September 2013 – Supercharged Food

Chia Coconut Pikelets

Photo by Pamela Mackertich

I'd love to share a wholesome and delicious recipe out of my Supercharged Food for Kids book.

Pikelets work well for children as they are smaller than a traditional pancake and become a practical and fun finger food for them. They can also be used for dessert as well as breakfast or packed into a lunchbox for morning or afternoon tea.

I’ve used chia seeds in this recipe because they are a delicious super food, packed with Omega 3s and ridiculously high in antioxidants. They’re extremely versatile and easy to use too. Some great ways to include them in your child’s diet are by adding them to smoothies, sprinkling them on top of yoghurt or cereal, tossing them in your muffin mix or making these delicious pikelets.

Any time you can squeeze chia into your child’s diet, you’re boosting their nutritional profile. By including plain full fat yoghurt on top of these pikelets, you’ll be providing sustenance as well as essential protein, calcium, vitamin C, iron, potassium and Omega 3 essential fatty acids.

When mixed with water, chia seeds become gelatinous. In this form you can use them as an egg substitute in your baking recipes.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 TBS chia seeds
1 1/2 cup self-raising gluten free flour
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup filtered water
2 eggs beaten
1 TBS coconut nectar or sweetener of your choice
2 TBS butter

Method:

In a bowl place chia, flour, coconut milk, water, eggs and sweetener and mix.
Heat a frying pan and melt some butter in the pan
Pour in mixture and cook on medium heat until bubbles start to form
Flip over using a spatula and cook until browned
Continue until finished

I hope your whole family enjoys these pikelets. Top with yoghurt, berries or topping of your choice. You can find more recipes for kids here.

Kids Recipes

You'll find plenty of delicious recipes the whole family can enjoy in my new e-book Supercharged Food for Kids.

When cooking for the family, it’s a good idea to cook meals that everyone can enjoy. When you really think about it, why cook a completely separate meal for your kids if they can get in on Mum and Dad’s. Plus it saves you alot of time in the kitchen, not to mention the preparation work and cleaning up too!

Roast dinners, soups, bolognaise and curries can be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike and can also be pureed in a blender for babies.

You'll find a whole lot of Supercharged for Kids' recipes if you look at the recipe book to the right of the screen or you'll also find them in the blog here.

Here are a few new recipes from my book to get you guys started. I would love to know what you think so be sure to leave a comment below or share your pics on my facebook, twitter or instagram pages...

You can also buy the book here.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Yoghurt and Cucumber Dip

Rocking Fried Rice

Mini Salmon Frittatas

Crepe Wraps

Yoghurt Berry Crunch Pot

Orange and Cranberry Muffins

Happy Cooking

Lee xo

Healthy Cookware for Your Real Food Kitchen

Photo from Love Made Me Do It x

As more and more people come around to the benefits of eating healthily and from the source, it struck me recently that there’s little information surrounding the benefits of choosing the correct and healthiest cookware on the market today.

We all know that somewhere lurking in our kitchen is at least one old saucepan that perhaps had its heyday in the 90’s and is hanging in there, just by the skin of its teeth.

Although for many of us it can be a struggle to say goodbye to what is a reminder of a delicious meal created with a special person or a trusty rusty pan that has seen many a day, for a lot of us the time has now come for cookware update.

Not only do old cooking pots and pans often look battered and bruised, they can also be a source of leeching chemicals which infiltrate our food and negate the benefits of all of the wonderfully fresh, organic and healthy produce we are purchasing.

When choosing new cookware it’s important to look at a number of factors, the usability, the price and most importantly, the materials used. (more…)

Cauliflower, Daikon Rice and Quinoa Pilaf

It’s time to get out those oversized salad bowls from the back of your kitchen cupboard. Today I’m going to give you lots of healthy options for replacing white rice in your meals.

You know those times when you’re looking for an alternative to stodgy, insulin spiking white rice and not sure where to turn? Well, why not try one of these more nutritious options for the perfect partnership or base to a meal. They make excellent replacements and you can whip them up just as easily.

When eaten regularly, research has shown that eating white rice can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes. Aside from its sky high glycemic index, another reason to give white rice the flick is its lack of nutrients after undergoing refinement and processing, stripping the grain of essential B-vitamins, iron, manganese and fibre and leaving you with zilcho nutrition.

Some of the best alternatives for you to try when replacing white rice are opting for wholesome brown rice, it still has the same consistency and texture but you’re ensuring yourself more vitamins, minerals and a serve of fibre. Try using brown rice in risotto, sushi, stir fries and alongside dishes like this health promoting Eggplant and Green Bean Curry. (more…)

Quinoa Pancakes

Here’s a wonderful healthy breakfast or lunch idea that will give you a serve of complete protein and keep your blood sugar levels in check.

Quinoa Pancakes

Ingredients

3 cups cooked quinoa (white, brown or red)
3/4 cup almond milk
4 eggs
3 tsp gluten free baking powder
pinch of Celtic sea salt
coconut oil or butter for frying
Stevia, lemon wedges for serving

Method

In a blender place all ingredients and blend until smooth adding more milk if required
Heat oil or butter in a frying pan
Place a spoonful of batter into pan and cook until pancake starts to bubble on top
Carefully flip it over and continue cooking until it is golden brown.
Remove from pan and serve with lemon and stevia.
You can make savoury versions too by adding nutritional yeast and serving with a green salad.

Ayurda Skincare

I was recently given the opportunity to delve into the finer side of Ayurvedic beauty.

Ayurda delivers more than a few beautiful beauty products. Rather it provides a personalised service to ensure your body and soul are treated with the correct nutrients, relevant to your skin.

Combining the wisdom of Indian Ayurvedic philosophy, Ayurda identifies that every woman is unique – and what may work perfectly on one skin may be to the detriment of another.

I love their customised approach – before purchasing, you complete an online quiz that delves not only into skin traits that you hold but also vital personal characteristics that define you. The result is a regime that is completely reflective of your specific needs.

Interestingly, before I even completed my online quiz, the consultant predicted what products would best suit me, having seen a long distance photo of me as well as chatted to me at length on the phone. The quiz merely confirmed what she already saw of me.

My approach to my skin is now much more refined and simple – knowing that I only need a few essential products, rather than a plethora of unessential shelve wasters has left me with an easy routine that has left my skin glowing.

For those of you who have read my blog for a while, you are also probably aware of my love for simple ingredients – with a moisturiser containing eight ingredients, including sesame oil, saffron, rose petals, turmeric and licorice root (many of which I use in my recipes!). Add to that a toner of rose and basil and a cleanser whose main ingredient was coconut oil and you have a very beautiful and toxic free product. The total range of Ayurda skincare is 100% natural, free from synthetic chemicals, SLS, artificial preservatives and Parabens. Ayurda does not test on animals.

For more information about their skincare products visit the website.

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