[fb_button]

~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.

The post Green Omelette appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

I love my dehydrator, and in summer I seem to have it running almost every second day. I like to make all sorts of snacks in it like jerky, kale chips, dried fruit and even good old fruit leather (I loved roll ups as a kid).

Store bought dried fruit often has sulphur added to preserve it and retain the colouring (especially so for apricots) which can flare up the symptoms of asthma and other allergies. Making it yourself is easy, affordable and satisfying.

These are some of my favourite things to make with the dehydrator, if you don’t have one at home you can use the oven at really low setting and it will usually turn out just as well.

Dried fruit

SO simple to do, all you need to do is to cut the fruit into bite sized pieces and lay them out on the trays, then dehydrate at the lowest setting for a few hours or until dry. They will keep for a month or so in an airtight container, if they don’t get eaten before then that is! 

Fruit leather

In a blender blitz the washed and diced fruit until it forms a paste. If you wish you can add a little water, sugar or lemon juice to thin it if if it particularly thick. If using fruits like plum, apple or pear you may need to cook them down a little first.

Line the dehydrator trays with baking paper (allowing a gap at the outside for air to move through) and pour on the paste, spreading into a thin layer. You could sprinkle with chia seeds at this stage to add a bit of extra crunch.

Dehydrate at the lowest setting for 4 hours or until it turns into the right texture (it may need longer but you don’t want it to dry out too much so check it every hour after 4 hrs).

Flavour ideas:

• Strawberry
• Strawberry and Peach
• Raspberry and Peach
• Blueberries and Pear
• Blueberries and Goji
• Banana and strawberry
• Banana and Peach
• Plums
• Green apple, cinnamon and baby spinach
• Apricot, honey and lemon

Kale chips

You can make these in the oven, but it’s also super simply to make these in the dehydrator. Just cut or tear the kale leaves into bite sized pieces and lay out on the trays. You can sprinkle with a little salt or spice. If you want to get fancy with oil based flavourings these may be best done in the oven.

‘Cheesy’ Capsicum and cashew kale chips

• ½ red capsicum (finely chopped)
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
• Pinch of garlic powder, cumin, smokey paprika, cayenne (optional)
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 bunch kale (the curly leafed version is best)

In a small blender whiz up a handful of pre-soaked cashews, half a capsicum (finely chopped), lemon juice, nutritional yeast, the spices, salt and pepper. Blitz together until it forms a paste, adding a little water if needed to make it blend more easily.

Wash and dry the kale and spread the paste onto the leaves, trying to get it evenly distributed. It probably won’t stick to it perfectly, so you’ll need to pat some extra on once you’ve laid them out.

Spread the kale leaves onto the dehydrator trays and leave to dehydrate at 45C for a few hours or until crispy. Alternatively you can lay them on a tray and bake in the oven at a low heat for 40-50 minutes.

The post Dehydrator Fun appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

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!

[fb_button]

The post Eggy Muffins appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Dehydrated Kale leaves, aka Kale Chips are all the craze at the moment. If you haven’t tried them then I wouldn’t blame you for thinking they are an overrated hippy fad food – and I’m not saying they’re comparable to your normal potato chips, but if you’re looking for something you can munch on guilt free, Kale Chips are an awesome snack in their own right. Healthy, crispy and moreish, capable of carrying a big variety of flavours, Kale Chips are a winner in my eyes.

Using nutritional yeast in the coating provides a cheese-like flavour, and the cashews provide an extra level of crunchiness.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale leaves, stems removed, washed and cut into medium sized pieces.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup of cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours.
• 1/4 capsicum (any colour is fine, I used red)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes or 1/4 tsp chilli powder/cayenne
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Drain the cashews, reserving some of the water

Blend the ingredients in a food processor until smooth, adding a little of the water if it’s not blending smoothly enough

Coat the kale leaves with the cashew mixture as evenly as you can, then lay onto the dehydrator trays, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Dehydrate at 45°C for 2-4 hours until dry.

The post ‘Cheesy’ Chilli Kale Chips appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.