Recipes | Grassroots Wellbeing

Cholesterol Friendly Steamed Ginger Fish

This simple fish recipe is the perfect dish for a Winter’s night. It is quick, light, healthy and full of immune boosting ginger and garlic. You can also bulk it up with as many steamed or stir fried seasonal vegetables as you like. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 firm white fish fillets (we like to use snapper or barramundi)
3 spring onions thinly sliced
3 tbsp fresh ginger thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1/3 cup chicken stock
½ tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
Lots of green veggies (we like broccoli, bok-choy or baby spinach)
Handful bean shoots (optional)

Method

Line a vegie steamer with baking paper (or you can wrap the fish in baking paper & cook in the oven for 20 mins).
Place fish, ginger and spring onions in centre and pour over tamari, stock and sesame oil.
Steam over boiling water for 10 mins or until fish is tender.
In a large fry pan, add garlic and your choice of green veggies and stir fry until tender.
Serve with steamed or stir fry veggies and steamed rice (we like a mix of brown rice & quinoa) and top with bean sprouts (optional).
Optional extras – freshly grated turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, lemon, chilli, lemongrass, coriander.

Serves 4

Image: Pinterest

Cleansing Winter Ginger & Pear Smoothie

This is a powerhouse smoothie for winter. With the ski season upon us and the cold, cold days, it is important to be gentle to our digestive system and also keep our energy levels up. This smoothie is also great to support our immune system and ensure our fibre intake is adequate to keep things ‘regular’. It really does tick every box for a fully balanced meal in a cup. Enjoy!

Note: Do not add ice. It is important to keep your smoothies tepid as colder meals shock your digestive system in the winter months.

Ingredients:

½ pear washed and diced
½ large banana
4 walnuts
1 tbsp chia seeds
½ cup raw unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)
1/4 cup filtered water at room temperature
4 tbsp organic rolled oats
2 tbsp organic natural Greek yogurt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cm fresh ginger, peeled (or less depending on how much you like ginger)
1 tsp organic Spirulina powder

Additional options to add:

Protein powder (we like Vital Green Vital Pea Protein)
1 scoop NutraOrganics Collagen powder (great for your hair & nails in winter)
1/4 Avocado
1/2 cup washed spinach leaves

Throw everything in a blender and blend until desired consistency. You can always add more water if you choose to. We like ours on the thick side, almost to the point you eat it with a spoon… ‘chewing’ your smoothie also helps to stimulate the digestion process. Pour into a tall glass, sit down and enjoy!

Image credit: Pinterest

Cinnamon Stewed Apples

Gina’s beautiful grandmother used to make the most wholesome apple crumble. The base was always seasonal apples, peeled in one go (we used to compete as to who made the longest ‘worm’ of apple peel), with good quality cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of sugar. Quality over quantity was always the key. Our family enjoys her stewed apples as a base for her apple crumble or simply on their own with some Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of Manuka honey. Our children also love a bowl of warm oats for brekkie topped with some of these flavoursome & nourishing apples. The best way to start the day. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large apples, any variety will do
1 tbsp cinnamon
pinch of salt (Gran’s secret!)
water to cover
1/2 tbsp coconut sugar or 1 tbsp maple syrup.

Method:

Peel and cut apples into quarters, discarding the core.
Place in a saucepan with cinnamon, salt and stir to coat the apples.
Cover with just enough water and stir.
Simmer pot on a stove with the lid on for about 15 minutes on a low to medium heat. Make sure you keep an eye on the pot to ensure the water does not run out. You don’t want to caramelise them!
Eat warm or cool and transfer to a glass Tupperware dish and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. The left over sauce also makes a great liquid base for Bircher muesli.

Image credit: Pinterest

Turmeric & Chia Spiced Buckwheat Porridge

A warming brekkie is the best way to start the day when it is cold and wet. Your body will be craving the good quality complex carbohydrates, protein, fibre and iron. Cardamon is the main base of chai tea, so you can add it with some of its spice companions such as ginger, cinnamon and turmeric.

