Sweet potato & coconut nuggets

Training: Body Pump / Run 2km

   

Today was very much a “grown- up” day.

An early start, back to back meetings, telephone conferences, various telephone calls to service providers. You get the drift…

So, by the time I got home, to say that I wanted to step away from it all is an understatement.

Step away from meetings, and replace them with kitty cuddles.

Step away from paperwork, and replace it with trash TV.

Step away from 'grown up' responsibilities, and jump into the kitchen.

Ok - so that last one is perhaps still a little 'grown up'.  But perhaps not so much when you are making one of your favourite childhood treats for dinner...

chicken nuggets!

Only these chicken nuggets have no chicken!

Rather, they are packed with sweet potato! Unusual – yes – but super easy to make.

Flaxmeal, chia seeds, coconut butter, cumin, cinnamon and an egg, combined with the softened sweet potato.

Shaped into ‘nuggets’…

Dipped into egg white…

 

and rolled in corn crumbs.

Until well coated.

Placed on a lined baking tray and lightly sprayed with a little olive oil spray…

Baked for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.

The result?

Crispy golden brown nuggets!

Crunchy on the outside, yet soft and sweet on the inside.

And, best of all,  packed with flavour despite the short ingredient list!

 

I was so excited how these turned out. The cinnamon added a nice hint of sweetness, that worked wonderfully with the subtle coconut flavour.

But then again, you cant really go wrong when it comes to the sweet potato, coconut and cinnamon flavour combination!

I think they would also make a really nice party appetiser and I am already thinking up other flavour combinations….sundried tomato perhaps?

Tonight, I served these with a side of vegetables for dinner, but not before sneaking a few off the plate…you know…for quality assurance purposes ;)

Eaten how all good nuggets should be.

With a good ‘dip’ into the tomato sauce bowl :)

 

Yep….its official!

I am 100% sure the 'not so grown up’ me would also have approved!

Sweet Potato & Coconut Nuggets (makes 12-14) – gluten free

These nuggets, a healthy take on a childhood favourite, are packed with REAL ingredients. Vegetarian, gluten free, and super easy to make, you’ll find that you will not be able to stop at one…or two….or three. You’ve been warned ;)

• 600g sweet potato, steamed and mashed
• 1 tbs chia seeds
• 1 tbs flaxmeal
• 1 tbs coconut butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 0.5 to 1 cup corn crumbs
• olive oil spray

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine mashed potato, chia seeds, flaxmeal, coconut butter, spices and egg until well combined.
3. Divide into 12 – 14 portions, then flatten slightly.
4. Meanwhile, place egg whites in one bowl, and the corn crumbs in another.
5. One at a time, dip the nugget into the egg white, then roll in the corn crumbs until well covered. Place on the lined baking tray. Repeat. Spray lightly with olive oil spray.
6. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy, flipping halfway through.

What about you? What was your favourite childhood snack?

Happy Baking :)

Party Food: Coleslaw with a ‘difference’

Wowza! What a day.

I left home this morning at 5am, and didn't get home from my Brisbane work trip until after 8pm! A long day indeed. While I enjoy travelling for work, it can be quite disruptive to my routine at times, particularly with respect to training. But hey, I guess there is always tomorrow right???

Rather than bore you with pictures of the toasted ham/cheese/tomato sandwich I threw together for dinner (which was exactly what I felt like for dinner – but was rather dull from a blogging perspective) I thought I would share with you another one of the salads we served at the recent birthday party.

Coleslaw!

But not your average coleslaw – a coleslaw with a difference.



Natural yoghurt, dijon mustard, fresh dill, white wine vinegar and lemon juice combined…



To make a rich creamy dressing without the usually calorific mayonnaise!



Stirred through purple and green cabbage, carrots and celery…



Crunchy and creamy. Just how a good coleslaw should be. And, with the added bonus of having extra flavour but minus the calories.

Another healthy take on an old classic if you will :)

Coleslaw with yoghurt dill dressing

• 1/4 green cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 purple cabbage, shredded
• 3 carrots, grated
• 1/2 bunch celery, sliced finely
• 1 cup natural yoghurt
• 2 tbs dijon mustard
• 1 tbs white wine vinegar
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• handful of chopped dill

1. Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the yoghurt, dijon, vinegar, lemon juice and dill.
3. Pour dressing over the salad and stir until well combined.

