Happy New Year and a Raw Choc recipe

Wow.

It has been ages since I've done a post. Sorry bout that. ekk.
I'll do a quick update for you.
Life has been fairly much the same, netball season finished, I started a business called 'The Organic Unbakery' where I make raw paleo treats that are gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free and egg free. So that, along with the hectic schedule of having a 4 year old and 1 year old, has prevented me from dedicating much time to the blog. my bad, sorry.
Pip's off to school this year, so I'm hoping I might have a bit more time to dedicate to the blog. Hoping....

So this year I have some big goals to achieve, both personally and business wise. I'm looking forward to being more creative, finding balance in my life and learning a ton of new information in the world of health and nutrition.

 Here's a couple of pics of my creations from The Organic Unbakery.

and my little cherubs...

Best share a recipe with you while you're here!

Raw Chocolate

Ingredients

1/2 cup cacao butter

1/2 cup cacao powder

1/4 cup of maple syrup (more or less to taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

pinch of salt 

You will need-

Pot of simmering water

Heat proof bowl

Spatula

Chocolate moulds or pattie cases (whatever you want your chocolate to go in)

Method

Gently melt together the cacao butter and maple syrup It's just as easy to pop a heat proof bowl over a small pot of just simmering water. (I use my thermomix on 37 degree spd 2 until melted so it's still 'raw')
once melted, stir in the cacao powder, vanilla and salt.
pour into moulds and pop in the freezer to set.

I like to add in some nuts and coconut for a bit of crunch.
Hope you enjoy!
Clair

Pizza pizza pizza

Hi everyone!

Wow, how long has it been between post?! I'm sorry- I've been busy, and let's be real, I've been lazy and preoccupied snuggling with my babes, enjoying the beautiful weather, and forever cleaning my kitchen /never ending housework.
Also, we lost our beloved pooch Turkish after a short illness. He was our baby before we had babies, our most divine, sooky, cat hating, doona stealing, lover of kisses, talkative, smiling, escape artist, loving, fatty fat boy, Turka, Turkey, Turkey Werky, Turkey Boy. He gave us 10 beautiful years of unconditional love, and we miss him dearly. Our dear little Pip seems to be ok about it- she picked a star in the night sky so she can talk to him when she wants. I ask if she misses him and she said 'Nope! It's ok Mummy, we've still got the chooks'. (Yep- we got 4 girls named Rosie 1, 2 & 3 and Rainbow). It seems that kids aren't as emotionally attached to animals as us adults are! RIP Turk

If you follow my Instagram you'll see that I have been cooking, just finding the motivation to sit down and blog it is lacking at the moment. So I have decided to make you all a promise! I WILL blog you a recipe every week. Maybe even twice a week! I'm going to get my butt organised!! 

So- today's recipe is a delicious pizza base, and I say base because you can put whatever you like on the top- as long as it's wonderful and nutritious, and going to nourish your insides ;)
This base is gluten free, grain free, nut free, dairy free, vegan and delicious! It's a soft pizza base, very delicious and nearly fluffy due to the moist zucchini, so be careful with it when removing from the tray.

You can see here I've put some raw, dairy free supergreens pesto (super simple- check out The Whole Pantry app) some roasted red onion, roasted eggplant, fresh sliced tomato, and oven cooked spiced chicken, and topped with dollops of yummy creamy avocado mash. This is pretty much just what I had in the fridge on the day I made it- you could top with anything you like!

zucchini pizza base with sweet potato chips on the side

Recipe

Zucchini pizza base

3/4 cup grated zucchini

1 tablespoon cold water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sea salt

3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

3 1/2 tablespoons of hulled hemp seeds (optional but an extremely great source of nutrients)

4 tablespoons flax seeds.

3 grinds of pepper (or how much you like) you could also add any herbs or spices you like.

Method

Roast up your favourite veg- or decide what topping you want and pre prepare them.

Preheat oven to 150 C

Line and grease (with coconut oil) a baking tray 

In food processor,  grind up seeds (except flax seeds) until fine. 

Add in zucchini, water, lemon juice, flax seeds and salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined.

Spread mix on baking tray in 5 mm thick circle- either 2 small circles or 1 large circle/ depending on how big you want your pizza.

Tip- wet a spoon, or you hands and smooth it out- the water will stop the mix sticking to your hands/spoon.

Cook pizza base for 15-20min, checking after 10 min to make sure it's not burning (every oven is different). The edges will go golden well before the centre. A bigger circle will take much longer than smaller ones ;)

If you find edges are burning and the centre not cooking, turn down your oven by 10-15 degrees and cook for longer.

Very carefully remove from baking tray, and top with toppings of your choice!

