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SUPERFOODSTheflexibleapproachtoeatingmoresuperfoods

JULIEMONTAGUTHEFLEXIFOODIEPhotographybyYukiSugiura

I’veregularlycomparedthesuperfoodsinthisbooktosuperheroes,andsoI’dliketodedicatethisbooktotherealsuperheroesinmylife:myfourchildren,Emma,Jack,WilliamandNestor.Youareeach,inyourownspectacularway,atruesuperhero.

CONTENTSTitlePage

Dedication

Superfoods,SuperYou!

TheGoldenRules

RestockingyourPantry

Breakfast

Fast-TrackSavers

PortableLunches

Mains

Sides

SweetTreats

Index

Acknowledgements

Copyright

SUPERFOODS,SUPERYOU!

ThereisNOdietonearththatwillyieldthesameresultsforeveryone.Solet’sthrowout theword‘diet’aswehavecometoknowitonceandforall.Feelbetteralready,right?!So,fromnowonlet’susetheproper,originaldefinitionof ‘diet’ when it passes through our lips. A diet is the kinds of food that aperson,animalorcommunityconsistentlyeats.Boom, thereyouhave it.Wearenot and shouldnot be looking to ever restrict ourselves to feelinggreat.However, there are some basic principles of eating that we can all benefitfrom.Inotherwords,yes,bybeingflexibleyoucanhaveyourcakeandeatit,too.Andthat’swhyIcallmyselfTheFlexiFoodie!

THISBOOKISFOREVERYONE

My‘FlexiFoodie’approachtomealtimesisnotoneofstrictrules;rememberwearenotdieting,thankgoodness!Instead,itdemonstrateshowitisbothsimpleandadvantageoustoembraceaplant-based,superfoodlifestyle–evenifonlyonapart-timebasis.Ialwaystellmychildrenthatiftheywereexactlyalikethenlifewouldbereallyboring.So,justaswith my children, no two people are identical in their preferences and nutritionalrequirements.Asaresult,thisbookiscompletelyinclusive–nomatterwhatyourcurrentdiet and lifestyle.Absolutely anyone and everyone can easily revolutionise their eatinghabits and take a giant leap down the path to long-lasting health. Instead of being aninstantprocess, thisbookdetailshowtomakeincrementalchangestoyour lifestyle thatservetoeradicatethebadandintroducethegood.

WHEREITWENTWRONG

But let’s start at the beginning.What causes us to gainweight andwhat are the healthissues that go hand in hand?Why are somany people getting heavier and heavier andsickerandsicker?Fortunately,studieshavebeenexaminingthesequestionsandwenowfinallyhavesomeanswers.

Over the past 100 years our consumption of meat, dairy, sugar and processed andpackagedfoodshaveskyrocketed.Thatinturnhasledtoanincreaseinobesityratesandhealthissues.ButthegoodnewsisthatyoucanchangeallthisveryeasilyandI’mgoingtoshowyouhow!

OUTWITHTHEBAD,INWITHTHEGOOD

Throughout thisbookanditsrecipes,wewillfocusonthefoodsthataremostpowerfulforhealth and reduceandeveneliminate theones that aren’t.Butwhat really counts iswhatworksforyouandthisisasuper-easyandfunwaytoexperimentwithanewwayofeating.Byaddingmoresuperfoodsintoyourdiet,youwillnaturallystarttocrowdoutthebadones.Ihaveseensomanypeoplebecomeslimmer,healthierandfeelsomuchbetterbysimplyincreasingthegoodanddecreasingthebad.Whenpeoplestarttocommentonhowamazingyoulook,andwhenyoustarttofeelbetterandbetterdaybyday,you’llbespurredon.Forme, the extrabonusof thiswayof life is the abundanceof energy thatcomeswithit.Youwillsoonnoticethatthistranslatesintofeelinggreat,everysingleday.

So,let’sbeginrevolutionisingyoureatinghabitssowecangetstartedonthejourneytoallthetremendousbenefits.Thefoodsthatyou’llwanttostartaddingtoyourplatearegreenleafyvegetables,wholegrains,legumes,vegetables,fruitsandnaturalsweeteners;manyofthese I term ‘superfoods’ because they’re SO jam-packedwith the nutrients your bodythriveson.Thefoodsthatwearegoingtodecreaseandmaybeeliminatecompletely,areanimalproducts(thisincludesdairy),refinedsugar,wheatandrefinedoils.Studieshaveshown that when you start to cut back on these food groups and increase yourconsumptionofwholesomeplant-basedfoods,yourhealthimproves–alot!

Somepeoplethinkthataplant-baseddietmightlackthenutritiontheyneedwheninfacttheoppositeis true.Whenyoureplacemeatwiththeseplant-basedfoods,youeliminatetheanimalfatsandotherthingsthatcanbedetrimentaltoyourhealth.Butthat’snotall.You’re also getting the fibre you need to keep thingsmoving,which in turn keeps youslim.Ontopofthat,you’rekeepingbadcholesterolatbayandallowingalltheincredibleantioxidantsandvitaminstobeabsorbedintoyourcellsandprotectyouagainstdisease.You can also rest assured that plant-based foods are not lacking in protein.When youincorporatewholefoodsintoyourdiet–dark,leafygreenveg,otherveggies,fruit,seedsandnuts–youwillgetyournecessaryquotaofprotein.

THEBOTTOMLINE:A PLANT-BASED DIET IS NUTRIENT-RICH – AN ANIMAL ONE ISNUTRIENTSTRIPPED.

MEAT

ButthisbookisNOTaboutcuttingalltheanimalproductsout.It’spossibletobeflexibleand have that piece of meat if you want to while combining it with an antioxidant,nutrient-densesidedishorpudding.Butlet’sexplorethisalittlebitmore–inparticular,oxidation,freeradicalsandantioxidants.

The process of oxidation within the human body damages cells. When oxygen ismetabolisedinthebody,freeradicalsarecreated.Thesefreeradicalsstealelectronsfromother molecules, which in turn causes damage. In today’s day and age, we are beingbombarded with free radicals and this overload has been linked to a whole host ofdiseases.Oxidationgainsmomentumthroughstress,smoking,alcohol,pollutionandotherfactors including digestion. For example, when you eatmeat it causes the digestion toworkincrediblyhardtobreakdownthefood.Simplyput, it takesabout twiceas longtodigestmeatcomparedtoplant-basedfoods.

Modernsciencebelieves80percentormoreofthedamagetothebodyiscausedbyfreeradicals.Thisiswherethepowerofincorporatingmoreplant-basedsuperfoodsintoyourdietbecomesyoursuperhero.Eatingarangeofgreenleafyvegetables,fruits,wholegrains,legumesandotherveggiesprovidesyouwithaplethoraofantioxidants.Notonlydotheseantioxidantsneutralisefreeradicals,buttheyremovethefreeradicalsfromthecellswhichinturnwillpreventorreducethedamagecausedbyoxidation.

DAIRY

DairyisanotheronethatIfeelneedstobecutrightbackorcutrightout.Wearetheonlyspeciesontheplanetthatstillconsumesmilkpasttheinfancystage.And,infact,humansaretheonlyspeciesthatconsumesmilkfromanotheranimal.Thousandsofstudieshavebeenconductedon theharmfuleffectsofdairy.But twobigproblemsstandout:mucusandinflammation.Dairycausesthebodytosecretetoomuchmucusandinturn,thebodythentriestogetridofthemucusthroughphlegmoracne.Thisover-abundanceofmucusleads to inflammation within the body, which then leads to low energy, poor sleep,irregulardigestion–and itcanevencausediseases. Ifcuttingbackoreliminatingdairyfromyourdietflagsthequestionaboutgettingenoughcalciumthenconsidereatingmoredark, leafygreenvegetables.Afterall, this iswherecowsget theircalcium.Statisticallyspeaking,osteoporosisandhipfracturesareactuallylowerandpracticallynon-existentincountrieswiththelowestrateofdairyconsumption.

Ontheplusside,therearesomeamazingplant-basedmilksouttherefinally.Thevariety,which ranges from almond to quinoa to oat to coconut, is amazing and they are farhealthier thananimal-basedmilk.WhenI first switchedmyentire family toplant-basedalternatives,IboughteveryvarietyIcouldgetmyhandsonanddidatastetesttofindoutwhopreferredwhat.Tryit,itworks!

PROCESSEDANDPACKAGEDFOODS

Justlikerefinedsugar,processedandpackagedfoodsaredangerouslyaddictive.Andjust

likesugaranddairy,these‘junk’foodscauseinflammation.Butthereallyunfortunatefactisthatthesefoodsarepumpedwithnastyadditivesinordertoboosttasteandshelf-life.Remember,additivesarechemicalsandchemicalsarefreeradicals.Aswealreadyknow,freeradicalsdamagecells.Processedfoodshavebeenstrippedoftheirenzymes,vitaminsand natural fibres in order for them to stay on the shelf longer, but in turn theywreakhavoc in your body. Real, whole foods rot and decompose over time unlike processed‘junk’foodsthatremainunalteredwhilelivingonashelfformonthsorevenyears!

Whatwewanttodoisbeflexible.I totallygetit thatwewillgrabthatjaroftomatoorcurrysaucewhenwe’reinarushorexhaustedandneedsomethingquick.Wejustneedtobalanceitoutwithfoodsthatarerealandwholeandmakeusfeelgreat.

SUGAR

Refinedsugarisinpracticallyeveryprocessedandpackagedfoodoutthere.Itisaddictiveandcreatescravings,lowenergyandbadmoods.Atfirstbiteitspikesourbloodsugarandwefeelhappyandalive.Butjustasquickly,itleavesusexhausted,ravenousandgloomy.So,whatdowedo?Weendupeatingmoreofitandthecyclecontinues.

Refinedsugaralsotriggerstheproductionofexcessinsulin,whichdrivesourcellstostorefat. If that’s not enough to put you off sugar, then consider that it causes inflammationwithinthebody.Inflammationhasbeenshowntocontributetoanumberofdiseasessuchascancer,diabetesanddigestionproblems.Wewillbeintroducinganumberofamazingsugar alternatives that are not only sweet to taste and help kick that addictive sugarcraving,butarealsofilledwithamazingnutrientstopleaseyourbodyandkeepyourmindbalanced.

DON’TFRET!

Don’tberateyourselfifyoudoconsumethatsteak,milkshake,meringueorbagofcrispsoccasionally.Whenyoudo,youknowyoucancounteractthatwithfoodsthatourbodiestrulywantandneed.Vegetablesandfruitscontainthousandsofnutrientswithsuperherohealthpowers.Thesevegetablesand fruitsalongwithwholegrains, legumesandnaturalsweetenersarefulloffibre,protein,ironandcalcium,tonamejustafew.Bydecreasingourintakeofmeat,dairy,sugarandprocessedfoods,wecanreachanewlevelofhealthandwell-beingthatweneverexpectedwecouldenjoy.

REMEMBERTHATBY INTRODUCINGMORESUPERFOODS,YOUWILLNATURALLYCROWDOUTTHEBADSTUFF.

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THEGOLDENRULESThereare75trillioncellswithinthebodyandtheyallworkveryhardtokeepusgoing.Thenutrientsfromthefoodweeatisabsorbedbyeverysingleoneofthesecells.Inordertomaximiseourhealth,wemustmaximisewhatnutrientsgetabsorbedsothatwecanfeelgreateveryday.Youdonotneedtogoonsomecrazydiettostartfeelinggreat.Infact,I’mnotsureifthereisafaddietouttherethatactuallymakesyoufeelgood–itseemstomethatmostofthemmakeyoufeelprettygloomy.I’vecomeupwithsomeGoldenRulestofeelinggreateveryday.Startfollowingtheseandthere’snoreasonwhyyoucan’tkeephavingthosechocolatebiscuitseverysooften.

IncreasewholegrainsFrom quinoa to bulghur wheat to brown rice to wholewheat pasta to soba noodles – get it in your everyday diet.Wholegrainsareawonderfulsourceofnutrition.Thebodyabsorbswholegrainsslowlyandthereforetheydeliverslow-releasingenergy.Andbecausewholegrainscontainfibre,theyhelptocontrolbloodsugarandbloodcholesterol,makeyoufeelfullsoyoueatless,andaidinthepreventionofconstipation.

IncreasesweetvegetablesFromcorntocarrotstobeetroottosquashtosweetpotatoes–theseguysreallydohelptocrowdoutthenot-so-healthyfoods in your diet. If you’re somewhat dependent on refined sugar to sate your sugar cravings, not only are sweetvegetablespackedwithasuperhighwayofnutrients,buttheyappealtothatsweettooth,too.

Increasedark,leafygreenvegetablesFromkaletospinachtoromainelettucetopakchoi,darkleafygreenvegetablesarecrammedwithgoodness.Yetwhat’sthefoodthat’smostmissinginthemoderndaydiet?Bingo!It’sdark,leafygreens.Frombloodpurificationtoimprovedcirculationtoastrengthenedimmunesystemtoelevatedmoods,thebenefitsofthesegreensaretoovaluabletoignore.Whetheryouconsumethemthroughjuicingtosmoothies,ormains,sidedishesorsnacks,makeapointtoincludethemeverysingleday.

IncreasegoodfatsFromavocados tococonuts tonutsandseeds– thesefatsareyour friends.Weneed theseparticular friendsforbrainfunction, joint protection andenergy.Evenmore so than carbohydratesorproteins, good fats are thegreatest energysourceandmoreenergyhelpstoboostthemetabolism.

IncreaselegumesandbeansFromchickpeastomungbeanstolentilstoblackbeans–thisfoodgroupisasuperiorplant-basedproteinsource.Therearesomanyvarietiesoutthereandtheyaresoversatilethatyouwillnevertireofthem.Icertainlyhaven’t!

DecreaseyourrefinedsugarFrom starving the brain to fuelling inflammation to ageing the skin to upsetting hormones, refined sugar has beenchemicallyprocessedandliterallystrippedofallbeneficialnutrients.Yuck.Checkoutdates,coconutpalmsugar,honeyandmaplesyrupinsteadtogetawholesome,nutrient-richdoseofthesweetstuff.

DecreaserefinedoilTheprocessofrefiningoilisequivalenttotherefiningofsugarandwholewheatintowhitefoods.Thinkofitthisway–it’stakingaperfectlygoodfoodchock-fullofitsnaturaloccurringvitamins,mineralsandenzymesandstrippingthosegoodiesout.Banishthevegetableoil,saffloweroilandsunfloweroilonceandforall.

Experimentwithnon-dairyalternativesPlant-basedmilksareagreatalternativetocows’milk.Freefromallcholesterolandlactose(thesugarinanimalmilk),thesenon-dairyalternativesareplentiful in fattyacidsandburstingwithvitaminsandminerals.Nowadays, there isa

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hugevarietyincludingalmond,quinoa,coconut,rice,oatandhazelnuttonameafew.Goon,taketheplunge!

ExperimentwiththesuperfoodsuperheroesCertainsuperfoodsuperheroesarethemostimpressive,almighty,super-condensedandnutrient-richfoodsintheworld.Fromimprovingoverallwell-beingtoreducinginflammationtoboostingthe immunesystemandalkalisingthebody,these superheroes nourish us deep within. Unleash your inner superhero by experimenting with cacao, goji berries,baobab,spirulina,beepollenandyes,evenseavegetables.

Eatlessmeat,dairy,sugarandpackagedorprocessedfoodsThesefoodsarecleverlydesignedtoswitchontheindulgentheadquartersinourbrainandbrainwashusintomakingbadfoodchoices.So,what’s thesimplesolution?Eatmoreplants. Iknowthatmaysounddaunting,but the tenthGoldenRuleisnotabouttakingitallaway–it’saboutawillingnesstocomeaboardanewadventureandexperiment,diginandbringbackwholefoodsintheirnaturalstate.Amen.

RESTOCKINGYOURPANTRY

Iwanttomakesurethatyouhavehealthyandnutritiousfoodsonhandatalltimes so thatyounevercomehomeand say, ‘there’snothing toeat’.Whichoftenmeans thatyougrab something incrediblyunhealthyandusuallydon’tfeel so great afterwards. I don’twant you to feel daunted by the amount ofingredientstohaveinyourpantry,becauseinrealitythelistisn’texhaustive.Infact,I’vemadeitmanageablesothatyoucanchoosewhichoftheseitemsyou want to get. If you need guidance, I’ve dropped them into threecategories:

MUST translatesas: ‘Yes,youshoulddefinitelyhave this inyourpantry,sogooutandgetit!’

SHOULDtranslatesas:‘Well,Idoadviseitasitisagoodie!’

AndCOULDtranslatesas:‘I’mnotinsisting–it’sjustanotherhealthyoptiontohaveonhand.’

Havingmostoftheseitemsinstockwillhelpsupportyournew-foundhealthyeating habits and reduce the guilty temptations. Not only have I organisedthem into lists, but there is also a short explanation for each of them,explainingtheirhealthyadvantage.

MUST

WHOLEGRAINS

It’s great to have a variety of wholegrains on hand because not only is their shelf lifeanywherefromsixtoninemonths,buttheseguysmakesomesuper-filling,nutrient-richandenergy-boostingmeals.BROWNRICE

Becauseitstillhasitsbranlayerunharmed(asopposedtostrippedlikewhiterice),brownriceretainsallitsnaturallyoccurringnutrients,suchasiron,manganese,selenium,magnesiumandfibre.Outofallthegrains,brownricecontainsthehighestamountofBvitamins.Andasabonus,brownriceisalsoglutenfree.

QUINOA

Outofallthewholegrains(infact,it’saseed),quinoahasthegreatestnutritionalrésumé.Anditcooksthefastestoutofall the grains, too.Butwhat’s sowonderful about quinoa is that it contains all eight amino acids,whichmakes it acompleteprotein.

ROLLEDOATS

Theseguysaresoeasytoignore,buttheyboastahugenutritionalprofile.Just90gofthesepale,smallgrainsprovide6gproteinand4gfibre.Andmanganese–amineralthathelpstocreateenzymesforbonebuilding–isfoundinabundanceinthislittlegrain.It’satotallyaffordableandnutrient-densegrainthatcanbeusedinsomanydifferentways.

WHOLEGRAINFLOURS

Here’smyadvice:gothroughyourpantryrightnowandthroughawayallwhiteflour.Ipromiseyou,youdon’tneediteveragain.Whitewheatflourishighlyrefined,thereforeithas been stripped of its fibre, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. You can still makeamazing, delicious andmore interesting treats by usingwholegrain flours,which aren’tdevoidoftheirnaturalnutrients.WHOLEMEAL/WHOLEGRAINFLOUR

This formofwheat flour contains the entirekernel of thegrain, from thebran to the endosperm to thegerm,whichmeanswekeepallthevitaminsandfibreinourbaking.

OATFLOUR

Here’syourtotallyaffordablegraininflourform.Itissoversatileandpackedwithhealth,whichmakesitawinnerforbakingwith.

BEANS

Beans are full of protein and very filling, making them a great substitute for meat inmeals. They are low in fat and high in dietary fibre, and come in amassive variety ofshapes,texturesandflavours.CHICKPEAS

Chickpeasaregreatfordigestivehealth.Consumingasmallamounteachdaycanalsolowerlevelsofbadcholesterolandimprovehearthealth.Theantioxidantcompositionofchickpeasiscomplexandvaluable,providingaseriousboostofgoodness.

LENTILS(RED,BROWNANDPUY)

Thereareseveraldifferentvarietiesoflentilsavailable,withthemostcommonbeingred,brownandPuy.Lentilsarean

amazing source of protein and carbohydrates, and also contain impressive levels of calcium, iron, phosphorous andmanyBvitamins.

SEEDSANDNUTS

There’ssomuchtowriteaboutnutsandseedsbecausetheyarehighineverything!Fromproteintocalciumtoironandfolicacid,theselittlepowerhousespackanutritionalpunch.However,youdon’tneedalottoreapthebenefits–asmallhandfulisideal.WALNUTS

Possiblymyfavouritenutbecausetheycontainhighamountsofomega3fattyacids.Infact,a32gservingofwalnutscontains over 90 percent of the recommended daily allowance of these fatty acids. In addition, walnuts are specialbecausethefatsinthemarepredominantlypolyunsaturated,whereasmostothernutstypicallycontainhighamountsofmonounsaturatedfats.

ALMONDS

Almonds are actually the seed of a stone fruit, related to apricots and peaches.Out of all the nuts, almonds are thehighest in calcium and fibre. Countless studies have shown that eating these wonderful nuts regulates blood sugar,lowerscholesterolandcanevenassistwithweightloss.

PUMPKINSEEDS

Theseedofourfriendthepumpkin,theyareafantasticsourceoftheaminoacidtryptophan,whichisconvertedintoserotonin– and remember, serotonin isnature’s sleepingaid.So,perhaps it’s agood idea tohave ahandfulof thesebeforeyouheadofftobedatnight.

CHIASEEDS

Handsdownmyfavouriteseedandhere’swhy:simplyconsume1 tablespoonofchiaseedsadayandyou’ve treatedyourbody tomorecalciumthanacupofmilk,moreomega3s thanapieceofsalmon,andmoreantioxidants thanahandfulofblueberries.

BUTTERS

Choosing dairy-free alternatives to butter is not only simple because of the range ofoptionstochoosefrom,but isalsoanincrediblechoiceforoptimumhealth.Plant-basedbuttersarehighinnutrients,whereasdairy-basedalternativesarehighinsaturatedfatandcholesterol.ALMONDBUTTER

Almondbuttercontainshighlevelsofunsaturatedfat,whichisgreatforthehearthealth.Thehighomega-3countalsocontributestotheoptimumhealthofyourheart,andwillalsohelptoprotectyouagainststrokesandcertaindiseases.When you eat almond butter, you are supplying your body with a wealth of potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium,phosphorousandalsoageneroushelpingofvitaminE!

SEAVEGETABLES

Consideredthesinglemostnutritiousfoodontheplanet,seavegetablesarepackedwithall the minerals we need for good health. Even though it is one of the world’s mostplentiful foods, it is one of the most wasted and underused. So let’s get more seavegetablesintoourdietsbysimplyincorporatingtheminsoups,saladsandstir-fries.NORI

Outofalltheseaweeds,notonlyisnoritheeasiesttodigest,italsocontainsthehighestamountofprotein.

DULSEFLAKES

Incrediblyhighiniron,dulseflakesarealsoafantasticsubstitutefortablesaltforthoselookingtocutdownorcutout,asdulseenhancestheflavourandsaltinessofyourmeals.Thisflakeisyourfriend.

DRIEDFRUITANDNATURALSWEETENERS

Whyrestockyourpantrywithnaturalsweeteners?Well,ifyouhaven’theard,whitesugar(and even brown sugar) has prettymuch all its built-in vitamins andminerals strippedaway.When these vitamins andminerals are removed, it wreaks havoc on your bloodsugarlevelsandcauses‘sugarblues’becauseyourbodyneedstheseverynutrientstohelpmetabolisethesugaryoueat.RAISINS

Theselittlegemsareagreatboostofenergywhenyou’refeelingsluggishbecauseoftheirnaturalsugars,andarealsoahigh sourceofdietary fibre tokeep thingsmoving in thedigestive tract.Plus, they are super-high in a tracemineralcalledboron,whichisimportantforhealthybonesasitconvertsvitaminDtoitsactiveform,andwithoutvitaminD,wecan’tabsorbcalciumeffectively.

DATES

Datescontaintoomanyvitamins,mineralsandphytonutrientstolist,solet’sjustsaythateventhoughtheyaren’ttheprettiestfoodstolookat,theyaredefinitelywortheatingforoverallwell-being.

COCONUTPALMSUGAR

Offeringmore vitamins,minerals and phytonutrients than refined sugar, coconut palm sugar is also very low on theglycemicindex–rankingat35comparedtosugar,whichranksbetween60and75.Itiseasytoreplacesugarinyourcooking,ascoconutpalmsugarcanbesubstituted,gramforgram,forrefinedsugar.

CONDIMENTS

The things we add to our meals have the potential to either add extra nutrition or tocompromise the healthy status of a dish.By choosing condiments that are beneficial tooptimumhealth,weareabletoaddflavourtomealtimeswhilstalsodoingthebestforour

bodies.APPLECIDERVINEGAR

Thepotentiallong-termbenefitsofincludingapplecidervinegarinyourdietrangefromweightlosstopreventingheartdisease.Itisalsogreatforcontrollingbloodsugarlevels.

