Healthier Beef Brisket

Found some fairly lean beef brisket at the supermarket so decided to give it a healthy recipe makeover.

Ingredients

• 500g beef brisket

• ¼ cup white vinegar

• 1 tbsp Liquid hickory Smoke flavoring

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• Ground pepper

• 1 tbsp McCormick Slow Cooker recipe base Greek lamb

Instructions

1. Remove brisket from packaging and rinse well. Place in slow cooker.
2. With sharp knife, pierce brisket across the grain to tenderize. Try to pierce every 1 cm.
3. Rub/pour the vinegar(this will make it tender).
4. Pour liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce over brisket.
5. Season to taste with pepper and Greek seasoning. 
6. Cook for at least 8 hours in the slow cooker
7. Baste every hour (if you can but not 100% necessary)
8. When cooked, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain in thin slices.
9. Serve with vegetables of your choice.

Chicken Yoghurt Curry

This is one of my family's favourite curries. Its easy to prepare and is healthy. You can make it with any cut of chicken however I usually use the breast or the drumstick depending on my weekly budget. If you use chicken breasts the curry it will have around 192cal/800kJ70 per serve.

The original recipe came from Charmaine Soloman's 'The Complete Asian Cookbook'. I have made some changes to make it my own. My recipe serves four.

Ingredients

1kg Chicken Breast or Drumsticks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp. ginger, roughly chopped
2 cups densely packed mint and or coriander
60mL cup water 1 tbsp. ground turmeric
1 tbsp. garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder (optional)
1 cup plain low fat yoghurt
400g tin chopped tomatoes
Method

1. Cut the chicken into serving pieces. If using drumsticks remove the skin.

2. Put the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander/mint and 60 ml water into a food processor and process to make a smooth purée. Heat heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the turmeric, garam masala, salt and chilli powder, if using, and cook for a further 1 minute. Stir in the yoghurt and tomato, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture is the consistency of a thick purée.
 

3. Add the chicken to the pan, turning to coat in the spice mixture, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender. If the liquid from the chicken has not evaporated by the time the flesh is cooked, uncover and increase the heat to dry it out, stirring gently at the base of the pan to prevent burning. Serve with rice or chapatis.

Spiced yoghurt chicken with cardamon rice

An easy recipe where the chicken marinade can be made the night before. Can be served warm or cold.

Ingredients

·         2 chicken breasts

·         1 125ml pot of natural yoghurt (I opted for low fat)

·         1 tbsp of curry paste (Madras or Tandoori)

·         1 tbsp coconut oil

·         150g of long grain rice (Can be swapped for cauliflower rice)

·         1 onion, halved and sliced

·         350ml of chicken stock (omit if using cauliflower rice)

·         4 cardamom pods, squashed (add more if you like them)

·         1 red chilli, finely chopped

·         2 cm piece of ginger, finely chopped

·         A generous tbsp of flaked almonds, toasted

·         1/2 bunch of coriander (stems and leaves), chopped

·         1/2 lime (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the yoghurt and curry paste into a non-metallic dish. Mix well until you have a smooth marinade. Place the chicken into the marinade. Ensure the marinade has covered the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Place oil in a saucepan with a lid. Add the sliced onion and cardamom pods and cook slowly over a low heat for about 15 minutes
3. Add the rice and the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid and cook until the rice is tender. If using cauliflower rice you can add it at this stage. Gently fry with onion and cardamom for 5 minutes or  until heated through (you may need to add a pinch of salt to taste)
4. Meanwhile, BBQ the chicken breasts and remove when cooked through. A charcoal effect should be seen on the chicken.
5. Remove the cardamom pods from the rice and serve onto a platter (I tend to leave them in because I like the taste)
6. Sprinkle on the chilli, ginger, coriander and flaked almonds.
7. Slice chicken breast and place on top of the rice.
8. Press some fresh lime over the dish to add a little extra zing (optional)

Extra Fluffy Coconut Flour Blueberry Pancakes

I made these pancakes for breakfast the other day they turned out great but of course  I forgot to take a photo. Guess I will have to make them again.

Yield: 8-10 large fluffy pancakes.

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs
• 3/4 cup of milk + 2 Tbsp (dairy or nondairy- any variety)
• 1/4 cup oil or melted butter (dairy or nondairy)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar to taste (any variety. For Sugar Free use Xylitol or Erithritol)
• 1/8 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 packed cup coconut flour
• 1/2 packed cup of Starch (potato starch or tapioca starch or a mix of the two)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 cup (or more) of Fresh or Frozen Blueberries.

