I am a massive fan of baked potatoes, if there is a choice between chips and baked potato, baked potato wins every time! But there’s a problem.  Cooking them is always way too difficult (well too long, but that's difficult to me). 
 Then i realised I can totally cook them in my pressure cooker! It takes 10 mins and the result is amazing fluffy jacket potatoes! I pop mine in a hot oven for a few mins after to crisp up the skins, but that's just me! When i was a kid my most favourite thing my dad made me where his jacket potatoes, these totally brought back the nostalgia. Top with whatever you desire, my favourite toppings are baked beans, cheese and sour cream.

For the pressure cooker i recommend Click Here

 Ingredients:

Potatoes, how eve many you want, roughly the same size

Method:

Insert the steamer rack into the pressure cooker. Add 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker. Add pricked potatoes, Shut the lid and lock it. 
Click the steam button (or manual if you don't have a steam function) and set the time to 10 minutes.
Once cooking completes let the pressure valve release.
Open the lid and eat the potatoes or put them in a pre-heated 200'c oven to crisp up. Load them up with toppings and serve.

I tried these crackers when our friends came over for dinner. Im not the biggest fan of cauliflower, but i gave them a go, and guess what? They are delicious! Not only are they yummy, they are also grain free, nut free, vegetarian and an awesome way to get the kids to eat vegetables!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cauliflower
1 Large Egg
1 Cup Cheese, grated (I used cheddar)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
2 Tablespoons Herb and Garlic Dip Mix (I used 'Your inspiration at home' as its what i have in my cupboard, but any herb seasoning will do) 

Method:

Preheat oven to 220'c. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Wash cauliflower and pat dry. Separate into florets.
Place cauliflower florets in food processor (I used my Thermocook) and pulse until ‘riced’.
Place cauliflower rice in a bowl, cover with a plate, and microwave on high for 4 minutes until steamed. Remove plate, spread in double chux cloth.  Let it cool thoroughly, 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, gather up the cloth ends, twist to form a ball, and squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Repeat until the cauliflower does not release any more liquid. Add the cauliflower back to the bowl.
Add your spices and herbs to the dry cauliflower. Add the beaten egg and cheese. Mix well.
Now spread the ‘dough’ very thinly on your baking paper lined sheet.. The thinner the better.
Bake until beginning to brown on edges, about 10-12 minutes. Cut your sheet of cauliflower crackers-to-be into cracker-sized strips using a large knife Flip the strips and cook another 5-10 minutes until the underside begins to brown. Remove from oven.
After cooling enough to handle, transfer to a dehydrator set to 60'c degrees and dehydrate for about 5-7 hours or until crisp. 

Note: If you don't have a dehydrator, leave the crackers in low/cool oven overnight to dry out.

A great filling for spinach and ricotta cannelloni. This filling can be frozen for later use and will keep well. 

Ingredients:

400g Ricotta
1/2 Bag Baby Spinach
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Place the ricotta in a large bowl. Use a fork to mash until smooth. Add the spinach and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Use filling to fill cannelloni.

This filling is a little different to any normal cannelloni filling and that why i like it. I oven roast my potatoes first to get that sticky sweet flavor. I use feta cheese but you could easier change it for nay other cheese or simply just leave it out to have a vegan option.

Ingredients:

1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1/2 Block Feta Cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 180. Peel your sweet potato and chop into smallish pieces so they cook quickly. Place into the oven for 20/30 mins or until cooked through.
Take out of the oven and mash it up, then start breaking your feta into a large bowl and add your sweet potato then mash them together. Season well with salt and pepper.

Use filling to fill cannelloni.

This recipe is great for using up olives. Kalamata olives work best for me as they're the ones i like best. Great for dips and topped over dinner to give that salty hit. 

Ingredients:

2/3 Cup Kalamata Olives
1 Clove Garlic
2 teaspoons Basil
1 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Method:

Place all ingredients into a blender (I use my thermocook) and mix on speed 10 for 5 sec, scrape down and mix for a further 5 secs.

This zucchini slice is quick, easy and cheap! I cooked this in my foodbank class. For those who dont know who Foodbank are, they are a non-denominational, non-profit organisation which acts as a pantry to the charities and community groups who feed the hungry. It was first established in 1992 in NSW and now has a presence in every state and the Northern Territory with distribution centres in all state capitals as well as a number of regional centres.

Ingredients:

1 Carrot
1 Zucchini
3 Spring Onions
Spray Oil
150g Reduced fat Cheese
small bunch Parsley
400g Tin Peas & Corn
8 Eggs
1/2 Cup Natural Greek Yogurt
1 Cup Wholemeal Flour
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

Method:

Grate the carrot and zucchini. Chop the spring onions. Turn the frying pan on to a medium heat and spray with oil. Cook carrot, zucchini and spring onion for 5 mins or until soft. 
Meanwhile, grate cheese, chop parsley, crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk eggs together.
Add cheese, parsley, peas and corn, yogurt, flour, garlic powder and pepper into the eggs. Remove cooked veggies from the frying pan and add to the eggs, stir to combine.
Place baking paper onto the bottom of the frying pan. Pour mixture over the baking paper, spread evenly.
Place lid on the frying pan, turn heat to medium and cook for 15 mins or until slice is set on top. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares.

Note: If you want to bake your slice, bake in a 180'c oven fro 25-30 mins.

Recipe from the 'foodbank' healthy recipes for all #3 book.

I've always want to make this Polish dumplings from when i first saw them a few years ago in a cookbook. Well what more of a perfect day to make them than today 'national pierogi day'. Pierogies are kind of in between a pasta and a dumpling. Traditionally they do not use eggs, but in some houses in Poland they do. There are so many variations to this tasty treat you can really play around with it.
These delicious dumplings are great for any time of the day. And pierogies are only limited to your imagination. They can be sweet or savory and can either be boiled, fried or baked (depending on how your feeling). They dough can also be flavored as well using fruit juices.  
Pierogies are very cheap to make as they do not use alot of ingredients and they can be frozen so you can make a big batch even when your on a budget and that's the type of cooking i love!

