Quinoa Porridge

Not all breakfasts need to taste like the bottom of a bird cage. If you want to feel chirpy about breakfast without the apprehension, then silky smooth Quinoa is a yummy tweet. Oops treat.  On crisp Autumn mornings combine quinoa with your favourite almond or rice milk for a creamy consistency.  Add anti-oxidant red-rich berries and you'll have an energising, warm and fulfilling breakfast to keep you going until the lunch bell sounds. Why not make up your own concoction with tantilising toppings such as cacao nibs, roasted nuts or coconut flakes?

Even if you're on a tight schedule at rush hour, use Quinoa cooked up from the night before and you'll be out the door in minutes. Or if you just want to enjoy a lazy weekend morning then try this comforting breakfast-in-bed delight for size.

Quinoa, grown in the Andes is a perfect balance of essential amino acids.  The Incas  named it  ‘la chisaya mama’, or the mother grain because of its exceptionally high protein, vitamin and mineral content.  Being a very good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, B and E vitamins,  its versatility in the kitchen means it can be used at breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert and can be served sweet or savoury depending upon the occasion.

Quinoa's light and fluffy texture and delicate nutty taste, pairs perfectly with mixed berries and makes a wholesome, nutritious and  fibre rich heavenly breakfast, minus the feeling of just having eaten a bowl of stodge you can experience with many grain filled dishes.

To store quinoa, place it in a tightly covered container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  Remember that when preparing quinoa its best to  rinse well and using a sieve, hand scrub seeds under running water until the water runs clear. Quinoa seeds are covered with saponin, a resin-like substance with a bitter taste so washing seeds is an important step in the preparation process. When cooking quinoa a good rule of thumb is to use two parts liquid to one part quinoa.

At the risk of sounding like a real estate agent, quinoa ticks all the boxes.

Nutrition. Tick. Deliciousness. Tick. Appearance. Tick. Wholesomeness. Tick.

Here's how to enjoy a yummy quinoa filled breakfast...

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 8 drops stevia liquid concentrate
• 1 TBS coconut oil or butter (if tolerated)
• 1/2 tsp lime zest (optional)
• Almond milk to serve

Method

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a wide saucepan
Add quinoa, sea salt, cinnamon, stevia and butter/coconut oil
Cover and reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes
Remove from heat and scoop into a bowl add almond milk, scatter with lime zest and enjoy

There's no need to miss out on spaghetti with the family if you're eating gluten free. This dish has slurpability down to a tee. Using zucchini makes it a wonderfully light, healthy meal and a great alternative to traditional pasta for those on an alternative diet. No like zucchini? This dish will change your mind.

The humble zucchini has a myriad of uses and can be pickled, baked, stir fried, mashed, stewed and frittered and included in a range of recipes from savoury appetizers to nutritious breads and fragrantly light cakes and desserts. The heavenly garden fresh flowers can also be eaten and stuffed with delicious fillings.

No longer just another layer in vegetarian lasagne or a fill-in for chunky ratatouille, zucchini has its own unique style and health benefits. Beautifully tender, and delicately fresh, zucchinis are part of the cucurbit family, closely related to cucumbers, watermelon and gherkins. Or pickles as they are known in the antipodes.

Fibre and vitamin rich, zucchinis are an excellent source of Vitamin A, C, K and beta-carotene, manganese, folate, potassium and copper and as they have a high water content, can be a great way to stay trim.

When shopping for zucchinis be on the lookout for the smaller varieties which have abundantly more flavour. They should be firm to the touch and heavy with a salon fresh shiny skin and no blemishes. You can keep store bought zuccas in the vegie crisper part of the fridge for up to 5 days and freshly-harvested zucchini may last for up to two weeks. Remember to wash the squash just before you use it and cut off the ends.

Now lets get down to business.

