May 2015 – Supercharged Food

Tamari Nibble Mix

Looking for a supercharged pick me up? If you're tired of reaching into your handbag and finding the same old ho hum snack you'll love this one.

It's a quick fix recipe to help you mix things up a little. It’s full of good fats and B vitamins so your body and mind will love it too.

This recipe can be whipped up quickly and stored in an airtight container for weeks, allowing you to prepare a big batch and work your way through it at your own pace.

It's a wonderfully healthy snack option to have on hand to tide you over when you the low energy lull hits.

I hope that you'll include it into your day and use it as recharging pick-me-up.

Tamari Nibble Mix

Serves 4

Ingredients

160 g (51/2 oz/1 cup) almonds
155 g (51/2 oz/1 cup) raw cashew nuts
75 g (21/2 oz/1/2 cup) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
75 g (21/2 oz/1/2 cup) sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons wheat-free tamari
90 g (31/4 oz) additive-free brown rice crackers, broken into bite-sized pieces

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°c (315°F/gas 2–3) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place the nuts and seeds in a bowl and mix to combine.
Pour over the tamari, and mix so the seeds are well coated.
Transfer to the baking tray and cook in the oven for  25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Add the rice crackers before serving.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks until ready to bag.

Spotlight on Seaweed Plus Seaweed and Sesame Salad Recipe

It adds a salty kick to any dish and is loaded with essential vitamins and nutrients. Considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet, Seaweed, a fibre rich, sea vegetable is a member of the algae family and comes in a trio of autumnal colours, red, brown and green.

I’m not surprised why Japanese people incorporate it into nearly every dish and this includes breakfast! Seaweed really is a “super- dooper food” in every sense of the word.

This month, I’m shining the spotlight on this slightly exotic and incredibly underrated food. By delving deeply into its history, uses and nutritional benefits and sharing a delicious, healthy and simple Seaweed and Sesame recipe I’m encouraging you to embrace it’s versatility as more than just something you see floating in miso soup, used as a body wrap or applied lavishly as a revitalising face mask.

Hopefully after reading more about this undervalued ingredient, you’ll be inspired to experiment with it in your own kitchen, and reap the multitude of health benefits that come with consuming one of the most mineral-rich foods on the planet.

kamhnlnkhxpj46qjbmee

Background:

It’s only recently that Western cultures have begun to embrace the unique taste and nutritional value of sea vegetables, although often referred to as seaweed, or sea lettuces, they’ve been a staple of the Japanese diet for centuries.

In fact, archaeological evidence suggests that Japanese cultures have been consuming sea vegetables for more than 10,000 years. In ancient Chinese cultures, sea vegetables were considered a delicacy, primarily reserved for royalty and honoured guests.

This miraculous power food isn’t only enjoyed by Asian cultures, however. Most regions and countries located by waters, such as Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands have been consuming sea vegetables since ancient times. (more…)

Native Box

Native Box was founded by two young health and nature conscious Australians who craved easy access to affordable eco-friendly, natural and organic products.

The way Native Box works is that you sign up for a monthly box of eco goodies, varying between natural personal care, food, lifestyle, household and cleaning items. These arrive in either a sample or a full size.

The Native Box team get together to curate a box of healthier and safer alternatives to conventional household and kitchen products that are all 100% Australian owned. Once they’ve searched high and low for a variety of products the native box is born, packaged and delivered directly to your door.

Boxes start at $19.95 a month and you can sign up for one, three, six or twelve months. You can also give a Native Box as a great gift for someone’s birthday, to say thank you or to spread the Native Box love!

There is also a beauty box that can be delivered to your door with some fantastic natural skin care products and cosmetics. Every month you’re provided with a random assortment of new and emerging products in the market that will not leave a mark on the environment or cause an array of unknown consequences on your body and skin.

If you like a product they send to you, you can then visit their online store to buy some of your favourite natural products. If you’re interested visit their website and also enter the latest Supercharged competition to win one of three amazing Nature Box prize packs.

Green Breakfast Bowl

If you’re feeling creative in the kitchen, I hope you’ll enjoy my hearty breakfast bowl, a breakfast of champions, suitable for anytime of the year.

It’s a recipe from my book Eat Clean Green and Vegetarian and includes a smorgasbord of “so hot right now” nutritious ingredients that go together beautifully, pesto, eggs, kale, quinoa, lemon and avocado.

