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Recipe Blog

LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE BE THY FOOD

My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.
My vision is to help people create food that is delicious, easy to make and high in nutrition,
so that food once more becomes a vehicle to fuel your body, mind and soul.

High Protein ‘Meat’ Balls (GF, V)

By , January 19, 2025

‘It is only by risking ourselves from one hour to another that we live at all’

Food for thought

No matter the path we choose to honour, there will always be conflict to negotiate. There will always be discord with those who would rather have us be something other than ourselves. If we choose to avoid all conflict within others, we will eventually breed a conflict within ourselves. In the book ‘the body says no, Gabor Mate intimates that this can contribute to disease by causing dis-ease.

It takes time to understand who you truly are, versus the constructs of society, education, religion and family to name a few. In the book, ‘untamed’ by Glennon Doyle, she takes us through her journey of her finding herself amongst the rubble of constructs she had taken on to people please and be loved. In the end she notes, ‘sometimes being brave means letting everyone down but yourself’’.

The recipe

This is delicious alternative to meat-based meatballs. Higher in protein per meatball from the hemp and quinoa, easier to make and lighter as part of an evening meal. Make your quinoa for the week and use this recipe for any leftovers you may have. I added in the vegetable stock and made the red wine optional versus the original recipe. The original recipe came from one of the chefs at Fiddleheads Cooking Studio. This is an organization I recently started to work for. It offers kids cooking classes, in the aim of promoting food exploration, and promoting food education through seasonal ingredients.   

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 1 tbsp. EVOO
  • 1/3 cup, finely minced shallots
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • ½ tsp. crushed fennel seeds
  • 2/3 tbsp. red wine (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 .25 cup hulled hemp seeds

Method

  • Bring 1 ¾ cups water to the boil with the stock cube, add the quinoa, cook for 12 minutes or until you see holes in the grains. Switch off and allow the rest to cook by steam. Once cooked, transfer to a plate and allow to cool.
  • At the same time heat a little oil and sauté the shallots with a pinch of salt until translucent, 2-4 minutes. add the garlic and crushed fennel and sauté for another 30 seconds
  • If using add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Add the quinoa, aromatics and hemp seeds in a food processer and pulse till formed into a well combined pate
  • Roll the mixture into little rounds and pan fry in the remaining oil to sear and give some color
  • Serve in a lunch box, as a canape or with spaghetti and marinara

Roasted Broccoli and Puffed Rice Salad (GF, V)

By , January 11, 2025

‘Now there is nothing left but to keep dancing’

I don’t know if it is human nature or the way of life on earth, but we rarely become all of who we are until forced to do it. Some say that something in us arises to the occasion that there is as, as Hemingway called it, ‘a grace under pressure’ that comes forth in most of us when challenged.

This reminds me of the story of Ted Shawn a young divinity student who was struck with a bout of diphtheria and left paralysed from the waist down at the age of 19. From somewhere deep within came a voice calling him to dance. With great difficulty he quit divinity school and with the help of his physical therapist became a dancer, debuting in 1913 as a ballroom dancer and eventually contributing to the birth of modern dance through the creation of an all-male dance troupe in 1933.

Whatever crisis we face, there is a voice that speaks beneath the pain, if we can hear it and believe it, it will show us how to return to who we truly are.

What is your inner voice saying to you?

The recipe…

This is an easy recipe and a good was to get your broccoli or any other greens in. The broccoli is put under pressure from the heat and the result is a nice crispy browning. The rice is there as a textural crunch but can easily be substituted with peanuts, sunflower seeds or croutons. The sauce is delicious and can be doubled and used as a for other dishes.  

Ingredients

  • 2lbs broccoli, cut into small florets
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (or seed butter)
  • ¼ cup boiling water
  • 2 tsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. tamari
  • 1 tsp. maple syrup
  • ¼ cup puffed rice
  • Broccoli microgreens or other (optional)

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 425F
  • Place the broccoli on a baked tray with parchment paper
  • Drizzle oil, salt and pepper, toss and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy
  • While it roasts, make the dressing
  • Combine the peanut butter, water, vinegar, tamari and maple syrup. It will look odd at first but keep whisking and it will become smooth
  • Once the broccoli is cooked, transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle the puffed rice (or peanuts if preferred) and microgreens (or cut scallions)

Coconut Cashew Rice (GF, V)

By , January 4, 2025

‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’ Dr Maya Angelou

I’ve been thinking a lot about new year resolutions lately. How we create them and then feel all that pressure. Eventually we break them and then feel guilty, and the cycle starts again every year, or every time we create an ‘absolute’ attached to change.