Serves 2

Pasta Ingredients

• 4 small zucchini
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• ½ lemon squeezed
• pinch celtic sea salt

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cashew nuts
• 2 oven roasted garlic cloves
• ¼ avocado
• 2 TBS nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/4 cup freshly picked basil leaves plus extra for garnish
• 1 lemon freshly squeezed
• 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 TBS filtered water
• ½ small tomato
• ½ tsp celtic sea salt
• freshly grinded black pepper to taste

The How To:

• Chop celery and set aside
• Wash zucchinis and using a vegetable spiralizer, spiralize zucchini into bowl
• 

  Vegetable Spiralizer

• Pour over freshly squeezed lemon juice and add a pinch of salt then add celery and set aside
• Place all dressing ingredients in a food processor and mix until combined.  For a  lighter dressing more water can be added and for a creamier dressing, more avocado can be used
• In wide mouthed bowls place pasta, then drizzle dressing over the top
• Garnish with freshly picked basil leaves

There's no need to be intimidated by omelettes, whether a regimented British semi circle, flamboyant French cigar or sexy Spanish circle, when you crack open the illusions spouted by culinary genii, you'll realise that there's an easy way to get a great tasting omelette without all the hoo-haa.

And with this easy peasy Chia Seed Omelette for Dummies recipe, the old yellow cleaning sponge breakfast will be a thing of the past. In fact you'll be as proud as punch when you turn it out, this hearty half-moon sitting proudly on the plate, partnering with perfect panache, the sumptuous cover of your most recent Gourmet Traveller mag.

Who would have ever imagined a couple of eggs and a teaspoon of seeds could taste so good? So light. So fluffy. So flavoursome. However you choose to spell it.

Many omelette recipes speak of adding milk or water, vapourising into steam whilst cooking, producing mountains of  fluffiness or special omelette pans with non stick unpronounceable surfaces. Step away from the teflon people. You don't need a side of polytetrafluoroethylene with that.  The truth is all you really need is a small, clean, cast iron frying pan, a spatula and a positive attitude.

To me the perfect omelette is one that is evenly cooked and slides out of the pan effortlessly, firm on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.  Time is of the essence when making omelettes and there's a trick to this dish... a few moments before the eggs are just about to set, with a spatula fold one side over the other to enclose.  If you wait until the eggs are set you could end up with a rubbery texture. The kind of rubbery, elastic, egg like substance which makes its way into a bacon and egg McMuffin. Or so I have heard.

I'm Not Loving It

For smooth transiting,  remember to carefully slide the omelette onto your plate, then garnish beautifully with a handful of herbs, flowers or your favourite side.

Here's what you'll need...

Chia Seed Omelette

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• Basil and oven roasted tomatoes
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Beat eggs for one minute then add chia seeds

Warm olive oil in omelette pan

Pour mixture in and swirl until thinly covered

Cook on medium heat and then fold

Remove from pan and serve with basil and tomato

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For more gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free recipes visit the website supercharged.wpengine.com

Nowadays people are becoming increasingly aware of how the foods we eat affect our bodies.   If you’re having problems digesting food and absorbing nutrients due to mal absorption issues or auto immune conditions then adopting a gluten free diet is highly recommended by many industry professionals.

Gluten is the protein part of grains such as wheat, rye, barley and others and for some people, when gluten comes in contact with the small intestine their bodies cannot tolerate it therefore causing them digestive upset, pain, weakness, rashes, muscle aches and  weight loss or weight gain.  Going gluten free is a great way to allow your body a break from foods that are harmful and difficult to digest and the best way to give your body the chance to recover from illness at cellular level.   The simplest and healthiest way to live gluten-free is to focus on fresh, organic whole foods and give processed foods the flick for good. However, if you still want to enjoy treats from time to time, there is now a wide range of gluten-free ice cream flavours available on the market

Eating gluten free does not limit itself to just avoiding grains it also includes avoiding many other products like soy sauce, meat substitutes, pasta, crackers and cereals containing malt to name a few, these products can contain gluten and sneaky gluten derivatives.

