chia

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The Trinity Overnight Oats – The Fibre Fuelled Cookbook – Dr Will Bulsiewicz

The Fibre Fuelled Cookbook

Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Vermillion

Penguin Random House

ISBN: 9781785044175

RRP $45

If you have been following along with my blog you will have realised how important I think gut health is for everyone. This book is another great resource on gut health, I hope you find it helpful.

“Chef Emeril Lagasse always spoke of the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine as celery, onions, and sweet peppers. Well, my holy trinity of spices is turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. I have been loving this combo in my morning coffee for years, and now it’s part of this overnight oats recipe. You can’t go wrong with spices!

FODMAP note: As a banana ripens, the FODMAP content increases while the resistant starch content decreases. That said, we need the banana to be soft and get mashed in this recipe. A third of

a banana per serving is generally tolerated on a low FODMAP diet. A third of a date is FODMAP friendly.” p61

4+ Plant Points

Serves 1

120 ml unsweetened plain almond milk

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1/3 date, finely chopped

1/3 ripe banana, mashed

50 g jumbo oats

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch salt

Supercharge it! (optional toppings):

1 tablespoon golden raisins

1 teaspoon chopped Granny Smith apple

2 tablespoons roughly chopped walnuts

Dash ground cinnamon

1. In a jar or small bowl with a lid, add the almond milk, chia seeds, date, and banana.

Stir with a spoon to combine.

2. Add the oats, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and stir to combine.

Cover with the lid and place in the fridge overnight, or until the oats have thickened

(about 6 hours).

3. In the morning, open the jar/bowl and top as desired with suggested toppings. If the oat

mixture is too thick, you can add a little more almond milk to your preference.

FF UNLEASHED:

If you are not following a low FODMAP approach, you can use 1 teaspoon maple syrup instead of the

date or 1 whole date per serving.

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Chia Jam: The Clever Guts Diet – Dr Michael Mosley

ANZ Clever Guts Diet cover

Extracted from The Clever Guts Diet by Dr Michael Mosley with Tanya Borowski, mBANT, IFMCP, and Dr Clare Bailey, GP. Available now, Simon & Schuster Australia, RRP $29.99.

http://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Clever-Guts-Diet/Michael-Mosley/9781925596038

 

clever guts breakfast loaf + chia jam

clever guts breakfast loaf + chia jam

 

 

Raspberry Chia Jam

“A delicious fruity low-sugar jam which is wonderfully quick and easy to make. You can also serve it as a coulis, stirred into full-fat yoghurt or coconut-based yoghurt.” p. 209

 

30-40g pitted dates, finely diced (or 1-2 tsp maple syrup)

125g raspberries (frozen or fresh)

2-3 tsp chia seeds (depending on how thick you like it)

 

Gently heat the dates in a small pan with 2 tbsp water for about 2 minutes, stirring to form a smooth paste.

Add the raspberries and chia seeds and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Mash the raspberries with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. The jam can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

 

 

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Seeds, Seeds and Nuts

Real Delicious Cover

More baking – brought to you by Chrissy Freer’s Real Delicious; Seed and Parmesan Crackers p.110 ( my first and not my last attempt at making crackers – these are divine!)  and Seed and Nut Bars  p.111

These both taste fab ! And so easy to make I wonder why I haven’t tried these before.  The crackers are vegetarian (if you use Parmesan made with non animal rennet), the Seed and Nut bars are like an exotic, healthy, peanut free, brittle –  I used rice malt syrup instead of honey (a personal preference as I am allergic to honey) and used a mix of raw unsalted nuts, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin (pepitas) and chia seeds, macadamia oil ( my favourite oil to cook with)  and a few spices…so easy!

 

Seed and Parmesan Crackers and Seed & Nut Bars

 

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Post Script: The Naked Vegan – Maz Valcorza

naked-vegan-cvr

The Naked Vegan

Maz Valcorza

Murdoch Books

ISBN: 9781743366233

 

 

Description:

There once was a nurse-turned-pharmaceutical sales manager who had always partied hard, chain smoked, eaten as many bacon sandwiches as she liked and exercised just enough to ‘stay fit’. One day, she decided to take up yoga (because it seemed like a great way to get a toned butt). Little did she know that this snap decision, made out of curiosity and vanity, would change her life forever, leading her on a journey to organic, plant-based, raw food health, one delicious bite at a time.

 

My View:

I picked up this book for several reasons – I wanted to learn more about vegan food options, ingredients, methods of preparation and because the cover of this book leapt out at me – the food photography here is so vibrant and enticing; the images look good enough to eat!

