The humble apple is one of my greatly adored kitchen staples and today I'm sharing an apple recipe from my brand new book Fast Your Way to Wellness.

Affordable, nutritious and versatile, they’re a scrumptious fruity must-have that I love to continually replenish within my kitchen. Whether sliced thinly and thrown into salads, baked and stuffed with nuts and oats, stewed and made into apple sauce, or lovingly formed into a classic crumble, apples are the jack of all trades and a loyal friend that awaits transformation into all kinds of delectable creations.

Apples are nutritional ninjas, boasting loads of wellness boosting properties. Did you know that apples are a wonderful ingredient for regulating blood sugar? Recent studies have shown that the polyphenols contained within apples can help to prevent rollercoaster blood sugar spikes. Particular flavonoids like quercetin have the effect of inhibiting enzymes like alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase which normally break down carbohydrates into simple sugars. Therefore when you eat apples, your body deals with less simple sugars and releases you from spikes in blood sugar. (more…)

There’s only one word I can use to describe this one pan meal from my brand new cook book Fast Your Way to Wellness and that is Delicious!  

I cannot tell you how many times a good old one-pan has rescued me from the potential stress of last-minute dinner guests, and tired weeknights where it would be ever-so-easy to order in.

With a kitchen filled with plenty of veg and a variety of proteins, herbs and spices, there’s always the possibility of a creative and delicious one-pan that will satisfy the belly and nourish your body.

This particular meal is of the seafood variety, so it’s perfect for warmer days, and a great way to tick off your fish quota for the week.

Interestingly, in all my years of studying, researching, reading, and searching for supercharged foods, seafood has recurred as one of the most healthful ingredients humans can fill their bodies with. Studies show that people who consume fish regularly have a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death from heart disease. More studies have shown that people who serve fish up on their plate have lower rates of cognitive decline, and scientists believe that it may increase grey matter in the brain, protecting it from age related degeneration. Grey matter is the stuff that acts as the major functional tissue in your brain; containing the neurons that are responsible for storing your memories, processing information, and basically making you human!

Fish is a dream to cook with, as it provides protein in a lighter form, it digests beautifully, is versatile, and is high in one of my most highly adored nutrients for inflammatory conditions: omega 3 fatty acids.

Fish oils are one of your best whole food sources of anti-inflammatory fatty acids. There are two types of these fatty acids in fish oil; EPA and DHA. These guys are total legends, as they inhibit the signals of inflammation within the body. (more…)

Ever feel the need to have a break from your crazy schedule, sit back, enjoy blissful early morning restorative yoga and indulge in organic meals prepared especially for you?  Beautiful Billabong Retreat will do just that.

Billabong is located only a smooth forty-five minute drive away from Sydney in a rural location called Maraylya.  The stunning wellness retreat offers amazing cuisine in a natural setting surrounded by scribbly gums, gulping frogs and chirpy birds; who needs an alarm clock anyway?

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days at the retreat in a homely lodge, overhearing the calming chorus of kookaburras nestled in the treetops by the lily-covered waterhole.

Set amongst the natural surroundings of the native Australian bush, the central point of the retreat is a beautiful billabong which is not only breathtaking but also brings wildlife straight to your door.  I guarantee after just a few hours of arriving, you’ll feel completely at home in the natural surroundings. Imagine a whole new world with no e-mails, no meetings, no distractions. Just you, a hug from mother-nature and a comforting cup of Chamomile.

During my stay I attended a three-day mindfulness retreat designed to take you out of your internal dialogue and chatter, bringing you back into the moment with practical tools to be at one with your thoughts. It’s the kind of retreat, run by Billabong’s founder Paul von Bergen that helps you to replace your “ugh’s” with “oms”  and understand that mindfulness is a practise which can be really beneficial when implemented into your daily life.  It’s a great retreat if you’re looking to improve your relationships, not only with yourself but with the people around you.

Billabong is a breath of fresh air, but just be warned, you’ll want to NamaSTAY there all year long.

Morning meditations with this guy and the best view – is there a nicer way to start the day?

Poolside.  Once you go magnesium, you can never go back. With every stroke you take, you can feel the difference as the magnesium pool helps you get rid of impurities and brings you back to your organic core.

