one since, but your Paleo Christmas Cake will be the start of a new tradition. Fabulous!

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Yaaaayyy!!! So happy to hear that!! xx

      Reply
  7. Selina says:
    3 years ago

    How long will this cake keep for Jo? Thank you

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Probably up to a week in the fridge, or freeze well-wrapped for a few months!

      Reply
  8. Pingback: Christmas recipes roundup - Live Well Physio
  9. Tracey says:
    3 years ago

    Made this cake today, it’s so easy to make. It’s in the oven now, wish I could share a pic. Thanks Jo for all your grain free, dairy free recipes, Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Yay Tracey! What did you think of the cake? 🙂 Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas too. xx (PS – feel free to share pics on Facebook or instagram)

      Reply
  10. Sarah Pearce says:
    3 years ago

    Hello beautiful Jo. Can you make the grain free dough a few days before using for the Choc hazelnut tree?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Hi Sarah, sorry for the delayed reply. Yes, you sure can make the dough in advance. Did you end up making it for Christmas? 🙂

      Reply
  11. Jacquelyn says:
    3 years ago

    Thank you for giving me back Christmas cake! My mum has a tradition of making boozy Christmas cakes so it doesn’t seem like Christmas without drunken raisins- so I snuck in brandy to soak the fruit instead of orange juice – delicious!!

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Haha! Well done…sounds fantastic. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Naomi says:
    3 years ago

    Thanks for this recipe Jo. I made this cake for my dad. My mum who recently passed away would make fruit cake often. He loved it and loves that it’s a healthy version. Have you ever tried soaking the fruit in brandy or rum? It would make it quite wet tho wouldn’t it…maybe just add some more almond meal do you think?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Hi Naomi, glad your dad loved the cake. 🙂 Yes, you can soak the fruit first (soak overnight to soak up the brandy/rum). It is very moist so you could add a little more almond meal but it’s not necessary. xx

      Reply
  13. Kerri says:
    3 years ago

    I made this and it was absolutely wonderful. Thank you.

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Yay!! Glad you loved it Kerri! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Pingback: 21 Healthy Christmas Party Recipes | Archive Blog
  15. Sally says:
    1 year ago

    I have missed eating fruit cake and this is amazing 🙌🏼 – just like traditional fruit cake. Thanks yet again Jo x

    Reply
  16. Maria says:
    1 year ago

    Can’t wait to bake a double quantity today. I’ve had the fruit soaking overnight with a dash of limoncello.

    Reply
  17. Pingback: 50 Most Shared Australian Recipes in Last 12 Months - Linksforce
  18. Pingback: 21 Healthy Christmas Party Recipes - Flabulose

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Sometimes you just need an afternoon snack to keep Sometimes you just need an afternoon snack to keep you going. Right? 😊 This is my Cashew Honey Custard (starch free) with wild blueberries 🫐🍯 - you can watch me make this in my stories today. 

You will find the recipe on my blog, or tap on this photo via the link in my profile. I swapped the tapioca for gelatine (for a more gut-friendly version), and added an extra egg. Don’t strain out the pulp when you make the cashew milk as it helps to thicken the custard. This custard can also be made egg free, see notes below the recipe. And to make on the stovetop, just whisk all the ingredients in a pan over medium heat until thickened.

Enjoy! 🫐🍯❤️

https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2012/02/cashew-honey-vanilla-bean-custard/
#cashewmilk #custard #cashewcustard #blueberries #dairyfree #dairyfreecustard #glutenfree #grainfree #starchfree #gutfriendly #gaps #guthealth #paleo #wholefood #snack #thermomix
I’ve been a bit absent here the last few days. F I’ve been a bit absent here the last few days. First we were fighting off colds, then a cyclone hanging around the coast caused power outages and affected phone reception... But despite all that, my sisters and I managed to do a bit of a cook up yesterday - by lantern light! 😄😄 

It was a lot of fun having both my sisters with me yesterday, and we got lots done despite having no electricity all day! (Have you ever tried making a cashew paste with a mortar and pestle?? Harder than it sounds... 😂😂😂) Thankfully my lovely @falconaustralia gas stove made it possible for us to keep cooking, and my Wonderbag worked as a slow-cooker to finish off the lamb curry and keep it hot til dinner time. (It was super soft and delish!)