Summer salad with quinoa, peach and sweet dukkah chicken

It's really hot here.
We've not had a day under 28 degrees for about 2 weeks.... TOO LONG! Today we're sitting on a cool 35 degrees, with the next 7 days expected to be between 35-40. Delight. The amazing CFA have been doing it tough battling fires that continue to burn in our area. Hats off to these awesome people who are keeping us all safe.

This hot weather has me pining for a refreshingly light salad and simple protein to keep me satisfied. And since peaches and nectarines are in season here I thought I'd throw them in for that lovely fresh sweetness.
The dukkah chicken is also great- since it's baked, you don't need to stand next to a hot pan. Pop them in the oven for 12-15 min and you're done.
This salad is so delicious- the dressing is a light vinaigrette which matches perfectly with sweet peach, creamy avocado and nutty quinoa, and that satisfying crunch of cos lettuce. Top with the dukkah chicken (hot or cold) and you've got a scrumptious lunch or dinner that everyone will love!

Summer salad with quinoa, peach and sweet dukkah chicken

Serves 2

Dukkah chicken

1 chicken breast, cut into 2 cm strips 

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

3 cloves

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cracked black and white pepper

1/4 cup almonds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon pistachos 

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Grind spices together in spice grinder (or mortar and pestle) until finely ground. Add in nuts and seeds and pulse (or smash up) until chunky. 

Toss chicken through dukkah mix, coating evenly. Spread evenly onto a lined baking tray. Pop into oven for 12-15 min (depending on how thick you've cut your chicken).

Tip- I find using whole spices and grinding them myself gives a better flavour and fills your kitchen with a delicious scent. But pre bought ground spices will do just fine.

Quinoa and peach salad

1 head of cos lettuce (or use whatever you like, spinach leaves, rocket, lettuce will also work well)

1/2 cup quinoa

1/2 avocado diced

1 peach or nectarine (or even mango would work well) finely sliced

Method

Rinse and cook quinoa in 1 cup water, simmer gently with lid on until you can see 'tails'- about 12 min. Add more water if it's not cooked and you've run out of water (test a little bit- if it's still crunchy it's not cooked).

Once cooked, spread out on a plate to cool.

Wash and drain lettuce, cutting up into bite sized chunks. Add in avocado and peach.

Vinaigrette Dressing 

(enough for 4 serves, so keep some aside)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon of maple syrup/ rice malt syrup

1/2 cup olive oil/ avocado oil.

Whisk together ingredient until combined.  

Add cooled quinoa to salad, drizzle dressing over and toss through salad. 

Plate up salad, and top with chicken and some lightly roasted almonds if you like :)

Clair xx

Turkey burger

We survived! Christmas and New Year are behind us- hooray! Our Christmas was 2 days of non stop eating, family, fun and water! We packed up after Boxing day and headed to the beach (hence my quiet blogosphere!) 

beach fro

New Years morning at the beach

'shameless selfie' 

Get in ma belly

 

 We had a wonderful time at the beach, eating fresh fish, shark, abalone and crayfish everyday. It was delicious! Nothing beats fresh seafood!









Anyway! Onto my turkey burger recipe! This is very simple, tasty and full of goodness to nourish your body post Xmas/ New Year festivities.... Perfect for a light dinner, and easily refrigerated for lunch the next day, so go ahead and make a double mix. It has a great mix of protein, carbohydrates and fats to perfectly fill your belly and keep you satisfied. Choose your own salads to go in your burger- anything tastes great (more tips below).

Turkey burger on a sweet potato 'bun' with seasonal salad and tahini dressing

Ingredients-

Turkey burger (makes 2 burgers)
300gms turkey mince
1/2 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 egg
1/2 carrot, grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
pinch of salt and pepper.
1/2 teaspoon chia seeds ground in mortar a pestle

sesame seeds and poppy seeds to top the burgers.

Feel free to mix up the spices- add extra or omit, depending on your taste.

Sweet potato 'bun'
1 sweet potato, cut into 5mm discs.
1 teaspoon of melted coconut oil to coat

Tahini dressing
1 tablespoon of tahini (sesame paste)
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of water
sprinkle of cayenne pepper (optional)
Mix all together until well combine. Add more water if too thick.

Method.

Preheat oven to 180'
Coat sweet potato in coconut oil, place on lined oven tray and pop in oven for 40min
Meanwhile, make your turkey burgers-

Turkey burger
In a small pan, cook onion and garlic until soft. Put onion and garlic mix in a large bowl and add all other ingredients. Combine well.
With slightly wet hands, shape into two round burger patties with flat tops
Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper/ silpat mat.
Top with sesame seeds and poppy seeds.
After 20min have gone by on the oven, pop your turkey patties into the oven. At the same time, remove, flip, and return your sweet potato discs to the oven.

