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Recipe Index

Recipe Index

📦 SHIPPING PAUSE 📦

The Quirky Warehouse will be closed from Mon 9th Sept. ~ Mon 16th Sept. due to hosting our annual FNQ Retreat. All orders placed after midday, Fri 6th Sept. won’t be shipped until the warehouse reopens.

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We’ll continue to process orders & provide customer support via email throughout this period. Thank you in advance for your patience understanding 💜

What a week! My heart is full - I have so much to

What a week! My heart is full - I have so much to share about last week’s Quirky Cooking retreat at @treetops_sanctuary I don’t even know where to start! I’ve been sharing some videos in my stories of what we cooked and what we ate and the places we explored here on the beautiful Atherton Tablelands… and here’s a few photos by the talented @_housefrau to give you a glimpse of our very special week. ❤️

1. Group photo (minus 1) at Millaa Millaa Falls
2. Breakfast table: cheeses, seed crackers, fermented cashew cheese, grain-free pumpkin-pepita bread, grain-free pumpkin-almond muffins, bacon, avocado, roasted cherry tomatoes, chicken stock, @primalalternative granola, yoghurt (dairy & coconut) & Red Rocket Smoothie (from Life-Changing Food)
3. Enjoying the view as the sun goes down
4. Fermenting all the things
5. Sharing one of my favourite walks (around Lake Eacham)
6. Morning tea & a chat about regenerative, biodynamic farming at @mungallicreek organic dairy
7. Cooking workshops (this one was Healthy Snacks, then we packed snack bags for everyone to take on their travels home the next day 😘)
8. The Quirky chefs who worked their magic in the kitchen - Michelle, Joye & Emma
9 & 10. Lunchtime - during & after 😁

Stay tuned for some food highlights from the retreat - there were so many favourites!! 😍🤤

#quirkycookingretreat #guthealth #guthealthretreat #healthretreat #healthyeating #cooking #healingfood #foodismedicine #naturetime #quirkycooking #athertontablelands #farnorthqueensland #queensland #australia

Day 1 of our Quirky Cooking Treetops Retreat in Fa

Day 1 of our Quirky Cooking Treetops Retreat in Far North Queensland! So excited for this week 🤩 So far we’ve had breakfast at @guyalacafe, enjoyed a scenic drive to @treetops_sanctuary, had a beautiful lunch prepared by @_thissmallcorner, @epensini & @sticksandstonesfarms, goodie bags with all sorts of fun stuff from Quirky Cooking, @blockbluelight_official, @denu_australia & more, gut health talks & cooking workshops with me, & fireside chats before an early night because SLEEP is a big focus here!!

Biggest food hit yesterday: bone marrow butter on rib fillet roast with braised broccolini, roast pumpkin & sauerkraut! ❤️

Day 2 here we come!!

#guthealth #gaps #retreat #healthretreat #fnq #athertontablelands

Liquid gold ✨ I’m feeling rich with all this g

Liquid gold ✨ I’m feeling rich with all this golden, caramelised butter (aka ghee) 🤩😄😍 (How good is ghee??!!)

It’s so easy to make… Place a kilo of unsalted butter into a large, heavy-based saucepan and melt over low heat. Simmer very gently for approximately 1 hour, uncovered, or until the foam on top reduces and looks dry and the milk solids have dropped to the bottom of the pan and turned into brown crumbs. Keep a close eye on it, especially towards the end, so that it doesn’t burn! Cool for 20–30 minutes, then strain through a nut-milk bag or a fine sieve into a glass dish or jar. Discard milk solids (or eat them, they’re delish!). Store in jars in the pantry.

Ghee is shelf stable at room temperature (meaning it won’t oxidise or go rancid). Store in a glass dish or jar in the pantry. There are no milk solids left, just saturated fat, so it will not go off for months, if at all. The texture may look a little grainy or separated at room temp depending on the warmth of the room - this is totally fine. If you want to store it in the fridge you can, but it will be more difficult to remove from the jar if it is cold, and if the lid gets condensation underneath the ghee can go mouldy. So best to just keep at room temp.

