This is a classic Asian dish that is truly delicious and fits into our health eating program so well.

INGREDIENTS

500 g lean pork mince.

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 green shallots, chopped

½ red capsicum, finely chopped

230 g can water chestnuts, drained & sliced

1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh coriander

Iceberg lettuce washed & pulled apart into cup size shapes.

METHOD

Heat oils in a skillet on medium heat.

Add garlic, ginger and shallots, cook for about 2 minutes.

Add mince and stir until brown.

Add capsicum, water chestnuts, soy & oyster sauce.

Simmer for 3 minutes until sauce thickens.

Remove from the heat, add coriander and mix through.

Leave to rest for about 3-4 minutes and then stuff lettuce

cups with the meat mix.

Serve with chilli sauce (optional) and green tea.

Serves 2 adults for dinner or 4 as lunch or snacks.

Cooking and preparation time 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• ¾-1 kg quality stewing beef cut into large cubes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•  2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 brown onion chopped
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
•  pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 500 gr sweet potato
• ½ cup red wine or port
• 2 teaspoons beef stock powder (Massel)
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
• 1 tablespoon pure butter
• Salt to taste

METHOD

Heat the oil in a tagine or flameproof casserole and fry the meat, together with the turmeric and seasoning, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the meat is evenly browned, stirring frequently.

Cover the tagine and cook for 15 minutes over a gentle heat, without lifting the lid.

Add the onion, garlic, pepper, paprika, cayenne and cumin to the pan with red wine. Mix the beef stock into a little water then add to stew making sure it just covers the meat.

Cover tightly and bring to the boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, till the meat is very tender, checking occasionally and adding extra water if necessary, to keep the stew moist.

Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks and place them straight into a bowl of salted water to avoid discolouring.

Transfer to a pan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2-3 minutes, drain.

Stir the chopped herbs into the meat, adding a little extra water if the stew appears dry.

Arrange the sweet potato chunks throughout the meat and dot with butter.

Cover and cook for a further 10 minutes on medium, till the sweet potato feels very tender.

Pre heat oven to 250 or turn on oven grill. Remove the lid of the tagine or casserole and cook in the oven or under the grill for 5-10 minutes till the sweet potatoes brown a little on top.

Sprinkle with a little fresh parsley and serve at once with steamed green beans & broccoli.

This slice is tasty, nutritious and filling, so will work well as

a breakfast or lunch. Make a large tray and it will keep for

a couple of days.

  INGREDIENTS

1 small bunch spinach – stems removed and chopped.

3 free range eggs

1 finely chopped onion

4 tablespoons grated parmesan

2 tablespoons shaved parmesan

black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon pure butter

METHOD

 Preheat an over to 180C.

Wash the spinach and squeeze or spin dry.

In a saucepan melt butter and onion and cook until starting to brown then

add spinach. Cook until softened.

Remove from heat and mix through beaten eggs, grated parmesan cheese and pepper.

Grease a square or rectangle oven dish approx 25 cm and spread mixture evenly over the bottom.

Sprinkle shaved parmesan over the top and bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until set.

Serves 4  for lunch or breakfast   cooking and preparation time approx. 30 minutes

These versatile fritters are so quick and easy it is worth cooking up a bigger batch. They’re so handy for breakfast served just on their

own.

If you have time though you could add a couple of rashers of bacon to make a really scrumptious breakfast.

For lunch they are your protein source, just add a green salad. For another quick change add some roasted vegetables and the humble zucchini fritter becomes a great dinner.

The roasted capsicum relish can be made in larger batches and kept in the fridge. If time is your challenge you can buy relish, just check the sugar content.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups zucchini grated

3 free range eggs

½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil for cooking

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 flat teaspoon of massel chicken stock powder

Cracked pepper

Roast capsicum relish

2 large red capsicums (or 3 small)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, chopped finely

1 teaspoons grated ginger

½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt

½ teaspoon stevia  (use ½ cup coconut sugar if not wanted for weight loss program)

1 cup apple cider vinegar

METHOD -  relish  (optional)

Remove the seed and core from the capsicums. Place under a hot grill until the skin starts to blister and blackens slightly. Then remove and wrap individually in cling wrap and leave for several minutes to ‘sweat’.

