pick-me-up breakfast smoothie

My goodness we had some hot days here last week. It was so nice not being wrapped up in layers upon layers of clothing.

The only downside was that with the sudden heat came that feeling of utter lethargy. The unwillingness to move around too much in fear of melting.

So, on days like those, I like to whip up a smoothie to cool me down. In this one I included malt extract, deemed as natures pick-me-up as it is full of important B vitamins, essential for energy.

Ingredients

(makes 1 - large)

1 banana, roughly chopped

4 ice cubes

1/4 water

2 silverbeet leaves, roughly chopped

1 tblsp malt extract

1 tsp mixed spice

2 tsp chia seeds

4 strawberries, green left on

1/2 c yoghurt (or alternative)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth (30 seconds or so).

red lentil burgers

Is life just busier? I feel the days are going faster than ever and any spare time that I have gets filled up pretty quickly. I don't mind though, I love fitting as much into life as possible that's just living, right?!

After a busy weekend and a full day at work I came home, chopped the fire wood, started the fire, then got started on these beauties.

Luckily there were heaps more burgers than I anticipated which means I can stock the freezer for a quick lunch option on work days. Sometimes with all the rushing, it's good to have a healthy back-up meal that you can defrost for a quick satisfying lunch or dinner and this is surely one.

Ingredients

(makes 20)

1 1/2 c split red lentils, soaked for 6-8 hours

1 c walnuts

2 carrots, grated

1 brown onion, grated

1 c besan flour

1 tsp bi-carb soda

1 tblsp savoury yeast flakes

2 eggs, lightly whisked

olive oil, for greasing

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 180 C and line a large baking tray with parchment paper then lightly grease with oil.

Bring lentils to boil in a heavy based saucepan.

Cook for 15-20 minutes until soft, then drain and set aside to cool.

Add walnuts to a food processor/blender and pulse until crumbled.

Mix walnuts, carrots and onion in a medium sized bowl.

Next add in the lentils and remainder of ingredients, mixing until well combined.

Using wet hands, scoop small handful sizes of the mixture then roll into a ball.

Place on tray and push down lightly to flatten out.

Repeat until all the mixture has been used.

Place tray in oven for 25 minutes, then flip the burgers and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Serve!

rustic protein bars: vegan

We’re off to the snow this weekend for a small taster before our big week on the slopes in August.

Our snow gear has been in storage for 2 years as we missed last year’s season and the one before we were overseas. Digging out our gear was fun, it felt like Christmas again. I was constantly saying ‘Oh, I’d forgotten I had that!’. We hung our jackets and pants on the stairs to get some air, but it only made us more impatient to be at the snow.

So, we’re excited.

Joel is a snow boarder, but I’m a skier from way back. It’s always fun to tease each other on the slopes, as we’ve got totally different styles.

In the mad rush of getting everything together, I wanted to make a healthy and cheap energy hit that we could just take with us on the hill.

Because of the busyness I didn’t spend too long on the pretty-ness of these bars, so they really have that ‘rustic’ look.

I know they look rough, BUT, they are ever so yum and will do the trick for our protein and energy hits.

Ingredients

(makes 16)

Dry

1 c rolled oats

2 c popped amaranth

½ c coconut flakes

¼ c protein powder (I’ve used hemp seed protein)

½ c dried/dehydrated fruit (I recently dehydrated some fresh cranberries and gooseberries – took 12 hours)

¼ c pine nuts

Wet

¼ c agave syrup

¼ c unhulled tahini

2 tblsp coconut butter

½ c water

Heat oven to 130 C and line a loaf/slice tin with baking paper.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat the wet ingredients in a small pot over the stove until tahini is well integrated.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir well to combine.

Spoon mixture into the lined tray and press mixture firmly down.

Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

Cool completely before slicing.

Can store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze pulling them out as required.

cherry and caviar lentil salad with sherry dressing

Joel did the groceries at the markets this past weekend.

It’s the first time since we’ve been married that he has done groceries on his own (over 4 years).

The reason being, that he wanted for us to have a whole day out together without having to worry about getting to the markets in time for groceries.

To be able to spend the day out, just us, as a bit of a belated birthday day for me.