It’s frustrating when you first decide to eat gluten free as there are so many mixed messages when it comes to food shopping.  It’s important to read food labels carefully if you do decide to eat packaged food.  Foods such as soups, seasoned rice mixes, gravies, sauces and some nuts also contain gluten in varying amounts. And labellers don’t always tell the truth when it comes to what’s in their products. If a food contains less than 5% of a certain ingredient they legally don’t have to report that ingredient.

Knowing what types of grains and products contain gluten is a good way to ensure you’re not going to be misled by advertising and labeling laws.  The best grains to avoid if you’re on a gluten free diet are wheat, rye, barley, oats, kamut, semolina, wheat germ, couscous, durum, spelt, bulgar, farina, einkorn and farro. Just because you’re eating gluten free doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a great variety of nutrient rich foods.  You can have your gluten free cake pasta and bread and eat it too!

If you’re intending on baking gluten-free then it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with gluten friendly flour alternatives.  When using alternate flours its beneficial to bear in mind that gluten free flours do not display the same characteristics and provide the same results as gluten flours.  Breads will have a crumblier texture in some cases and will not rise as high as “traditional” breads, that’s why it’s good to use a loaf pan when cooking, in order for breads to retain their shape. You can experiment with using arrowroot and tapioca flour to improve the texture of your baked goods too.

Some people like to add guar gum or xantham gum in small amounts to create the sticky effect which is generated when using gluten flours.  These gums are traditionally used as a thickening, stabilizing, suspending and binding agent.  You’ll find these ingredients in many commercially made gluten-free flour mixes. I tend to avoid using guar gum in my cooking as research undertaken by the FDA advises that bulking agents such as guar gum can be harmful and can can cause obstructions in the intestines, stomach, or esophagus when it swells by coming into contact with water. Guar gum has also been reported as preventing nutrient absorption in the body.

I find using gluten free baking powder and bi carb of soda works very well in delicious cakes, breads and muffins. If you’re using eggs in baked goods this also helps to add some of the protein that is lost when not using gluten.

Some interesting and delicious gluten free flours to use when baking are buckwheat, almond meal, arrowroot, tapioca, coconut, chestnut, chickpea, quinoa and brown rice flour.  They are all gluten free substitutes to wheat flour and can be mixed and matched to get your desired result. Gluten-free baking powder can also be used in baking, it’s widely available in the baking sections of supermarkets and bicarbonate of soda is naturally gluten free too.

If you’re looking for pre-packaged gluten free baking flours, although a fast, convenient way to ascertain first-hand, how working with gluten-free flours is different than working with gluten flours, its important to check labels as some products contain cheap white rice flour and additives that are only going to defeat the purpose of eating naturally and building up your immune system. Just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean that it’s particularly healthy!

It just takes a bit of time to get used to working with gluten free flours and I have found that it’s beneficial to use gluten free flours in combination with each other, that’s when the best results will emerge. It’s a bit like a high school science experiment when you first begin but why not start by finding some of your favourite recipes and then creating your very own gluten free version?

Be adventurous and you will be surprised with the results, your palette will change and you’ll find eating gluten filled, sugar laden processed cakes and pastries will no longer taste as good as their healthy alternatives. Plus you will feel so much better, more invigorated and revitalized with energy to spare.

Buckwheat Groats

For main meals if you’re looking at using gluten free flours as a coating then any number of gluten free flours would work well.  I like to use brown rice flour as it gives great results when creating dishes which are sautéed in olive oil. Pasta and noodles can be substituted with buckwheat soba noodles or brown rice pasta.  You can also invest in a vegetable spiraliser and create your own angel hair pasta with zucchini, daikon or squash. It’s delicious teamed with a fresh tomato based basil sauce.

Quinoa, brown rice and buckwheat can be used in place of couscous, bulgur wheat and semolina in recipes.  You can create delicious salads, hearty casseroles and side dishes which are all gluten friendly.

There’s absolutely no need to feel like you are missing out when eating gluten-free. A world of scrumptious, wholesome, fresh and nutrient-rich meals awaits you and in return you will be rewarded with abundant health.

