Recipe Posts – Life Wellness Co.

Crispy Chorizo Salad

Last weekend I was looking for some inspiration to cook something new. I was after something bright and colourful and full of flavour . Whenever I am in need of inspiration I take myself out to my favourite cafes and trawl the menus looking at different flavour combinations and dishes that I could tweak a little to put my own spin on it and make in the comfort of my own home.

This little creation was inspired by merging two cafe salads into one. Crispy chorizo, char-grilled asparagus, roasted capsicum and marinated feta on a bed of baby spinach, drizzled with a lovely tangy vinaigrette. How good does that sound? Pretty awesome right?

Well let me tell you, it tastes damn good too.

I love the colour in this dish, the ease of the dish and the nutrient density of the dish. It wins on all counts. So here it is, a simple cafe inspired salad that you can prepare in the comfort of your own home for a fraction of the price.

Recipe – serves 2

Ingredients:

1 chorizo, sliced thickly

1 bunch of asparagus

1 red capsicum, sliced into 4 (core removed)

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/2 jar marinated feta

2 handfuls of baby spinach (or rocket)

Dressing:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp djorn mustard

1 tsp dried oregano

Pinch of salt for taste

Method:

Preheat the grill on your BBQ to smoking hot.

Char-grill the chorizo slices, capsicum cheeks and asparagus for 2-3 minutes each side. Then allow to cool.

Place a handful of spinach on each plate.

Add the char-grilled chorizo, capsicum and asparagus to the spinach, along with the onion and then sprinkle with feta. Add some sunflower seeds for extra crunch if you like.

In a small container, add oil, vinegar, mustard and dried herbs. Shake until well combined and then drizzle over the top of the salad. Sprinkle with a pinch of Himalayan salt for taste.

Before you dig in, take a picture of your cafe quality creation and post it on social media to inspire all your friends to make this dish too.

Enjoy!

Spring Salad

Here is a deliciously light, yet satisfying spring salad that showcases the best seasonal produce you can pick up at the local farmer’s markets this spring.

Simply pick yourself up a bunch of baby greens of any sort (beetroot leaves, spinach, rocket, lettuce, kale), carrot, a few radishes, a nice ripe avocado and a few lemons and you have yourself the basic real food ingredients to whip up this super nutritious salad.

What I love about this dish is that it is chocker block with nutrient dense fresh produce that we can get in season right now. It is a bowl full of nature’s nourishment.

This dish is so versatile too. You can whip it up for a lunch salad bowl for one on a warm spring day, or you can use it as a beautiful colourful side dish teamed with BBQ fish, chicken or steak on those balmy spring nights still gracing us in the early change of season.

Ingredients:

Serves 1 as a main or 2 as a side

1 handful of baby green leaves (beetroot leaves, spinach, rainbow chard, rocket, lettuce or kale)

1 carrot (grated or spiralised)

2-3 radishes (finely sliced)

1/2 ripe avocado (sliced)

Sprinkle of pepitas and sesame seeds

1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

Pinch of salt and sweet paprika

Method:

To assemble the salad all you need to do is toss the (washed) leaves in a little olive oil and pinch of salt, add the grated or spiralised the carrot and thinly sliced radishes and toss to ensure even coating of oil.

Place greens, carrot and radish mix on a plate, top with 1/2 an avocado. Sprinkle with a pinch of sweet paprika for a touch more colour and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Delish.

Brighten Your Day with this Blueberry Smoothie Bowl

There are some days when we just need a little brightening up first thing in the morning to get us geared up for the day. It happens to all of us right?

There are loads of really useful ways you can rely on to boost your energy and moods first thing in the morning such as meditation, exercise, dancing to your favourite tune or diving into the ocean, OR you could take the opportunity to boost your mood and your energy levels by creating a delightfully colourful and super nutritious smoothie bowl.

