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For me, my food journey has been life long, for as long as I remember I’ve been totally in love with eating and as for cooking, that began when I was old enough to reach the stove. Through disaster and constructive criticism to where I am now, a chef of 18 years having worked for some fabulous restaurants around Sydney, including my own Italian Trattoria, I spent some time working in the UK and now I am a proud mother of two beautiful girls who I have been just dying to take on a life long adventure of delicious nourishment.

Since reaching my 30’s I have taken a huge interest in health and have become a big believer in using food as medicine. Since bringing my two girls into this world it has never made more sense, that maintaining good health through food really is best when addressed from a very young age, from the beginning, only then will a child grow with a deep understanding that real food is indeed that. Whole foods are real foods.

At age 33, recently engaged to my partner Chris and pregnant with our first daughter I was inspired to take on yet another challenge (because a business and a first baby wasn’t about to be hard enough!) I spent a year studying holistic health through the Institute of Integrative nutrition. Here I learned about over a hundred dietary theories and lifestyles and if I was to take away anything from the course it would be this, not everyone is suited to one theory and not one diet is right for everyone. But one thing is for sure, eating as many vegetables and fruits that we can squeeze into our diet is nothing but beneficial for our health no matter who we are or where we’re from. Eating free range, grass fed and organic where ever possible is best and also that love and happiness, movement and breathing and finding activities which fill your cup are just as essential for good health as the food that you choose to eat.

What does a chef do once children are on the cards? I have had some work writing recipes for Marley spoon but I now I spend my days cooking for close to a hundred small children at a childcare centre, and can I say, going to and from work with my own two girls is a privilege that not a lot of women get the opportunity.

Please let me take you on our journey of exciting, healthy and delicious food ideas, recipes and experiences for you and your little ones to enjoy together.

And just so you know, I don’t believe in deprivation when it comes to treats but I do believe in restraint.

Subbing in healthier options where ever possible so our food can be beneficial even when it tastes naughty is how I like to cook.

Healthy bodies are happy bodies.

Much love, Beck x

 

Bringing back an oldie!

Bringing back an oldie!

Rebecca Hodges
family, Recipes, easy meals, dinner, comfort food

The old cheesy cauliflower gratin. An 80’s?? Classic but a delicious and cosy little way to conceal those beautiful florets that unfortunately are more often disliked as children.

When non favourable vegetables are coated in a delicious sauce, they can often be more tolerated by the picky ones and with any luck they’ll decide that they actually are worth eating.

The humble cauliflower has potential to be quite bland and boring which is why it is a perfect vessel for spice, salt and crispness but when it comes to making it exciting for the little ones, it can seem a little bit challenging.
So I brought back this guy, only I lightened and lifted it, making it a little healthier by being not so heavy on the dairy and also gluten free, still as delicious, but it won’t weigh you down after a meal and easier on the digestion too… assuming your not nut intolerant.

Recipe serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

350g purple cauliflower florets (or what ever colour you can get)
1 large carrot, sliced on an angle
150g broccoli florets
4 tbs butter
4 tbs gluten free flour (I use aldi’s plain “has no” gf flour)
400ml unsweetened almond milk, warm
A pinch of finely grated nutmeg
100g pecorino cheese, finely grated

50g manchego cheese, grated

1/2 tsp dried oregano.

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Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil with the carrots, once boiling blanch the cauliflower for 7 minutes and the broccoli for 4 minutes, drain and set aside in a medium sized baking dish.

Heat the butter in the same saucepan over medium heat, once it is melted and beginning to foam add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon continuously for around 3 -5 minutes then slowly pour in the warm almond milk, reducing the heat to a simmer and stirring quickly and continuously until a silky white sauce is achieved, add the nutmeg and season to taste with sea salt and white pepper if desired.

Simmer the white sauce for 5- 10 minutes stirring occasionally, add half of the pecorino to the sauce and stir through.

Pour the sauce evenly over the vegetables then scatter over the remaining cheeses and sprinkle with oregano.

Bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes or until the top is melted and golden and the sauce is bubbling around the sides of the dish.

*Manchego is a firm spanish sheeps milk cheese, great for melting, you can use any block cheese you have on hand.

*Pecorino is a hard salty sheeps milk cheese which is similar to parmigiano.

*People who find dairy hard to digest may be more comfortable with sheep or goats milk cheeses.

Vegetables with purple colour are very high in antioxidants which are vital for cellular repair in our body.

Happy little pumpkin loaf

Happy little pumpkin loaf

Cosy & classic cottage pie

Cosy & classic cottage pie

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