Meatballs and Muffins

Baked jacket potato with spinach, bacon and a poached egg

By: Meatballs and Muffins 18th October 202018th November 2020

If there’s one vegetable that I always have in my cupboard, it would have to be potatoes. And when I feel like some comfort food, baked jacket potatoes would have to be one of my favourites. The best thing about baked potatoes is that they’re so simple. Just pop them in the oven for an…

There’s more to this meal than an empty plate

By: Meatballs and Muffins 1st October 202018th October 2020

Healthdelicious, Family, goodhealth2 Comments

When a dinner plate ends up looking like this you know it was a delicious meal. And yes, it was very delicious indeed! This meal consisted of a very tasty fennel-crusted pork cutlet pan fried and finished in the oven, served with creamy potato mash and a crisp fennel, rocket and apple salad. I really…

Date and Banana Loaf

By: Meatballs and Muffins 23rd August 202018th October 2020

Baking, Cakes, Gluten Freecake, delicious, Family, gluten-free, goodhealth5 Comments

This is the cake that I will always remember as the cake I made when I visited my son and daughter-in-law to welcome home my new granddaughter Alia two months ago. I wanted to celebrate the arrival of the new addition to my family by baking something sweet, tasty and deliciously satisfying, just like the…

Simple tasty braised green beans

By: Meatballs and Muffins 7th August 20201st October 2020

HealthFamily, Vegetables1 Comment

If I had to choose a vegetable dish as my favourite, it would undoubtedly be braised Greek style green beans with carrots and eggplant. This is a dish I grew up on that my mum used to make with home-grown green beans and sweet ripe tomatoes from our garden. It’s a simple dish with complex…

Fig and Raspberry Crumble Cake

By: Meatballs and Muffins 20th July 20207th August 2020

Baking, Cakes, Desserts, Family, SundayDinnercake, comfort food, delicious, Family2 Comments

The original Fig and Raspberry Crumble Cake recipe by Diana Henry that this cake was adapted from, uses fresh figs and raspberries. But, as I often do, I decided to change the recipe and use dried figs and frozen raspberries instead because that’s all I had at the time. I must admit I was a…

Butterfly Cupcakes

By: Meatballs and Muffins 10th June 202021st July 2020

Cakes, Desserts, Family, Kidscake, Family, KidsLeave a Comment

I made these cute Butterfly Cupcakes for my daughter-in-law’s surprise baby shower using a recipe from Gourmet Traveller. The cupcakes are a little fiddly to make, but they are so worth it because they look so lovely and taste great. As I was making these Butterfly Cupcakes, it suddenly struck me that I was about…

Halloumi, chickpea and green bean salad

By: Meatballs and Muffins 20th May 202020th July 2020

Family, Gluten Free, Health, Salads, SundayDinner, Vegetableseasyhomecooking, Family, goodhealth, saladLeave a Comment

This salad is not only a great accompaniment to any meal, it’s delicious and hearty enough to eat on its own for lunch or a light dinner. There is such a great contrast of flavours and textures in this salad with the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes and capsicum, saltiness of the halloumi, crispiness of…

Anzac Cookies

By: Meatballs and Muffins 25th April 202010th June 2020

Baking, Cookies, Family, SundayDinnereasyhomecooking, FamilyLeave a Comment

What to do Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Place the rolled oats, coconut, flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix to combine well. Put aside. Place the butter, golden syrup and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter melts. Bring to…

Moist orange and chocolate cake

By: Meatballs and Muffins 22nd April 202020th May 2020

Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Gluten FreeChocolate, delicious, easyhomecooking1 Comment

Not only is this cake moist, chocolatey and utterly delicious, it’s gluten free and really easy to bake. It’s also versatile, because you can bake it as a whole cake or as mini cakes* using paper muffin cases. What you need 2 oranges, washed 250g caster sugar 6 free range eggs 250g almond meal 1…

Zucchini and Parmesan fritters

By: Meatballs and Muffins 16th April 202020th May 2020

Fritters, Health, Kidsgoodhealth3 Comments

The first time I made these fritters, I used zucchini grown in my own garden that were picked by my grandson. Like most kids, my grandson is not keen on green vegetables. He has this weird habit of analysing food and picking out bits he doesn’t like before he takes a bite. This usually means…

Caprese Salad

By: Meatballs and Muffins 6th February 202014th March 2020

Health, Salads, Summereasyhomecooking, fresh, goodhealth, salad, SummerLeave a Comment