He set the alarm for Sunday morning and got up super early. I know how he does not like getting up early, especially on a weekend! It means so much that he would do that for me - aw!

We went out for brunch and spent the day in each other’s company enjoying the sun. It was so lovely – but of course, time went too quickly.

Anyways, he went off to do the shop while I got to sleep in and praise be to him, he did well.

When he came back, I unpacked the groceries spying a bunch of fresh cherries. Trying not to think about food miles, I knew they were going to be part of a dinner this week.

Digging to the back of my pantry (a bookshelf cupboard), I pulled out a bag of caviar lentils - they are a favourite of ours.

Delightful little pops, they don’t require a massive amount of cooking time but can add a bit of class to the old brown lentil.

Mixed with a few other ingredients and topped with a sherry dressing, oh boy did this salad go down well.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

1 c caviar beluga lentils, soaked for 12 hours

¼ c pine nuts

1 c roughly chopped parsley

15 (or more) fresh cherries, deseeded and roughly chopped

5 shallots, finely sliced

1 lebanese cucumber, diced
2 celery stems, diced

Dressing

2 tblsp dry sherry

2 tblsp quality olive oil

pinch or two of Murray River salt flakes

Place lentils in a heavy based saucepan, cover with water and bring the boil.

Simmer for 15 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water to cool it down – set aside

Next, heat a heavy based saucepan and add pinenuts.

Toss constantly to ensure even toasting – once toasted remove from heat to cool and set aside.

Combine parsley, cherries, shallots and cucumber in a large bowl.

Toss through pinenuts and lentils.

For the dressing, whisk sherry, oil and salt together and pour over lentil salad.
Serve x.

lupini beans: how to

I totally didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started soaking these beans.

Thinking they were just like any other dried legume it started with the usual soak, 12 hours. But when I went to look for a recipe that included the Lupini Bean, I quickly realised it was not going to be on the menu for dinner that night.

Similar to the process of preparing olives, this bean would need a lot of love and attention over the coming days.

With constant soaking in brine to draw out the bitterness, I was sure hoping it would be worth it.

The end result was unbelievably amazing.

It's like edamame beans crossed with olives.

These beans are high in fibre and protein and low-gi, so they make a tasty meal/side dish or eaten as is for a nutritional treat.

Ever since they've been ready, we've just been snacking on these beans by the spoonful.

Yum.

  

How To:

organic lupini beans

salt (heaps)

water

Soak the beans for 24 hours, drain.

Then, add the beans with a enough water to cover them and boil in a heavy based saucepan for 2 1/2 hours - topping up the water as needed.

Once boiled, strain and place in a large bowl.

Cover beans with water adding 1 tblsp of salt per 2 c water.

You will need to drain and replace the brine 2 times a day for about 3 or 4 days until all the bitterness is gone and the water is no longer yellowed.

Store in fresh brine in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

If you have the time and patience to give these little delights a try, I sincerely hope that you do.

wellbeing stir fry with green tea noodles

There are never enough hours in the day!

With my hours at work having picked up lately, I'm finding it a juggle to fit everything (fitness, blogging, housework, entertaining etc) into the limited time I have in the evenings. 

So, when I am time poor, I love a quick throw-together stir fry that has a rainbow of colours with minimal cooking time for a warm yet fresh dinner.

The more colours you can enjoy with your food the better.

Not only is it appealing to the eye, but also, each vegetable holds its own nutritional content and to combine and vary what you eat is great for all-round wellbeing.

Ingredients

(serves 2-3)

100g green tea noodles

1 tsp pure sesame oil

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 red hot chilli, finely sliced (optional)

1 tblsp soy sauce

1 tblsp mirin sauce

10 button mushrooms, finely sliced

2 bunches of baby pak choy, finely sliced

1 red banana pepper, finely sliced

4 shallots, finely sliced

1 c purple cabbage, finely sliced

1 tblsp dried wakame

1/2 c peas

1/4 c roasted cashew nuts

1/4 c fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Cook noodles in boiling water for about 5 mins - until tender.

Drain and rinse with cool water - set aside.

Next, heat oil in a wok and add ginger, garlic and chilli - cook for 1 min stirring constantly.

