Below is a recipe from Lilly Lloyd, who has shared some wonderful nutrition information and recipes over at my instagram and facebook pages the last couple of months. She has moved on to a different path and is no longer providing nutrition consults, but here is a yummy recipe from her to say Goodbye!

Honestly, who doesn’t love a perfect eggie?! I absolutely do and they taste even better when they’re paired with this epic salad! Anything with halloumi and you’ve got me SOLD!

So, with anything we put in our mouths we should be curious of what and how it’ll feed our bodies. Ok so, the best time of year is here to eat fruit and even better stone fruit, yum! Peaches, mangoes, nectarines, cherries, so much yes! Can we take a moment of appreciation for these please, they are some delicious pieces of fruit. Peaches are too good, juicy, sweet and soft – so what are the nutritional benefits of them? They’re rich in vitamin C, potassium, fibre, antioxidants, cofactors contributing to the production of melatonin (our sleep hormone), antioxidants and so much more!

Peaches paired alongside Quinoa and Halloumi has this meal flying off the nutrient radar. 

Benefits of Quinoa & Halloumi: Unlike most plant-based foods, quinoa is a complete protein, which means it contains all of the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins that make up your muscles, bones, skin, and blood. The nine classified as “essential” must be obtained from food daily — your body cannot produce or store them — and quinoa provides all nine. Halloumi is a good source of important nutrients, including protein and calcium. Its exact content of fat and calories depends on how you prepare it. 

Benefits of eggs – a nice little hit of protein, plus it’s a brilliant source of choline, a nutrient essential for brain health, fertility and digestion.

These ingredients paired with peach is just a dream in heaven when it comes to a nourishing and delicious salad. Check the recipe below, cook it for yourself or take it to a friend’s BBQ this weekend.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

– Handful Mixed Leaves, rinsed

– Coriander

– Basil

– 1/2 an Avo, sliced or cubed

– Peach, sliced

– 28g Halloumi, cubed and fried until golden

– Handful Pecans, lightly toasted

– 1/4-1/3 Cup Leftover Bone Broth Quinoa

– 2 Eggies, boiled for 8 mins

– Salt / Pepper

– 1-2 Tbsp Basil Pesto 

METHOD

1. Precook your quinoa or at least let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours for the bone broth to sink in.
2. Boil your eggs (I let my cook for 8 mins, they’re PERF). Whilst they’re cooking, assemble your salad.
3. Toss together the mixed leaves, coriander, basil, avo and peach in a bowl. Add the pesto and toss further, sit aside.
4. Pan fry your halloumi whilst your eggs are still cooking away. Once you’ve done the halloumi, in the same pan, toss the pecans lightly.
5. Toss the quinoa, halloumi and pecans through the salad.
6. Place your eggies on top once cooked and crack some salt/pep over the top!

Enjoy!

The post Peach, Halloumi & Quinoa Salad appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

This salad is a classic Tuscan dish that is a great way to use up stale bread. It is refreshing in summer, and like many foods if you start with good quality ingredients like juicy tomatoes and good quality bread, it is delicious.

You could have this salad on it’s own or as a side.

Serves 2 as a main or 3-4 as a side

Ingredients

• Approx 200g (or 2 handfuls) stale bread, such as a sourdough or ciabatta
• 1 lebanese cucumber, cut into bite size chunks
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 tsp sumac
• Olive Oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 small anchovy (optional)
• 2 tsp capers
• handful fresh herbs such as basil, coriander or dill
• small handful kalamata olives, pitted and roughly cut
• large handful of baby tomatoes or 1-2 larger tomatoes, cut into bite size chunks
• large handful mixed lettuce, rocket or baby spinach leaves

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Thinly slice the onion and place into a bowl, then sprinkle with the salt and a few good splashes of red wine vinegar. Massage with your fingers and allow that to sit while you make the rest of the salad. Soaking the onion helps to reduce the burn from it.
3. Tear the bread into bite size chunks and sprinkle with olive oil and a little salt. Spread it on an oven tray and then place into the oven. Keep an eye on it as you make the rest of the salad, and give it a shake/stir so that it gets evenly browned. It should take about 10-15 minutes to get golden, at which point remove it from the oven.
4. Start assembling the rest of the salad into the bowl with the onion. If you choose to use the anchovy then chop it up very finely before adding to the vinegar an onion, then stir it around a bit more.
5. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, cucumber, lettuce and herbs.
6. Sprinkle the sumac and pepper over the top, then drizzle with the olive oil. Mix it all together.
7. When the bread it golden, allow it to cool for a minute then stir through into the salad.

