As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m working with Sainsbury on the Little Twists campaign to share with you some ways to mix-up midweek meals and also how small changes can make a big healthy difference.
Now, I don’t know about you but I LOVE Eggs Benedict, not only is it the perfect lazy Sunday brunch but it’s also a great lunch option. I’m not a huge fan of bacon or english muffins so my little twist on this dish removes those two options and substitutes rye bread and avocado instead. Plus, I’m obsessed with rye bread at the moment, especially after my little foray to Copenhagen. Seriously, if you’re a big bacon fan, don’t roll your eyes and close this down, it’s REALLY nice with the avocado and rye *promise*.
So for Eggs Benedict with Avocado on Rye you will need… (serves 4)
4 organic, free range eggs (I prefer duck eggs for this as it’s more luxurious)
4 slices of rye bread (you can make it or you can cheat like me and buy it)
So we’re heading in to March and hopefully your healthy eating plans are still on track.
Sainsbury have been in touch to tell me about their new campaign called ‘ComFit Foods’ – classic comfort food dishes, but with healthier twists.
ComFit foods include one little twist to transform mid-week meals at a time where customers are striving to be more health conscious. The dishes all have elements of excitement and experimentation, but still utilise every day store cupboard ingredients in a healthy way. There’s a feeling among consumers that warming winter foods are automatically unhealthy, but these recipes show we can all still make feel-good-food without the guilt. Sainsbury’s hopes to inspire little changes which help make a big difference to overall nutritional value.
And they’ve invited me to share some of my recipes too!!
Here are my top three favourite comfit foods…
Butternut Spaghetti Bolognese
There is nothing better than a good old spaghetti bolonese, it’s a classic dish that’s quick to make and even better to eat. But if you’re looking to cut your carb intake and you’re so over courgette noodles don’t be in too much of a rush to put your spiralizer away. Instead, try butternut squash instead. BNS spaghetti are healthy, filling and tasty.
Best way to get your fruits and veggies in without a doubt is the humble smoothie. Not only is it a great way to get your 5 a day but also its QUICK so the perfect Busy Girl breakfast/lunch.
Anyway, I’ve been on a bit of a smoothie cleanse since the 2016 so I’ve been experimenting with a few different varieties and I’ve found a great combo – red cabbage and raspberry.
Seriously. It looks as amazing as it tastes.
Why Is Red Cabbage So Good?
Red cabbage is an amazing source of vitamin C and just 1 cup has 56% of the recommended daily intake. It also has vitamin A and K. It’s also a great source of L-glutamine which promotes digestive and brain health, muscle growth, athletic performance as well as helping to fight cancer and reducing high blood pressure.
Red Cabbage and Raspberry Smoothie – The Recipe – Makes One
1/2 cup of shredded red cabbage
1/2 a banana (frozen is best)
1/4 cup of raspberries
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
Ginger* (to taste)
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (optional)
Just bung it in your blender and blitz. If it’s too thick for you, add more liquid.
Left over Turkey? Don’t fancy the traditional turkey curry or turkey and stuffing sandwiches – then I have a recipe for you…
There are numerous good things about this turkey in creamy cauliflower white sauce recipe…
1. It’s quick
2. It’s healthy!
3. You can throw in all your leftovers
4. You can serve it with whatever you fancy – veggies, pasta, mash potato – your choice.
And the list could go on. I’ve blogged about how amazing cauliflower is before but just to recap, it’s absolutely packed full of vitamins, it is good for digestion, good for brain health and lots of antioxidants to boot. So pretty much is brilliant for you. Eat more of it!
So here’s the recipe for a creamy cauliflower white sauce that will work wonders with your leftover turkey…I’ve added mushrooms and peas to mine (because you know me dear reader, peas with everything). But as I mentioned above, you can pretty much add anything you want – onions, carrots, beans, spinach – whatever takes your fancy (that’s why it’s so good!).
Let me tell you about the first time that I tried ingesting Apple Cider Vinegar. I’d read all about it’s health benefits, what it was good for and how it would improve my life. So I decided to add it to my regime. I added my tablespoon of ACV to my glass of water and down the hatch it went. Except, I made the big mistake adding it to sparkling not still, so it was like drinking a pint of cider at 7.30am in the morning, not good. Of course, I like to think I learn from my mistakes so from now on, it’s still only!