Then add the soy, mirin and mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are softened and browning.

Then add the pak choy, pepper, shallots and purple cabbage and toss for a minute or 2.

Then toss through the seaweed, peas, nuts and coriander. 

Remove from heat and toss through the noodles*.

Serve and enjoy!

*You may need to re-rinse with cool water to prevent sicking.

milk and water kefir grains: how to

Please bare with me, this might be a bit of a marathon post.

It was brought to my attention, via Joel from his bosses wife, to check out Kefir.

I've seen recipes using Kefir, but never really looked into it.

I am so glad that I have been prompted - thank you dear reader!

Since looking into it, I have heard so many variations on pronouncing 'Kefir'. I have heard 'kee-fur', 'ka-fear', 'kee-fa'. But my supplier of the grains sent me her wealth of knowledge on the how-tos, along with a pronouciation of 'keh-fear'. 

So that's how I will say it.

When I searched on how I could get my hands on some Kefir grains, it came quickly to my attention that it needs to be passed on from person to person, as live culture cannot be mass produced and sold commercially as the shelf life is so variable.

On my favourite Raw Food website there was a contact for a woman who sells the live cultures, and provides a booklet of information on keeping and using the grains.

I got in contact with her and within the week, I had some of my own Kefir grains. 

I was so excited by the time they arrived!

I ordered 2 types of Kefir Grains:

Organic Live Caucasion Kefir Grains (Milk Kefir)

Organic Japanese Water Kefir Crystals/Tibicos (Water Kefir)

Now, the nitty gritty.

Kefir

“KEFIR” comes from a Turkish word which means “FEEL GOOD” due to over-all sense of health and well-being when consumed.

"Kefir is a living relationship, a symbiosis of a number of bacteria and yeast which form grains or cauliflower-like structures. These living organisms ferment milk/water into the living food Kefir. The Kefir drink is lactic acid – alcoholic fermented milk. 

Kefir grains are a biological production centre. Living foods like Kefir help detoxify, support and balance digestion, and help in building up the immune system to counteract negative influences.

During the fermentation process the Kefir grains change normal milk/water in to the Kefir beverage. Lactic acid, ethanol, acetic acid, carbon dioxide and other compounds are produced as well as vitamins. 

The delicious microbiological living food Kefir can be very helpful in regenerating the bowel flora and works wondrously in this way."

Proof is in the numbers, right? Here are some basic figures that you can compare other pro-biotic sources with.

A man-made probiotic supplement in pill form has around 15 billion bacteria. Bacteria in pill form are in a dormant cycle. The bacteria in both kefir and yogurt are alive and thriving, so they are much more fit to adapt to sudden changes in environment as they enter the body.

Around 500 mL of fresh yogurt has around 1.5 trillion beneficial organisms.

At around 500 mL of refreshing Kefir, you get up to 5 trillion beneficial, friendly bacteria.

How can a pro-biotic pill win against that, while being more expensive?

For us cheapskates you get Kefir naturally for just a few dollars, and they will last you a life time.

Milk

Milk Kefir is suitable for people who have allergies to milk products as the fermentation process feeds on the sugars (lactose) that the body cannot easily digest.

You combine the grains with milk (or milk substitute of your choosing) to create a drinking yogurt within 24 hours, or cheeses/creams with longer fermentation.

If you are using a milk substitute, you will need to ensure that you feed the grains every 3-4 cycles with cows or goats milk, as the culture grows best in this environment.

Any tools/utensils that you use, ensure that they are not metal as the metals react with the live cultures.

Basic Recipe

2 tsp Organic Live Caucasion Kefir Grains

1 c organic cows milk or alternative, warmed (not in a microwave)

Pour milk into a sterilized jar, add kefir grains and stir.

Cover with a muslin cloth/chux cloth and fasten with a rubber band.

Cover the jar with a tea towel and set aside in a warm dry place for 24 hours, shaking the jar regularly.

After the 24 hours you will notice that the curds have separated. You can either drain out the whey, or stir up the contents to combine.

Strain through a plastic or porcelain strainer into a glass jar for storage.

Set aside the grains for your next batch (which you will need to start immediately).

