5 reasons to be in love with quinoa

Pronounced "keen-wa", quinoa has become a staple grocery item in our kitchen pantry since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and below you will find out why.  Quinoa is an ancient super grain that comes from the Andes mountains in South America.  It is easy to prepare and best of all quick to prepare...I believe it is like a modern day convenience food and the best part about it is its good for you.  The other great thing about it is that it can be prepared in so many different ways.  If you click here you will find 10 ways in which you can easily use quinoa and that is just the start. 

The thing that I like best about quinoa is that it is a complete protein i.e. it contains all 8 essential amino acids which makes it complete.  Its by far a much better source of protein than meat as it doesn't contain the saturated fat that meat contains and you don't to worry about what the quinoa has been eating like you do with animal protein!
Quinoa can be found in your local health food store or in the bulk bins or health food section in your supermarket so its very easy to get if you open yourself up to its possibilities.

5 reasons to love quinoa

1. Its versatility.  Once you know how, you can use it in your baking or as part of your dinner menu or even as a breakfast cereal.
2. Quinoa is packed with vitamins and minerals and is a great source of protein.
3. It is gluten free which is great news for all your coeliacs and gluten intolerant people out there.
4. Great time saver.  From the time you put it in the pot to the time it is ready to be served is approximately 5mins depending on how much of it you are cooking...now thats fast!
5. Quinoa is great energy for your workouts.  1 cup equates to about 8grams of protein.

Now go forth and 'keen-wa-ize' your life :-)

Mini peanut butter cups

Last night I tried out this recipe and I have to say it is quite possibly one of the easiest and most tasty 'good for you desserts/snacks' I have come across thus far.  I found the recipe here on Joe Cross's website called 'Reboot with Joe'.  He is the brains behind the phenomenally successful documentary 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead'.  It is so easy to make and only uses 4 ingredients.  Even my husband said they were good and he is one of my harshest critics!  All of these ingredients you can get at your local health food store.  Make sure you get the real thing though, don't settle for cheap substitutes which will only compromise your health.  If you take the time to use the correct ingredients you will not only have a tasty dessert snack on your hands but one that is doing you some good too!...how about that!

Here is the recipe:-

Mini peanut butter cups

Ingredients:1/2 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup all natural, organic peanut butter* (or almond butter or cashew butter)
12 mini cupcake wrappers

Directions:1.) Mix cacao powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a small bowl until a smooth consistency is formed.
2.) Place a small spoonful of the chocolate into the bottom of the cupcake wrappers.
3.) Add a small scoop of peanut butter to the chocolate and spread evenly.
4.) Top the peanut butter with a small scoop of the chocolate and spread evenly to coat the surface.
5.) Place the mini Peanut Butter Cups in the freezer.
6.) Serve once they are hardened and chilled (about 1 hour).
7.) If you are storing them to eat later, store in the freezer.

Lentil, kumura & watercress soup

I thought it was time for another recipe.  This recipe is from Annabel Langbein's book 'Free Range in the city' which I got for Christmas last year.  I have found many of her recipes not only easy but nutritious too especially this soup recipe which is filled with anti-cancer fighting properties.  Research suggests that watercress (which is a cruciferous veggie) can be protectant against all types of cancers especially breast cancer.  So before I carry on too much, here is the recipe:-

LENTIL, KUMURA & WATERCRESS SOUP

Boil 1 cup of lentils in unsalted water for 10 minutes (or use two cans of lentils).  Drain and set aside.  Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and add 2 diced medium onions, 2 crushed cloves garlic, the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger.  Cook over a medium heat until onion is softened but not browned.  Add lentils, 3 medium peeled and diced kumara (750g), 2 litres veggie stock, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp manuka honey.  Cover and simmer until kumara is tender (about 25mins).  Use a hand held blender stick and puree half of the soup and return it back to the pot (I just pureed straight into the pot).  Just before serving, add 4 handfuls of watercress leaves and 3 tbsp lemon juice.  Season to taste and serve at once.  Serves 6.