Happy Cooking

Lee x

I'm a quinoa convert, no longer on the fence, I'm ready to shout QUINOA from the roof tops and you know what?  it's one of those words which is just begging to be echoed from the highest mountain "Keen- wah, wah, wah!".

Technically speaking, quinoa is not a grain as it is derived from the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant, a close relative to spinach. I'd never heard of the Goosefoot plant before I learnt about Quinoa.  It's not something that comes up in everyday conversation unless you're a botanist. Apparently some of the species in the genus have leaves that resemble the foot of a goose so that's where it receives its unusual moniker.

I love to use quinoa in my recipes as it's super healthy and a great source of protein and amino acids as well as containing vitamin B6, thiamine, niacin, potassium, and riboflavin. Quinoa also provides your body with copper, zinc, magnesium, and folate, so it really is a nutritional feast and tasty too.  Because of its unique versatility, you can use  quinoa in casseroles, soups, stir fries and salads and it can be substituted for rice or grains in most dishes. You can even use it for porridge at breakfast time if you're so inclined.

If you want to give quinoa a toasted flavour and to create more depth to dishes, why not try dry roasting it in a pan before use?.  Quinoa is readily available in supermarkets and not just in health food stores, which now makes it more accessible for anyone wanting to cook up a delicious quinoan delight.

This gorgeously lighter-than-traditional-risotto dish is a flavoursome, yet hearty meal and perfect for lunch or dinner or even a side dish.  Supremely gnoshable and easy to throw together, you can mix and match the vegetables included to suit your personal taste, soiree  or seasonal style. The lemon makes it zesty and with a burst of citrusy zing and the yeast flakes add to its nuttiness and provide a wonderfully cheesy taste and extra B vitamins too.

Here's all you'll need to be in quinoa heaven.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa uncooked rinsed in sieve
1/2 cup hazelnuts or almonds optional roughly crushed (save a few whole for garnish)
2-3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 brown onion chopped
1/2 cup yellow zucchini chopped
4 TBS nutritional yeast flakes
1 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 can chopped tomatoes no additives
I cup baby spinach leaves washed
I TBS freshly chopped rosemary, oregano, thyme
¼ cup fresh torn basil (optional)
1 TBS lemon zest
2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Let's Get Cracking:

In a large saucepan sauté onion and garlic in EV olive oil on medium heat until translucent, stirring often
To the pan add yellow zucchini and nuts and cook for a couple of minutes until slightly browned

Mixing it Up

Push mixture to side of pan, add quinoa and stir for a minute until slightly crispy then mix
Turn up heat and over a few minutes gradually add stock or water to cover the quinoa, stirring consistently until all the quinoa is absorbed, add one cup at a time, letting each one absorb
Add tomatoes, and spinach, herbs and seasonings, lemon and zest and ACV

A Risotto Rainbow

Cook for 10-15 minutes until quinoa is tender but still slightly al dente
Remove from heat and stir through yeast flakes and serve in earthenware wide mouth bowls
Garnish with nuts and basil and enjoy

Delisioso!

Organic Carrots

Why Eat Organic?

Did you know that the average non-organic fruit or vegetable can contain more than 20 pesticides? Now that’s a lot of additional chemicals your immune system needs to process before you’ve even received the benefits of eating nutritious and wholesome fruits and vegetables alone.  Those extra pesky pesticides can develop into toxins in your body and unless you detoxify they can build up and cause problems in many different areas.

If you’re wondering why should I eat organic? There are a multitude of advantageous reasons to choose organic over non-organic produce.  When you look at it closely, chemically-free, naturally grown foods are consequently healthier for you as they do not contain a host of additives, synthetic chemicals either in the soil or sprayed on the plant, preservatives, heavy metal residues like aluminum, cadmium, mercury and lead, toxic chemicals, antibiotics that can cause allergic reactions in some people and hormones that can wreak havoc with our immune and metabolic systems.