Once time is up (20 min) check your patties are cooked through (please adjust depending on your own oven) remove and plate up sweet potato on the bottom followed by salad/veggies of your choice, turkey burger then a big dollop of tahini dressing. Sprinkle with nuts if you like (I used activated pepitas in the picture)

On my burgers I had grilled zucchini (i used the same pan as the onion and garlic was cooked on), tomato, avocado and spinach, but you can put what ever you like (think cucumber, beetroot, or even some sweet mango, avo and mint goes deliciously with spicy foods)
My garden is over flowing with zucchini and tomatoes so they go in everything I eat at the moment!

Enjoy

Clair xx

THE easiest pancakes you will ever make!

Quick and Simple breakfast right here- Banana pancakes with only 2 ingredients.
And did I mention they are DELICIOUS! Your kids will LOVE them!!
Top with some good quality coconut cream and nuts and you have a delicious rounded meal to start your day.
Full of protein, good fats and carbohydrates to nourish and fuel your body.

Recipe:

1 Banana

2 eggs

1 egg white

Method:

Pop all ingredients in a blender and whizz until bubbly.

Over a low heat, melt a little coconut oil in a pan and drop in 3-4 tablespoons of mixture.

Flip once it starts to bubble.

This mix makes about 3 pancakes.

Remember not to have your pan too hot as the natural sugar in the banana will burn very easily.

Top with whatever you like- I have used coconut cream, organic maple syrup, walnuts and some bee pollen.

You could top with berries, coyo, more banana, or a raw chocolate avo mousse for a special occasion. 

Perfect gluten free, dairy free, paleo friendly meal.

AND I'm very excited for my lovely friend Jodie (you may remember her as a guest blog post here)

She launched her cookbook 'One Nourished Life' yesterday- I cannot recommend this book enough- it is full of delicious recipes and ideas on how to live a nourished, happy, healthy, vibrant life. It features easy to follow recipes, meal plans, exercise ideas, how to stock your pantry and notes on sustainable living and creating a vegetable patch your neighbours will envy!

Follow her on Instagram here and repost to win a copy of her book and some delicious Soma Bites. You can order her book online at www.onenourishedlife.com or pop into Anytime Fitness Horsham to pick up your copy!

Sneaky vegetable salad with spiced chicken

Sneaky vegetable salad with spiced chicken
This salad tastes so good, you'll forget that it's packed with vegetables full of delicious nutrient to nourish your body and soul.
Inspired by the veggies I had just picked from my garden and some delicious tahini I had the previous night, I threw them all together and the result was mouth watering!
Freshly picked baby kale, broccoli, beetroot, lemon and spring onion out of my garden, adding in some carrot and pear for sweetness and the tahini for a creamy nutty dressing is delicious.
For all you vegetarians, you can easily omit the chicken, or replace with tofu coated in the same spices. 

Salad

Kale leaves, (baby ones if possible, or else massage leaves until soft, see tip below). If you can't get your hands on kale, baby spinach would suffice. About 1 cup chopped.

1/4 beetroot

1 small carrot

1/4 pear

1/4 head of broccoli, 

1 whole broccoli stem

1 spring onion

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Chicken

1 chicken breast (either whole, or chop it up into bite sized pieces)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayane pepper (omit if you can't handle hot spices)

1/4 teaspoon ground corriander seeds

1 teaspoon coconut flour

salt and pepper to taste

coconut oil for cooking.

Dressing

1 tablespoon Tahini

1/8 teaspoon cayanee pepper

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste 

Prepare salad

Cut stem off broccoli and put aside, then cut up the head into very small florets. Steam for 2-3 min, remove from steamer, put in bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cold, drain, and spin in salad spinner to get rid of all the water.

Massage kale leaves with a little lemon juice and salt until they ‘wilt’ and go darker. Massaging kale is important to reduce the bitter taste and soften the leaves. The acid in the lemon helps break down the cell wall in the kale, making it softer and sweeter. This may take up to 5 min, depending on your kale. I used baby kale fresh out of my garden and it was soft and palatable as is.

Chop up kale.

Peal the outer layer off you broccoli stem, much like you do a carrot. The outer stem is fiberous and stringy but the inner flesh is soft, crunchy and delicious. Slice up the stem finely. 

Grate your pear, carrot and beetroot (I use a mandolin with a fine julienne attachment)

Finely slice spring onion.

Toss all your salad ingredients together with lemon juice

Prepare Chicken

Mix spices and coconut flour in a bowl, coat chicken breast in mix.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and cook chicken until golden.