So what do raw food eating vegan’s eat? Nut and seed milks/mylks – yes I have heard of these and tried a couple of them – the book shows you how to make the milks at home – so much cheaper than buying ready made.  Salads – yes I expected to find these – but there are some really interesting ingredient combinations here – and the finished plates look so fresh and delicious.  Breads, crackers and wraps – all raw – a food dehydrator is needed to prepare these.  Super food smoothies- yes I love these! The breakfast section looks good – some foods were already on my radar –  “grawnola”, chia pudding, Acai Bowl, breakfast trifles…yum. Main meals – zucchini pasta (these seem to be very popular but you need a spiraliser for these sorts of dishes), a raw “stir fry”, dips, wraps, tacos, lasagne (raw), quiche – raw, pizzas- raw.

There are also some wonderful savoury and sweet condiment recipes, chilli jam (raw), sauces, and snacks and sides. (Berry chia jam is so trendy and so easy to make – you need to try this one!) And there are raw vegan cakes – the Choc Raspberry Cheezecake look incredible! And the Superfood Caramel Slice…divine!

 

Whilst vegan and raw foods are not necessarily my first options when I start to think about what to make for breakfast or dinner there are plenty of recipes here that I might enjoy and some I will try out…the recipes here are so fresh and vibrant even non vegans will get excited!

 

 

 

 

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Post Script: One Handed Cooks – Allie Gaunt, Jessica Beaton & Sarah Buckle

Cover One Handed Cooks

One Handed Cooks

Allie Grant, Jessica Beaton and Sarah Buckle

Penguin Random House Australia

Viking

ISBN: 9780670079018

 

Description:

Giving your child the best possible start in life includes offering nutritious, varied food every day. This comprehensive book provides a wide range of simple, enticing recipes that deliver the nutrients growing children need, as well as plenty of practical advice to help you successfully navigate their journey with solid foods. Setting your child up with appositive relationship with food and healthy eating habits is a gift that will last them a lifetime. This book will help you:

– avoid the trap of fussy eating

– overcome spoon refusal

– deal with common issues, from teething to throwing food

– prepare nutritionally balanced meals and snacks

– create positive associations with mealtimes and eating

– cater to food allergies and intolerances

 

My View:

This is an extremely well thought out and presented book – the book is colourful, informative and is divided into sections to reflect the various stages of introducing solid foods to children; starting with Mixed Purees, then Textured Meals, Early Finger Foods and then offers variety with Herb and Spice Based Meals, progressing to Family Meals. There is even a section on Baby Led Weaning (or Sensory Weaning) a term I have just recently discovered…and there is so much more.

 

A section I particularly like is “Spoon Fed Breakfasts”. There are some great recipes here that will please even the fussiest adults (and children) 🙂   No Soak Quinoa Bircher, Creamy Chia Bircher Muesli and even a recipe for the very trendy Smoothie Bowl…

 

One of the best things about this book is that a lot of  the recipes may appeal to other members of the family – I mentioned some of the yummy breakfasts and then there are recipes for things like Kale and Mushroom Omelette, Corn Fritters with Avocado Salsa, Cheesy Baked Beans on Toast, Savoury Veggie Slice…there is even a specific section to help you feed all the family from the same recipe, One Meal Three Ways – meals to cook that can be adapted to suit babies, toddlers and adults  – a great idea!

 

The author provides nutrition notes, some hints for ingredients substitutions (if trying to exclude certain ingredients) and each recipe identifies if Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free or Vegetarian and indicates if suitable to freeze.  What more could you want?

 

This is a great family centred cookbook.

 

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Berry and Coconut Chia Pudding: Hemsley & Hemsley Good and Simple – Jasmine & Melissa Hemsley

A treat for breakfast, a great ‘on the go’  meal ( place in screw top jar ),  take with you for lunch or afternoon pick me up- versatile is chia’s middle name 🙂 . Simple to make; frozen berries of choice, milk of choice ( I used a mix of almond and coconut) sweetener of choice (very little), pinch of rock slat, chia seeds.

 

**When using frozen berries and blitzing in your food processor the chia pudding becomes instantly thick – and can be eaten straightway or put in the fridge to eat later.

 

Mixed berry chia pudding

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Zucchini, Feta & Asparagus Tart with Chia Pastry -In The Kitchen -Simmone Logue

In The Kitchen

Recipes and Images from Simmone Logue’s In the Kitchen [Murdoch Books] available now in all good bookstores and online for $39.99.”

 

 

 

Zucchini, Feta & Asparagus Tart with Chia Pastry

 

“A lovely pretty green, this tart sings out springtime. Tiny chia seeds are such a great super food, so one day I thought I’d experiment by working some into the shortcrust pastry for this tart, and we all loved it.”