Pema Chodon notes that ‘the problem with the desire to change is that it is fundamentally a form of aggression towards yourself’. That surprised me.  The reason she says is that our hangups contain our wisdom.

She advises not to just get rid of habits and emotions but to make friends with them. To see them clearly with precision, honesty and gentleness. That means not judging yourself as a bad person, but also not bolstering yourself up by saying, it is good I am this way, other people are terrible. The gentleness involves not repressing the emotion but also not acting it out.

It is something much softer and more openhearted. It involves learning how once you have fully acknowledged the understanding of who you are and what you do, to let it go. You let go of the story line that accompanies the emotion and begin to see clearly how you keep the whole thing going. So, whether it is anger, craving, jealousy, fear or depression, the notion is not to get rid of it, but to make friends with it, to understand it with softness and learning and then to let it go.

The recipe…

This is a Sattvic recipe. A recipe that will be gentle on your system after a few weeks of ‘out of the box’ eating, it is spiced with gentle digestive and anti-inflammatory spices. You can add any vegetables that you’d like.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup basmati rice, soaked and washed
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 tsp. mustard seeds
  • 2 cardamom pods, crushed
  • 1-inch piece ginger, cut into strips
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. coriander
  • 6 curry leaves
  • ¼ cup cashew nuts
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup stock
  • 1 tsp. salt

Method

  • Drain and rinse the rice until the water runs clear, set aside
  • Warm the oil in a large pan, add the mustard seeds, cardamom pods, ginger, curry leaves and spices.
  • Stir until the mustard seeds start to pop, c. 10-20 seconds
  • Stir in the cashew nuts and sauté for 1 minute till they start to brown
  • Add the rice and stir till the grains are covered
  • Stir in the coconut milk, salt and the stock
  • Simmer on low, covered for 20 minutes
  • Take off the heat and fluff with a fork
  • Pull out the cardamom pods and serve warm

Creamy Black-Eyed Bean (GF, V)

By , December 27, 2024

‘We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives … not looking for flaws but for potential’.

All the traditions around food in the new year, centre around the potential for the future. Whether it is lentils in the Italian and Chinese cultures, calling for abundance and good fortune, or the bean dishes from middle Africa so widely celebrated in the south.

Lentils and beans are used as they are drought resistant and thus a crop that is abundant when there is lack. We associate something that is humble in nature to our highest status, our human potential. We elevate the qualities of resilience and presence in the face of uncertainty.

What if we took the lessons of the humble lentil/bean and asked how we could bring these into the New Year. If we learnt how to be more resilient by being more present to the infinite possibilities of the moment, how would this effect our potential? How would it affect our ability to stay congruent to our values and stay true to what we want to see manifest in the year ahead?

This is a beautiful smoky, creamy bean dish. I add greens and pair it with coconut rice.

Ingredients

  • 1lb dried black-eyed beans
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 4 cups vegetable/chicken broth
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 cups greens (optional)

Method

  • Soak the beans overnight
  • Rinse, bring to the boil and down to a simmer. Cook until soft, c. 40 minutes
  • In a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté to release the flavor. Add the onion, celery and carrots with a pinch of salt and stir until the onions are translucent.
  • Add the paprika, thyme, beans, 1 tsp. salt and broth. Stir well. Bring to the boil and then down to a simmer.
  • Cover and cook for 1-2 hours. The longer you cook the more starch will release and the creamier the beans will become.
  • If adding greens, add them 5 minutes before you have finished
  • Serve with rice, greens and some fresh parsley

Tips for a healthy holiday

By , December 22, 2024

As we move into the holidays, with social and family meets. I thought I would send out a few tips on how to keep your plate and yourself balanced.