Dressing

Mix spices and olive oil in the tahini paste. 

Plate up salad, top with sliced chicken breast and top with tahini dressing. Sprinkly sesame seed ontop for a bit of glamour ;)

Tip: Cook up twice as much chicken and freeze it for a day when you can't be bothered cooking. It can easily be added to a quick salad or steamed veggies in no time.
Preparation is the key to healthy living, having nutritious foods on hand all the time and you can't fail. 

"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail".

One Nourished Life guest post with sweet-spud and coconut coleslaw recipe

For those who follow my Instagram account, you'll often see me posting pics of food by a lovely friend of mine Jodie. This wonderful lady is a foodie extraordinaire and health yogi and has just had her first book published. She encompasses everything I believe in regarding food, exercise and holistic health and I cannot recommend her book highly enough!

You can buy it HERE or follow her on Instagram HERE or also on Facebook HERE

I asked Jodie to do a guest post for me, so here she is to tell you more about her wonderful book. 

Hi, my name’s Jodie and here’s a little introduction to my book One Nourished Life…

"When friends started suggesting I turn my healthy cooking passion into a book I thought they were crazy! My reaction was always, “But I’m not famous!” Golly, I’m not even a qualified chef or nutritionist. I’m just an everyday person! I work, sleep, and endure the same life stresses and trivialities as much as the next person. My respite from this however, is in my love of food, food that nourishes the body and satisfies the taste buds. Sourcing it, preparing it, cooking it, and of course, eating it!

As a full time gym owner and personal trainer, working in the health and fitness industry has inspired me to take this love of food and use it to complement my efforts in the gym. My passion is to enhance the health outcomes and fitness goals of not just myself but clients too, ensuring optimum nutrition as part of a holistic healthy lifestyle. I gain incredible satisfaction from what I do, helping people to reach their health and fitness goals, but have found the battles of my clients are often only half won. The imperative of diet and quality nutrition often fall by the way side compared to all those hours spent in the gym.

One Nourished Life highlights the ease and simplicity with which nutritious and delicious foods can be incorporated into your everyday life menu. These foods will not only liven up your dinner table and lunch box with new delicious and exciting tastes and textures but will nourish you from the inside-out! Nourishing your body will ignite a new, vibrant lease on life. One which nourishes self, mind, body and soul to permeate a new, healthier way of living."

I’d like to share with you Clair’s favourite recipe! This is just one of my Nourishing recipes:

Food Styling & Photography –

Kate Olsson www.fingerforkknife.com

Kirsty Bryson www.kirstybrysonfoodstylist.com

sweet-spud with coconut coleslaw

Nourish:

This is my DIY version of the much loved festival ‘baked jacket potato’ with healthier flavours that really pack a punch!

Sweet potato is a superior nutrition alternative to the traditional white potato and boasts a lower glycaemic index (gi) and carbohydrate content while containing greater amounts of fibre & vitamin A.

Serves 1

1 whole small sweet potato

½ cup red cabbage, finely shredded

½ cup fennel bulb (or green cabbage), finely shredded

½ cup carrot, grated or noodled

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup organic coconut cream

1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 small (or ½) clove garlic

1 tablespoon raw almonds, roughly chopped

drizzle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

                                     

Pre-heat fan forced oven to 200 degrees. bake whole sweet potato (uncut and skin on) on baking paper lined oven tray for 1-hour.

Meanwhile, throw shredded veg into a mixing bowl and squeeze with lemon juice. Leave to sit while completing the next step.

In a separate bowl, mix coconut cream (tip: shake can well before opening), mint and garlic. Add to veg mix and combine well.

Once cooked, remove sweet potato from oven and cut in half. Top with coleslaw veg mix, sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with olive oil.

Feel free to add your favourite palm size portion of sustainable and organic fish, chicken or meat for added protein!

Nourishing your body from the inside-out will allow you to give more positive energy to your days and enable you to live a One Nourished Life! xx

Raw chocolate nut truffles

Sorry I've been a bit M.I.A on here lately!
I'm still alive, and still living and loving my paleo lifestyle- although, if you ever come to my house, do not expect to see a clean kitchen! I'm always cooking (which I love) but I don't love the mess! Oh well, you can't have everything!

Here's a recipe I threw together today for on of my most favourite things to eat! Raw chocolate nut truffles. It's pretty much a combination of everything I love!
They are sweet and satisfying, plus full of great fat, vitamins and minerals. Just try not to eat the entire mixture before rolling- like everything- moderation is the key ;)

Recipe mades approx 14 little balls
1/2 cup medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablesp cacao powder (extra for dusting on top)
1 tablesp desiccated coconut
1 tablesp cacao nibs
1 teaspoon mable syrup
1 tablespoon chia seeds
pinch sea salt

Blitz everything in food processor until sticks together when pressed.
Roll into 14 little balls (approx a heaped teaspoon each ball)
Put in fridge to set.

