Paprika Chicken with Creamy Paprika Sauce (an easy all-in-one Thermomix dinner)

Last night I got home late after a busy day and didn't have dinner organised, so it was 'Thermomix to the rescue' once again! I had a quick think, and this is what I came up with. Nothing fancy, just an easy and tasty dinner with basic ingredients, that took all of 25 minutes to make. Sometimes that's just what we need when we can't be bothered, right? (It is really yummy though, and the chicken breasts are amazingly tender and juicy when steamed!)

This fed our family of six and there were plenty of leftovers, which is always a bonus since everyone generally wants dinner for breakfast at our house. :)

This recipe is gluten free, and egg free, and if you omit the butter is also dairy free. The sauce is blended with cashews to make it creamy, but if you can't have nuts, see the nut free variation below. I've added some tips for those of you without a Thermomix, so you don't miss out.

Paprika Chicken with Creamy Paprika Sauce

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

Rice
900g water
380g basmati rice

Veges (these are just suggestions, use what you have)
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
200g green beans, topped and tailed
1-2 zucchini, thinly sliced
150g frozen corn

Chicken
600-700g chicken breast fillets, sliced in 2cm thick pieces
smoked paprika powder (approx 1 tsp)
herb salt (eg. Herbamare)
garlic powder (approx 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp butter or ghee (optional)

Sauce
60g raw cashews
60g water
2 tsp chicken or vegetable stock paste (my chicken stock paste recipe here)
1 tsp smoked paprika powder

Method:

Pour water into mixing bowl.

Weigh rice into steaming basket and rinse well, then place basket inside mixing bowl.

Place chicken pieces onto Varoma tray and sprinkle with paprika, herb salt and garlic powder, and dot with butter or ghee if using.

Place Varoma into position with lid on.

Turn speed dial to speed 5 for a few seconds to wash the water through the rice. (That's my little trick to make sure the top of the rice cooks well and you don't end up with crunchy bits.)

Begin cooking for 20 mins/Varoma/speed 2 while you cut up the veges, adding them to the dish as you go. (It takes about 10 minutes for the steam to really start filling the Varoma, so it's easy enough to get the veges cut up in that time.)

At the end of the cooking time, check that the chicken is cooked; add a couple more minutes if not.

Remove chicken, vegetables and rice to Thermoservers or serving dishes. (Or if you're having an 
"I don't feel like doing heaps of dishes" night, just leave them in the Varoma and basket and set aside.)

Add all the sauce ingredients to the little bit of liquid left in the bowl. (There should only be about 3cm of water left as the rice has absorbed most of it.)

Blend 1 min/speed 9. Scrape down lid and sides of bowl with spatula and blend again if needed, until smooth. Season to taste.

Serve the rice onto plates, top with veges and chicken, and drizzle with sauce.

Easy peasy! :)

Variations:

Nut free version: I haven't tried this yet, but I think it would be simple to leave out the cashews and add a can of Ayam coconut cream instead, with the 2-3 tsp vege stock paste and 1 tsp paprika powder. Warm it up a bit, 1 min/90C/speed 4. Season to taste.

Non Thermomix version:  Pour 100ml boiling water over the raw cashews and allow to soak (covered) while the meal cooks. Cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop. Cook the chicken and vegetables in two layers in a steamer, or in a large frypan with a lid, over med-low heat, until done. Blend the soaked cashews with soaking water and remaining sauce ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth and creamy. Season to taste. (Massel stock powder can be used instead of stock paste.)

Back-to-School Lunchbox Ideas & a Giveaway!

Pesto Pasta Salad - great for lunches, both home and school!

Well, it's that time of year again. Summer holidays are over and now it's the mad rush to get the kids organised for the new school year. It seems like everyone is desperately searching for lunch box ideas that are more then just a vegemite sandwich and an apple. The good news is, there are some AWESOME lunch box ideas out there, and we've been chatting about them on my Facebook page, so I thought I'd share some here for you as well, in case you missed them.

I obviously don't need to worry about lunch boxes too much myself (we homeschool) - our lunches will be the usual soups, leftovers, salads and pasta salads, smoothies, bunless burgers, chocolate banana ice cream, and whatever else I happen to be testing in the kitchen for the day! But I DO remember the stress of getting the kids out the door and to the bus on time with a decent lunch - one that wouldn't come home all smelly and soggy in the bottom of their bag because they didn't like it.