I love a good smoothie bowl for breakfast. They are so super simple (and quick) to make, easy for our bodies to digest and assimilate which is turn results in heaps of energy for the day, and you can pretty them up anyway you like to really lift your spirits. The key to a good smoothie bowl comes in using good quality real food ingredients. Think fruit, seeds, nuts, coconut, cacao and ice and you’re on a winner. Here’s one of my favourites to lift me on my moody mornings.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas (frozen if you have no ripe ones)

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

1 cup ice

4 medjool dates

1 tbsp shredded coconut

2 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add your favorite toppings.

Sit down and take a minute to look at your creation before diving in. Then launch in with a smile.

Enjoy.

Salmon Superbowl

This nutritious meal is super simple to whip up in under 15 minutes and offers a bowl full of nutrient dense ingredients that not only looks so exciting and colourful but also taste divine. This is simple, fast food at it’s best.

The combination of crisp steamed seasonal vegetables, creamy avocado smash and melt-in-your-mouth pan fried salmon, topped with a zesty lemon and herb dressing is simply sensational. And take my word for it, this meal will take you less than 15 minutes from the minute you start prepping, making it a winner of a weekday dinner.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets – skin on

2 handfuls of spinach / rocket leaves

1 bunch of fresh asparagus spears

1 small head of broccoli

1 avocado

1 tbsp coconut oil (or butter/ghee)

Zesty Citrus Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp dried oregano (or Zaa’taar mixed herbs)

1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)

2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Boil water in a large saucepan with colander.

Melt 1 tbsp oil (coconut or ghee/butter) in small frypan over medium heat.

Cut up asparagus and broccoli into bite-sized pieces and steam over the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in cold water to stop them cooking further.

Place salmon, skin side down, in heated fry pan and cook for 3-4 minutes (lid on). Flip salmon and cook for another 3 minutes (or until cooked to your liking).

Whilst salmon is cooking, slice the avocado and season with some salt to taste, set aside and then make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a jar and shaking to combine.

Now on to assembling. Place the spinach/rocket leaves at the base of the bowl, place half the avocado into each bowl, then add the steamed vegetables to take up 1/4 of the bowl. Add the salmon fillet to the remaining half of the bowl and drizzle over dressing. Season to taste.

I also like to add a little fermented vegetables and a sprinkle of hemp seeds or sesame seeds to the top of my salmon for a little extra deliciousness. Enjoy.

Super Awesome Fish Burgers

Super simple to make and super nutritious this burger will leave you feeling well satisfied and full of energy and zest. The combination of crispy lemon and parsley almond crumbing encasing a deliciously moist fish fillet is pure pleasure to bite into. Top it with a lovely zesting aioli and some salad and whack it all on a sourdough (or gluten free) bun and you have a super awesome fish burger!

Enjoy with all your mates and a few golden ales….how very Australian!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 x firm fish fillets (I use wild-caught Pacific Cod fillets, but you could use Barramundi, Blue
Eyed Cod or even Ling)
1 cup ground almonds
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 eggs
1 tbsp cooking oil (I use coconut oil)
4 fresh sourdough (or GF) buns
Salad of your choice
Aioli, to dollop on top

Method:

In a small shallow bowl, lightly whisk eggs.

In another shallow bowl mix together ground almonds, lemon zest and parsley (add salt to taste).

Place a large frypan over medium-high heat and heat oil whilst you coat the fillets.

Pat each fillet dry, and then dip into the egg before rolling in the almond crumbs. Set aside whilst

you crumb the remaining 3 fillets. Work quickly as you don't want the crumbing to become too soggy before cooking.

Place the fillets in the hot pan and cook for 3-4 minutes each side, until golden and cooked through.

The thicker the fillet the longer it will need.

Drain fillet on absorbent paper towel before placing on a lightly toasted bun with salad and a large dollop of aioli. Delish!