The cyclone is still hanging around but hopefully it’ll fizz out in the ocean soon! 🌪 

See “Cook Ups” in my story highlights for details of the curry and a glimpse of our day. 😊 And to check out the Wonderbags, just tap on the product tag on the Wonderbag video - or go to quirkycooking.com.au/shop. 🍲

#cyclone #weather #athertontablelands #farnorthqueensland #tropicalnorthqueensland #australia #noelectricity #poweroutage #cooking #cookingbylanternlight #quirkycooking #quirkysisters #cookup #wonderbag #falconoven #gasoven #gascooker
Do you ever crave crispy, crunchy, salty snacks li Do you ever crave crispy, crunchy, salty snacks like potato chips, but prefer a healthier option that’s not drenched in refined oils? I know I do!! Today Joye made us a couple of batches of crackers to satisfy that crunchy craving... YUM!! The ones in the front are the Buckwheat & Almond Crackers from our @lifechangingfoodbook (rolled really thin between two sheets of baking paper to make them super thin and crispy), and the ones behind are the Gluten Free Parmesan Crackers from @sbsfood which are really AMAZING!! 😍 (You can find the recipe on their page.) 

I can see I’m going to have to hide some so that they’ll last longer than a day or so... ha ha!! So delish.

For those of you who are nut free, both of these recipes work well with sunflower or pepita meal instead of almond meal.

#crackers #crispy #crunchy #betterthanchips #buckwheat #almond #glutenfree #grainfree #dairyfree #wholefood #recipe #parmesan #parmesancrackers
{Meet the Quirky team!} Monday morning is team mee {Meet the Quirky team!} Monday morning is team meeting time, yay! I would be so lost without these guys keeping the wheels turning in the background. 🤗 Let me introduce you...

Top left: Magda, admin assistant extraordinaire! Magda joined the team 8 months ago and keeps the online store stocked up 📦 answers your emails with a smile 😀👩🏻‍💻 lives in Melbourne, loves hanging out at the beach with her family 🌞, loves a good laugh 😂 and is always happy to chat about anything food and health related, loves cold showers (even during Melbourne winters 🥶), and says a Sunday without chicken soup simmering on the stove is just not a proper Sunday! 🥣 

Top right: My lovely big sister, Joye, who joined the team 3 years ago. Joye is my cooking & recipe testing assistant, my right hand 🤚 during cookbook photo shoots and local events, and my favourite person to cook with EVER! ❤️ Joye lives near me on the Atherton Tablelands (Far North Queensland), works for me one day a week and teaches music and piano for the rest of the week 🎹 sometimes bursts into song randomly 😵 makes the best sauerkraut you’ve ever tasted 😍 and makes me laugh a LOT with her dry sense of humour and fondness for big words like ‘post-prandial somnolence’ (meaning “after-dinner drowsiness). 😵😂 We have a lot of fun when she’s here cooking with me, and thanks to her my family still eats well when I’m away travelling. 😉 

Last but not least: Emma, Quirky executive assistant and official “shoulder-to-lean-on”! ☺️ For the past 6 years (yes, she’s put up with me for that long!! 😂) Emma has been working tirelessly from her home in Melbourne 👩🏼‍💻 keeping me organised(ish), keeping the website and store ticking along, stocking shelves all around Australia with Quirky cookbooks 📚, answering emails 💌, organising events and retreats and promotions and prizes 🎁, all while being mama to about a million house plants, a crazy dingo x kelpie dog and two noisy boys 🐕 🏃🏻🏃🏻‍♂️... And best of all, Emma has been a ROCK for me when I’m feeling overwhelmed and need to be reminded that the work we do is worthwhile and the ups and downs are normal. ❤️

Love you guys, thank you for all you do 🤗🤗🤗
Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️ I nearly didn’t Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️ I nearly didn’t bother making any chocolate, then at 4.30pm I was like, “What was I thinking???” and I grabbed my @lifechangingfoodbook and had a batch of Nutty Chocolate made within 10 minutes. 😁 Peanut butter swirls on one half and @yungaburra_raspberries freeze-dried raspberries on the other. Bliss! (I may have eaten 4 pieces already.) 🙈😁😂 YUMMMM!! 

