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Recipes

Avocado and Pomegranate Tabbouleh | Recipes

Avocado and Pomegranate Tabbouleh

It’s Sunday and you’re planning your lunches for the week ahead!

The buzz words in your head are CLEAN LEAN PROTEIN GOOD FATS LOW CARB VEGAN

and then your mind goes blank…

Well here is a perfect little dish that you can make ahead of time and will last up to 3 days in the fridge! It is easily transported in Tupperware and just tastes better and better…

Ingredients:

80g quinoa – read packet instructions on how to make nice and fluffy.

6 tomatoes, diced into small chunks

1/2 cucumber

5 large handfuls of roughly chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

1 handful of chopped fresh mint

1 large ripe Hass avocado

2 tablespoons of toasted flaked almonds

Pomegranate seeds (you can buy these at most supermarkets pre-seeded if you need) If you can’t find pomegranates sultanas can be used as a substitute

2 large handfuls of leaves such as watercress, spinach and rocket

Dressing

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 grated garlic clove

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons of good quality honey

Sea salt and Black Pepper

Method

Drain and rinse the quinoa well – make sure there are no bubbly bits in the water as these are the natural saponins which are not good for digestion. Cook according to packet instructions, usually 15 minutes, then drain and set aside to cool. Run a fork through it to lightly fluff up the quinoa

Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a jam jar (if you have one) and shake or grab a glass and whisk with a fork

Chop the tomatoes and cucumber – remove the seeded bit of the cucumber as this can make the salad go quite wet. If you cut the cucumber in half then half again lengthways – grab a spoon and run it down from top to bottom you will find the seeds will pull out quite easily.

Combine the warm quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber and herbs with the dressing.

At this point, if you wish to save for lunches this week – leave to cool till cold. Then seal in Tupperware and keep in the fridge (see more info below)

Make a gorgeous bed of salad, place the tabbouleh on top, and add chopped avocado and pomegranate

Dry fry the flaked almonds few minutes on a medium heat until toasted and scatter over the tabbouleh.

Serve warm or cold

Transport

Keep the tabbouleh in the fridge

On the day of lunch: chop the avocado and place in a container with a squeeze of lemon/lime on top (this will stop from going brown) and place pomegranate.

Grab some toasted almonds (you can buy them pre-toasted) and sprinkle on top – just before eating for extra crunch

Place salad leaves on top in order to keep them fresh

Nutrition

Quinoa is full of protein

Avocado is a great healthy fat

and the rest is made up of beautiful skin nourishing herbs, fruit and veggies

Delicious, Nutritious and Perfect for anyone on the run!

For More Stress-Free Nourishing Recipes Click Here: Nourish

Recipes

Green Goddess Smoothie

Green Smoothies are the perfect way to start your day. Beside the ‘green hype’ the benefits of starting your day green really do pay off. The Western Diet doesn’t provide as much fruit and vegetables to meet our daily needs. We have all been guilty of having eggs for breakfast, nuts mid-morning, chicken and quinoa for lunch and then some protein and veg for dinner. That means with even the healthiest of diets there is a significant lack of fruit and vegetables.

Due to the high fructose content of fruit, it is recommended not to have fruit post 3 pm and source only vegetables post this time. That means starting your day with a Green Smoothie can give you the head-start of getting your 7-a-day.

Green Smoothies

Green smoothies are not only great for digestion and weight management but also your skin. The skin is one of the largest organs of the body protecting us from the outside. It is the best indicator of what is going on inside…

Are you feeling dull, look tired and have dry skin?… and none of the expensive creams you buy is working? Perhaps its time to go a bit further than skin deep and have a look on the inside.

The ingredients in this smoothie give you a huge boost of those wonderful vitamins and good fats it needs to thrive.

Apples give you a boost of vitamin C, while the skin of a cucumber is full of nutrients that nourish you from the inside out. The celery and Kale give the body some good fibre and vitamins that allow greater digestion and glow. Dried spirulina contains about 60% protein. It is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids and it also contains..

Protein: 4 grams.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 11% of the RDA.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 15% of the RDA.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 4% of the RDA.
Copper: 21% of the RDA.
Iron: 11% of the RDA.

So… have I convinced you yet?

Green Smoothie Ingredients:

1 apple

2 sticks of celery

1/4 cucumber

handful spinach or kale

Half an avocado

knob of peeled ginger

3 tablespoons of lemon juice/juice of a lemon

1.25 cups of coconut water

1 teaspoon of super green powder (chlorella, spirulina etc)

We blend the greens and fruit for easy digestion, your body is able to absorb more of the vitamins and minerals without working so hard

Add coconut water and chopped vegetables. Blend at a low speed until smooth.
Add rest of the ingredients (except lemon and spirulina), and blend at high speed.
Add spirulina
Finish lemon
Too make cooler add a handful of ice

For More Stress-Free Nourishing Recipes Click Here: Nourish

Balance

When is your Matcha Moment?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

There is a new superfood lurking around the market place – it goes by the name of Matcha… makes me think of macho so I thought I would check out this new green powder on the market

I started my little investigation on the interweb and decided I would find out what the world thinks of this product and also try it out myself.

So Matcha – who are you and where are you from?

Matcha is 100% natural, organic green tea leaves which have been carefully ground down to form a fine powder.

It has been drunk in Japan as part of the tea ceremony for almost 900 years, and is used by Buddhist monks to keep them alert, awake and focused during long days of meditation.

I’m liking the sound of this Zen tea.