NOTE: This recipe needs to be made the night before (requires minimum 4 hours of soaking)

Ingredients:

1 cup organic buckwheat, rinsed
½ cup organic rolled oats (not quick oats)
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 cups milk of your choice
2 cups filtered water
1 grated pear (skin on)
1 grated seasonal apple (skin on)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tsp turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons almond butter or coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons good quality local honey

Note: You can also use a golden (turmeric) latte blend instead of the individual spices. We love NutraOrganics Golden Ayurvedic Chai Latte Blend.

Method:

Overnight:

Put the buckwheat and oats in a bowl and cover well with cold water. Put the chia seeds in a separate bowl and add 1 cup of the milk. Place both bowls in the fridge to soak overnight.

Next morning:

Thoroughly rinse the buckwheat and oats with cold water in a sieve. Place in a medium saucepan.
Then add soaked chia seeds mixture with the remaining milk (1 cup), water, grated pear, grated apple, spices, butter of choice, vanilla and honey.
Cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes. If it starts thickening too much, add more milk or water until soft and well cooked.

To serve:

Dish up with your favourite toppings or you can keep in the fridge and reheat each morning. Keeps for 3 days. Just add more liquid when reheating.
Enjoy with vitamin C rich stewed rhubarb or fibre rich stewed apples.
Slice some banana on top and drizzle with Manuka honey to keep your immune system healthy.
Add some nuts & seeds such as pistachios, sunflower seeds and pepitas for added protein.

Image credit: Pinterest

Oven Roasted Winter Ratatouille

This is a beautiful winter roasted version of a favourite summer Provincial dish. Traditionally made with eggplant and zucchini, we have swapped these for seasonal root veggies. This is the perfect way to ump up your fibre intake and give your metabolism a kick. Pumped full of nourishing alkalising and fibre rich veggies, this can be the staple to any meal or the base of any soup.

Ingredients:

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 sweet potatoes, diced (this is instead of the summer eggplants)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 parsnips, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 sprigs rosemary
¼ tsp dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs local honey
½ tsp red chilli (optional)
500 ml (2 cups) tomato juice or passata
400g tin organic diced tomatoes
2 cups organic baby spinach leaves or shredded silverbeet

Method:

Pre heat oven 200C and line a baking tray.
Place all the root vegetables (not the greens) and the garlic on an oven tray and drizzle with the olive oil and honey. Add the sprigs of rosemary and season well. Cook for about 20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender and browned.
Remove vegetables from the oven, squeeze the cloves of roasted garlic over the vegetables and tip everything in a saucepan.
Add the passata & tinned tomato, bring to the boil and allow to simmer gently for a few minutes. Stir through the baby spinach or silverbeet for your dose of daily greens.
Season with chilli (optional), salt & pepper.

To Serve:

You can enjoy this as a side dish to any meal or as a simple vegetable stew. You can add some mushrooms if you are needing some protein to make it a complete meal or some cooked quinoa.
If you would like to make it more like a soup, add some broth to the simmering process.

Image credit: Pinterest

Moroccan Quinoa & Chickpea Salad

This delicious salad is full of flavour and quick and easy to prepare. High in protein and fibre plus being a great source of iron, magnesium and Vitamin B6, it will fuel you with goodness to keep you going all day.

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
1/2 tbsp EVOO or coconut oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 cups veggie stock (or filtered water)
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Method

Saute onion until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
Add in the spices and cook for around 30 seconds.
Add in the veggie stock and cooked quinoa. Bring to the boil and then simmer, covered for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Fluff quinoa with a fork.
Stir in chickpeas, parsley and cranberries to the quinoa and mix until well combined.

To Serve:

Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with almonds and extra parsley.