#chocolate #valentinesday #treat #refinedsugarfree #wholefood #gaps #dairyfree #quirkycooking #lifechangingfood #freezedriedraspberries #peanutbutter #peanutbutterchocolate #delicious
Just in case you missed it, I sent out some health Just in case you missed it, I sent out some healthy Valentine’s Day treat ideas yesterday! Did you see? 😃

I know emails have a tendency to get lost on the email jungle, so just search for “Quirky Cooking” (including in those folders where the annoying emails go), because it’s worth reading, I promise! 😁😘 #totallynotannoying

PS You can subscribe by tapping on this photo via the link in my profile. ❤️

#valentinesday #treat #treatideas #healthytreats #naturallysweetened #glutenfree #grainfree #dairyfree #wholefood #gaps #paleo #recipes #quirkycooking #treatyourself 

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Valentine’s Day recipe idea, by @marianna.saran Valentine’s Day recipe idea, by @marianna.saran ❤️ Plum pie with almond pastry!! 😍😍

This gorgeous pie was made by @marianna.saran and she has generously allowed me to share it! The pastry is made with my Almond Meal Pastry recipe (see @lifechangingfoodbook). Prebake the base for 10-15 mins at 180C, then fill, top and bake til the pastry hearts are lightly browned. 

Marianna says, "For the filling, I blended 3 plums with 1 Tbs cornflour then spread that on the bottom (the plums were sweet, you could add sugar but I didn't), then I just put plum halves on top then sprinkled each plum with a tiny bit of cornflour and rubbed it in." Place the pastry hearts on top and bake at 180C until lightly browned. That's it! 

Another option would be to make roasted plums (halve, deseed, place on baking tray and drizzle with honey and vanilla and sprinkle with a little water, then roast at 180C for about 30 mins). Place the roasted plums into the cooked base with their juices, then top with pastry hearts and bake as above. You could sprinkle the pastry hearts with a little coconut sugar if you wanted to. YUM!

(If you don’t have @lifechangingfoodbook, search ‘quirky cooking chicken pot pies’ and you’ll find the pastry recipe there.)

#valentines #baking #plums #plumpie #pie #simplebaking #baking #glutenfree #grainfree #gaps #paleo #wholefood #treat #grainfreepastry #grainfreebaking
“When the butter chicken is THAT good!!” 🤣🤣🤣 

(Anyone else love Quirky butter chicken this much? 🤤)

Tap on this video via the link in my bio for the recipe!

Thanks for sharing, @_sheridanharris_ 😍🤗❤️

https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2015/11/my-best-butter-chicken-ever/
#butterchicken #quirkybutterchicken #kidfriendly #familyfavourite #familyfavorite #glutenfree #dairyfree #eggfree #nutfree #grainfree #gaps #paleo #wholefood #healingfood #guthealth #guthealthmatters #dinner #familymeal #quirkycooking #kids #funny #funnyvideos
Guys, my “Gut-Healthy Chocolate Caramel Slice” Guys, my “Gut-Healthy Chocolate Caramel Slice” recipe is now up on the blog! (Finally!! 😂🙈😘) Check it out by tapping on this photo via the link in my bio. 

Have a lovely weekend! ❤️❤️❤️

#quirkycooking #chocolate #caramel #slice #choccaramel #caramelchocolate #dessert #treat #wholefood #healthyfood #snacks #weekendtreat #glutenfree #grainfree #dairyfree #eggfree #nutfree #vegan #variations #recipe 
https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2021/02/gut-healthy-chocolate-caramel-slice/
{Recipe} I have sooooo much Thai basil in my garde {Recipe} I have sooooo much Thai basil in my garden at the moment - it’s kind of taken over. Pesto time!! Did you know pesto freezes really well? I love having it on hand to use as a dip or to spread on crackers, or on lamb roast for a pesto crust. I make it into a salad dressing, mix it through pumpkin soup, or add to mince and make baked pesto meatballs... there’s so many delicious ways to use it!

What’s your favourite ways to use pesto? 🌿

Here’s my simple pesto recipe - it’s delicious with or without the Parmesan and can be made nut free as well.