So here you are, not only have I rounded up some great ideas for you, I've also got you some goodies you can WIN to help inspire you with the lunchbox packing craziness!

Bunless burgers - one of our favourite lunches!

A beef mince patty with Dijon mustard and sauteed mushrooms in a cos lettuce 'wrap'. 

(Turkey mince patties with BBQ sauce is delish too.) Make them the night before and chill in the fridge, then pop it into a small snack bag in the morning and keep it cool with a 'Little Mashie' reusable squeezie pouch, filled with a smoothie and frozen! Delicious lunch. :)

Here are some "Lunchbox Filler Ideas" that a lovely reader, Nel, shared with us on Facebook. Nel is a busy mum of five who has lots of great tips for organising the home, storage, clean eating, reducing carbon footprints, gardening, and everyday activities with kids. She has started sharing her tips on her own Facebook page: 'Cuddles, Cookies & Chaos' - pop by and have a look!

Copy this list into a Word document, add in your own favourite lunchbox ideas, and stick it on your fridge. Voila! Plenty of inspiration for your weekly lunchbox menu.

Lunchbox Filler Ideas 

Note: Nel uses ingredients that are organic and/or preservative/gluten/lactose free, and finds most of her recipes online. Use this list as a guide, print out your own favourite recipes to suit your family's preferences. See the tips at the end of the list for more details.

Mondays: veggie box
Tuesdays: fruit box
Wednesdays: veggie box
Thursdays: fruit box
Fridays: treat box

Veggie Boxes
*carrot sticks
*cherry tomatoes
*cucumber slices
*crackers
*hommus
*hard boiled egg
*baked treat
*corn cob
*salad
*chicken drumsticks
*meatballs
*cheese
*sandwich
*leftovers

Fruit Boxes
*berries
*apple
*banana
*yoghurt
*fruit slice
*baked treat
*sandwich
*salad wrap / salad
*grapes
*pears
*mandarin
*orange
*leftovers

Treat Boxes
*bliss balls
*rice sticks
*salt and vinegar veggie crisps
*raw chocolate
*veggies
*fruit
*yoghurt
*juice
*homemade pizza
*homemade sausage rolls with sauce
*leftovers
*baked treat
*mini quiche
*homemade chicken nuggets

Baked Treats
*pikelets
*muffins - sweet and savoury
*anzac biscuits
*chocolate cake
*slices
*zucchini slice
*carrot cake
*banana bread

Lunchbox tips from Nel (and a few from me): 

- Rice sticks and salt & vinegar veggie crisps can be bought in individual packets in the gluten free section at Woolies. They are gluten/dairy/preservative free with no GMO's. 

- An example of a veggie box would be - leftover pasta bake in a thermos, rice crackers with hummus, a piece of carrot cake, half a dozen of each...cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, cheese cubes and a bottle of water. 

- Nel's Fruit Slice: Whiz up dates, cranberries and sultanas with some shredded coconut until its all sticky, stir through some melted coconut oil and quinoa flakes to hold it together, press it into a lined slice tin and keep it in the fridge)

- Healthy chicken nugget recipes can be found here; or try Nel's version - free range chicken breast coated in egg then coconut flour with mixed dried herbs, pan fried then baked, served cold in strips with aioli.

- Try my homemade chicken & vege sausage rolls recipe with spelt rough puff pastry; or Nel's easy chicken & vege sausage rolls: Mince up chicken and add a can of drained organic lentils, some grated carrot and finely chopped onion, roll it up in preservative free puff pastry as you would normal sausage rolls, brush with egg and bake. (You can buy gluten free puff pastry if needed.) 

- For warm baked food, heat everything before school, wrap it in foil and put it into thermos mugs.

- If you're looking for a thermos bowl/mug, you can get "Ez Heat Stayfit" from Woolies. They have a screw top lid with a flap on top that holds a folding reusable spoon, approx. $10. If you put hot liquids in there, do them up really tight - the teachers are always happy to open them for kids. 

- Make your kid's lunchboxes look exciting with cool stuff like hard boiled egg moulds and sandwich cutters.

