Nutrition and Fitness Tips This Christmas

With Christmas fast approaching it might well be a period you worry about too many big meals and parties to keep your fitness goals on track. But life is about living and occasional overindulgence within reason can be managed. Here are some strategies to help you navigate the party season.
Play the long game
It may well be inevitable that you will overeat at some points over the festive period, but rather than try to refrain from enjoying a celebratory meal or snacks, try to play the long game. If you know you have a big dinner or party, plan around it by trying to attenuate your eating either before and/or after. People that are good at maintaining bodyweight are naturally good at compensating for over indulgencies by moderating in subsequent meals, often unconsciously. Remember, it’s calories in and out that matters most and it doesn’t matter if you have your whole daily intake in one meal or over several meals, if on average you are not eating too much.  
 

 
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is another strategy gaining popularity and one you may want to consider. For example, having a longer period of not eating after a big meal out. You could follow a similar pattern to a time-restricted eating, such that you are only eating 8 hours of the day, and not eating the other 16. Or simply wait longer until you next eat. There is some good evidence to suggest that extending the period of not eating is actually better in terms of helping us cope with what we eat and evidence also that after fasting for 16 hours you actually eat less than otherwise in the later meals.
 
Exercise clever
Make a plan to exercise and set some goals, even if these are a bit more relaxed than your regular ones. Don’t write off exercise for the whole of December thinking you’ll double up in January. Consider doing some of that exercise on an empty stomach. Exercising fasted, or without any newly consumed carbs, helps your body utilise more fat. So perhaps a morning moderate intensity exercise (e.g. walk, run, cycle) may be a good way to help burn off some fat.
 
Exercise is also of potential benefit in helping to regulate your appetite and curb hunger.  Both in terms of a distraction from eating and as a way of helping you compensate for overindulgences.
 
If you are a frequent exerciser, you may also consider higher intensity exercise such as HIIT training. This exaggerates the effect of exercise both in terms of calories burnt, fat burning and appetite control. And contrary to belief does not make you more hungry. 
 

 
Eating clever
To help you manage the festive period you may want to look at what you are eating and when. The festive period is conducive to eating luxury/tasty foods that are often high in one or more of fat, sugar and salt, even on a vegan diet. In addition, you are often eating and drinking more at some meals than normal (e.g. Christmas lunch), and eating and drinking later in the evening (e.g. your office party). 
 
Try to therefore to moderate the types of foods you eat across the day. For example:
 
•    Don’t eat high carb foods at every meal, perhaps have either a low carb breakfast and/or low carb dinner. 
•    If eating and drinking late at night, try to make these low carb meals. Favour lower carb drinks such as red wine and spirits with sugar-free mixers. 
•    If doing exercise, try to refrain from having lots of carbs before the exercise, or immediately after exercise if you can, to maximise the effect of the exercise. 
•    Try to base most meals around a good source of protein and vegetables predominantly.
 
Hopefully, these strategies will help you navigate the party season in good health and arrive in January ready for new challenges. Never feel guilty about enjoying yourself and above all, have fun and a great Christmas!
 

 
Damian Soong - CEO, Form, formnutrition.com
Form is a range of plant based nutrition built around the belief we can be the greatest version of ourselves while being mindful of others. 
 



Protein Mocha - by Shona Vertue

Ingredients

• 1-2 shots of espresso
• 2 scoops of form nutrition vegan protein powder
• 1,5 cups Plenish almond milk

Method
Pour hot coffee and protein into a blender. Heat the almond milk.
Once milk is heated pour it into the coffee and protein mix, blending it for roughly 3-5 seconds.
 
That is it ! 



 

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Ho Ho So Sustainable Christmas!

This month’s blog was meant to be about being Zero Waste when you’re on the go. But it’s come to my attention that Christmas is nearly upon us and everyone probably needs some help with getting through the festive season without totally trashing the planet!
There’s a few ways to look at Christmas – either a hellish consumer-fest that we spend too much money on, buy too many things that we don’t need whose forced jollity is horrible for people who are having a hard time. Or it’s a magical time spent with friends and family, eating lovely food and not going to work. The truth for all of us is probably somewhere in the middle.
 