You can store the drinking yogurt in the refrigerator for up to 5 weeks - however for maximum benefits it is recommended that you consume within a week.

Tip: if you find that the drinking yogurt is a little lumpy, you can blend it up in a blender until smooth.

Health Benefits

-Improves digestion and cuts the risk of stomach upsets

-Cleans the gastrointestinal tract and helps detoxifies the body helps prevent bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis helps protect children against allergies may even reduce the risk of colon cancer useful for older people, bolstering levels of 'friendly bacteria' which dwindle with age

-Benefit those on antibiotics, replacing 'good bacteria' killed off indiscriminately by the drugs

-Clears the body of salts, heavy metals, radio nuclide's and alcoholic products

-Good bacteria in kefir are able to fight off pathogenic microorganisms

-Natural remedy against allergies 

-Treats Ringworm and fungal infections 

-Treats gallbladder, dissolves gall bladder stones 

-Cleans the body of chemical antibiotics and replenishes body of good bacteria

after antibiotic 

-Normalizes metabolism thereby can be used as for weight loss 

-Cures acne 

-Has anti-oxidants and anti-aging properties 

-Nourishes hair 

-Regulates blood pressure and lowers blood sugar 

-Helps with constipation and diarrhea 

-Treats yeast infection 

-Eliminates vaginal odours 

-Helps with stomach cramps 

-Treats kidney stones 

-Lowers level of LDL cholesterol 

-Helps with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treats gastritis 

-Improves the human immune system and body functions 

-Cures Candida and Thrush 

-Cures hypertension 

-Stops growth of cancer cells 

-Treats eczema 

-Helps with inflammatory diseases

-Boosts the bodies energy and it’s a natural feel good food

Water

You can combine the Water Kefir grains in a ‘sugar’ water solution to create a far more superior and complex pro-biotic drink.

The sugar is vital in this as the Kefir grains need the sugars to feed on and ferment.

The process can take from 24-72 hours depending on the level of fermentation that you desire. The longer you leave it, the more ‘fizzy’ it becomes.

Kefir Water has a mild refreshing sour kind of flavour. Sort of like Lemonade without all the added sugars and preservatives.

There are so many different varieties of ‘fizzy’ drinks that you make with the Kefir Water. I will be experimenting and sharing my finds with you.

Basic Recipe

2 tblsp Organic Japanese Water Kefir Crystals/Tibicos (Water Kefir)

  ½  tblsp naturally dried fruit (I used some dehydrated banana I had from a recent batch)

thin slice of organic non waxed  lemon (fresh from the garden if possible)

1 ½  tblsp coconut sugar (any raw sugar will work)

2 cups spring water (we have rain water)

½ clean egg shell (sterilize egg shell by boiling in water for 10 minutes)

pinch of bi-carb soda

few fresh mint leaves (optional)

·        very small piece of washed limestone rock (if you have access to some)  

Combine all ingredients into a sterilized jar (4L), add kefir grains and stir.

Cover with a muslin cloth/chux cloth and fasten with a rubber band.

Cover the jar with a tea towel and set aside in a warm dry place for 24 hours.

After the 24 hours you will notice that the water is bubbly and aerated. 

Strain through a plastic or porcelain strainer into a glass jar for storage. Ensure that you seal the jar so the water remains light and bubbly.

Set aside the grains for your next batch (which you will need to start immediately).

You can store the water in the refrigerator for up to 2 months - however for maximum benefits it is recommended that you consume as soon as possible.

Health Benefits

-Live pro-biotic

-Gives energy and improves metabolism

-Has youthful effects on the body cells - it is the only pro-biotic culture known to contain co-enzyme Q10

-Strengthens heart - Q10

-Inhibit cancer cell growth

-Replace antibiotics in asthma and respiratory inflammations

-Clear nose and gives relief from symptoms of cold and flu, also headaches

-Effective arthritis relief - glycoronic acid

-Lowers blood sugar

-The strongest natural detoxifier known - it works stronger than Milk Kefir Grains or Kombucha

Milk and Water Kefir before fermenting

Jars covered from light to ferment

Grains left after straining

I have so much information gathered on Kefir, and am happy to share this with you. Just get in touch with me and I’ll email you all the info.