MUSTARD

Thispopularcondimentisthecombinationofmustardseeds,water,vinegarandaselectionofspicesandflavourings.Itislowincaloriesandhighinselenium,whichhasantioxidantpropertiesthatprotectthecellsfromdamage.Mustardisalsoagoodsourceofomega-3fattyacids,whichareessentialforthehealthofyourbraintissue.

FRESHGINGER

Thisimmune-boostingfoodismostcommonlyknownforitsabilitytofightcoldsandflu.Gingeralsohaseffectiveanti-inflammatorypropertiesandwill addanaromatic flavourwhenused incooking.VitaminsB6,EandCare themostprominentvitaminsfoundinginger,alongsidealonglistofminerals.Duetoitsstrongmedicinalqualities,ithasbeenusedinChinaforover2,000yearstotreatvariousailments.

FRESHGARLIC

In largedoses,garliccanprovidesomeserioushealthbenefits to thecirculatorysystem,aswellasprotectingagainstcertaincancers.However,whenconsumedinsmall,regulardoses,garlicwillstillcontributetoall-roundgoodhealth.Itislowinfat,completelyfreeofcholesterolandwillhelpyourbodytoabsorbcalciumfromothersources.

VANILLAEXTRACT

Vanilla extract is the liquid form of the vanilla bean and is used both in cooking and for medicinal purposes. It isrumouredtohaveaphrodisiacpropertiesandismostpopularlyusedtoflavouravarietyofdrinksandbakedgoods.Itcontainstraceamountsofessentialmineralsandisespeciallyhighinpotassium,whichhelpstocontrolbloodpressureandheartrate.

OILS

I’mafraid thatnotalloilsarecreatedequal.So it’sessential toget ridofanyunrefinedoils and replace themwitha fewhealthy, refinedoils. I’veonly listeda few,as franklyonly a few oils are needed for all your cooking needs. The oils I’ve listed help ourmetabolismtofunctioneffectivelyandfeedourskin,hairandnails.COCONUTOIL

Frommaintainingahealthyheart and fighting infection, to improvingdigestionandmetabolismandevenpromotinghealthy skin and hair, coconut oil is the mother of all oils in my book. Because it doesn’t breakdown at hightemperatures,it’sfantasticformostofyourcookingneeds.

OLIVEOIL

Make sure you buy unfiltered, first cold-pressed olive oil (extra-virgin), as it retainsmore nutrients than the filteredvariety.Oliveoilcontainsheart-healthyantioxidants,butifitgetsheatedtoohigh,thesebeneficialcompoundsstarttodeteriorate.So,it’sbesttouseoliveoilinasaladdressing,oronlycookwithitoveralowtomediumheat.

SPICESANDHERBS

Incorporatingspicesintocookingisthebestwaytoaddflavourandnutritiontoamealatthesametime.Justadashofspicecanmakeadulldishmoreexcitingforthetastebudsandmorebeneficialforthebody.TURMERIC

Thisspicehasabitterbutwarmflavourandismostcommonlyusedtomakecurry.Ithaslongbeenusedmedicinallyforitsanti-inflammatoryproperties,andinChinesemedicinetotreatdepression.Recentresearchhasalsoshownittobeastrongantioxidantthatcanhelptocontrolcholesterollevels.

CINNAMON

This sweet spice boasts one of the highest known antioxidant strengths and is an excellent source of vitamins andminerals.Oneteaspoonofgroundcinnamonhasasmuchantioxidantstrengthasacupofpomegranatejuiceorhalfacupofblueberries.Ithasstronganti-inflammatoryandantisepticpropertiesandcanhelpwithdigestivehealth.

CAYENNEPEPPER

Cayennepepperhasbeenused throughouthistory fordetoxing regimes, as it stimulates thecirculatoryanddigestivesystemsandneutralizesacidityinthebody.

CUMIN

Cookingwithgroundcuminisafantasticwaytogetmagnesiumintoyourbody.Magnesiumisessentialforoptimumhearthealthaswellashelpfulforcontrollingbloodpressure.Cuminisalsoarichsourceofiron,whichyourbodyneedstocarryoxygentothecells.

PAPRIKA

Paprikawilladdavibrantredtinttoadish.Itisloadedwithcarotenoids,whicharefantasticforeyehealth.ItisalsoextremelyhighinvitaminA,whichisessentialforahealthyimmunesystemandcellgrowth.

SUPERFOODSUPERHEROES

These are possibly my favourite foods to write and talk about. Granted, I could list awholebunchmore,butfortherecipesincludedinthisbook,thesuperheroeslistedbelowhave thewinning combinationof being easier to find, easier to incorporate into recipesandyetstillaresupernutrient-dense.Atfirstglance,superfoodsmightseemquitepricey,butbearinmindthatyouonlyneedapinchtogetahugeshotofnutrients.GOJIBERRIES

Knownas the secret to longevity and strengthening the immune system inChinesemedicine,gojiberries contain18aminoacids,includingtheeightessentialones,andanincredibleamountofantioxidants.

CACAOPOWDER

Chocolate – we all love it. But cacao is KING as it has not been toasted, roasted or cooked, like cocoa, thereforeretainingalltheoriginalhealthbenefits.Cacaoisoneofthemostantioxidant-richfoodsontheplanet,aswellasbeingoneofthebestplant-basedsourcesofmagnesium,whichhelpstokeepusrelaxed.

BAOBABPOWDER

ThenewestsuperfoodfromAfricatohit themarket isbaobab.It isdenserinironthanredmeat,denserinvitaminCthanoranges,andisagreatsourceofcalcium,potassiumandmagnesium.

SPIRULINA

Touted as the original ‘superfood’, this blue-green algae is so nutrient denseyou could surviveon just spirulina andwateralone.Tonsofstudieshavebeencarriedouttoprovespirulina’sstatusasTHEnutrientpowerhouse.Itcontainsabout 60 percent protein and all the eight essential amino acids, plus a high chlorophyll content, making it a greatdetoxifier.Simplyput,spirulinaisoneofthemostnutritiousfoodsourcesintheworld.

BEEPOLLEN

Beepollenisnowbeingrecognisedasoneoftheworld’smostcompletefoodsasitcontainsnearlyallthenutrientsyouneed.Itismoreabundantinproteinsthananyotheranimalsourceand,gramforgram,itcontainsmoreaminoacidsthanbeef,eggsorcheese.

AÇAÍBERRY

Theredgrapesusedtomakewineconsistofacompoundcalledanthocyanin,whichishighinantioxidants.Theaçaíberryincludestheseparticularantioxidantsbuthasupto30timesthatamount.

SHOULD

WHOLEGRAINSPEARLBARLEY

Thisispackedwithfibre,soit’swonderfultouseinplaceofarborioricewhenmakingrisotto,asitabsorbsflavoursjustasreadilyasrice.It’salsocholesterolfreeandhaslessthan1gfatperserving.

BUCKWHEATANDSOBANOODLES

Buckwheatstaysinthedigestivetractthelongestoutofallwholegrains(infact,it’saseed),makingitthemostfilling.Thisgrainisactuallyarelativeofrhubarbandisfamouslyknownforstabilisingbloodsugar–itisthereforeaverygoodgrainfordiabetics.Sobanoodlesaremadefrombuckwheatflour,whichmakesboththegrainandthenoodleglutenfree.

WHOLEGRAINFLOURSCOCONUTFLOUR

Madefromdriedcoconutmeat,thisflourisagreatsourceoflauricacid,whichsupportstheimmunesystemandthyroid,aswellaspromotinghealthyskin.

BEANSBLACKBEANS

Research has shown that the colon benefits from a diet rich in black beans because of their effect on good bacteriagrowth.Theyarealsoincrediblylowcalorie,whilstalsobeinghighinfibreandcarbohydrates,makingthemtheperfectenergisingfood.

EDAMAME

Edamamearemadefromsoyabeansthathaven’treachedfullmaturityyet.Theyareafantasticsourceofdietaryfibre,protein,omegafattyacidsandcarbohydrates,aswellascontainingmanyothervitaminsandminerals.Theyareoneofthefewplant-basedfoodsthatcontainallnineessentialaminoacidsandmakeagreatsnackbetweenmeals.

SEEDSANDNUTSPINENUTS

Yetanotherseedthat’scalledanut,pinenutsareactuallytheseedofthepinecone.Theyarerichinmagnesiumandinafattyacidcalledpinoelicacid,whichhasbeenproventoaidinweightloss.Again,thereisnoneedtooverindulgeasasmallhandfulisenoughtogetabignutritionalboost.

SESAMESEEDS

Anexcellentsourceofcopper,whichisessentialtothefunctioningofourorgansandefficientmetabolism,sesameseedsalsocontaintwodistinctivesubstances:sesaminandsesamolin,bothofwhichhelptolowercholesterol.

FLAXSEEDS

A truly extraordinary source of omega-3 fatty acids, which, amongst a host of other benefits, help to calm anyinflammationinthebody.However,thebodycanonlytakeadvantageofthesefatswhentheseedsareground.Somyadvice is to buy ground flaxseeds to save the hassle of grinding them yourself. As they are so high in these fats,flaxseedsneedtobestoredinthefridgeorfreezer,ortheywillspoilveryquickly.

HEMPSEEDS

Justlikeflaxseeds,hempseedscontainahighamountofomega-3fattyacids,butforthosewhoavoidanimalproducts,hempseedsareagreatalternative,astheycontainaveryhighamountofqualityprotein,too.

BUTTERS

TAHINI

Tahiniismadefromgroundsesameseedsandcomesintwoforms,eitherhulled(light)orunhulled(dark).Hulledtahinilosesmanyof its nutrients during the production processwhereas the seeds in unhulled tahini aremostly left intact.Unhulled tahini is rich inminerals, suchasphosphorous, lecithinandmagnesium,aswell asbeingagreat sourceofmethionine,whichhelpstodetoxifytheliver.

NON-DAIRYMILKS

There are several reasons people opt for non-dairy alternatives to regular milk. Thesedays, there is such an incredible range available and most are packed with essentialnutrients,vitaminsandminerals.Aswellasbeingmuchbetterforhealththandairymilk,thesealternativesalsohaveamuchlongershelflifeandcomeinavarietyofflavours.OATMILK

Oatmilkisahighfolic-acid,high-fibrealternativetodairymilkthatwillreducebadcholesterollevels.Oatsareknowntoenhancetheimmunesystem,whilstalsoprotectingagainstcardiovasculardiseases.Theymakeforatastydrinkinthisform,too.

COCONUTMILK

Thisamazinglynutritiousdairyalternativeismadefromthefleshofthecoconut.ItcontainsanabundanceofvitaminsB,CandE,aswellasbeingrichiniron,phosphorous,potassiumandmagnesium.

ALMONDMILK

Thisisafantasticdairy-freeoptionforthosewhoareallergictosoy.Ithasanutty,creamyflavourandisquitesimpletomakeathome.Almondmilkistheperfectchoiceforthosewhoarelookingaftertheirheart,asitcontainsabsolutelynocholesterolorsaturatedfat.

DRIEDFRUITANDNATURALSWEETENERSAPRICOTS

Oftenoverlooked,apricotsareoneofmyfavouritedriedfruitsastheyarelowincalories,andhighinfibre,vitaminCandvitaminA,which,amongstotherbenefits,isgoodforyoureyesight.

MAPLESYRUP

Lowerontheglycemicindexthanrefinedsugar,maplesyrupboastsupto54differentantioxidants–doubletheamountpreviouslythought.Replace200gsugarwithabout120mlmaplesyrup.

RAWHONEY

Mosthoneyisheatedthusdestroyingsomeofitsenzymes,antioxidantsandantibacterialproperties.Rawhoneyhasanimpressiveandexceptionalnutritionalvalue.Replace200gsugarwithabout120mlor160ghoney.

CONDIMENTSSAUERKRAUT

ThistraditionalGermandish,madefromcabbage,boastssomeserioushealthbenefitsduetothegoodbacteriathatareproducedasitismade.Ascabbageferments,live,friendlybacteriagrowandcombatanybadbacteriaasitentersyourdigestivesystem.ItisalsofulloffibreandawealthofvitaminsKandC.However,itisfairlyhighinsodium,soenjoyinmoderation.

OLIVES

Olivesarenaturallydeliciousandhavesuchavarietyofhealthbenefitsthateatingthemeverydayisagreatidea.Theycanstimulate thedigestivesystem,reducebadcholesterol in thebodyandhelptocontrolbloodsugar.Addedtothis,they are a good source of dietary fibre and antioxidants, plus a range of essential minerals. They are incrediblyaffordable,especiallywhenboughtinbulk.

OILS

FLAXSEEDOIL

The‘3’inomega-3fattyacidsreferstothe3bighittersthatareabsorbedfromfoods.Flaxseedoil,inparticular,containsa high amount of one of these: alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). For years, ALAwas overlooked, but the health benefitsassociatedwithALAarefinallybringingit,andflaxseed,intothespotlight.

SPICESANDHERBSBASIL

Basilisburstingwithphytonutrients,whichnourishthebodyandhelptocombatdisease.ItcontainsexceptionallyhighamountsofvitaminAandbeta-carotene,whicharebotheffectiveatfightingfreeradicalsinthebody.

MUSTARDSEEDS

Mustardseedsareagreatsourceofbothseleniumandmagnesium,making themuseful in reducing thesymptomsofconditionslikeasthmaandarthritis.Theyareperfectforuseasacondimentandacookingingredient.

BAYLEAF

This herb is a tasty way to season curry and soup dishes, but also has powerful medicinal properties that combatinfectionandhealwounds.Bayleavescanbeusedinfresh,driedorpowderedform,butaremostcommonlyusedasdriedwholeleaves.

TAMARI

Madefromfermentedsoyabeans,tamariissimilarinflavourandtexturetosoysauce.However,itisgenerallyricherandthicker,andcontainslesssaltthansoysaucedoes.Furthermore,itisusuallyglutenfree,unlikesoysauce.Tamariisadelicioussourceofniacin,protein,manganeseandalsotryptophan,makingitahealthyadditiontothediningtable.

COULD

WHOLEGRAINSMILLET

Super-highinmagnesium,potassium,iron,fibreandprotein,thisancientgrainhasbeenaroundforthousandsofyears.Personally,Ilikeitbecauseitcontainssilica–whichhelpstostrengthenskin,hairandnails.Andit’sglutenfree,too.

BULGHURWHEAT

Bulghurwheatismadebypar-cookingandcoarselygrindingwheatberries.Itisrichinproteinandmineralsandservesasagreatalternativetoriceorpasta.

WHOLEGRAINFLOURSBUCKWHEATFLOUR

Youalreadyknowthatbuckwheatisgoodforyouasagrain.Butasflour,Iloveitevenmoreasitcanbeusedtomakeamazingpancakes,cupcakesandbreads.

SPELTFLOUR

Speltisanancientgrainandadistantcousinofwheatthatiseasiertodigestthatwheatitself.Itboastsanexceptionalmineralcontent,includingironandmagnesium,andspeltflourcanbeeasilysubstitutedforwheatinmanyrecipes.

QUINOAFLOUR

Justlikethequinoagrain,thisflourcontainsmoreproteinthananyoftheotherflours.Itisagluten-freeflourthathasaslightlynuttyflavourandisgreatforbiscuits,cakes,pastaandbread.

BEANSADZUKI

Thesebeans are a reddishbrown colour andhave a sweet, nut-like flavour.They aremost commonlyused inAsiancuisineandareespeciallypopularinJapanfortheirhealth-boostingproperties.Theyarehighinsolublefibreaswellasarangeofnutrients,suchasriboflavin,niacin,thiamineandpotassium.

CANNELLINI

Cannellini beans are an excellent high-fibre, low-calorie source of protein, and they supply the bodywith beneficialcomplexcarbohydrates.Thesebeansarealsopackedwithpotassium,zinc,ironandmanyotheressentialvitaminsandminerals.

TOFU

Tofuisagreatwayforvegetariansandveganstogettheirfillofproteinandit’stheperfectaccompanimenttoalow-fat,low-caloriediet.Tofuitselfdoesn’thavemuchflavour,butitwilleasilyabsorbtheflavoursofthefoods,spicesorherbsthatyoucookitwith.

SEEDSANDNUTSCASHEWS

Thesenutsareburstingwithvitamins,mineralsandfibre,butareespeciallyhighintheheart-healthymonounsaturatedfat, oleic acid. This essential fatty acid helps to lower badLDL cholesterol and increase the goodHDL cholesterol.Bewarenottooverindulgethough,as100gcashewsequals550calories.

BRAZILNUTS

WhatmakesBrazil nuts stand out, is the incredibly high amount of selenium they contain. Selenium increases yourbody’s ability to fight off free radicals, as well asmaintaining a healthy thyroid. Just one to two Brazil nuts a daysuppliesyourbodywithenoughofthistraceelement.

SUNFLOWERSEEDS

ThesuperstarinthesesmallseedsisnodoubtvitaminEwithitsantioxidantproperties.NotonlydoesvitaminEhelpwitharthriticpainbutitalsokeepsyourskinyouthfulasvitaminEprotectsagainstUVrays.

BUTTERSHAZELNUTBUTTER

Madefromcrushedandblendedhazelnuts,thisbutterishighinnaturalfatsaswellasessentialvitaminsandminerals.Italsocontainshighlevelsofphytosterols,whichareoneofthemostpowerfulantioxidanttypes.Althoughitishighincalories,asmallamountofhazelnutbutterwillsoonhaveyoufeelingfull.

CACAOBUTTER

Thisbuttercomesdirectlyfromchocolate!It’sthepure,cold-pressedoilthatcomesfromthecacaobean,whichisthesourceofallcocoaproducts.Awonderfulingredienttouseforahealthychocolatesauce.

SEAVEGETABLESWAKAME

Thisistheseaweedmostcommonlyusedinmisosoup.Notonlyiswakamehighonthenutritioncharts,butit’salsoincrediblylowcalorieandissaidtoactuallyhelpburnfat.

KOMBU

Ifyoucookyourbeans,ratherthanbuytheminatin,thenkombuistheperfectseaweedtoaidinthedigestionofbeans.Kombucontainsglutamicacid,whichhelpstobreakdownthehard-to-digestsugarsinbeans.

NON-DAIRYMILKSSOYMILK

Thisisdefinitelythemostpopularalternativetodairymilk,asit’sveryhighinprotein.SoymilkisoftenfortifiedwithB12,whichisavitaminthatonlyoccursnaturallyinanimalproducts.Drinkingthiskindofmilkwillprovidethebodywithavarietyofessentialnutrientsandantioxidants.

RICEMILK

Thisisthemosthypoallergenicofthemilksmentionedandisthebestalternativeforthosewhohavetoavoiddairy,soyand nuts. Similarly to almondmilk, it also contains no saturated fat or cholesterol, and it is also a great source ofessentialBvitamins.Ricemilkalsoboastsagreatantioxidantcountandcandowondersfortheimmunesystem.

DRIEDFRUITANDNATURALSWEETENERSCURRANTS

Arelativeoftheraisin,currantshaveaverysimilarantioxidantandnutrientprofile.Remember,antioxidantshelpfightoffandpreventfree-radicaldamageinthebody.

CRANBERRIES

Asidefromblueberries,cranberriestrumpnearlyeveryfruitandvegetableintheantioxidantdepartment–thatincludesstrawberries,raspberries,cherriesandevenspinachandbroccoli!TheyareveryhighinvitaminC,too.

BROWNRICESYRUP

Yes,itisactuallymadefrombrownricethathasbeensoaked,thensproutedandcookedwithanenzymetohelpbreakitdown.Ilikeitbecauseitsfructosefreeandlowontheglycemicindex,andthereforewon’tspikeyourbloodsugarlikerefinedwhiteandbrownsugardoes.Replace200gsugarwith240–315mlbrownricesyrup.

CONDIMENTS

UMEBOSHIPLUMS

These pickled Japanese plums have a host ofmedicinal qualities. Consuming themwill stimulate digestion, combatfatigue and also help to eliminate toxins. They are also said to be an effective hangover cure and one of the bestpreventativemedicinefoodsavailable.

CAPERS

CapersarethepickledflowerbudsfromtheMediterraneancaperbush.Theyarepickedfresh,thenpreservedineitherbrine,saltorwinevinegar.Eventhoughtheyaresmall, theyarehugelyflavourfulandnutritious.Theyareespeciallygoodforredbloodcellhealthduetotheirhighironcount.

SUN-DRIEDTOMATOES

Lowincaloriesandfatbuthighinnutrients, thesearea tastyadditiontomeals.Inthisform,tomatoesareespeciallyhighindietaryfibre,potassium,copperandvitaminC.

NUTRITIONALYEAST

Ifyoudon’teatanyanimalproducts, thenonecrucialnutrientyouneed togetelsewhere isvitaminB12and luckilynutritionalyeastcontainsalotofit.Infact,1tablespoonadayprovidesyouwiththeRDAofB12.

MATCHAGREENTEA

Apowderedversionofgreentea,butmuchmorepotent;1cupofmatchateahastentimestheamountofantioxidantsingreenorblack tea and, gram forgram,has ten to20 times the amountof antioxidants inblueberries, açaí berriesorpomegranates.

HIMALAYANSEASALT

ThisisahealthypinksaltfromtheHimalayanmountainrangeandthoughttobethepurestsaltonearth.Itscolourisindicativeofitshighcountofatleast80minerals.Amazingly,itisknowntoincreasehydration,lowerbloodpressureandimprovecirculation.

GARLICPOWDER

Thisismadebydehydratingandgrindingupgarliccloves.Ithasacomparablenutritionalcompositiontorawgarlicandhasbeenusedthroughouthistorybothmedicinallyandincooking.

SPICESANDHERBSMARJORAM

ThisisoneofthemostpopularoftheMediterraneanherbsandhasbeenutilisedincookingandmedicineforthousandsofyears.IthasamildlyspicybutsweetflavourandcontainshighlevelsofvitaminC.

CARAWAYSEEDS

Thesearomaticseedscontainahugerangeofhealthbenefitingminerals,nutrients,antioxidantsandminerals.Theyaregreatfordigestivehealthdue,totheirhighdietaryfibrecount,andalsohaveanti-flatulentproperties.

FENNELSEEDS

Fennelseedscanbepurchasedwholeorgroundtoapowderandhavebeenusedmedicinallytoaiddigestion.It’salwaysbest to store fennel seeds inanairtight container in the fridgeas theycanquickly lose their flavourotherwise.TheycontainanabundanceofvitalBvitamins,aswellasvitaminsA,EandC.

ROSEMARY

Rosemary isaherb that isparticularly rich inBvitamins,suchas riboflavinandfolicacid. Italsohashigh levelsoffolates,whicharegreatforpregnantwomenastheyhelptopreventneuraltubedefectsforming.VitaminsAandCarealsoprevalentinrosemary,alongsideaselectionofmineralsandiron.

SAGE

This herb is widely acknowledged as a natural remedy. It is used medicinally to treat a range of ailments, and isespeciallyusefulforthosesufferingfromfeversorirregularsleepingpatterns.Sagecanbeusedincooking,inteasandalsoincapsuleformasasupplement.

THYME

Thyme is one of the most popular herbs for cooking with and has numerous health boosting properties. Selenium,manganese,magnesium,calcium,ironandpotassiumcanallbefoundinthymeleaves.Aswithmostherbs,it’sbestto

cookwithfreshthymeandyoucaneasilygrowitathome.

OREGANO

Oregano isaherb that featuresprominently in theheart-healthyMediterraneandiet.The leaveshaveanaromaticbutslightlybittertaste,whichaddsacomplexflavourwhenusedincooking.OreganoisanexcellentsourceofvitaminC,potassium,magnesiumandcalcium.

CUMINSEEDS

This spice has a slightly nutty flavour and is particularly fragrant in whole seed form, rather than ready ground. ItfeaturesinIndianandMiddleEasterncookingforitstasteaswellasitsnutritionalperks.Itcontainsanabundanceofironandisknowntosupportthedigestivesystem.Studiesalsosuggestthatithasanti-carcinogenicproperties.

SUPERFOODSUPERHEROESLUCUMA

Agreatalternativesweetener,lucumapowderismadefromthefruitofthelucumatreeinSouthAmerica.Unlikemostartificialsweetenersthatoffernonutritionalvalue,lucumaisawonderfulnaturalsweetenerrichinfibre,andcrucially,itdoesnotspikeyourbloodsugarlevels.