Nothing screams summer louder than Caprese salad. The sweetness of sun ripened juicy tomatoes is enhanced by the aromatic basil and creaminess of the burrata mozzarella. This is such a simple salad and, it’s that simplicity, that makes so delicious. This traditional Italian summer salad originates from the Isle of Capri in the Gulf of…

Zucchini salad with chilli, pinenuts and feta

By: Meatballs and Muffins 27th January 202016th April 2020

Health, Salads, Summer, Summer dishes, Vegetablesfresh, salad, Summer, Zucchini1 Comment

It’s been such a long time since my last post and the more I thought about getting back into it, the harder it seemed. But, thanks to the encouragement from loyal followers, here I am again. This would have to be one of the easiest and most delicious summer salads I have made. I discovered…

Grain Salad – healthy & delicious

By: Meatballs and Muffins 2nd June 20196th February 2020

Gluten Free, Health, Salads, SundayDinnerdelicious, Family, fresh, goodhealthLeave a Comment

This Cypriot Grain Salad by Hellenic Republic is really delicious and definitely healthy. As I do with most dishes, I’ve tweaked the recipe just a little by adding wild (black) rice for extra goodness, and the zest and juice of one orange for some extra zing! Oh…and this version is gluten free, making it lighter on…

Greek Easter Sweet Bread

By: Meatballs and Muffins 27th April 20196th February 2020

Baking, Family, GreekFamily, GreekFoodLeave a Comment

If you are expecting to see a recipe for the most delicious, moist, light and oh-so ‘melt in your mouth’ buttery brioche-style Greek Easter sweet bread (called tsourekia), then I’m sorry to say you’ll be disappointed. It’s not because I don’t want to share the recipe. On the contrary, I love sharing recipes. It’s just that…

Pedro’s Blueberry & Muesli Cookies

By: Meatballs and Muffins 11th April 201927th April 2019

Cookies, Health, KidsKids, Less Sugar1 Comment

“Hurry up cookies!”, is what my little grandson said while he was waiting for his Blueberry & Muesli Cookies to bake. I can’t blame him for being impatient. The aroma wafting from the oven was enough to make anyone’s mouth water. These Blueberry and Muesli Cookies are buttery, crunchy and delicious, with a hint of honey…

Greek Moussaka – the healthier way

By: Meatballs and Muffins 2nd February 201912th April 2019

Family, Gluten Free, Health, SundayDinner, VegetablesFamily, goodhealth, GreekFood, memories1 Comment

Moussaka has always been a favourite Greek dish of mine, not only because it tastes so amazing, but because it reminds me of where I came from. For me, it’s a quintessentially Greek dish that, when I bake it, it fills my senses with the flavours and aromas of my grandmother’s and mother’s kitchen. It’s…

So, this was Christmas …

By: Meatballs and Muffins 1st January 201912th April 2019

Christmas, FamilyFamily, memoriesLeave a Comment

And now that it’s done, We are left with our memories, Of tears, joy or fun. The New Year is here now So leave the old one behind and look forward to good times with a fresh state of mind. Focus on what could be Don’t on dwell on the past Spend more time with…

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Mascarpone

By: Meatballs and Muffins 19th November 20182nd January 2019

Cakes, Chocolate, Family, Gluten Free, SundayDinnerChocolateLeave a Comment

This family favourite flourless chocolate cake becomes just a little more fancy when topped with creamy mascarpone and dusted with cacoa. It’s chocolatey, moist and light – a perfect dessert for Sunday family dinner … or any time really 🙂 What you need 200g dark chocolate – roughly chopped 120g unsalted butter – chopped 120g…

Double Nutella Muffins

By: Meatballs and Muffins 7th November 20182nd January 2019

Baking, Chocolate, MuffinsChocolate, deliciousLeave a Comment

So here they are, my Double Nutella Muffins! These Double Nutella Muffins are definitely not for the faint hearted! But…I dare you to resist making them!! What makes these Double Nutella Muffins soooo amazing is that not only do they have nutella on the inside, they are also topped with a creamy nutella and mascarpone frosting.…

Week’s End Salad

By: Meatballs and Muffins 7th October 201826th October 2018

Health, Salads, Spring, Vegetablesdelicious, fresh, goodhealthLeave a Comment

What do you do when you stagger in the door on a Friday night after a long week and can’t work out what to have for dinner because all you have in your fridge are some eggs and leftover pieces of vegetables and salad? I’d say most people would order takeaway. Personally, I prefer to…