We like a bit of thought provoking stuff so where better to start than with an article questioning the whole of the consumerist Christmas construct; or how we can’t buy our way out of trouble because conscious consumerism is a lie and how the only way to cure us is to be satisfied with what we already own which is down to changing the culture & messages we receive!
 
The reality is that we can’t ethically consume our way out of climate change – we need to drastically reduce the amount of (in Gerald Ratner’s words) cra*p we are all implored to buy this side of December. Joke toys are no joke when the impact of their production lingers far longer than the 30 seconds enjoyment on opening.
 
So, what to do (now that I’ve put the weight of the world on your shoulders?!) Below is a set of practical tips to make your Christmas this year more sustainable. Some of them are easier, some of them harder to implement but try and do something. Whilst I agree with the article above that there’s no substitute for systemic change, I do think that individual actions have a wider ripple effect so do as much as you can this year, and a little more next year – that’s how change happens. 
 
Changing your Family’s Culture
This is obviously the ideal but might be too much of a stretch to start with – so think of this as the ultimate goal. But seriously, can you do things differently in your family? We now do a (not so) Secret Santa. Everyone buys one gift for someone else, drawn out of a hat. Everyone still gets one really-nice present but it makes it all a bit more restrained and we just focus on spending the day together.
 
Replacing Gifts with Experiences
Instead of buying a thing, why not offer an experience – vouchers, a day out, sharing a skill (babysitting vouchers go down a treat, hint hint!), be creative and think about the best experience you could offer someone – the gift of time, in our frenetic world, is a rare thing indeed.
 
Or could your gift help someone else? There’s a wealth of charity gifts so why not have a think about what the receiver loves & buy something that fits – my Mum helped me set up Unpackaged, so one year I passed it forward by making a donation in her name helping women set up micro businesses in the developing world, she loved it.
 
And what can you make yourself? The internet is awash with ideas – Pinterest is probably your best friend BUT only make things that people want – we’re not replacing ill-conceived shop bought items with terrible home-made stuff here people!
 
If you do need to buy gifts then can you support small, independent creative businesses? The UK is a nation of shop keepers after all so – on the high street, or online – support a small business who will have put their heart and soul into designing your present and it will be much better because of it.
 
And remember, if you’re giving any gifts that involve batteries – invest in a rechargeable set and remember to charge them up before the day!
 
It would be a bit miserly to get rid of all vestiges of Christmas so here’s our list of swapping out bad for better in the home:
 
The Tree (& Wreaths)
The debate rages on between real vs. artificial trees (which are ultimately reusable). Some companies have tried to rent them but we’ve never managed to find a viable one (we wish Paul a speedy recovery!). If you have the time/ energy, you could make this amazing pallet Christmas tree or just decorate up a pot plant. But if you are going to buy one - the science shows that both real and artificial have an impact so if you’re buying real, make sure it comes from a responsible grower, if you’re buying artificial, buy well and reuse it for years and years to get the best value out of the plastic used.
 

Decorations
Once again, Pinterest is amazing for those who have time. How’s about some fun kids ideas? popcorn garlands, homemade paper snowflakes etc. If you don’t have that much time, then focus on the box of baubles you already have, it’s all about decorating with friends and family, not whether it matches this year’s tree at Claridges. And Christmas fairy lights – remember when your Dad would go through and check each bulb?? You can still do that, reuse & repair, do not buy new cheap lights!
 
Advent Calendars
More plastic, more things you don’t need, but all kids (and big kids like us) love an advent calendar.
Options here - buy or make a reusable advent calendar, another a great activity with kids or how about a reverse advent calendar where you donate to your local food bank? If you still need a chocolate one – go Organic & Fair Trade – and if you don’t know why, watch The Dark Side of Chocolate.
 

 
Stockings
Now this is something to invest in – everyone remembers the stocking they had as a child! You can go all Martha Stewart and make your own or buy a delightful one off an independent designer, they’re everywhere at the moment.
 
Crackers
Crackers seem to be EXTREMELY important to my family but if I get another set of mini nail clippers… so this year we’ll be getting the ultimate in reusable crackers, made in York, although these from Asos are mostly recyclable and very cute.