BREAKFAST

Theword‘breakfast’literallymeanstotakeabreakfromyourfast,asit’sthefirst meal taken after a night’s sleep. It is incredibly important to nourishyourself in themorning after a night of fasting – youwill havemuchmoreenergyandperformmuchbetterthroughouttheday.Ifyouwanttoboostyourmetabolism,theneatingbreakfastisoneofthebestandfastestwaystodoso.Andremember,skippingmeals,especiallybreakfast,oftenleadstoover-eatinglaterintheday.Agreatwaytogetintothehabitofeatingahealthy,nutritiousand energy-boosting breakfast is to plan yourmeal before you go to bed atnight.Forexample,when IknowIwantagreensmoothie in themorning, Iputalltheingredientsinmyblenderthenightbefore.Thefollowingday,I’musuallywokenbythesoundoftheblenderasmy16-year-olddaughter,Emma,hasalreadyturneditonandisdrinkingitherself.Shelovesgreensmoothies,too!

SIMPLEGRANOLAWITHPUMPKINSEEDSANDGOJIBERRIES

Sadly,most shop-boughtgranola ispackedwith sugar. In fact, ifyou lookon thepack,youwillusuallyseethatsugariseitherthesecondorthirdingredientlistedontheback.Whenyoumakeyourowngranolaathome,you’reincontroloftheamountofgoodnessthat goes in and you can experiment with different nuts, seeds and flavours. (Seephotograph)

90grolledoats

170gbuckwheatgroats

60gwalnuts,chopped

35gpumpkinseeds

55ggojiberries

2tablespoonsrawhoney

2tablespoonscoconutpalmsugar

2tablespoonscoconutoil

Serves4–6

Preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.Meltthecoconutoilinasaucepanoveralowheatandlet it cool.Oncecooled,mixall the ingredients inabowlusingyourhands.Spread themixture thinlyonabaking trayandbake in thepreheatedoven for10minutes,oruntillightlytoasted.Coolbeforeservingorstoringinacontainerinacool,dryplace.JUST35GPUMPKINSEEDSCONTAINSNEARLYHALFOFTHEDAILYRECOMMENDEDDOSEOFMAGNESIUM,WHICHHELPSOURBODYTORELAX.

GREENAÇAÍBERRYBOWL

Inthelastfewyears,greensmoothieshavebeenalltherageandIdostilllovethem,butthere’sanewgangintowncalledtheBOWL.It’smuchprettierandit’seasytoaddsomedelicioustoppings.

1banana(frozenifyouwantacoldbowl)

120mlcoconutwater

3dates,pitted

Largehandfulofspinach

1kiwi,peeled

1teaspoonaçaípowder(ormoreifyoufancy!)

Forthetoppings

Raspberries

Coconutflakes

Beepollen

Serves1

Putalltheingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandwhizzaway.

Topwithraspberries,coconutflakesandbeepollen.NOTONLY ISTHEAÇAÍBERRYHIGH INANTIOXIDANTSTHATHELPTOFIGHTFREERADICALS,BUTIT’SFANTASTICFORYOURDIGESTION,TOO.

BUCKWHEATPORRIDGEWITHPAPAYATOPPING

Atfirstglance,youmightthinkthisisgoingtobeatrickyrecipe,butinrealityit’squiteeasy–especiallywhenitcomestomakingthebuckwheatporridge.Youcangetmostofthis ready the night before,which is a bonus, particularly if you’re rushing towork ordoingtheschoolrun.

170gbuckwheatgroats

480mlwater

120mlalmondmilk(oranyplant-basedmilk)

1teaspoonvanillaextract

1tablespoonlimejuice

Forthepapayatopping

1largepapaya

Zestof1lime

½teaspoongroundcinnamon

¼teaspoongroundginger

¼teaspoongroundnutmeg


2tablespoonspumpkinseeds

Serves2

Soak the buckwheat groats in the 480ml water for at least 1 hour or overnight. Aftersoaking,strainandrinsewell.Putthesoakedgroats,almondmilk,vanillaextractandlimejuiceinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzwell.

Tomakethetopping,peel thepapaya, thencut it intochunksandplaceinalargejarorcontainer.Addtheremainingingredientsandmashtogetherwithalargespoon–thiswillreleasethejuicesfromthepapaya,butbesuretoleaveafewgoodchunks.Coveryourjaror container with an airtight lid and place in the fridge to marinate if you have time.(Again,agreatonetogetreadythenightbefore.)

Once marinated and ready to go, put your porridge in a bowl and spoon the papayatoppingallover.IN ADDITION TO BEING HIGH IN VITAMINS A AND C, PAPAYA CONTAINS PAPAIN, A DIGESTIVEENZYME THAT IS USED TO TREAT DIGESTIVE DISORDERS. IT IS ALSO EXCELLENT FOR SKINCONDITIONS,SUCHASACNE.

CHIAANDCOCONUTFLOURPANCAKESWITHBLUEBERRYBAOBABSAUCE

Iwantedanew twiston thesameoldwholewheatpancakes that Ihadbeenmaking foryears,soIdecidedtoexperiment.Thisrecipeisamixtureoftwonutritiousflours:coconutflourandbuckwheatflour.Thatmeansyouarelookingatsomegluten-freepancakesthatareburstingwithhealth.

6tablespoonschiaseeds

270mlwater

60gcoconutoil,melted,plusextraforgreasing

300mlalmondmilk


50gcoconutpalmsugar

100gcoconutflour

100gbuckwheatflour

1½teaspoonsbakingpowder

Maplesyrup,fordrizzling(optional)

Fortheblueberrybaobabsauce

150gblueberries

100gcoconutpalmsugar

120mlwater

2tablespoonslemonjuice

1tablespoonxanthangum

1tablespoonbaobabpowder

Makesabout12smallpancakes

Tomake the blueberry baobab sauce, heat the blueberries, coconut palm sugar, 120mlwaterandlemonjuiceinasmallsaucepan.Stirfrequently,thenbringtoalowboil.Useaforktomashtheblueberriestohelpreleasesomeofthejuices.Slowlystirinthexanthungum – this helps to thicken the sauce – and the baobab powder, then simmer until theblueberrysauceisthickenough.Leavetocool.

Combinethechiaseedswiththe270mlwaterinabowlandleavetosoakfor20minutes.Putthecoconutoil,almondmilk,vanillaandcoconutpalmsugarinalargebowlandaddthechiaseedmixture.Stirinthecoconutflour,buckwheatflourandbakingpowder.

Greaseanon-stick fryingpanwithcoconutoilandheatoveramediumheat.Pourone-quarterofacupofbatterintothepanforeachpancakeandcookfor2minutesonthefirstside and1minute on theother, until they are goldenbrown.Don’t be alarmedbyhowthickthebatteris–thisisduetothecoconutflour.

To serve, stack thepancakes and smotherwith theblueberry sauce.Drizzlewithmaplesyrup,ifusing.CHIASEEDSAREGREATASANEGGREPLACEMENT,AND,BECAUSETHEYSWELLTOUPTO10TIMESTHEIRSIZEWHENMIXEDWITHLIQUID,YOUFEELFULLERFORLONGER.

CREAMYBREAKFASTBOWLWITHBASILANDBLUEBERRIES

Don’tworry; thisonedoesnot taste likeasalad! Ithassomesupergreenshidden in it,alongwithavocadotogiveitthatcreamytexture.Theblueberriescreatealovelycolourandhelptomaskthe‘green’,whichisespeciallycleverifyouwanttogetyourkidstoeatthis.Andtrustme,theywilldiverightinjustlikeallmykidsdoastheysimplyloveit.

Handfulofchopped,freshcoconut

½banana

½avocado,peeled,pittedandchopped

¼cucumber

Handfulofblueberries,plusextratoserve,ifliked

2dates,pitted

8freshbasilleaves

Juiceof1lime

2.5cmpieceoffreshginger

240mlcoconutwater

Desiccatedcoconut,toserve

Optionaltoppings

Beepollen

Chiaseeds

Gojiberries

Serves1

Tossalltheingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandwhizzaway.

Serveinabowl,topwithmoreblueberriesandasprinkleofdesiccatedcoconut.Forarealsuperfoodboost,addtheotheroptionaltoppings.

If you put all the ingredients in the blender or food processor the night before,whenyouwakeup,youjusthavetoswitchitonandvoilà…breakfastisserved!BASILCOMESFROMTHESAMEFAMILYASMINTANDISTOUTEDASONEOFTHEHEALTHIESTHERBSDUETOITSIMPRESSIVEVITAMINKCOUNT,WHICHISESSENTIALFORBLOODCLOTTING.

COCONUTANDALMONDQUINOAWITHSTEWEDPLUMS.

Igetthesamequestionallthetime…quinoaforbreakfast?AndtheanswerisYES!It’ssodeliciousand,justlikeporridge,itkeepsyoufullforhoursandenergisedthroughoutyourmorning. This combination of ingredients packs in the protein as well, due to thecombinationofquinoaandalmondbutter.I’vemadeitniceandsweet,thehealthyway,togetthatsweet-toothfix.

170gquinoa

600mlcoconutmilk(oranyplant-basedmilk)

2teaspoonsgroundcinnamon


Forthestewedplums

4tablespoonsalmondbutter(oranyothernutbutteryouhavetohand)

6mediumplums


240mlwater

1cinnamonstick

Toserve

Rawhoney,fordrizzling

Desiccatedcoconut,forsprinkling

Serves4

Combine the quinoa and coconutmilk together in amedium saucepan andbring to theboil.Add the cinnamonandvanilla extract, cover and simmerona lowheat for15–20minutes.

Meanwhile,makethestewedplums.Cuttheplumsinhalf,removethepits,thencuttheplumhalves into chunks.Combine the coconut palm sugar, 240mlwater and cinnamonstick in saucepanoveramedium tohighheatandbring to theboil.Add theplumsandcontinuetocookuntiltheplumsaretender.

Oncetender,useaforktoslightlymash.Oncethequinoaiscookedbutstillabitrunny,putitin4bowlsandstirin1tablespoonofalmondbutterperbowl.Topwiththestewedplums,adrizzleofhoneyandasprinkleofdesiccatedcoconut.PLUMS ARE JUST AS HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS AND PHYTONUTRIENTS AS BLUEBERRIES. THEIMPORTANT THING IS TO NEVER PEEL YOUR PLUMS AS THE SKIN IS WHERE MANY OF THEANTIOXIDANTSANDPHYTONUTRIENTSAREHIDING.

BANANAFRENCHTOASTWITHCOCONUTCREAM

IremembermanySaturdayswakinguptomymum’sperfectFrenchtoastintheStates.Ievenpreferred it toherperfectpancakes! Itwas suchawinner thatwe’d sometimesbeallowedtohaveitforsupper,too.Here’sahealthytwistonthisyummytreat–perfectasabreakfastinbedforsomeonespecial.

300mlcoconutmilk(oranyplant-basedmilk)

2veryripebananas,plusextra,sliced,toserve

1tablespoonchiaseeds

1tablespoongroundflaxseed


½teaspoongroundnutmeg

½teaspoonvanillaextract

Coconutoil,forgreasing

8–10slicesofspeltbread

Forthecoconutcream

1x400mltinofcoconutmilk

1tablespoonmaplesyrup,plusextratoserve

½vanillapod

Serves4–6

Placethetinofcoconutmilkinthefridgethenightbeforeyoumakethisrecipe.

Tomakethecoconutcream,scoopthecreamoutofthechilledtinofcoconutmilkandusetheleftoverwaterinasmoothieorsoup.Placethecoconutcreamintoamixingbowlandaddthemaplesyrup.Scrapetheseedsfromthevanillapodintothemixture.Usingahand-heldwhisk,whipthecreamuntilsuperfluffy.

TomaketheFrenchtoast,putthebananasinafoodprocessorwiththecoconutmilk,chiaseeds,groundflaxseed,cinnamon,nutmegandvanillaextractandblitztoabatter.

Coatafryingpanwithcoconutoilandsetoveramediumheat.Workinginbatches,diptheslicesofspeltbreadintothebatterandletthemsoakfor5–10secondsoneitherside.Usingafork,transferthebatteredbreadtoyourheatedpanandcookfor3–4minutesoneachside,oruntilgoldenbrown.

Serve immediatelywith the coconut cream topping,maple syrup and somemore slicedbanana.WEALL KNOWBANANAS ARE HIGH IN POTASSIUM, BUT ADDITIONALLY, THEY CONTAIN HIGHLEVELSOFTRYPTOPHAN,WHICHISCONVERTEDINTOSEROTONINANDMAKESUSHAPPY!

WILDMUSHROOMSONSPELTTOAST

ThisrecipeisincrediblyflexiblebecausethemushroomsI’velistedarejustexamplesofthemany differentmushrooms you could use. So be adventurous andmaybe try someotherinterestingvarieties,astherearesomanytochoosefrom.(Seephotograph)

250gmixedfreshmushrooms(tryoyster,shiitakeorreishi)


1smallonion,chopped

35galmonds,roughlychopped

2garliccloves,chopped

Handfulofspinach

½teaspooncayennepepper

½teaspoongroundturmeric

2slicesofspeltbread,toasted

1lemon,halved

Balsamicvinegar,fordrizzling

Serves4–6

Makesureyougiveyourmushroomsagoodcleanfirst.Sliceany largemushroomsbutkeepthesmalloneswhole.

Heatthecoconutoilinafryingpanuntilitmelts,thenaddthechoppedonion.Cookoveramediumheatuntiltheonionbecomestranslucent.

Add themushrooms,coat them in thecoconutoil andcook for3minutes,oruntil theybegintosoften.

Add the almonds, garlic, spinach, cayenne pepper and turmeric and fry for severalminutes.Remove from the heat and pile themushroommixture on top of toasted speltbread.

Squeezeyourlemonoverthemushroomsanddrizzlesomebalsamicvinegaroverthetopbeforeserving.MUSHROOMS ARE THE ONLY VEGETARIAN FOOD TO CONTAIN VITAMIN D. VITAMIN DDEFICIENCYISONTHERISEINBRITAIN.AMONGSTAHOSTOFOTHERBENEFITS,WENEEDITTOEFFECTIVELYABSORBCALCIUM.

CHILLIAVOCADOMASHANDCOCONUTOILONRYE

Thisispossiblymyfavouritebreakfastofalltime.Butthegreatthingaboutthisrecipeisthatit’sperfectasasnacktoo.I lovetoslathercoconutoilandavocadoonprettymucheverything.Thisrecipecombinesthembothandaddssomebonusingredientstomakeitsuperhealthy,superfillingandsuper-energising.

2ripeavocados,peeled,pittedandchopped

2springonions,chopped

1garlicclove,crushed

½teaspoonseasalt

1teaspoondriedchilliflakes

Juiceof1lime

4slicesofryebread


Freshlygroundblackpepper

Serves4

Combinetheripeavocados,springonions,garlic,seasalt,chilliflakesandlimejuiceinasmallbowlandmashwellusingafork.

Toasttheryebreadand,whileitisstillwarm,spreadeachpiecewith1tablespooncoconutoil.

Spoontheavocadomashevenlyoneachpieceoftoastandseasonwithblackpepper.MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT THE HIGH-IN-FAT AND CALORIFIC AVOCADO WOULDN’T BECONSIDERED GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS. RESEARCH IS NOW SUGGESTING THATMONOUNSATURATEDFATTYACIDS,SUCHASTHOSEFOUND INAVOCADOS,ARELESSLIKELYTOBESTOREDASFATANDMORELIKELYTOBEUSEDASENERGY.

CHOCOLATECHIABREAKFASTPUDDING

Chocolateforbreakfast?Well,ofcourse!It’sallowedbecauseinthisrecipeweareusingthe real deal, cacao.And cacao is jam-packedwith antioxidants and awhole bunch ofothergoodstuff foryourbodyandmind.Myyoungestchild,Nestor, isachocoholicsowhenthisveryspecialbreakfastpuddingisonoffer,hesaysI’mthebestmummyinthewholewideworld.MaybeIshouldmakeitmoreoften!

360mlunsweetenedalmondmilk

5dates,pitted

½teaspooncacaopowder


Pinchofgroundcloves

Pinchofgroundnutmeg

Pinchofgroundginger

40gchiaseeds

Serves2

Combinethealmondmilk,dates,cacaopowder,cinnamon,cloves,nutmegandgingerinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzuntilsmooth.Pourthisintoamixingbowlandstirinthechiaseeds.

Divide themixture into 4 small bowls orMason jars and place in the fridge for a fewhoursorovernight.Thiswillallowthechiaseeds toswellup to10 times theirsizeandmakeadelicious,jelly-likebreakfast.JUSTA28GSERVINGOFCHIASEEDSCONTAINS 18 PERCENTOF THERECOMMENDEDDAILYALLOWANCEOFCALCIUM.

FAST-TRACKSAVERS

Combine four kids and their hectic scheduleswithmy schedule andwell, Iadmit it, I used to sometimes forget to eat and thenwonderedwhy I felt sosluggishduringtheday.So,afewyearsago,IdecidedtocreatesomeupliftingtreatsinmykitchenthatIcouldpackwithmeonthoseforgetfuldays.Mostofthemarejam-packedwithoneortwodifferentsuperfoods,which,inmybook,equatestoatreasuretroveofeverythingandanythinggoodformybody.

So,ifyou’vehadanunhealthylunch,skippedbreakfastorhaveanindulgentdinnerplanned,thesesnacks,treats,juicesandsmoothiesarejustthethingtopickyouupwhenyourenergylevelsareflaggingoryousimplyneedtoinjectsomeconcentratedgoodnessintoyourday.

PARSLEYGREEN-GLOWSMOOTHIE

Ispentalotoftimeperfectingasmoothiethatnotonlygivesmeloadsofenergy,butalsomakesmyskin,hairandeyesglow!Thus,theParsleyGreen-Glowwasborn.

Largehandfulofchard,spinachorkale

Smallhandfuloffreshflat-leafparsley

Smallhandfulofrocket

½banana

½pear

½papaya

180mlcoconutwater

Serves1

Shove everything into a blender or food processor and whizz until smooth. Drinkimmediatelyorpourintoyouron-the-gocontainertoenjoylater.PARSLEYCANACTUALLYBOOSTYOURINTAKEOFIRONANDVITAMINK,BOTHOFWHICHARENUTRIENTSVITALFORHEALTHYBLOOD. JUST 2 TABLESPOONSCHOPPEDPARSLEYCONTAIN153PERCENTOFTHERDAFORVITAMINK.

BLUEBERRYANDSPINACHSMOOTHIE

IuseMasonjarsformysmoothiesonthego,astheyhavegreatlidstostopanyleaking.Thisisoneofmyfavouritesmoothiesbecauseitcontainsbeepollenandbaobab,whichinturnequatetoprotein,enzymesandantioxidants.

120mlcoconutmilk(oranyotherplant-basedmilk)

90gfrozenblueberries

½banana(frozenisgood,too)

Handfulofspinach,chardorkale

1date,pitted

1tablespoonbeepollen

1tablespoonbaobabpowder

Serves1

Throweverythingintoablenderorfoodprocessorandgiveitagoodwhizzuntilsmooth.Drinkimmediatelyorpourintoyouron-the-gocontainertoenjoylater.STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT CONSUMING SPINACH IN SMOOTHIE OR JUICE FORM IS THEHEALTHIESTWAYTOGETITSAMAZINGBENEFITSINTOYOURBODY.

CARROT,PEARANDGINGERJUICE

When I make this juice, I like to put the kale in the juicer first, before the otheringredients,asithelpstoextractmorekalegoodness.

2handfulsofkale(optional)

4carrots

1pear

½lemon,peeled


Juicer

Serves1

Pushalltheingredientsthroughajuiceroneatatimeandenjoy.ASFARASFRUITSARECONCERNED,PEARSARELOW INSUGARANDTHEREFOREAGREATWAYTOSATIATEYOURSWEETTOOTHWITHOUTTERRORISINGYOURBLOODSUGAR.

MATCHAANDOATTRUFFLES

IcalltheselittleguysmycupofcoffeeormyshotofespressobecausetheywakemeupinstantlyandareSOmuchbetterformethanthatlatte,cappuccinoorespresso.Eattheseamazingtrufflesonthedaysfollowingabadnight’ssleep,orwhenyouarefallingasleepatyourdesk.Theywilljoltyoubacktolifeinaflash.

100ggroundalmonds

130goatflour(orgrindyourownfromrolledoats)


2tablespoonscoconutoil,melted

50gmacadamianuts

4teaspoonsmatcha(greentea)powder

Makesabout16

Putthegroundalmonds,oatflour,honey,meltedcoconutoil,macadamianutsandonly2teaspoonsofthematchapowderinamixingbowlandmixuntilyouhaveasticky,green

dough.Rollthemixtureintobite-sizedballs.

Puttheremainingmatchapowderinaplasticbagand,onebyone,dropeachballinsidethebagandshakeuntilthoroughlycoatedinmatchapowder.

Storeinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto1week.MATCHAISAPOWDEREDGREENTEATHATCANACTUALLYRELAXYOUWHILEALSOKEEPINGYOU ALERT. THIS IS DUE TO THE AMINO ACID L-THEANINE FOUND IN THE LEAVES USED TOMAKEMATCHA.

CARROT-CAKEENERGYBALLSWITHGOJIGOODNESS

My favourite cake, hands down, has always been carrot cake. Even as a young girl, Iwould choose that flavour formybirthday cake. I’mobsessed!So Iwanted to create asmaller,healthierversionthatIcouldjustpopinmymouthwhenexhaustionstruck.Notonlydothesesmall-but-mightybitestasteincredible,buttheyalsotakemedownmemorylaneandgivemeaninstantbodyANDmindboost.

30ggojiberries

135grolledoats

25ggroundalmonds


60ghazelnutbutter

4tablespoonsmaplesyrup



¼teaspoongroundginger

¼teaspoongroundnutmeg

65ggratedcarrots


Makes12–16

Beginbysoakingthegojiberriesinacupofwaterandsetasideforabout10minutes,thendrain.

Combine the oats, ground almonds and chia seeds in amixing bowl.Add the hazelnutbutter,maplesyrup,vanillaextract,groundcinnamon,gingerandnutmeg,gratedcarrotsandthesoakedgojiberriesandmixwell.

Scoopthedoughoutatablespoonatatimeanduseyourhandstorolleachoneintobite-sizedballs.

Storeinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto1week.GRAMFORGRAM,THELITTLEGOJIBERRYHASABOUT500TIMESMOREVITAMINCTHANANORANGEANDCONSIDERABLYMOREBETA-CAROTENETHANCARROTS.

CHOCOLATEANDLUCUMATRUFFLES

Seriouslyshortontime,orknowyouhavetheworld’sbusiestweekahead?Wellthesebadboystakelessthan5minutestomakeandtastesochocolateyandnaughtythatyoumightthink they’re bad for you. NOT the case! Instead, these bite-sized, perfect-on-the-gotrufflesaretrulyworthyoftheirsuperherosuperfooddesignation.

15dates,pitted

60gcacaopowder,plus2teaspoonsfordusting

30gcarobpowder

20glucumapowder


25ggojiberries


Makesabout12

Blendthedates,cacao,carob,lucuma,vanillaextract,gojiberriesandmeltedcoconutoilinablenderorfoodprocessor.Oncemixed,rollintobite-sizedballs.

Puttheremaining2teaspoonscacaopowderinaplasticbagand,onebyone,dropeachballinsidethebagandshakeuntilthoroughlycoatedincacao.

Storeinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto1week.

Thesecanbefrozenforupto3monthsandtakenouttodefrostforthatcrazydayorweekahead.LUCUMAISREFERREDTOASTHE‘GOLDOFTHEINCAS’:THEINCASPRIZEDTHELUCUMAFRUITASAHEALTHYSOURCEOFSUGAR,AND IT’SALSOFULLOFFIBRE,VITAMINS,MINERALSANDANTIOXIDANTS.

NUTSANDBANANASCOVEREDINCINNAMONANDCACAOBUTTER

Theseareslightlymessy,butworthkeeping inacontainer thatyoucanhave tohandatyouroffice,orinyourbriefcaseorhandbag.Youonlyneedtodevouracoupleatatimetofeelan instantboost. Ifyou’remaking these foryourkids,makesure tohaveplentyofnapkinstowipethosecinnamonandchocolatefingers!

