I LOVE nuts. And seeds.
Without them, I’d likely starve.
Or, at the very least, spend large chucks of my days drowning in tears of peanut-butter-deprivation-induced misery.
Cashews in creamy soups, pepitas sautéed in coconut aminos and sprinkled on meals, macadamias in these muffins, almonds in bliss balls and inca inchi seed butter with bananas. Dreamy!
Most of us see a cold, flu or sniffle and an inevidable part of the Winter season. I used to think it was the cold weather that made us more susceptible. Not directly apparently. It actually has far more to do with how our lifestyles change in Winter. We spend more time inside, so we’re breathing in more recycled air, thats likely full of germs. The heating systems don’t do much to help and can dry out our mucous membranes (remember that mucous is one of our first lines of defence against pathogens).
We may become more sedentary, as we think it’s too dark, cold and miserable to get outside. This also means we’re getting less Vitamin D – a hormone that has immune-modulating effects. Then there’s the craving for comfort foods that might be a bit stodgier and less nutritious that our Summer and Spring cravings for smoothies and vibrant salads.
Continue reading Stay Well This Winter (no supplements required!)
This stew came about because I had way too many beef marrow bones in the freezer and needed to use them up.
In the nineteen months I spent on GAPS, I craved slow cooked meats, particularly the connective tissue from around animals bones. I kid you not, I happily ate little bowls of slimy, creamy connective tissue for dessert while my family ate chocolate cake around me. I thought that THEY were the ones missing out!
Ages ago (and I mean ages), I wrote this post where I was all like “I’m going to do a regular-ish post series sharing what I eat from day to day, because I find what others eat fascinating and figured maybe you do too”. I got the idea from Megan and her “what I ate Wednesday” posts. Is it totally tragic that I enjoy perving on what she’s been eating of late? Don’t answer that.
When I was 16 – stepping back in time to 2013 – I was forevermore whipping up homemade halva balls. Halva is a middle eastern dessert made from tahini (ground sesame seeds) and honey. There’s usually a few other bits and bobs in there too, such as chopped nuts.
I’m all about keeping things humble, so I’d simply keep a bowl of un-hulled tahini mixed with raw honey in the fridge. When I felt like a snack or instant dessert, I’d roll a few spoons of said mix into balls, roll said balls in chia seeds and stud them with a goji berries.
Fucking Finally! A cake that doesn’t involve the beloved high-speed blender. I’m a sucker for my Vitamix – she makes my life so damn easy … and cheaper! It’s costs far less of those hard-earned dollars to purchase whole nuts, whole seeds and whole grains, rather than pre-made flours. She (Miss Mix) also whips eggs like a pro, creating thick, fluffy, shut-all-the-front-doors-because-I-can’t-even-handle-the-amazingness-of-their-consistency-type batters. Honesty, I just get lazy and chuck everything in and then take the credit for the amazing results when really all I did was throw bits and bobs into my trusty kitchen (I’d-be-lost-without-you) companion.
What’s absolutely smack-bang awesome? Chocolate! What’s even more fanfreakintabulous? Chocolate Chips … nature’s way of saying “lovely human, you don’t have to choose between a few sneaky squares of choccie and a cheeky baked good come dessert time … you can have the best of both worlds and it can be GOOD TIMES”!
I love working with Absolute Organic Chocolate Chips (NOT SPONSORED). Although they have a little cane sugar, they are 70% cocoa, have far less sugar than regular chocolate chips and are made with honest, natural ingredients – no milk solids or emulsifier soy lethicin here my friends. Plus, I do love the whole “chocolate is rich in magnesium” excuse … it never hurts to have another reason to feel EVEN BETTER about indulging in the humble choccie treat.
Beetroot would have to be the prettiest veggie right? Even if you aren’t rapt in the earthy taste, you’ve got to dig the pinky-purple vibes.
That’s why I love cooking with beets. They make meals damn attractive. I also love that thanks to their nitrate status, beets boost exercise performance, lower blood pressure and improve endothelial dysfunction (Lidder & Webb, 2012).
Holy Moly this meal is a winner! Black bean noodles are a brill pasta or noodle replacement and taste so authentic. I love how rich in protein and fibre they are, plus the antioxidant content helps combat the oxidative stress of everyday wear and tear. Paired with a funky broccoli smash plus the totally addictive sweet and salty combo of coconut aminos-roasted almonds, pepitas and dates, this Black-belt Bowl is a nutrient-dense flavour bomb.