- Make your own wraps! They're heaps cheaper than bought ones, taste a zillion times better, and are quick to make. Try my spelt tortillas, or for a gluten free wrap make these buckwheat and almond crepes without the vanilla, or try these amazing paleo wraps!

Make your own wraps - cheap, quick, healthy and much yummier than bought ones!

(Recipes above)

Sites to See:

Here's some great blogs and sites to help you with healthy lunchbox ideas...

- The Lunchbox Doctor: for healthy lunchbox menus, recipes, and nutrition tips 

- Meal Planning Your Way: 7 Sandwich Free Lunchbox Ideas

- Well Nourished: daily lunchbox photos on the Facebook page, and lots of great recipes on the website

- Natural New Age Mum: 30 super healthy lunchbox ideas here and best ever healthy lunchbox tips here

- Cut Out the Crap: recipes and tips for cooking without all the nasty stuff, including a recipe book for kid's food

- Brenda Janschek Health & Lifestyle: tips for reducing lunchbox stress, plus delicious recipes

- The Organised Housewife: how to pack a healthy lunchbox

Back-to-School Giveaway...

In my last blog post I shared the inspiring story of Talisha, the amazing young mum who not only is recovering from a serious bowel disease through natural remedies and diet, but has also developed a great product to help mums feed their little ones healthy food! As Talisha says, "With Little Mashies, I can give my child (and myself, when I am sick) healthy, nutrient rich, additive free food wherever we go."

Little Mashies are so easy to use! One way is to fill them with a smoothie and freeze, then pop into kid's lunchboxes where it doubles as an ice pack, and a lunchtime treat! Or fill with custard or chocolate mousse, or banana ice cream, and freeze for a healthy lunchtime treat. Yum!

Here's some recipes that would be perfect for filling up your Little Mashies:

- Green chocolate smoothie (if your school is nut free, replace the nuts with sunflower seeds and pepitas)
- Green smoothies (lots of ideas here)
- Chia pudding (make on coconut water for nut free; add some pureed fruit and coconut yoghurt)
- Coconut Vanilla Sorbet (or any other sorbet, but this one is awesome!)
- Banana custard (two custard recipes here, one with eggs but no nuts if you use plain rice milk (add banana), and one with nuts but no eggs)
- Fruit ice creams (lots of ideas here)
- Chocolate mousse (dairy free - this recipe is made on eggs; if you can't have eggs but can have nuts at school, make my raw vegan chocolate mousse)

Or this Raw Strawberry Pudding...

100g raw dates, pitted
350g fresh strawberries, hulled, or frozen
180g avocado
100g Raw C coconut water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, concentrate

Place all ingredients into mixing bowl and blend 1 min/speed 9.
Scrape down sides of bowl and lid and blend again 10 sec/speed 6.
Scoop pudding into Little Mashies Reusable Pouches and chill, or freeze.

So here's what you can WIN!
[Prize draw now finished - congrats to Emily and Gabrielle!]

Talisha found that coconut water was one thing that really helped her in her illness, and it is something she loves to use in smoothies to put into her Little Mashies. My favourite coconut water is Natural Raw C - it's got nothing added, no concentrates or preservatives or sweeteners - and it's in handy packs with resealable lids. I have a carton of the 330g packs to give away.

These are perfect for school lunches, either on their own, or added to one of the recipes above and frozen in a Little Mashies pouch. Follow Natural Raw C on their Facebook Page for new recipes every day, using coconut water.

For lots more ideas for filling your reusable pouches, follow Talisha on her Little Mashies Facebook Page.

For those of you with older kids, here's anpther great prize - an allergy friendly cookbook for kids, by Collette White of Cut Out the Crap! This book is packed full of gluten free, dairy free, preservative free recipes that will suit all ages, but especially appeal to kids. Perfect for cooking up some yummy lunchbox treats. Check out Collette's Facebook Page for lots of great ideas and tips.

Last but definitely not least, Biome Eco Stores have kindly donated two amazing lunchboxes!

A PlanetBox lunchbox...

(worth $85.00)

And a Goodbyn Hero lunchbox!

(worth $21.95)

How to Win:

If you'd like to go into the draw to win one of these 'back-to-school' packs, all you need to do is comment on this blog post, saying what you would do with these products if you won!

Prizes will be drawn on Friday 31st at 8pm via Random.org, and winners notified by email and announced here and on Facebook. Open to Australian residents only.