Unwrap and peel the skin off the capsicum, then chop the flesh.

Add this to a sauce pan with all the other ingredients. Bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes, or until a chutney-like consistency is reached.

Check taste – if not sweet enough you may need to add a little more stevia powder or coconut sugar and stir well.

Pour into sterilised containers, seal and refrigerate.

METHOD - fritters

 In a bowl combine the zucchini, eggs, nutmeg, stock powder and cracked pepper. Stir until well mixed.

Heat oil in a large non stick frying pan over a high heat. Mould the mix into balls, drop into the pan and press flat, then reduce heat

to medium.

When brown on one side turn over and cook other side.

Serve topped with roasted capsicum relish.

Serves 2     cooking and preparation time – fritters (6 minutes) relish (45 minutes)

Ideal lunch or dinner that can be teamed with a garden salad.

These tasty skewers can be cooked quickly on a grill or BBQ

Ingredients:

How gorgeous these would look as part of a dessert platter when you next host a dinner party.

For convenience sake I am suggesting you use Lindt 70% low GI dark chocolate, but if you prefer you could make your own – see our recipe for raw chocolate on our website/blog for an even more healthy option.

INGREDIENTS

8 Strawberries, ripe & perfect – leave tops on

45g dark chocolate

30ml double cream

¼ teaspoon pure butter

METHOD

Break up the chocolate and put into a small mixing bowl. Place the cream and butter into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and immediately pour it over the chocolate. Mix it into a smooth paste.

Dip the ends of the strawberries into the chocolate and then set on to a serving platter and refrigerate.

Serves 4   Cooking and preparation time 5 minutes.

These tropical truffles (snow balls) provide a healthy alternative treat especially at kids parties….

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 tablespoons yellow box honey  (pure maple syrup or stevia can be substituted)
• 2 very ripe passionfruit pulped
• 2 oz raw ripe mango
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 oz dried organic coconut for rolling

METHOD

Let the cream cheese soften at room temperature.

Mix the mango, passionfruit, vanilla extract, honey and cream cheese using a whisk or a blender. Place the mixture in the freezer for 5 minutes. This will allow the cream cheese mixture to harden and then let you shape into small balls.

In a soup bowl, place the dried coconut. Shape the mixture into truffle (ball) shapes, roll in the coconut, coating thoroughly and place in individual paper cups or directly on a plate. Chill in the fridge for 60 minutes and enjoy.

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 10 min/chill 60 min

INGREDIENTS:

I can organic chickpeas, 400 gm size, drained
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tablespoon tahini
½ lemon juiced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt.
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish – chopped fresh parsley

METHOD:

Place everything except the parsley into a blender. Blend on high until mixture is smooth. If the mixture is a little too dry add a little more oil or yoghurt.

Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley.

Use as a healthy dip with carrot and celery sticks or hot Turkish bread.

Chickpeas are also known as Garbanzo Beans. They have a nutty flavour and are high in fibre and flavonoids that keep the digestive system healthy. They also help to lower cholesterol levels. Chickpeas are rich in vitamin E and zinc so they help fight infection and promote healthy cell growth.

Garlic has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-cancer properties. It has been found to lower blood cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, boost the immune system and to lift one’s mood. If you are concerned about garlic’s effects on your breath, just chew some fresh parsley and no one will know you have been enjoying the benefits of garlic in your food.

DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT’S BENEFITS & UNIQUE TASTE?
Here are some important health benefits of quinoa and a fabulous recipe to start you and your family enjoying it.

QUINOA CINNAMON SLICE
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups cooked quinoa, cooked and cooled
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup rice, oat or almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup ( or 1/2 teaspoon stevia ) both are optional

METHOD
1.Preheat oven to 200C. – Place quinoa in a large mixing bowl.-Line an approx 8×8 baking pan with lightly greased parchment.

2.In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Add maple syrup, if using and whisk.

3.Add egg mixture to cooked and cooled quinoa. Stir with a large spoon to combine. Pour into baking dish and spread around to ensure that it’s even.