Instructions

1. Pour the eggs, milk and oil into a blender and process on high until light and fluffy. Add in the remaining ingredients except for the baking powder and blueberries and process until smooth. Add the baking powder and process one last time.
2. Stir in the blueberries. (Or you can just plop a few into each pancake as you make them).
3. Lightly oil a nonstick frying pan. Pour the batter in and gently tap the pan so the batter spreads. Cook for roughly 2 minutes on medium/low heat. Flip and cook roughly one minute on the second side.
4. Re-oil the pan with each new batch. Be cautious not to turn the heat up too high as the bottoms will burn before the inside has enough time to cook which would prevent you from getting a good clean flip.

Notes

Feel free to leave out the blueberries and add a little extra vanilla extract if you would like plain pancakes. Any other berry, fruit or chocolate chips can also be used.

Cauliflower, Leek, Bacon Soup

Cauliflower is such a great substitute for potatoes when you are trying to reduce your carbohydrates low.  

Ingredients

5 slices bacon

2 large leeks, chopped and cleaned
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
4 cups chicken stock/vegetable stock
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Place bacon in a large saucepan cook until crispy and browned on both sides. Remove bacon, leaving the fat in the pan, roughly chop and set it aside. Add leeks to pot and sauté together in the fat until lightly golden
2. Stir in cauliflower and cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding the chicken stock.   Bring mixture to a boil and then immediately reduce to simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, until cauliflower starts to soften.
3. Add most of the bacon and parsley back into the soup, reserving a little for garnishing. Purée until smooth.  Add salt and pepper, adjusted to taste.

No Bake Energy Bites

It s very important to fuel your body post exercise and with a myriad of options out there you may not know where to start. Below are some suggestions on how to get yourself started.

THE CORE INGREDIENTS

The body. This is basically the core ingredient.  Mostly these are dry ingredients.Think Oats, Quinoa, puffed, Amaranth, cooked, toasted, Coconut, Ground flaxseed, Whole wheat flour, Gluten free flour, Cocoa powder, Protein powder.

The glue. This is what keeps everything together in a shapely ball. You’re looking for wet/ sticky ingredients.  Think Blended nuts or seeds (almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamia), Nut or seed butters (peanut, cashew, almond, pumpkin seed, tahini, sunflower seed), Coconut oil, Coconut butter, Avocado, Banana, Cooked kumara.

THE OPTIONAL (BUT TASTY EXTRAS)

Burst of flavor. To give your energy balls a burst of flavour. Think Chocolate chips, Carob chips

Raisins, Chopped dates/ figs, Dried cranberries, Goji berries, Dried apricots, Dried mango, Other dried fruit

Sweetener. Depending on how sweet you like your treats you can add something extra to sweeten your balls. Think honey, maple syrup, molasses, or agave nectar. If you’ve added sweet fruit such as cranberries or dates, you might need less sweetener. 

Flavour. Add an extra layer of flavour to the recipe. This brings out the sweetness, without actually adding extra calories. Think Cinnamon, Vanilla, Almond extract, Nutmeg, Allspice

Health boost. This is a great opportunity to add some healthy extras you can make your energy bite to a nutrient-packed powerhouse. Where the other ingredients are about adding protein, healthy fats and complex carbs, this step is all about adding extra micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and other goodies.  Think Green powders, Carob powder, Maca powder, Acai powder, Goji berries, Ground flax seeds, Chia seeds.

THE BASIC RECIPE

Ingredients

2 – 2 ½ cups core ingredients

½ cup nuts or nut butter

½ cup dried fruit (or chocolate chips)

1/3 cup sweetener (optional)

½ – 1 tsp flavor enhancer

1 – 2 tbs health booster

This is just a starting point. You can be more adventurous and change things up a lot more. Just keep the consistency of the mixture in mind, as you want it to hold together when you roll it into tasty balls! If you prefer your bites more sticky, be careful with how much extra “glue” you add, as these ingredients tend to be heavier on the calories.

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator for 15 – 30 minutes.
Once chilled, roll into balls!