Raw chocolate caramel cheesecake

Another cake! Yep. I love making these delicious raw creations! Full of nutritionally dense ingredients, this cake tastes naughty but doesn't have any nasties in it that you get with traditional cheesecakes.
It is dairy free, gluten free, egg free, grain free, refined sugar free and vegan friendly!
The cake has a slight banana taste to it, if you're not a fan of banana's omit them and add another cup of cashews (preferably soaked) and increase the coconut oil to 1/2 cup.

Recipe

For best results, use a spring form pan. You can line it if you like.

Base

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup macadamia nuts (or almonds)

1 cup dates

1 tablespoon cacao

big pinch of sea salt flakes

Process all ingredients in food processor until ingredients stick together when pressed. 

Put into spring form pan, pressing down to make a firm base layer, going up the side of the pan slightly.  Put in freezer to set while making the cheesecake.

Cheesecake

2 Bananas

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup cashews

1 cup macadamia nuts

1/4 cup rice malt syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup cacao

1/2 cup coconut cream

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Pour on top of base, and put in freezer to set for 1-2 hours.

Caramel sauce

1 cup medjool dates, soaked (discard water before use)

1 teaspoon mesquite powder (optional)

1 tablespoon almond butter

2 tablespoons coconut cream

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour on top of cheese cake, smooth out top. Return to freezer to set for 4 hours, or overnight.

Cut with a hot knife while still frozen. Allow to soften a little before eating...if you can wait.

Top with raw cacao nibs. Nom nom nom.

Raw carrot cake with 'cream cheese' cashew frosting

I love carrot cake. Sweet and moist with a hint of cinnamon spice and a sneak of coconut. I also love cream cheese- cashew cream cheese that is! Smooth, lemony, creamy goodness.....mouth watering deliciousness!!! Ommnomnom get in ma belly.
I found a good recipe and have changed it up to suit my way of eating- gluten free, grain free, dairy free. It is also egg free and refined sugar free too.
It is wonderfully moist, dense, and totally satisfying.
So here it is!

 Don't mind my lack of food styling skill....

This is before it was covered in the cashew frosting

 Wala! My old cake decorating skills have come in handy....

The cake above is made in a very small (12cm diameter) spring form pan- so I halved the recipe below. Since I'm terrible at not eating the entire cake in one go, I thought I'd better make a small version...

Recipe
Use a spring form pan about 25cm diameter

Cashew frosting-
2 cups cashews (preferably soaked overnight, or for at least 4 hours, then discard water)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons of agave (or sweetener of choice)
2 tablespoons of coconut

Blend everything up in the food processor until smooth- if it seems too dry, add a little water. Set aside. Try not to eat...

Cake
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups almond meal
2 cups pitted medjool dates
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Process carrots until very fine. Add everything else, process until combined.
Press 1/2 mixture into bottom of spring form pan. Spread cashew frosting over top 1cm thick. Put in freezer for 2hours. Press the rest of the mixture on top. Freeze again for 2 hours.
Open spring form pan carefully, cover with rest of cashew frosting.
A small slice is perfect accompanying a cup of tea.
Enjoy!
Clair

Whole 30

The past 6 months or so I have been a food journey, discovering healthy new ways to enjoy my food- 'have my cake and eat it too' type journey. I've been incorporating super foods into my diet, finding healthy alternatives to heavily processed, sugar laden desserts, and eliminating gluten from my diet. I've also slowly been eliminating diary from my diet- now only occasionally having greek yoghurt 2-3 times a week. I've been using soy in my coffee and almond milk on my oats. It's been an awesome journey- and I'm happily sharing it with all of you who follow my little blog (thanks for reading!)

I feel wonderful, my skin in the clearest it's been forever, my energy levels are good (not perfect- but hey, I've got a 2 month old baby!) and my moods are more stable. I also believe my healthy eating has contributed to my fast recovery after giving birth to Jimmy (after Jimmy was born I had a massive post partum haemorrhage and nearly died, but that story is for another day).

I feel it's time for a new chapter in my journey book. Time to get serious about how I view food. Sadly, like most of us out there, food and I, we have a pretty poor relationship. Food has a hold on me. We constantly fight. I've lost the 'I'm full' signal mechanism. I have cravings. I give in to them. Sometimes I binge. I feel horrible. And one bad food choice can leave me feeling guilty and shit for the rest of the day. I get grumpy, look for comfort, find something yummy, and it feels good for the first bite. But then it's followed by shame and guilt... and the cycle continues. This doesn't happen everyday. Maybe one or twice a week, and luckily the food choices in my cupboard are mostly healthy (but that is not the point). There was a time in my life where it was an everyday occurrence. Especially when I was stressed- like high school, UNI, new job... lets just say the first half of my 20's were spent eating disorderly and binge drinking on the weekend....