 

Serves 6–8

Preparation 40 minutes   Cooking 50 minutes

 

 

1 quantity Sour cream pastry (Toolbox, page 34), with 3 tablespoons chia seeds added to the flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 leeks, pale part only, chopped

1 zucchini, about 150 g (51⁄2 oz), grated

2 tablespoons chopped mint

2 tablespoons chopped chives

6 free-range eggs

200 ml (7 fl oz) thin (pouring/whipping) cream

1 teaspoon sea salt

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed

100 g (31⁄2 oz/1 cup) grated gruyère cheese

100 g (31⁄2 oz/2⁄3 cup) crumbled feta cheese

 

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

 

On a lightly floured workbench, roll out the pastry to about 8 mm (3⁄8 inch) thick. Press into a 23 cm (9 inch) loose-based fluted flan (tart) tin and trim the edges. Rest for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

 

Line the tart shell with a sheet of baking paper, then fill with baking beads or uncooked rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking paper and beads, then bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Remove the tart shell from the oven; reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F).

 

While the pastry is blind baking, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Sauté the leek over medium heat for 5–10 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

 

Spread the cooled leek over the blind-baked tart shell. Squeeze as much water out of the grated zucchini as possible, then arrange on top of the leek. Sprinkle with the mint and chives.

 

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the tart. Lay the asparagus spears on top, then sprinkle with the gruyère and feta.

 

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the filling is cooked in the centre and the pastry is golden. This tart is lovely served warm, but is wonderful cold as well — great to take to a picnic.

 

Zucchini feta and asparagus tart

Sour cream pastry

Makes 575 g (1 lb 4 oz)

Preparation 10 minutes + 50 minutes resting

 

 

150 g (51⁄2 oz) chilled salted butter

300 g (101⁄2 oz/2 cups) plain
(all-purpose) flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

125 g (41⁄2 oz/1⁄2 cup) sour cream

 

 

Chop the chilled butter into chunks, then place in a food processor with the flour. Pulse until the butter is the size of cherries. Add the sour cream and pulse again, until just incorporated.

 

Turn out onto a cool, floured surface and form the dough into a rectangle. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

 

Roll out to the shape and thickness directed in your recipe, then press into your pie or tart tin. Trim the pastry edges, then rest in the fridge again for 30 minutes, before baking and filling according to your recipe instructions.

 

TIP: The pastry can be wrapped up and frozen for up to 3 months; simply thaw it in the fridge for a day or overnight before using.

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Choc Chia Pudding With Raspberries

My new favourite any time meal – dessert or breakfast or late night snack.

IMG_2514

This is a recipe that is flexible and allows for your individual taste and preference of ingredients. You can adjust sweetness or type of sweetener used,  whether you prefer cocoa or raw cacao and add your favourite milk- be it almond, soy, coconut, or cow’s milk. Just give it a try and adjust as you see fit. Remember chia seed will absorb the liquid and swell and soften to a gelatinous consistency.

Choc Chia Pudding With Raspberries. 

aprox 6 tablespoons of chia seeds

2-3 tablespoons cocoa or cacao  – to taste

Honey/natvia or agave to taste

aprox  1  1/2 cups of milk (more or less depending on the consistency you like) almond, soy coconut or almond

splash of vanilla

raspberries (fresh or frozen partially thawed) to fold through and to serve

Coconut flakes to garnish

Method

To the chia add cocoa, vanilla and most of the milk. Whisk with a fork til all combined and chia starts to expand.

Mix in sweetener of your choice – taste test as you go and adjust flavourings to suit.

Whisk/beat again.

If it looks to be too firm add a dash more milk.  Remember chia will expand and absorb the liquid, it will thicken in the fridge.

Cover and place in fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Stir again and gently fold through raspberries. Spoon into serving dishes (jars are quite fashionable at the moment) Sprinkle with coconut flakes or garnish of your choice.

Enjoy.

This is a high protein, low fat, low sugar, high antioxidant and yummy snack that you can adjust to suit your personal taste preferences.

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Chocolate Bliss Bombs

My recipes are generally simple and flexible. I do not generally measure ingredients  for recipes that I am well versed in…or if I use a recipe I adapt to my own tastes/ingredients to hand. So with my Chocolate Bliss Bombs you can mix and match  or substitute for ingredients you have in your pantry.

Basic Chocolate Bliss Bomb Recipe:

2 cups mixed unsalted nuts ( not peanuts)  include almonds, walnuts, macadamias

6-8 dates ( soaked in hot water for a couple of hours)

2  – 3 tablespoons  cold pressed coconut oil

2 tablespoons cocoa butter ( if available)

4 tablespoons organic cocoa or Dutch processed Cocoa

vanilla

Blitz in food processor .

ADD and Mix together

sesame  seeds

pumpkin seeds

chia seeds

1/2 cup LSA

and almond meal if the mix is too sticky.

Roll into balls , then into shredded coconut.

Place in fridge for a few hours to let flavours meld and balls to firm up.

Store in fridge.