RAINBOW VEGGIE PLATE:

Fall has finally hit, which means we are in search of more nurturing and comforting things to eat. We are start to cook a little more, start to introduce those delicious fall flavors, roast things and really embrace alllllll the delicious things more than ever. So what better time to ditch the beige food and embrace all the colorful things and give your metabolism a boost along the way. This dish can be a side for any lean protein shared for two or an entire meal for all those plant based foodies out there. Studies have shown that eating "rainbows" or colorful foods is amazing for your metabolism, so don't be shy, get experimental if you like, the more color the better with this one.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup cauliflower rice

4 rainbow carrots

20 asparagus spears

1/2 pomegranate

2 tbs tahini

Handful of fresh dill

35 g dry roasted almonds (handful )

1 pinch chilli flakes

HOW:

• Pre heat the broiler on high.
• Cut the bases off the asparagus spears and set aside
• Peel carrots and cut into spears length ways, I would try and keep them a similar size to the asparagus, this will ensure things all cook at a similar rate.
• Take two pans and spray lightly with coconut oil, place the asparagus in one, carrots in the other and lightly spray with coconut oil again then place under the broiler. Set a timer for 5 mins, once timer is up turn veggies over and repeat. The goal here is slightly roasted looking veggies so if they need another min or two on each side depending on the strength of your broiler.
• While this is cooking get started on the rest of the Prep and the cauliflower mix. Start by chopping the almonds and taking the seed pods out of the pomegranate. Set these aside and now move on to the cauliflower.
• Lightly spraying a pre heated fry pan with coconut oil, add cauliflower and chili flakes and lightly sauté for a couple of mins. Transfer to a small bowl, add the tahini, dill and stir throughly until combined.
• Take the carrots and asparagus out from under the broiler and now you are ready to putting it all together!
• Take the cauliflower mix and spread it about 1/2 inch thick on a plate to create a base, follow this with a layer of the carrots and the asparagus, followed by almonds, pomegranate and some fresh dill annnnnnd you've got yourself one impressive looking side for two or main meal.

Serves 2

Calories: 275

Fat: 17.5g

Carbs: 17g

Sugar: 11g

Protein: 10g

SWORDFISH CEVICHE

​Summer may have come to an end however my love of fresh meals that leave you feeling oh so good will never die. Ceviche will always be a favorite of mine; it's healthy, it's super simple but impresses friends and lovers and tasty AF. What is it? It's originally a Latin American recipe for raw fish and seafood marinated in citrus juice, mainly lime and lemon juice. The acid in the citrus juice "cooks" the proteins in the fish, it appearing opaque and cooked but essentially it's raw. This is another recipe that can be an entire meal if made for two or served as a pre dinner snack to impress friends with corn chips and a killer sangria, I mean there's just so many options!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb raw swordfish

Juice of 2 limes

1 jalapeno finely sliced

1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

1/2 cup freshly chopped mint

7 oz lite coconut milk

1/4 cup shaved coconut

HOW:

- Take a super sharp knife to the swordfish fillet and slice it as thin as possible, cutting into pieces roughly an inch in length and 1/8 of an inch thick. Place in a medium sized bowl.

- Cover the swordfish with the lime juice, add the sliced jalapeno, stir and leave for 20mins.

- While this is "cooking" in the lime juice , take a frypan heat to a medium heat and "toast" the coconut. This process is actually quite quick so keep an eye on it. As soon as the coconut flakes start to change in color and lightly brown take it off the heat and place in a bowl to cool, this will also insure that it won't continue to cook in the hot pan even though the heat is turned off.

- Once the 20mins is up, add the coconut milk, cilantro and mint and make sure it is all stirred through. Yup this bad boy is ready to serve- how easy was that?!

- Serve in stemless wine glasses or drinking glasses (this has a super impressive effect while portioning it perfectly) Top the ceviche with the toasted coconut and you are ready to rock! This can be served with alone in a glass or with a side of tortilla chips and eaten together.

if serving 2:

Calories: 352

Protein : 45

Carbs: 6

Sugar: 2.5

Fat: 15

GLUTEN FREE SAVORY SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

Pancakes are something I could literally eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner erry damn day. So as this obsession of mine has continued I've become quite creative with variations but this would by far have to be my savory favorite and once again like the theme you see in most of my recipes SUPER EASY!