170gmixednuts(suchasbrazilnuts,walnuts,almondsandcashews)

50gcacaobutter

3tablespoonscacaopowder


2bananas,cutinto2cmrounds

3–4teaspoonsgroundcinnamon

Bakingtraylinedwithparchmentpaper

Serves2–3

Preheat theoven to150°C/Gas2and spread thenutsoutonabaking tray.Toast in thepreheatedovenfor15–20minutes.Removefromtheovenandleavetocoolcompletely.

Meanwhile,melt thecacaobutter inasaucepan.Oncemelted,mix in thecacaopowderandhoneyandstiruntilfullydissolved.Removefromtheheatandtransferthesaucetoamixingbowl.

Dip the nuts and banana slices into themelted chocolate, a couple at a time. Place thechocolate-coverednutsandbananasonthepreparedbakingtrayandplaceinthefridgeforthechocolatetoset.

Onceset,putthecinnamoninaplasticbag,addthenutsandbananas,afewatatime,andgentlyshakeuntiltheyarethoroughlycoatedincinnamon.

Storeinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto3days,orfreezeforupto1month.CACAO BUTTER IS A GREAT INGREDIENT TO USE TO MAKE A HEALTHY AND DELICIOUSCHOCOLATE SAUCE IN MINUTES. IT’S ONE OF NATURE’S SUPERFOODS, WITH FANTASTICANTIOXIDANTPROPERTIES.

‘CHEESY’KALECRISPSWITHLIME

Kingkale isbeinghailedas theveggie lover’sbeef,asgramforgram, ithasmore ironthanbeef.Butmorethanthat,kaleislowcalorie,highinfibreandhaszerofat.Andkaleisn’tjustforsmoothiesorsaladsanymore…YouCANhaveyourcrispsandeatthemtoo,albeitamuchhealthierversion!

150gkale


1teaspooncoconutpalmsugar

1teaspoongroundflaxseed

½teaspoonseasalt

Juiceof½lime

50gnutritionalyeast

Serves2

Preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.Removethestalksandthickveinsfromthekaleandtear

themintosmallpieces.Putthekaleinabowlanddrizzleoverthemeltedcoconutoil.Mixwell,thenuseyourhandstomassagetheoilintothekaleforafewminutestotenderisetheleaves.

Add thecoconutpalmsugar, flaxseed,seasalt, lime juiceandnutritionalyeastandmixwell.

Transferthekaletoalargebakingtrayandbakeinthepreheatedovenfor30minutesoruntilgoldenandslightlycrispy.Takeoutoftheovenandloosenthekalewithaspatula.Turn theovenoff and stick the trayback in for another 20minutes,which allows it tobecomeevencrispier.

My kale crisps usually get eaten straightaway but you can store them in an airtightcontainerforupto1week.NOT ONLY DO LIMES CONTAIN A HIGH AMOUNT OF VITAMIN C, THEY ALSO CONTAINFLAVONOIDSTHATHELPTOPROTECTTHEEYESFROMAGINGANDFROMINFECTIONS.

BEET-THE-BLUESRAINBOWJUICE

Juicesarepracticallylikegettinganinjectionofnutrientsdirectlyintoyourbloodstream.Thinkofthemasnature’sliquidmedicine,andthebestyoucangiveyourbody.Theyre-charge, revive and re-fuel you within minutes. I particularly like this colourful juicebecauseit’salmostasifyou’redrinkingarainbowofhealth.

1beetroot

1cucumber

4carrots

150gblueberries


Juicer

Serves2

Withthisjuice,thereisnoneedtopeelawayanyskin.Simplycutthebeetroot,cucumberandcarrotsintoquartersandaddalltheingredientstoyourjuicer.

This juice is bestwhendrunk immediately, however, if youwant to drink it on the go,squeezehalfalemonintothebottomofyouron-the-gocontainerbeforeaddingthejuice.Thishelpstoslowdowntheoxidationprocess(i.e.duringwhichnutrientsarelostandthejuiceturnsbrown).IFYOUNEEDASTAMINABOOSTFORYOURNEXTGYMSESSION,BEETROOTHASBEENSHOWNTO IMPROVE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. THE JUICE CAN HELP YOURMUSCLESWORKMOREEFFICIENTLYANDLOWERTHEOXYGENUPTAKEINTHEMUSCLESASWELL.

POWERPROTEINBARSWITHHEMP

Ifyoureallywantmoreproteininyourdiet,butwouldrathernotrelysomuchonanimalprotein,thispowerbarhasbeenmadeespeciallyforyou.Believeitornot,wecangetsomuchprotein fromplant-based sources. I know thatwhen Iwas growingup, I actuallythoughtproteinonlycamefromanimals.AsIlaterdiscovered,thereisactuallyaplethoraofproteininplants,soeatup!


135mlwater

135grolledoats

65ghazelnuts,chopped

65gwalnuts,chopped

80gcoconutoil


2teaspoonsvanillaextract

2tablespoonscacaopowder

2teaspoonscarobpowder

175gdates,pittedandchopped

160gshelledhempseeds

20cmsquarebakingtinlinedwithparchmentpaperoverlappingthesides

Makesabout12

Beginbysoakingthechiaseedsinthe135mlwaterinabowlandputtooneside.Preheattheovento150°C/Gas2andspreadtherolledoatsandchoppednutsoutonabakingtray.Lightly toast in the preheated oven for 10–15minutes, stirring every so often.Removefromtheoven,leavetocool,thentransfertoamixingbowl.

Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil with the honey, vanilla extract, and cacao and carobpowdersinasmallsaucepan.Pourthisovertheoatsandnutsandstirinthedates,hempseedsandsoakedchiaseeds.

Increase theoven temperature to180°C/Gas4.Pour thepowerproteinmixture into thepreparedtin,pressdownfirmly,thenbakefor20minutesoruntilgolden.Removefromtheovenandleavetocoolinthetin.

Oncecooled,liftthesidesoftheparchmentpapertoremovethebarsfromthetinandcut

intosquaresorbars.Storeinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto2weeks.THEPROTEINANDFIBREFOUNDINHEMPHELPSTOSLOWDOWNDIGESTION,WHICHINTURNPREVENTS A BLOOD SUGAR SPIKE AND THEREFORE SUSTAINS OUR ENERGY FOR LONGERPERIODS.

DREAMYFIGANDSPIRULINABITES

Ohalgae,youarethenewkidontheblock.Well,actuallyyouareoneoftheoldestlifeformson theplanet,butwe’veonlyrecentlydiscoveredyouare incrediblybeneficial toourhealth.Spirulinaisanalgaepowerhouseofnutrientsunlikeanygrain,plantorfruit.That’swhyIlovetoincorporateit,notonlyinmysmoothies,butalsointhesegood-to-gobite-sizedburstsofhealth.

45grolledoats

75gcashews

150gdriedfigs

2tablespoonsdesiccatedcoconut


Gratedzestof1lemon


2teaspoonsspirulinapowder

2tablespoonstahini

2tablespoonswater

Makes12–15

Puttheoatsinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzintofinecrumbs.Addtheremainingingredientsandblenduntilsmooth.

Transferthemixturetoamixingbowlanduseyourhandstorollintowalnut-sizedballs.

Storeinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto2weeks.FIGSCONTAINMORECALCIUMTHANMOSTOTHERFRUITS. INFACT,ONESERVINGOFDRIEDFIGSEQUALS12PERCENTOFYOURRDAFORCALCIUM.

SUPER-HEALTHYGRANOLAANDCRANBERRYBARS

There are so many incredibly unhealthy granola bars out there that are seeping withrefinedsugar,andthat’ssomethingIdidn’twantmykidseatingormeeither!Thesebarsarequiteaheartysnackandtheywillkeepyoufullforhoursandpackinahealthyamountoffibre,proteinandomega3s.

350gdates,pitted

270grolledoats

80galmonds

35gpumpkinseeds

60gdriedcranberries

120mlmaplesyrup

120ghazelnutbutter

20cmsquarebakingtinlinedwithparchmentpaper

Makesabout10

Putthedates,oatsandalmondsinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzuntilonlysmallbitsremain.Transfertoamixingbowl.Addthepumpkinseedsandcranberriesandmixwell.

Mixthemaplesyrupandhazelnutbuttertogetherinasmallbowl.Drizzleitoverthedatemixtureandmixwell.Ifindusingmyhandsworksbestasyouwant toget it toa thickdough.Transferthedoughtothepreparedbakingtinandpressdownuntilitisflatandhascoveredtheentiretin.Placeinthefridgefor20minutestoset.

Removethechilledslabfromthetinandcutintoabout10squaresorbars.

Storeinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto1week.

Madeinaflash,thesebarswillkeepforseveraldayssoyouwillhaveahearty,sustainingsnacktoseeyouthroughtheweek.CRANBERRIESAREN’TJUSTFORCHRISTMASANDTHANKSGIVING!THESESMALLBUTMIGHTYBERRIESAREGREATFORTHEHEALTHOFYOURMOUTH.THEYCANPREVENTBADBACTERIAFROMDOINGDAMAGETOYOURMOUTHANDTEETH.

PORTABLELUNCHES

Justlikewithalotofthebreakfastrecipes,alittleplanninggoesalongwaytofeeling great throughout your day. If you’re out and about and want toguaranteethatyouareeating‘therightstuff’foryourlunch,thenthischapterisforyou!Therecipesaresimple tomake,butyouareguaranteedashotof‘real’energywitheverybite.

Asabonus,mydefinitionofportable lunchesexpands to theword ‘picnic’!It’s so easy towhip up several of these recipes andbring themout onyourpicnicrugtoreallyimpressyourguests.

SUSHI-STYLESPINACHANDBEANSPROUTBOWLWITHAGINGERDRESSING

Thisisbasicallyveggiesushibutwithouthavingtoputintheefforttocreateperfectrolls,whichmakesitmuchquickertoassemble.

480mlwater

190gbrownrice

25ggojiberries

100gshellededamame

1norisheet

1avocado,peeled,pittedandsliced

Largehandfulofspinach

Largehandfulofbeansprouts

2teaspoonssesameseeds

Dulseflakes,toserve

Forthegingerdressing

60mlapplecidervinegar

2.5cmpieceoffreshginger,minced

1date,pitted

1tablespoonumeboshipaste

1teaspoontamari

Serves2

Bringthe480mlwatertotheboilinasaucepan,thenaddthebrownrice.Reducetheheattolow,coverandsimmerfor45–60minutes.Oncecooked,rinseincoldwater.

Soakthegojiberriesinwaterfor10minutes,thendrain.

Meanwhile,bringanothersaucepanofwatertotheboil,addtheedamameandcookfor5minutes,thendrainandrinseincoldwater.Chopthenorisheetintosmallpieces.

Divide the cooked rice between 2 bowls and top with the sliced avocado, edamame,soakedgojiberries,andthespinach,beansproutsandsesameseeds.

Tomake the ginger dressing, put all the ingredients in a blender or foodprocessor andblitzuntilsmooth.Pourthedressingoverthe2bowlsandgarnishwithasprinkleofdulseflakes.BEANSPROUTS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ARE A NUTRITIONAL POWERHOUSE. THEY ARE RICH INVITAMINCANDAGOODSOURCEOF6OUTOFTHE8BVITAMINS.

MOROCCANCHICKPEA,CARROTANDDATESALADWITHPAPRIKADRESSING

Just likeMorocco itself, this salad is incredibly colourful and the flavours really shinethrough.Thisismygo-tolunchwhenI’mfeelingreallyrundown,asitincorporatessomeveg,darkgreen leaves,proteinfromthechickpeasandanaturalsweetener–dates–allmarinatedinadeliciousspicedressing.(Seephotographonpage71.)

1x400gtinchickpeas,drainedandrinsed

1smallredonion,chopped

2smallcarrots,grated

2largehandfulsofspinach

6dates,pittedandchopped

Forthepaprikadressing

2tablespoonsoliveoil

1tablespoontamari

1teaspoongroundcumin

1teaspoonpaprika

Juiceof1lemon

Serves2

Put thechickpeas,onion,carrots, spinachanddates ina largebowland tosseverythingtogether.

Whiskallthedressingingredientstogetherinasmallbowl.

Drizzlethedressingoverthechickpeasaladandleavetomarinateforatleast1hour.

Pourthedressingoverthesaladinthemorningbeforework,andbylunchtimethesaladwillbeperfectlymarinated.GRINDINGDRIEDREDPEPPERS INTOAFINEPOWDERMAKESPAPRIKA. JUST1TABLESPOONPROVIDESANAMPLEAMOUNTOFCAROTENOIDS (THUS ITSRICHREDCOLOUR),THEFAMILYTHATINCLUDESVITAMINA,WHICHISGREATFOROUREYESIGHT.

WILDRICE,BEETROOTANDGRAPESALADWITHAHONEY,MAPLEANDMUSTARDDRESSING

Wild rice is gluten free and is brimmingwith antioxidants – about 30 timesmore thanwhiterice.Althoughittakesaboutanhourtocook,it’sworthit,asthisricehasadeliciousnuttyflavour.(Seephotograph)

480mlwater

130gwildrice

2small(raw)beetroots

20redgrapes,halved

Largehandfuloffreshflat-leafparsley,chopped

2tablespoonssunflowerseeds


Forthehoney,mapleandmustarddressing

1tablespoonoliveoil

½tablespoonapplecidervinegar

½teaspoonmaplesyrup

½teaspoonrawhoney

½teaspoonEnglishmustard

1tablespoonfreshlemonjuice

Seasaltandfreshlygroundblackpepper

Serves2

Putthe480mlwaterinasaucepanandbringittotheboil.Addthewildrice,reducetheheattolow,coverandsimmerfor1hour.

Meanwhile,peeltherawbeetrootsandslicethemintoverythinrounds.Oncethericeiscooked,drainoffanyremainingwaterandleavethericetocool.

Put the cooked rice in a large bowl and add the sliced beetroot, red grapes, parsley,sunflowerseedsandspringonions.

Whiskallthedressingingredients,plusapinchofsaltandpepper,togetherinabowl,thenpouroverthericesalad.Tosseverythingtogetherbeforeserving.

BEETROOTCONTAINSNATURALLYOCCURRINGNITRATES,WHICHTHEBODYCONVERTS INTONITRIC OXIDE. THIS HELPS TO RELAX YOUR BLOOD VESSELS, WHICH IN TURN IMPROVESBLOODFLOWANDHELPSTOLOWERBLOODPRESSURE.

SQUASH,MUSHROOMANDKALESALADWITHPUMPKINANDPOMEGRANATE

Kalemaynotbethefirstthingthatcomestomindwhenyouthinkofasalad.However,the trick tousingkale inyour saladsandmaking it so tasty is tomassage the leaves. Ittakesnotimeatallandit’sdefinitelyworthit!

1smallbutternutsquash,peeled,deseededanddiced


2teaspoonsgroundcumin

1shallot,chopped

200gportabellinimushrooms,thinlysliced

Bunchofkale

3tablespoonspumpkinseeds

Seedsfrom1pomegranate


1tablespoonapplecidervinegar


Serves4

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Put the squash in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of themeltedcoconutoilandthecuminandseasonwithsaltandpepper.Mixwell,thentransfertoaroastingtinandbakein thepreheatedovenforabout40minutes, flippingevery15minutes.Oncecooked,removefromtheovenandleavetocool.

Meanwhile, coat a fryingpanwith the remainingcoconutoil and setover amedium tohigh heat. Add the chopped shallot and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.Gentlyfryfor10minutes,oruntilsoft,thenputtooneside.

Removethestalksfromthekale,stacktheleavesontopofeachotherandrolluplikeacigarshape,thensliceintoribbons.Putthekaleinalargebowlwith1teaspoonseasaltandmassagetheleaveswithyourhandsfor3–5minutes.Youwillbegintoseethekalesoften as themoisture starts to seep out.Add the roasted squash, friedmushrooms andshallotandthepumpkinseedsandpomegranateseeds.Drizzleovertheoliveoilandapplecidervinegarbeforeserving.HIGH IN FIBRE, VITAMINS AND PHYTOCHEMICALS, POMEGRANATE IS MAGICAL! PERFECT INBREAKFAST CEREALS, SALADS AND SOUPS – GET POMEGRANATE SEEDS IN YOUR DIETWHENEVERYOUCAN.

MARINATEDTOFUWITHANALMOND-BUTTERSAUCE,WRAPPEDINWHOLEWHEATTORTILLAS

I’vecreatedthisrecipewithtofu,butyoucaneasilyswapthetofuforprawnsandstillusethesamesweetandspicymarinade.

450gfirmtofu

2wholewheattortillas

1carrot,grated

¼cucumber,grated

2leavesofromainelettuce,shredded

½redonion,thinlysliced

Handfuloffreshcoriander,chopped

Sesameseeds,forsprinkling

Forthemarinade


2garliccloves,crushed

2tablespoonstamari

1tablespoonmaplesyrup


Forthealmond-buttersauce

2tablespoonsalmondbutter

½tablespoonrawhoney

½tablespoontamari

1tablespoonoliveoil

Serves2

Patthetofudrywithsomekitchenroll.Lineaplatewithsomekitchenrollandplacethetofu on top. Place another small plate on top of the tofu and weight it down withsomethingheavy(atinofbeansalwaysworksforme).Leaveforabout15minutesfortheexcesswatertoseepoutofthetofu.

Meanwhile,whiskallthemarinadeingredientstogetherinasmallbowl.

Slicethepressedtofuintostrips,tossthestripsinthemarinadeuntilcoated,thentransfertothefridgetomarinateforatleast30minutes.Mixthealmond-buttersauceingredientstogetherinasmallbowl.

Oncemarinated,dividethetofustripsbetweenthetortillas,placingtheminthecentreanddrizzlewithsomeofthesauce.Topwiththecarrots,cucumber,romainelettuce,redonionandcoriander.Drizzleabitmoreofthesauceoverandsprinklewithsesameseeds.Rollupeachtortillaintoawrap,wraptightlyinfoilorclingfilm,popinacontainerandyouaregoodtogo!WHOLEWHEAT TORTILLAS ARE NUTRITIONALLY SUPERIOR TO THE MORE COMMON WHITE-FLOURVARIETY,ASPRODUCTSMADEFROMWHITEFLOURHAVEBEENSTRIPPEDOFPRETTYMUCHALLTHEIRESSENTIALNUTRIENTS.

SWEETPOTATOANDPARSLEYFALAFELCABBAGEWRAPS

Ilovesweetpotatoes,soI’vebeenlookingforinterestingwaystocookthem.Thisrecipecombinessweetpotatowithagreatdairy-free toppingandanextraspicysalsa. Iusedacabbage leaf to wrap the falafels in, but you can use whatever leaves you have in thefridge.

200gsweetpotatoes


Smallhandfuloffreshcoriander

75gwalnuts

1garlicclove

½onion,chopped

1½tablespoonscoconutoil

½teaspoongroundcumin

½tablespoonwholegrainflour(e.g.buckwheat,speltoroat)

5–6cabbageleaves

Forthedairy-freecream

125mlcoconutorsoyyogurt

½smallcucumber,peeled,deseededandshredded

Smallhandfuloffreshmint,leavesonly,finelychopped

½teaspoondriedchilliflakes



Forthesalsa

125gcherrytomatoes,diced

¼redchilli,deseededandfinelychopped

½garlicclove,crushed

Smallhandfuloffreshcoriander,chopped

½tablespoonoliveoil



Makes5–6wraps

Preheat theoven to200°C/Gas6 andprick the sweetpotatoes a few timeswith a fork.Bakeinthepreheatedovenforabout30minutesoruntilsoft.Leavetocoolcompletely,thenscoopthefleshintoalargebowl.Leavetheovenontobakethefalafel.

Tomakethedairy-freecream,putalltheingredientsinabowl,mixwellandstickinthefridgeforabout30minutes.Tomakethesalsa,mixalltheingredientstogetherinabowl.

For the falafels, blend the parsley, coriander and walnuts in a food processor untilcombined, thenslowlyadd thegarlic,onion,coconutoil, cumin, flourandsweetpotatoflesh,blendinguntilthemixturebecomeslikeapaste.Useyourhandstorollthemixtureinto10–12smallfalafelsandplacethemonthepreparedbakingtray.Bakefor20minutes,turningevery5minutes,oruntiltheyarealovelybrowncolour.

Topeachcabbageleafwith2falafels.Spoonsomedairy-freecreamandsalsaontop,wrapitallupandtakeabigbite!PARSLEYCONTAINSANARSENALOFANTIOXIDANTSANDINCLUDESAPARTICULARFLAVONOID,LUTEOLIN,THATHELPSTOERADICATEFREERADICALS.

BEETROOT,BLACKRICEANDPEARWRAPS

Iespeciallylovethisrecipebecausenotonlyisittastyineverywaypossible,butalsoit’sabighitwithmychildren. It’s incredibly easy to ‘hide’ really amazing foods that yourchildrenmightnotnormallyeat–andhere’show!

4wholewheattortillas

2largeromainelettuceleaves,torninhalf

1largepear,grated

Seasalt

Forthebeetrootpaste

2cookedbeetroots,roughlychopped




35gwalnuts

1teaspooncoconutoil

2teaspoonsapplecidervinegar

Fortheblackrice

240mlwater

100gblackrice

½teaspooncarawayseeds

Finelygratedzestandjuiceof½lime

35gsultanas

35gflakedalmonds,toasted

Makes4

Tomakethebeetrootpaste,throweverythingintoafoodprocessor,addapinchofseasalttotaste,andblitzuntilalovelypastehasformed.Transfertoabowlforlater.

Tomaketheblackrice,putthe240mlwaterinasaucepanandbringtotheboil.Addtherice, caraway seeds and apinchof sea salt.Reduce theheat to low, cover and leave tosimmer for 20–25minutes, or until all thewater is absorbed, then leave to cool.Oncecooled,transferthericetoabowlandaddthelimezestandjuice,sultanasandalmonds.Stirwell.

Place2tablespoonsofthebeetrootpasteinthemiddleofeachtortillaandcoverwithoneofthelettuceleafhalves.Topwithacoupleofheapedspoonfulsoftheblackricefilling.Sprinklewiththegratedpearandfoldorrollthetortillastocreateawrap.BROWNRICEISGOODFORYOU,BUTBLACKRICEISEVENBETTER. ITMAYTAKELONGERTOCOOK,BUTIFYOUHAVETHETIMETHENGOFORIT.THEBRANHULLINBLACKRICECONTAINSSIGNIFICANTLYHIGHERAMOUNTSOFVITAMINE,WHICHHELPSTOPROTECTTHECELLSFROMTHOSEFREERADICALS.

ROASTEDCHICKPEAANDSUN-DRIEDTOMATOSALADWITHHERBDRESSING

Notonlyis thisrecipechock-fullofgreensforyourhealth,but theflavourreallyshinesthrough,too.Iusesun-driedtomatoesalotwhenIcookbecauseoftheiramazingflavour.Luckily,evenafterbeingdriedinthesun,theystillkeeptheirnutritionalvalue–theyarejustlosingmostoftheirwatercontent.Youdon’thavetoaddalotofthesetoyourrecipestogetthatburstofflavour;justafewwilldo.


1tablespoonoliveoil


¼teaspoonpaprika

¼teaspoongroundturmeric

Largehandfuloffreshflat-leafparsley,chopped

35gpinenuts

25gsun-driedtomatoes,thinlysliced


90gblackolives


Fortheherbdressing


1garlicclove

Juiceof1lemon




Smallhandfuloffreshmint

Bakingtraylinedwithaluminiumfoil

Serves2

Preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.

Combinethechickpeas,oliveoil,cumin,paprikaandturmericinabowl.Seasontotastewithsaltandpepper.Spreadthechickpeamixtureoutoverthethepreparedbakingtray.Placethetrayontheupperrackofthepreheatedovenandroastforabout1hour.Removefromtheovenandleavetocool.

Tomaketheherbdressing,putalltheingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandwhizzuntilmixed.

Combine theparsley, pinenuts, sun-dried tomatoes, springonions, blackolives and thecooled chickpeas in a salad bowl. Drizzle over the herb dressing and toss everythingtogetherbeforeserving.CHICKPEASARESUPER-HIGHINFIBREANDPROTEIN,PLUSTHEYARELOWONTHEGLYCEMICINDEX,WHICHMEANSTHESELITTLEBEANSCANREALLYHELPKEEPYOUFEELINGFULLERFORLONGER. CHICKPEAS ALSO CONTAIN A HEALTHY DOES OF PHOSPHORUS, WHICH IS A KEYPLAYERINBONEHEALTH.