Smoke point: 250C! Perfect for frying and sauteeing and adds a delicious, caramelised butter flavour to your food. Mmmmm…

PS it has heaps of health benefits too, and is a traditional, healing food, perfect if you’re working on improving your gut health. 💛

#ghee #gold #golden #liquidgold #guthealth #guthealthy #healthyfat #healthyeating #healingwithfood #foodismedicine

Early morning light exposure is a game changer! If

Early morning light exposure is a game changer! If you’re having trouble sleeping at night 🥱 or you’re relying on coffee ☕️ to get going in the mornings, or your moods are all over the place 😵‍💫 - try getting up early and viewing the sunrise! This will help to regulate your circadian rhythm, improve daytime alertness, and stabilise your moods. ✨

How? When our skin and eyes absorb natural light shortly after sunrise, it signals the brain to regulate the body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm. This rhythm influences sleep patterns, hormone production and dopamine levels. The blue light spectrum present in early morning sunlight also triggers the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of well-being and happiness, and cortisol, a hormone which promotes wakefulness and alertness. Plus this natural light helps regulate melatonin production, helping you to sleep better at night and protecting you against sunburn later in the day!

Then there’s the benefits of being surrounded by sounds of nature, which have a calming effect on the nervous system. If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, go outside and listen to the birds, the rustling of leaves, and water sounds - ocean, rivers or waterfalls - whenever possible. This natural soundscape engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” response. It will help calm an overactive nervous system, reduce anxiety and improve mental clarity.

Early morning walks or even just 10 minutes of sitting outside viewing the sunrise each morning not only provides the physical benefits of UV light exposure but also nurtures your mental and emotional health. Such a great way to begin the day!

PS I know this isn’t easy for everyone - if you live in a city apartment or are in the middle of winter, maybe try some of the following:
- use a light therapy panel to regulate circadian rhythm & provide morning light exposure
- grow indoor plants, listen to calming music & nature sounds in the morning
- open the window & let light in (glass blocks UV)
- spend time outdoors in parks & nature areas as much as possible! 🌿

#naturetherapy #sunlight

Springtime strawberry jelly! 🍓🍃 A beautiful

Springtime strawberry jelly! 🍓🍃 A beautiful dessert made by my sister, Joye, as a welcome home treat after my trip! 🥰 The strawberries, flowers and mint were from my garden, and the oranges were from hers. ❤️ Here’s how to make this simple and delicious dessert!

[Note: I’m guessing amounts because Joye never writes down recipes unless she absolutely has to 😂😂]

Ingredients:
🍓 juice of 2 oranges (or so)
🍓 approx equal amount of water to juice
🍓 2 tsp rosewater (opt)
🍓 honey to taste (depends on how sweet your oranges are and how sweet you like your jelly 😄)
🍓 about 3 Tbsp gelatine powder for a firm jelly that is sliceable (or 2 Tbsp if you want a softer jelly)
🍓 a cup or two of small strawberries, halved (or larger ones sliced)
🍓 mint leaves & strawberry flowers to decorate

Place the orange juice, water, rosewater, honey and gelatine into a saucepan or Thermomix bowl.

Heat gently until gelatine is melted (about 5 mins/50C/sp 2 in Thermomix).

Pour into a glass dish lined with baking paper. Arrange halved or sliced strawberries on top, and garnish with little mint leaves and strawberry flowers.

Place carefully onto a flat surface in the fridge or freezer and chill until set.

Served with whipped cream or kefir cream or vanilla ice cream 😍!

Lasts in the fridge for about a week (the strawberries will fade if left much longer).

Thanks Joye 🤗🤗🤗

By @_thissmallcorner

#jelly #strawberryjelly #delicious #dessert #norefinedsugar #healthydessert #guthealthy #quirkycooking

My garden has decided that it’s already spring!