What about you? Do you have a favourite coleslaw recipe?

Happy Baking :)

Party Food: Pesto Pasta Salad

Thankyou all for your kind words about the 'day at the races' party we threw for my parents in law last weekend. As may of you guessed, it was a combined party for my mother and father in law as they both turn 70 within a few months of each other.

One of the salads that disappeared quickly was the pesto pasta salad.

Made, of course, with fresh basil pesto.

Which is a convenient addition to any party given that it can be made in advance.

Stored away until needed….

Then stirred through a bowlful of pasta resulting in a super easy, super tasty, party salad!

A vibrant accompaniment to any BBQ lunch...

With the wonderful abundance of fresh basil.

Pesto pasta salad

• 1 pkt penne (GF or regular) , cooked to al dente then drained and rinsed under cold water
• 1 cup well packed basil leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbs pinenuts
• 50g grated parmesan
• 1 zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
• frozen peas, refreshed under running water
• extra pine nuts to garnish

1. To make the pesto, process the basil, olive oil, garlic, pinenuts until almost smooth. Stir through the parmesan.
2. Place the pasta, zucchini and peas into a bowl. Pour over the pesto, and stir well to combine.
3. Garnish with extra pinenuts before serving.

____

And in other news, a couple of you have asked about my upcoming race schedule. While the season has largely finished in Canberra - I did come across the Batemans Bay Triathlon Festival scheduled to take place this weekend. And, seeing as I was going to be 'down the Bay' at the weekend for a wedding anyway, it seemed to good to be true.

A little Enticer race to start my Sunday morning?? Sounds like fun to me!

Happy Baking :)

An afternoon at the “Races”

Training: Mountain Biking 17km

Hi there! Yup I am still here...just recovering from a busy weekend. The star of which was, of course, the big birthday party to celebrate my parents (in-law) turning 70!

Fact: My father-in-law loves horse racing and even has quite a few race-day hopefuls down at his farm.

So, when looking for a theme for his 70th birthday party, 'a day at the races' theme immediately sprung to mind!

Which meant…most importantly......race fashions! Frilly dress and fascinator??

Don’t mind if I do ;)

There was a great turnout at the local Bowls Club (that we had hired for the afternoon) as over 100 people arrived to join in the celebrations.

And, in the spirit of the day, there were so many wonderful hats / dresses and fascinators.

 

Adorable!

But sunshine, fun and fashion aside, we had over 110 mouths to feed! And while the guests had the beany beetroot dip...

And roasted capsicum hummus to nibble on at the start....

It wasn’t long before we had to set the salad table , the idea being that the the guests could load up their plates before heading out to collect some meat being cooked on the outdoor BBQ.

And what a spread it ended up being.

Tamari rice salad...

Pesto pasta salad (recipe to follow)...

Dijon Coleslaw (recipe to follow)...

Roasted pumpkin and beetroot salad....

Also added to the table was a greek salad, and a cranberry and apple green salad...

Finished with a potato salad (unfortunately un-pictured)

The salads disappeared quickly and surprisingly we had very little left. And, not long after clearing up the salad bar, it was time to re-stock it with the sweet stars of the show.

We actually made 3 birthday cakes - all of which just barely survived the warm car trip to the venue (eeeeeeek!). The main cake was a layered black forest cake, with cherry brandy cream and maraschino cherries....

(Sadly ending up with a car-travel –induced crack…..!)

And chocolate shards to decorate the outside....

(which  sadly also struggled to survive the warm car ride to the venue)

And topped with an edible icing image of Mr BBB's parents' first winning horse!

(An “in progress” picture to show it without the car-induced crack!)

On the side, we also had his and hers "70" cakes. Both were vanilla, topped with lemon buttercream. One decorated with smarties….

While the other was decorated with mini marshmallows.

While I was unable to partake in the cake eating (only cake making) as they were not wheat free, there was barely a slice leftover so they cant have been too bad!

Overall, it was a fun afternoon spent 'at the races', and a testament that prior preparation and planning can make catering for over 100+ people not too stressful.

Car rides with melting cakes on the other hand…..

I will be posting my thoughts on the planning process very soon, but right now this filly is having an early night :)

What about you? Have you ever been to a theme party?

Happy Baking :)