(Pictured here with some yummy Kex seed crackers from @sproutnutrition, and the silver “spread love” knife is one I bought years ago on Etsy. 😊)

Macadamia Pesto

1-2 garlic cloves
160g raw macadamia nuts or cashews
60g fresh basil leaves
½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
60g extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for storage
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
60g Parmesan cheese or 2 tsp savoury yeast flakes (opt)

Thermomix Method
Place all ingredients into TM bowl and pulse 4 times 1 sec/closed lid/Turbo.
Transfer pesto into a glass jar, drizzle some extra olive oil on top to seal from the air, and keep in the fridge.

Conventional Method
Chop garlic and nuts in a food processor until roughly chopped. 
Add remaining ingredients and process until desired texture is achieved.

Storage
Store in a glass jar in the fridge for approximately 1 week, or freeze for 3-4 months.

Variations
Nut free: Swap macadamias for a mixture of pepitas and sunflower seeds.
Salad dressing: To make this into a salad dressing, add 50g more olive oil, and the juice of 1 whole lemon instead of the 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Blend until desired texture is achieved.

#pesto #macadamia #cashew #nutfree #dairyfree #variations #recipe #quirkycooking #homemade #dip #snack
We had a family adventure this weekend - sailing o We had a family adventure this weekend - sailing out to a local island on a 65 year old wooden pearl lugger @fallareef! We were planning to go to the outer reef,  but it was so rough we only made it to Fitzroy Island. That’s ok though, we had an amazing day (despite a few getting seasick from the crazy ride 😂), sailing, swimming, snorkelling, singing... So special to have some bonding time with grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and friends. ❤️ Covid lockdowns really make you appreciate these times sooooo much more!!

I highly recommend taking time out of your busy life to go on adventures with your family whenever you can. Making memories together is so worth the time and effort. The kids say that was the best Christmas present EVER!! 🎉🎉 (It was a little late because we had to fit it in between wet season storms and cyclones. 😂)

Lots of videos in my stories. 💙 Last photo of @just_acountrygal_  by @_thissmallcorner. 

#makememoriesnotexcuses #adventure #family #mykids #friends #familyadventure #quirkyadventure #farnorthqueensland #australia #discoverqueensland #seeaustralia #seequeensland #visitqueensland #tropicalnorthqueensland #fnqlife #discoveraustralia
How are you going so far this year with reaching y How are you going so far this year with reaching your health goals? If you’re feeling stuck and need some help working out how to improve your health, or how to cook for a healing diet, or what to do when you don’t even know where to BEGIN — we’d love to help! 

The Gut Health Formula is an 8 week coaching program run by myself and @elysenutritionist. We are big believers in taking a gentle, holistic, long-term approach towards healing the gut, beginning with reducing food and lifestyle stress, organising your time, working out your health priorities, and taking steps towards optimising the nutrition of your meals... all in a way that won’t overwhelm you or stress your family out! 

For 8 weeks we work with you, answering all your questions and guiding you towards the most important first steps. Then for the next 12 months you have access to the program so you can soak it all in without rushing, and we stay in contact via our private program community group.

Tomorrow we begin our 4th intake for The Gut Health Formula! We invite you to join us if you need support, encouragement, and practical help on your healing journey. 🤗

Find out more by tapping on this photo via the link in my profile.

PS It’s not about fad diets or hardcore detoxes!!
When trying to optimise the health of yourself and your family, the focus can become very narrow, and you can find yourself spiralling in an approach that is creating unhealthy patterns in other areas of your life (social, emotional etc) and also creating an unhealthy relationship with food. Health was never intended to be this way. We will guide you in an approach that considers EVERY aspect of your health (with nutrition being just one piece of the puzzle), keeping in mind the ultimate goal- which isn’t to do things ‘perfectly’, but rather to optimise health and longevity for yourself and your family. To be the healthiest, happiest most vital humans that you can be. That is the ultimate goal right? ❤️

Visit https://www.wellbellyhealth.com.au/the-gut-health-formula
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Copyright Notice

I love it when my readers are as excited about my recipes as I am, and want to share them! I only ask that if you do share my recipes on your own blog or on social media, you only share an excerpt or link, not the entire recipe. Full and clear credit must be given to Quirky Cooking with a link back to the original content. If you’d like to share one of my photos, please contact me for permission. Thank you! Jo x

Recent posts

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  • Gluten Free Sourdough Bread (and Starter) June 19, 2020

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