Tara Prana

Mother. Teacher. Foodie. Friend.

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Clean, mean baked beans

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IMG_7794 ‘Clean’ baked beans?

No, I didn’t give them a good old scrub! These babies are clean because they are free from sugar, additives and preservatives.

Why bother?

Well, I used to go to a specific shop every few weeks to buy my kids a few cans of an organic brand of baked beans, which had me feeling like I was a ‘good mother’ and buying them quality food. I would go to that particular store because each can was $2.50 as opposed to the usual $4 + for organic versions. To me this was a good, cost-effective system that ensured my children had protein and variety in their breakfasts.

A few months ago though, I went to see ‘That Sugar Film‘ at the cinema. One of the foods that they spotlighted in the film as being high in sugar were baked beans. I watched the scene, smugly self-assured that my stockpile of ‘certified organic’ Australian baked beans were sitting at home in the pantry.

It was not until I got home later that night that I thought I would just check the label of the beans, using my freshly learned knowledge. I was gob-smacked- the can had per serving 12g sugar (3 teaspoons sugar). Well! Yes, yes it was Organic Cane Sugar but we all know that that is still: SUGAR. Organic or not, sugar is sugar and I had just learned that day that the WHO recommended sugar intake for children, PER DAY, was 4 teaspoons.

To be clear:

  • I am not anti-sugar. I am sugar-aware and definitely pro limiting it.
  • If you give your children canned baked beans, organic or not, that’s okay. I’m not judging.
  • This realisation was, for me, about easily replacing something with sugar with something without it.
  • This recipe is as cost-effective as the alternative.
  • For the record, I personally don’t like conventional Baked Beans however I really like these (I’m modest too;).
  • I used cannellini beans for a reason- for me personally they are the easiest beans to digest. If your gut is damaged you may not be as tolerant.
  • I think we all remember the following childhood rhyme. It’s very true- this easy meal packs a protein-filled breakfast or lunchbox hit to fuel their growing brains. Just don’t overdo it, for fear of the last line:

Baked Beans, Baked Beans, they make you smart

Baked Beans, Baked Beans, they make you fart!

If you want to give this recipe a try, do so and let me know how you go. The variations are endless. Start with something you or your child likes and experiment- be it bacon, smoky paprika, coriander, basil, cheese, anything. Or nothing, for those plain eaters! You could even be super-tricky and stretch it further by finely grating zucchini and carrot into this dish.

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Clean, mean baked beans
 
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A cost-effective recipe for sugar-free baked beans
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast, Lunchbox
Serves: 6-8 child serves
Ingredients
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • olive oil or ghee
  • 2 x 400g cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1TBS tomato paste
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • salt to taste
  • Optional:
  • rosemary, parsley, basil, oregano, italian herb mix, coriander, smoked paprika, bacon, cheese
Instructions
  1. Fry onion and garlic in oil/ghee
  2. Add cannellini beans and fry for a minute
  3. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika and herbs of choice
  4. Stir then simmer for 10-20 minutes.
Notes
Change the flavour depending on what your child likes- if they like tacos make them Mexican by adding coriander and cumin with the paprika. If they love cheese grate some parmesan in at the last step. If they like Bolognese use lots of Italian herbs. If they like smoky flavours use smoked paprika and ¼ cup of diced bacon at step one.
This recipe can be frozen in small portions ready for weekday breakfasts and lunchboxes.

 

 

 

Australian Gelatin, oi, oi, oi!

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Peptipro jellies

Peptipro jellies

I first discovered the healing benefits of Gelatin a year or so ago and began incorporating it into my regular diet. I googled recipes, experimented with different methods and blogged about it here and here. Most health-focussed sites were recommending the grass-fed, conscious product Great Lakes. I started purchasing this hard-to-get product through Primal Influence (here on the Sunshine Coast) and eventually attended an informative workshop with the lovely Aimee who runs the business with partner Clint.

The problem was, Great Lakes’ is a product of the USA and purchasing it in Australia is quite expensive. After a while I did start noticing it popping up in local health food stores , but it was at the same price or dearer. I then discovered an online store and started purchasing it there as it was cheaper. I felt a little guilty not purchasing it through a local company and ‘going online’, but with the amount I wanted to use the cost was really adding up. I wondered why, with our large cattle industry here in Australia and with so many organic and conscious beef farmers, there was no producer of Australian grass-fed, quality Gelatin.

Well folks, thank God for instagram. Many a discovery has been made on this little app and one sunny morning last month I logged on to discover a sweet little account called Gelatin Australia. ‘Ooh, Gelatin Australia‘, I wondered, ‘Could it be that they sell AUSTRALIAN grass-fed Gelatin?’.