Pancake mix:

1/2 cup egg whites

1 cup sweet potato purée

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tbs coconut flour

Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Pinch of Black Pepper

Pinch of baking powder

1/4 cup of freshly chopped Dill

1/4 cup freshly chopped Chives

TOPPING:

4 Brussel sprouts quartered

4 mushrooms sliced

1/4 cup sliced almonds

4 chicken tenders poached and shredded

2-3 tbs of your Fav hot sauce

2 tbs tahini mixed with 2 tbs of water.

PANCAKE BATTER:

- start with the sweet potato purée. You can buy this pre puréed or do it yourself, I like to do it myself because it's simple but either works. If DYI it's as simple as boiling the sweet potato pieces in water until soft, draining and blending in your bullet /blender

- To the bullet/ blender add all the ingredients for the pancake mix minus the dill and chives and blend.

- Take half of the dill and chives and add to the mix but only stir through.

- Set aside.

While that is resting, this is where you prepare your toppings for these glorious pancakes. Remember you can have WHATEVER YOU LIKE on them, I went with the poached chicken option but your options are endless.

TOPPINGS:

- Pre heat pan and lightly spray with coconut oil, Cook mushrooms and sprouts until golden

- Add sliced almonds and cooked chicken to the veggies in the pan and cook for two mins, I like to add a couple of splashes(or more depending on how adventurous I'm feeling 😉) of my fav hot sauce to this bit for some extra kick, it also works to lightly coat all ingredients nicely.

- Set pan aside.

Cooking your Pancakes:

- Pre heat pan number 2, lightly spray with coconut oil and begin to cook your pancakes. spoon 3 tbs of batter per pancake, I usually try and do three pancakes per pan. Cooking time will vary from 5-7 mins

Putting it all together!

- It's all about the layers! I have a bit of a system.... Pancake, spread tahini, spoon Veggie and chicken mix, sprinkle with chives and dill, place pancake two on top and repeat!

Serves 2 

NUTRITION INFO: note this includes toppings etc

Calories 450

Carbs 38

Fats 16.5

Protein 44g

Sugar 1

CAULIFLOWER RICE SUSHI

Sushi has always been a favorite of mine, this recipe is one to certainly wow any guests, surprisingly filling, super fresh and one keep you looking lean in time for that beach getaway.

1/2 Medium avocado

2 cups poached chicken breast (I poached it with some powdered ginger in the water) 

1 &1/2 cup cauliflower
1 &1/2 cup brocolli
1 purple carrot
1/2 yellow pepper
Handful of fresh dill
2 tbs tahini
1 lemon
1/2 tsp Chili flakes
Nori seaweed wraps
Bamboo Sushi rolling mat (or you could do what I did and use a wooden place mat as it has the exact same effect)

HOW:
Ok let's do this one thing at a time and then I'll explain how to put it together. Remember things are to be sliced thin and chopped up small because we have a lot going in to this sushi and we want to make sure it all fits in nicely.

CAULIFLOWER RICE:
- Blend the cauliflower in a bullet blender until it looks rice like.
- Take your cauliflower rice and sautée in a pan for about 4-5 mins. The goal here is to remove moisture not cook entirely.
- Take your rice off the heat and put in a small bowl, stir through the juice of half a lemon and chilli flakes.

BROCOLLI:
- Chop broccoli super fine and put in a small bowl. In a separate bowl or cup combine the tahini, 2tbs of lemon juice and a big pinch of black cracked pepper.
- Add the dressing mix to the broccoli and stir through until all of the broccoli is covered evenly
- 2 tbs of sesame seeds

CARROT:
- create thin ribbons with a mandolin slicer, if you don't have one of these then a vegetable peeler will also work.
- Cut eat ribbon in half lengthwise

CHICKEN:
- Take poached chicken and shred with a fork or slice up into thin inch long pieces

