Roasted Buckwheat, Quinoa & Goji Gluten Free Muesli

Posted in Breakfast, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free by

This recipe never fails me. A good solid gluten free muesli without the added sugars and most importantly is healthy yum yum!
homemade muesli ingredients
Ingredients
2 cups organic quinoa flakes
1 cup organic buckwheat, oven roasted (for a nice crunch!)
1/4 cup organic chia seeds
1/2 cup roughly chopped raw almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup organic goji berries
1/4 cup organic coconut flakes (sulphur free)
Other options to add: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, linseeds, any other raw nuts or dried fruits.

Roasting your buckwheatroasted buckwheat
Heat your oven up on high, around 200 degrees celcius. You can simply dry roast your buckwheat in the heated oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it and keep shaking the tray, until it is nicely browned. You can try some of these other buckwheat variations:
Coconut Cinnamon Buckwheat – coat buckwheat in organic coconut oil and some ground cinnamon and roast in the oven, amazing!
Activated Buckwheat – soak your buckwheat in water and a pinch of himalayan rock salt overnight. Drain, rinse and oven roast at low temperature.

Bring it togetherRoasted Buckwheat, Quinoa & Goji Gluten Free Muesli
Simply mix all of your ingredients together in a large bowl and store in your own container in the fridge. I serve my morning muesli up with some almond milk or natural yoghurt and berries!

I always recommend making your own muesli, read more about Why Homemade Muesli is Best!

Tahini Garlic Dressing

Posted in Dinner, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Health & Nutrition Tips, Lunch, Paleo, Snacks & Desserts by

This dressing tastes naughty it is that good! Tahini does a great job at giving a creamy nutty flavour and texture to dishes, without any of the guilt! The apple cider vinegar, lemon and garlic make this dressing a great option when doing a detox or cleanse too!

IngredientsTahini Dressing Recipe
1/2 cup organic unhulled tahini
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
small handful of finely chopped parsley

Method
In a bowl with a whisk blend the tahini, garlic, salt, olive oil, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Keep whisking until it gets a smooth silky consistency. If dressing is too thick, add a small amount of warm water. Keep whisking and repeat if necessary. Mix through parsley at the end.

Serve with

Healthy dairy free dressing alternative, yum!

Healthy dairy free dressing alternative, yum!

Salads – this dressing will taste amazing over any salad!
Roasted Vegetables – drizzle over your roast vegetables for a natural creamy sauce and extra protein!
Dairy Free Dip – use to dip fresh carrot, celery and capsicum sticks into.

What’s good about tahini

  • This is simply ground sesame seed paste
  • It is super high in nutrients, particularly calcium, and a great source of protein and healthy fats
  • Makes a fantastic alternative to creamy dressings and sauces

Things to know about tahini

  • Use tahini minimally as it is still quite energy dense
  • Choose the “unhulled” variety, which contains the whole seeds natural nutrients
  • A good brand is “Mayvers” tahini

Enjoy!

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail

Posted in Happiness, Health & Nutrition Tips by

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin

That was one of the many motivational quotes which I picked up throughout my school sporting days and is definitely one which I’ve held onto over the years. I would have to say one of the keys to a healthy diet and lifestyle is being prepared and organised.

I think we all know what it’s like when you’re trying to find something healthy in a local convenience store or food hall when you have forgotten to pack your lunch. It is always a danger zone and close to impossible at times to find anything unprocessed or the little bit nourishing.

So, how do you prepare for a healthy and yummy week ahead?

Here are my tips to prepare for a kick-ass healthy week!

1. Chuck out the junk

Yep that is inside my fridge this week!

Yep that is inside my fridge this week!

Any foods which are not part of your healthy diet, throw them away. Empty and clean your fridge so it’s ready to hold the good stuff!

2. Plan and List
Quickly write down the meals which you need to prepare for the week and some ideas for these. Write yourself a shopping list from this! Download my basic weekly shopping list here…

3. Don’t go out hungry
One of the biggest tips when going food shopping is Continue reading →

Avoid the ‘healthy muffin trap’ – Quinoa Almond Muffins

Posted in Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Health & Nutrition Tips, Paleo, Snacks & Desserts, Sugar Free by

I have to admit that I have a bit of a weakness for muffins. Don’t ask me why, but whenever I see a muffin in a cafe, I am intrigued and always drawn towards it! The problem is most ready made muffins are packed full of refined flours and sugars, even the so called “healthy” ones. I call this the “healthy muffin trap” (or I may have just come up with that!)