Did you know that Australians consume over four billion eggs each year? If you add them all up, this comes in at a grand total of approximately 200 eggs per person!

Eggs are an agreeable and good-natured ingredient because they let you decide who’s the master chef in your own kitchen. However you choose to cook your eggs, whether you fry them, boil them, scramble or bake them, you’re sure to be benefitting from their extensive shopping list of advantages.

Previously poached in controversy, eggs really are the perfect ingredient for health and budget conscious foodies. They’re an ideal real food that is delivered in its original packaging.

Not only are they delicious, good for you and versatile, they’re also simple to prepare and can be twisted in any way to add bulk to a meal, bind ingredients together, add flavour or simply be enjoyed self-contained, with a dash of sea salt and a grind of black pepper.

My secret ingredient for scrambling eggs is to add the zest of half a lemon and a pinch of nutmeg, it really boosts the flavour profile and adds zing. You might like to try my Kale and Lemon Rind Omelette here.

Starting your day with an egg or two will provide your body with a good source of protein and the full spectrum of B vitamins, omega 3’s, acetylcholine, zinc, copper, biotin and Vitamins A, D, E and K filling you up with needed nutrients and helping you to sustain your energy levels.

Eggs can be eaten at anytime of the day, and are a convenient snack because they are so speedy and easy to prepare.

(more…)

Mother’s Day Recipe Ideas

Give your mum the day off this Mother’s Day! Why not indulge her in a delicious homemade food all day eating affair?

Here's a sample menu with recipes below to get you started.

Mother's Day Menu

Make ahead breakfast in bed ideas

Strawberry Granita

Wow your mum with a hand made granita. As the granita starts to melt, it becomes slushy and the texture, coupled with the flavour of the berries, is out of this world. She will love it. Find the recipe here.

Chai Chia Breakfast Pudding

Put mum in a happy morning mood with a breakfast porridge full of vitamins, essential fatty acids and an exotic blend of chai spices, this pudding will fill her with joy. Find the recipe here.

Lunch or Dinner Idea

Seven Minute One Pan Salmon with Greens

A quick lunch preparation means you can get on with spending time together and less time dawdling in the kitchen. This dish will give mum a much needed energy boost and the good fats in the salmon and olive oil will help her body absorb beneficial iron from the spinach. Find the recipe here.

Make Ahead Dessert Ideas

Cauliflower and Raspberry Cheesecake

(more…)

Seven Minute One Pan Salmon with Greens

Some nights you just want to settle into a comfy chair, put your feet up and relax and honestly the less time spent deliberating and dilly-dallying in the kitchen with the fridge door open the better.

Enter my scrumptious one pan salmon with greens recipe. That means less time washing up and you'll be out of the kitchen before you can say 'I'll be there in a minute".

This recipe has big flavours coming from all angles, the luscious mint combined with the sweetness of the cherry toms, the flavoursome and fragrant sage and asparagus and lemony salmon make it a nifty little number to satisfy all of your taste buds.

It's a no fuss dinner for any night of the week.

(more…)

Two delicious smoothie recipes

Today I'm introducing a couple of my favourite smoothie recipes to brighten up your breakfast. I created them especially for the Kenwood kCook multi-cooker launch breakfast that I hosted recently.

It was a beautiful morning that was held in Balmoral in Sydney at The Public Dining Room.

The sun was shining and the water was sparkling as guests watched swimmers taking their early morning plunge in the autumn sunshine. Kids were frolicking in the water and building sandcastles. There was a feeling of excitement in the air.

A crowd gathered with lots of my foodie friends and media who came along.

I got myself included in a super hunk 'manwich'. Not that I am complaining, I can think of worse ways to spend a morning.

Then next up I did a demonstration on two of the new machines, the X pro blender and the kCook which I demonstrated a breakfast bar recipe in. It was delicious and I'll share this recipe next week on the blog. I used a gluten free muesli, coconut milk, berries and rice malt syrup to make the bars.

(more…)

Mother's Day Menu

Strawberry Granita

Chai Chia Breakfast Pudding

Seven Minute One Pan Salmon with Greens

Cauliflower and Raspberry Cheesecake

Free supercharged recipes delivered to your inbox!