gf | 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

French Socca Crepes (aka chickpea flatbread)

Socca is a traditional French dish from Nice (and the neighbouring Italian coastline). There are many variations of this super simple and neutral dish, so feel free to add your own flair! Sarah Wilson has also created a fermented version in her cookbook Simplicious. Below we have given you the traditional French version and Sarah’s version.

Socca closely represents a pancake or crepe. It is like an omelette meets a French galette. You can even use them as a pizza base! It is a big winner in our gluten & egg allergic household.

Chickpea flour can be found in most supermarkets. It can also be called besan or garbanzo bean flour. Due to the dry nature of the flour, it is best to let it sit for at least 10 minute before cooking.

Traditional Recipe:

150g chickpea (besan) flour
½ cup water
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking

Method:

Sift flour into a bowl. Whisk in water, oil and 1 tsp salt.
Stand, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.
Heat a small to medium non stick frying pan over a high heat. Brush with oil. For a smokier flavour, cook the batter in a cast-iron pan in the oven under the grill.
Pour 1/3 cup batter into pan, making sure it spreads evenly. Cook 1 – 2 minutes (look for small bubbles), then flip and cook other side or until crispy on edges and golden. Transfer to wire rack.
Enjoy warm straight away with your chosen topping (see our suggestions below) or simply re heat for brekkie the next day. We often use them like a wrap and place them in the sandwich press.

Sarah Wilson’s Recipe:

100 gr chickpea flour
1 tsp apple cider or lemon juice
300 ml water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
pinch salt

Method:

Take a bowl and add the chickpea flour, the apple cider vinegar and the salt together in a bowl and mix together. Cover with a clean towel and leave to stand overnight.
The next day at the coconut oil (melted) and stir together.
Then follow the above cooking method.

Suggested Toppings:

Sauteed mushrooms with fresh thyme and goats curd

Ham off the bone with gruyere cheese and free thyme

Smoked salmon with fresh lemon, dill & wilted spinach

Fresh scrambled eggs with parsley, bacon & tomato chutney

Image credit: Pinterest – cashew-kitchen.com

Healing Slow Cooked Chicken Curry

This slow cooked chicken recipe is incredibly simple as no browning of the meat required. It is pumped full of anti-inflammatory ingredients such as the turmeric and ginger. The broth is very restorative on your gut and the pinch of cayenne is perfect for the post Winter sniffles. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 organic chicken thighs, diced
1/2 onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed whole with a knife
2 tsp of your favourite curry powder
1 tsp freshly grated turmeric (or dry)
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken bone broth/stock
Freshly cracked black pepper & sea salt to taste
Lots of fresh veggies – we like broccoli, zucchini, snow peas and sweet potato
Freshly cut coriander to serve

Method:

Place all the ingredients except the veggies in a slow cooker (or heavy based saucepan if you don’t have a slow cooker). No need to brown the meat!
Mix all the ingredients well to ensure chicken is covered with seasonings.
Cover and cook for 3 hours on high cooker setting (or 6 hours on low).

Notes:

Add your favourite veggies in the last 10 minutes of cooking. If you are using sweet potato, add during the last half hour.
Serve with some brown basmati rice or on a bed of fresh spinach leaves. Some slices of fresh lime are also delicious.

Image credit: Pinterest

Guilt-Free Black Bean Brownie

This recipe is based on one of our favourites from Jessica Prescott’s Vegan Goodness recipe book. It is packed full of protein, fibre and flavour! A guilt free recipe to be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack or for dessert. Super simple to make and so delicious. Ok, a small confession – since we are not a strict vegan family – we enjoyed it heated with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
1 tin black beans (rinsed)
6 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup cacao powder
1/2 buckwheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
50 ml coconut or olive oil
50 ml nut milk (we like almond). Jessica also suggests water, orange juice or espresso. You can also use cow’s milk.
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 large handful dark choc chips and/or nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C and line a brownie tin or baking dish with baking paper.
Place everything, except for the choc chips and/or nuts, in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
If using nuts, roughly chop and stir through/pulse with the choc chips.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth down into the corners. As Jessica instructs, lick the spoon afterwards!
You also have the option of sprinkling the batter with sea salt or pistachios before baking.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool before cutting into squares. You can store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy cold as an easy snack or heat up for dessert and devour with a dollop of whipped cream. Yum!

Note: For those who are new to a low refined sugar diet, you may like to add a tbsp of maple syrup for the first batch or add some extra choc chips. At GRW, we find it sweet enough as per the recipe.

Image credit: Oatmealwithafork

Autoimmune Apple-Spice Tea Cookies

My son is currently undergoing a gut rehabilitation protocol under the collaborative guidance of his Gastroenterologists and Allergist. Oliver has a severe allergy to several nuts and eggs. We are hoping that over the next 18 months, we will successfully rebuild his gut to allow him to tolerate these foods in the near future. Along with a morning smoothie pimped with specific strains of probiotics, glutamine, colostrum and Vitamin D, he is also to incorporate a daily leafy green salad and avoid gluten and sugar. Anyway, I have had to re-think the lunchbox bake ups and pre footy snacks. After doing some homework, I stumbled across Mickey Prescott’s cookbook The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook (not that we are paleo), however, her recipes are gluten free, egg free, nut free and refined sugar free. Yes, baking is a ‘mission impossible’ in our house! So, you can imagine how delighted I was to find her Apple Spice Tea Cookie’s. Enjoy!

Makes 8 cookies

Ingredients:

65g fine shredded coconut (unsweetened)
2 tbs coconut flour
1 apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
8 dates, pitted
2 tbs coconut oil, plus extra, for greasing
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (GRW suggestion to try nutmeg in another batch for variety)
Pinch sea salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 C
Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until a thick paste forms. Form into 8 round, flat cookies and place on a baking tray greased with a little coconut oil.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until barely golden. The cookies will still be a little soft; let cool completely before serving.

Variation:

Feel free to use pears for this recipe. You can also use dried figs instead of dates for a less sweet cookie.

Storage:

Keeps in a the refrigerator for a week. Also freezes well.

Image:

Summer Guacamole

There is no better time to enjoy a delicious guacamole than the summer holidays when avocados are in abundance. We love Stephanie Alexander’s recipe as it is so easy to prepare and is such a fresh and healthy crowd pleaser!

Did you know that avocados contain more potassium than bananas? They are also loaded with ‘good’ mono-unsaturated fatty acids and fibre.

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
Juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
2 tbs chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp fresh red chilli
3 spring onions – finely chopped (we also like red onion)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Peel and chop avocados into small chunks.
Add lime juice, chilli, coriander, spring onion.
Serve with organic corn chips and a margarita if you’re feeling festive

Photo credit: Pinterest

Quinoa, fresh herb and pomegranate salad

This simple quinoa salad is packed full of flavour and goodness. It is a perfect accompaniment for any BBQ meat or fish.

Did you know that pomegranates are a rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants? They are also high in fibre and anti-inflammatory properties. A delicious addition to any Summer salad!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa (or can use other grains such as freekah)
1 handful baby spinach
1 cup freshly chopped mint
1 cup freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
1 continental cucumber, diced
1 cup of cherry tomatoes halved
1 pomegranate, seeded
1 handful of goji berries
1/4 cup toasted almonds, chopped (could also use walnuts, pistachios)
Small handful pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
1/3 cup crumbled goats cheese or feta (optional)

Dressing

2 tbs lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive Oil (EVOO)
2 tbs pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Mix together herbs, spring onion and spinach.
Add cucumber, tomato, quinoa, seeds, nuts.
Gently toss.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake until creamy.
Pour over dressing and serve!