Anyway, Apple Cider Vinegar and why you need it in your life.
I’m not going to bore you with a million details, just 4 GOOD reasons you need it in your life.
It can help you lose weight. It can help a few ways. First of all, acids help with the digestion of protein, the building blocks for some of our hormones, especially growth hormone.
Secondly, ACV contains pectin and pectin is what helps us feel fuller for longer. So 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar + 1 glass of water. Drink before meals 3 times a day.
Mix with water for a non-toxic, all purpose cleaner. Yep, time to put down that flash spray and mix one part acv with one part water for a cleaner that is a brilliant alternative to all those harsh chemicals in well known brands.
Get rid of skin tags or warts. Douse a cotton wool ball in apple cider vinegar and attach to the area, leave overnight and you’ll see a reduction. It may need a couple of “treatments” but you’ll soon find they disappear.
It can clear your sinuses. With winter setting in and colds starting to come out in force then you’ll need all the help you can get if you’re planning on avoiding the snuffles. So to breathe easier sip on water and acv throughout the day. It’ll stop bacteria growing in your sinuses and because it has a high potassium content, it’ll help easy the mucus (sorry) that’s in your nose.
Which Apple Cider Vinegar should you use?
To make sure that you get the full benefits, you need to buy raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, preferably organic. The raw and unfiltered ACV contains the mother, a natural sediment with pectin, trace minerals, beneficial bacteria and enzymes, which will make it appear cloudy, not clear.
I buy Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar which varies from £4.99 to £5.50 a bottle on amazon and you should be able to find a good, raw one in your local health food shop.
I’ll be doing another post on Apple Cider Vinegar soon because seriously, the benefits are vast so I could write a whole book on it! Tell me, do you use Apple Cider Vinegar? And what for?
I LOVE avocado’s. They’re probably one of the most versatile fruits going (and yes, it’s a fruit)
One of the good things about avocado’s is that they make everything thick and creamy, so they are perfect for adding chocolate too for a luxurious dessert or even breakfast!
The other great thing about this recipe is how quick it is to make. Perfect if you don’t have the time to faff about.
Whilst I’m having a little break in the beautiful Croatian island of Brac, I’m sharing some old posts. Here’s one of my favourite recipes – enjoy X
Flourless chocolate brownies – with courgette – sounds a bit strange right? But they are REALLY delicious. Also great if you’re following a paleo style diet and once you’ve made the almond butter very easy to throw together.
Sugar has been on the health gurus hit list for quite a while.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that the odd sweet treat like a slice of cake or bar of chocolate will do you no harm, it’s just when that occasional treat becomes a daily habit. And for so many of us, it is a daily habit.
And even if you don’t think you have a sugar habit, you maybe surprised by how much sugar you’re actually consuming on a daily basis – but I’ll cover that in another post.
So if you’re planning on giving up sugar then here are 5 quick tips to help you eliminate excess sugar from your diet.
If you’re in one of those moods where the only thing that will do is chocolate then check this out.
Thick, indulgent and VERY chocolatey – without the crap that you find in shop bought milkshakes.
Oh and did I mention its super simple too? It has just 3 ingredients.
– 350ml Unsweetened Almond Milk (coconut milk works REALLY well too)
This post seems to have had a boost thanks to Channel 4’s #FoodUnwrapped so I thought it was a good time to republish it. Since it’s been a year since I originally posted this – and I’ve fallen more and more in love with Konjac and “Slim Pasta” then if you have ANY questions please feel free to leave a comment below….enjoy!
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So I posted my post gym dinner on Instagram last night and since it’s drawn lots of questions, I thought it would be easier to answer them here.
This is the pork and vegetable stir-fry with shirataki noodles I made last night…
Shirataki (or yam) noodles have been used in Japanese cuisine for YEARS. They’re basically thin, translucent noodles that are made from a vegetable called Konjac (which is also known as devil’s tongue, voodoo lily, snake palm, or elephant yam). They dry the yam and grind it into a flour from which they make the noodles. I’m sure you can think of lots of vegetables that have practically zero calories and the konjac plant (the Japanese yam) is one of them.
So just to recap these noodles have no carbs, virtually no calories (a pack has approx 10 calories) , no wheat, no gluten and no sugar.
which varies from £4.99 to £5.50 a bottle on amazon and you should be able to find a good, raw one in your local health food shop.