This super clean, super green and super tasty plate of goodness. Picking up those little squares of lemon rind in olive oil with each delicious mouthful. YUM!

Breakfast in the Aussie bush. Chocolate chia pudding, cinnamon yoghurt and poached  pears sprinkled with coconut, walnuts and seeds. Delicious.

Scribbly gums and a chorus of kookaburras by the waterhole.

To learn more about Billabong Retreat visit: www.billabongretreat.com.au

In the searing heat of summer, I want my food to be refreshing, full of supercharged ingredients, and speedy to prepare. Balmy evenings and the dry warmth of the summer air begs for our energy to shift from the comforting presence of the stove and lengthy food preparation, towards simple alfresco food solutions that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

In the warmer parts of the year, my priorities shift away from indoor activity, to more outdoor, social engagements; morning yoga sessions and beach walks followed by throw-together breakfasts, inviting friends over for a shaded outdoor lunch of simple, seasonal ingredients, and family gatherings where common sense, last-minute entertaining or pot luck offerings are regularly required.

When enjoying the food of summer, I always tackle my food planning with a two-fold approach. Firstly, and most importantly, I focus on healing, supercharged ingredients that are full of the season’s well-curated nutrients that support immunity, energy and vitality that the summertime requires. Secondly, I love to embrace speedy simplicity by taking hold of the ritual of batch cooking, one pan options, and easy-peasy snacks and refreshments that allow less time in hands-on food prep, and more time enjoying the outdoors and the presence of those I love.

For summer breakfasts, you can’t go past a glorious granola topped with a mountain of seasonal fruits. My Cranberry and Walnut Granola is my favourite go-to. I find great contentment mixing and baking a large batch of this scrumptious stuff during a Sunday batch-cooking session. You should smell the aroma! The blissful scent of sweet cranberries and roasting nuts will fill the air of your home, comforting your mind with the assurance of nourishing breakfasts sorted for the week ahead. I love to immerse my granola in homemade almond milk topped with fresh organic farmer’s market fruits. You can’t beat passionfruit, mango or raspberries!

One pan meals minimise the need for hands on time in the kitchen, and you don’t have to miss out on flavour with a throw-together dish. My Seven Minute One Pan Salmon with Greens is one you could do blindfolded, and always delivers the light, fresh oceanic flavours of salmon, plus the anti-inflammatory benefits of this high omega 3 fish. It’s also surrounded by seasonal greens that are important for oxygenating the blood to increase energy levels for outdoor cricket or rugby and trying to keep up with chasing around my three step sons during the holidays. 

But if I were to uphold one of the greatest summer recipes that I know of, I’d have to wave my banner for these no-fail popsicles. For the amount of effort required to whip up a batch of these darlings, it never ceases to amaze me how many times they have brought a sense of delight to both adults and children on a sweltering summers day.

As guests drizzle in through the holidays, I love to have a few variations of this basic recipe stored up in my freezer to bless unexpected guests. At the point of their presentation, it’s beautiful to watch the kid come out of everyone in response to the offer.

When whipping these up, you can use the basic variation, add cacao for a cheeky chocolate flavour, or try some of these seasonal variations:

• Blend in some mango chunks and scatter some whole macadamias into each mould
• Drop a handful of chopped strawberries into the mix before pouring into moulds for a strawberries and cream popsicle
• Stir the pulp of two passionfruit into the mix before pouring.
• Blend in a handful of blueberries and the zest of one lemon.

The best thing about this recipe is that it utilises simple non-perishable food items that can be kept on hand for use at any moment. Aside from being conveniently canned, coconut milk is also highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. It’s also dairy free, so your popsicles will still impress friends or children with dairy allergies.

My Love Your Gut powder is included in this recipe but is an optional addition. However I always love to prioritise a scoop, as it’s a simple way to cram in its remarkable gut healing benefits of improving detoxification, aiding nutrient absorption, increasing the health of hair skin and nails, and boosting hydration in the hot weather. You can read more about the benefits of the LYG powder and purchase it here.

Popsicles

Makes 6-8 popsicles 

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of organic coconut milk 
• seeds of one vanilla bean (or alcohol free vanilla/ vanilla powder) 
• 2 Tbsp LYG Powder
• 10 drops of stevia (or to taste) 

For chocolate version add in 1 tsp of cacao powder

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
2. Pour into popsicle mould and leave in freezer for 3-4 hours. 

