Baked Egg Hot Pot

At home, I’m definitely a sweet breakfast person. When I go out for breakfast however, it’s always the attractive egg dishes that appeal to me most, but alas, the story of my life, they’re usually laden with oil and cream and come with delicious bread, or otherwise are terribly uninspiring and lacklustre. My mission this morning was to create a savoury breakfast that left me satisfied and feeling included in the fancy egg breakfast club!

What I came up with is so simple, yet nourishing and heart-warming on this cold winter’s morning. I started with some leftover spinach and kale from last night’s dinner. To make this, fry off an onion and a couple of cloves garlic in coconut oil until golden, add 2 cans of organic tinned tomatoes and one cup vegetables stock. Leave to simmer while you de-stem and roughly shop 1 bunch spinach and 1 bunch kale.  Add these to the sauce with salt, freshly ground black pepper, chilli flakes and half a bunch chopped parsley. Once the kale and spinach have softened, take off the heat and add the juice of half a lemon and the rest of the fresh parsley. Another level of complexity can be added to the sauce with the addition of a roasted capsicum paste, which you can get from most good supermarkets.

If you are starting with leftover kale from the fridge, warm enough of the mixture in a small pot to fill whatever size ramekin you are using to serve the dish. Once heated through, spoon into the ramekin, making a well in the centre for the egg to nestle in. Crack a free range egg into the cosy hollow you’ve created for it, and place in an oven or under the grill until the egg is cooked through.  Top with a scattering of goats curd, any kind of dukkah mix (I used wattleseed and chilli), and some parsley. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Green Juice

This clearing and cleansing green juice tastes delicious as well as being abundant in beneficial health promoting compounds.

4 leaves kale

1 whole cucumber with skin (of course!)

1 pear

A couple of stalks each coriander and mint

1 cup chilled coconut water

Greens are rich in essential vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, potassium, and iron. A cup of kale actually has more calcium than a cup of milk. As members of the cabbage family, kale exhibits the same sort of anti cancer properties which work primarily by increasing antioxidant defence mechanisms as well as improving the body's ability to detoxify and eliminate harmful chemicals and hormones.

Cucumbers are composed primarily of water, but also contain important minerals like silica, which is found in the skin. Silica contributes to the strength of connective tissue, which holds the body together. It includes the intracellular cement, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone. Without silica the connective tissue would not be properly constructed. Cucumber juice is also fantastic for improving the complexion and health of the skin.

Pears are an excellent source of water soluble fibre and contain an array of vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, niacin, copper, phosphorus, potassium and vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E. The pectin in pears is diuretic and can help flush the body of toxins. Pectin binds to fatty substances in the digestive tract and promotes their elimination.

Mint is a herb that has been used for hundreds of years for its remarkable medicinal properties. Some of its health benefits include soothing the digestive tract, cleansing the blood, eliminating toxins from the body and helping to clear up skin disorders. Coriander lowers blood sugar levels, aids in digestion, has anti-inflammatory properties, lowers bad cholesterol and rises good cholesterol, and is a great source of dietary fibre, iron and magnesium.

Coconut water is rich in electrolytes and minerals. It is a natural isotonic drink as the electrolyte levels are so similar to those found in the human body. Coconuts contain cytokinins which have significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic and anti-thrombotic effects. It has anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, which boost the body's immune system.

Salad of Cauliflower, Radish, Dates and Brazil Nuts

This nourishing, yet swiftly assembled salad has become one of my lunchtime favourites. I think that dried fruit, such as dates, add another dimension to savoury dishes and makes you feel as though you’re getting a little bit of treat when eating what some could interpret as being a boring salad.

Dates are high in iron, which is a very important component of the diet to keep in mind when following a raw food diet, as it is easy to become deficient when eliminating meat.

Brazil nuts are high in protein and fibre. They are also one of the richest sources of selenium, a trace mineral known to protect the body from oxidative stress and cancerous cells. It also helps the proper functioning of the thyroid gland, which is important for controlling metabolism.

Cauliflower, like all veggies in the brassica family, are abundant in cancer fighting sulphurous compounds, which support liver function and detoxification. They are also a good source of B vitamins.

To make the salad, combine cauliflower florets, radish, celery, chopped dates, Brazil nuts, hazel nuts, mint and mixed leaves. Dress with a mixture of tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Raw Chocolate Truffles

Eating raw food doesn’t mean missing out on deliciously rich sweets and desserts. These raw truffles are packed with nutritionally dense super foods, as well as tasting like nothing short of a voluptuous chocolate truffle.