Cards
Your best bet here to be super eco is to go digital and donate the money to charity. But it’s hard if, like us, you want to take the time to put pen to paper to distant friends, which is a beautiful thing. So, you could make your own from scrap (yes Pinterest again) or buy charity cards.
 

Wrapping Presents
Old paper – newspaper, pages from design magazines, reused wrapping paper that your gran insists on carefully flattening each year – this is where it’s at. Or get involved in the Japanese art of furoshiki – cloth present wrapping. Vintage silk scarves from charity shops are ten a penny so get creative. The wonderful Wallace & Sewell sell amazing offcuts from their cashmere scarves which work for gorgeous ribbon that no one will want to throw away.
 

Christmas Food – 3 Steps to Zero Waste

• Plan in advance – we all want to be generous, but simple planning in advance will stop you over producing food, and throwing it away.
• Make your own -  this year, it’s all about making what you can – all your favourite chefs have recipes galore so get inspired. If you don’t want to lose your mind doing it all then why not divvy it up and ask each guest to bring one homemade item? It takes the pressure off you, spreads the cost and reduces waste. 
• Shop in bulk – if you prepare in advance, you can buy as many ingredients in bulk as possible – check out our range at Unpackaged, shop at the farmer’s markets and ask your local independent stores to help you shop unpackaged, check out our handy guide in last month’s blog post. 

 

Waste Management!
It’s not glamorous but you need to get a handle on waste management before the day. Presents, food, the tree – they can all be recycled but someone needs to be in charge on the day to ensure that everyone doesn’t just get drunk (what us?) and throw them in the bin. Get the children to be in charge… (they can’t drink!)

• Food – ensure you have enough food waste bags so that everything goes into your food waste bin/ compost. If you don’t have a doorstep collection, find your local communal food waste bin here.  
• Wrapping Paper – it’s complicated! Hopefully if you’ve taken the steps above, you won’t have any dodgy glittery wrapping paper but, if not, do the scrunch test - simple paper wrap can be recycled, but foil or glitter-decorated paper cannot and needs to go in the general waste.
• Cards – keep and make into other cards, tags etc. for next year. If you know you won’t, then just recycle them at supermarkets, they will all have bins in January.
• Tree – your council will collect it, just check which day to leave it out.

 
And finally, when it’s all over, what about a gift to the world? Instead of giving yourself a hard time about losing weight in 2018 (yes, we all do), why not make this New Year’s resolution one to get involved? Whether it’s campaigning or volunteering, the world would be a much better place if we all got out there and became active citizens, rather than passive consumers.
 
Happy sustainable living and we’ll be back in January with the aforementioned ‘On The Go’ feature, ready to help all your New Year’s Resolutions to live a more minimal life ;)
 
 
 

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Beet Leaf Pesto

We have enjoyed many different pesto’s this year – dandelion leaf pesto, of course, kale pesto, carrot top pesto and now beet leaf pesto. They make a delicious mild pesto. We saved the pesto on spaghetti with the beets cut in small cubes. The pesto also makes a nice spread for crackers.

Yield: 1-2 cups

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups beet leaves, cleaned and chopped
• ¾-1 cup walnuts
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
• splash chili sauce (optional but nice)

Directions:

1. Wash and roughly chop the beet leaves. Chop to a fine consistency.
2. Add the olive oil and lemon juice. Puree again.
3. Add the walnuts and again puree to a smooth consistency.
4. Add the nutritional yeast, mustard powder, salt and pepper and puree.
5. Optionally add a splash of hot chili sauce.

 

Related Posts:

• Vegan Dandelion Pesto
• Wild Garlic Pesto
• Turnip Green – Almond Pesto
• Zwiebelkuchen with Chestnuts and Sage Pesto
• Vegetable Ravioli and Mushroom Salad with Kale, Walnut Pesto

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Spicy Lentil and Vegan Sausage Stew

Autumn has arrived. Nights are cooler, days are blustery and the leaves are falling. This calls for good hearty stews. This lentil stew recipe makes a lot, and tastes great the 2nd day as well.

