When I fall in love with a dish, I always want to reach for my thinking cap and create a healthy version of it.  This may sound to you like culinary madness but this week my mission in the kitchen has been to create a simple Japanese Chicken Teriyaki recipe, filled with nutritious ingredients yet still full of flavour and one that genuinely looks the part. Mr Miyagi? Yes Daniel son!

Stir-fries are great options for mid-week fuss-free meals especially if you’re time-poor yet want something nourishing and filling. My latest recipe can easily be converted to a slow cooked version by skipping the marinade and placing chicken and your choice of vegetables in your slow cooker, pouring the sauce on top and slowly cooking it for about 6-8 hours on low.

Eating healthily doesn’t mean depriving yourself or eating less, it just means eating better and smarter.  The main ingredients to step away from when crafting a healthy home-made Teriyaki marinade are modified corn starch, sunflower oil, breadcrumbs and supermarket processed Asian sauces which are usually full of preservatives and sugar.  You can still enjoy a robust salty taste with a hint of sweetness from a low sugar, low sodium version, just by including ingredients like wheat free tamari, rice malt syrup and coconut oil.

The benefit of stir-fries is that you can veg them up and showcase seasonal ingredients by including anything you have lying about in your fridge. I used broccoli and red and green capsicum which are high in vitamin A and C, as well as potassium, which is important for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs in the human body. When in doubt just let your healthy ingredients crowd out other ingredients and add lots of greens or colours of the rainbow.

This recipe is a corker for the whole family and the richly infused Teriyaki sauce is a nutrient boosting box and dice sauce which can be used to take dishes up a notch.  Slap it on top of grilled chicken wings or legs for game day snacks or pan fry salmon with it and position on top of a sky high crunchy slaw.

Try my Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, bursting with goodness and vitality and let me know what you think?

Chicken Teriyaki Bowl

Serves 4

Ingredients to make the chicken marinade

• 4 chicken breast fillets cut into bite-size pieces or strips
• 2 TBS wheat free tamari

Ingredients for stir fry

• 11/2 TBS coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
• 1 inch ginger grated
• 1 small red capsicum sliced thin
• 1 small green capsicum sliced thin
• 1 small head broccoli chopped
• 1/2 small red chili deseeded and diced fine
• 3 spring onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
• 1 TBS toasted sesame seeds

 Yummy Teriyaki Sauce

• 1/4 cup wheat free tamari
• 3 TBS rice malt syrup or sweetener of choice
• 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 heaped tsp arrowroot flour
• 1 TBS coconut oil (melted)

 Method

• Place chicken in a medium bowl and pour the tamari over the top to cover. Stir if needed.  Set aside for 1 hour to marinade
• Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium heat
• Add 3/4 TBS coconut oil and swirl the pan to coat
• Add garlic, ginger and chicken and cook until lightly browned and cooked through
• Transfer to a bowl and set aside
• Add remaining coconut oil to the pan and then add capsicum, broccoli, chili and spring onions, (reserving some spring onions for garnish) stirring until cooked about 5 minutes
• Meanwhile whisk all sauce ingredients together in a medium jug
• Return the chicken to the frying pan and pour sauce over the top stirring until sauce thickens, about a minute
• Spoon into waiting bowls and top with toasted sesame seeds
• Serve alongside brown rice

Find my recipe books here.

I’m back. Apologies for my lack of recipe posts lately. I’ve been working on bringing my Heal Your Gut eBook to life in the form of an online program which starts next month (October) and a print book published mid next year.

This self imposed exhile has been a great excuse to sip on soupy creations, served warm in tea mugs whilst beavering away.  Today I want to share with you one of my particular favourites.

Although it may not be the ultimate eye candy, consider this soup as a bowl of anti-inflammatory goodness. You don’t need potatoes to herald a comfort factor. The combination of celery and leek brings with it a mellow flavour and creaminess without the use of heavy cream.

Celery is best known for its ability to lower blood pressure, but it also helps protect against inflammation within the digestive tract, and aids in digestion. Combined with leeks, which are high in vitamins and minerals, this recipe is a great option to include when you feel like having a belly good holiday.

Leeks contain kaempferol, a natural flavonol that's also found in broccoli, kale, and cabbage. Numerous preclinical studies have shown that kaempferol have a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-osteoporotic, estrogenic/antiestrogenic, anxiolytic, analgesic and antiallergic activities. That’s a lot of big words which basically mean it’s eat it, cause it's good for you!

This soup is adaptable and can be used as a base for whatever veggies you have hanging about in the fridge.  You can omit the cashews and add one cup of coconut milk instead if you prefer.

Here’s how to create my magically gut healing Celery, Leek and Thyme Soup.

GF, WF, DF, SF, VEG

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 leek chopped
• 1 1/2 heads celery, sliced into 1/2 cm chunks (Throw in a few leaves too if you’re keen)
• 2 cardamom pods, seeds only
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 2/3 cup cashew nuts
• ½ cup coconut milk

Method

• In a heavy based pan heat oil and add garlic and leek
• Add celery and cardamom and thyme and cook for a further 5 mins
• Add stock and bring to the boil then lower heat and cook until celery is tender
• Remove and place in a blender with cashew nuts and blend until smooth
• Return to pan add coconut milk and warm through
• Ladle into bowls