YELLOW PEPPER:
- Julienne the pepper lengthways as thin as you can

AVOCADO:
- Take the 1/2 avocado and slice it lengthways, remember to keep it quite thin.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER:This is all about layers!! Make one at a time and don't try to over commit too much otherwise you might be in for a vey messy experience.
- Moisten Nori wrap with water and place on bamboo/ place mat wet side down. I did this by quickly running it under the facet as it was drizzling.
- Take 2-3 heaped tablespoons of the cauliflower mix and spread it on the bottom 2 inches of your nori. Make sure it goes right to the edges of the wrap and is roughly 1/2 an inch thick.
- Repeat previous step with the broccoli mix.
- Take 4 carrot ribbons and lay on top of the brocolli
- Follow with chicken, peppers, avocado and dill and you are ready to roll!
- Use your thumbs and forefingers to pick up the edge of the mat closest to you. Use your other fingers to hold the filling while rolling the mat over to form a roll. Make sure it is super tight and pull the mat as you go to create a firm roll.
- Put on a plate in the fridge and repeat this for a total of 5 rolls. Once all of the rolls are complete, refrigerate for 5-10mins
- Now with a super sharp knife, cut your rolls into pieces, I would keep them 1-1.5 inches thick.
- Serve with pickled ginger and wasabi and enjoy that guilt free sushi!

NUTRITIONAL INFO
SERVING: 5 rolls - 6 pieces per serve
CALORIES 153
CARBS 9
FAT 6
PROTEIN 16
SUGAR 2

LUNCH BOWL 101

I have a lot of people ask me what / how much they should be eating soooo here's my 💁🏻LUNCH BOWL 101.

Use this as a guide to build your lunch bowl/ plate. Remember it's a balance of protein/veggies/ good fats and a bit of crunch is always good to keep it texturally exciting.

* BASE: 1 cup of dark green leaves, whether this is spinach, arugula or kale. I like to think of this as a bed my meal is sitting on and also gives you the illusion of eating more

* LEAN PROTEIN: roughly the size of your palm (I've used pastrami here as a break from my usual chicken or fish)

* VEGGIES: 1 cup. I like to mix raw and sautéed so I don't get bored. Avoid starches like potatoes and focus on colors and greens. Eating rainbows boosts your metabolism & just looks sooo much better.

* GOOD FAT: Size of your thumb and base. Things like avocado, raw nuts. I like a bit of crunch so I usually go half and half.

* FERMENTED VEGGIES: 1- 2 tbs. These are the most underrated things ever, great for gut health and your intestinal fitness. Eg: sauerkraut & kimchi.

* DRESSING: load up on pepper and stick to either Tahini, balsamic, citrus juices or a tbs of olive oil. That's it.

Get creative, keep that tummy happy and tag me in your lunch bowl creations! Xox 

DAIRY FREE BRAMI BEAN PESTO SAUCE

I generally avoid dairy when I can these days, I'm not intolerant but I must admit I feel a lot lighter and leaner when I do. I was lucky enough to hit up the Foundermade wellness conference last month and discovered Brami Beans aka pickled Lupini beans. Awesome as a snack, or even with a cheeky glass of wine. Anyway I got experimenting and ahhh hello creamy pesto!!!  I had it with parsnip noodles and shrimp but the options are endless. 

INGREDIENTS: 

1 pack shelled brami beans (pop beans out of shell)

7 tbs nutritional yeast

2 Big Handfuls of fresh basil

1/2-1  cup of almond milk

2 cloves of garlic

HOW:

- Blend all ingredients in a bullet but only 1/2 cup of milk to start. Check consistency. Add more milk and blend again. 

- I made parsnip noodles and cooked with shrimp and garlic but as I said earlier this can be used on anything, even as a stir through sauce at the end of the dish. 

Xxxxx

MINI TURKEY MEATBALLS

I'm a sucker for a meatball and I must admit I've finally done it, I've mastered the Turkey Meatball and it's super fucking delicious. The secret ingredient? Parsnip! Who knew hey?

INGREDIENTS:

1lb super lean turkey mince

1 cup grated parsnip

1/4 cup super finely chopped Onion

2 tbs thyme (fresh or dried)

2 tbs fresh basil chopped

3 tbs chickpea flour

3 tbs Tiger nut flour

1 tsp cracked black pepper

HOW:

- Pre heat oven to 350 F.

- In a pan lightly sauté the grated parsnip for about three mins, then stir through the thyme and onion and continue to sauté for another 2mins.