GREENGODDESSSALADWITHBLOOD-ORANGEDRESSING

I’vebeenmakingthissaladfornearlytwoyearsnow.Itissonutritiousandtastythatevenafterhaving itat leastonceaweek, Istill love it.Partof thereason it issodelicious isthanks to its yummy dressing. You may never have thought of putting avocado in adressingbefore,butitmakesitlovelyandcreamy(andit’saperfectlyeffortlesswaytogetyourchildrentoeattheirgreens).

1headoflettuce(thedarkerincolourthebetter),leavesseparated

1smallcucumber,chopped

3vinetomatoes,chopped


Largehandfulofblackolives

1redonion,sliced

1avocado,peeled,pittedanddiced

20gpinenuts,toasted

Fortheblood-orangedressing

Juiceof½bloodorange


2tablespoonstamari

Handfuloffreshcoriander

Handfuloffreshflat-leafparsley

Handfuloffreshmint

1smallgarlicclove

1tablespoonrawhoneyor1date,pitted


Serves2

Combinethelettuceleaves,cucumber,tomatoes,springonions,olives,redonion,halftheavocadoandthepinenutsinalargesaladbowl.

Putallthedressingingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorwiththeremainingavocado

and blitz until smooth. This is a thick dressing, so if you’d like it thinner, add 1–2tablespoonswater.Seasontotastewithsaltandpepper.

Smotheryoursaladwiththedressingandwatchitbedevoured.NOTONLYDOBLOODORANGESHAVETHEBENEFITOFAHUGEAMOUNTOFVITAMINC,THEYALSOCONTAINANTHOCYANINS,ANTIOXIDANTSFOUNDINBERRIESANDREDWINE.

PUYLENTIL,ARTICHOKEANDSUN-DRIEDTOMATOSALADWITHRASPBERRYDRESSING

Thisisagoodcombooffruit,veggieandlegumesinonesalad,andthereforeagoodall-roundnutritionhit.It’squickandeasytoput together,ensuringthissaladwillkeepyoucomingbackformore.(Seephotograph)

1.2litreswater

200gPuylentils

2largehandfulsofkale,tornintobite-sizedpieces

1smallredonion,finelychopped

25gsun-driedtomatoes,roughlychopped

1x400gtinartichokeheartsinwater,drainedandchopped

Fortheraspberrydressing

50graspberries

1teaspoonlemonjuice

2teaspoonsapplecidervinegar


1tablespoonoliveoil

2tablespoonswater

Serves2

Put480mlofthewaterinasaucepan,bringtotheboil,thenaddthelentils.Bringbacktotheboil,thensimmerfor10–15minutesuntilallofthewaterhasbeenabsorbed,stirringeverynowandthen.Oncecooked,rinsethelentilsundercoolwaterandtransfertoalargebowl.

Meanwhile,put theremaining720mlwater inaseparatesaucepan,bringtotheboilandaddthekale.Cookfor5minutes,thendrain,rinsewithcoolwaterandaddtothelentils,alongwiththeredonion,sun-driedtomatoesandartichokes.

Putallthedressingingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzuntilsmoothandcombined.

Yourlovelysaladisnowreadytobeserved!Drizzlethedressingoverthelentilsalad,tosseverything together and you are ready to tuck in right away or transfer to a portable

containerandtakeittogo.EATINGARTICHOKESHASSHOWNTOHELPWITHDIGESTIVE ISSUES,SUCHASAN IRRITABLESTOMACHORBOWEL.

RADISHANDAVOCADOSALADWITHCHIATAHINIDRESSING

Radishesmaynotbeyourfirstchoicetoputintoyourlunch,buttrustme–they’reworthit.Peoplethinkthatthey’renotthetastiestofvegetables,butcombinethemwithakillersaladdressingliketheoneinthisrecipeandyou’reinforanutritiousburstofatreat.

About24radishes,roughlychopped

2smallredpeppers,deseededandchopped

Largehandfulofblackorkalamataolives

Largehandfuloffreshcoriander,roughlychopped

1smallavocado,peeled,pittedanddiced

½redonion,thinlysliced

1springonion,chopped

Forthechiatahinidressing


2tablespoonstahini

½tablespooncuminseeds

Juiceof1lemon

1tablespoonchoppedfreshflat-leafparsley

½teaspoontamari

1tablespoonrawhoney

Pinchofseasalt

Pinchofchillipowder

Serves2–4

Putallthesaladingredientsinalargesaladorservingbowl.

Putallthedressingingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzuntilsmooth.Thedressingwillbequitethickbutasyoumixitthroughthesalad,itwillcoattheingredientsnicely.

Pourthedressingoverthesalad,tosstogetheruntilwellcombinedandserve.STARTPAYINGMOREATTENTIONTORADISHES.NOTONLYDO4RADISHESMAKEUPABOUT14PERCENT OF THE RDA OF VITAMIN C, BUT RESEARCH HAS ALSO SHOWN THAT THEANTIOXIDANTSFOUNDINTHEMMAYHELPPREVENTCANCER.

BAKEDTOFUANDAPPLEONMIXEDGREENSANDWAKAME

Thisisadishthatevenmykidshonestly,whole-heartedlylove.Addingflavourtofoodsliketofu,whichstartoutquitebland,reallyhelpstospicethingsup.Withminimumeffort,youcanturnasimplemixedgreensaladintosomethingsuper.

450gfirmtofu

1tablespoonoliveoil

1tablespoontamari


1tablespoonlemonjuice

10gdriedwakame

100gmixedsaladgreens

1apple,coredandthinlysliced


2tablespoonssesameseeds

1tablespoonoliveoil



Serves2

Patthetofudrywithsomekitchenroll.Lineaplatewithsomekitchenrollandplacethetofu on top. Place another small plate on top of the tofu and weight it down withsomethingheavy(atinofbeansalwaysworksforme).Leavefor15–30minutesfortheliquidtoseepout.Removetheplateandcutthepressedtofuintocubes.Mixtheoliveoil,tamari,applecidervinegarand lemon juice together inasmallbowl.Pour thisover thetofuandleaveittomarinatefor30minutes.Preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.

Arrange the tofuon thepreparedbaking tray ina single layer.Dependingonhow largeyourcubesare,bakethetofuinthepreheatedovenfor25–40minutesuntilgolden.

Meanwhile,soakthedriedwakameintepidwaterfor10–20minutes.Patdrywithateatowelorkitchenrollandcoarselychop.Putthesaladgreens,apple,springonions,sesameseedsandwakameinalargebowlandtosswiththeoliveoilandchilliflakes.Topwiththebakedtofuandserve.MANY OF US ARE PROBABLY LACKING IN IODINE AND THAT’S EXACTLYWHATWAKAME IS AGOOD SOURCE OF. IODINE IS NEEDED TO HELP CONVERT FOOD INTO ENERGY, BUT ALSOHELPSTOKEEPTHETHYROIDGLANDINBALANCE.

LEMONSWEETPOTATOSALADWITHEDAMAMEANDSUNFLOWERSEEDS

Sweet potatoes have become a real staple in our house and definitely trump the whiteones. From sweet potato chips to soups and even in puddings, the sweet potato is asuperstarwhenitcomestocreatinginterestingandtastyrecipes.Everyonelovesapotatosalad,butthisonecouldknocksocksoffatyournextpicnic.Andwhywaitforapicnictoenjoyapotatosalad?Aheartyandhealthylunchiswhatyouwillgetwiththisrecipe!

250gsweetpotatoes

125gshellededamame

45gsunflowerseeds

Smallhandfuloffreshmint,chopped

Forthelemondressing



Gratedzestof½lemon

Smallgarlicclove,crushed


Serves2

Cut the sweet potato into chunks (keep the skins on, they’re good for you!) Bring asaucepan of water to the boil and add the potatoes. Cook for 15–20 minutes, or untiltender,thendrainandsetasidetocool.

Meanwhile,bringapanofwater to theboil, add theedamameandcook for5minutes.Drainandrinse.

Once the sweet potatoes are cool, put them in a large bowl and add the edamame,sunflowerseedsandchoppedmint.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, then drizzle over the sweet potatosaladandserve.TRYTOALWAYSKEEPTHESKINSONSWEETPOTATOES AS THAT’SWHEREMUCHOF THEIRGOODNESSISFOUND,SUCHASVITAMINC,VITAMINAANDCALCIUM.

LENTILANDCOUSCOUSSALADWITHALMONDSANDASPARAGUS

Thisisanall-roundgreatmeal,especiallywhenasparagusisinseason.Saladsnowadayshavesuchabroaddefinition.Whereastheyusedtomeanlettuceleavestoppedwithsomedressing, I find I can just throw some good, wholesome legumes, nuts and veggiestogetherand,forme,thatisamightysupersalad.Here’soneofthem.

50gbrownlentils

180mlwater

50gIsraelicouscous

8asparagusspears

1smallredonion,sliced

45gcapers

45gsultanas

2largehandfulsofwatercress

40galmonds

16cherrytomatoes,halved

Forthevinaigrette


2tablespoonsapplecidervinegar


Serves2

Putthelentilsand180mlwaterinasaucepanoveramediumheat,bringtotheboil,thenreducetoasimmerfor20–25minutesuntilcooked.Ifneeded,drainthelentils,thenrunthemundercoolwater.Transfertoalargebowl.

Meanwhile,putthecouscousinasaucepanandcoverwithwater.Bringtotheboil,reducetoasimmerandcookfor5–8minutesuntilitistender.Removefromtheheat,drainandrinseundercoolwater.Addthecouscoustothelentils.

Fillasmallsaucepanhalfwaywithwater.Bringtotheboil,thenaddtheasparagus.Cookfor2–3minutesonly, thendrainandrinseundercoldwater.Cut theasparagusinto3cmlengthsandaddtothelentilsandcouscous.

Addtheredonion,capers,sultanas,watercress,almondsandcherrytomatoestothebowl.Whiskthevinaigretteingredientstogetherinasmallbowlanddrizzleoverthesalad.Tosstogetherandserve.ASPARAGUS IS PARTICULARLY HIGH IN A DETOXIFYING COMPOUND CALLED GLUTATHIONEWHICHHELPSBREAKDOWNFREERADICALSANDCARCINOGENSINTHEBODY.

CAULIFLOWER,GOJIBERRYANDALMONDSALADWITHTURMERICDRESSING

Asbizarreasthisdishsounds,itisunbelievablygoodandpossiblyoneofmyfavourites!Iurgeyoutomakeitassoonaspossible.Thedressingissuper-versatileandcanbeusedtodrizzleoveraloadofsteamedorroastedvegetablesaswell.

35ggojiberries

1cauliflower,cutintosmallflorets


2smallredonions,sliced

35gflakedalmonds


Fortheturmericdressing


Finelygratedzestandjuiceof2lemons


¼large,ripeavocado,peeledandpitted

1tablespoongroundturmeric

1tablespoonrawhoney

Pinchofseasalt

Serves2

Put thegojiberries inabowlofwaterandsetaside tosoakfor10minutes.Preheat theovento180˚C/Gas4.

Toss the cauliflower in the coconut oil – really rub theoil into it. Seasonwith salt andblack pepper, place on a baking tray and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.Remove the tray from the oven, add the sliced red onions and roast for another 15–20minutesuntiltender.Transfertheroastedvegetablestoalargebowl.

Toasttheflakedalmondsonabakingtrayinthehotovenfor3–5minutes.Drainthegojiberriesandaddtotheroastedveggies,alongwiththetoastedalmonds.

Combineallthedressingingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzuntilyougeta bright orange dressing. It’s wonderful to look at and taste. Serve the salad with thedressinganddevour!TURMERICISANATURALANDPOTENTANTIINFLAMMATORYTHATHASBEENSHOWNTOWORKJUST AS WELL AS MANY ANTI INFLAMMATORY DRUGS, BUT WITHOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS.STUDIES ARE EVEN SUGGESTING THAT TURMERIC COULD SLOW THE PROGRESSION OFALZHEIMER’SDISEASEBYREMOVINGAMYLOIDPLAQUEBUILD-UPINTHEBRAIN.

COURGETTISPAGHETTIWITHASUN-DRIEDTOMATO,BASILANDAVOCADOSAUCE

Havingarawmealonceadayisafantasticwaytogiveyourbodyarestandallowittosimplyabsorballofthegoodnessfromtheingredients.Whenwecookfood,welosequitealotofthenutrientsthatwewanttobeconsuming.Thisdishisabrilliantentryintorawfood!Firstandforemost,ifyoudon’thaveaspiraliser,don’tworry!Youcaneasilyuseamandolinorjulienneslicerinstead.

1redpepper,deseededandsliced

3½tablespoonsapplecidervinegar

3½tablespoonstamari

2largecourgettes

Forthesun-driedtomato,basilandavocadosauce

100gsun-driedtomatoes,soaked


60gpinenuts

5freshbasilleaves

1garlicclove


Gratedzestandjuiceof1lemon


Serves2–3

Puttheslicedredpeppersinabowlandaddthetamariandapplecidervinegar.Coverandsetasidetomarinate.

Grabyourspiraliser,mandolinorjulienneslicerandgettoworkonthecourgettes.Youraimistocreatespaghetti-ortagliatelle-likestrips.Putyourstripsintoabowlreadyforthesauce.

Putallthesauceingredientsinafoodprocessorandwhizzaway.Youwillgetapaste-likesauce,butifit’stoothickforyou,simplyaddabitofwatertothinitout.

Pourthesauceoverthecourgetti,mixwell,topwiththemarinatedpeppersandserve.COURGETTESAREEXTREMELYLOWINCALORIES–ABOUT19CALORIESPER120G–ANDAREMOSTLYWATER,WHICHMAKESTHEMADIETER’SFRIEND.

MAINS

I’vebeentoldbeforethat‘supper’actuallymeans‘supplemental’…i.e.wearenotsupposedtoeathugemealsbeforebed,justasmall,supplementalamount.Thatway,ourbodiescanrestanddigest somethingmanageablewhilewe’resleepingandwhenwewake,wearerechargedandreadytonourishourbodieswith a healthy and hearty breakfast. When we eat something heavy in theevenings, it affects our sleep and we wake up feeling lethargic. The maindishes that I’ve created are light but filling, so you don’t go to bed feelinghungry,andyouwakeupinthemorningfeelinggreat.

AUBERGINE,TOMATOANDALMONDPASTAWITHQUINOALEMON‘MEATBALLS’

A healthier version of classic spaghetti with meatballs, this dish is still packed withprotein,butitskipsthesaturatedfatandcholesterol.

2largeaubergines


200galmonds,soakedinwaterfor3–4hours(optional)

100gsun-driedtomatoes,drained(or,ifnotfromajar,soakinwaterfor10minutesanddrain)

Largehandfuloffreshflat-leafparsley

90gblackolives,pitted

100mloliveoil

1tablespoonrawhoney

500gwholegrainpasta

Seasalt

Forthe‘meatballs’

240mlwater

170gquinoa

1tablespooncoconutoil

½onion,finelychopped,

150gchestnutmushrooms,finelychopped

Smallhandfuloffreshflat-leafparsley,finelychopped

Smallhandfuloffreshbasil,finelychopped

Smallhandfuloffreshcoriander,finelychopped


Gratedzestandjuiceof2lemons

2tablespoonsnutritionalyeast

6tablespoonsoatflour(oranyotherwholewheatflour)


Serves4–6

Preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.Slicetheauberginesinto1cm-thickroundsandplaceonabakingtray.Coat theauberginewith thecoconutoilandagoodsprinklingofseasalt.Roast in thepreheatedoven for30–35minutes,oruntil softandgolden.Leave tocool,thenputtheroastedaubergine,soakedalmonds,sun-driedtomatoes,parsley,olives,oliveoilandhoneyinafoodprocessorandblitztoalovelypaste.

For the ‘meatballs’, put the 240mlwater in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add thequinoa,bringbacktotheboil,coverandsimmerforabout20minutesuntilcooked.Leavetocool.Preheattheovenagainto180°C/Gas4ifitisn’tstillon.

Heatthecoconutoilinafryingpanoveramediumheat.Addtheonionandmushroomsandcook for5–7minutes, oruntil theonion is translucent and soft.Transfer to abowlwiththecooledquinoaandtherestofthe‘meatball’ingredients.Mixwell,thenshapeintogolfball-sized‘meatballs’.Placeonabakingtrayandbakeinthehotovenfor30minutes,oruntilbrowned,flippinghalfwaythrough.Leavetocool.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain and dividebetweenbowls.Pouroverthepesto,mixwellandtopwiththe‘meatballs’.AUBERGINESARERICHINANTIOXIDANTS,PARTICULARLYNASUNIN,WHICHISPREDOMINANTLYFOUNDINTHESKINOFAUBERGINES–SODON’TPEELITOFF!

BUTTERNUTBARLEYSTEWWITHCAVOLONERO

Everynowandagain,youneedsomewarming,comfortingfood.Unfortunately,‘comfort’food isn’t always very healthy or nutritious! So, I’ve createdmy own comforting stewthat’sfullofgoodstuff,makingyoufeelnourishedbothinsideandout.


1onion,finelychopped

2smallredchillies,deseededandchopped



200gpearlbarley

1butternutsquash,peeledandcutintochunks

1litrevegetablestock

1x400gtincannellinibeans,drainedandrinsed

2largehandfulsofcavolonero,tornintosmallpieces

Smallhandfuloffreshflat-leafparsley,chopped


Serves4

Heatthecoconutoilinalargefryingpanoveramediumheatandfrytheonionfor5–7minutesuntilsoft.Addtheredchillies,garlicandcuminandfryforanother1–2minutes.

Add the pearl barley, butternut squash and the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, thenreduce the heat to lowand simmer for about 45minutes.Add the cannellini beans andcavoloneroforthelast5minutes,makingsurethecavoloneroissoftbeforeyouserve.

Serveinsoupbowlsandtopwiththechoppedparsleyandsomesaltandblackpepper.CAVOLONERO, ALSO KNOWS AS TUSCAN BLACK KALE, IS AMONG THEMOST ANTIOXIDANT-RICHFOODSONEARTH.

REDPEPPERSSTUFFEDWITHBULGHURWHEATANDPISTACHIOS

Ilikeallthecoloursinthisdish–themorecolours,themoreantioxidants,andthereforethe more nutritious for you. And this one’s a great option when you’re entertainingfriends,too!

8redpeppers


500mlvegetablestock

250gbulghurwheat




3portobellomushrooms

100gcherrytomatoes,cutintoquarters

2carrots,grated


100gpistachionuts,roughlychopped

Serves8

Preheat theoven to180°C/Gas4.Cut the topsoff thepeppers, scoopout the seedsandplacethepeppersinaroastingtin.Brushthemlightlywith1tablespoonofthecoconutoilandbakeinthepreheatedovenfor20minutes,oruntillightlybrowned.Leavetocool,butleavetheovenon.

Bringthevegetablestocktotheboilinasaucepanandaddthebulghurwheat.Reducetheheat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15–20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the remainingcoconutoilinalargefryingpanandfrytheonionfor5–7minutesuntiltranslucent.Addthe cumin and garlic and continue to fry for 2moreminutes.Add themushrooms andcookforafurther10–15minutes,oruntilsoft.

Oncethebulghurwheatiscookedandhasabsorbedallthestock,addittothefryingpan,alongwith the tomatoes, grated carrot and spinach, and cook for another 2–3minutes,stirring,untilthespinachissoft.

Fill the peppers with the bulghur mixture, then place them back in the roasting tin,standingup.Bakeforafurther10minutes, thenremovefromtheovenandseasonwith

saltandblackpepper.Topwiththechoppedpistachiosbeforeserving.PISTACHIOSCONTAINPHYTOCHEMICALSANDOTHERANTIOXIDANTS,SUCHASVITAMINEANDSELENIUMWHICHHELPTODESTROYTISSUE-DAMAGINGFREERADICALSWITHINTHEBODY.

BEETROOT,QUINOA,BLACKBEANANDFLAXSEEDBURGERS

Thinkyourregularall-beefburgerhasalotofproteininit?Well,thisveggiealternativeisaseriouscontendernotonlyfromthebeans,butfromthequinoa,too.Andthecolourfromthebeetrootmakesitafeastfortheeyes!

180mlwater

90gquinoa

200gtinnedblackbeans,drainedandrinsed

2cookedbeetroots

1shallot,finelychopped


Smallhandfuloffreshcoriander,chopped


Juiceof1lime

2tablespoonsoatflour(orgrindyourownfromrolledoats)

2tablespoonsgroundflaxseed



Toserve

6wholewheatbuns,toasted

Tahini

Driedchilliflakes,toseason

2avocados,peeled,pittedandsliced(optional)

Serves6

Putthe180mlwaterandquinoainasaucepan,bringtotheboil, thenreducetheheat tolowandsimmerfor15–20minutes,oruntilallthewaterhasbeenabsorbedandthequinoaistender.Leavetocool.

Oncethequinoahascooled,putitinafoodprocessorandaddtheblackbeans,beetroots,shallot,garlic,coriander,applecidervinegarandlimejuice.Blitzuntilsmooth.Transferthemixturetoalargebowlandstirintheoatflourandflaxseed.Seasontotaste.Dividethemixtureinto6equalportionsandflattenintofatdiscstocreateyourburgers.

Meltthecoconutoilinafryingpanoveramediumtohighheat.Cookeachburgerfor2–3minutesoneachside.

Serveontoastedwholewheatbunsspreadwithtahiniandsprinkledwithchilliflakes.Addslicedavocadoforarealtreat.FLAXSEEDGIVESYOUADOUBLE-WHAMMYOFFIBREBECAUSEITCONTAINSBOTHINSOLUBLEANDSOLUBLEFIBRE.

BROCCOLIANDSHIITAKESOBANOODLEBOWL

Soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, so they are an interesting alternative tothosemadefromwheatflour.Andasanaddedbonus,theyarealsoglutenfree(butchecktheingredientsonthepackagingtoensuretheyarenotmadefromamixtureofwheatandbuckwheat).IalwayshavesobanoodlesonhandsothatwhenIdon’thavealotoftimetocook,Icanwhipupthisbowlinaflashandfeelgoodaboutit.Foraheartiermeal,addcookedchicken,prawnsortofu.

250gsobanoodles

250gTenderstembroccoli


300gshiitakemushrooms,sliced

2tablespoonsmirin

2.5cmpieceoffreshginger,grated



4tablespoonstamari


2tablespoonssesameseeds

Dulseflakes,totaste

Serves4

Cookthenoodlesaccordingtothepacketinstructions.Oncecooked,putthenoodlesinalargebowl.

Steamorboilthebroccolifor3minutes,thenaddittothenoodlebowl.

Heat a frying pan over a medium to high heat and melt the coconut oil. Fry themushroomsforabout5–7minutesuntilsoft,thenaddtothenoodles.

Whisktogetherthemirin,ginger,garlic,chilliflakes,tamariandapplecidervinegarinasmallbowl.Pouritoverthenoodlesandstirtocoatthenoodles,broccoliandmushroomswith the dressing. Sprinklewith sesame seeds and dulse flakes and serve.Yes, it’s thatsimple!SOME SAY SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS HAVE BAGS MORE FLAVOUR THAN STANDARD WHITEMUSHROOMS.THEYCONTAIN65PERCENTCOPPER,WHICHISESSENTIALTOTHEHEALTHOFOURIMMUNESYSTEM,BLOODVESSELSANDNERVES.

ADZUKIANDQUINOATEX-MEXCASSEROLE

Growingup in theStates,we’re accustomed to tex-mexcuisine.Unfortunately,mostofthetex-mexrecipesareloadedwithfat,cheeseandcream.Sure,itmighttastegoodatthetime, but the aftermath is low energy and heaviness. This tex-mex-inspired casserolerecipetakesthefatandheavinessoutandputsthegoodnessandlightnessbackin.

1tablespooncoconutoil,plusalittleextraforbrushing



2jalapeños,deseededandchopped

240mlvegetablestock

2x400gtinsadzukibeans,drainedandrinsed

240mlwater

170gquinoa

2springonions,sliced

1teaspoonchillipowder



2redpeppers,deseededandchopped

2yellowpeppers,deseededandchopped


Largehandfuloffreshcoriander,chopped

Serves6

Heatthecoconutoilinafryingpanoveramediumtohighheatandaddthegarlic,onionandjalapeños.Cookforabout5minutes,oruntil theonionbecomes translucent.Stir inthevegetablestockandadzukibeans.Useaforktolightlymashthebeans,butleavesomewholetocreateachunkytexture.

