Jessica Turner With a surplus of clients looking to spoil their mum, if you’re the owner or operator of an aesthetics business, it’s likely May 14th is front of mind already.
But, regardless of if you have children of your own, don’t forget to take some well-deserved time-out for yourself if you can this Sunday.
And, if you do have kids (of any age) this super-easy recipe for Sweet Potato Falafel is your “get out of cooking” ticket on Mother’s day!
So, whether you suggest your teenagers make it for the whole family or hand it over to your significant other with a (strong) hint, be sure to keep away from the kitchen.
SPA+CLINIC have extracted this healthy gem from Australian nutritionist Vanessa Clarkson’s new book, Real Food For Babies And Toddlers.
“I wrote the book to rescue all caregivers from the tiresome task of making separate meals for the youngest members of the family,” she says.
Vanessa advocates a “baby-led” weaning approach to eating, which allows parents and caregivers to observe and respond to their baby’s natural cues and introduce a world of bright, flavourful, nutrient-rich foods from the get-go.
“Baby-led weaning has great benefits, because, by having control over what goes in their mouths, babies learn to regulate their food intake, refine their motor skills and become more adventurous eaters,” Vanessa elaborates.
Packed with advice, practical strategies, nutritional information and over 80 recipes, the book offers a natural way of introducing whole-foods to even the youngest of infants.
Sweet Potato Falafel (served with yoghurt labneh)
- Makes 4 adult portions or 8 baby portions
- Preparation time 20 minutes
- Cooking time 30 minutes.
- Gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian, dairy-free (omit fresh cheeses), vegan (omit fresh cheeses)
Ingredients:
– 300 g (10½ oz) orange-red sweet potato, peeled and diced1 red onion, chopped
– 2 garlic cloves, peeled
– 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/2 cups) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and well drained
– 40 g (1½ oz/¹⁄³ cup) besan (chickpea) flour
– 1 large handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
– 1 large handful coriander (cilantro) leaves
– grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
– 2 teaspoons ground cumin
– 1 teaspoon ground coriander
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a large baking tray with olive oil.
- Put the sweet potato, red onion and garlic cloves in a food processor, and pulse a few times until everything is finely chopped. Be careful not to over-process; otherwise your falafel will end up like little balls of mashed potato.
- Add the remaining ingredients, and pulse again until everything is well combined (you may need to scrape down the sides). Empty into a large bowl.
- Use your hands to scoop the mixture, and shape into 15–20 balls or patties. As you do this, squeeze the mixture well to remove any extra liquid and ensure that the ingredients bind together as they cook. If you feel that the mix may crumble, stir in some additional besan flour at this stage.
- Brush or spray the falafel with extra olive oil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Divide the falafel among large serving bowls, and heap in a mix of other foods to make a mini platter or bowl.
- For little ones I advise against serving this in an actual bowl because you’ll end up with a mega mess rather than a mini mezze. Place two or three options in front of them to choose from, and go from there.
Yoghurt Labneh:
“Quite a few of my recipes use labneh – a creamy, fresh yoghurt cheese,” says Vanessa Clarkson. “As it contains no salt, it’s perfect for little ones and making it from scratch also yields a generous measure of whey.”
- Take a clean, un-dyed baby muslin or cheesecloth, and lay it flat on a plate.
- Scoop out a large tub of full-fat Greek-style yoghurt (ideally organic) into the centre of the cloth, and bring the edges together to make a pouch.
- Twist the cloth and wrap the ‘tail’ around the handle of a wooden spoon (or similar), then secure so that the pouch is dangling.
- Place the spoon over the top of a large jug or bowl, and place in the refrigerator.
- Strain the yoghurt for at least a day.
Internationally renowned nutrition expert and mother of two, Vanessa Clarkson, is a registered dietician, wholefood nutrition expert, cook and writer. In a career spanning over a decade Vanessa has worked tirelessly to advocate for change in the food we eat by advising some of the world’s largest food and drink companies on the things they can do to improve the nutritional content of their products and market them in a more responsible way. She has a Masters’ Degree in Food Policy and is recognised widely in her field, currently acting as an advisor to the Australian government on food and nutrition issues. She now lives, writes and cooks on the Mornington Peninsula.
Published by Murdoch Books, RRP $35.00
