So, today I thought I’d make up it with two recipes. Technically one-and-a-half recipes as they both come from the same idea. Baked pureed cauliflower.

If you don’t already know my obsession with all things cauliflower puree, you’d better start at the beginning with the original cauliflower pancake recipe.

About to run off to the Get the Edge Workshops, a few weeks ago in Melbourne, I needed something I could eat with my fingers. Something sweet would be bonus. With not much in my house I become my most inventive and was curious to find out what would happen if I took the original cauliflower pancake recipe and made it into bars.
Due to the extra volume of cauliflower, instead of firm chewy protein bars I wound up with a light, fluffy, sweet baked custard texture. This had turned out MUCH better than I’d expected. So good, I’ve eaten it every day since for the last 2 weeks.

Chocolate mousse cake just before baking... fingers crossed

Today I was about to whip up another batch with the plan of making it in bulk, when it occurred to me that maybe a I could make a chocolate mousse cake. Yum! Fluffy, soft, chocolatey. The only improvement I would make is to use a double chocolate protein powder. However, if you’re like me and only have vanilla, you’ll get a perfectly acceptable result.

Baked Vanilla Custard

Nutrition:
195 Calories
28.3g Protein
8.1g Carbohydrates, 6.8g Fibre
3.7g Fat

Fluffy, light and tasty

You really can hide vegies ANYWHERE. Cauliflower is my favourite hidden vegetable because it tastes reasonably neutral and is great in both sweet and savory dishes. It also hasn’t got any sort of colour to it so the kids won’t spot it.

Steph, gave me the idea for this one. While she was preparing for her last comp she was mixing cauliflower in with her oats and eggs. I suggested she made the mix into pancakes and the idea took off.

• 2 cups of cauliflower, cut up stems are fine to include (don’t use FROZEN)
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk (optional)
• 2 scoops/60g pea protein*
• a pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg**
• 3 egg whites**

Place the cauliflower in a saucepan with the coconut milk or equivilant water. Cover the saucepan and place over a medium heat to steam for 15-20 minutes or until very soft.

Place the cauliflower in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add in the egg and egg white and whizz a little longer. Add in the pea protien, salt and baking powder and puree until smooth.

Lightly grease a non-stick frying-pan/skillet and cook the mixture in 1/3 cup batches, flipping once the mixture has set.

*Pea protien can be replaced with plain soy protien or your favourite (gluten free) flour such as wholemeal, amarenth or besan.
**Or 2 whole eggs

I wouldn’t be suprised if these tasty Kale Chips and Cauliflower Popcorn don’t elicit the exact same respnse. I polished both off in under 5 minutes!

Parmesan Kale Chips and Pizza flavoured Cauli-Pop

• 1 bunch kale (either curly or flat), cut into chip sized pieces
• 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into popcorn size peices
• 10g finely grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1.5 teaspoons dried oregan0
• 1 teaspoon smokey paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• a big pinch salt
• a splash of olive oil
• extra Parmesan, grated (optional)

Preheat your oven to 160ºC/320ºF

Combine the cheese, herbs, spices and salt in a small bowl.

Place the cauliflower in one bowl along with half the cheesy spice mix and toss to coat.

Combine the Kale, olive oil and cheesy spice mix and massage the leaves.

Place each mixture on a seperate baking sheet making sure nothing is overlapping.

Bake the kale chips for about 15 minutes or until crisp.

Bake the caulflower for about 30 minutes.

For crunchier pop-corn cook the cauliflower at your oven’s lowest temperature for 8 hr’s with the door slightly ajar.

It wasn’t until many years later I saw the epitomy of cordial overload in the “Traffic Light”  served to whinging child in a pub. A traffic light is traditionally  green, orange and red cordial of differing strength floated on top of each other. My idea of hell for parents with all that sugar and food coloring. All I could do was turn to the person next to me and say ‘did you see that?’.

The aim of this challenge is to get Made and Sana to try a few more vegies. So I came up with the traffic light smoothie.

I know that my traffic light is ‘technically’ upside down but the trick is the be able to float the lightest ingredients on the heaviest.

To save on having to wash your blender each time, I recommend making each smoothie shot in reverse order. Green, yellow, red.

Green:
1/2 a banana, frozen
1/2 teaspoon honey (optional, these kids are madly active so they can handle it)
1 cup baby spinach leaves
2 ice cubes
1 tablespoon water

Orange:
1 carrot, grated, then microwaved, covered with a splash of water for 2.5 minutes on high (or steamed)
1/2 a banana, frozen
2 ice cubes
1/2 teaspoon of honey (optional, you could use agave or SF syrup)
1 tablespoon water

Red:
1 beetroot, peeled, grated, then microwaved, covered with a splash of water for 3.5 minutes on high (or steamed)
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
2 cherry tomatoes
a splash of water

Blend each mixture seperately.
Spoon a layer of red into the bottom of the glass, top with orange and poor on green.

That’s their RDI of vegies in one glass!

Kate sent me this message on Facebook

I would LOVE some creative ways to get my kids to eat healthier food. They refuse to eat zucchini cake. Sana actually spots the zucchini in it. Grrr. No vegetables except for raw celery or carrot. Made will eat crockie cucumber.

I’m curious as to what ‘crockie cucumber’ is. I also thought I’d take on the challenge. So this week I’m going to be doing my best to come up with a dish a day for Sana and Made to try. Maybe this will give you or your kids/clients a few exciting ideas too.