I know I'm not the only one like this. I may be the only on that admits it... I'm hoping this may resonate with some of you. 

This isn't how our relationship with food should be. It is not healthy. 

We should be eating to nourish our bodies. Because we love ourselves. And yes, we should love ourselves. It's not selfish. Like that old saying 'No one can love you if you don't first love yourself'. We need to love ourselves enough to want to look after this body we have been given. And the best way to do that is nourishing it with the best foods possible.

So I'm going to be doing a whole lot of self loving from now on. Starting by doing the Whole 30.

I'm not sure if you have read about the Whole30 before- but basically you eat real food. Yep. Real food. For 30 days. NO CHEATS. Nutrient-dense foods like meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils that have been raised, fed and grown naturally. Foods that are full of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. Read more about it here

Things that are not allowed are sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes and dairy- all of which may not contribute positively on your health- aka- sugar crashes, alcohol binges, bread basket overload etc. 

Also, the way these foods are broken down in your gut can be the cause of, or exacerbate a myriad of disease like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, asthma, allergies, skin conditions, PCOS, infertility, migraines, depression, bipolar disorder, heartburn, reflux, joint pain, ADHD, thyroid dysfunction, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, leaky gut syndrome, Chron's disease, IBS, Celiac disease, diverticulitis, and ulcerative colitis.

It's NOT a diet- It's not about weight loss. You eat as much as you need to maintain strength, energy, activity levels and a healthy body weight. 

I have some lagging IBS issues, even after cutting gluten, which I want to find the source of and eliminate (hence me already cutting back on dairy), but for me, the whole 30 is more about changing my long-standing, unhealthy patterns related to food, eating and my body image. Another bonus is that most people will see a dramatic reduction or elimination of food cravings, particularly sugar and carbohydrates. 

I've got a good start on the Whole30- since most of the no-go list I've already discovered for myself  negatively impacts my health- I don't drink alcohol (sober for 1 1/2 years) I don't eat gluten, I've minimised dairy and I don't eat much sugar. I will miss my healthy desserts (which although fit into the foods allowed- still psychologically have the same effect as naughty foods, so I'm steering clear for now). So hopefully I won't have as many sugar crashes/ carb cravings as people who eat all these foods to begin with and I can focus on my relationship with food- eg hunger cues (am I hungry enough to eat steamed fish and broccoli? No, then it's a craving, not real hunger).

Don't be afraid that I won't be getting enough carbs or other nutrients- all the foods I have to eat are full of everything I need. Vegetables and fruits have carbohydrates. Meat has protein, nuts and oils have amazing amounts of essential vitamin and minerals. Food manufactures just like to spin it that their bread/milk/chocolate is full of the best whole grains/calcium/antioxidants  around. It's a big money making scheme (don't get me started!!). 

So essentially it's about empowering myself again (do I sound like Oprah?! haha!). I want to be in charge of my wants and needs, not be a slave to food and how it makes me feel. I'm hoping this experience will be the learning tool to gain awareness of how the foods I use to eat were actually affecting how I look, feel, live and perform. I can then carry that knowledge forward, and use it to change the way I eat for the rest of my life (since it's a whole30, not whole365, you can incorporate no-go foods back into your diet if you like, after the 30 days).

The website www.whole9life.com is full of wonderful and interesting topics related to Paleo eating. The book 'It starts with food' is a wonderful eye opener and a must read if you want to try Whole30. Personally I'm fascinated by nutrition, so I'm very excited to see how my body responds to this primal eating.  

So I hope you don't mind, my next few blog posts will be about my journey on Whole30. I'll be posting recipes along the way too.

Cheers,

Clair

Gluten free chicken breast nuggets

Today I saw a horrible video about the chicken nuggets they sell in the US- you can watch it here. It looked at the nuggets under a microscope, and it was gut churning. If you were to take a photo of my face watching it I would have looked like I was smelling a rotten egg, inside a rotting chicken... you get my point.

I know many parents feed their children chicken nuggets (I try to avoid it, but I too am guilty of the easy Macca's dinner very occasionally) What is worse is when I try feed Pip healthy foods when she is surrounded by children eating unhealthy, sugar laden, processed junk. I feel like a bad mother (which is ridiculous!!!) when she is denied the same crap food as her peers. She doesn't want to be different. She sees it as deprivation. And the mother guilt sets in... Or when we go out for tea and all they offer children is chips and nuggets! Ah, I could go on forever about this!