So lets look into the benefits…

Boosts metabolism and burns calories
Detoxifies effectively and naturally
Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar
Boosts memory and concentration
Amazing flavour
Full out cancer fighting ingredients
Anti-ager
Loaded full of fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins

So I think we are on to a winner.

So my own experiment…

HOT: I tried it in a tea… a very interesting flavour. It was too overpowering for me but worth a try if you like more vegetative tastes it is worth a try

SMOOTHIE: Brilliant in a green smoothie. Try it with Cucumber, Mint, Spinach and Apple.

Whats your Matcha Moment?

Try it for yourself and buy from here

Enjoy x

Explore/ Recipes

Home Grown – POP Brixton

So who hasn’t heard of Pop Brixton?

The newest addition to the vibe in the South. Pop Brixton is an amazing new space created for the local community to showcase independent start ups and businesses in Brixton.

It has been creating such a buzz with different areas quite literally “popping” up within the vicinity. As I live in Brixton I venture down to this new addition quite regularly. The vibe is great, the food is delicious and the concept fantastic.

One of my new favourite stalls has got to be Home Grown

Born at Pop Brixton and managed by Jocie and Gabriella – the girls are working to introduce the local community to Juices, fresh homemade salads and alternative coffees.

Alongside their beautiful stall they are also doing yoga and pilates first thing in the morning to start the day right!

So this is bloomin amazing as far as I am concerned! Health and nutrition slap bang in the middle of one of Brixton best hang out places…AWESOME!

So lets take a look around…

Cute, beautiful and welcoming; I explored Home Grown while chatting to Gabriella I sipped away at a Coconut Flat White. The stall offers all kinds of alternative milk – not just the average soy – from Oat to Coconut. Dairy-Free is definitely the way the world should be moving too. It is often hard to pick up a coffee where the non-dairy alternatives are available so this is a breathe of healthy fresh air

The stall is brimming with healthy produce which is used in the fresh juices and homemade salads. Juices and Salads are key to Spring and Summer lifestyle as they are light and packed full of nutrients key to making your skin and body glow.

From Immune Boosters to Green Power Home Grown caters for every juice need. For those who are members of the local Brixton Recreation Centre – this is the perfect place to pick up your post workout re-boot. It is important when doing any kind of exercising be it to pack on muscle or strip back fat – you need to get all your nutrients.

With a combination of juice and salad deals these little store really is making steps forward to bring healthy eating down to Brixton. All you lunch time needs for £8!

Get yourself down to Pop Brixton and Homegrown to try out their juices and yoga/pilates session

At the moment they have an offer… for £20 you can get un-limited classes for a week with a juice of your choice!

Otherwise drop in classes are £10

Remember to bring a mat – I use this one as its tucks away nicely in my room with no extra space taken…Perfect

Check out www.popbrixton.org for all the information about upcoming events

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal

This evening I made a fritatta and my goodness it was delicious – it was the perfect sharer for me and my friends…and here’s a little secret – it tastes just as good the next dayy.

Chicken, Sweet Potato and Spinach Frittata

Ingredients:

800g orange sweet potato, peeled, chopped into 2cm pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
8 eggs
Slices of Mozzarella
Salt & freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
300g cooked chicken, diced
80g sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
50g baby spinach leaves
Side salad, to serve

Instructions:

Step 1 – Place the sweet potato in a pan and boil in salted water till soft. Drain.
Step 2 – Meanwhile combine basil, mozzarella and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3 – Heat the oil in 5cm deep, 26cm non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sweet potato and cook, tossing for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, and toss until the spinach wilts.
Step 4 – Preheat grill to high. Reduce the heat to low and pour over the egg mixture. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until almost set but still runny on top. Place the frying pan under the grill for 3-4 minutes or until golden and set. Serve slices with a side salad.

Its clean and delicious. To make it extra healthy and light – don’t add mozzarella and use egg whites for 4 out of the 8 eggs

Enjoy – perfect for parties or with friends

Kiss kiss

Recipes

Today’s Clean Eat – Mango and Papaya Smoothie

This summery little delight made its way on to my radar when I decided to start the new year with a detox in mind,

If you drink/ eat fruit first thing in the morning your body can absorb all the nutrients and give you the health benefits from the second you wake up!

Smoothies in place of a meal are a great way of weight loss – in a healthy balanced diet

Right – what you will need!

1 mango
1 papaya
250ml of coconut water
ice cubes

Slice the fruits into chunks, add coconut water and ice – and voila!

Garnish with blueberries – yummy!

Recipes

Today’s Health – Himalayan Rock Salt – health benefits

Himalayan salt is millions of years old and pure, untouched by many of the toxins and pollutants that pervade other forms of ocean salt. Known in the Himalayas as “white gold,” it contains the same 84 natural minerals and elements found in the human body.

The health benefits of using natural Himalayan Crystal Salt may include:

Controlling the water levels within the body, regulating them for proper functioning
Promoting stable pH balance in the cells, including the brain.
Encouraging excellent blood sugar health
Aiding in reducing the common signs of aging
Promoting cellular hydroelectric energy creation
Promoting the increased absorption capacities of food elements within the intestinal tract
Aiding vascular health
Supporting healthy respiratory function
Lowering incidence of sinus problems, and promoting over-all sinus health
Reducing cramps
Increasing bone strength
Naturally promoting healthy sleep patterns
Creating a healthy libido
Circulator support
Promotes kidney and gall bladder health when compared to common chemically-treated salt

I have started drinking a table spoon every morning mixed in with a glass of warm water. This kind of salt flush is good at getting your insides from your tummy right to then end in good nick. It cleanses and detoxifies the body! One week of pure body love!

You can find it at most stores – I bought mine at Waitrose xxx