Ingredients:
Dough
1 1/2 Cups Plain Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
6 Tablespoons Boiling Water
2 Tablespoons Cold Water
1/4 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric (optional)
Filling
1 Potato, peeled and cubed
1/4 Cup Peas
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
1/4 Onion, sauteed until soft
Burnt Butter Sauce
1/4 Cup Butter
A few Oregano leaves (maybe 10 to 12)
a squeeze of Lemon Juice

Method:
Create your filling but placing the potato and peas into a pot of water and bringing to the boil, cook until tender. Drain and Mash well, add curry powder, turmeric and onion, mix well until fully combined.
To make the dough, pour flour and salt into your thermocook and pulse for 3 secs. Add boiling water and mix until a crumbled dough appears. leave for 5 mins. Add cold water and mix for 10 sec on speed 4, it will still resemble a small lumps. Leave for 15 mins. Add oil and mix until combined. Turn dough onto your bench top and knead for 5 to 10 mins until dough is soft and smooth. Now the dough is ready to roll out. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until you reach the thickness of 2-3 mm. Cut circles of the dough out using a cup (i used a pint glass). Place some of the filling into the middle of the disc and fold in half to create the pierogi. Collect the scraps of the dough and repeat rolling, cutting and filling until all the dough is used. Place onto a piece of baking paper whilst you make the butter sauce.
To make the burnt butter sauce add the butter to a frying pan, Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until butter is lightly browned, stirring occasionally and skimming foam as necessary, add the oregano leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice (this stops the butter cooking further) and remove from heat. Place 3-4 pierogies into a pot of boiling water until they float (3-4 mins), then put the pierogies into the burnt butter sauce to coat before serving.

Note: If you don't have a thermocook, just use your hands to mix or a kitchen-aid with the mixer attachment.

Tip - To make sweet pierogies, omit half the boiling water for milk and fill with berries and sugar or strawberry mousse.

This tomato sauce is jam packed with delicious and nutritious veggies, i know how hard it is to get veggies into a child's diet, and i've found this is the easiest way. This recipe is great frozen in batches ( i put enough for a few pizza bases in a bag) and great on pasta. You can make this sauce with any veg you like. but this is my basic recipe, feel free to add you favorite veggies.

Ingredients:

2 Small Red Onions, chopped
2 Small Leeks, Chopped (whites only) 
3 Celery Sticks, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
1 Zucchini, chopped
1 Red / 1 Yellow Capsium, chopped
1/2 Butternut Pumpkin, peeled and chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
4 Tins Diced Tomatoes
Salt & Pepper to taste
​
Method:

Wash all the veggies and place into a large saucepan (make sure it's big enough when you add the tomatoes).  Add oil to veggies and saute veggies for a few mins. Add the oregano and cook, covered for 25mins or until all the veggies are soft. Add tinned tomatoes and 2 tins worth of water and cook, covered, for a further 30mins. Blitz until smooth. Serve.

Thermocook Method: (you will need to cut this recipe is half to fit the bowl)

Add all the ingredients to the thermocook, 1 tin of water and cook on speed 3 for 30mins on heat 90' or until veggies are cooked. Once cooled pulse until smooth.

Tip - The amount of veggies you use will depend on the size of the veggies itself. Make sure you only use the bowl to its max capacity. (Be Careful of hot contents)

Tip - Save all the scraps from the veggies to use to make a  stock. 

A twist on a classic potato bake. This dish originates from sweden, It's known for being eaten at christmas and easter time. It is thought to have been named after opera singer Pelle Janzon.
It's a simple dish, which doesn't have many ingredients (something i love!). Traditionally the recipe has anchovies in it, but i'm not a fan so i've left them out (if you want to add them see the note at the bottom). 

Ingredients:

90g Butter
1 Onion, thinly sliced
5 Large Potatoes, Peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 Cups Cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 200'c. Melt half the butter in a pan saute the onion until golden. Chop the remaining butter into small cubes. Spread half the potato over the base of a shallow ovenproof dish. Top with onions and finish with the remaining potato.
Pour half the cream over the potato and scatter the butter cubes on top. Bake for 20mins or until golden. Pour the remainder of the cream over the top and cook for a further 40mins or until the potato is tender.

Note: If you want to add anchovies, soak 15 anchovy fillets in water or milk for 5mins (this will reduce the saltiness) and add them with the onion when you layer the dish.

I came up with this recipe when i was having a super carb craving day. I love potato bake, but sometimes it can be a bit boring or bland. With only my pantry items and a few staples i created this creamy, soft and golden topped bake. This recipe can be quite rich, so if you wanted it to be lighter, cut out the cream (but we all love to indulge every now and then).

5 Large potatoes, sliced
​1 packet cream of chicken soup mix (click here for picture)
200ml Chicken Stock
200ml Milk
100ml Thickened Cream
Cheese of your choice (optional)
Herbs of your choice - i used chives and parsley (optional) to serve

Method:

Boil potato slice in salted water for 10mins then drain.
Mix together chicken soup mix, chicken stock, milk, and thickened cream in a jug. 
Lay a single layer of potato slices in a baking dish. Top with cheese (if wanted) and then top with cream mix until just covered, season with salt and pepper. Keep layering until all the potatoes are used up. Top with cheese and cover with alfoil. Bake in a 180'c preheated oven for 45mins, remove foil and bake for a further 15mins or until golden. Top with fresh herbs if wanted and serve hot.