Gluten Free Nachos

Being gluten free today doesn't mean you have to miss out on the foods you love. Mexican is a great choice when making gluten free dinners and lunches. All it takes is some careful ingredient browsing on the back of the packets and you can make a variety of Mexican dishes.You can get all ingredients for my version of nachos from your local supermarket.

Since my recipe is quite quick, easy and very basic, this blog includes some product reviews of the products I choose to use. You can most definitely make your seasoning for your mince from scratch however, I was short on time so choose to use a packet mix instead. The corn chips chosen for the recipe are available in the Crisps isle at the supermarket which means they are reasonably priced.

Product Review One- Tio pablo Chipotle de Plata Spice Mix

Tio pablo Chipotle de plata spice mix

One of two spice options available at my supermarket. I choose this seasoning as it said on the packet it was a spicy mix rather than mild. It does say on the packet that is designed for fajitas and bbqs however, I think it worked perfectly well in my nachos. It has a sweet, spicy and smokey flavour.

Product Review Two- Mexicano Corn Chips Natural

Mexicano Natural Corn Chips

The crackers were nice and crisp and had a light salty flavour. There wasnt much more to the taste of these crackers. I would recommend you enjoy them with some nice dip as the are a bit plain.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 500g premium beef mince
• 400g diced tinned tomato
• 2 teaspoons Tio pablo Chipotle de Plata Spice Mix
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 400g can red kidney beans, rinsed
• Mexicano Natural corn chips
• Diced Tomato, Grated tasty cheese, avocado, jalapeno plus anything else you would like to add

Method

1. Heat oil in a saucepan and saute onion until soft

2. Add mince and stir until well browned.

3. Add diced tinned tomatoes, salt and seasoning stir to combine

4. Simmer for 10 mins or until think

5. Add Red kidney beans and stir.

6. Place corn chips in a bowl, top with mince and other toppings of your choice.

7. Place in oven or under grill if using cheese and or you want to toast toppings.

Food Product Review- Tasty Pot Co - Green Goodness Soup

Tasty Pot Co offer a range of soups and meals, in convenient one person serves that can be easily heated and eaten as a meal. This review is of their green goodness soup.

The labeling on the front displays that the soup comes with broccoli, spinach, courgette and parsley. The total percentage of the above vegetables and herbs in the soup comes to a total of 17.4% of the total soup. I did expect the percentage of these foods would be higher as they were listed on the front of the label, so was a little disappointed that that the percentage was so low. I guess a major reason for this is due to the high water content of these vegetables. Water makes up the bulk of the ingredients (which is expected since it is a soup), followed by potato and leek.

Nutrition Information from Tasty Pot Co.

The soup in low in kilojoules, fat and sugar so it is great for people watching their waist line. It contains 5.1g of dietary fibre which accounts for 17% of the recommended daily requirement. As with many packaged soups it is quite high in sodium (47% of the NZ recommended intake), however compared to other soups available this is quite a low amount.

The soup contains no detectable gluten and is suitable for vegans.

After all this nutrition information, you probably just want to know how the soup actually tastes. Well for my taste its a little tangy. It has a sour almost zingy taste which leaves an odd sensation in my mouth. The texture is great, smooth, creamy with real chunks of vegetables. I probably wouldn't buy it again due to the weird tangy sensation.

Carrot Cake Slice

The carrot is often claimed to be the perfect health food. It is crunchy, tasty and highly nutritious. Carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, vitamin a,  fiber, vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants. They are a weight loss friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health. The carotene antioxidants in them have also been linked to reduced risk of cancer.

This slice is gluten, dairy and refined sugar free. A great treat for the whole family.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3 carrots;grated
• 12 medjool dates
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
• pinch Himalayan Salt
• 1/2 cups sultanas

Icing:

• 1 cup raw macadamias
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1/2lime

Method:

Place the cake ingredients  into the food processor and pulse until completely broken down and sticking together. Press the mixture firmly into a loaf tin (or any tin you like) with baking paper overhanging the sides for easy removal. Place the icing ingredients into your food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. You may need to scrape the mixture onto the blades and pulse a few times to achieve the desired consistency. Remove from the food processor and set aside. Spoon the icing over the cake and level the top. Place in the fridge for 3 hours to set.