Soul Food Chicken Soup

We just love a good chicken and veggie soup. Packed full of fibre, protein and essential nutrients, this will keep you will feeling warm and nourished during the colder months ahead.

Ingredients

1 x whole chicken
2 tsp EVOO
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
2-3 small zucchini, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
2 litres chicken stock
2 cups cold water
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large fry pan, saute the garlic and leeks for 2-3 minutes or until soft but not coloured.
Add celery, carrot and zucchini and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer vegetables to a large pot and add chicken, stock and cold water. Make sure the chicken is covered with liquid. Bring to the boil and then let it simmer, partially covered for 1 hour until chicken is cooked. Stir occasionally.
Remove chicken from the soup and let it cool. Skim away any froth that has settled on the top of the soup. Remove meat from the bones. Shred and return it to the soup.

To serve:

Add salt and pepper, chopped flat leaf parsley and some fresh chilli.

Image credit: Pinterest

Omega 3 Salmon Fish Cakes

These super simple fish cakes are perfect for the Easter long weekend. They are pumped full of healthy Omega 3’s, high in protein and great for brekkie, lunch, snacks or dinner. They are the ideal anti-inflammatory & hormone balancing dish to counteract the sugar binge!

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, peeled, cooked & mashed
1 x 420g tin sustainable salmon (drained)
2 organic free range eggs
3/4 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup finely sliced fennel
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions
grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
olive oil or coconut oil (for frying)

Method:

Combine all of the above ingredients (except for the oil) and gently massage together with your hands until well combined.
Form into patties around the size of a golf ball and flatten slightly (they should be about an inch thick)
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the patties until golden on both sides. Place on paper towel to remove any excess oil.
Serve with a tossed green salad and some Greek yoghurt with fresh lemon & cracked pepper.

Healthy Apple Muffins

These refined sugar free muffins are an excellent alternative to the hot cross bun! They can be made with whole wheat flour or any gluten free whole grain replacement. You can also get creative and add blueberries or raspberries for some extra natural sweetness.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour of choice (wholewheat organic flour, spelt flour or gluten free flour mix)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup grated apple (washed & leave the skin on – lots of good fibre)
1 cup diced apple (1cm pieces)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or organic butter
1/4 cup local honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup apple puree (easy to grab a pouch from the baby food aisle at the supermarket!)
2 organic free range eggs
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 C & grease or line 12 muffin cup tin.
Combine well with a whisk all the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt) in a large mixing bowl.
Blend together the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, honey, yoghurt, apple sauce, vanilla) with a bamix or blender.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the middle and stir until combined.
Add the grated apple and diced apple and gently mix until combined (we find adding the apple after the wet ingredients reduces clumping of the batter).
Using an ice cream scoop or small measuring cup, divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cup holders.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes

Wholesome Banana Pancakes

This is a delicious guilt free recipe for the Easter long weekend. We like to use almond meal to make them higher in protein & fibre. Such a healthy and nutritious way to fuel your day.

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
1 organic free range egg
1 cup buckwheat flour (you can also substitute with some almond meal for added protein)
1 cup organic milk (or other milk alternative)
1 tsp vanilla essence or vanilla paste
1 tbs local honey or maple syrup (optional – use if want pancakes a little sweeter)
1 tsp baking powder
Butter or coconut oil for frying

Method:

Blend all the wet ingredients in a blender or with a bamix (banana, egg, milk, vanilla, honey) until smooth.
In a bowl, sift together the flour & baking powder, ensuring they are well combined.
Create a well & pour in the smoothie mixture. Whisk to combine and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Add a tsp butter to a fry pan (you can make traditional size pancakes or smaller pikelets) and pour in desired amount of batter. Wait for bubbles to show before flipping.
Serve them up warm with some fresh berries, yoghurt, drizzle of honey, sliced banana or simply with a knob of butter for a wholesome brekkie. They are also a great snack for on the go and perfect for lunch boxes or with your afternoon cup of tea. Enjoy!