Tips to avoid “the healthy muffin trap”:

Quinoa Almond Muffins with Apple

Quinoa Almond Muffins with Apple

1. Read the ingredients, and anything you do not recognise on there, put it down! Particularly numbers (e.g. ’220′)
2. Check for added sugars/syrups. Often with fruit muffins, e.g. banana, you do not need added sweeteners in addition to the natural sugars.
3. Avoid anything made using “white flour,” a real healthy muffin should at least use wholemeal flour or almond meal.
4. Just because it’s a fruit or vegetable flavour, does not make it healthy!
5. Anything which sits there for weeks, is not healthy. Make sure they are baked daily.

I’ve had to turn my little muffin-mania into a healthy yum yum obsession of course, and this would be one of my finer healthy muffin creations of late.

This recipe is fabulous because it gives you a healthy base muffin mix to work off, and then you can just add your favourite flavour combos! It is also high in Continue reading →

Guide to Healthy Cooking Oils

Posted in Health & Nutrition Tips by

Did you know that your cooking oil could be harming your health? Not to freak you out or anything, I know this is probably the last thing you’re thinking of when trying to whip dinner at night. But our choice of oil for cooking is an important one. Why?

If you are using an oil with a low smoke point to cook at high temperatures, this can release free radicals and disease causing carcinogens which are really harmful if consumed. To save you trying to figure out which is best for what, I’ve done a quick little guide for you below!

What is ‘smoke point’
The smoke point of a fat or oil is the point at which it begins to smoke when heated and begins to break down the fatty acids. You definitely want to avoid reaching this point so it is important to know the recommended culinary uses for different oils and their smoke point.

healthy cooking oilsHigh Temperature Cooking Oils
- Virgin Raw Coconut Oil
- Grape Seed Oil
- Peanut Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Canola Oil
- Unrefined Sunflower Oil

Moderate Temperature Cooking – Cold
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Macadamia Oil

Cold/Raw only
- Flaxseed (Linseed) Oil

Favourite 3 oils in my kitchen:
1. Organic Virgin Raw Coconut Oil – I use it for everything, including on my skin!
2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – love this cold over my salads and in dressings
3. Flaxseed Oil – I add a tablespoon to my smoothie every morning for a good dose of essential fats, also great for your digestion,  skin and hair!

A bit more on each oil below… Continue reading →

What’s Inside Your Coffee Bean?

Posted in Happiness by

Any self-confessed coffee lover would agree that this warm rich caramel drink does more than awaken our senses and satisfy our taste buds!
Not that we need any more reason to enjoy our daily cup, but if you are indulging in a few cups a day, here are some health facts to help justify your body’s desire for this divine brew…
read my coffee blog here
Read my full article (over a cuppa of course) published here on The Wee Coffee Bible blog!

The Wee Coffee Bible – Sydney’s first mini-magazine for the people

Raw Protein Balls

Posted in Breakfast, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Health & Nutrition Tips, Paleo, Snacks & Desserts by

Making your own protein balls or “bliss balls” is one of the easiest ways to have a healthy snack ready-to-go in your fridge. They literally take less than 10 minutes to make, and can keep for up to 4 weeks in the fridge. Trust me, they won’t last that long anyway!

raw-protein-balls-almondsThe reason I am a fan of protein balls is that they provide a protein and nutrient dense hit in one easy to eat snack. And they’re fantastic to carry around in your handbag or gym bag. There are many protein bars and snacks on the market, some better than others. But most of these are made up of about 50 ingredients with the majority being artificial or highly processed. These protein balls are great because they still deliver the protein you’re looking for, but using natural unprocessed ingredients.

Why Protein?
I always go on about having protein in every meal, particularly snacks, not only because protein provides amino acids which are essential to our health and well-being. Protein keeps you fuller for longer and also helps build lean muscle mass which will boost your metabolism. And we all like that!

Post-workout snack
If you are doing any kind of weights program, and aiming to build some lean muscle, you must eat a protein rich snack Continue reading →