Remember if you don't have all the ingredients don't let it put you off making the dish.  I didnt have watercress last time I made this dish, so substituted it for spinach.  If you don't have a hand held blender then dont worry about blending half the soup before serving.  The ginger, lemons, onions and greens are all SO great for excellent health and a balanced system.

I'm having problems uploading photos at the moment so was unable to add a picture to this post, hopefully I will have it sorted soon.

Till next time, Eat Smart Live Smart xxooxx

A crazy sexy kind of Christmas

This Christmas was a pretty crazy, sexy type of Christmas.  Firstly because this Christmas I was a Breast Cancer Survivor...now that's gotta be crazy!  If someone had told me last Christmas that I'd be saying I was a Breast Cancer Survivor this Christmas I wouldn't have believed them for even one second.  But sh*t happens and life moves on and for me I have moved on to an even healthier and happier life than I had ever imagined before despite having had Breast Cancer.  I am just so excited about the future and can't wait to see what 2013 has in store.  There is life after Breast Cancer and that life could be a hundred times happier, healthier and more fulfilling than ever.  I found out how this is possible and I can show you how in my blog over the course of 2013.

The second reason why this Christmas was crazy and sexy was because this Christmas the whole family ate a whole food, plant based Christmas lunch (with a bit of fresh salmon on the side)!  Now let me tell you this is no mean feat as my husband and his family are meat lovers of note.  There was not one of us in the room that didn't feel kinda sexy after Christmas lunch because we all felt well nourished and we didn't feel bloated either because we hadn't just stuffed ourselves full of turkey and fatty roasted potatoes and we all felt really content and light!!  The other exciting thing is that the whole family all LOVED the meal and family members were later seen dotted around the house furiously scribbling down recipes from the lunch they had just devoured...now that's testament to an awesome meal if ever I saw one.  What makes me feel so good about this is that just by me being mindful about what I put in my pie hole, the rest of the family had a think about what they were eating which is great as I really enjoy inspiring and educating others to live healthier happier lives.  This also highlighted to me that if we educate others on how to cook healthier meals they more often than not tend to stick to healthy meals as they are not only tasty but good for you too!

The third reason that this was a crazy sexy kind of Christmas was because I received a copy of Kris Carr's recipe book entitled "Crazy Sexy Kitchen" which I absolutely love!  This book contains 150 plant empowered recipes to ignite a mouth watering revolution.  I tried out one of her recipes tonight on the family called 'crazy sexy bean chili' and without a word of a lie I had family members photographing the recipe before they left for home this evening.

This Christmas was just the start of something big for me and its only going to get bigger and better as I immerse myself in living a healthier/happier life and therefore in doing this I will create a ripple effect around me which educates and inspires others to be the same.

I have also introduced quinoa to a few friends.  Quinoa is an ancient super grain and is one of the most protein rich foods we can eat with all 9 essential amino acids and almost twice as much fibre as other grains.  It is so versatile and easy to cook that it should be a staple in every ones pantry.  I will write more on this later as I have a list of ten different things you can do with quinoa.

So before I get too carried away, below is a picture of what we had for Christmas lunch.  We had Roast salmon with pickled fennel, cucumber & mint salad.  Alongside that was some freshly dug new potatoes straight from the garden and a side of Crunchy Bean, Quinoa and Carrot Salad.  Yummo!!  I a miso glaze ontop of the salmon to make it extra special.  Miso paste has wonderful health benefits.  This is a great meal to serve up to guests at any time of the year if you'd like to impress them, I promise they will not be disappointed.  Always remember that if you look at a recipe and you don't have all the ingredients, don't be put off, there are always great substitutes around.  I added pomegranate to the Christmas quinoa salad to make it look 'festive' which everyone loved.

Anti Cancer chickpea & potato curry

 

Following on from my post "is your diet the bomb?" I promised to post a recipe that had at least 2 or 3 ingredients from the 'g-bombs' list.

