Packed full of veggies, low in sugar, free from preservatives, high in fibre, protein and prebiotics and downright yum.

This meal is great for starting the day because it’s going to keep your blood sugar levels stable for a while, and keep your tummy full.

I make this for the kids a lot but it’s a regular dinner for he adults too, because it just tastes so good!

This meal works well if you are using baby led weaning, as the beans are a good size for bub to pick up with their hands, and the texture of the sauce is fun to explore. The beans and veg are all soft (check the carrot as depending how small you cut it it could still be a little firm) so it’s okay for babies to mash with their gums. If they’re learning utensils it’s not a slippery meal so fun for them to practice using a spoon. Not into BLW? This meal is fine for you to feed bub as well.

Making your own baked beans isn’t hard to do, and when you cook it in a big batch you’re setting yourself up for success. Great for any meal of the day but one of my favourite quick dinners is to reheat a batch of these baked beans, and sometimes I must serve it with some toast and some extra greens, but often it’s perfect on its own.

If you’re concerned about a bit of windiness from the beans, you can use the dry beans and soak them overnight. This breaks down the phytic acid which is often responsible for causing gas, digestive irritation and to some extent it can bind with minerals. After soaking the beans overnight you will need to rinse them thoroughly and make sure they’re cooked through well.

Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 3 cups beans soaked overnight and rinsed or 2 x 400g can beans rinsed and drained. I like butter beans, cannelloni and kidney beans.
• 2 can diced tomatoes
• 250ml stock or bone broth
• 1 onion finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves crushed/finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 florets cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 sprig rosemary (finely chopped) and/or thyme

Method

1. Sautee the onion over medium heat until it starts to soften
2. Add the zucchini, carrot, cauliflower and garlic and sautee until they are cooked through.
3. Add the herbs and spices, stir for a minute, then add the beans and tomatoes and stock. Stir through, then bring to the boil.
4. Reduce down to a simmer on low heat, cover and let it cook for 30 minutes or until it’s all at a good consistency.

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~Serves 1~

Ingredients

• 3 button mushrooms, halved then sliced
• 2 slices smoked salmon, cut or torn into chunks
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp dill

Method

Heat a small frying pan to medium heat, then add a good splash of olive oil and a tsp butter or ghee. Add the mushrooms and sautee until softened.

Whisk the eggs with some salt and pepper to season and a tbsp water (I find adding the water makes it a bit fluffier and makes the eggs go further), then pour into the pan. Arrange the mushrooms evenly throughout the egg mixture then allow to cook for a minute. Lay in the smoked salmon and most of the dill, then cover the pan and allow the omelette to cook all the way through (about 2-3 more minutes). Once it is mostly set you may like to try flipping it over, or folding in half so that all the egg is cooked.

Serve with a sprinkling of the remaining dill.

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~serves 1~

Ingredients

• ½ cup kale leaves separated from the stems, both finely chopped
• ½ cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
• ¼ red onion, finely diced
• 1 handful flatleaf parsley and coriander leaves, roughly chopped (you can use whatever herbs you like)
• 1 pinch dried chilli flakes
• 1 handful mixed grated cheese
• 2-3 eggs
• Salt and pepper to season
• ¼ avocado

Method

Heat a frypan to medium heat with splash of olive oil, then add the onion and kale stems and sautee for a couple of minutes or until the onion has softened

Add in the kale leaves and sautee for another minute

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk with the salt and pepper and a splash of water, the cheese, and chilli flakes.

Add the baby spinach and most of the herbs to the pan, mix through, then pour in the egg mixture.

Once the bottom has set (about 4 minutes), fold the omelette in half and allow to cook a bit longer so that the inside cooks.

Place on a plate and serve alongside some avocado and a spoonful of sauerkraut (the “live” type) then sprinkle over the rest of the herbs and a crack of black pepper.

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Hey everyone! In this video I show you how I make toasted muesli – it’s super easy and so cheap to make your own compared to buying it ready made. Having a quick healthy breakfast ready to go can make your morning much easier, and as everyone knows, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

If you start your day with a combination of some complex carbohydrates (rolled oats), protein (nuts and seeds) and fats (also found in the nuts and seeds, and you’ll get some if you have your muesli with some full fat milk or yoghurt, but you could add some more to the recipe with the addition of some coconut oil during the toasting process) then it will help to keep your blood sugar levels balanced for a few hours and help to prevent fluctuations for the rest of the day, which will mean less cravings and better willpower (because your brain requires a stable blood sugar level to keep willpower up).