The Best Brownie Secret Ever

Want to know how to make your brownies so deliciously moist and sweet without loading the mix with refined sugar and butter…..the trick comes in adding an unlikely ingredient in the form of sweet potato. Sweet potato adds a lovely natural sweetness along with a whole heap of nutritional goodness that typical brownies usual don’t offer. I first came up with recipe as a way of trying to get my cherubs to eat more vegetables. I add vegetables to everything. Some creations work, others not so much. But this one is winner every single time I bake it.

This recipe is a great option for a ‘safe school snack’ as it contains no nuts and will provide stable energy throughout the day due to a balanced combination of complex carbohydrates and health fats. The kids will have absolutely no idea that the main ingredient is a vegetable. Winning!

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potato, finely grated (2 cups) with the moisture squeezed out
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup raw cacao
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp coconut flour

Method

Preheat oven to 185°C
Combine potato, eggs, vanilla, honey and coconut oil in large mixing bowl and stir together
Add cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and stir
Finally add in coconut flour and stir until well combined
Pour mixture into square cake tin
Cook for 25-30 minutes
Cool in tin for 10 mins prior to cutting and enjoying.

For an added element of deliciousness, mix together 1/2 cup melted organic dark chocolate and 1/4 cup coconut oil and pour over the top of the cooked and cooled brownie cake. Place in the refrigerator to set before cutting.

Miso Nori Vegetable Omelette

One of my favourite ways to spend the day is to drive up to the Southern Highlands and trawl through the quaint little shops at Bowral. I often take my 4 year old son on ‘date days’ where we rejoice in each other’s company whilst we trawl the shops for unique finds. Our trips to Bowral are never complete without a stop to Raw and Wild, our favourite wholefood café on the main stretch of town. It never disappoints.

This time around we stopped in for a bite of lunch before heading back home. I am always super inspired by what the talented chef’s create at this place and this time was no exception. Lucas and I chose to share a Miso Nori Omelette from the all day breakfast menu, intrigued to see how the chefs made these unique flavours work. What we experienced was absolutely delicious. The sweetness of the roasted pumpkin and carrot perfectly offset with the savoury, salty miso marinade and nori encased in a golden, creamy egg omelette transported us to another level of taste sensation.

What I love about this recipe is that it not only tastes divine, and is a cinch to make, but it also provides some pretty awesome nourishment for our body as well. Miso paste (fermented soybeans) is great for our gut health providing a great source of probiotics to our diet and nori (seaweed) contains heaps of beneficial minerals and nutrients as well as tasting great. Add to these ingredients the natural goodness of free range eggs and fresh vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots and zucchini and you have a winner of a dish in terms of a delicious, nutritious meal.

Needless to say I set about scribbling down my take on this inspiring dish whilst I was enjoying every mouthful and set about recreating this taste sensation as soon as I got home so I could share the experience with my husband and eldest son also, and now with you too.

This is what resulted. It is a super simple recipe that anyone can make using some super special ingredients to take the humble omelette to a whole new level. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 carrot, sliced into thin discs
1 zucchini, sliced into 3cm wide discs
½ butternut pumpkin, sliced/diced into 3 cm slices
1 nori sheet, sliced into strips
2 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp lukewarm water
2 tbsp olive oil
6 eggs
Butter for cooking

Method

Chop and slice the vegies ready to roast and place in a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl mix the miso paste with the water to form a smooth paste. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil whilst whisking to combine.
Massage the marinade onto the vegetables and then place the vegies onto a baking dish lined with paper, and roast in a moderate oven (180˚) for 30 minutes (or until softened).
Once vegies are cooked, whisk 6 eggs in a mixing bowl until fluffy.
Heat a knob of butter in a large frypan. Pour eggs into pan to line the base of the frypan.
Allow to cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes before adding nori strips and roasted vegies to one half of the egg mixture.
Using a spatula, carefully flip the empty half of the egg mixture over the top of the vegetables to form an omelette and continue to cook until egg is cooked through. You may wish to put the frypan in the oven to speed things up a little if your egg is still really runny on the inside.

Enjoy!

