Bobby beetroot salads

Beetroot is not a particularly popular vegetable in England although this is changing. In Australia however, it’s a different story. I was amazed at how much beetroot figured on menus when I first moved to Oz and the recent memory of boiled beetroot in vacuum packs made me a little apprehensive. However, after exposure to the beautiful fresh version, I became a purple plant convert. It is a staple in any juice, makes a yummy dip and is a regular addition to winter salads. I’m a big fan of roasted beetroot in olive oil, salt and pepper but you can also boil or bake it. Beetroot greens are also highly nutritious and can be prepared in the same way as spinach.

Beetroot is a good source of folate, fibre and antioxidants and has been shown to reduce blood pressure due to its nitrate-rich properties (also found in green leafy vegetables). Throw together roasted beetroot and pumpkin with rocket leaves and goats feta for a delicious salad to accompany lamb. A lighter salad with beetroot, freshly chopped apple, onion and spinach is equally as good.

Beetroot and pumpkin salad

·       Beetroot, washed, topped, tailed and chopped into cubes

·       Pumpkin chopped into cubes

·       Pumpkin seeds

·       Wild rocket leaves

·       Goats feta

·       Thinly sliced onion

·       Olive oil

Dressing

·       Balsamic vinegar

·       Olive oil

·       Sea salt and pepper 

Roast the beetroot, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds in olive oil until cooked then throw together with rest of ingredients and toss in the dressing.

Beetroot and apple salad

·       Beetroot, washed, topped, tailed and chopped into cubes and roasted in olive oil

·       BOB’s apples washed and chopped into cubes

·       BOB small onion, thinly sliced

·       Baby spinach

Dressing

·       Lemon juice

·       Flaxseed oil

·       Sea salt

Oranges and Lemons

Oranges have been a running theme in BOB for the past few weeks which has helped me to rediscover my love for the citrus fruit. One orange provides more than the daily requirement of Vitamin C. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the severity of infection but has numerous other roles in the body including the formation of collagen, defence against free radicals and as an antihistamine. Citrus fruits also contain lots of fibre and important antioxidants. BOB gave us beautiful lemons this week which are so cleansing when squeezed into warm water and drunk first thing in the morning. I also use lemons in most of my salad dressings and marinades.

I have started putting oranges into salads because they are so delicious. This is a really simple salad that would be a perfect accompaniment to meat. The sweetness of the oranges works so well with the salty sour taste of olives.

2 or more oranges, peeled and cut into segments
Rocket leaves
Fennel thinly sliced
Olives

For the dressing:
Lemon juice
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Mix the salad ingredients together and then toss in the lemon juice and olive oil dressing.

Easy Tabbouleh

BOB gave us beautiful flat leaf parsley and tomatoes this week, and with the sun shining, I thought a yummy Tabbouleh was in order. I am often asked about easy healthy lunches to take to work, well, this would be a good one. Parsley, when used in large amounts such as in tabbouleh, has incredible antioxidant properties, particularly those that promote eye health. Tomatoes are THE source of lycopene which has been shown to protect against a variety of cancers. Parsley and tomatoes are both rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Bulgar wheat is traditionally used in tabbouleh and due to minimal processing boasts a low GI and high levels of vitamins and minerals.

70g bulgur wheat
4 tomatoes seeded and chopped into small cubes
1 large bunch of parsley, chopped
1 small bunch of mint, chopped
2-3 spring onions chopped

For the dressing:
Garlic clove crushed to a paste
¼ tsp of cinnamon
¼ tsp of allspice
Lemon juice
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Sit the bulgur in water for about 3 min, wash and then mix with the other salad ingredients. Toss the salad in the dressing and its ready to go! So easy. If you are wheat intolerant or gluten free, you can swap the bulgur for quinoa.

Innocent Fish Pie

This is a delicious fish pie that can be eaten without the fear of loading up on excessive calories. There are some beautiful fish pie recipes out there but all are considerably high in fat listing ingredients such as puff pastry, double cream and cheddar cheese. There is no doubt that these elements create a luxurious and great tasting pie, however, this type of meal should be the exception not the rule.