Putthe240mlwaterinasmallsaucepanandbringtotheboil.Addthequinoa,bringbackto theboil, cover and simmer for about20minutesuntil thequinoa is cooked.Drain ifneeded.Oncecooked,stirinthespringonions,chillipowder,cuminandcayennepepper.Preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.

Brushacasserolewithalittlecoconutoilandspoontheblackbeanmixtureoverthebaseofthedish.Topwiththequinoaandthentheredandyellowpeppers.Coverwithfoiloralidandbakeinthepreheatedovenforabout20minutes.Takethefoilorlidoffandcookforafurther5minutesuntilthepeppersareslightlybrowned.Removefromtheovenand,whilestillhot,sprinklethenutritionalyeastandcorianderoverthetopbeforeserving.JUST A SMALL HANDFUL OF ADZUKI BEANS CONTAINS 100 PERCENT OF THE RDA FOR THETRACEMINERALMOLYBDENUM,WHICHAIDSLIVERDETOXIFICATION.

DOUBLE-SPROUTSUPERFOODBOWLS

Ifyou’re feelingabit low in energyandperhapshaven’tbeenexactlyhealthy recently,then this bowl is for you. It contains nutrient-packed fruit, veg andwholegrains to re-nourishyourbodywhenyouneedthatsuper-charge.

2largebeetroots,peeledandcutintochunks

1largesweetpotato,peeledandcutintochunks

100gBrusselssprouts,halved

1smallheadofcauliflower,cutintosmallflorets

3–4tablespoonscoconutoil,melted


35ggojiberries

480mlwater

190gbrownrice


4smallhandfulsofspinach

Largehandfulofalfalfasprouts

50gwalnuts,roughlychopped

1pear,grated


Forthedressing


Juiceof1lime


1garlicclove

1tablespoonrawhoney

¼teaspoongroundcumin

1tablespoontamari

2tablespoonswater

Largebakingtraylinedwithaluminiumfoil

Serves4

Preheat theovento200°C/Gas6.Coat thebeetroots,sweetpotato,Brusselssproutsandcauliflowerinthemeltedcoconutoilandseasonwiththecuminandsomesaltandblackpepper.Putthevegetablesonthepreparedbakingtrayandroastinthepreheatedovenfor30–40minutesuntiltenderandcooked.

Soakthegojiberriesinwaterfor10minutes,thendrainandsetaside.

Meanwhile, bring the 480mlwater to the boil in a saucepan, then add the brown rice.Reducetheheattolow,coverandsimmerfor45–60minutesuntilallthewaterhasbeenabsorbed.Oncecooked,leavethericetocool.

Putallthedressingingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzuntilsmooth.

Evenlydistributetherice,roastedvegetables,chickpeas,spinach,alfalfasprouts,walnuts,gratedpearandsoakedgojiberriesbetweenservingbowls.Drizzlethedressingoverthetopandtuckin!BRUSSELSSPROUTSAREACRUCIFEROUSVEGETABLERELATEDTOTHECABBAGE.SMALLBUTMIGHTY,AQUARTEROFTHEIRCALORIESCOMESFROMPROTEIN.

MUNGBEAN,SWEETPOTATOANDPOMEGRANATECASSEROLE

Ilikecookingwithmungbeansbecausetheyareparticularlyaffordablecomparedtootherbeans,andtheyareanutritionalpowerhousepackedwithvitaminsA,B,CandEaswellasmineralssuchaspotassium,magnesium,ironandcalcium.


1teaspoonfenugreekseeds

1teaspooncuminseeds


3cmpieceoffreshginger,grated

2largegreenchillies,sliced

2smallonions,diced

2redpeppers,deseededandchopped

2sweetpotatoes,cutintochunks

1teaspoongroundturmeric

250gmungbeans



3largetomatoes,cutintochunks

Juiceof1lime

Seedsfrom1pomegranate


Serves6

Heatthecoconutoilinalargesaucepan,thenaddthefenugreekandcuminseedsandcookforabout2minutesuntilyousmellthelovelyfragranceofthespices.

Addthegarlic,ginger,chillies,onionsandredpeppersandsautéfor5–7minutes.Tossinthesweetpotatoesandturmericandcookforabout2minutes.

Stir in themungbeansandvegetablestock.Bringto theboil, thensimmerforabout45minutes,oruntilthebeansarecooked.

Lastly,addthespinachandtomatoesandcookforabout7–10minutesuntilbotharesoft.

Squeezethelimejuiceoverthecasseroleandtopwiththepomegranateseeds.Seasonwithsomesaltandblackpepperandserve.

Mung beans are a good source of isoflavones, which are a class of phytoestrogen thathelpstoregulatehormonalactivity.MUNG BEANS ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF ISOFLAVONES, WHICH ARE A CLASS OFPHYTOESTROGENTHATHELPSTOREGULATEHORMONALACTIVITY.

SWEETRHUBARB,APRICOTANDQUINOASTEW

Whenrhubarb is inseason,well– it’sdelicious!Andrhubarbdoesn’thave tobeput injustpuddingsandcakeseither. Itcanbeused inmainmeals, too. Iparticularly like thisdishwhen I’mcravingsomethingsweet.Squash isawonderful sweetvegetable tohelpcurbthosesugarcravings,andcombinethatwiththeapricotsandhoneyandyou’vegotonehealthysugarfix!

1tablespooncuminseeds

1tablespooncardamompods


1largeonion,finelychopped



5sticksofrhubarb,sliced

1smallbutternutsquash,cutinto2–3cmcubes(noneedtopeel)

15–20driedapricots

200gquinoa

900mlwater


Handfuloffreshflat-leafparsley,chopped,togarnish


Serves6

Grind the spices with a pestle and mortar to release the fragrance, then pick out thecardamomshells.Heatthecoconutoilinalargesaucepanorfryingpan.Whenmelted,stirinthegroundspicesandcookforabout5minutes.Addtheonion,garlicandgingerandstirintothespicesforabout2minutes.Addtherhubarb,butternutsquashandapricotsandmixwell.

Add the quinoa and 900mlwater, cover and simmer for about 25minutes, or until thequinoaiscookedandthesquashissoft.Seasonwithsomesaltandblackpepperandstirinthehoney.Topwiththeparsleybeforeserving,anddigin.ONESERVINGOFCOOKEDRHUBARBCONTAINSJUSTASMUCHCALCIUMASONESERVINGOFMILK.

CASHEWANDCORNSOUPWITHBROCCOLIALMONDPURÉE

As odd as might sound to have a nut-based soup, it is delicious, creamy and totallyrefuelling.Plus, I love that italso includessomeall-importantgreens in theformof thebroccolipurée.Makingabigbatchofitisenoughtorefuelmeatlunchtimeandfillupallfourkidsintheevening.


2onions,chopped

4largegarliccloves,chopped

1teaspoonsgroundturmeric

1teaspoonpaprika


170gcashews,soakedinwaterfor4–5hours

500gsweetcorn

2litresvegetablestock


Forthebroccolialmondpurée

2smallheadsofbroccoli,cutintoflorets

60mlalmondmilk,plusextraifneeded


Serves6–8

Forthepurée,bringalargesaucepanofwatertotheboilandblanchthebroccolifor2–3minutes.Strain thewater from thebroccoli and run coolwaterover the florets.Put theblanchedbroccoli,almondmilkandoliveoilinablenderorfoodprocessorandblitzuntilsmooth.Addmorealmondmilkasneeded.Puttooneside.

Heatalargesouppotoveramediumheatandmeltthecoconutoil.Addtheonionsandgarlicandfryfor5minutes.Addtheturmeric,paprikaandcumin,stirringwelltocoattheonionandgarlic.Addthesoakedcashews,sweetcornandvegetablestockandbringtotheboil,thenreducetheheattolowandsimmerfor1hour.

Use a hand-held blender (or a blender or food processor) to blend the soup until it issmooth,thenseasontotaste.Pourintobowlsandgarnishwiththebroccolialmondpurée.CHOLESTEROL-FREE CASHEWS ARE PARTICULARLY RICH IN MAGNESIUM,WHICH, JUST LIKECALCIUM,ISNECESSARYFORSTRONGBONES.

BULGHUR-WHEATANDNORISUSHIWITHCREAMYWASABIDIPPINGSAUCE

Remember, white rice has a lot of its nutritional profile stripped away, so wheneverpossible,I trytosubstitutewhitericewithanywholegrain.Ifyouwouldprefer touseagluten-freegrainforthisrecipe,thenquinoaisagreatalternative,too.

200gbulghurwheat

400mlwater

4norisheets

2babygemlettuces

1smallcucumber,slicedinto5cm-longmatchsticks

4radishes,thinlysliced

1carrot,grated

1largeavocado,peeled,pittedandthinlysliced

Toastedsesameseeds,forsprinkling

Seasalt,totaste

Forthecreamywasabidippingsauce

½teaspoonwasabipowder

1½tablespoonsbrownricevinegar

1½tablespoonstamari

1½tablespoonstahini

½teaspoonseasalt

Sushimat

Serves4–6

Put the bulghurwheat in a saucepan and add the 400mlwater. Bring to the boil, thenreduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15–20 minutes until all the water has beenabsorbedandthebulghuristender.Transfertoabowlandleavetocool.

Placeanorisheet,mattsideup,onasushimat.Usingwethands,spreadaquarterofthebulghurwheat over the nori sheet in a thin, even layer, butmake sure to leave a 5cmborderatthetop.

Arrangeaquarterofthevegetableslengthways,startingwiththebabygemlettuce,acrossthecentreof thebulghurwheatandsprinklewithsesameseeds.Pickuptheedgeof thematclosesttoyouandstarttorollitawayfromyouwhileholdingontothefilling.Pullthematgentlywhilerolling,inordertogetafirmroll.Keeprollinguntilyouhaveaniceneat,tight roll. Use a wet and very sharp knife to neatly cut the nori roll into pieces, thenarrangeonaplatter.Repeatwiththeremainingnorisheetsandvegetables.

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and serve with the sushi fordipping.BY EATING 2 SHEETS OF NORI SEAWEED, YOU GET AS MUCH IRON AS YOU WOULD FROM

DRINKING1GLASSOFMILKOREATING1EGG.

MACADAMIAPESTOONWHOLEGRAINPASTA

Homemadepesto is sodelicious!My13-year-old son, Jack, is obsessedwithpesto andwouldbevery,veryhappyifhecouldhaveiteverynightforsupper!So,thistwistonthesameoldbasil,pinenutandoliveoilcombinationbroughtahugesmiletohisfaceandIthinkitwillbringonetoyours,too.

500gwholegrainpasta

Forthepesto

2largehandfulsoffreshbasil,leavesonly

100gmacadamianuts

1tablespoonnutritionalyeast

1garlicclove

100mloliveoil

Largehandfuloffreshflat-leafparsley,leavesonly

Serves4

Putallthepestoingredientsinafoodprocessorandwhizztogetheruntilyouachievetheconsistencyofyourchoice.

Cook thewholewheat pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente. Stir thepestothroughandserveimmediately.ALTHOUGH THEY ARE ONE OF THE MOST CALORIFIC NUTS, MACADAMIAS CONTAIN THEHIGHESTAMOUNTOFHEART-HEALTHYMONOUNSATURATEDFATPERSERVING,WHICHHELPSTOLOWERBAD‘LDL’CHOLESTEROL.

KALE,FIGANDWALNUTRISOTTO

IcreatedthisrecipebecauseIgotboredofmushroomrisotto.Makeitona‘datenight’ordoubleandtripleitforadinnerparty.(Seephotograph)


1onion,chopped


170gbuckwheatgroats

500mlvegetablestock,plusextraifneeded

100gwalnuts


2largehandfulsofkale,stemsremovedandroughlychopped

5figs,quartered

Serves2

Meltthecoconutoilalargesaucepanoveramediumheatandfrytheonionandgarlicfor5minutes,oruntiltheonionistranslucent.Addthebuckwheatandsautéforacoupleofminutesuntilwell coated, stirring.Add the stock andbring to theboil, then reduce theheatandsimmerfor25–30minutes.Addmorestockiflookingdry.

Dryroastthewalnutsinasmallpanforafewminutesoveramediumheat.

Addtheyeast,kaleandtoastedwalnutstothecookedbuckwheatmixtureandstir.Garnishwiththefigsandserve.HIGH-FIBREFIGSACTASANATURALLAXATIVEANDHELPTONOURISHTHEINTESTINES.

THAICOCONUTNOODLEBOWLWITHPAKCHOIANDMUSHROOMS

Asianfoodiscookedwithfantasticallyaromaticflavours.Althoughthereistraditionallyaheavy emphasis on fish andmeat, you can create an amazing Thai dish, like this one,withoutusingany.However,feelfreetoaddinsomeprawnsorcookedchickenifyoufeeltheneed.

2x400mltinscoconutmilk

240mlvegetablestock

1tablespoondriedcoriander

6lemongrassstalks

1largeonion,thinlysliced

2–3garliccloves,crushed

1tablespoonshreddedkaffirlimeleaves,plusextratogarnish(optional)

50gcoconutpalmsugar

Largehandfulofportabellinimushrooms,sliced

3tablespoonstamari

Juiceof2limes

Juiceof1lemon

100gpakchoi,roughlychopped

50gthinriceorsobanoodles

1redchilli,sliced,togarnish

Freshcoriander,togarnish

Serves4

Pour the coconut milk and stock into a large saucepan and stir in the dried coriander,lemongrass,onion,garlic,kaffirlimeleavesandcoconutpalmsugar.Bringthecontentsofthe pan to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a cleansaucepananddiscardtheingredientsleftinthesieve.

Addtheslicedmushrooms, tamari, limeandlemonjuice,pakchoiandricenoodlesandbringtoasimmeragain.After3–4minutes,yoursoupisready.

Serveinsoupbowlsandgarnishwithfreshcorianderleaves,redchilliandmaybesomemorechoppedkaffirlimeleaves.PAK CHOI IS A TYPE OF CHINESE CABBAGE THAT IS EXTREMELY LOW IN CALORIES, HASHARDLYATRACEOFFAT,YETDELIVERSALMOSTALLTHEESSENTIALVITAMINSANDMINERALS.

SPICYTOFUCURRYWITHCOCONUTANDCARDAMOM

Althoughthisrecipewasoriginallyintendedtohaveprawnsinit,I’veusedtofuinstead,but you can, of course, add whichever you would prefer – they’re both extremelysatisfying.


2onions,finelychopped



¼teaspoongroundcardamom

2teaspoonsgroundcoriander


2teaspoonschillipowder

450gfirmtofu,cutintosmallchunks

100g(block)coconutcream

475mlboilingwater

Limejuice,totaste


Brownriceorsobanoodles,toserve

Serves4

Meltthecoconutoilinalargefryingpanoveramediumheat.Addtheonionandgingerand fry for 2–3minutes.While continuing to fry, add the cumin, cardamom, coriander,turmericandchillipowder.Stirthecontentsofthepanwell,thenaddthetofu.Reducetheheattolowandleavetocookgentlywhileyoucreatethecoconutmilk.

Mixtheblockofcoconutcreamwiththe475mlboilingwaterinajug.Stirwell,thenpourthisintothefryingpan.Turntheheatbackuptoamediumandalloweverythingtocooktogetherfor5–10minutes.Squeezeoverthelimejuiceandseasontotaste.

Serveoverbrownriceorsobanoodles–bothareequallydelicious!

Thisisthekindofmealyouneedwhenyou’repoorlyandyourbodycravesstrongflavoursaccompaniedbysustainingriceornoodles.CARDAMOMISFANTASTICFORINDIGESTIONANDHEARTBURNRELIEF.YOUCANEVENCHEWA

FEWSEEDSTOHELPASWELL!

REDVELVETLENTILSONBROWNRICE

My10-year-oldson,William,callsthisdishhis‘favouritemealinthewholewideworld’andhecanactuallypolishitoffinnotime,andthengoontosecondsandeventhirdsifthere’sanyleft!


1½teaspoonsblackmustardseeds

1½teaspoonscuminseeds

1onion,chopped

2.5cmpieceoffreshginger,grated



1x400gtinchoppedtomatoes

400gredlentils

2litresvegetablestock

1cinnamonstick

480mlwater

190gbrownrice

Juiceof1lime

1tablespoonrawhoney

Smallhandfuloffreshcoriander,chopped,togarnish

Serves4

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over amediumheat and add themustard andcuminseeds.Fryuntiltheseedsbegintopop,thenquicklyaddtheonion,ginger,turmericandcumin.Continuetosautéforafurther2–3minutes, thenaddthechoppedtomatoes.Cookfor2minutes,thenaddthelentils,vegetablestockandcinnamonstick.Bringtotheboil,thenlowertheheat,coverandsimmerforagood30minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the water to the boil in another saucepan and add the brown rice.Reducetheheat,coverandsimmerfor45–60minutes,untilthericeistender.

After30minutes,thelentilsshouldbetender.Removethecinnamonstickandstirinthelimejuiceandhoney.

Spoon the rice into serving bowls and top with the lentil mixture. Garnish with the

corianderandserve.OUTOFALLLEGUMESANDNUTS,LENTILSCONTAINTHETHIRDHIGHESTAMOUNTOFPROTEIN.

MUSHROOM,BROCCOLIANDCOCONUTCURRY

Everyonelovesacurryandthisisatwistontheclassicveggievariety.I’veincludedthedarkgreenleafyveg–broccoli,spinachANDkale–thatweideallywanttohaveeveryday, as well as some mushrooms and tomatoes, which provide a different texture andcolourtothedish.


1teaspooncuminseeds

1onion,chopped

2garliccloves,finelychopped


2redchillies,finelychopped



1teaspooncurrypowder

250gbuttonmushrooms,sliced

1headofbroccoli,cutintoflorets

4largetomatoes,finelychopped

1x400mltincoconutmilk

400mlwater


2largehandfulsofkale,roughlytornandstemsremoved

Handfuloffreshcoriander,chopped,togarnish

50gtoastedalmonds,roughlychopped,togarnish


Brownriceorsobanoodles,toserve

Serves4

Meltthecoconutoilinalargesaucepanoveramediumheatandaddthecuminseeds.Fryuntil the seeds begin to pop and become fragrant, then quickly add the onion, garlic,gingerandredchilliesandfryfor1–2minutes.

Addallthegroundspicesandcookfor5–7minutes,oruntiltheonionistranslucent.Addthemushrooms,broccoli,tomatoes,coconutmilkand400mlwaterandcookforafurther10–15minutesuntilthemushroomsaresoft.

Gentlystirinthespinachandkaleandallowtowilt.

Serveoverbrownriceorsobanoodlesandgarnishwiththechoppedcorianderandtoastedalmonds.BROCCOLISTANDSOUTFROMALLTHECRUCIFEROUSVEGETABLESASHAVINGTHEHIGHESTCONCENTRATIONOFVITAMINC.

BUTTERNUTSQUASHANDCHILLISOUPWITHSPELT

Here’sagreatrecipeifyou’relookingforamealtocheeryouuponacoldday.Notonlywill the warming soup feel good in your body, your body will welcome the fantasticnutritioninthissoup,too!


2onions,chopped

2–3garliccloves,crushed


½teaspoondriedchilliflakes

1teaspoongroundcinnamon

1kgbutternutsquash,peeledandcutintochunks(reservingtheseeds)


175gpearledspelt

Handfuloffreshcoriander,chopped,togarnish

Serves3–4

Meltthecoconutoilinalargesaucepanoveramediumheatandaddthechoppedonions.Fryfor2–3minutes,thenaddthegarlic,turmeric,chilliflakesandcinnamon.Stirtocoattheonionandgarlicwiththespicesforafewminutes.

Addthebutternutsquash,stiragain,thenaddthevegetablestockandspelt.Bringtotheboil,thenreducetheheatandsimmerfor30minutes.

Meanwhile,preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.Putthereservedbutternutsquashseedsonabakingtrayandtoastinthepreheatedovenfor10minutes.Oncetoasted,puttooneside.

Whenthespeltandsquasharecookedthrough,useahand-heldblender(orablenderorfoodprocessor)towhizzuntilthesoupispuréedbutstillabitchunky.Garnishwithfreshcorianderandthetoastedsquashseedstoserve.CHILLIFLAKESCANHELPBOOSTYOURMETABOLISMANDDECREASEHUNGER.

SIDES

Ilovesidedishes,andInevergotoarestaurantwithoutorderingatleasttwo.AndImakesuretoalwayshaveanutritionalpowerhouseofasideathome.Itcanbeassimpleassteamedspinach,butIalwaystrytogetitin.It’sespeciallyimportant, ifyouarehavingmeatasyourmaindish, toaccompanyitwithanutritious side inorder to fight the free radicals that form in thebodywheneatingmeat. Stocking up on some of the dishes in this chapterwill help toeradicatethosefreeradicals,onceandforall.

THREETYPESOFHUMMOUS

Ilovehummous,butitdoesn’talwayshavetobemadethesameol’way!Yes,chickpeasarewonderful,butifyouwanttospiceitupabitanddosomethingdifferent,thenwhipupthesethreevariationsforsomethingthat’syummyand,ofcourse,healthy.Dunkanyrawveggies intoyourhummousor spread it over apieceofwholegrainbread– I love rye!And, if youwant tomake it evenmore interesting, topwith red pepper strips or blackolives.Youcanalsotryspreadingyourhummousoverapieceofgrilledchickentojazzitup.AVOCADOHUMMOUS

1x400gtinchickpeas,drained

2ripeavocados,peeled,pittedandchopped

Juiceof1lime

Juiceof1lemon

Largehandfuloffreshcoriander



2tablespoonstahini

1teaspoonseasalt

GREENPEAHUMMOUS

500gpeas(orfrozenarefine)

Juiceof2lemons


1tablespoonoliveoil


2tablespoonstahini



1teaspoonseasalt

SMOKEDPAPRIKAHUMMOUS

1x400gtinchickpeas,drained


Juiceof½lemon

2teaspoonssmokedpaprika


2tablespoonstahini



1teaspoonseasalt

Allserve4

Ifusingchickpeasinanyoftheserecipes,rinsethemwellinwaterfirst.

Tomakeanyof the threevariations, throwall the ingredients intoa foodprocessorandwhizzuntilsmooth.Servewithfresh,colourfulcrudités.TAHINIISONEOFTHEBESTSOURCESOFCALCIUMOUTTHERE,ANDISAHIGHERSOURCEOFPROTEINTHANMOSTNUTS!

BLACKRICE,KALE,SEEDANDREDGRAPEPILAF

Youcanmakethisrecipewithanywholegrainthatyouhavetohandinyourpantry,suchas brown rice, quinoa, bulghur wheat, etc. However, I love the stunning colour of theblackricewiththedarkgreenkaleandredgrapes.It’saveryprettysidedish!Itmarrieswellwithasimplepieceofsteamedfish,or tryitwithmyCashewandCornSoupwithBroccoliAlmondPurée.


380gblackrice


1onion,chopped



1½teaspoonspaprika

½teaspoongroundturmeric


2largehandfulsofkale,roughlychoppedandstemsremoved

200gredseedlessgrapes,halved

55gsunflowerseeds


Serves4–6

Bringthevegetablestocktotheboil,thenaddtheblackrice.Reducetheheattolow,thencoverandsimmerfor45–60minutesuntiltender.

Meanwhile,melt the coconut oil in a large fryingpanover amediumheat and add theonionandgarlic.Fryfor5–7minutes,oruntiltheonionistranslucent.

Add the cumin, paprika, turmeric and apple cider vinegar to the onions and garlic,combineandstirfor1–2minutes.Addthekaleandstirthrough.Oncethekaleissoftandtheliquidhasbeenabsorbed,removethepanfromtheheat.

Mixthemushroomandkalemixturewiththecookedrice,grapesandsunflowerseedsinalargebowl.Seasonwithsaltandpepper,tosswellandserve.RED GRAPES ARE FULL OF VITAMIN K, WHICH IS A FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMIN STORED IN OURBODY’SFATTISSUEANDLIVER.ITPLAYSAKEYROLEINBLOODCLOTTING.