Stephanie Meades is a Health and Wellness Coach at Life Wellness Co. For more wholefood inspiration and tips on living well, visit www.lifewellnessco.com or follow on facebook/lifewellnessco.

Green Hummus

Hummus is one of those condiments that can really add an extra element of deliciousness and interest to your plate when done well, yet so many of us only use it as a dip for vegie sticks and crackers. Hummus can be so much more. It can be dolloped on top of salads to make a plain salad much more appealing, spread on homemade wraps and burgers as an extra taste sensation, added on the side of a roast vegie dishes or as a way to spice up my morning omelette, or even lathered over sourdough and topped with fresh tomato as a top way to start the day. It sure is one versatile condiment.

Learning how to make a good homemade hummus is pretty simple, and is cheap as chickpeas! As well as having the satisfaction you made it yourself, you are also able to control what goes into the mix avoiding the nasties that can make their way into some commercially produced hummus products.

Traditional hummus consists of 4 main ingredients, chickpeas, garlic, olive oil and tahini (sesame seed paste). This hummus recipe takes these base ingredients and raises the bar in terms of flavour and nutritional stakes by adding to the mix some baby spinach and sweet cherry tomatoes. Season with a touch of salt, blitz away in a blender or food processor and you have your own homemade green hummus in a minute. Yep, it’s that simple.

This hummus lasts for up to one week in an airtight jar in the fridge, but with so many ways to incorporate this condiment into your daily meals and snacks, I guarantee it won’t last the week. It’s that good.

So here you have it, Homemade Green Hummus. It’s delish!

Ingredients

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup baby spinach
2-3 cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of tahini
1 lemon, juice only
Salt to taste

Method

Place all ingredients into a mini food processor or blender and blitz until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!

Stephanie Meades is a Health and Wellness Coach at Life Wellness Co. For more wholefood

Lunchbox Bites

[sgmb id=”1″] Lunch Box Pic A school teacher friend of mine asked if I could come up with some healthy real food lunch box options for her to create for her kids that she could ‘trial’ making over the school holidays and freeze to allow her to be ‘on top of things’ once the kidlets return to school and the crazy morning rush hour once again returns. As a school teacher she sees first-hand the effects poor snack options create in her classroom. The dips in concentration, spurts of hyperactivity typically followed by general fatigue and sluggishness all of which impede learning for the both the kids causing the havoc and also the other kids who suffer a loss of learning time due to the teacher having to manage these often ‘food driven’ behaviours. So there in came the inspiration for me to share some simple ‘lunch box’ treats that are super easy to make, freezeable (so that can be pulled out at the last minute and thrown them into lunchboxes), and of course super healthy free from refined sugars, additives and preservatives that have been linked to causing hyperactivity and energy slumps in so many of our kids.

Considering we are talking about ‘lunch box bites’ it is essential for us to be conscious that many schools these days have strict policies regarding the foods that can be brought onto school ground such as nuts and eggs, and for good reason considering the alarmingly high incidence of food allergies in children these days and kids being kids will always ‘trade’ food whether there a rules around this or not….it is a fact! This alone can present a major challenge for many mums and dads out there to overcome when trying to find snack options for their kids to take to school, let along making them healthy options as well.

What a mindfield! It is no wonder that we are so put off making anything ourselves that could potentially cause a reaction that we turn to processed foods that take the guess work out of it through their clever packaging spruiking their products being ‘nut free’ or ‘gluten free’, providing seemingly ‘safe’ healthy options to pop in the kid’s lunchboxes. But as we have all heard countless times, making a product ‘gluten free’ or ‘nut free’ does not necessary mean it is free from other nasties such as trans fats, refined sugars and additives and preservatives, all of which can cause havoc to our systems creating unfavourable physical and behavioural symptoms.

But they are convenient, right? Well that’s where these recipes can help.