Note: If you're trying to comment on a mobile device, please click on the title of the blog post then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click 'View web version', then scroll down to the bottom of the page again and click on 'Post a comment', then type in the comment box.

1st prize: 1 starter pack of Little Mashies Reusable Food Pouches worth $23.95                  
                  (includes 5 reusable squeezie pouches, a funnel, and a recipe card)
                1 carton of Raw C Coconut Water (12 x 300ml) worth $39.95
                1 'Cut Out the Crap for Kids' cookbook worth $29.95
                1 PlanetBox lunchbox worth $85

2nd prize: 1 twin pack of Little Mashies Reusable Food Pouches (worth $9.95)
                  (includes 2 reusable squeezie pouches)
                 1 'Cut Out the Crap for Kids' cookbook worth $29.95
                 1 Goodbyn Hero lunchbox worth $21.95
 
All the best with the first week back at school, everyone, and may your lunchbox packing be stress-free and and enjoyable!

Jo xx
          

{Guest Post} Recovering from Crohn's Disease

Talisha and her daughter, Ariella

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to 'meet' (online and over the phone) this gorgeous young woman who is absolutely vibrant with energy and cheerfulness. You would never guess that only one and a half years ago, she was so sick with Crohn's disease that her doctors said her only option was to have her large intestines removed and a colostomy bag installed.

Talisha has been on a very difficult journey with her health and has come out the other side strong and smiling. Her journey and her beautiful little girl have together inspired her to develop a great product, "Little Mashies." I was so impressed by her story that I asked if she would share it here for all of you. 

You can read more about Talisha and her "Little Mashies" Reusable Squeezie Pouches on her Facebook page and website.

Talisha's Story...

"I’m a single mum with a severe bowel disease. If I have to get my intestines removed and have a poo bag how am I ever going to meet a man?"

This was my first thought when my gastro specialist said that surgery was my best and only option to heal my digestive problems. This is what led me to try natural remedies alongside my medication, and it's what kept me focused through what has been the hardest time of my life. I know it might sound silly, or egotistical, but honestly, at the time it was my biggest fear.

I had been diagnosed with Crohns Colitis and after having my daughter Ariella, my health became drastically worse. Juggling being a single parent without family close by, and being so sick was extremely difficult. But I soldiered on because I didn’t have any other option. I had severe intestinal bleeding, constant cramps, high fevers and felt so ill that it was like having food poisoning or Bali belly, 24/7. I focused on my daughter, and during those first few months of being sick we played lots of games in bed. She was the sun in my sky (and still is!).

Ariella was 5 months old when I was first admitted to hospital. I was disgustingly skinny, my skin looked grey, and my hair had started to fall out. I was in really bad shape. I spent ten days in hospital, then went home for a few days, but was admitted to emergency again. My body was just not coping. I had been so sick for months, and even though I was taking the medications they recommended, nothing was working. For another ten days I lay in the hospital bed, and every one of those ten days the surgeon would come and talk to me, and tell me my only option was to have my large intestine removed. He'd ask me if I was ready, and every day I would say no. In their minds, surgery was my only option, and the longer I stayed in hospital, the more I began to believe them. But I just couldn't bear the thought of having a 'bag' for the rest of my life. I wanted to try and heal myself naturally. 

Eventually I was discharged, but told to stay close by, to call an ambulance if I needed to, and to come back when I was ready for the surgery. I went home, and my father, sister, and amazing friends from my mother's group gathered around to support me and to help look after Ariella. The mother's group ladies made a roster for cooking food, walks with Ariella, and play dates. Their support was amazing!

I began studying and researching natural ways to heal myself. One day one of the mums in the mothers group turned up on my doorstep to bring me a meal. When she saw the state I was in, she said, "I can't leave you like this. I'm an acupuncturist. I will treat you every day until you're well. You work on healing yourself with food, I'll help with acupuncture." She begged me just to hold on until Christmas before deciding about the surgery. I had no money because I was unable to work, and Ariella’s father didn’t help out, so she treated me for free. Each day she would console me, praise me for my efforts to get through another day, and encourage me to keep trying my natural methods whilst continuing treatment from the doctors. Whenever I felt like giving in, I thought about being single forever and that spurred me on to keep trying.