So I decided to make my own chicken nuggets for her. So she doesn't feel like she's missing out. I will freeze a batch for her to eat when I'm in one of those 'cannot be bothered' moods.
These are gluten free and cooked in coconut oil (the only oil that doesn't change composition when heated) Read more about that here (strongly suggest- very interesting read)

Recipe-
1 chicken breast, diced (or however you want your nuggets to look)
2 table spoons of buckwheat flour
1 table spoon almond meal
1 table spoon quinoa flakes

1 egg, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste.

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

Method-
Heat coconut oil in heavy base pan.
Combine flour, meal and flakes in a bowl, season with salt and pepper (or any spices you like if making adult version)
dip chicken in egg wash, drain off excess.
Coat chicken in dry mix.
Cook chicken until golden and cooked through.

Try not to eat them all... ;)

Everybody love parfait...with home made, gluten free, sugar free granola... New recipe

I love parfait! Omnomnomnom. It's my favourite breakfast, it ticks all the boxes. Tangy fruit, smooth yoghurt, crunchy granola. Tick, tick tick.
This is the recipe for my yummy granola (toasted muesli) Full of protein, healthy fats and good carbohydrates to kick start your morning. Make it in bulk and store it in an air tight jar- sprinkle it on smoothies, yoghurt, icecream (my healthy version) or just eat it with a spoon straight from the jar!

Recipe
6 Hazelnuts
6 walnuts chopped
6 almonds chopped
6 cashews chopped
1 tablespoon pepita
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/3 cup quinoa flakes or certified organic oats
1 teaspoon rice malt syrup

Method
Pre heat oven to 150 degrees C (less if fan forced).
Line oven tray with grease proof paper (I use silpat mats)
Toast hazelnuts for 5 min or until skin peels off. Rub off skins in tea towel.
Roughly chop.

Add all ingredients together in bowl and coat with rice malt syrup

Spread out on tray and toast in oven, stirring 2-3 time until every thing is golden.
Leave to cool and becomes deliciously crunchy.

Raw chocolate and hazelnut brownie tart

This is my first attempt at free styling a recipe. My cooking style is very much a 'chuck it in and see how it tastes' style, so putting together a recipe of my own takes restraint in holding back and measuring what I'm actually putting in my dish!

I love clean, raw, brownies. And I love choc avo mousse. So I thought I'd combine them into one decadent dessert.
This is so good, I had the husband asking for seconds.

This makes one small tart (about 15cm diameter tin)- it is rich enough that 1/4 of a piece will satisfy (although I ate a half..... oink oink)

Recipe
Base
6 Medjool dates (pitted)
2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
1/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt flakes
1/4 cup almonds

Chocolate mousse
1 avocado
2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
3 tablespoons of agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt flakes
1/4 teaspoon mesquite powder (optional)


Method
In food processor blitz walnuts and hazelnuts until finely ground.
Add in cacao power and salt, blitz until combined.
Add in medjool dates 1 at a time while food processor is still running
Add in almonds and blitz until broken down but still leaving them in little chunks.
Mixture should stick together when pressed.
Scoop out and press into tart tins then pop into freezer to set

Mousse
Blitz all ingredients in processor- add more sweetener if avocado taste is still present.

Fill tart case with mousse- pop back in freezer to set.
Cut right before serving.
Try to share and not eat it all yourself....like me...

Choc chip almond cookies

Everyone loves a good choc chip cookie. Well, I do anyway. On the weekend my lovely husband came home from Subway with 3 yummy cookies- one for Pip, himself and....me... not that I could eat them...he forgot. Gluten and me do not mix, and as tempting as they smelt, the memory of the belly ache that would follow is enough for me to not think twice at sneaking a bite.

So today I thought I'd try my hand at cooking up a delicious cookie that we could all eat. And these did not disappoint! Gluten free, dairy free, vegan, egg free, refined sugar free. Worthy of an omnomnom get-in-ma-belly tag.

The smell that filled my house when cooking these babies was enough for me to risk burning my tongue when I snuck one straight off the baking mat (delicious, but not recommended).

Recipe

Cookie

1 1/2 cups almond meal

2 tbspoon raw cacao powder

1/4 cup cacao nibs

2 tblspn coconut oil- melted

1/4 tspn baking powder

1 tspn vanilla extract

1/4 tspn sea salt flakes

2 tblspn agave syrup (or maple syrup)

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

Chocolate sauce

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

2 tablespoons of cacao powder

1 teaspoon agave syrup

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170C 

2. Combine all ingredient in a bowl

3. Scoop 1 tablespoon of mix and roll into ball. Place on lined tray and press centre in with thumb.

4. Bake for 13 min. Remove from oven and allow to cool 

5. Meanwhile, make chocolate sauce- melt coconut oil, mix in cacao and agave syrup. Allow to cool until sauce thickens slightly, but not set.

