Quick and easy tofu kebabs

These are a beautiful contribution to that dinner party that you’re going to, and can wow with the beautiful colours while still being minimal effort to create. Most vegetables can be used as a substitute if there’s something you don’t like so if I encourage you to explore the vast array of vegetables available at the supermarket to switch out between the tofu. Be sure to buy a firm tofu for this recipe, as you’re going to grill it and don’t want it to fall apart. Every time you make a decision to eat more vegetables, not only to you naturally crowd out junk food, but you decide to nourish your body with the wide variety of macro and micro nutrients.

Ingredients:

4 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves

1 red pepper, seeded and cut into bite-size chunks 

1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into bite-size chunks 

300 g cherry tomatoes

2 large courgettes, cut into 2 cm chunks 

1 red onion, quartered and layers separated 

200 g firm tofu, cut into bite-size cubes 

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (100%)

1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted 

2 cloves garlic, crushed 

salt and pepper 

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Instructions:

Heat a grill pan over medium heat until it is hot. Tie the rosemary sprigs together with string to make a basting brush. Set aside. You can also cook this recipe over a braai or bake it in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 °C. 

While the grill pan heats up, thread the vegetables and tofu onto skewers, alternating the different ingredients and packing the vegetables tightly together. 

Place the turmeric, honey, chilli, coconut oil and garlic into a small bowl and mix well. Place the skewers into the grill pan. Using the basting brush made with the sprigs of rosemary, dunk the brush into the oil and lightly brush the vegetables every 5 minutes until evenly coated. Cook them for 20 minutes, rotating every time you brush them.

Once the vegetables are cooked and have some grill marks on them, season with salt and pepper and serve. 

-Melissa

Easy vegetable pasta

Comparison is the death of joy and looking at what others are eating, their body shapes and their lives will only make you unhappy and exhausted. It causes you to lose your special shine because you feel less valuable based on a flawed system determining success and worth. You matter, just the way that you are. Gaining health, self worth, good self esteem, energy and happiness in your life is something that you deserve. 

If you want to be healthier then you need to take control of the aspects that you can control. It’s that simple. Don’t overcomplicate things and break your victim mentality through thought swapping. When you hear a negative comparison pop up in your head replace it with something that you are grateful for. If you repeat this three times a day for a week you will start to feel things change. Practice patience with yourself.

Everyone needs a good pasta in their arsenal. Whenever you eat something that is classified as an indulgence such as a pasta, not only can you substitute the pasta with a healthier option, but you can also load it up with as many veggies as possible to keep the balance. Eating more vegetables reduces the risk of chronic diseases and provides the body with vital nutrients to maintain homeostasis.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

• 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 medium-size aubergine, cut into small cubes

• 2 cobs sweetcorn

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 250 g buckwheat pasta

• salt

• 4 kale leaves, stalks removed and leaves torn

• zest and juice of ½ lemon

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or grated Parmesan)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 handful fresh parsley leaves

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Heat the coconut oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the paprika, oregano and aubergine cubes and stir well.

Remove the kernels from the sweetcorn by slicing down the length with a sharp knife. Add the kernels to the tomato mixture and stir well. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted water as per the packet instructions. Once ready, drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water, and set the pasta aside.

When the sauce is ready after 20 minutes, add the pasta and gently mix in along with the torn kale leaves, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the nutritional yeast. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.

Serve the pasta in a bowl, drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and topped with parsley and the remaining tablespoon of nutritional yeast.