Matcha is made from green tea and comes in powder form. It is naturally high in antioxidants and can boost brain function because it contains L-theanine, which also supports sleep. Matcha also relieves stomach pain and supports digestion. With matcha being naturally high in caffeine, it is something that I include in my mornings and avoid in the evening.
This smoothie is a very healthy one. It may take some getting used to as it isn’t overly sweet. That being said, I love it. You can train your palate to love anything if you just give it a chance. This smoothie is high in fibre and the plant-based protein keeps me full for longer.
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 frozen banana, peeled
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
5 strawberries fresh or frozen
1 handful baby spinach
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 serving plant-based protein powder
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon barley or wheatgrass (optional)
1½ cups coconut water
2 ice cubes
Instructions:
Place all the ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.
Hint: Use organic pea protein if you have a sensitive digestive system as it helps with digestion.
-Melissa
This fascinating thing happens when you talk about veganism. People become uncomfortable, because in many ways veganism shines a very bright light on being a more conscious consumer. It’s not to say that veganism is the right way of eating, but that bright light, I believe, shines into areas of darkness and pain for others and can elicit an emotive response. If you choose not to be vegan, then why not experiment and try the occasional vegan meal. This recipe is an example of that.
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon coconut oil
3 spring onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 red pepper, seeded and cubed
1 teaspoon tamari paste
1 handful kale, stalks removed and finely chopped
280 g silken tofu
2 slices sourdough bread
1 avocado, peeled and pip removed
juice of ½ lemon
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 handful fresh coriander leaves
Instructions:
Heat the coconut oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and add the spring onions. Fry for 3–5 minutes, then add the garlic, turmeric, cumin, chilli flakes and tomato paste. Fry for a further 3 minutes.
Add the red pepper and fry until soft. Add the tamari paste and kale and fry until the kale has wilted. Add the tofu and break it apart, scrambling it for 5 minutes. While the tofu is cooking, toast the sourdough bread.
When the toast is ready, smoosh the avo onto the slices. Drizzle with lemon juice, top with the tofu scramble and season to taste. Top off with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh coriander.
Enjoy - Melissa
Cooking is about joy and bringing joy into your life with something that fuels your body is a little act of kindness. Within that joy, I want you to experience play. Play with flavours, play with ingredients, and connect to this child-like quality that is often lost in our day-to-day lives. Start with little steps and then expand by creating your own recipes based on intuition. This recipe is all about play with pink flatbreads and delicious vegetables! Make the flatbreads for this recipe or for your next curry night!
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 medium beetroots
180 g spelt flour or gluten-free flour of your choice
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ cup water
2 red peppers, seeded and sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 medium courgettes, ribboned
Coconut oil
6 tablespoons Greek yoghurt or substitute of your choice
1 handful fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
1 small handful fresh mint, finely chopped
1 handful fresh rocket
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Place the beetroots in a roasting pan and roast for 35 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork. Remove and set aside. (I usually do a bigger batch and save the rest for salad or other meals and snacks.)
To make the flatbread dough, place the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a medium bowl and mix together. Set aside.
Using a blender, blend the beetroots until smooth, 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, and the water.
Make a well in the middle of the flour and gradually add the beetroot mixture while mixing until a dough begins to form. Tip the dough out onto a flat surface and knead until well combined. Return to the bowl, cover, and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the red peppers in a separate mixing bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and season to taste. Toss until evenly covered with oil. In a grill pan over medium heat (the pan must be hot), add the red peppers and grill for roughly 5 minutes until grill marks start to appear. Repeat the process with the courgette ribbons and cook for 1–2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables.
Once the dough has rested, remove from the bowl and divide into four fist-size balls. Roll out the balls of dough on a floured surface until they are about the size of your frying pan base. Lightly rub a little coconut oil on each side of the dough circles. Fry in a medium frying pan over medium to high heat for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
While the flatbreads are frying, mix the remainder of the lemon juice with the yoghurt, dill and mint in a small bowl. Season to taste.
Once the flatbreads are ready, remove from the heat. Serve with a generous smear of the yoghurt dressing, topped with the rocket and grilled vegetables. Season to taste with a little extra black pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Enjoy - Melissa
Stress can result in inflammation in the body and if you are leading a stressful life then all of that chaos can harm the progress you are making with your healthier choices in the food department. Your health and wellbeing will improve when you manage stress better. Your stress can impact period health, weight gain, and your general mood. Living a stress-free life in today’s world is nearly impossible, but managing it with practical tools can assist the body in healing the adrenal glands and finding balanced weight and hormones. If you lead a very stressful life then a B complex vitamin and deep belly breathing are a great starting point. Perhaps it's time for a trip to the spa or taking up yoga?
Makes: ± 15 cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
This is a great recipe to prepare on a quiet Sunday so that your breakfasts during the week can be quick and stress-free. You will also have a healthy snack whenever you need one. They are high in fiber and if you would like ca be made without the chocolate if you prefer something less sweet.
Ingredients:
½ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup coconut flakes
1 cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon psyllium husk
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup
½ cup mashed banana
¼ cup almond milk, slightly warmed
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup chopped dark chocolate
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Spread the almonds over a roasting tray and roast for 3 minutes. Remove from the tray and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the coconut flakes to the same roasting tray and roast for 4 minutes until they start to brown. Add the coconut flakes to the mixing bowl.
Add the oats, cinnamon, psyllium husk, and salt to the bowl and stir until well mixed.
In a separate bowl, mix together the maple syrup, banana, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla paste, and lemon juice.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix until well combined. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks.
Using a tablespoon, scoop out the cookie dough and arrange in rows on the prepared baking tray. Flatten and neaten the cookies using the back of the spoon so that they are even and that all the bits of coconut are tucked in. This will prevent the edges from burning while baking.
Gently press on the cookies using the back of a fork, being careful not to make them too thin. The cookies should be about 5 cm in diameter.
Pop them in the oven and bake for 23–25 minutes. Keep an eye on them and check at 20 minutes. You want the middle cooked and the edges brown.
Once ready, remove the cookies from the oven and set them aside to cool completely.
-Melissa