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils (dry), soaked for 4 hours (or overnight)
• 4-6 links vegan sausages
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 cups water, more if needed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 2-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 4-6 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• splash liquid smoke, optional but nice
• splash Sriracha sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice the vegan sausage links into bite sized pieces.
2. Chop the onion.
3. Peel and cut the carrots.
4. Peel and cut the potatoes
5. Slice the mushrooms
6. Heat the oil in the bottom of a large soup pot.
7. Add the sausages and cook until lightly brown on the sides.
8. Remove from the pot and place in a dish to await later use.
9. Add the carrots to the oil and sauté until they begin to soften.
10. Add the onions and continue cooking until the onions are glassy.
11. Add the water and vegetable bouillon powder.
12. Add the potatoes and lentils.
13. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down to a rolling simmer.
14. Cook until the vegetables and lentils are soft.
15. Stir from time to time and add water if needed.
16. Add the mushrooms and can of crushed tomatoes. Stir to mix well.
17. Add a splash of liquid smoke and Sriracha sauce
18. Add salt and pepper to taste.
19. Shortly before serving add the vegan sausages pieces to re-warm.
20. Serve hot in bowls.

Notes:

This could also be made in a slow cooker.

Related Posts:

• Vegan Chuck Wagon Stew
• Baked Pears En Croute Filled with Vegan Spicy Caramel Sauce
• Vegan Tortellini with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce, Ricotta…
• Persian Stew with Rhubarb
• Review: Potato Mushroom Stew

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Our New Winter Menu

The days are getting shorter and its getting colder outside. Lunch times are no longer reserved for salads sat outside in a spot of sunshine.
It’s a dash from our desks and back again as we try to avoid the cold and rain. We’re aiming to brighten things up for you with our new Winter menu. We’ve focused on new hearty dishes to warm you from the inside out and colourful Winter salads to brighten up your day.

We’ve picked out a few of our favourite from the new menu to give you an idea of what is in store. The only way to really see if to try them for yourself… Pick up a veggie mix & match, meat box or plant box and decide which new dishes are for you. The new menu launches in all our stores from Sunday 22^nd October.


Fake & Ale Stew
The heartiest new hot dish on our menu; our take on the classic steak & ale. Our ‘fake’ is actually chunks of Portobello mushroom is a rich sauce made with real organic ale. Perfect with rice and some veggies, this is bound to warm you up.
 

 

Paella Bake
All the classic Spanish flavours of paella, this bake uses brown rice as the base. We’ve made ours vegan, using pumpkin seeds for crunch and added protein.
 

 

Spelt, Squash & Fig
Christmassy tastes in a hearty salad. We’ve roasted chunks of butternut squash and combined them with spelt and dried figs. The whole thing is tossed with chestnut puree, we challenge you not to feel the festive spirit when you eat this salad!
 

 
Portobelly
The newest addition to our plant box menu. Roast Portobello mushrooms in a sticky BBQ sauce, vegan and meat eaters alike will love this dish. We make our BBQ sauce from scratch so we can ensure its gluten and refined sugar free.
 
Look out for more seasonal specials over November & December, including Brussel sprouts on our mix & match, turkey soup in our serve yourself section and a boxing day turkey curry on our meat box menu. 

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Special Edition Christmas Drinks Menu

Forget Pumpkin Spiced Lattes….this Christmas we are bringing you clean, organic speciality hot drinks to indulge in.
These drinks are all available in all our stores from the beginning of November through until Christmas.

Hot Chocolate: made from organic, dark chocolate buttons and hazelnut milk, our hot chocolate is vegan. Creamy and indulgent without the sugar rush, it is a simple combination of these 2 ingredients.
 

Red Velvet: for those who want to take their hot chocolate to the next level. We’ve added beetroot juice to our classic vegan hot chocolate to create our red velvet. The creaminess of the chocolate combines well with the earthiness of the beetroot for a less sweet taste.
 

Chai Latte: a classic and something we’re often asked for in our stores. Classic chai spices with our own twist…we’ve combined these with Tigernut Milk. The newest milk on the block is naturally sweet & creamy with a rich and nutty flavour. We think is compliments the spices perfectly.

Dirty Chai: all Aussies will recognise this name but it may be a bit unfamiliar to us Brits. The Dirty Chai gives a caffeine kick to our classic Chai Latte with an added shot of espresso. Try it instead of your morning latte. 
 

