Recipe: Flax Seed Porridge topped with Blueberries

When I go home home (i.e. my parents house) on the weekends, flax seed/ chia seed porridge is my go-to favourite breakfast. The reason I generally wait to get home and have this beauty is because I now associate it with reading The Sunday Times Style magazine, but also unfortunately it is not something that can be made quickly and easily in the office.

Making this dish is easy and quick when you have prepared your flax the night before. I suggest leaving your flax overnight so it is ready to go in the morning, but if you forget to do this or jut feel like this dish spontaneously, soak your flax seeds for at least 10 mins. Why? Well flax, like chia seeds, when soaked, swells up and creates a gel like consistency. This gel is what gives the porridge a yummy thick texture, helps keep us fuller for longer, and helps move food through our digestive system.

N e e d:

3 tablespoons of ground flax.

2 tablespoons of oatbran

enough water to generously cover this

almond milk (sweetened or unsweetened)

1 egg white

S u g g e s t e d   T o p p i n g s: 

Peanut butter

Seasonal fruit (I used blueberries)

Seeds 

Bee Pollen

Cacao Nibs

Dried Fruit

Coconut Flakes

Honey

D o:

1) Soak your flax and oat bran overnight/ for a period in the morning to create your flax gel.

2) In the morning add your egg white and a splash of almond milk. Whisk until all mixed.

3) Put all ingredients in a non stick saucepan, on a low heat cook the porridge until it is warm all the way through and all the egg white has cooked.

4) Place your porridge in a bowl to serve. Top with your choice of toppings and enjoy. 

H e a l t h   B e n e f i t s   of   F l a x:

Flaxseeds are a a great source of fiber and work as a natural laxative. They are a great way to keep things regular.

Flaxseed oil contains concentrated amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat. Vegetarians and vegans often use this as a substitute for fish oil.

Ground flaxseed has been shown to work just as well as statins in lowering cholesterol.

Flaxseeds are a good source of magnesium.

Flaxseeds contain high levels of lignans. Lignans may protect against estrogen-dependents cancers such as breast cancer.

An ounce of ground flaxseed per day was shown to regulate estrogen levels in post-menopausal women.

Flaxseeds have been shown to protect post-menopausal women from heart disease.

Flaxseed decreases insulin resistance and may protect against diabetes.

Soaking your nuts, seeds beans and grains prior to consumption will also enhance your nutrient consumption due to the soaking process removing the majority of the phytic acid. This acid can prevent us from absorbing a lot of the nutrients as it is very difficult for our bodies to digest. In particular, if you are a vegan or vegetarian, soaking your nuts, seeds, beans and grains is advised. Read more here. 

Have a good Sunday everyone. X

Homemade Vegetarian Paleo Sushi

So I had a go at making homemade vegetarian paleo sushi- and boy was it good. Not only were they tasty and pretty to look at, they were also so easy to make. Here is how to do it. 

F o r   6   m i n i   r ol l s   Y o u   N e e d:

1 large carrot

1 generous handful of spinach

1/2 avocado

1 Nori paper

Garlic granuals

2 egg

Soya Sauce

A Chunk of Ginger

Knob of Coconut Oil

A Bowl of Clean Water

D o:

1) Prep you're veg- you need to 'julienne' (posh word for cutting into little strips) your peeled carrot, slice your avocado into long strips and wash your spinach. 

2) In a bowl, whisk your eggs, with a generous splash of soya sauce and a chunk of grated ginger.

3) Grease your frying pan with your nob of coconut oil, and fry your egg mix like a pancake (so cook, flip, cook).  Once cooked, place your egg pancake onto a plate to cool. 

4) On your Nori Paper, place your spinach, strips of avocado and carrot in a line, close to the edge of your nori paper. Next sprinkle on a generous amount of garlic granuals- I love garlic so there was copious amounts in my rolls.

5) Cut two long strips from the middle of your egg pancake and place on top of the veggies.

6) Roll!  The easiest way to do this is slowly and with a paper towel underneath to help shape and roll. I think practise helps here.  If you happen to have one of those wooden sushi roll mats (looks like a bunch of bbq sticks knitted together with string) then use that here. As you get towards the edge of the nori paper, dip your fingers in the bowl of water, and lightly wet the nori paper.  This will help the paper become flexible to roll around, but also the water acts as a sticking agent.  With the wet end, continue to roll until the end of the paper is stuck down. 

7) With a long stuffed nori roll, cut both ends off with a sharpe knife, and then cut into six small little rolls. 

8) Serve with wasabi and soy sauce, pickled ginger, or toasted crumbled peanuts (as seen in the picture below). 

Recipe: Coconut & Carrot Cake

The other week Laura and I made a Carrot and Coconut Paleo cake together (although Laura was more the chef and I sue- chef).  As most of my friends know Laura and I are major health advocates.  So rest assure, although this is still a cake, there are a few health bonus's to eating this baby. 

Super moist, googey and yummy.  What you can see inside the cake is coconut flakes, grated carrot, raisons, and walnuts.  This cake tasted like the regular carrot cake, but less sweet and with a different coconuty icing.  

Find Laura's recipe here.

Recipe: Broccoli Bean Mint Fritatta

So yesterday I had a late lunch, and when it got to the designated dinner time (7.30) I really wasn't that hungry.  Instead of having a jumbled inadequate meal of random yummies, I decided to make the light meal of a fritatta.  A fritatta is meant to be the healthy version of a quiche: pastry free egg concoction. A fritatta is also meant to have potato or some similar root vegetable in it. But as I follow a paleo diet and also the fact that those veggies generally take a while to cook without a microwave, I left them out.  So essentially, here you have a baked omelet.

This particular one is a roasted broccoli, green bean and mint one. 

NUTRITION: 

Broccoli is a nutrient- dense wonder vegetable.  It is high in Vitamin A and C: both vitamins do wonderful thing to your skin and also your immune system among other things. Broccoli is also high in folic acid, calcium and fiber.  

Green beans (or french beans), like brocoli is also high in vitamin A and C, fibre and calcium. Beans also have quite a high amont of protein in them for a vegetable.  So if you are a veggie, go wild on these little strips of green.

Not only does mint taste delicious and fresh, it is great for digestion. It is anti-inflammatory and settles the stomach.  That is why a fresh mint tea is fantastic to have after a big meal. Mint can also help with nausea, headaches and coughs.

Eggs are a wonderful food full of protein, healthy fats, all your amino acids, b vitamins, iron, you get the idea.- They are just fabulous for you.

So not only are you eating a yummy meal, you are making yourself more beautiful, healthier and intelligent.