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Want something tasty and fresh to serve with your New Years meal? This recipe is a big crowd pleaser. The dressing is asian inspired but it can easilly be served with a big variety of meals.  Not just suitable for a big day though, this dish is a great salad for mid week dinners or lunches as well.

~Serves 4-6~

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• 1 red onion
• 2 tsp sea salt

• 1 large handful coriander, mint and basil or dill, roughly chopped.
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced into batons or ribbons.
• 2-3 large handfuls (about 700g) red or wombok (Chinese cabbage) leaves
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped.
• 1 handful bean sprouts

Dressing

• 125ml rice wine vinegar
• 55g brown sugar
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp soft brown sugar or grated palm sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger
• 2 garlic cloves

Method

Julienne the carrot and thinly slice the onion, then combine with the salt in a non metal bowl and allow them to sit for 30 minutes.

Grate the ginger into your serving bowl (or a plate, and squeeze out the juice from the ginger). Crush or grate in the garlic, then whisk together with the rest of the dressing ingredients.

Shred the cabbage with a knife or with the slicing attachment in a food processor and dump on top of the dressing. Add the cucumber, bean sprouts and chilli and mix through.

Squeeze out the liquid from the carrot and onion then add to the rest of the slaw along with the herbs, then mix through again and serve.

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My mother introduced me to this recipe last year as part of a delicious Indian feast she prepared, and oh boy was this dish a winner. It’s so delicious, so fresh and it is perfect for these warmer months as well. This would be a good dish for Christmas lunch too, I’m thinking!

Mangoes are in season now, so get excited. Buy them cheaply buy the box, freeze half of them for smoothies and chow down on the rest of them fresh, or in meals like this.

Rich in Vitamin C, betacarotene, and low in calories. Oh and did I mention, delicious?

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 300g dessicated coconut
• 2 dried chillies, seeded and chopped
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar, coconut nectar or rice malt syrup
• 300g ripe mango flesh, cubed
• 1 tbsp macadamia or melted coconut oil
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 6 curry leaves

Method

1. Put the coconut, chilli and sugar/syrup in a blender and add enough water to make a thick, coarse paste.  If you don’t have a blender, crush everything together in a mortar and pestle, adding a little water as you go.

2. Transfer the paste to a bowl and toss the mango through.  Season with salt to taste, and then refrigerate.  Heat the oil in a small frying pan over low heat and add the coriander, mustard seeds and curry leaves.  Cover and shake the pan until the seeds start to pop.  Pour the oil and seeds over the mango mixture and stir.

The post Indian Mango Salad appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Serves 2 – 3

Ingredients

• 2 roast duck breasts
• 2 big handfuls of washed and chopped cos lettuce leaves
• 1 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped into wedges
• 1/2 butternut pumpkin, sliced thinly
• 4 small figs, cut into wedges

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 180C.
2.  Place pumpkin and onion wedges on a tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until started to go brown.
3.  Meanwhile, assemble lettuce, spring onion, cucumber, lettuce and figs in a salad bowl.
4.  Cook your duck breast, either by grilling or baking.  The duck breast we bought was already roasted (to our surprise) so I only needed to grill it for 5-6 minutes until warmed through.  It was surprisingly tender considering it had already been cooked!  However if you buy duck breast not already cooked, you may want to start it sooner.
5.  Make your salad dressing while the duck is cooking by whisking together the ingredients in a small bowl, and season and balance the flavours according to your taste.  You want it to be a bit tart and sweet, as when you pour it on the salad it will subdue the flavour somewhat.
6.  When the pumpkin and onion are cooked through and golden, take them out of the oven for a few minutes to cool down.  You should also allow your duck to rest for a few minutes, then slice.
7.  Combine all the ingredients together, add the dressing, mix together and serve.
8.  Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

• 1 fresh cob corn – corn cut off the cob
• 1 cup roast pumpkin – cut into small cubes before roasting
• 1/4 red capsicum, diced
• 1/4 cup pepitas or pine nuts
• 1 small handful of fresh parsley or coriander, chopped finely
• Extra virgin olive oil – cold pressed
• Balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Mix all vegetables and seeds/nuts
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic and toss to combine.
3. Serve after at least 30 minutes in the fridge to help infuse dressing.

Serves 1 and keeps well

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