*These are best eaten at this time, as if left overnight or too long in the freezer, the coconut milk sometimes splits. 

Make them and let me know how you go!  Viva la holidays 🙂

Lee xo

Merry Christmas  everyone!

Thank you all so much for your support and inspiration this year. I'm extremely grateful to be able to share my blog and recipes with you throughout the year and thank you for your continued feedback.  May the coming year bring you health, peace, tranquility and above all else, contentment.

As a token of my appreciation, I'd love to share this final delicious recipe for 2016.  Why not celebrate the holidays with my fun and festive Christmas Tree Fudge Brownies?  They're super easy to make and look pretty on the Christmas table too. I hope you'll love them!

Here's what you need

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
1/2 avocado
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/3 cup raw cacao
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Method:

1. Combine avocado and coconut oil and mash until smooth
2. Stir in rice malt syrup and eggs
3. Add all dry ingredients and stir
4. Pour into a lined brownie tin and bake for 25 minutes at 170C

To Make Avocado Frosting:
Combine 1/4 of an avocado with 1 tbsp of non dairy milk and 3 drops of stevia, pass though a sieve to get lumps out.
Scoop frosting into a the corner of a snap-lock bag and twist to hold mixture in the corner.
Use scissors to cut a very small part of the corner off, and there you have a DIY piping bag!
Pipe zig zags onto the brownie trees and decorate them how you please!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Love Lee xo

Bananas and avocadoes are two foods always stocked in my fruit bowl. I honestly don’t know how I could live without these perfectly packaged portions of nourishment, in fact I'm bonkers about them.

While the spotlight is often on ambiguous superfoods found in the depths of Amazonian rainforests, I like to think that some of the simple seasonal foods we have grown up with are also brimming with supercharged goodness.  This is something that I've discovered in my own kitchen at home; everyday foods often hold some of the greatest nutritional superpowers. My mission in life is to find ways to harness the nutrient density of these ingredients; maximising their benefits through the pleasure of everyday simple and delicious recipes.

Smashed avo on toast certainly is a national favourite in Australia and also was peaking in cafes on my recent trip to New York City, and why wouldn’t it be? Creamy, green, versatile and full of nourishment ranging from an abundance of heart healthy monounsaturated fats, a big hit of fibre, vitamin K, folate, vitamin B6, potassium and vitamin C; these perfect portions of goodness can turn a piece of toast or a standard salad into a thing of gastronomical wonder.

I love a bit of smashed avo, but you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg in a hipster café to enjoy its goodness, and can quite frugally enjoy this wholesome café favourite at home. My ultimate go-to breakfast recipe is my smashed sardines with avocado on chia and flaxseed loaf which is full of anti-inflammatory fats, and wonderful for anti-ageing by supplying the skin with moisture from the inside out.

My chilled avocado soup is also an ideal way to enjoy the delight of Mexican flavours and is a brilliant recipe to share as a light meal or starter in the warmth of summer.

No salad really feels complete to me without the presence of luscious chunks of ripe green avo, and another way to celebrate this dreamy fruit is within my kale, strawberry and avocado salad; a beautiful lunch or side to grace your family table.  It's one I'll be serving at my annual orphans Christmas event at my house this year. For more Christmas recipes go here.

Now bananas are another one of those everyday foods that just don’t get old. It’s likely these yellow friends were a presence in your daily school lunchbox, and are the perfect on-the-go snack to bring energy and nourishment in an instant. But don’t let this commoner fool you. They are absolutely loaded with nutrition.

We all know they’re high in potassium which is important for relieving anxiety and stress, enhancing muscle strength, metabolism, water balance, electrolytic functions, and balancing the nervous system; but did you know that bananas are also loaded with vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and fibre?  They also contain several types of potent antioxidants, including dopamine and catechins, which have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and degenerative diseases.

I love to enjoy bananas as a quick morning snack before exercise. I never let an over-ripe banana go to waste; storing them up in my freezer as a quick way to add creaminess to breakfast smoothies. A stash of frozen bananas always means I can have a sustaining smoothie bowl on offer;  whizzing up a deliciously customised blend bejewelled with different crunchy sprinkles like cacao nibs, nuts, seeds or coconut on top.

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