About 20-30 minutes at the start of each week makes life a lot easier for the following mornings.

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 3-4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1-2 handfuls of chopped dried fruit (you could use dates, cranberries, raisins, goji berries, apricots, blueberries, papaya, pineapple)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 150g shredded coconut
• 1-2 handfuls mixed nuts and seeds (e.g. flaked almonds, macadamias, sunflower seeds and pepitas)
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil (optional)

Method
1. Spread oats on a large flat oven tray add the maple syrup a little bit at a time, you just want the oats to be a little wet not drowning. Stir through to get the oats nicely covered and glistening, then pop it in the oven to bake until the oats are golden and crunchy.

2. Bake the coconut until golden, you may need to stir it around mid bake.

3. Chop the dried fruit into thin slices.

4. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

5. Store in an airtight container.
This is my first how to cooking video, so I hope you enjoy!

Click here to subscribe to my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkStCctAU5jtFxaiTEDnb3g?sub_confirmation=1

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Recipe by: Kellie Holland from Tonik Health

Love Banana bread but wish it was a bit better for you? Well wish no longer because this recipe gives your standard banana bread a health kick, and it tastes good too.

Egg free, gluten/wheat free, nut free, dairy free.

INGREDIENTS

• 1¾ cups spelt flour (for a gluten free version, use quinoa or coconut flour)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1¼ tsp bicarb soda
• Pinch of Celtic sea salt
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 tbsp flaxseed oil (you can also use olive oil)
• 3 over ripe bananas

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees celsius. Grease a loaf tin with coconut oil and line with baking paper.
2. Sift the spelt flour, baking powder and bicarb into a bowl, mix through the salt.
3. In another bowl add the bananas and mash like crazy. Add in the vanilla, maple syrup and flaxseed oil and mix really well.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until your batter forms.
5. Pour into your prepared loaf tin, smooth the top out and for extra prettiness add half a banana (sliced lengthways) on top.
6. Add to the oven and cook for 45 minutes – check with a skewer to make sure it’s cooked through.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm!

About Kellie:

The post Healthier Banana Bread appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

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I think one of the best things you can do for your eating habits is to BE PREPARED. If you’ve got some meals that you’ve made on the weekend, or all your ingredients ready to go in the one place for your salads and dinners it takes a lot of the time and stress out of cooking.

You can whip these babies up on the weekend, or even at the same time you’re making dinner, and have a few ready to go for breakfast throughout the week or to have as snacks.

You’ll need:

• Eggs (depending on how many muffins you’d like to make, you usually need 1½ -2 eggs per muffin.
• Assorted veggies – e.g. Mushroom, capsicum, spring onion, kale, spinach
• Small handful of parsley
• Splash of milk or cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Handful of Grated cheese
• Salami or prosciutto to line the trays with. (1 slice per muffin)
• Pinch of cayenne or nutmeg (optional)

 Method:

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Line a muffin tray with prosciutto or thinly sliced salami, using your fingers to press it into the mould.

In a bowl whisk together the eggs with some salt and pepper and a little water or milk of your choice (or cream if you’re feeling lush) as well as a handful of grated cheese. Pour these into the muffin trays, leaving room to add the veggies and reserving a small amount to top up.

Finely chopped some veggies that you’d like to add, I used kale, mushroom and capsicum, and added some flat leaf parsley and the spices. Evenly distribute these into the egg muffins, and push them down so they’re covered with the egg mixture. Top up with extra egg mixture if required.

Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through and gold on the top.

These will keep in the fridge for 3 days or so nicely, but they’re very yummy so they probably won’t last long!

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Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon

• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp cream
• 1 splash water
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 1 slice smoked salmon
• 1 pinch of grated cheese
• Dill, to serve

Combine everything except the salmon and dill in a bowl and mix with a fork to combine. Melt some butter in a pan on medium heat, and pour in the egg mixture. Break the salmon into large chunks and scatter over the egg mixture. Once the eggs have started to firm up a little around the edges, gently scramble the eggs by pulling the eggs from the outside of the pan into the middle with a wooden spoon, rotating this action around the pan. At some point you may need to flop larger sections of the eggs over to cook it evenly.
Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle over the dill. Enjoy!