This recipe is not only VERY easy to make, it tastes delicious too and is great the next day for left overs.  You know how you always seem to rotate a handful of recipes (or perhaps two handfuls if you are well organised)...well this is one from my handful.  This recipe has heaps of coriander (cilantro) which has amazing health benefits as well as a a spoonful of tumeric  in it which is a  great cancer and overall wellness fighter and of course this recipe contains a couple of 'g-bombs' too!
Serve this up for dinner and have the left overs for lunch the next day...you're gunna love it!

So without further a do...drum roll...here is the recipe:

1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 whole coriander (cilantro) plant - washed and set aside
2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
1 tablespoon tumeric
half an onion chopped
2 medium size potatoes washed and diced
300g can chickpeas drained and washed
2 medium sized tomatoes washed and cubed
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup warm filtered water
1tbsp tamari (or salt reduced soy sauce)
1/2 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste

1.  Place peppercorns in a blender or mortar and pestle.  Add garlic and coriander plant.  Blend or pound to a paste.  Add coconut oil and mix well.
2.  Transfer paste and onion to a heavy bottomed pan and cook over medium heat for 2mins stiring frequently.   Stir in tumeric and cook for another minute.
3.  Add potatoes, chickpeas and tomatoes.  Stir so the potatoes are covered in the tumeric then add the coconut milk, water, tamari and sugar.  Bring to the boil and then let it simmer slowly for 15minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
4.  Season to taste and add some extra coriander to serve for a bit of fancyness!

Enjoy xxooxx

Crunchy Bean, Quinoa & Carrot Salad

This morning i had a whole heap of things that i needed to do.  I needed to go grocery shopping, i need to take photographs of things that we'd like to sell on trademe to de-clutter the house and i need to make a much needed start on my Christmas shopping!  It seems that the 1st December pops up on your calendar and you instantly feel panicked that there is not enough time to get everything done by Christmas Day!  Do you feel this way too?  Its strange how we behave as humans...just a week before the 1st December was upon us i felt like there was heaps of time to get things sorted for Christmas but as soon as you see 1st December appear on your calendar you are suddenly filled with 'oh no, do i have enough time to get everything done before Christmas!'.  Why could i not have started preparing for Christmas in November?  Its almost like the 1st December is that fire cracker that you need under your bum to get things organised!  Anyway, my point is that instead of rushing around like a blue arsed fly this morning getting chores done and running myself down, i decided to nourish myself instead and do what i love i.e. listen to some health talks videos on Jessica Ainscough's website and write a blog post!  I can tell you that i'm going to feel MUCH better after doing that than i would have felt rushing around the shops and i'll be setting myself up for the day to feel good about myself which will then show in how i act/behave around my kids and husband.  Yes i know i still need to get my chores done, but i have looked in my diary and i have created space to do them some other time.  One of the many things i have been focusing on at the moment is the need to nourish yourself and create space and time for yourself.  If you do that then you'll find that you feel like you have so much more time in your day even when you felt like you were busy before.  Look after No. 1 aka: YOU and the rest will take care of its self, i promise it works!  We just need to learn how to look after ourselves properly and that is one of the main reasons why having a Health Coach in your life is very beneficial as they can show you how.  Unfortunately in this modern day of age we have forgotten how to look after ourselves because we are too busy looking after everyone elses needs and we tend to neglect our own.  Remember what the airline video says when you get on the plane "always put your own oxygen mask on first before you tend to anyone else"...and that is true for how we should live our lives.

Something else that i have been made aware of through the Nutrition school is 'bio-individuality'.  No one diet works for everyone because none of us are the same, we are all made up differently with different needs so whatever diet may work for one person doesn't necessarily mean it will work for the next person.  I hate using the word 'diet' so for the purpose of this blog i'll refer to diet as 'a healthy eating plan' instead.  There are two important things to remember when you are thinking about scrutinising your healthy eating plan and that is:-
1.  Whichever healthy eating plan you decide is right for you, the number one priority is to ensure that it is REAL food and what i mean by that is make sure its wholesome WHOLE food, nothing genetically modified and be sure that you use only the freshest ingredients where ever possible.
2.  Listen to your body.  Your body requires different nutrients at different stages in your day/life so what may feel right for you today may not feel right for you next month or next year.  We are continually changing from day to day, the seasons are changing and what we do physically today may not be what we do tomorrow, so its important to listen to what your body might be telling you and not to ignore its needs.  When last did you actually listen to what your body was asking to feed it instead of just stuffing a sandwhich down your throat just because the clock said lunchtime...was your body even telling you that it was hungry?