Banana & Nutella Muffins

By: Meatballs and Muffins 3rd September 201814th September 2018

Chocolate, MuffinsChocolateLeave a Comment

Banana muffins filled with oozy Nutella is an indulgence worth the extra 20 minutes on the treadmill. They are truly delightful at any time, but they are even more amazing when the chocolate in the middle is still warm and gooey. There’s not much more to say really, other than, you NEED to try making…

Lentils & Roasted Eggplant Salad

By: Meatballs and Muffins 3rd September 201826th October 2018

Family, Health, Salads, VegetablesFamily, fresh, goodhealthLeave a Comment

Hi Reader I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not posting as frequently as I used to, so I thought I might explain why. It’s quite simple really – not enough time 😦 Six months ago I took on new employment (unrelated to food, unfortunately) which has kept me extremely busy and left very little time to…

Do you really do this every Sunday?

By: Meatballs and Muffins 4th August 201828th March 2019

Family, Health, Salads, SundayDinnerdelicious, Family, freshLeave a Comment

This is a question I often get asked when I talk to friends about our Sunday family dinners. Well, the answer is YES! My family all come together every Sunday for dinner, unless there is a clashing event, and I cook a variety of wholesome food for us all to enjoy. I always try to…

Cabbage & Brussel Sprouts with Tahini Dressing

By: Meatballs and Muffins 4th August 201814th July 2020

Family, Gluten Free, Health, SundayDinner, VegetablesFamily, fresh, goodhealthLeave a Comment

Who would have thought that brussels sprouts could become a family favourite? Like many people, brussels sprouts have not been a vegetable that I would seek out intentionally, that is, until I discovered the way they taste when they are baked. Baking, rather than boiling brussels sprouts (which is how I was taught to cook them),…

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies

By: Meatballs and Muffins 26th July 20184th August 2018

Chocolate, CookiesChocolate, delicious, peanut butterLeave a Comment

If you love peanut butter, but have never eaten it freshly ground, then you have no idea what you are missing out on. Fresh peanut butter is made of roasted peanuts ground to a paste – that’s it! Because nothing else is added, this is the healthiest way to eat peanut butter. Manufactured, store-bought peanut…

Greek Bean Soup

By: Meatballs and Muffins 12th July 201827th July 2018

Greek, Health, Soup, VegetablesFamily, GreekFoodLeave a Comment

“Mum, do I really have to eat this soup?”…was the question I would always ask, when my mum put a bowl of ‘fasolada‘ in front of me, which was pretty often 😦 Fasolada (or Bean Soup) is one Greek dish that my mother insisted on cooking on a regular basis and one that I would…

The joy of a new grandchild

By: Meatballs and Muffins 9th July 201825th August 2020

Family, Kids, SundayDinnerBusyParents, Family2 Comments

We’ve had to put Sunday family dinner on hold the last few weeks for a number of reasons and the most exciting one is the arrival of the newest addition to our family, grandson number two 👏 The first thought I had when I was told another grandchild was on the way was, will I…

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Pepitas

By: Meatballs and Muffins 28th June 20189th July 2018

Health, Kids, Soup, VegetablesFamily, goodhealth3 Comments

How do I describe this soup? It’s sweet, spicy, velvety, rich, flavoursome and hearty, with a touch of crunchiness – YUM! I don’t know about you, but this Roasted Pumpkin Soup has everything I need to warm up on a cold winter’s day. To be totally honest, I love this soup any time of the…

Chicken and Leek Patties

By: Meatballs and Muffins 25th June 201811th October 2018

Busy Parent Tips, Fritters, Health, KidsFamily, Fussyeater, goodhealth, Kids, Toddler2 Comments

Like most grandmothers, I am always worried that my grandson P has not had enough to eat when he spends the day with me, so I constantly try to create new recipes for him to try and these Chicken and Leek Patties are a recent addition. He is quite picky with his food, so when…

Turkish Stuffed Eggplants (Imam Bayildi)

By: Meatballs and Muffins 14th June 201828th June 2018

Family, Gluten Free, Health, SundayDinnerdelicious, Family, memoriesLeave a Comment

There are many great things about my family and the one I love most is that we are from different nationalities and cultures, which means our food and conversation has many great flavours, textures and colours.I like to mix it up and cook something unexpected for our family Sunday dinners and this Turkish Stuffed Eggplants…

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

By: Meatballs and Muffins 8th June 201831st July 2019

Health, Soup, Vegetablesdelicious, easyhomecooking, goodhealthLeave a Comment

When I walk into my greengrocer during the cold winter months, and see heads of beautiful bright white cauliflower encased in tender green leaves on the shelf, I get the undeniable urge to make a pot of silky Roasted Cauliflower Soup. Roasting the cauliflower transforms it from a delicate, mild to a more robust earthy…