If you want to eat fish pie more frequently than a treat, this recipe cuts down dramatically on the saturated fat content and still tastes good. It is suitable for wheat free diets and dairy free diets where yoghurt and goats cheese is tolerated and is also nutrition rich with lots of veggies and protein. I have a weakness for truffles so I add a small amount of truffle oil but this is optional. Serve the fish pie with steamed organic broccoli dressed with organic unrefined linseed oil.

· ½ - ¾ pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
· 2 organic eggs
· 2 large handfuls spinach
· 1 onion, finely chopped
· 1 carrot, finely chopped
· Olive oil
· 1 cup fat free organic yoghurt
· 150-200ml Bonsoy milk
· 50g of goats fetta cheese
· 1 lemon, juiced
· 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
· 1 large handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
· 2 tsp of truffle infused oil (optional)
· 500g of white fish (such as blue eye cod, barramundi etc) chopped into strips
· Macrobiotic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
· Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Steam the pumpkin until soft and then mash with 50ml of soy milk, some grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.Add the eggs to a pan of boiling water and cook for 8 minutes until hard boiled. Steam the spinach in a colander above the pan for a minute and then squeeze out moisture. Remove the eggs, cool under cold water, then peel and quarter them and put in bowl with spinach and fish.

In a separate pan slowly fry the onion and carrot in a little olive oil for about 5-10 minutes, then add the yoghurt and remaining soy milk and bring to the boil for about a minute. Remove from the heat and add the goats cheese, lemon juice, mustard, parsley and truffle oil if using. Pour the vegetable sauce over the eggs, fish and spinach and mix together carefully. Put into an ovenproof and spread the pumpkin mash on top of the fish. Cook for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Quick Quinoa Risotto

I love risotto but eat it fairly infrequently because it’s high in simple carbohydrates and often low in protein content. I think of risotto as a treat rather than a staple of my everyday diet. Of course you can make a healthier risotto with brown rice, however, whether you are using white arborio or brown rice, risotto needs lots of time, love and attention. I’m often too busy to offer these cooking qualities in the week so instead I opt for a more protein rich, lower fat and less time consuming quinoa risotto.

Quinoa has a low glycaemic index and is high in fibre and protein (approx 15%). Unusually for a plant, it contains a balanced set of amino acids making it a complete protein and thus a perfect food source for vegetarians.

You can increase the protein content of this meal by serving alongside a piece of poached salmon, trout, white fish or chicken. This protein rich, low fat, complex carbohydrate meal is great for week nights when you are short of time and ingredients. Feel free to substitute for any veggies you have available. I don’t see why this risotto can’t be part of everyday life. Serves around 4 as a side.

· 1 bulb of fennel sliced
· Handful of mushrooms sliced
· Couple of handfuls of spinach
· 2 cloves of garlic chopped
· Fresh chilli – chopped
· 1-2 cups of quinoa
· Chicken stock
· ½ lemon juiced
· 1 tbsp Olive oil
· Salt and pepper
· Parsley

· Optional: drizzle of unrefined brown flaxseed oil to serve

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and fry garlic and chilli for 1 minute. Add fennel, coat with the oil and sauté for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for further 5-10 mins. Add quinoa and mix well. Add a couple of cups of chicken stock and simmer. Stir occasionally and if it becomes dry, add more chicken stock. The quinoa should cook in about 15 minutes and the germ ring will become visible. A few minutes before serving, stir the spinach through the quinoa until cooked. Add lemon juice and seasoning to taste and top with chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of flaxseed oil.

Back to balance chicken soup

Eating out frequently, together with desserts and glasses of wine and not enough healthy home cooked food often leads to weight gain, lethargy and the need to bring balance back into your life. At times like this, I try to take back control of my diet and weight with a mini detox. By mini detox, I mean giving my body a rest for a few days from fats, sugar and alcohol. This takes stress off the liver and pancreas and helps to shed the recently gained extra kilos.

The problem with detoxing is that you really need to make all meals yourself to ensure you eat a low fat, low sugar and highly nutritious diet. We don’t all have time to make breakfast, lunch and dinner and so at these feeling out of kilter periods, I make chicken soup. Lots of it.

The great thing about this soup is that it has lots of veggies, lots of protein and is low in fat and sugar. The stock also contains silica which improves the structure and function of connective tissue such as skin, hair and nails. It’s easy to make and can be used for lunch or dinner for up to a week.