My garden has decided that it’s already spring! 😍🎉🎉 Lettuces, kale, baby pumpkins, leeks, sorrel, zucchini starting, green beans, strawberries, herbs and weeds and noisy work going on next door 😂 … and lots of lorikeets having a party in the trees at the end of the day! 😄 Tomorrow I’ll share the beautiful strawberry jelly that Joye made on Monday - it’s such a lovely springtime treat! ❤️🍓🍃

What’s happening in your garden this week? 🌱🌝

#organicgarden #nodiggarden #gardening #springgarden #veggiegarden #tropicalgarden #lettuce #kale #strawberries #organic #farnorthqueensland #australia #aussiegarden #quirkycooking

Flying home from Brisbane to Cairns the other day

Flying home from Brisbane to Cairns the other day was a surreal experience… Once we took off, I realised why we’d been delayed for an hour on the tarmac, due to heavy fog! Check out the skyscrapers peeking out through - it was such an unusual sight! And what a contrast, arriving home in tropical Far North Queensland. 🤍💚

#travel #flying #foggy #brisbane #cairns #queensland #seequeensland #australia #cairnslife #brisbanecity #brisbanelife #skyscrapers #surreal #travelphotography

Snippets from my interview with @thefunctionalfami

Snippets from my interview with @thefunctionalfamily: “OCD to Peace” (episode 40 on the ADHD Families Podcast).

We discussed the transformative power of gut health and its impact on ADHD and OCD symptoms, and I share my journey from traditional medical advice to exploring gut health, driven by my son’s severe OCD.

Discover practical steps to improve gut health, from introducing meat stocks and other healing foods, to reducing stress and implementing structured routines for a calmer household. I also share success stories from the GAPS protocol, highlighting the benefits of nutrient-dense foods.

Tune in for actionable advice to make manageable yet impactful dietary and lifestyle changes!

You will find this podcast on @thefunctionalfamily’s channel, and “ADHD Families Podcast” on Spotify (ep. 40).

#ocd #anxiety #adhd #kidsmentalhealth #mentalhealth #guthealth #guthealthmatters #foodismedicine #reducestress #nervoussystemregulation #sleep #jowhitton #podcast #interview

About last weekend… we had a blast!! I got to co

About last weekend… we had a blast!! I got to cook on stage with my son Isaac (he didn’t expect to be on stage cooking and speaking, but took it in his stride and the audience loved him as always!); the audience enjoyed tastings of my “Fruit & Flowers” Chocolate and my Creamy Mustard Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms & Asparagus (thanks @goldenoakproduce & @mungallicreek for your contributions!); I was able to share my passion for food as medicine with a new audience, supported by an awesome team of chefs (thanks @chef_mcleod & @dominique_rizzourbanfeast!); the Quirky team went above and beyond, tirelessly sharing what we do - 3 x 12 hour days on our feet 😵‍💫 (especially Emma 🤗) plus a huge day of travel home due to flight delays & fog 😖😵 but so worth it (#worthit 😂); I got to catch up with old Quirky Cooking friends and make some new ones; and we had the best stall neighbours ever (yay @wildvanillafnq 😘)!! So fun!!

I love my work, thanks for inviting me, @moretonbayfoodwine. It was a truly amazing weekend!! 🎉🎉

#foodfestival #foodismedicine #dowhatyoulove #cooking #foodeducation #healthyeating #justeatrealfood #aussiefoodies #moretonbay #queensland #queenslandfoodies #quirkycooking

{Recipe} Tex-Mex Chicken & Chickpea Salad ✨ The

{Recipe} Tex-Mex Chicken & Chickpea Salad ✨ The weather is starting to warm up here in FNQ and we are starting to crave salads! My daughter wanted a chicken and chickpea salad so this is what I made. (Reshared from my stories by popular demand!!) Recipe below, the Butter Mayo recipe is in my last reel, and my Tex-Mex Spice Blend is in my shop 😊

[Note: Measurements are metric, so 1 Tbsp = 4 tsp]

Ingredients

Marinade:
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Quirky Cooking Tex-Mex Spice Blend
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tsp honey or pure maple syrup
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1kg chicken thigh fillets
A bunch of mixed lettuce leaves, or 1 baby cos lettuce
2 Tbsp ghee
1 tsp sea salt
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1 Lebanese cucumber
1/4 red onion
1 tin chickpeas
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
shaved parmesan (as much as you like!)