So i have a recipe for you today (hence the heading of this post).  I found it on one of my favourite go to websites called www.greenkitchenstories.com.  Green Kitchen is an inspiring source of organic and tasty vegetarian food, with ingredients  straight from nature, using whole grains and seeds, good fats, unrefined sugars and no meat.  I tried this recipe about about a week ago and as you can see from the picture if looks pretty too (the picture that i took was from the salad that i made, not the picture off the website, impressive for a novice hey!!  It is also packed with so many nutrients it will blow your mind.  Here are some of the nutrients your body will be thriving on if you eat this salad:
Beans:- low in saturated fat and sodium (salt); a good source of Vit B6, Iron, Magnesium, Protein, Vitamin C and Folate.
Quinoa (this grain dates back 3 to 4 thousand years and originates from the Incas): It is a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids.  It contains Iron which keeps our red blood cells healthy.  Its rich in Magnesium which helps relax blood vessels and in turn will help alleviate migraines.  There are a heap of other nutrients in quinoa but i can't name them all.  Type 'quinoa benefits' into google and have a read for yourself..you will be astounded.
Carrots: they are nutritional heroes' as they store a goldmine of nutrients.  The main nutrient in carrots is carotene which the body converts to Vit A which is essential for so many bodily functions.

Anyway, before i go on and on about how good this salad is for you, below is what you have all been waiting for, the recipe.  And once again i'd like to thank greenkitchenstories for creating this masterpiece of a recipe and for inspiring me to write about it!  The important thing to remember is not to get bogged down by coming across something in the recipe that you may not have in your pantry.  If you don't have it leave it out or substitute it with something else...make the recipe your own!  For example if you don't have heirloom carrots (I didn't) then use normal carrots instead.  If you don't have lingonberries either leave them out or replace them with cranberries.  Go on use your imagination, you will be surprised at what you come up with and how good it tastes!

Crunchy Bean, Quinoa & Carrot Salad
Serves 4
If you time it right, this salad can be prepared while the quinoa is cooking. Then you won’t only have a quick salad, but it will also be lukewarm, which is how I like it best. If you don’t time it right it will be served cold, but that tastes pretty darn good too.
1 lb (450 g) green and yellow beans, trimmed
2 cups quinoa
8 heirloom carrots, sliced thinly
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped or halved
1/2 cup lingonberries (can be replaced with red or black currants or fresh cranberries)

Dressing
4 tbsp Dijon mustard, preferably coarse grained
3 tsp honey
juice from 1 medium sized lemon
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
sea salt & black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Trim off the edges of the beans and put them in a large sauce pan with boiling water and a pinch of salt. Remove after only 1 minute, using a sieve. Put the water back on the heat. Rinse the quinoa and then add them to the water. Let boil for about 15 minutes, or until you can see the small tails on the quinoa. Meanwhile, add the carrot slices to a small bowl. Pour about 2 tbsp olive oil over them and toss until all are coated in oil. Spread evenly on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle some salt over and bake for about 7-8 minutes (depending on how thinly sliced they are). Keep an eye on the oven so they don’t burn. Remove when the edges are starting to curl. Now it’s time to make the dressing. Whisk together mustard and honey. Add lemon juice, vinegar and oil and whisk for about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper according to taste.
Assembling: Add beans, cooked quinoa, roasted carrots, onion and raisins in a large salad bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss, using your hands, until everything is well mixed. Top with toasted hazelnuts and lingonberries and serve immediately.