I tried many things in my efforts to heal myself naturally. It was a long, slow, process, and it took a lot of time before I really saw significant changes in my health. Some of the things I tried were:

-       Stopping eating (just drinking fresh coconut water)

-       Cutting out dairy and wheat

-       The SCD diet

-       Drinking elemental shakes with added Udo’s oil (Absorb Plus brand) 

-       Eating only soft foods like soup, purees, smoothies, and baby food

-       Bone broths (amazing!) - chicken slow cooked in the broth with pumpkin, then blended, was my favourite

-       Foods naturally high in good bacteria (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc)

-       Anti inflammatory foods (fresh coconuts and coconut water, coconut oil in peppermint tea, turmeric, salmon)

-       Flaxseeds, and flaxseeds soaked in water overnight

-       Hormone therapy (I had tests done by my GP which showed I was deficient in testosterone, progesterone, and DHEA)

-       Vitamins and Minerals (Omega 3, 6 & 9, Vitamin D, Multi-Vitamin, Iron infusions, Vitamin B injections, Vitamin C)

-       Chinese herbs to remove the “heat” from my system

-       Sleep

-       Relaxation techniques

-       Fecal Transplants (4 times per week for 6 weeks)

-       Nano Vita Water drops

-       Immunity II tablets

-       Alkaline water

At the start of implementing these natural therapies, changes were extremely slow. Microscopic changes. Many times I lay in bed all day with a raging fever, and would be too exhausted to eat or drink. So if I had a fever for only 12 out of 24 hours then that was a positive step. If I slept for longer than 2 hours at a time without waking in pain, that was also a victory. 

My bleeding and bowel habits were constantly terrible right to the very end of my healing journey. I say end, but in reality my healing journey will be forever. It will never end because my intestines are my weak spot and whenever I get stressed that’s where I feel it! 

The thing I learnt whilst battling my illness is that everyone is different. Some things that worked for others didn’t work for me. And some things that worked for me may not work for you. It's all a matter of working out what your body needs, listening to your body, and not giving up.

I view my disease as though it is on a spectrum. I believe it started as Irritable Bowel Syndrome then it got worse and took on the form of Ulcerative Colitis. When I still continued to ignore my body crying for help, my intestinal ulcers became deeper, and biopsies showed Crohns disease. I am not a doctor, and I have always seen the best specialists and taken all the medication prescribed for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. But I truly do believe that the body is designed to be able to heal most problems and that there are many different nationalities that have healed themselves for thousands of years with herbs, foods, and natural remedies. I do believe that my problems started by eating the wrong foods from childhood, which is why I'm so careful with what I feed my daughter.

I started "Little Mashies" while I was in and out of hospital, because I was living off baby food, soups, broths and shakes. At the same time I was weaning my own baby onto solid foods. I researched the nutritional content of what was in the packaged baby foods and yogurt squeezies, and I was unhappy to feed it to Ariella or myself. So I cooked my own purees and stored them in zip lock bags.

One day I had a light bulb moment, and began designing my own 'squeezie' bags! With "Little Mashies," I can give my child (and myself, when I am sick) healthy, nutrient rich, additive free food wherever we go.

It was such a huge long journey to get my idea to reality. I had no money and was stuck in bed most days. But I was as dedicated to achieving this as I was to fixing my health. I tested, tested and retested until I was happy with the quality of my product.  It took over a year. None of it has been easy, in fact I honestly feel like I have been fighting for survival ever since I became pregnant with Ariella. But I now have my own business (which is growing every day), I would say my health is the best it has been in years, and my daughter is thriving!

I just want to say that looking after our children’s health is so important, and it is something I am really passionate about because of my own journey. To those of you who use Little Mashies Reusable Squeezie Pouches, I am so happy to be able to provide a way for your kids to be able to get the healthy, additive free food that they need.

I feel blessed to be able to share my story with you and hopefully help you on your journey to healing. Please feel free to contact me through my Facebook page or website - I'm happy to answer your questions and share what I've learnt.

Don't give up!
Talisha xx

Note from Jo: This post was not sponsored in any way, I just wanted to share this story of an amazing young woman with you all, in the hopes it would help and encourage those of you who are going through a difficult time with your own health. I have offered to do a giveaway of some of Talisha's "Little Mashies" in the near future, and will let you all know about that soon.

Jo xx