Dressing:
- 1/2 cup butter mayo or preferred mayonnaise
- 1/2-3/4 cup Greek yoghurt (or plain yoghurt)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice (to taste)
- 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Mix together marinade ingredients, add chicken thighs and turn over in marinade to coat well.
2. Heat ghee in pan, place thighs into pan in a single layer, cook on med-high heat for about 10 mins each side or until cooked through.
3. While chicken cooks, wash and tear lettuce and place into salad bowl. Halve cherry tomatoes and add to bowl. Cube cucumber and add to bowl. Slice onion finely and add to bowl. Rinse and drain chickpeas.
4. Mix all dressing ingredients in a measuring jug or a bowl, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
5. Remove cooked chicken to a dish to stay warm. Add chickpeas to oils/juices in pan, with pepitas, and stir and cook for about 5 mins or until pepitas are starting to get puffy and crunchy. Turn off heat.
6. Slice chicken thighs.
7. Set out the salad components for everyone to serve themselves - salad on the plate, topped with chicken slices, chickpeas & pepitas, and dressing on top.

YUM!!! 🎉🎉🎉

#salad #chickensalad #chicken #texmexchicken #texmex #chickpeas #dinner #saladfordinner #simpledinner #quirkycooking

How my eating habits have changed from 15 years ag

How my eating habits have changed from 15 years ago! (Watch to the end to see a 15 year old photo of me compared to now! 😱) I used to eat mostly carbs, low fat, with a bit of protein here and there (but whole days without much protein at all.) I usually ate toast and cereal/porridge for breakfast with sugary-sweet coffee, more toast or cake or biscuits at morning tea, sandwiches for lunch, more sweet baking for afternoon tea, meat & veg with pasta or rice or mash for dinner, dessert most nights, more snacks for “supper” before bed (and plenty of sweet drinks throughout the day including sweet coffees, juices and milo with added sugar)… I thought because I cooked “from scratch” (even the bread) and avoided fats and ate plenty of veggie meals, that I had a healthy diet. I was underweight (due to a damaged gut and poor nutrition), constantly “hangry” and having blood sugar crashes, always exhausted, had to have an hour nap every afternoon, I was always getting colds and sinus infections, headaches, itchy skin, acne, hormonal issues, massive anxiety… And now, what a difference. Everything changed when I began focusing on nutrient-dense, protein-rich meals and foods that heal the gut. I don’t need to snack between meals now, I don’t crave sugar, I don’t have blood sugar crashes or need a daily nap, my health is so much better, and I enjoy delicious food - and yes I still have some carbs but they’re whole-food carbs plus often resistant starches (eg sweet potato cooked the day before). Sweet treats are a now and then thing, not something I rely on to get me through the day. Coffee is organic, mycotoxin free and less often, served with cream. Gone are the days when I avoided animal fats and limited animal protein in my diet. I eat plenty of veggies, but I know how important it is to include quality fats and protein for my health.

#healing #healingfoods #foodismedicine #guthealth #guthealthmatters #gaps #food #health #healthyeating #nutrientdense #quirkycooking #jowhitton #beforeandafter #protein #goodfats #nutrition #healthyeating

It’s hard to find the words to describe the @tas

It’s hard to find the words to describe the @tasteportdouglas Dolce Vita Italian long lunch we experienced on Saturday… The food was out of this world, the flavours of every single dish were next level, and the whole vibe was chilled yet exhilarating - we had a ball!! What a treat to have this opportunity to enjoy inspired dishes by talented chefs, alongside real-food-lovers from all over the country.

A huge thank you to @laurasharrad @max.sharrad @bente_grysbaek @chefmassimomele @vanellacheese and the rest of the team who worked so hard to make this a day to remember. We’ll be back next year, for sure!!

#tasteportdouglas #sponsored #queensland #tropicalnorthqueensland #foodlovers #australia #foodfestival #portdouglas

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Copyright Notice

I love it when my readers are as excited about my recipes as I am, and want to share them! I only ask that if you do share my recipes on your own blog or on social media, you only share an excerpt or link, not the entire recipe. Full and clear credit must be given to Quirky Cooking with a link back to the original content. If you’d like to share one of my photos, please contact me for permission. Thank you! Jo x

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