4.Bake for 20-25 minutes until set and golden.

5.Using parchment, remove bake from pan as soon as possible so that it doesn’t steam.

6.Cool completely and cut into squares. .

Each square has a nutritional profile of approximately 74 calories, 9 carbs, 1.5gr fibre, and 4g protein when using the recipe without the syrup.

Approx 12 serves.

With so much focus on adding protein to our diet these day, especially when using a weight loss solution eating program, it is easy to overlook the new kid on the block – ‘QUINOA’ Tricky in its nutritional complexity as well as in it pronunciation ‘KEEN-wah’
Now if you are looking for a highly nutritious carbohydrate, that’s not only going to help you stay lean, but will also maximize your energy levels, then you’re looking in the right place… quinoa really does have it all!

So, what does quinoa look like? – like tiny little white balls and you could be forgiven for thinking it is a grain, but actually it is a relative of a leafy green vegetable like spinach or Swiss chard. This misconception has come about probably because of how it is commonly used in food preparation.

So, what does quinoa taste like? - The taste and texture of quinoa is a bit like brown rice crossed with oatmeal. It’s fluffy, creamy, crunchy and somewhat nutty, all rolled into one. Yummy to say the least.
The great thing is, it can be prepared in so many different ways, making it extremely versatile.

So, where can you buy quinoa – It is available at health foods stores and many supermarkets.

So, how do you cook quinoa – 1 cup of raw quinoa will cook and expand to approx 3 cups.
Rinse quinoa well – then transfer 1 cup into a large saucepan and cover with 1 ½ cups of cold water. Seal with a tight lid and bring to the boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Stir well and allow to cool.

Nutritional qualities
A cup of quinoa will give you around 127 calories, 2 grams of fat, 23.4 grams of carbohydrates (3gr of those being fibre), and 4.5 grams of protein ( seems to be some variations on the exact quantities but this is close enough).
Quinoa is rich in iron , magnesium, potassium, Vitamin E, manganese and copper.

In fact, it has a pretty similar nutritional profile to that of brown rice, except it’s higher in overall protein content containing the full spectrum of essential amino acids..

NOW FOR A FEW HEALTH BENEFITS OF QUINOA
1. Complete source of protein
Unlike most grains, which contain an incomplete source of protein (you need to pair them with another food to make the meal complete), quinoa provides the full spectrum of nine essential amino acids.
So, it’s a really great choice, particularly if you’re a vegetarian or vegan.

2. Great for cardiovascular health
Quinoa is especially high in MAGNESIUM, which is important for maintaining good cardiovascular health.
Magnesium helps to relax the blood vessels, reducing the rates of hypertension, heart disease, or heart arrhythmias.

3. Provides antioxidant support
Regular intake of antioxidants is so important for warding off the damaging effects of free radicals, which we encounter on a daily basis.
Quinoa does a wonderful job of boosting your antioxidant levels — being high in both manganese and copper, which helps to promote good health.

4. Reduces the risk of gallstones
Since quinoa is high in fibre, it helps keep the digestive system running smoothly, and can also help reduce your chance of getting gallstones.

A study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, found that those eating foods mostly rich in insoluble fibre, had a 17% lower risk of getting gallstones.

So, if you love your carbs, but would really like to find a healthier option to those empty starchy varieties, quinoa is a great substitute for those high GI carbs..

Know you and your family will love this simple, healthy sweet snack. It’s so easy to make, and so yummy!

Ingredients:

1 banana

10 dates

¾ cup rolled oats

½ cup organic coconut

1/2 cup oat bran

1 tsp bee pollen (optional)

2 tbs sultanas

1/8 cup pure maple syrup

Pure butter for greasing

Method:

1. Chop banana and dates and combine in a mixing bowl.
2. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until combined well.
3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add more oat bran and rolled oats until the mixture is to a desired consistency.     Because this is a raw slice, you don’t want the mixture to be too runny.
4. Spoon mixture into a greased rectangular glass dish and sprinkle the top with extra bee pollen.
5. Transfer to the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.
6. Leave the slice to warm slightly before cutting into small pieces and transfer to serving plate or container for storing (if they last that long)!