3 Nutrient Boosters to Add to Your Meals

September 13, 2013 · 21 Comments

3 Nutrient Boosters to Add to Your Meals

These are my three favourite ‘boosters’ that I add to my savoury cooking.

I am giving my family a huge nutrient boost, without them even realizing.

Brilliant.

So what do I use them in?

Curry, soup, stew, casserole, rice dishes, egg dishes, stirfries, chow mein, spaghetti sauces …… to name a few!

Pretty much anywhere it’s going to be mixed in with something. These nutrient boosters add both flavour and nutrients. The taste is very subtle. Most times, I use a teaspoon or two of all three, adjusting accordingly.

Okay so I wonder if you have guessed what any of them are?

Let’s go, left to right.

1. Dehydrated Bone Broth

I am loving this stuff. I do make my own bone broth occasionally. But with limited freezer space, this option is making it so much easier for me! I usually use chicken, but sometimes I use beef, depending on the meal. You can find the ones I recommend here.

So, what is bone broth and why is it good for you?

Bone broth is simply stock with vinegar that is cooked for a long time to extract the goodness from the bones. It’s really good for helping with digestion and gut health, reducing inflammation in joints, boosting your immune system and keeping your thyroid healthy. Dehydrated bone broth has had the water removed to leave behind all the goodness. If you want to make your own bone broth, read my beginner’s guide here.

2. Dulse Flakes

These have been very hard to track down! Check your local health food store or order online. I use this brand as it’s raw, certified organic and harvested in Canada. There is no need to worry about radiation from Japan where a lot of seaweed is harvested.

So, what is dulse and why is it good for you?

Dulse flakes are simply a type of seaweed. It’s packed with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, and E, and minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chromium, iodine and zinc and trace elements. It helps heal poor digestive systems, rebuilds and maintains all glands in the body and help cleanse the body of heavy metals. It’s also high in calcium, fibre, and protein and helps support healthy brain function. You can also get dulse combined with pink salt in this seaweed salt to be used in your salt shaker.

3. Vital Veggie Power

This stuff is gaining legendary status amongst mums all across Australia with fussy eaters. This concentrated goodness is from Gold Coast based company, Superfoods for Kidz . Get it here.

So what is Vital Veggie Power and why is it good for you?

Basically it’s a selection of certified organic fruit and vegies that have been freeze-dried and powdered. Each teaspoon contains around 3 grams of powder which is equivalent to roughly 21 grams of whole carrot, tomato, pumpkin, mango, spirulina, barley grass, chlorella, alfalfa, and psyllium. It’s a great way to add a boost of vegetable goodness into your diet.

My secret is out! These are my amazing nutrient boosters I use to keep us all healthy and our immune system in top shape.

Have you used any of these? What did you think?

Healthy Macaroni Cheese with Veggies!

June 8, 2013 · 14 Comments

Macaroni Cheese is such a childhood comfort food and it tastes pretty good too!

I came up with this version which is a little more healthy and choc full of hidden vegetables. It tastes really good.

Healthy Macaroni Cheese with Veggies!

Vital Stats: gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, egg-free, nut-free

Okay so this is what you need:

1 litre organic milk

100g cornflour

100g organic butter

1 cup organic cheese, grated

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

500g gluten-free pasta shapes

3 handfuls of organic baby spinach

2 cups of lightly steamed organic vegetables, diced (I used carrot, broccoli, corn and zucchini)

Herbamare or salt and pepper to taste

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Preaht your oven to medium, about 180° celsius.

Put the pasta on to cook in a pot of boiling water and follow directions on the packet.

While that’s cooking, make your white sauce (if you have a thermomix, use the bechamel sauce instructions on page 58 of the EDC cookbook).

If you are making it the old-fashioned way, melt the butter, add the flour and stir until it’s well combined and coming away from the side of the saucepan. This ‘roux’ takes about one minute. Remove from the heat and add milk gradually. I like to use a whisk to get out any lumps. Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring or whisking all the time until it thickens. Add the grated cheese and whisk in. Cool down.

Puree the spinach in a blender or thermomix and add to your white sauce.

Drain the pasta well. Add the white sauce and the vegetables and combine thoroughly. Add seasonings to taste.

Put into a greased lasagne dish (or two) and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until the macaroni cheese is warmed through and the cheese on top is brown and melted.

Serve with salad on the side.

Notes:

This recipe makes a lot so feel free to halve it or to make it and use over two nights.

The photo doesn’t show it well, but it is a really nice light green colour.

If you would like to make this recipe dairy free, use this delicious dairy-free white sauce from Quirky Cooking.

Using nutritional yeast in place of the cheese gives it a lovely cheesey flavour and is dairy-free.

To save time, I used leftover steamed vegetables in this recipe. Make extra the night before.

Okay, so that’s my natural new age mum version of macaroni cheese! I hope you (and the kids) enjoy it.

How do you make macaroni cheese?

Coconut Vegetable Biriyani

February 18, 2013 · 21 Comments

Hooray! I finally found the recipe (after I cleaned up my office) on a tiny scrap of paper, covered in spices.

I really had to make an effort to write this one down. I usually just go by feel with this and make it up as I go along.

Anyway, it’s one of our family’s favourite recipes. Even the kids love it.

We eat vegetarian every second night, so this is a quick and easy one to have in the repertoire.

It’s very adaptable – throw in whatever veges you have in the fridge. It also works well with any leftover meat added- lamb is particularly delicious. Canned chickpeas added at the end and heated will boost up your protein content too. You can also add currants or cashews at the last-minute for extra interest.

It makes quite a big serve – about six meals.

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free.

Coconut Vegetable Biriyani

Okay, so this is what you need:

1 large organic onion, diced

2 cloves organic garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons biriyani spice mix

2 teaspoons turmeric

3 cups bone broth or vegetable stock if you need it to be vego

1 1/2 cups organic basmati rice (rinsed)

6 cups assorted organic vegetables, diced (I use carrot, zucchini, capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, pumpkin and beans mainly)

1/2 can (200ml) coconut cream

2 handfuls of organic baby spinach, shredded

2 tablespoons Vital Veggie Power

*If you can’t find a biriyani spice mix, just a mixture of cumin, coriander, garam marsala and cinnamon to make up 2 tablespoons.

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep pan to a medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the spices and gently stir until they release their gorgeous smell.

Chuck in the vegetables (not the spinach yet) and stir well, cooking for a minute or so. Add the well-drained rice and stir, making sure you combine well.

Now fling in the vegetable stock, stir well and cover. Turn the heat down to low-medium and leave it to cook for about 15 – 20 minutes (depending on the depth of your pan). Stir every now and again and check it. You may need to add more stock if it’s sticking on the bottom.

When the rice is cooked through and it’s quite a dry mix, chuck in your coconut cream, spinach and Vital Veggie Power. Stir well to combine. Serve.

You can sprinkle with fresh herbs like I did, but I was only getting fancy for the photo!

It is delicious the next day for lunch. Yum. Yum. Make sure you hide a bit for yourself.