WARMMILLET,BEETROOTANDBROCCOLISALAD

Milletisanothergluten-freegrainthatisoftenoverlooked.It’sbeenaroundforcenturies,butnotuntil recentlyhas itstarted togainpopularityasanutritiousbutalsogluten-freealternative to wheat. This tasty salad goes perfectly withmyMushroom, Broccoli andCoconutCurry,orwithsalmon.(Seephotograph)

2mediumbeetroots,peeledandcutintochunks

1headofbroccoli,cutintoflorets

1tablespooncoconutoil,melted

2tablespoonstamari


200gtinnedblackbeans,drainedandrinsed

480mlvegetablestock

200gmillet

35gpumpkinorsunflowerseeds


Forthedressing

2tablespoonstamari

1tablespoontahini

1tablespoonrawhoney


Squeezeoflemonjuice


Serves4

Preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.Putthebeetrootsandbroccolionabakingtrayandcoatwiththemeltedcoconutoil, tamariandcumin.Addsomesaltandblackpeppertotaste,thenroastinthepreheatedovenfor20minutes.

Removethetrayfromtheoven,addtheblackbeansandreturntotheovenforanother10minutes.

Meanwhile,bring thevegetable stock to theboil, thenadd themillet.Bringback to the

boil,reducetheheattolowandcoverandsimmerfor25–30minutesuntilthewaterhasbeenabsorbedandthemilletistender.

Transfer thecookedmillet toa largebowlandmix in theroastedbroccoli,beetrootandblackbeans.

Combineallthedressingingredientsinabowlandwhisktogether.Coatthesaladwiththedressingandtopwithpumpkinorsunflowerseeds.NOTONLYISMILLETALKALINEANDEASILYDIGESTIBLE,BUTITCONTAINSSERATONIN,WHICHHELPSYOURMOOD.

GINGERANDUMEBOSHIAUBERGINESWITHMANGO

TheideaforthisinterestingcombinationcametomeasIwasstaringblanklyattheinsideofmyfridgewithnotawholelotofchoice!It’sanincrediblydeliciousaccompanimenttomy Broccoli and Mushroom Soba Noodle Bowl, or in fact any lamb dish. (Seephotograph)

500gaubergines

About5tablespoonscoconutoil

2smallonions,chopped


1redchilli,finelychopped

2cmpieceoffreshginger,peeledandgrated

¾teaspoongroundcinnamon

Pinchofgroundnutmeg

2tablespoonsumeboshipaste

2teaspoonscoconutpalmsugar

75mlwater

2smallmangoes,peeled,pittedandchopped

Seasalt

Serves4

Cut theaubergines into1.5cm-thickslicesandplace theminaglassdish.Sprinklewithseasaltandleavethemtositandsweatfor30minutes.Towardstheendofthistime,melt2tablespoonsofthecoconutoilinalargefryingpanoveramediumheat.Addtheonions,garlic,chilliandgingerandfryfor5–7minutes.Addthecinnamonandnutmegandfryforanadditional2minutes.

Usingacleanteatowelorsomekitchenroll,wipethesaltedauberginesuntiltheyaredry.Melt3tablespoonsofthecoconutoilinanotherfryingpanoveramediumheat,thenfrytheauberginesforabout10minutesuntiltheyaregoldenonbothsides.Addmorecoconutoil ifneeded.Turntheovenonto its lowestsetting,put theaubergines inabakingdishandplaceintheoventokeepwarm.

Reheattheonionmixtureoveramediumheat,thenaddtheumeboshipaste,coconutpalmsugarand75mlwater.Stirwellandleavethemixturetosimmerfor5minutes.Transferthe mixture to a blender or food processor, add the mango and whizz until smooth.

Arrange theauberginesonaplatteranddrizzle theumeboshiandmangosauceover thetop.AUBERGINESARERICHINANANTIOXIDANTCALLEDCHLOROGENICACID,ADEPTATFIGHTINGFREERADICALS.

COCONUT,CORNANDHAZELNUTSALAD

IgrewupinIllinois,soIwassurroundedbycornfieldsthroughoutmychildhood.Inthissalad,Iusecornfreshfromthecob,asnothingtastesbetter.However,ifyouareinarealrush, it’s fine to use tinned corn.This Illinois-style side dish is very tastywith burgersduring those barbecuemonths. Or try it withmy Sweet Rhubarb, Apricot and QuinoaStew.


4earsofcorn,shucked

1smallredonion,thinlysliced

40gcoconutflakes

75ghazelnuts,toasted

75gsultanas


Juiceof2limes


Serves4

Meltthecoconutoilinalargefryingpanoveramediumheat.Addthecorn,redonionandcoconut flakes and stir to coatwellwith theoil.Cook for 5minutes, then transfer to aservingbowl.

Addthetoastedhazelnuts,sultanas,parsleyandlimejuice.Stirwellandseasonwithsaltandblackpepper.CORN IS PACKEDWITH LUTEIN AND ZEAXANTHINWHICH ARE TWO PHYTOCHEMICALS THATHELPPROMOTEHEALTHYVISION.

CABBAGE,CARROTANDFLAXSEEDCOLESLAW

Therearesomanywaystomakecoleslaw,andoftentheshop-boughtonesareextremelyfatty.Makingityourselfisagreatwaytoensurethatitstayshealthy.Althoughcoleslawistraditionallyservedwithmeatdishes,it’salsogreattohavewithpizzaorpasta.Pairthislovely, light slawwith somechickenor lambkebabs,orwithmyKale,FigandWalnutRisotto.

1smallsavoycabbage

1smallpurplecabbage

Largehandfulofmangetout

2carrots,grated

2smallredonions,thinlysliced

2tablespoonsflaxseeds

Forthedressing



Largehandfuloffreshdill

1tablespoonDijonmustard


Juiceof1lemon

Serves4–6

Thinlyslicebothofthecabbagesandthemangetout.Putinalargebowlwiththegratedcarrotandredonionsandmixwell.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pouroverthecoleslawandmixwell.Sprinklewiththeflaxseeds.CABBAGECONTAINSANABUNDANCEOFVITAMINC.INFACT,IT’SRICHERINTHISVITAMINTHANORANGESARE.VITAMINCISONEOFTHEBESTANTIOXIDANTSTOREDUCEFREERADICALSINTHEBODY.

QUINOAANDSAUTÉEDREDCABBAGEWITHORANGES

Youcan’t logon toahealthfoodwebsitewithoutreadingabout thebenefitsofquinoa–it’severywhere!However,youmightnotbesofamiliarwiththebenefitsofredcabbage.This variety of cabbage actually contains a great deal more phytonutrients than greencabbage… so eat up! This dish is perfect as a Sunday lunch accompaniment to roastchicken, or try itwithmyMungBean, Sweet Potato and Pomegranate Casserole for aplant-basedSundaylunch.


400gmixedredandwhitequinoa

2bayleaves


½tablespoonblackmustardseeds

1tablespoonfennelseeds

2onions,chopped


½redcabbage,thinlysliced


4oranges



Serves4–6

Bring the vegetable stock to the boil in a large saucepan and add the quinoa and bayleaves.Reduce the heat to lowand simmer for 20–25minutes until thewater has beenabsorbedandthequinoaistender.

Meltthecoconutoilinafryingpanandfrytheblackmustardseedswiththefennelseeds.After 3minutes, add the onions and garlic and fry for 5–7minutes until the onion hassoftened. Add the cabbage and apple cider vinegar and continue to fry for another 5minutes.

Meanwhile,juice3oftheorangesandsegmentthelastone.Strainthejuiceintothepanwiththeredcabbage.Stirwellandseasonwithsaltandpepper.

Put thequinoa ina largebowland topwith thecabbage,orangesegmentsandchoppedparsley.REDCABBAGE HAS A HIGH CONTENT OF ANTHOCYANINS, A TYPE OF FLAVONOID THAT HASBEENLINKEDTOCANCERPREVENTION.

ULTIMATESUPERFOODSALADWITHHEMPANDBLUEBERRIES

Herewehaveasuper-serioussaladwithasuper-seriousdressing. Ialwayswant tostartmyweekoutontherightfoot,andthissaladeatenonMondayalwayshelpsmetostayfocusedwithwhat I’m putting inmy body during the rest of theweek. It is especiallygoodwithasteakorsimplegrilledpieceofmeat,orpairitwithmyMacadamiaPestoonWholegrainPasta.

4largehandfulsofbabyspinach

1headofbroccoli,cutintosmallflorets

1cookedbeetroot,thinlysliced

1carrot,grated

1avocado,peeled,pittedandsliced

Smallhandfuloffreshmint,roughlychopped

Largehandfulofblueberries

1tablespoonflaxseeds

1tablespoonchiaseeds

1tablespoonhempseeds

Optional:formoreOmegamadness,addasmallhandfulofpumpkinandsunflowerseedstoo!

Fortheblueberrydressing

Largehandfulofblueberries

Juiceof1lime


1tablespoonrawhoney

1tablespoonoliveoil


Serves4

Lightlytossthespinach,broccoli,beetroot,carrot,avocado,mintandblueberriestogetherinabowl.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and whizz untilsmooth.Drizzlethedressingoverthesalad,thensprinkleoveralltheseeds.Seasonwithsaltandblackpepperandserve.HEMP SEEDS BREATHE LIFE INTO ANY DISH. THEY ARE AN EXPLOSION OF OMEGA-6 ANDOMEGA-3FATTYACIDSTOAIDINHEALTHYHEARTANDBRAINFUNCTION.

TENDERSTEMBROCCOLI,SUN-DRIEDTOMATO,GARLICANDWALNUTSALAD

If youhaven’t pickedupon it yet, I’mobsessedwithdarkgreen, leafyvegetables, andfindingsomethingdifferenttodowiththemissuper-fun.ThisrecipecametomeasIwasstaringatmybroccolioneday,tryingtothinkofanewwaytoprepareit.Italsomakesagreatportablelunch.Getthisgreensideinwithasteakor,fortheall-veggieoption,tryitwithmyButternutSquashandChilliSoupwithSpelt.


6garliccloves,thinlysliced

2largebunchesofTenderstembroccoli

110gsun-driedtomatoes,drained(orifnotfromajar,soakinwaterfor10minutesanddrain)

2teaspoonsdriedchilliflakes

100gwalnuts,roughlychopped


Serves4–6

Meltthecoconutoilinalargefryingpanoveramediumheat,addthegarlicandfryfor30seconds.Becarefulthatthegarlicdoesn’tbegintogobrown.

Addthebroccoliandsautéfor2minutesbeforeaddingthesun-driedtomatoes.Sprinklethe chilli flakes over the broccoli and lower the heat slightly. Continue to sauté for anadditional3minutes,thentransfertoabowl.

Inaseparatedrypan, toast thewalnuts for just1–2minutesso that theybrowneversoslightly.Combinewiththebroccoli,seasonwithsaltandpepperandserveimmediately.INTHEWINTER,GARLIC ISAGREATFOODFORBOOSTINGYOUR IMMUNESYSTEMTOFIGHTOFFCOLDSANDFLU.

MIXEDBEAN,AVOCADOANDCLEMENTINESALADWITHTAHINIDRESSING

TahiniisoneofmyfavouriteingredientstousewhenI’mmakingadressing.Itprovidesacreamytextureandsweet,nuttyflavourandisgreatoveranyroastedvegetablesorsalad.This protein-packed side dish goes perfectly with an oily fish like tuna, salmon ormackerel, or with my Red Peppers Stuffed with Bulghur Wheat and Pistachios. (Seephotograph)

Forthebeansalad

1x400gtinmixedbeans,drainedandrinsed

100ggreenbeans,cooked

2handfulsofflakedalmonds,lightlytoasted

1headofromainelettuce,chopped

1largeavocado,peeled,pittedandsliced

2clementines,peeledandsegmented

1yellowpepper,chopped

Largehandfuloffreshcoriander,chopped

Forthetahinidressing

2tablespoonstahini


2tablespoonstamari


1tablespoonrawhoney

Serves4

Forthesalad,simplycombinealltheingredientsinalargebowl.

Thedressingisjustaseasy!Combineallthedressingingredientsinasmallmixingbowlandwhisk together by hand. Pour the dressing over the bean salad and tosswell, thenserve.GREENBEANSCONTAINEXCELLENTLEVELSOFVITAMINA,WHICHISKNOWNTOHELPCOMBATWRINKLES,FINELINESANDAGESPOTS.

POMEGRANATE,CUCUMBERANDTOMATOSALAD

Thisisabrilliantlyeasyrecipethatyoucanwhipupinnotime.It’scompletelyraw,whichmeansthatallthecrucialenzymesthatweneedarekeptintactandgreatlyappreciatedbyourbodies.Topsomesteamedfishwiththissaladforsometextureandyumminess,oruseitasasalsaandpairitwithmyAdzukiandQuinoaTex-MexCasserole.

1largepomegranate

1smallcucumber,chopped

4largetomatoes,cutintochunks

1hotredchilli,deseededandthinlysliced

1redpepper,chopped

Largehandfuloffreshmint,roughlychopped


Juiceof1lime

Drizzleofoliveoil

Serves4

Cut the pomegranate in half andget your fingers in there to prise all of the seeds free.Ensurethatyoupullawayanddiscardallthepithasyougo.

Mixthecucumber,tomato,chilli,redpepper,mintandcoriandertogetherinabowl.Addthepomegranateseeds, thenadd the juiceof the limeandadrizzleofoliveoiland tosseverythingtogether.Yes,it’sthatsimpleandit’ssuper-yummy.

Thissostraightforward;theonlythinglikelytotaketimeisgettingtheseedsoutofthepomegranate!Whenyou’vecutitinhalf,hitthefruitwithautensiltodislodgetheseeds.CUCUMBERSARE95PERCENTWATER,WHICHHELPSTOKEEPOURBODIESHYDRATEDWHILEATTHESAMETIMEELIMINATINGTOXINS.

BEETROOT,CELERIACANDFIGSALAD

WhenI’mcravingsomethingthat’shealthyandlighttosatisfymytastebuds,sometimesIfind thatamundanesaladdoesn’tcut it.Keeping things interesting in thekitchen is thekeytostickingtoahealthydietandthisisthekindofsaladthatwillhelpyoudojustthat.Thisisanothergoodsidetoservewithsteamedfish–seabassorbreamareperfect.Or,tokeepitplant-basedandcolourful,serveitwithmyThaiCoconutNoodleBowlwithPakChoiandMushrooms.Itisanabsolutelystunningsaladinbothappearanceandflavour!

3largebeetroots,peeledandcutintochunks

½celeriac,trimmedandcutintochunks

Largehandfuloffreshflat-leafparsley,roughlychopped


5figs,quartered


Forthelimedressing

Juiceandzestof1lime

3cmpieceoffreshginger,peeledandminced

¼teaspoongroundcumin

¼teaspoongroundcinnamon



Serves4

Fillalargesaucepanwithabout2cmwaterandheatoveramediumheat.Addthebeetrootandcookforabout20minutes.Drainandputinalargebowl.

Addanother2cmwatertotheemptypanandheatoveramediumheat.Addtheceleriacandcookforabout15minutes.Drainandleavetocoolinaseparatebowl.

Oncethebeetrootandceleriachavecooled,addtheparsley,corianderandfigstothelargebowl,alongwiththeceleriac.

Whisktogetherallthedressingingredientsinasmallbowl.Drizzleoverthebeetrootandceleriacsaladandseasonwithsaltandpepperbeforeserving.BEETROOT IS FANTASTIC FOR INCREASING YOUR STAMINA AND HELPING YOUR MUSCLESWORKHARDERFORLONGER.

ASPARAGUS,BROCCOLIANDCORIANDERSALADWITHWALNUTS

I liketochopupmyasparagustomakeamoremanageablesalad,butyoucankeeptheasparagusspearswholeifyou’reaftersomethingmoreelegant.ServethiswithsausagesormyRedVelvetLentilsonBrownRice.


12spearsofasparagus,slicedinto2cmlengths

½headofbroccoli,cutintosmallflorets

55gwalnuts,chopped

90gblackolives

Handfuloffreshcoriander,chopped

Gratedzestandjuiceof

1lemon


Seasalt

Serves4

Meltthecoconutoilinalargefryingpanoveramediumtohighheat.Addtheasparagusand broccoli florets with a pinch of sea salt. Coat the asparagus and broccoli with thecoconutoil,coverthepanwithalidandcookfor2minutes.Removethevegetablesfromthepanandplacetheminalargebowl.Addthewalnuts,olivesandcoriandertothebowl.

Combinethelemonjuiceandzestwiththeshallotsinasmallbowlandwhiskwell.Pourthedressingoverthesaladandserve.ASPARAGUSISAWONDERFULSOURCEOFVITAMINB6,CALCIUM,ZINCANDMAGNESIUM.

PAPRIKAPARSNIPANDSWEETPOTATOCHIPS

Ahealthierversionofthetypicalchips.Notonlyareparsnipsandsweetpotatoespackedwith goodness, but baking chips in coconut oil rather than frying them in refinedoil ismuchbetterforyourheartandyourhealth!ThesechipsaresooooogoodwithbeefburgersorwithmyBeetroot,Quinoa,BlackBeanandFlaxseedBurgers.

3largesweetpotatoes,cutinto7cmbatons

3largeparsnips,cutinto7cmbatons

1largegarlicclove,crushed


2teaspoonspaprika


Serves4–6


Combine all the ingredients in a bowl andmix together so that the parsnips and sweetpotatoesarecompletelycoated.

Spreadthechipsoutinasinglelayeronabakingtray.Roastinthepreheatedovenfor10minutesuntilthechipsarelightlybrowned.Flipthemoverandroastforanadditional10–15minutesontheotherside.Seasonwithsaltandpepperandserve.A RELATIVE OF CARROTS AND PARSLEY, PARSNIPS ARE PACKED WITH POTASSIUM ANDFOLATES,BOTHOFWHICHAREIMPORTANTNUTRIENTSFORCARDIOVASCULARHEALTH.

SPICEDCOCONUTKALEWITHAVOCADO

Thekeytomakingaproperkalesaladtastegoodisnottocookthekale!Youjustneedtogiveitsomeloveandsoftenitwithanacidicingredientordressing.Inmyview,thissideisperfectforanymeatorfishdish.OrtryitwithmySpicyTofuCurrywithCoconutandCardamom.

Bunchofkale,tornintopiecesandchunkystemsremoved

40gcoconutflakes

1avocado,peeled,pittedanddiced

Largehandfulofflakedalmonds,toasted

Forthedressing


Juiceof1lemon




1teaspoonmaplesyrup

Serves4

Whiskthedressingingredientstogetherinasmallbowl.Oncecombined,putthekaleinalargeservingbowlandpourhalfthedressingoverthetop.Useyourhandstomassagethedressingintothekaleforafewminutesinordertosoftenit.

Addthecoconutflakes,avocadoandflakedalmondsandmixtogetherwell.Pour in therestofthedressingandserve.MANYPEOPLEAVOIDEATINGAVOCADO,ASTHEYTHINKITWILLMAKETHEMPUTONWEIGHT.HOWEVER, RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THE MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS FOUND INAVOCADOAREMORELIKELYTOBEUSEDASSLOW-BURNINGENERGYTHANSTOREDASBODYFAT.

CANTALOUPEMELONANDBLUEBERRYSALADWITHAVOCADOLIMEDRESSING

Hereisagreatsummersaladtoeatwhenthesunisshining.Lookingatthissaladwillnodoubtbringasmile toyour face,asnotonly is itdelicious,butsomethingabouta fruitsaladthat’slightandrefreshingalwaysmakesmefeelgood!ThisisalightsidethatgoesamazinglywellwithsteamedfishormyDouble-SproutSuperfoodBowls.

1cantaloupemelon,cubed

200gblueberries

Largehandfuloffreshmint,chopped

Pinchofgroundcinnamon

Fortheavocadolimedressing


1tablespoonrawhoney

Juiceof1lime

Smallhandfuloffreshmint

2tablespoonswater

Serves4

Combinethecantaloupe,blueberries,mintandcinnamoninalargeservingbowl.

Putall thedressing ingredients ina foodprocessorandblenduntil smooth.Thoroughlycoatthesaladwiththedressingandserve.100GCANTALOUPEMELONCONTAINS110PERCENTOFTHERDAFORVITAMINAWHICH,ASWEKNOW,ISAPOWERFULANTIOXIDANTFORMAINTAININGHEALTHYVISION,MUCUSMEMBRANESANDSKIN.

SWEETTREATS

Of course, this ismy favourite chapter and that’s perhapswhy sweet treats,puddings,desserts–whateveryouwanttocallthem–arealwaysinthebackofthebook;becausewesavethebestforlast.Allmyrecipesaremadewithnaturalsweeteners,wholegrains,fruitsandevensomevegetables, too.Sweettreatsdonothavetobemadewithrefinedsugar,butterandwhiteflourtotastegood.Thoseingredientszapyourenergyand,personally,Iwantatreatthat’sgoingtogivemeenergy,nottakeitaway.Ithinkyou’llseewhatImeanafteryoutryafewoftheserecipes.

SUPERNUT-BUTTERCUPSWITHMACAANDLUCUMA

Growingup inAmerica,myhands-down top treatwasReese’speanutbuttercups; theyare sogood.However, theyarealsounhealthy ineveryway.So, I setout to inventmyownsuper-healthyversionthat,inmymind,tastesjustasgood,ifnotbetter,thanwhatIateasakid.

Forthechocolatesauce

200gcacaobutter

150–180gcacaopowder


1½tablespoonslucumapowder

1½tablespoonscarobpowder

1teaspoonmacapowder

¼teaspoonseasalt

Forthealmondbutterfilling

120galmondbutter

1tablespoonrawhoney

1tablespoonlucumapowder

Cupcaketray(s)linedwith12–16papercupcakecases

Makes12–16

Melt the cacao butter in a saucepan over a low to medium heat. Add the rest of thechocolatesauceingredientsandmixuntilcombined.

Spoon in enough chocolate sauce to cover the bottom of each cupcake case set in thecupcake tray. You will only need to use about one-third of the sauce for this. Set theremaining sauce aside.Transfer the tray to the fridge for about15minutes, oruntil thesaucehassolidified.

For the almond filling, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl until it looks like adough. Take good heaped teaspoons of dough and roll them into balls. Then, use yourhandstoflattentheballsintodiscstojustlessthanthediameterofthebaseofthecupcakecases. Add these almond-butter discs to the cases and spoon the remainder of thechocolatesauceoverthetop,coveringthealmondbutterfillingscompletely.

Returnthetraytothefridgefor1hourtoset.Onceset,youcanremovethecasesfromthetrayandstoreinanairtightcontainerinthefridgefor3to4days.AROOTGROWNINTHEMOUNTAINSOFPERU,MACAISKNOWNFORINCREASINGSTAMINAANDENERGYLEVELS.

MATCHACOCONUTICECREAM

Thisisalovely,richandcreamyicecreamwithoutthedairyorrefinedsugar.Greentea(i.e.matcha)icecreamisactuallyaratherpopularpuddingatAsianrestaurants,butnowyoucaneasilymakeitathomeandknowthatit’spackedwithgoodness.


2frozenbananas

2tablespoonsmatcha(greentea)powder

4dates,pitted


6icecubes

½teaspoonxanthangum

Serves2–3

Combinealltheingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessor,thenpourintoafreezerproofcontainerwithalid.Cover,thenfreezeforafewhoursuntilsolid.MATCHA BOOSTSMETABOLISM AND BURNSCALORIES ASWELL ASWORKING TOCALM AND

RELAXYOU.

MINTCOCOCHIPICECREAM

Iabsolutelylovemint–onmypotatoes,intea,inmysmoothiesandsoups,andnowinmyicecream!Idareyoutomakethisfordinnerwhenyou’vegotfriendscominground–andthen tell themhow it’smadewithoutdairyor refinedsugar.Theywill loveyou foreverandbegfortherecipe!

2frozenbananas



2avocados,peeled,pittedandchopped

8dropsofpeppermintessentialoil

Smallhandfulofspinach

Largehandfulofcacaonibs

8largefreshmintleaves

4dates,pitted

6icecubes

Serves4

Combinealltheingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessor,thenpourintoafreezerproofcontainerwithalid.Foldinthecacaonibs.Freezeforacoupleofhoursuntilsolid,thenserve.MINTISFANTASTICFORPROMOTINGHEALTHYDIGESTIONANDSOOTHINGYOURSTOMACH.ITHELPSREDUCEINFLAMMATIONINTHEBODY.

KALE-BERRYICECREAM

Notonlyisthisayummy,refreshing,healthytreatforadults,it’salsoagreatwaytogetyourkids toeatadairy-free, sugar-free icecream thatevenhasadark,green leafyveginsideit–whichtheycan’tsee!

