 The weather is getting colder, the days are drawing in and when I start to feel that chill I want a nice warming soup by my side. So I thought I would share with you one of my new favourites that will have you going back for more and more.
When I make a batch of soup I always try and make some extra to freeze for another meal during the week so feel free to increase the ingredients and make a bigger batch to have on hand when in need of some warmth. What you will need: 1 small head of broccoli 1 small head of cauliflower 2 carrots 1 white potato 2 spring onions 1 small clove garlic 1 stick of celery 1 Fresh Bay leaf Organic Vegetable stock Directions: Cut the broccoli, potato, carrots and cauliflower into chunks and preheat the oven to 180C. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and bake until lightly browned and remove from the oven In a large pot drizzle with coconut oil or olive oil heat over medium heat. Then add in the chopped spring onions and cook for a few minutes, followed by the garlic and chopped celery. Then add in the roasted carrot, potato, cauliflower, broccoli, bay leaf and 4 cups of veggie stock or just to cover veggies and cook until soft (about 1 hour on low heat). Add in any additional leftover veggies you need to use up. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Divide into bowls and freeze any additional portions. Let me know what you think: It is always nice to hear what you think of a recipe so pop me a message below, or why not share your pic of your soup on facebook with the tag Be Natural Nutrition. In good health, Debbie
2 Comments
 I love making my own homemade wraps so I thought I would share with you my new favourite. I have been using buckwheat groats ground into flour for quite some time and then mixed with water to make wraps with. They are good but they get a bit tough the next day so I thought I would look for another option that was more like a crepe.
Voila, a 3 ingredient buckwheat crepe that is delicious and nutritious......hurray!!! Ingredients: 1 cup of buckwheat flour (i grind mine from the groats) 3/4 tsp of ground flaxseed 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut milk, almond milk or oat milk Directions: Mix everything together in a bowl and combine until a batter forms. If it's too thick add a bit more liquid slowly and mix again, if too thin add a bit more flour. It does take a bit of practice, but regardless you will get a wrap out of it. Heat a non stick pan over medium heat. Add 1/4 of the batter and spread it around the pan so its like a thin crepe. Wait for it to brown about 2 minutes, then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and repeat with the rest of the batter. Use the crepes/wraps for savoury or sweet dishes. We have used them for breakfast crepes with fruit, yogurt and maple syrup, homemade enchiladas and savoury grilled chicken wraps. The options are endless. Let me know what you think. Wishing you a wonderful week.  If you are in search of an energy boost throughout the day, these lemon energy balls are delicious and nutritious. Packed with heart healthy fats, protein and fibre. They contain good sources of magnesium (cellular energy), zinc (gut health, immune system support and skin health), manganese, phosphorus and copper. Give them a try and let me know what you think.
Ingredients 1 cup of raw cashews 1 cup of desiccated coconut 1 small lemon (zest and 1/4 juiced) 1 1/2 tbsp. of maple syrup or raw honey Directions Add the cashews to a food processor combine until a grainy texture forms. Then add in all other ingredients. Roll into small balls (makes about 10) and then roll in more coconut (optional) place in the fridge to enjoy for a delicious treat. Adapted from www.foodmatters.com  This recipe was a hit with the whole family, my little one devoured it for breakfast with some scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. A great way to add more vegetables to your daily eating plan, with a hint of spice and a bit of sweetness.
I would recommend that you have this as a healthy afternoon snack with a cup of herbal tea or alternatively as a breakfast option that will give you an energy boost to start your day without the crash in blood sugar levels that comes from a standard bowl of sugary cereal. Let me know what you think - great for the kids before they go to school. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potato 2 organic eggs 1/2 cup of maple syrup 1/4 cup of coconut oil 1/4 cup of coconut yogurt (plain - coconut collaborative) 1 3/4 cups of doves gluten free flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg ground 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground all spice pinch of sea salt Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 175C and line a loaf tin with parchment paper 2. Peel the sweet potato and cut into small pieces, then steam or boil them until soft. Remove any water used and then mash in a bowl and allow to cool. 3. Once the potatoes are cooled add in the eggs (you don't want them to cook if potatoes are too hot still), coconut oil, coconut yogurt, maple syrup and whisk until smooth 4. In another mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. 5. Add the wet to the dry and then combine until a thick batter forms (you may need to add a bit of water to loosen if it is too thick) slowly using a spatula to fold through the ingredients 6. Pour batter into the loaf tin and smooth over the top 7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean 8. Allow the loaf to cool completely, then divide into slices and serve with some extra coconut yogurt and some fresh fruit Adapted from: averiecooks.com  These crackers are an excellent alternative to your store bought biscuits/crackers. They are packed full of omega 3 essential fatty acids that you need to obtain from you diet.