I was asked to contribute to an article by the lovely Cam Hayes from Rent.com. I will post the link to the full article at the bottom, as it is full to the brim of great holiday advice and tips from a broad range of experts.

My contribution is entitled, ‘think about adding to your plate instead of taking away’. This shift in mentality helps you to feel you are not restricting yourself during the holidays, just adding healthy options.

When striving for healthy holiday eating, focus on adding nutritious foods to your plate rather than restricting yourself. By incorporating colorful vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, you enhance the flavor and nutritional value of your meal without sacrificing satisfaction. Natasha Brunetti chef, consultant and coach at Plant To Table explains more about the steps she takes to promote healthy holiday eating for her family below:

  • “I make sure there is a vegetable platter on the table with the appetizers. I pair it with lots of fun and nutritious dips, e.g., flavored hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, and guacamole.
  • I add a fruit platter to the dessert table. This is always popular after a heavy meal and to pair with or before heavy desserts.
  • I create flavored water or juice that can be used for the kids and for the adults in between the alcoholic beverages. This keeps everyone hydrated.
  • If I am visiting someone else for dinner, I take my own dish. They are always happy to have variety, and I am secure in the knowledge I have something healthful to eat.
  • Eat until you are satisfied, not until you are full. ‘Hara Hachi Bun Me’ is the Japanese phrase that translates to ‘Eat until you are 80% full’. This is one of the lessons from the blue zones to enhance longevity. You also know that there will be leftovers so it’s a wise choice over the festive period.

Notice most of these healthy holiday eating tips are adding something, not taking away. Most importantly, have fun with loved ones and focus on connection – not cravings, good times – not guilt, and making precious memories.”

Healthy Holiday Eating Tips to Keep You on Track

Samosa Christmas Tree (V)

By , December 20, 2024

‘Be open to the most present possibility’ Ilene Friedman

This is a quote from one of my friends who I meditate with in the mornings over zoom. We were discussing a different quote, when she explained her version of being present, was ‘to be open to the most present possibilities’ instead of making multiple assumptions about what was going to happen next, and then inevitably steering the next moment that way.

As someone who has discovered anxiety over the last few years, this certainly hit home. Making assumptions about future moments that have not and potentially will not happen, causes the creation of my own suffering. Bringing myself back to the present moment and its ‘infinite’ possibilities is a technique that has helped to combat anxiety and lets me lean into life’s events.

When my friend noted this, it also struck me in that moment as the explanation for why those with very little seem so much happier than those who have abundance. I observed this so acutely as I worked in a community orphanage in Africa in 2008. We would go from residence to residence (mostly houses made of clay, straw and tin) to check on the community. They were joyful and grateful for the visit and the day. With death and illness surrounding them, all they had was ‘the present possibility’ and that made them grateful for everything. Living moment to moment makes you grateful that you are drawing breath, that the sun is shining, that your child or the child you are caring for (most of the parents has passed) is gurgling happily on the floor.  

The recipe…

My cousin Sabrina sent me this recipe, as she knows I love to play around with different versions of my grandma’s food. It makes a lovely centrepiece appetizer for Christmas and with it some cultural sentimentality.

I adapted the recipe from @whenmeateatsveg to reflect my grandma’s samosa filling.

Ingredients

  • 2 puffy pastry sheets (defrosted)
  • 2 medium russet potatoes, cut into small cubes (5*5cm)
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp. Coconut oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. turmeric
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. coriander
  • ½ tsp. chili powder (optional)

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Add the oil to a deep pan, sauté the onions with a little salt till they start to soften and turn transparent, add the potatoes and peas and continue to sauté, stirring often. Add the lemon juice and cover. Continue cooking, stirring every so often to make sure the mixture isn’t sticking, if it is, add a few drops of water.
  • You want this mixture to cook down, so that the end mixture is soft and reduced in size a little. Once cooked, pour into a bowl and allow to cool.
  • Line a large baking tray with parchment paper
  • Roll out the puff pastry. Add the filling on top, to around 1 inch from the edge
  • Add the second puff pastry on top, pressing down gently. Slightly pinch the edges so the filling doesn’t fall out.
  • Cut out your Christmas tree and make horizontal cuts along the edges. Carefully twist each branch.
  • Make some stars or decorations for tree with the excess and some samosa hand pies
  • Brush with plant-based milk to help with browning
  • Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown

Chocolate Oat Bar (GF, V)

By , December 14, 2024

‘We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude’.