Charcoal Latte: a newbie onto our main speciality menu…the black latte. Not as ominous as it sounds, a creamy combo of charcoal, coconut nectar and coconut milk. Charcoal is known for its detoxifying properties so it’s a win-win; delicious drink with benefits. 

Check out our hot drink menu 

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Raw rainbow salad with soft-boiled egg and creamy miso dressing

This lovely salad is inspired by a Kylie Kwong recipe.
It is high in health-protective carotenoids from both the veggies and the egg yolk and makes a great shared plate as part of a meal.

Ingredients - serve 4

• ½ large celeriac, peeled
• 1 beetroot (beet), peeled
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 150 g (5½ oz) large radishes (approx 4–5)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 large handful chives, cut into 5 cm (2 in) batons

Creamy miso dressing

• ¼ cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) brown rice vinegar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon white (Shiro) miso paste
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 2 cm (¾ in) knob of ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1/3 cup (80 ml/2½ fl oz) light-flavoured extra-virgin
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method
To make the creamy miso dressing, place the brown rice vinegar, egg yolk, miso paste, tamari and ginger in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Gradually pour in the olive and sesame oils, whisking continuously, until incorporated.

Using a mandoline, finely shred the celeriac, beetroot, carrot and radishes. Wash the mandoline between each vegetable to prevent the colours from bleeding. Alternatively coarsely grate using a hand-held grater.

Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer into a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes, to cool slightly. Peel the eggs.

Combine the shredded vegetables and chives in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add three-quarters of the dressing and toss to coat.

Serve the salad topped with the soft-boiled eggs and drizzled with the remaining dressing.
 

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Autumn Harvest Panzanella Salad

Panzanellas have become a favorite household salad here at Vegalicious. Earlier this year we made a delicious panzanella that uses lentils. But now that it is fall, and we have a lovely red kuri squash harvest we are anxious to dig into these little babies.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cups winter squash (red kuri, etc.), small bite sized cubes
• 3 cups Brussels sprouts , trimmed and halved (about 20 sprouts depending on size)
• 2 cups red beets, peeled and cubed (2-3 small beets)
• 3 cups crusty day old bread
• 3 cups kale, chopped leaves
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cups pumpkin seeds

for the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or other fruit vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 heaping teaspoon grainy mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave
• 1 heaping teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
• ½ teaspoon rosemary
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
2. Cut the day old bread into cubes.
3. Place in a bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the cubes and mix well so all the cubes have been oiled. Alternatively, you could brush each one using a cooking brush.
4. Place on a cookie sheet with baking parchment and in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. When they are done, remove from the cookie sheet, place in a bowl to await further use.
6. While the bread cubes are toasting, prepare the vegetables. Cut the stem off the Brussels sprouts, remove and old outer leaves and cut the sprout in half.
7. Cut the winter squash in half and remove the seeds and inner stringy membranes.
8. Cut the squash in small bite sized pieces.
9. Peel the beets and cut into small cubes.
10. When you remove the bread from the oven, keep the baking parchment on the cookie sheet and place the prepared vegetables on the cookie sheet.
11. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
12. While the vegetables are roasting, cut the stems away from the kale and chop the kale into small pieces.
13. Place in a large salad bowl.
14. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and massage to a bight green color.
15. When the vegetables are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
16. Add the bread pieces to the kale and mix.
17. Add the vegetables to the salad.
18. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing over the salad and gently toss to mix.
19. Add the pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.
20. Serve the salad on individual plates and allow guests to help them selves for more dressing as desired.

Related Posts:

• Southwestern Salad
• Rutabaga Mango Salad
• Mayan Quinoa Salad
• Mediterranean Eggplant Salad
• Lentil and Wurst Salad

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Vegan Pea and Kale Patties

We saw these amazingly green patties or fritters online and really looked forward to making a vegan version using the fresh kale from our garden. They are really tasty.