Flaxseeds have phyto estrogenic properties that help give the body plant based alternatives when natural levels begin to decline through the menopause. A very simple recipe that takes minutes to combine and only 30 minutes to bake leaving you with a healthy snack that can be paired with homemade hummus, cashew dip, guacamole and raw veggies. Ingredients Serves 14-16 crackers 1/2 cup of ground flaxseed (linseed) 1/2 cup of ground almonds 1 tbsp. coconut flour 1 tbsp. sea salt 3-5 tbsp. of filtered water Method 1) Preheat oven to 160C and line a baking tray with parchment paper 2) Combine ingredients in a bowl except the water 3) Slowly add the wtaer until a dough forms, press it out onto the baking tray about 1/2 cm thick and then draw lines with knife where you want the crackers to break 4) Bake for 30 minutes (may need less or more time depending on your oven) until firm and slightly browned. Allow to cool and store in a sealed container in the fridge for a week. Double the recipe so you have plenty of crackers for the week.  The hot weather is here...............
How are you spending your time cooling off. For my family it is all about ice poles, but we don't run for the supermarkets to cool us down, we make simple and delicious homemade versions without all the sugar, colorings and flavourings. With just 2 ingredients you can make healthy homemade ice poles in minutes. Did you know that the standard ice pops contain the following ingredients: Water, Sugar, Acid: Citric Acid, Fruit and Vegetable Concentrates (Apple, Carrot, Safflower, Hibiscus, Blackcurrant, Lemon), Stabilisers: Cellulose Gum, Glycerol, Flavouring, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate, Sweetener: Acesulfame K I don't know about you but I don't want to give my 2 year old all of these chemicals and preservatives when making your own versions are so easy. What do you need: - 2 cup so frozen cherries, raspberries or tropical mix (pineapple, mango and papaya) - 1 cup of coconut water or coconut milk if you like your ice poles a bit creamy Take your desired fruit out of the freezer and add it to your high speed blender. Top it with your liquid and then combine until smooth. If your blender isn't that powerful wait until the frozen fruit defrosts slightly so that it is easier to blend. Then pour into your ice lolly moulds, store them back in the freezer until ready for a hot summer day to enjoy in the garden with family and friends.  When it comes to salads, they can be a bit boring if you don't have a lovely dressing to add to your mixture of veggies, healthy fats and proteins. So here are some simple suggestions to spruce up those greens and keep you feeling radiant without all of the added nasties found in store bought dressings.
Ingredients 1/2 cup of olive oil 4 tbsp. raw honey 4 tbsp. dijon 2 lemon juiced Combine in a jar and shake well, then store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.  I am always in search of quick, simple and delicious recipes to try out and this one ticked all the boxes. It can be mixed into one big bowl, cooked and then served with your favourite vegetables or salad. For those of you who are on the go, too busy to cook an elaborate meal, this is the recipe you need to try. It can also be frozen for during the week when you need something quick and easy. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Adapted from www.vegkitchen.com INGREDIENTS
1 block of tofoo organic tofu 1 1/2 cups of gluten free oats (not the large ones) 1-2 shallots grated 1-2 carrots grated 4-6 leaves of swiss chard chopped finely 1/2 cup of passata 1/4 cup of gluten free tamari 1/4 cup of maple syrup 1/4 cup of dijon mustard DIRECTIONS Crumble the tofu into a bowl, then add in all the other ingredients until well combined Preheat the oven to 175C and line a loaf tin with parchment paper Then press the ingredients into the loaf tin and drizzle with a bit of passata and maple syrup to form a glaze once cooked. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, remove and allow to cool slightly. Then slice into 8 pieces. Serve with steamed vegetables or a side salad. Enjoy.  LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAF (GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN)
Serves 10-12 Ingredients ¼ cup of coconut oil 200ml of unsweetened coconut milk Juice of ½-1 lemon Rind of ½-1 lemon 8 tbsp. of maple syrup 150g of homemade gluten free flour mix (1 ½ cups of brown rice flour, ½ cup of arrowroot powder, ¼ cup of white rice flour, ¼ cup of tapioca flour) 150g of ground hazelnuts 2 heaped tsp. of baking powder (gluten free) ¼ tsp. baking soda ½ cup of fresh blueberries Directions Preheat the oven to 180C (fan) Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor or blender until a flour forms Then combine the gluten free flour, ground nuts, baking soda, baking powder in a bowl In another bowl combine all the wet ingredients (not the blueberries) and then combine this with the dry ingredients and fold through the blueberries Line a loaf tin with baking paper and place the mixture into the tin Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean Leave to cool off then slice into 10-12 pieces (can be frozen) Adapted from rhiansrecipes.com  GLUTEN FREE PEAR OAT BAKE (VEGAN)
Serves 6 Ingredients 2 ½ cups of gluten free oats (250g) 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut 1 tbsp. cinnamon 2 pears grated 2 tbsp. maple syrup 2 cups of coconut milk (unsweetened) 2 ground flaxseed eggs (2 tbsp. ground flax mixed with 90ml of water) Handful of chopped nuts/seeds of choice (optional) Directions Preheat the oven to 180C (fan) Combine the flax and water in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes Add the oats, cinnamon, grated pear, maple syrup and milk to a bowl and then add in the flax eggs and combine until a batter forms. Then line a dish with parchment paper 10 x 8 and place the mixture in, flattening it out Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve with ¼ cup of coconut yogurt and raspberry chia jam (1 cup of raspberries blended and then add 2-3 tbsp. chia seeds and 1 tbsp. maple syrup and allow to thicken then store in a jar for up to a week in the fridge) Adapted from littlegreenspoon.com |