Here are a few of my all time favourite lunch box treats that can be made in under 10 minutes by even the most time poor mum or dad and are free from nuts, eggs, dairy, gluten, refined sugar and grains, additives and preservatives*. And what’s even better is that all of these treats can be frozen so you can make them in bulk over the holidays with all of your little helping hands and freeze individually for convenient healthy lunchbox treats at your fingertips everyday.

I have tailored these recipes for my little ones to cater for their individual tastebuds, which I am sure you will do also once you start mixing up your own delicious healthy lunch box bites at home. Have fun with it, and get the kids involved to include their favourite fruits or toppings to personalise them for your family and start enjoying health lunchbox treats this term!

So…got 20 minutes? What are you waiting for?

*It is important to be aware that many dried fruits and dried coconut in Australian stores contain the preservative sulphur dioxide (number 220) which gives dried fruit its bright colours. This preservative can play havoc with our systems, with kids being particular sensitive and should be avoided where possible. Read labels, and try avoiding buying dried fruits or coconut with any numbers in the ingredient list. Choose organic where possible, although they don’t look as pretty, they taste twice as good and they are loads better for us. To save money, find a local bulk organic supplier (such as Flame Tree Community Co-op in Thirroul) where you can pick up however much or little as you need at a fraction of the cost of some organic stores.

Apple & Cinnamon Cookies

Ingredients:

6 plump medjool dates, seeds removed
¼ cup diced dried apple (organic)
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a tray with baking paper.
2. Place all ingredients into your food processor and blend until well combined. Try not to over blend as they will become oily. They should be sticky but not oily.
3. Roll teaspoons of the cookie dough into balls and flatten slightly using the back of a fork. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool. Enjoy.

*Cinnamon has been found to play a helpful role in regulating blood sugar spikes, so it’s worthwhile adding a little extra if you like the taste.

Muesli Slice

Ingredients:
1 cup (150g) medjool dates, seeds removed
1 cup (150g) dried apricots
1 cup (100g) rolled oats (or desiccated coconut if gluten intolerant)
1 tablespoon (20g) hulled tahini
1 heaped tablespoon sunflower seeds + extra for topping
1 tsp rice malt syrup (or honey) (if added sweetness is required)

Method:
Throw all ingredients into your blender, process until it all comes together, press firmly into a lined loaf tin and freeze to set. Once frozen, cut into bars or bite size squares. This one can also be made into balls if your kids prefer.

Choc Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cacao nibs
6-8 medjool dates, seeds removed
1/3 cup hulled tahini
1/4 cup coconut flour (sifted)

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a tray with baking paper.
Place all ingredients into your food processor and blend until well combined.
Roll teaspoons of cookie dough into balls and flatten slightly using the back of a fork. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Enjoy!

Simple Wholefood Mini Muffins

Here you have it, our fail-proof wholefood mini muffin recipe just in time for school lunchboxes. Gluten free, nut free, dairy free and refined sugar free these muffins are absolutely divine and can be personalised for your little cherubs by adding whatever their fav ingredients are. It’s the only muffin recipe you’ll ever need as you can mix it up so many ways.

This batch makes 20 mini muffins.

Ingredients

¾ cup coconut flour (sifted)
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
6 eggs
½ cup melted coconut oil
¼ – ½ cup rice malt syrup or honey (depending on how sweet you want them)
1 tsp natural vanilla extract or ½ vanilla pod scraped

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a mini muffin tray with 20 muffin cases or baking paper cut outs.
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl.
Beat eggs in another medium sized bowl. Add syrup / honey and vanilla. Beat well to combine.
Add coconut oil (but make sure it is not too hot as it will scramble your eggs) and mix until combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix well, then leave to sit for 5 minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb all that liquid.
Then add you ‘add-in’ flavour combination. For example – 1-2 small bananas mashed and 2 tbsp chia seeds, ½ cup frozen berries (plus extra for topping) and ½ cup fine dessicated coconut, 1 fined diced apple with ¼ cup dried mulberries or walnuts….you choose.
Cook in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack.

Enjoy!