The holidays can often feel stressful. It is the end of the year, and we naturally rush to get things finalized. It is the holidays, and many people travel to and from family. Gratuities, gifts, meetings and holiday parties start to enter the social calendar. In sum, an already busy life gets exponentially busier.

At its essence however the holidays are really about connection, community and love. Isn’t that what we are communicating with the presents we buy, the food we offer and the time we spend together? Yet, this can get lost in the busyness of it all.

When we take a moment to drop into our bodies, when take a deep breath and centre ourselves, we remember the essence of ourselves and by extension of the world around us. When we take time to be present, we can see the beauty in the simpler smaller things. This applies to the ordinary every day as well as the holidays.

This beautiful poem by Nikita Gill, is an acute reminder of reasons to treasure the beauty of the moment.

‘You will not know a last time, until long after it has happened.

The last time you felt the warmth of your mother’s hug.

The last time your father was able to lift you up and carry you on his shoulders.

The last time you shared half an orange with your brother.

Or the last late-night conversation with your best friend.

Perhaps if we knew which ending was forever, we would linger a little longer in each moment.

We would look at it like a diamond held up to the sunlight. Treasuring all the beautiful colours it brought into our lives.’

With gratitude this week to Gina Burgess for this beautiful no bake, vegan, gluten free chocolate oat bar. This was taste tested and approved of by my whole book club. ‘Delicious, light, rich and addictive’ where the comments.

Yield: One loaf

Ingredients

Base/Topping

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 1/3 maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp. salt

Fudge filling

  • ½ cup dark chocolate
  • ¼ cup sunflower butter
  • 2 tsp. orange extract

Method

  • Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper
  • Add the base/topping ingredients together in a bowl till well combined
  • Add ¾ of the mixture to the tin and press down. Place in the freezer.
  • Melt the chocolate in a bowl, whisk in the sunflower butter and orange extract
  • Pour on top of the base layer
  • Sprinkle the rest of the topping on the top and place back into the freezer for at least an hour
  • Remove from the freezer and cut into squares
  • Store in an airtight fridge or freezer

Almond Cardamom Cookies (GF, V)

By , December 7, 2024

‘Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive’

I was recently invited to a cookie party. My first one. It called for all bakers to bring their signature cookie to the table and swap cookies and recipes. I consider myself a savory cook more than a baker, but I was invited by my friend Ilene, and I never turn down an invitation to spend time with her.

I was a little nervous about presenting a cookie to bakers and so I tested out a number of recipes. One with oats, one with nuts and a beautiful healthy gluten free shortbread. As lovely as these cookies are they didn’t feel like they were my ‘signature’. In the end I made my infamous cardamom cookies. They are made with almond meal/flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, cardamom and rose water. They are delicious and healthful. They absolutely represent my food philosophy, healthy, vegan, sweet but from a nutritious sugar source and lightly spiced.

The day I made the cookies, I read the above quote in my daily reading of ‘the book of awakening’ by Mark Nepo (an Ilene recommendation). It reminded me to start with ‘who am I?’ and ‘what do I have to offer’ versus what do I think other people need or want from me. A cookie may seem a small item to be relating to who you are, but I believe in the old adage ‘how you do one thing is how you do everything’. It is like holding a mirror up to yourself.

On the day of the cookie swap, I presented my cookie, and it was unique to me and provoked a lot of wonderful conversations on Ayurveda, ingredients, health, Veganism and culinary character. The cookie was a gateway to representing who I was and by being true to that I was able to connect on a deeper level to those around me.

A life of passion makes us a healthy cell in the body of the world. So, I leave you with these questions. What makes you feel alive and can you make space for it?

Recipe time…

This is a light and fragrant cookie with cooling properties, due to the rose and cardamom and vanilla. Using almonds as the base will also keep you satiated.

You can make the almond meal by finely grinding almonds yourself, or to save time you can buy it. 

The recipe comes together easily and including baking time can be done in under 20 minutes. The raw dough is so tasty, that it is tempting to just stop there.