6. When cookies are cool, pour over chocolate sauce. Put it fridge to set.

Try not to eat all in one sitting.

Back into running and my chocolate protein smoothie

Today I went for my first run in nearly 9 months. It's been just over 5 weeks since Jimmy was born (naturally) and I've been busting to have a little jog each time I take the kids for a walk in the pram. Cue pelvic floor exercises!!
After I had Pippa I took up running, and completed my first half marathon when she was about 15 months old. I love running. It is my version of meditation, and I get such a high after a good jog.

I wasn't allowed to run throughout my 2nd pregnancy due to a possible incompetent cervix (I had surgery to remove about 1/3 of my cervix due to grade 3 precancerous cells just before falling pregnant- get your pap tests ladies- they save lives!!). I got the all clear to exercise at 25 weeks, but by then I was too big to consider taking up running again. I really didn't care, I was just happy to have made it to 25 weeks with no trouble!

Yesterday while on our walk I tried a couple of little jogs to see how it felt, and while pushing two kids in a pram was bloody tough (about 20+kgs to push) the jogging felt really good (if it was only for about 50m at a time). So today I decided to head off on my own. It was a beautiful, sunny winters day, perfect conditions for a light jog. I've just downloaded the Lorna Jane app, so I thought I'd trial it instead of my old run keeper.
After a little warm up, off I went. And surprised myself how far I went! I managed nearly 4km, at a nice leisurely pace and a couple of stops thanks to a pesky shoelace. I was puffing but surprisingly i didn't die in the ass at the 1km mark!
Hopefully I can get out of bed tomorrow!

After every run I always refuel my muscles and aid recovery with protein- today, in the form of a shake. I thought I'd mix it up- and because I'm breast feeding I'm burning extra calories, so I added in extra nutrients to fuel my milk supply (protein is great for milk production).

This smoothie would be perfect for breakfast (or any meal really!) It's sweet, chocolatly and packed with protein, healthy fats, fibre and lots of super foods.
 Recipe
1 scoop of protein powder (I use plain whey protein isolate)
1/4 avocado
1 cup almond milk (of fluid of choice)
1 table spoon raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
1 teaspoon chia seeds
3 madjool dates (pitted)
4 walnuts
2 tablespoons of greek yoghurt (optional)
Whizz in blender top with cacao nibs and bees pollen for yummy crunch!

Green smoothie

A revolution is upon us! A green smoothie revolution!
If you haven't already caught on to the green smoothie craze, you best read on.

I don't know anyone who doesn't like a good smoothie. Fast to make, easy to eat (One handed eating essential for me at the moment as I breastfeed my 2nd child on demand) and so simple to pack in all the goodness you need for a perfect balanced meal.

I always made smoothies, mostly protein smoothies for breakfast, but it was only just recently that I was swayed into adding some big leafy greens to my smoothie for a nutrition hit. It took a while to get my head around adding spinach or kale into my recipe, and since I nearly always used frozen blueberries they always ended up looking like I was drinking brown sludge....
But... you can't taste the spinach... so close your eyes and forget it's there- just enjoy the health benefits that come with adding these super greens to you meal.
Spinach has so many goodies packed into it- it's extremely rich in antioxidants, a rich source of Vit A, Vit C, Vit E, Vit K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, Vit B2, calcium, potassium, Vit B6, folic acid, copper, high protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. And breathe, that was a long list.
It has double the fibre of other greens, it's high in beta-carotene which supports heart health, fights cancer and keeps your eyes healthy

My daughter loves her green smoothie, and if I can get all that goodness into her in one meal I'm pretty happy!

So, what else do I pack into my smoothie on a daily basis?
Well, I start with the base recipe-
Almond milk (or whatever fluid you like- water, milk, soy- add as much or as little- eat-it-with-a-spoon consistency or drink it)
1 tblsp chia
1 tblspn flax meal
1 scoop of protein powder (I use unflavoured, but you could use vanilla, banana etc)
1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
2 cups of spinach (fresh or frozen)

Add in any fruit you like
This recipe I have banana and frozen mango (thanks Coles for stocking it now!)
other favourites are frozen blueberries, raspberries, fresh kiwi, pear- anything your heart desires.
Top with some goji berries, pepitas, walnuts and bees pollen for a bit of crunch factor ;)