Toasted Muesli

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1-2 handfuls of chopped dried fruit (dates, cranberries, raisins, goji berries, apicots)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp LSA
• 3 tbsp shredded coconut
• 4 tbsp seeds (sunflower and pepitas)

Method
1. Spread oats on a large flat oven tray add the maple syrup a little bit at a time, you just want the oats to be a little wet not drowning. Stir through then you bake it in the oven till the oats are golden and crunchy. Allow to cool.
2. Bake the almonds and coconut until golden.
3. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
4. Store in an airtight container.

Bircher Muesli with Fruit

Note: In winter, use plump soaked raisins and pears.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup apple juice (choose the organic cloudy looking one, the regular type is too sweet)
• 1 cup coarsely grated apple
• ½ cup natural yoghurt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ cup sliced peaches and nectarines
• ¼ cup mixed berries
• 2 tbsp honey

Method
Place oats and apple juice in a bowl and soak for 1 hour, or overnight. Add grated apple, yoghurt and lemon juice to oat mixture and mix well. Spoon into serving bowls and top with fruit. Drizzle with honey. Serves 4.

Chia Pudding with Fruit and Caramelised Buckinis

Ingredients

• 1-2 tbsp chia seeds
• ½ cup kefir
• 1 kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
• 1 soft in season fruit, e.g. persimmon, fig, peach
• 2 tbsp caramelized buckinis (I use Loving Earth)
• Vanilla extract
• Hydrolysed gelatin powder (I use this brand)

Method
Pour kefir into bowl and stir through gelatin powder and vanilla.
Stir through chia seeds and allow to sit for a few minutes to swell up.
Add fruit of your choice and top with caramelized buckinis.

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The post 4 Breakfast Recipes appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Ok, this smoothie is seriously yum!  Who doesn’t love peanut butter?  I think peanut butter is an under-used ingredient in a lot of smoothie recipes, so this time I made it the focus. Smoothies are quick, tasty and easy to make, plus you can make them as healthy (or unhealthy) as you’d like.

(I didn’t have any bananas at home, but you could definitely add one to thicken this baby up, oh and feel free to add some greens to this as well!)

Ingredients

• 1 generous dessert spoon of peanut butter (as natural as you can find, my favourite is Pic’s Really Good)
• 1 tsp Maca powder (This is a superfood, great for energy and reproductive health.  It’s taste varies between brands, and while I don’t mind it, it’s not for everyone.  Fortunately it’s disguised perfectly by peanut butter.  You can usually find Maca at health food shops, or online e.g. at Loving Earth.)
• 1/2 – 2/3 cup milk of your choice (e.g. almond, rice or oat)
• 1 date, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp yoghurt
• 4-6 ice cubes

What next?

Add all ingredients to your blender, blitz until the ice and dates are broken down, pour into glass and enjoy!!

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 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 frozen bananas
• 1/2 frozen mango flesh
• 250mL coconut water
• 1 tsp Maca powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder (I used Biomedica Protein Complete)
• 2 tbsp kefir/yoghurt

Method

Combine all ingredients, whizz up in a blender or using a bar-mix.

Enjoy!

The post Coco-Nana Smoothie appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

While doing groceries on the weekend I saw some mangoes in the fruit market that really caught my eye – they were so lovely and red, and I thought I just have to use these!

Smoothies are a great way to add in lots of fibre and nutrients into your day, and are very quick to make (even more if you prepare the ingredients beforehand).  Personally, I don’t like traditional breakfasts such as cereal and toast, and as I react to eggs (which is a shame because I love them) smoothies are a great breakfast option for me.

There are so many options when it comes to making smoothies, it’s fun to try different variations.

Ingredients

• 1/2 flesh of a mango
• 1 banana
• 1 handful of english spinach leaves (Don’t be afraid – while you can see it, you don’t taste it.  Adding them adds lots of fibre, vitamins and minerals and goodness)
• 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (I used vital greens pea protein in chocolate this time)
• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 1 tbsp kefir
• 1/2-1 cup almond milk

Optional booster ingredients: Maca powder, Spirulina powder, Green tea powder, Chia seeds, LSA, Flaxseed meal and/or oil, Probiotics, Avocado…

Method

Stick all the ingredients into the container and whizz up with a stick blender.

Pour into a glass.  Enjoy!

I had some smoothie which didn’t fit into my glass, so I poured it into my dog’s bowl – she loved it!

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