Cardamom is one of my favorite spices. It is an antioxidant, a natural tranquilizer, an antimicrobial and known to flush toxins from the system.

Rose water is a powerful antiseptic, contains antioxidants and in some studies has been found to have antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties. 

Vanilla is seen as a digestive, an aphrodisiac and when added to food, reduces the amount of sugar needed for sweetening.     

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups almond meal (store-bought or home-made)
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp rose water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

  • Pre-heat your oven to 375F and line a baking tray with parchment
  • Add the first four dry ingredients together and whisk to combine
  • Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir with a spoon till the mixture comes together. You should be able to pinch the mixture, and it hold together in your fingers
  • Role the mixture into small balls, the size of a quarter/50pence piece
  • Flatten slightly and place on baking tray
  • Bake in an oven for 8-10 minutes at 375F until starting to brown and a little firm
  • Let cool. As they cool, they will firm up a little more 

Cookies and Contentment (GF)

By , November 28, 2024

When psychologists began studying happiness in the 1980’s and 1990’s, they gave their research subjects pagers, and whenever they went off, they were to jot down how happy they were on a scale of one to ten and what had been going on to make them feel that way. After collecting thousands of responses, they found that pretty much everyone wrote down a seven regardless of what they were doing – grocery shopping, attending their kid’s soccer game. When bad things happened – someone was sick or going through a divorce – the rating would dip to between two and five but eventually pop back up to seven. When good things happened – a new job, a vacation – the rating would get a boost but eventually settle back down to a seven.
 
This constant seven most of us live at, toys with us. We think, if I could have this or do that, I would get to a ten and I’d stay there. We chase the impossible to have, all time ten. Psychologists call this the ‘hedonic treadmill’ because we are running after something only to end up in the same place.
 
When we practice contentment, accepting where we are right now, understanding that it will change, we will find joy. This invites us to enjoy the journey, to live in and appreciate the moment.  
 
So how do we cultivate contentment.
 
Gratitude – Gratitude can train our brains to be more positive in the present
Relationships – One of the few external factors that changes contentment levels, according to social research, is our relationships. When we’re in constant pursuit, it’s easy to give our time, energy and attention to the chase instead of our friends and family. Shifting our focus to the people in our lives helps us cultivate contentment.
Purpose – We can cultivate contentment by living a purposeful life – one that reflects our values, allows us to use our skills and contribute in some way*.
 
To help you along the way, here is a lovely healthy gluten free version of shortbread. It has almond, coconut flour and egg making it higher protein than the non-gluten version which is just flour, sugar and butter. It is light and rich as noted by multiple taste testers.

Yield: 10-30 cookies

Ingredients

  • 100g corn flour (masa not corn starch)
  • 100g rice flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 100g coconut flour
  • 100g almond meal
  • 100g icing sugar
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 250g cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 egg yolks

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 325F
  • Combine the flours, almond meal, icing sugar and salt. Add the butter and rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
  • Add the egg yolk and knead again with your hands until you have a smooth dough. Form into a ball. Dust a clean surface with rice flour and roll out the dough until 5mm thick.
  • Use a cookie cutter to cut out biscuits in whatever shape you prefer. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.
  • Let cool on the tray for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack

*(Taken from Living the Sutra’s)

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF, V)

By , November 23, 2024

‘Bake the world a better place’

More easy and wholesome cookies for the holidays. This one is an oat-based cookie and so a good grab and go for breakfast. It is also nut free. It holds its shape and texture when cool and lasts a while, if in the fridge. It’s a great way of using up ripe bananas as the banana is the only sweetener. On the chocolate chip, I like to use a bitter vegan carob for extra antioxidants, but feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate chips if your heart so desires. The heart wants what the heart wants, so they say.

Yield: 10-12 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 1.5 cups oatmeal
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  • Add the bananas to a bowl and mash until broken down
  • Add the oats and gently stir until the mixture looks like a thick ‘batter’
  • Sprinkle the chocolate chips and mix till well combined
  • Scoop one heaping tablespoon of the dough into your clean hands and free form into a cookie
  • Place on a baking tray and bake till set through, c. 12-15 minutes