Incorporate 1 ½ tsp maca powder, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp raw cacao powder, 10 medjool dates, 3 tbsp goji berries, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp agave syrup and ½ tsp coconut oil in a food processor until a soft dough forms. Roll into balls and refrigerate.

Raw cacao powder is derived from cold pressed cacao beans. It is packed with antioxidants (flavanols and polyphenols) and is a concentrated form of nutrients, especially magnesium and mood enhancing tryptophan and phenylethylamine.

Maca is a Peruvian root vegetable rich in protein, iron and calcium. It is renowned as a hormone balancer and as an aphrodisiac supporting the adrenal glands and increasing energy levels.

Goji berries are an extremely nutrient dense fruit, bursting with antioxidants, amino acids, trace minerals and energising B vitamins. They are also rich in polysaccharides and traditionally regarded as a longevity and immune supporting food.

Hemp Seed, Kale and Basil Pesto

The seed of the hemp plant is a small, soft oily nut, surrounded by a thin transparent inner layer and a hard shell.

Hemp seeds are superior vegetarian source of protein considered easily digestible. They are a rich source of phytonutrients, the disease-protective element of plants with benefits protecting your immunity, bloodstream, tissues, cells, skin, organs and mitochondria. They are the richest known source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids and contain all 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids our bodies cannot produce.


What I find to be one of the most tedious jobs in the kitchen, picking the leaves from a of bouquet herbs, is the first step of this recipe. Collect the leaves from 2 bunches of aromatic basil and de-stem the leaves of about half a bunch a kale. Roughly shred the kale leaves and place in a food processor with the basil, 3 tbsp hemp seeds, 2 tbsp pine nuts, squeeze of lemon, 1 garlic clove, sprinkling of dried chilli, cracked pepper and salt and enough olive oil to amalgamate all flavours. You can also add Parmesan if you’d like. Process until you reach the desired consistency. Stored in a jar or airtight container, the pesto will keep for a week or two in the fridge.

This pesto is so versatile and a must have in my fridge for a quick meal or healthy snack. One of my favourites is creating delicate ribbons out of a couple of zucchini with a vegetable peeler and combining these with a handful of thawed frozen peas, florets of cauliflower and baby spinach. Dynamically coat in the pesto and top with a drizzle of spiced chilli oil and pine nuts.

The recipe for the spiced chilli oil is to combine 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp chilli flakes – more if you like it hot, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, salt, pepper and enough olive oil to fill a medium sized mason jar. Give the potion a vigourous shake and set aside for the flavour to marry. The oil will infuse and become more fragrant over time, so it’s best to leave for a day or two before using. Store in a cool, dry place and use over salads, pasta, roast veggies, anything that could use a chilli kick!  

                        

Raw Food

Recently, there has been a great deal of exposure and media hype surrounding the benefits of a raw food diet, but what exactly is raw food? Simply put, it is food that has not been heated above 47.7°C. It is unadulterated whole food that is rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients.

Supposed benefits of a raw food diet claim weight loss, improved digestion, improved immune function, radiant complexion and healthier hair, increased energy and vitality, reduced fluid retention and bloating, improved mental clarity, improved quality of sleep, reduce risks of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Interested in many of the ingredients commonly seen in a raw food kitchen, I thought I would give it a go and experiment a little with what a raw food diet had to offer. My goal is to try an incorporate as much raw food into my diet over the 10 days as I can without being antisocial!

Gathering the “raw super foods” such as cacao, maca, mesquite, lucuma, acai and green super food powders isn’t cheap, but you only use a little at a time so they do earn their keep! I don’t have a high powered blender, juicer or dehydrator so I’ll have to plan ahead and make sure I’m super organised so I don’t end up surrendering to the magnetism of a cooked meal.

Like all of my appetite endeavours, I’m starting on a Monday, for some reason I always find it easier that way!

This smoothie is a quick and simple way to take in plenty of nutrients and antioxidants, providing enough energy to nourish and sustain until lunchtime.

Place 1 frozen banana, pinch cinnamon, 1 tsp maca powder, 1 tsp cacao nibs, 1 tsp linseed meal, 1 tsp acai powder, small handful blueberries, 1 tsp tahini, 1 tsp raw honey, probiotic powder, and ½ cup nut or oat milk in a blender and blitz until smooth.