And that’s the end of my ethical dilemma with purchasing Gelatin online and from overseas. I can now buy my:

→ Grass-fed (but grain-finished)

→ Australia-produced and regulated

→ Australian owned

→ A-grade

→ Sustainable

→ Affordable

beef gelatin from an Australian website and it is MUCH cheaper than the alternative brand.

Please note that I am not necessarily claiming Peptipro to be ‘better’ or ‘higher quality’ than Great Lakes. To me, they are both excellent products. My elation simply comes from being able to purchase an Australian product* as that means I can: save on unnecessary shipping, keep our economy going strong and support local producers in this small country of ours. As an Australian however I do automatically feel more confidence in purchasing products that are produced by our own (highly regulated) industry, and had noted recently that Great Lakes’ had removed the ‘grass-fed’ from their labels (this I find quite interesting). * Both brands produce their collagen formula in countries outside their own.

Please also note that www.gelatinaustralia.com.au does stock both of the mentioned brands.

Purchase it here.

 

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Triple C Frittatas- Coriander, Carrot and Cumin.

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Triple C mini-frittatas

Triple C mini-frittatas

Do you both love it and hate it when you go to quickly make one of your regular recipes and you find that you are missing some ingredients? I do.

It frustrates me as I am always rushing and short on time for most tasks. However, sometimes it forces creativity as I have to think outside the square and create something new with what I’ve got.

This happened last week when I went to make up a super-quick batch of my Mini-frittatas for the kid’s lunchboxes (you can find this recipe in my lunch-box eBook ‘Forget the Sandwich!’, available here). I needed to make up the batch as I was seriously running out of lunchbox foods and the cupboard was quite bare. Unfortunately when I opened the fridge it was pretty dire in the vegetable department- all I could find was some fresh coriander (cilantro) and a few carrots. Bing! Coriander, Carrot and Cumin mini frittatas were created.

The 3 year-old rejected them but the 7 year-old and we adults loved them. I hope you do too!

Triple C Frittatas- Coriander, Carrot and Cumin.
 
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An easy recipe to make for school and adult lunchboxes.
Author:
Recipe type: Lunchbox, snacks
Serves: 12-16
Ingredients
  • 6 large eggs
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • 1 lge carrot, peeled and grated
  • salt to taste
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Instructions
  1. Turn oven onto 175C/160C Fan-forced
  2. Whisk eggs in a bowl
  3. Add other ingredients and mix
  4. Pour into mini-muffin trays, either silicon or lined with baking papers
  5. Sprinkle grated parmesan on top, if using
  6. Bake for 20-25 mins.
  7. Can be frozen once cooled.

 

Rainbow Quiche-Cakes

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Do you find it boring preparing your child’s school lunches each day, and simply varying the sandwich-fillers that they will eat? Do you wish to guide your child away a little bit more from grains as you have found such improvement in yourself, now that you have gone grain-free?

I do. But I am realistic and know that it is much more achievable for us to go grain-free than our kids, so my goal for them is just to ‘reduce grain’. When I go to automatically make something, like yet-another-school-sandwich, I ask myself, “What could I make instead?’.

Sandwiches might seem easy, but they still take time in the morning. It is much more time-efficient to make recipes in bulk and freeze- then at lunch-box assembly time all you have to do is grab and drop. Almost as easy as the packaged-food grab and drop!

This is one of the recipes I have created that one of my children like in their lunchboxes (I’m not going to pretend that they both like everything I make!). Of course, I had to make them a little bit fun and give them a cool name, and now they are a winner. Change them up depending on what your kids like/don’t like- we all know they each have particular tastes. Unfortunately even within the same family!

 

Rainbow Quiche-Cakes
 
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Healthy lunchbox quiche-cakes that you can bake and freeze.
Author:
Recipe type: Lunchboxes
Cuisine: Family food
Serves: 12/24
Ingredients
  • 8-9 eggs (depending on size)
  • dash of milk (almond, rice, cow)
  • 2 zucchini
  • 2 small or 1 large carrot
  • 1 beetroot
  • salt and pepper
  • mustard or pesto or herbs or tomato sauce
  • parmesan, grated (optional)
  • ** For this recipe you will need a vegetable spiraliser.
Instructions
  1. Grease or line a 12 cup cupcake tray or 2 x 12 cup mini muffin trays.
  2. Preheat the oven to 175C/165C fan-forced.
  3. Spiralise the zucchini, beetroot and carrot.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and flavour of choice (I used seedy mustard).
  5. Using your fingers, layer each spiralised vegetable, eg carrot then zucchini then beetroot inside each muffin cup.
  6. Pour egg mixture over the top until it almost covers the vegetables.
  7. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan (optional).
  8. Bake in oven until a skewer inserted comes out clean- about 20 mins for mini and 30 for muffins.
  9. Once cool, eat, freeze or store in fridge for 5 days.

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