For variation at each meal, it can be served over different cooked grains/legumes such as lentils, cannellini beans, quinoa, brown rice or pearl barley. Green leafy veggies are great for detoxing the liver but feel free to vary. Instead of adding extra salt to taste, top your soup bowl with a teaspoon of Umeboshi paste. Umeboshi helps to stimulate the liver and kidneys and detoxify the body of toxins.

Try to use organic meat and veg whenever possible.

Stock
· 1 whole organic chicken
· Carrot
· Onion (halved)
· Bay leaf
· 6 peppercorns

Soup
· Tbsp of olive oil
· 2 or 3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
· 2 carrots (finely chopped)
· 2 celery sticks (finely chopped)
· 2 onions (finely chopped)
· 2 leeks (roughly chopped)
· Mixture of other green veg/cruciferous veg such as broccoli, kale, spinach, silverbeet, cavalo nero
· 2 x bay leaves
· Oregano
· Macrobiotic salt/unrefined sea salt
· Optional: drizzle of unrefined brown flaxseed oil to serve

In large saucepan, submerge chicken in water (enough water to cover chicken) and add onion, carrot, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to boil and then simmer for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Pour chicken stock into separate saucepan and skim fat off the top. Separate chicken meat from the bone removing the fat, chop roughly and set aside.

Heat the oil and throw in the chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic and sweat on a low heat for 25 minutes. Then throw in rest of vegetables and oregano and stir for few minutes. Add the chicken meat, stock and bay leaves, bring to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes or less if you can’t wait. Season to taste and add chopped parsley. Serve over choice grains or legumes.

Healing protein smoothie

This smoothie is great for healing the gut of those with IBS or dysbiosis or just for the morning after a big night out. It’s also a great breakfast or post workout snack and can be boosted with a good quality protein powder. You can of course forgo the slippery elm and aloe vera if you don’t feel your gut is compromised.

The fruits can be varied, try to use those in season. I always try to add berries because they contain lots of antioxidants and fibre and have a low glycaemic index. And they taste good! The addition of aloe vera juice and slippery elm powder have a soothing and healing effect on inflamed gut linings. You can make this dairy free by taking out the yoghurt or adding goat/sheeps yoghurt. You can also use oat or almond milk in the place of soy.

· 150ml of Bonsoy milk
· 2 tbsp of low fat organic yoghurt
· Handful of oats (soaked if possible)
· Tsp/tbsp of slippery elm (depending on what you feel works for you)
· 50ml aloe vera juice
· Tbsp linseed meal/LSA/flaxseed oil
· Ground cinnamon
· Optional scoop of good quality protein powder

Combination of two or more of below fruits (depending on what is in season):

· Strawberries
· Blueberries
· Banana to thicken
· Mango
· Pomegranate

Chuck all ingredients into a blender and voila

Organic puffed brown rice muesli with yoghurt, strawberries and cinnamon

It is important to start the day with a healthy and nutritious breakfast that includes complex carbs, protein and good fat. Eating just simple carbohydrates for breakfast (e.g. raisin toast) will leave you hungry after the initial high and grabbing for a snack. You are also more likely to suffer from the mid afternoon craving and lethargy that so many of us experience.

This is one of my favourite breakfasts, its high in B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, complex carbohydrate and protein and low in saturated fat. So many mueslis bought in the supermarket are toasted (high in fat), high in sugar and full of preservatives. I like to know what I’m eating and keep it pretty simple. Raw nuts and seeds can be added, as can linseeds in place of flaxseed oil. Other grains can be used instead of the puffed brown rice such as puffed millet, buckwheat or amaranth. I make a mix of oats and brown puffed rice and any additional seeds at the beginning of the week so I don’t need to make it every morning. Adding cinnamon to breakfast is a great way to sweeten cereals without adding calories. Cinnamon is also fantastic for controlling blood glucose and therefore cravings.

I like to use fruits in season, blueberries are perfect in summer and in winter you can use grated organic apple or top with some stewed rhubarb and ginger.

• 3/4 tbsp of puffed brown rice



• 3/4 tbsp of organic rolled oats



• 150 ml Bonsoy milk



• 3 tbsp of organic low fat natural yoghurt



• 4 Chopped strawberries



• Ground cinnamon



• Tbsp of unrefined brown flaxseed oil drizzled over the top