2frozenbananas

240mlcoconutmilk

Handfulofkale

4dates,pitted

250gfrozenblueberries

2teaspoonsvanillaextract

6icecubes

Serves4

Combineall theingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandwatchhowquicklytheseingredientsmorphintoanincredible,nutrient-denseicecream.

Pourintoafreezerproofcontainerwithalidandfreezeforacoupleofhoursuntilsolid.

Dependingonyourmoodandwhatyouhavetohand,youcouldtopabowlofthisicecreamwithfreshfruit,chiaseedsorbeepollen.IF YOU’RE DETOXING, THEN KALE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. IT’S FILLED WITH FIBRE ANDSULPHUR,WHICHAREBOTHGREATFORKEEPINGYOURLIVERHEALTHY.

FIGBARS

I adore figs and thosemoreish figgybiscuits you canbuy.But this is amuchhealthiertwistonthosebiscuits,whicharefilledwithwhiteflour,whitesugar,eggsandbutter.I’veoptedforcoconutpalmsugar,oatflour,andalsousechiaseedsinplaceofeggs.Ithinkyou’llfindthesejustastasty,ifnotmore,thantheshop-boughtkind!


6tablespoonswater


70gcoconutpalmsugar

1teaspoonbakingpowder


60gcoconutoil,melted


4tablespoonsalmondmilk

Forthefigfilling

15driedfigs


Dashofwater

bakingtraylinedwithparchmentpaper

Makes12–16

Soakthechiaseedsinthe60mlwaterinasmallbowlfor10minutes.Preheattheovento180°C/Gas4.

Combine the oat flour, coconut palm sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a largemixingbowl.

Combinethesoakedchiaseeds,coconutoil,vanillaextractandalmondmilkinaseparatebowl.

Pour thewetmixture into thedry ingredients and stirwell, creatingaball.Place in thefridgeforabout1hourtofirmup.

Forthefilling,putthefigs,coconutpalmsugaranddashofwaterinafoodprocessorandblitztoapaste.

Onaflouredsurface,rollthedoughoutabout5mmthickandintoasmuchofasquareaspossible.Spreadthefigfillingoverhalfthedoughandcarefullyfoldtheotherhalfoverthe filling.Cut into12–16squares,arrangeon thepreparedbaking trayandbake in thepreheatedovenfor12–15minutesuntilgolden.STUDIESHAVESHOWNTHATEATINGFIGSINCREASESTHEANTIOXIDANTCAPACITYWITHINTHEBODYFORASUSTAINEDPERIODOFUPTO4HOURS.

BLACKBEANBROWNIESWITHCHIASEEDS

Blackbeans inchocolatebrownies?!Absolutely!And theyare incrediblyeasy tomake,too–not tomention tasty andgood foryou.A ‘no-guilt’ brownie is onedessert recipeeveryonewantsintheirrepertoire.


6tablespoonswater,plus2tablespoonsextra,ifneeded

1x400gtinblackbeans,drainedandrinsed

90gcacaopowder



1½teaspoonsbakingpowder


23x30cmbakingtinlightlygreasedwithcoconutoil

Makes12

Soakthechiaseedsinthe6tablespoonswaterinasmallbowlfor10minutes.


Puttheblackbeans,soakedchiaseeds,cacaopowder,coconutoil,vanillaextract,bakingpowder and coconut palm sugar in a food processor and blitz together. If the doughappearsabittoothick,addacoupleoftablespoonsofwaterandmixagain.

Evenlyspreadthedoughintothepreparedbakingtinandbakeinthepreheatedovenfor20–25minutes.Removefromtheovenandleavetocoolbeforeyoucutintosquares.Theyaremeanttobegooeyandmeltinyourmouth.BLACK BEANS ARE PARTICULARLY HIGH IN FOLATE AND IRON – ESPECIALLY GREAT FORPREGNANTWOMEN.

AVOCADO,CHOCOLATEANDLUCUMAMOUSSE

Whenyou’rerunningoutoftimebutneedadinner-partydessertorsomethingtowhipupforthekids’pudding,thenthisisyourgo-tosmashhit.Yourguestswillbeshockedthatthisscrumptiousdishisactuallyfilledwithfabulouslyhealthyingredients.


6dates,pittedandroughlychopped

80gcacaopowder

160mlcoconutmilk(oraplant-basedmilkofyourchoice)


1tablespoonlucumapowder

Pinchofseasalt

Raspberries,toserve(optional)

Serves4

Simply combine all the ingredients in a foodprocessor andwhizz to a creamymousse.Scoopoutintoaservingbowl,chillinthefridgeforatleast1hour.Serveinlovelysmall

bowlsorcupstoppedwithraspberries,ifusing.LUCUMA IS A GREAT SWEETENER THAT IS LOW ON THE GLYCEMIC SCALE AND FULL OFNUTRIENTS,SUCHASIRON,ZINC,BETA-CAROTENEANDCALCIUM.

RAWCHOCOLATEMELTAWAYSWITHCHIASEEDS

Ifyou’reafterachocolatefix, looknofurther.Thegreatthingaboutthesemeltawaysisthattheytakejustminutestomakeandthere’snobakinginvolved.Theyareawonderful,energy-sustainingsnack.

20dates,pitted

3tablespoonsrawcacaopowder

1teaspoonlucumapowder



Todecorate

Chiaseeds

Gojiberries

Beepollen

Makes15bite-sizedballs

Put all the ingredients in a foodprocessor.Blitzuntilwell combined, then scoop into abowl.Usingyourhands,mouldthemixtureinto15balls,thenrolleachbowlineitherchiaseeds,gojiberriesorbeepollentocoat.Storeinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto2weeks.CHIASEEDSAREAGREATSOURCEOFOMEGA-3FATTYACIDS–THEYACTUALLYHAVEMOREOMEGA3THANSALMON!

KEYLIMEPIE

This is quite possibly one the greatest desserts ever.Whenever I see recipes for pies, IthinkIcan’tmakethembecausetheywilltakeforever.Butthisrecipeistotallydifferent,as there is no baking involved. It’s just a lot of good, wholesome ingredients mixedtogetherovertwolayerstomakeanourishingandeye-catchingdessert!

90grolledoats

45ggroundflaxseed

40ghazelnuts

2–3dates,pitted


2tablespoonslimejuice

Optional: For an even ‘greener’ Key lime pie, add 1 teaspoon spirulina powder whilemixingthefilling

Forthefilling

2x400mltinscoconutmilk


Juiceof2limes


45gcoconutflakes

23cmpiedishgreasedwithcoconutoil

Serves8

Placethe2tinsofcoconutmilkinthefridgethenightbeforeyoumakethepie.

Combine the rolled oats, flaxseed, hazelnuts and dates in a food processor until finelychopped. Add the coconut oil and lime juice and pulse again until the mixture iscombined.Pressthemixtureintothebaseofthepreparedpiedish.

Washthefoodprocessorreadytomakethefilling.Removejustthecreamfromthetinsofcoconutmilk(savethewaterforasmoothieorsoup)andblendwiththeavocados, limejuice,honeyandcoconutflakesuntilsmooth.Ifyou’reusingspirulina,additnow.Pourthefillingoverthebaseandfreezefor1hour.

Serverightawayorplaceinthefridgeuntilneeded.LIMES MAY HELP PREVENT KIDNEY STONES, AS THEY CONTAIN MORE CITRIC ACID THANORANGESORGRAPEFRUITS.CITRICACIDISANATURALINHIBITOROFKIDNEYSTONES.

PUMPKINSEED,QUINOAANDOATMUFFINS

Sweetbutwholesomesnacksareagreatway tosatisfycravingsbetweenoraftermealsand these oatmuffins are just the trick. They are crammedwith goodness and great tobringtoapicnic.


270mlwater


70gwholewheatflour

1tablespoonbakingpowder

1teaspoonbicarbonateofsoda

130gpumpkinseeds

370gcookedquinoa

480mloatmilk




Muffintraylinedwith12papermuffincases

Makes12


Soakthechiaseedsinthe270mlwaterfor10minutes.

Combine the oat flour, wholewheat flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda andpumpkinseedsinalargemixingbowlandstirwell.Addthecookedquinoatothebowl.

Combine theoatmilk,coconutoil,honey,coconutpalmsugarandsoakedchiaseeds inanotherbowlandwhisktogether.

Pourthewetingredientsintothedryingredientsandstirwell.Dividethebatterbetweenthepapermuffincases.Bakeinthepreheatedovenforabout40minutes,oruntilgoldenbrown.JUSTAHANDFULADAYOFPUMPKINSEEDSISALLYOUNEEDTOGET10GOFPROTEINANDASLEWOFMINERALS.

MINICHEESECAKESWITHCASHEWSANDBLUEBERRIES

Who doesn’t love cheesecake? Baked or chilled, traditional or with a twist, there’ssomethingso temptingabout thiscreamydessert.But the ingredients!There’snotmuchhealth there, unfortunately. So, here’s a twist on anAmerican staple that is now super-healthyandsuper-yummy.(Seephotograph)

Forthebase

12dates,pitted

50galmonds

90ggroundflaxseed


Forthefilling

250gcashews,soaked

Juiceof1lemon


120mlrawhoney

200mlcoconutmilk

150gblueberries

Cupcaketraylinedwith12papercupcakecases

Makes12

Startbysoakingyourcashewsinwaterfor3–4hours.

Meanwhile, make the base. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz tocombine.Dividethebaseevenlybetweeneachofthecupcakecases,pressingdownwithyourfingers.

Washthefoodprocessor.Afterthecashewshavebeensoaked,drainandrinsethemandadd them to the food processor with the lemon juice. Add the coconut oil, honey andcoconutmilk and process until smooth.Transfer the filling to a largemixing bowl andslowlystir in theblueberries.Spoonthefillingover thecrusts,coverwithclingfilmandfreezefor3hours.

Removetheminicheesecakesfromthefreezer1–2hoursbeforeserving.EACH OUNCE OF CASHEWS CONTAINS 21 PERCENT OF YOUR RDA OF MAGNESIUM.MAGNESIUM ISONEOFTHEMOSTOVERLOOKEDMINERALS. IT’SVITALFORMORETHAN300CHEMICALREACTIONSINTHEBODY,INCLUDINGENERGYLEVELSANDRELAXATION.

HEALTHYCRISPYRICEBARS

Theseareanotherfavouriteofmine,buttheyarealwaysmadewithsugarycerealandlotsof butter andmarshmallow. Iwanted to comeupwith amuchhealthier alternative, notonlyformykidstoenjoybutforme,too.TheresultwassosatisfyingthatIrecommendtakingalittlesquarewithyouonthegoforwhenyouneedasweetpick-me-up.

180galmondbutter

180mlbrownricesyrup

2tablespoonsvanillaextract

150gpuffedrice(orcrispyricecereal)

20cmsquarebakingtinlinedwithparchmentpaper

Makes12–16

Heata largesaucepanovera lowheatandadd thealmondbutter,brownricesyrupandvanillaextract.Stirwelluntilthoroughlycombined,thentransfertoalargemixingbowl.Stirinthecrispyriceuntilwellcoatedandmixed.

Transfer the coated crispy rice to the prepared tin and press down to distribute evenly.Leavetosetinthefridgefor10minutes,thensliceintosquaresorbars.BROWNRICESYRUP DOES RAISE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR, BUT IT DOESN’TMAKE YOUCRASHLIKEREFINEDSUGARDOESBECAUSEIT’SACOMPLEXCARBOHYDRATE.

MANGO,BANANAANDBLUEBERRYICELOLLIES

Thesearesoprettyandcanbemadeinaflash.They’regreatforthosehotdayswhenyouneed something refreshing that’s also jam-packedwith goodness. This goodness comesnotonlyfromthefruit,butalsofromthespinachandchiaseedsthatI’veadded…andnoonewilleverknow!

2bananas

2mangoes,peeled,pittedandchopped

Handfulofspinach

190gblueberries

360mlcoconutmilk

80gchiaseeds

8ice-lollymoulds(andsticks,ifneeded)

Makes8icelollies

Putalltheingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorandmixuntilsmooth.

Pourthemixtureintotheice-lollymoulds.Ifyourmouldsdidn’tcomewithsticks,pushyoursticksin,thenfreezefor3–4hoursandenjoy!MANGOMAYJUSTBETHEKINGOFFRUITSASIT’SPACKEDWITHLOADSOFANTIOXIDANTSANDSUPER-HIGHINVITAMINSCANDA.

INDEX

Aaçaíberries1

greenaçaíberrybowl1

adzukibeans1

adzukibeanandquinoaTexMexcasserole1

almondbutter1

almondmilk1

almonds1

supernut-buttercups1

antioxidants1

apples:

bakedtofuandapple1

applecidervinegar1

apricots,dried1

artichokes:

Puylentil,artichokeandsun-driedtomatosalad1

asparagus:

asparagus,broccoliandcoriandersalad1

lentilandcouscoussalad1

aubergines:

aubergine,tomatoandalmondpasta1

gingerandumeboshiaubergines1

avocados:

avocado,chocolateandlucumamousse1

avocadohummous1

chilliavocadomashandcoconutoilonrye1

radishandavocadosalad1

spicedcoconutkale1

Bbananas:

bananaFrenchtoast1

mango,bananaandblueberryicelollies1

nutsandbananas1

baobabpowder1

basil1

bayleaves1

beans1,2,3,4

mixedbean,avocadoandclementinesalad1

beansprouts:

sushi-stylespinachandbeansproutbowl1

beepollen1

beetroot:

beet-the-bluesrainbowjuice1

beetroot,blackriceandpearwraps1

beetroot,celeriacandfigsalad1

beetroot,quinoa,blackbeanandflaxseedburgers1

warmmilletandbeetrootbroccolisalad1

wildrice,beetrootandgrapesalad1

blackbeans1

beetroot,quinoa,blackbeanandflaxseedburgers1

blackbeanbrownies1

blood-orangedressing1

blueberries:

beet-the-bluesrainbowjuice1

blueberryandspinachsmoothie1

blueberrybaobabsauce1

cantaloupemelonandblueberrysalad1

creamybreakfastbowlwithbasilandblueberries1

kale-berryicecream1


minicheesecakeswithcashewsandblueberries1

Brazilnuts1

broccoli:

broccoliandshiitakesobanoodlebowl1

mushroom,broccoliandcoconutcurry1

Tenderstembroccoli,sun-driedtomato,garlic,walnutsalad1


brownricesyrup1,2

brownies,blackbean1

Brusselssprouts:

double-sproutsuperfoodbowls1

buckwheatgroats:

buckwheatporridge1

granola1

buckwheatflour1

buckwheatnoodles1

bulghurwheat1

bulghurwheatandnorisushi1

redpeppersstuffedwith1

burgers1

butters1,2,3

Ccabbage,carrotandflaxseedcoleslaw1

cacao1,2


chocolateandlucumatruffles1

chocolatechiabreakfastpudding1

mintcocochipicecream1

nutsandbananascoveredincinnamonandcacaobutter1

rawchocolatemeltaways1


cakes1,2

cannellinibeans1

cantaloupemelonandblueberrysalad1

capers1

carawayseeds1

cardamom1

carrot-cakeenergyballs1

cashews1

cashewandcornsoup1

minicheesecakeswithcashewsandblueberries1

cauliflower,gojiberryandalmondsalad1

cavolonero,butternutbarleystewwith1

cayennepepper1

cheesecakes,mini1

‘cheesy’kalecrisps1

chiaseeds1

chiaandcoconutflourpancakes1

chocolatechiabreakfastpudding1

powerproteinbars1

chickpeas1

hummous1

Moroccanchickpea,carrotanddatesalad1

roastedchickpeaandsun-driedtomatosalad1

chilli:

butternutsquashandchillisoup1

chilliavocadomash1

chips1

chocolateseecacaocidervinegar1

cinnamon1

coconutflour1

coconutmilk1

coconutandalmondquinoa1

coconutcream1

matchacoconuticecream1


coconutoil1

coconutpalmsugar1

coleslaw1

condiments1,2,3

corn,coconutandhazelnutsalad1

courgettispaghetti1

couscousandlentilsalad1

cranberries1

granolaandcranberrybars1

creamybreakfastbowl1

crispyricebars1

cucumber,pomegranate,andtomatosalad1

cumin1,2

currants1

curry1,2

Ddairyproduce1

dates1


rawchocolatemeltaways1

double-sproutsuperfoodbowls1

driedfruit1,2,3

dulseflakes1

Eedamamebeans1

energyballs1

Ffalafels1

fats1

fennelseeds1

figs:

dreamyfigandspirulinabites1

figbars1

kale,figandwalnutrisotto1

flaxseedoil1

flaxseeds1,2

flours1,2,3

freeradicals1

Frenchtoast,banana1

Ggarlic1,2,3

ginger1

gingerandumeboshiaubergines1

gojiberries1

carrot-cakeenergyballs1


grapes1

greenbeans:

mixedbean,avocadoandclementinesalad1

greengoddesssalad1

Hhazelnutbutter1

hempseeds1,2

powerproteinbars1

herbs1,2,3

honey,raw1

hummous1

Iicecream1

icelollies1

Kkale:

‘cheesy’kalecrisps1

kaleberryicecream1

kale,carrot,pearandgingerjuice1

kale,figandwalnutrisotto1

spicedcoconutkale1

squash,mushroomandkalesalad1

keylimepie1

kombu1

Llegumes1

lentils1

lentilandcouscoussalad1

Puylentil,artichokeandsun-driedtomatosalad1

redvelvetlentils1

lime:

‘cheesy’kalecrispswithlime1

keylimepie1

lucuma1


chocolateandlucumatruffles1

Mmaca1

macadamiapesto1


maplesyrup1

marjoram1

matchagreentea1

matchaandoattruffles1

matchacoconuticecream1

meat1

melonandblueberrysalad1

milk1,2,3

millet1


mint

ultimatesuperfoodsaladwithhempandblueberries1


Moroccanchickpea,carrotanddatesalad1

muffins1

mungbean,sweetpotatoandpomegranatecasserole1

mushrooms:

blackrice,kale,seedandredgrapepilaf1


mushroom,broccoliandcoconutcurry1


wildmushroomsonspelttoast1

mustard1,2

Nnoodles1


Thaicoconutnoodlebowl1

nori1

bulghurwheatandnorisushi1

nuts1,2,3

nutsandbananas1

Ooatmilk1

oats1

figbars1


matchaandoattruffles1

powerproteinbars1

oils1,2

oliveoil1

olives1

orange:

blood-orangedressing1

oregano1

oxidation1

Ppakchoi:


pancakes,chiaandcoconutflour1

papaya1

paprika1,2

parsley1

parsleygreenglowsmoothie1

parsnipandsweetpotatochips1

pasta:

aubergine,tomatoandalmondpasta1

macadamiapestoonwholegrainpasta1

pearlbarley1

butternutbarleystew1

pears:


kale,carrot,pearandgingerjuice1

peas:

greenpeahummous1

peppersstuffedwithbulghurwheatandpistachios1

pesto1

pilaf1

pinenuts1

pistachios,redpeppersstuffedwithbulghurwheatand1

plums,coconutandalmondquinoawith1

pomegranate1

pomegranate,cucumberandtomatosalad1

powerproteinbars1

processedfoods1

pumpkinseeds1

granolawithpumpkinseedsandgojiberries1

pumpkinseed,quinoaandoatmuffins1

Qquinoa1

adzukibeanandquinoaTexMexcasserole1

coconutandalmondquinoa1

pumpkinseed,quinoaandoatmuffins1

quinoaandsautéedredcabbage1

sweetrhubarb,apricotandquinoastew1

quinoaflour1

Rradishandavocadosalad1

raisins1

redcabbage,quinoaand1

redvelvetlentils1

rhubarb,apricotandquinoastew1

rice1


blackrice,kale,seedandredgrapepilaf1


ricemilk1

risotto:

kale,figandwalnut1

rosemary1

Ssage1

salads1,2,3,4,5,6,7

salt1

sauerkraut1

seavegetables1,2

seeds1,2,3

sesameseeds1

shiitakemushrooms1

smoothies1

sobanoodles1

soups1,2

soymilk1

spices1,2,3

spinach:

blueberryandspinachsmoothie1


spirulina1

dreamyfigandspirulinabites1

squash:

butternutbarleystew1

butternutsquashandchillisoup1


sweetrhubarb,apricotandquinoastew1

sugar1

sunflowerseeds1


superfoodsuperheroes1,2

sushi1,2

sweetpotatoes:

lemonsweetpotatosalad1

paprikaparsnipandsweetpotatochips1

sweetpotatoandfalafelcabbagewraps1

sweeteners1,2,3

Ttahini1

tamari1

teaseematchagreenteaTexMexcasserole1


thyme1

toast1

tofu1

bakedtofuandapple1

marinatedtofuwrappedinwholewheattortillas1

spicytofucurry1

tomatoes1

sun-driedtomato,basilandavocadosauce1

tortillas1,2

truffles1,2

turmeric1,2

UVultimatesuperfoodsalad1

umeboshiplums1

vanilla1

vegetables1

vinegar1

Wwakame1,2

walnuts1

wholegrains1,2,3,4

wildrice,beetrootandgrapesalad1

yeast1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThiswholethinghadtostartsomewhere,right?!Andthejourneytoherebeganwiththestartofmyfoodblogandsomeveryamateurphotos!Andsomybelovedhusband,Luke,mustbeacknowledgedfornotonlytakingoverthecameraandmakingthephotosSOmuchbetter,butforhispatienceovertheyearswithmeandmy‘crazyideas’.

ToJohnandCarolineSandwich,myin-laws,fortheunfalteringsupport,generosityandlovetheyhaveshowntotheirveryAmericandaughter-in-law.

It’s sometimes toughnothavingyour realmother around (she lives in theUS), so I alsowant to thankSusanBenn,whomIsometimesrefertoasmysurrogatemother.Maybeit’sbecausewebothcamefromtheAmericanMidwestthatourbondbegan,butitcontinuestogrowwitheachmargaritaandeveryhugtellingme:‘Youcandothis!’

ToSarahThompson,BrionyNewmanandAndreaUrquidi–myyoginis.Yogameans ‘union’andunitedweare,notonlyinyogabutalsoinfriendship.

Andthenthereisthefriendthat’sbeentherefromthebeginning.Theonethat’sseenitalland–eightcombinedkidslater–isstillthere.Thankyou,RuthSturgeon,forbeingthebestdateonour‘datenights’togetherwherefourhoursatEightoverEightstillisn’tenoughtimetocatchup.

AndI’mnotevensurethisbookwouldbehererightnowifIhadn’tmetyou,MarissaHermer,onthecrazyrollercoasterridewearecurrentlyontogether.Sothankyoufortheintroductiontomywonderfulagent,CharlotteRobertson,whoinourfirstmeetingtogethersaid‘yes–you’vegotsomething,let’sgooutandgetit’…andwedid.WefoundCélineandJane at Quadrille who ‘got it’. From that firstmeeting together, you both believed inme and for that I am forevergrateful.

ThisbookiseverythingIimaginedittobe–it’sexactlyhowIwantedittolookandforthatIthankNikkiEllisfortheperfectdesign,YukiSugiuraforthegorgeousphotosandIrisBrometforfindingexactlytherightpropstostylethefoodwith.

Thisbookbeginswithadedicationtomyfourchildrenandsoitseemsonlyfittingtoenditwiththem.Emma,Jack,WilliamandNestor–allIeverhavetodoisthinkaboutyouandasmileisguaranteedtocomeacrossmyface.

CopyrightPublishingDirector:JaneO’SheaCreativeDirector:HelenLewisSeniorEditor:CélineHughesDesigner:NicolaEllisDesignAssistant:EmilyLapworthPhotographer:YukiSugiuraPropStylist:IrisBrometProduction:VincentSmith,StephenLang

Firstpublishedin2015byQuadrillePublishingLimitedPentagonHouse52–54SouthwarkStreetLondonSE11UNwww.quadrille.co.uk

Text©2015JulieMontaguAllphotography©2015YukiSugiuraDesignandlayout©2015QuadrillePublishingLimited

Therightsoftheauthorhavebeenasserted.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookshallbereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedbyanymeans–electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise–withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.

CataloguinginPublicationData:acataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.

ISBN:9781849495820

PrintedinChina

http://www.quadrille.co.uk

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