Recipe Inspiration- Wholefoods Simply

Spinach, Mushroom & Tomato Fry Up

This little side dish is a nutritional jewel! Spinach is full of vitamin K (one cup of cooked spinach yields more than 150% of your daily intake requirement), vitamins A & C, manganese and plenty of flavonoids and carotenoids – all which help to protect your body against many diseases. Add to that the goodness of onion, tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic and some healthy fats from butter and olive oil (you need those to absorb all those vitamins) and you’ve got yourself a winner. It’s a very delicious way to eat spinach.  
Note: I did make this dish but have lost the photo!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp butter or ghee
• 5-6 button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red or brown onion, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 tsp diced lemon rind
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 3 large handfuls of torn spinach leaves
• about 2/3 tsp sea salt
• pinch of ground black pepper
• pinch of nutmeg (optional but nice)
• drizzle of lemon juice right at the end

Instructions

1. Heat butter in a large frying pan and sauté mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate.
2. In the same frying pan, heat olive oil to medium hot (not too sizzling hot) and sauté sliced onion for 2-3 minutes until slightly translucent. Add tomatoes, lemon rind and garlic and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes and press tomatoes down with a spatula until lightly smashed.
3. Finally, add the spinach and stir through. I added spinach in two batches, letting the first batch cook off slightly to make more space for the second batch. Cook until spinach is just wilted (turned wet and reduced in size). Season with a little more salt if you like and drizzle with some lemon juice right at the end.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Number of servings: 2

Photo credit: www.eatdrinkpaleo.com.au

Tips to Survive the Christmas Feast-Part Two

Foods to Choose	Foods to Avoid
Oven baked pita chips	Corn Chips
Vegetable sticks for dipping	Chips
Baguettes, focaccia or bread or bread rolls	Garlic bread, high-fat crackers
Small pieces of your favourite cheese	Large quantities of cheese
Open sandwiches, kebabs, fresh seafood	Deep fried savouries, quiches, cheerios, salami
Pretzels, rice crackers, rice nibbles	Salted Nuts
Fruit Cake	Mince pies, short bread
Fruit salad and a slither of the best dessert available	Large pieces of cheesecake, mud cake, caramel tarts or cream

Humus and Salsas

Full Fat Dips



Tips to Survive the Christmas Feast- Part One

Christmas is a time for celebration, spending time with friends and family and enjoying festive foods and drinks.  Nutrition-wise, this festive fare can be a challenge.

Here are some simple tips to help you survive the festivities:

Don’t try to lose weight over the festive season. With parties, families and all the special foods that go with Christmas, it’s going to be just about impossible! Your main aim should be to maintain your weight (using some of the tips below!)

 

Eat regular meals. If you skip meals you are more likely to fill up on high fat snacks. It only takes a few of these snacks to add up to more calories than your usual meal.

 

Avoid going to a function hungry, you can easily eat a lot of party food in a short time. Have a small snack beforehand like a bowl of cereal, yoghurt or a sandwich are quick and will help fill you up. It will also help if you are well hydrated, so try drinking a few glasses of water before you arrive.

 

 

Deep fried foods, crumbed and battered foods and cheese platter are all high in fat. Choose fruit and vegetable based snacks.
      

If you are hosting the party, offer your guests a range of healthy snacks. Always popular are hummus or salsa dips with vegetable sticks.

      
If you are taking a plate, make yours a healthy option. How about a platter of fruit currently in season?


 
 
Just say ‘No” to food – mentally practice strategies to decline food offers. For example: “It looks amazing but I am full” or “I tried it and it was great”.     

 
Listen to your body and stop eating when you feel full.

      
 

Chat and mingle. If you are bored at a party you’re more likely to hover around the food table or seek out the serving platter. A good conversation can distract you from the food. Avoid standing right beside the food table or bar while you’re talking.
      

 

 
Consider your drinks, they can add to the calorie count very quickly. Try diluting your alcoholic drinks, such as a spritzer (½ wine, ½ soda). If you prefer spirits, try a diet mixer. Lite beers are lower in calories and alcohol. Remember soft drinks, juices, punches, tonic water and flavoured mineral water can all have similar calories to alcoholic drinks.
      

 
 
Be aware of how much you are actually drinking. Alternate alcoholic drinks with glasses of water and non-alcoholic choices.


      
 
Keep Active. Remember you're aiming for 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
    

If you do really overdo the festive foods or drinks, take a deep breath and start the next day afresh with healthy foods and some exercise. No fasting - just sensible eating. Remember, a few parties don’t make you overweight, it’s what you do all the other days of the year which count.