- Take veggies off the heat and place in a mixing bowl.

- Add all other ingredients to the mixing bowl, stirring thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

- Take mix and make into mini meatballs, I used about a tbs of the mix per ball.

- Once balls are made lightly spray fry pan with coconut oil, once the pan is heated add the meatballs and cook until lightly browned. 

- Take balls out of the fry pan and place on a baking sheet, place balls in the oven for 5-10 mins. This will make sure the balls are cooked all the way through and if you decide to double up and do an extra large mix then this will keep them warm or give you time to make a salad to go with them.

- Serve with tahini or salsa and ENJOY!

SALTED CARAMEL BREKKY BOWL

This bowl of goodness can be either a Brekky Bowl or a Post workout treat as its packed full of protein to help repair those muscles after a serious sweat sesh!

INGREDIENTS:
1 scoop quest Salted Caramel protein
1 pinch cinnamon
1 cup water
1 tsp flax oil
1 tbs chia seeds
1 cup water

HOW: 
- place all ingredients in a bullet blender and blend
- place blended mix in the freezer for 10mins (this will help the mix get cold and the #chia to expand) 
- take mix out of the freezer and pour into a bowl, top with #berries, mulberries, hemp seeds and #coconut and BOOM!

GLUTEN FREE CRISPY CHICKEN TENDER BITES!!!

Ok, I've nailed it. It's healthy but tastes like it shouldn't be, super tasty and GLUTEN FREEEEEE!!!! The secret is the crispy coating! Helloooo Enlightened Sriracha Fava bean crisps blended up with a touch of salt and pepper and nutritional yeast. 
Seriously next level.
 

INGREDIENTS:
6 Chicken tenders chopped into inch long bite sized pieces
1 cup of Enlightened Sriracha Crisps
1 tbs Nutritional yeast
1 pinch of Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup egg whites

HOW:
- Blend Enlightened Crisps, nutritional yeast and salt & pepper until the consistency of bread crumbs
- Take bites size chicken pieces, coat in egg whites, then coat in crisp mix
- Heat Fry pan, lightly spray with coconut oil
- Cook chicken bites until golden and crispy.

Stupidly easy but my god you will thank me for this one.
 

SUNDRIED TOMATO & BASIL CAULIFLOWER RICE

Beaches, bikinis, sunshine and sand. Miami in less than three weeks, ITS HAPPENING!!! 
Any excuse to get super fit and bikini ready!!

This cauliflower rice ticks all the boxes; its Gluten free. Paleo, Vegan, super low carb and the perfect meal to help contribute to that bikini bod!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of Cauliflower florets
10 cherry tomatoes chopped
1 cup of green beans chopped into small segments
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
3 tbs of flaxseeds
1/2 cup freshly chopped basil
Juice of one lemon

HOW:

-Blend the cauliflower florets in a bullet blender til it forms a super fine "rice" - not a puree!
- Place cauliflower "rice" in a pan, on a low heat and slowly remove the moisture
- Add all veggies, juice and seeds to cauliflower except for the basil, keep simmering  and stirring on a low heat until the lemon juice disappears
- Once the moisture is gone turn off heat, add the fresh Basil and stir through
- SERVE!!
 

IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOSTING THAI SOUP

I swear this winter feels like it's never ending- whhhhyyyyyyyyyy?!
So while we continue to wait it out soup is sounding like a great idea.
Ginger, garlic, jalapeños and lemongrass to boost the immune system and fight the effects of this awful weather.
ALLLLL the greens to Alkalize the body and keep you feeling on your A-game.

RECIPE:
In a pot -
1 x 3" piece of lemongrass chopped 
1 x 3" chunk of ginger sliced big
5 x cloves of garlic halved
1 x Jalapeño sliced 
1 x tbs Green curry paste
4 cups of water
Leave to boil
In a pan-
1 x parsnip 
1 x zucchini 
1 x head of broccoli 
5 x mushrooms 
3 x celery sticks

Chop all a similar size and sauté in coconut oil, add to pot of boiling goodies, mix and turn off. 
2 handfuls of Kale in serving bowl, add soup deliciousness and garnish with toasted sunflower seeds and BOOM! 🍲