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Tag Archives: pasta salad

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

The boys made pasta salads for lunch today (with a bit of help from [...]

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Recipe Index

Recipe Index

{Fermenting Classes!} Food is medicine… especial ${Fermenting Classes!} Food is medicine… especially when it comes to fermented foods! Join in our online fermenting classes this month - link in bio ✨ Cultured vegetables, fruit, milks and teas are making a huge comeback in modern kitchens as science proves what traditional cultures have intuitively known for millennia - that fermented foods are not only a great way of preserving food and reducing waste, but are also of vital importance for our health and wellbeing. They contain many enzymes that aid in the digestion of our food, and are packed with prebiotics and probiotics to help restore the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Each fermented food has its own specific benefits - for example kombucha is packed with amino acids and B vitamins, sauerkraut is rich in vitamin C and iron, and dairy milk kefir contains a balanced colony of hundreds of microbes including a beneficial yeast (saccharomyces boulardii) which helps to balance pathogenic yeast infection. For this reason, it is ideal to include a wide variety of different ferments in your diet. Learn one fermenting process at a time, adding them in little by little, then begin learning another. Before you know it you’ll be craving fermented foods, and enjoying the results, including vibrant health, improved mental wellbeing, and a robust immune system! This month the theme for our “Cooking by the Seat of Your Pants” online classes is “Fermenting Favourites”! If you’d like to learn how to make your own probiotic, gut-healing foods, join my sister Joye and I for these fun and informative classes! (You can cook along via livestream or watch the replay later and cook in your own time.) ✨ Monday 14th Oct: Fermented Garlic in Honey & Fermented Salsa ✨ Monday 28th Oct: Water Kefir, Milk Kefir, Kefir Smoothie & Sauerkraut Recipe ebooks and video are yours to keep and you can rewatch at any time. [Photos are from my recent gut-health retreat in FNQ, taken by @_housefrau]$

Join me for a Quirky Cooking Workshop at @bar_deco

Join me for a Quirky Cooking Workshop at @bar_deco_yandina, Sunshine Coast, October 21st! ⭐️ quirkycooking.com.au/workshop (or link in bio) ⭐️ (Video from last workshop at @bar_deco_yandina)

Gut-healthy cooking workshop - Yandina, SEQ - October 21st, 5-8pm!

Starter: Seed crackers with Beetroot Labne Dip & Macadamia Pesto

Soup: Prawn & Mushroom Soup

Salad: Tex-Mex Chicken Salad with Yoghurt Dressing

Main: Moroccan Lamb Cutlets with Roasted Pumpkin Wedges & Tahini Sauce, Fermented Veggies

Dessert: Cinnamon Apple Turnovers with Russian Custard Ice Cream

Take-home treat: Chocolates with freeze-dried fruits, & Pumpkin Spiced Nuts

All dishes are gluten free, grain free, soy free, refined sugar free, and most are dairy free. If you have special dietary needs, let me know!

Book in at quirkycooking.com.au/workshops ✨

Dress by @mahasheclothing 🩷

#quirkycooking #guthealth #grainfree #glutenfree #gaps #cooking #workshop #cookclass #yandina #sunshinecoast #queensland

Cheesemaking day at the Quirky Cooking retreat at

Cheesemaking day at the Quirky Cooking retreat at @treetops_sanctuary ✨ One of the classes we do at my cooking retreats is a cheesemaking class. It’s actually quite easy to make your own fresh cheeses! Here we are learning how to make ricotta and paneer with local cheesemaker Jude Nechwatal. The milk is heated in a double boiler, then a little vinegar or lemon juice is added slowly when it’s just about to simmer so that the milk separates. This is now ricotta floating in whey. The ricotta is strained through cheesecloth (you can keep the whey and use in cooking, smoothies, fermenting etc), and the moisture is squeezed out through the cloth. The cheese is then rinsed well until the water runs clear. The cheese is flattened into a disc still wrapped tightly in the cloth, and pressed between two plates. This is left to drain for an hour or so with a weight on top to press it down, then placed into the fridge overnight (between two plates with the weight on top). The next day we cut the finished paneer into cubes and pan-fried with ghee, onions, garlic, chilli, honey, apple cider vinegar, cumin seeds and salt. It was delicious!!!