In a perfect world we would all be eating organic all of the time but there are obvious constraints to this such as pricing and availability of organic produce that make us wonder about whether the benefits outweigh the initial apprehensions.

Firstly when it comes to cost although you may think that buying organic food might seem more expensive than purchasing non-organic foods, in actual fact there are hidden costs such as government subsidies and levies which are borne by us, the taxpayers!  Other hidden costs that you may not be aware of include pesticide regulation and testing, the costs that are associated with hazardous waste disposal and cleanup, and the cost to our planet in the way of environmental damage. If you add it up in the long run you will be saving money buying organic.

The good news is that over the last couple of years we have seen a dramatic increase in the availability of organic food and it can now be found in more mainstream areas and not limited to health food stores.  Organics have sprung up in major supermarkets and chain stores across the country and are far more accessible.

Visiting a local farmer’s market is one of the best ways to support your local community and reduce your carbon footprint. You’ll be able to buy fresh foods in bulk and you’ll be eating food that is free from harmful pesticides and chemicals that affect your health in a negative way. By choosing organic foods, you are not only helping your local community but also by eating organic you will be building up your immunity at cellular level, increasing vitality and strength and promoting recovery from chronic conditions.

Chemicals that are used in soil may give plants an instant lift but as quickly as they have been delivered they leave the soil depleted and impoverished so more chemicals are needed to bring it back to life, it really is a vicious cycle.  The problem with chemicals in farming is that they wear out our soils and deplete them of minerals.  And the bad news for us is that these harmful chemicals are transferred into the cells of our foods and then to the waiting plates on our dinner tables. Remember if you are consuming dairy, meat and farmed produce then you’re also eating the chemicals, drugs and growth hormones given to the animals.

Organic Tomatoes

Commercial fertilizers contain nitrates which destroy the vitamin C content of plants therefore reducing their nutritional value.  These nitrates also affect our bodies causing illness and allergies in some people and when you think about it any toxic substance that enters your body is going to affect the liver. The EPA released figures which show that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% of all insecticides are carcinogenic.   If you look at it organically, pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms so in that case they must cause harm to humans, this can happen by way of increased diseases such as cancer, in addition to birth defects, nerve damage and genetic mutations.

Organic farming begins with the nourishment of the soil, in turn transferring nutrients from the soil into the plant.  There is evidence now that food plants which are grown with chemical fertilizers contain less protein and minerals and many more carbohydrates than foods grown without chemicals. Organically grown food is richer in vitamins and minerals and retains the levels of nutrients for a longer time.  The wonderful thing about organic farming is that pollutants and nitrogens are not leached from the soil into our water supply, so cannot be polluting our drinking water.

Organic farmers leave the fruit to ripen on the vine which therefore allows the development of natural minerals in the produce. On the flipside, unfortunately commercial growers tend to pick fruits and vegetables before they are fully ripe so that they can get it to the sellers in good condition and the produce has not had time to develop its full taste and nutrient value, so the product is far less superior.

If you have chosen to eat organic but cannot afford to buy everything organic then there are some better choices you can make when deciding upon which fruits and vegetables have the least amount of pesticides and chemicals.  The Environmental Working Group has come up with a list of the 12 worst offenders when it comes to fruits and vegetables containing the most amounts of chemicals.  If you are choosing to buy organic then the following would be the best choices as they contain the highest amounts of chemicals:

The Dirty Dozen

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes

If you’re still unsure whether to buy organic maybe consider that organic food has a higher percentage of nutrients, natural vitamins and minerals in their natural, form which are easily absorbed into the body and delivered at cellular level helping to enhance optimum health. They taste better, richer and more delicious and the quality is at a much higher level. You don’t need to add exotic irradiated spices and processed sauces to make them palatable they taste great just on their own. The whole family can enjoy organic food without the worry, from babies to adults, so before you bite into that chemically laden nectarine maybe try an organic one first and see the difference in flavour and taste.

For more information about Organic Foods and to find gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free recipes take a visit to supercharged.wpengine.com