Baked Seafood in a Spiced Sauce

By: Meatballs and Muffins 7th June 201814th June 2018

Fish, Health, Seafood, SundayDinnerFamily, goodhealth3 Comments

This dish reminds me of summer; warm, colourful and fragrant, which is exactly what I need to get through the bleak months of winter. The spices add such a delicious depth of flavour to this dish, that your mouth will water even while its baking, let alone when you serve it up! Add a crisp…

Polenta and Mushroom Bites

By: Meatballs and Muffins 31st May 201814th June 2018

Drinks, Family, HealthfreshLeave a Comment

I made these Polenta and Mushroom Bites as a pre-dinner snack last Sunday using some beautiful pine mushrooms I found at my green grocer. Pine mushrooms are very delicious, but hard to get and, at $24kg, I almost had to mortgage my house to buy them. I must say though, they were worth every dollar!…

Breakfast Egg Cups

By: Meatballs and Muffins 24th May 20187th June 2018

Breakfast, Family, Health, Kids, Muffinsdelicious, Family, goodhealth, heartybreakfast3 Comments

Do you love eggs and bacon for breakfast, but don’t like the idea of having to slave over a hot frypan to make them? I guess you could go out to a cafe to eat them, but that means having to get out of your PJs and who wants to do that early on a…

Corn Fritters with Spicy Salsa

By: Meatballs and Muffins 10th May 20186th June 2018

Drinks, Family, Fritters, Health, SundayDinnerdelicious, Fussyeater, goodhealth, KidsLeave a Comment

Are you looking for a quick and versatile healthy snack that your children will love and your guests will enjoy with pre-dinner drinks? How about these Corn Fritters?Served on their own, these fluffy, cheesy Corn Fritters make a great snack that kids will love. I know because, like most toddlers, my little grandson is a fussy…

Maria’s Yemista

By: Meatballs and Muffins 7th May 201824th May 2018

Greek, Health, Summer dishes, Vegetableseasyhomecooking, fresh, Fussyeater, GreekFoodLeave a Comment

A while back, I posted my recipe for my GREEK YEMISTA (or stuffed capsicums & tomatoes) which is a delicious vegetarian dish with fresh fragrant herbs, pinenuts and tiny sweet currents. Now I have another version to share with you. This is one my mum used to make that I loved as a child. Yemista was a…

Cacao Hazelnut Bliss Balls

By: Meatballs and Muffins 26th April 20187th May 2018

Busy Parent Tips, ChocolateChocolate, delicious, Less SugarLeave a Comment

Just when you thought I’m done sharing flavour combinations for bliss balls…SURPRISE… I have a new one for you – Cacao & Hazelnuts – and they are heavenly!These Cacao Hazelnut Bliss Balls are so delicious that you’ll not want to share them but, I must warn you, they are a little bit naughty because they have Nutella…

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Cups

By: Meatballs and Muffins 19th April 201826th April 2018

Gluten Free, Health, Kids, Muffins, VegetablesFamily, fresh, goodhealthLeave a Comment

What’s not to love about these Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cups! They are sweet and savoury, soft and crispy, all at the same time. The flavour and texture combination makes these savoury cups very delicious and the ingredients make them a really healthy snack, hot or cold 🙂 I especially love the creamy tangy flavour of …

Seeds & Sesame Crackers

By: Meatballs and Muffins 11th April 201819th April 2018

Family, Gluten Free, Health, SundayDinnereasyhomecooking, Family, goodhealthLeave a Comment

One on my favourite ways to spend time with family and friends is to have a glass of wine with dips, cheese and crackers and these seeded crackers are a real ‘cracker‘, pardon the pun! I came up with these deliciously healthy crackers one day when I needed some GF crackers for Sunday family dinner.…

What’s better than baking ‘koulourakia’ for Greek Easter?