Thanks to Jude for the great class, and thanks to @_housefrau for the lovely photos.

If you’re interested in attending one of my gut-healthy cooking retreats in Italy or Australia, see the link in my bio to register your interest. Next retreat is in Italy, 2-6 June, 2025!

Note: If you are following the GAPS protocol for gut healing you would need to use raw milk for this recipe. If you don’t have raw milk, it’s best that stick to fermented cheeses while healing as pasturised milk is difficult to digest for a sensitive gut.

Photos by @_housefrau

#cheese #cheesemaking #ricotta #paneer #rawmilk #gaps #guthealing #foodismedicine #healingfood #traditionalfood #nourishingtraditions #homemadefood #healthretreat #guthealth #cooking #cookingretreat #quirkycooking #farnorthqueensland #cairnslife #australiaholiday #australia #seeaustralia

Rustic Roasted Fruit Tarts 😍 Always a favourite

Rustic Roasted Fruit Tarts 😍 Always a favourite at my retreats and cooking workshops! Have you tried this recipe? Use any fruit (berries and stone fruit work best), roast on a tray in the oven drizzled with a bit of honey and sprinkled with vanilla powder until “jammy”, then cool down. Meanwhile, make a batch of my Almond Meal Pastry (or the nut free version with pepita meal), then make small circles with the pastry, top with some fruit, and fold the pastry in to form a little tart. Or you can make one large one and bake on a lined pizza tray. Brush pastry with an egg wash or milk. Sprinkle with coconut sugar if you like before baking. I love to serve these with Russian custard ice cream, or kefir cream! 🤤

Recipes are in my Simple, Healing Food book, or come along to my next cooking workshop in Yandina (Sunshine Coast) and make these with me! 🤗 Link to workshops in bio.

(Photos by @_housefrau showing me demonstrating how to, and the tarts made by guests at the retreat.)

#quirkycooking #glutenfree #grainfree #pastry #gfpastry #glutenfreebaking #grainfreebaking #rustic #fruittarts #quirkycookingretreat

Making gut-healthy Rocky Road for the road (for gu

Making gut-healthy Rocky Road for the road (for guests to take in their snack bag for the trip home 😁) at my #quirkycookingretreat at @treetops_sanctuary ❤️ We made Honey-Sweetened Marshmallows and coloured them with beetroot powder + sprinkled them with raspberry powder (recipe on my blog and in Simple, Healing Food), made dark, Dairy-Free Chocolate (recipe on my blog and in my books), added cubes of Raspberry & Orange Jellies (recipe below) and mixed in some roasted pecans and cashews and crispy freeze-dried mixed berries (from my shop) - it was a gourmet version!! 😄😍😁 We also made Seed Crackers, Hazelnut Butter Fudge, and Nut-Free Bliss Ball Slice. (They were pretty good snack bags for the road, huh! 😁 And they also got a little bag of milk kefir grains in milk to take home 🤗)

You can find the Rocky Road recipe in my Simple, Healing Food 🤗 and the jelly recipe below…

Raspberry Orange Jellies
250ml freshly squeezed orange juice
100g frozen raspberries
3 Tbsp gelatine
40g honey

Method
1. Line a 25x20cm dish with baking paper and set aside. 
2. Place juice, raspberries, gelatine and honey into a small saucepan and simmer gently over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until gelatine is dissolved and berries are breaking apart.  
3. Remove from heat and strain through a fine metal sieve using a silicone spatula to press the jelly through.  
4. Pour jelly into the lined dish and place into the freezer on a flat surface for about 20 minutes, or until set firm. 
5. Once jelly is set, remove from dish and discard paper. Chop into 1-2cm squares using a sharp knife on a chopping board.

[Photos: some by guests and most by my talented friend @_housefrau who was caught licking the marshmallow off the whisk 😁]

#rockyroad #jellies #chocolate #snacks #marshmallows #healthysnacks #healthytreats #holidaytreats #delish #quirkycooking

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

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

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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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