By: Meatballs and Muffins 6th April 201819th April 2018

Cookies, Family, Greek, KidsFamily, GreekFood, memories1 Comment

It’s definitely baking koulourakia with my little grandson P! There is nothing that gives me more joy in my life than spending time with my family and, in particular, spending every Thursday looking after my grandson P. Yesterday was no exception and it was so much fun! Watching P rolling the dough with such a determined…

Greek Lentil Soup

By: Meatballs and Muffins 27th March 20181st July 2018

Family, Gluten Free, Greek, Health, SoupFamily, goodhealth, GreekFoodLeave a Comment

With winter on the way, I can’t help but think about delicious warm soups and Greek lentil soup, or fakes, (pronounced far-kes) is the quintessential Greek winter soup. It’s hearty, delicious, and very nutritious! This is no ordinary soup! Eating fakes on a cold winter’s day, is like wrapping yourself with a cosy warm blanket.…

Cabbage & Potato Bake

By: Meatballs and Muffins 20th March 201814th July 2020

Gluten Free, Health, SundayDinner, Vegetablesdelicious, easyhomecooking, Family, goodhealth1 Comment

Cabbage and Potato Bake would have to be my family’s favourite vegetable dish. It’s a dish they wouldn’t get sick of, even if I made it every week for Sunday dinner! This cabbage and potato bake is one of those comfort foods that people crave for on a dreary cold winter’s day, because eating it makes…

Velvety Chocolate Mouse

By: Meatballs and Muffins 6th March 201817th February 2019

Chocolate, Desserts, Family, Gluten FreeChocolate, delicious2 Comments

Chocolate Mousse is one of the very first desserts I ever made using a recipe from my Women’s Weekly Recipe Card Collection – OMG, am I really that old! If you were born after the 1970’s, then you probably have no idea about what I am taking about, but let me tell you, back then, the…

Choc Dipped Oat Cookies

By: Meatballs and Muffins 6th March 201812th March 2018

Chocolate, Cookies, FamilyChocolate, Less SugarLeave a Comment

Do you like Anzac Cookies, but wish they were a little more exciting? Well I do, so I decided to try jooshing them up a little and came up with these Choc Dipped Oat Cookies? These Choc Dipped Oat Cookies are my “naughty but nice” version of the Anzac Cookies. If you’re thinking you shouldn’t have…

Raspberry Ripple & Coconut Cheesecake

By: Meatballs and Muffins 6th March 201820th March 2018

Baking, Cakes, Desserts, Family, SundayDinnerCheesecake, delicious, FamilyLeave a Comment

Picture this…creamy, smooth, light cheesecake, rippled with delicious sweet raspberries and topped with crispy coconut flakes toasted to perfection, sitting on a coconut biscuit base. Doesn’t that sound sensational? Wouldn’t you love to have a piece? Well then…here it is! My Raspberry Ripple & Coconut Cheesecake!I will confess that even I found it difficult to resist…

Sugar Challenge Week 6 – Chocolate Cookies

By: Meatballs and Muffins 1st March 20188th March 2018

Baking, Chocolate, Cookies, Gluten FreeChocolate, delicious, Less SugarLeave a Comment

Six weeks ago I decided to challenge myself to replace highly processed, refined sugar with healthier alternatives in everything I cook. Now that I’ve come to the end of my 6 week commitment, I wanted to share with you what I have learned along the way and leave you with a final delicious (refined sugar…

Kakavia (Greek Fisherman’s Soup)

By: Meatballs and Muffins 27th February 201815th March 2018

Fish, Greek, Health, Seafood, Soupgoodhealth, GreekFood, memoriesLeave a Comment

It’s been a long time since I last cooked Kakavia, or Greek Fishermans Soup, and a recent dinner with a beautiful family who are in our circle of closest friends, reminded me how delicious this soup is so I wanted to share it with you, but we’ll get to the recipe later. Although the soup we…

Healthier Anzac Cookies

By: Meatballs and Muffins 27th February 201812th March 2018

Cookies, Healthdelicious, Less Sugar1 Comment

With Anzac Day around the corner, I thought I’d share my healthier version of Anzac Cookies. Anzac cookies have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I. These biscuits were sent by wives and women’s groups to soldiers fighting overseas because the ingredients last and the biscuits kept well…

What goes great with falafel? Tabbouleh of course!

By: Meatballs and Muffins 26th February 20181st March 2018

Gluten Free, Health, Salads, Vegetablesfresh, goodhealth6 Comments

Since I posted my FALFEL recipe, I’ve been looking for a great tabbouleh recipe to make for our Sunday family dinner, but found most I came across used bulgar wheat. Now, if you follow my blog, you will probably know that Sunday dinner at our place is usually a gluten free meal and, if you’re…

Cacao Chip Cookies – the healthier option

By: Meatballs and Muffins 21st February 20182nd March 2018

Baking, Cookies, Health, Kidsdelicious, Family, Kids, Less Sugar, nutfree2 Comments

Who doesn’t love choc chip cookies – right? The delicious little chunks of sweet chocolate embedded in the soft buttery cookie is a taste hard to beat. I especially love eating them while they are still quite warm and the chocolate oozes out when I break one in half – YUM! But…and there is a big…