Yield: 7 patties

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peas, frozen, thawed
• 2½ cups kale, washed, de-stemmed and chopped
• 1 cup non-dairy yogurt, cream cheese or quark
• 3 egg replacements
• 1¾ ounces chia seeds
• 1 lemon , zested
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
• 2 spring onions, chopped green parts and white
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add the egg mixture to the non-dairy yogurt mixture, and add the chia seeds to that and allow the chia seeds to swell in the liquid.
2. Meanwhile, place the clean, de-stemmed kale in a food processor and pulse to make fine shredded green kale.
3. Add the peas, the mint leaves and the chopped spring onions to the kale and pulse again to create a fine mixture.
4. Remove from the food processor and place the mixture in a bowl.
5. Add the chia, yogurt, egg mixture to the vegetables and mix well.
6. Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon zest.
7. By this time your mixture should be thick and will hold together. If it does not, I would suggest adding a tablespoon of nut meal such as almonds or walnuts to thicken the mixture. You could add dried breadcrumbs, but then the recipe would no longer be gluten free.
8. Form patties from about 2 tablespoons of the mixture.
9. Heat a bit of oil in a large frying pan and fry the patties to a light golden brown crust on each side.
10. We served the patties with a small salad of mixed spicy greens such as arugula and mustard greens and added a lemon wedge for each to squeeze fresh lemon juice on their patties.

Notes:

These are adapted from http://ift.tt/2lMrZr9.

 

Related Posts:

• Polenta with Kale and Mushrooms
• Kale Risotto with Spicy Tofu Pieces
• Review: Black-eyed peas and kale soup
• Vegetable Ravioli and Mushroom Salad with Kale, Walnut Pesto
• Vegan Hungarian Goulash

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Layered Kiwi Kefir Smoothie

We’re in love with this smoothie, the layering and the precisely cut kiwi is beautiful but simple. All you need is a really good food stylist ;)

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 ripe avocado
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1⁄2 cup of blueberries
• 2 large handfuls spinach
• 1 small handful kale
• 250ml Original Bio-tiful Kefir

Method

Blend all the ingredients together. Cut out whole kiwi slices and stick to the glass by simply pressing. Carefully pour in some Kefir to cover the bottom third and pour in the smoothie on top, be careful not to nudge the kiwi slice. Good luck! 
 

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5 Hemp Oil Benefits for your skin

Like every other organ skin has essential needs for optimal health and beauty.
The most important two ingredients that a skincare product must contain are essential fatty acids and vitamin E.

If you are in search of a good source of those two "must have ingredients" then you must try hemp oil or skin care products that contain a certain amount of it.
 
1. Antioxidant
Hemp oil is a rich source of vitamin E, which is an excellent natural preservative and antioxidant that protects the skin against environmental influences.
 
2. Super moisturizer
A perfect ratio of essential fatty acids deeply moisturise the skin and increase the skin's ability to retain moisture.
 
3. Gentle on the skin
Hemp oil provides perfect care for sensitive skin, because it rarely causes allergic or other skin reactions.
 
4. Hair restoration
Due to exceptional regenerative properties of hempseed oil the latter is also popular in the care of damaged and dry hair.
 
 5. Deeply hydrating and revitalizing
Hemp seed oil is rich in vitamins A and E, and also contains certain minerals that skin loves - such as magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium and phosphorus.

 

HEMPTOUCH CBD OIL - 15% OFF - SHOP NOW 
 

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Chocolate, orange and buckwheat crunch balls

We would feel guilty about eating so many of these crunchy, flavourful, enticing treats if we didn’t know that they were so healthy.
Buckwheat is rich in rutin, a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect your body and brain from inflammation and collagen degradation.

Ingredients - MAKES 18

• 6 medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) boiling water
• 1 cup (200 g/7 oz) buckwheat groats
• ½ cup (40 g/1½ oz) cacao powder
• 1 cup (100 g/3½ oz) desiccated (shredded) coconut
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder*
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
• pinch of Himalayan salt
• 1/3 cup (60 g/2 oz) raisins, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs*

Coating

• ¼ cup (20 g/¾ oz) cacao powder
• 1/3 cup (30 g/1 oz) desiccated (shredded) coconut
• ½ cup (70 g/2½ oz) pistachios, finely ground

Method
1. Soak the dates in water for 10 minutes, or until softened.

2. Toast the buckwheat groats in a dry frying pan over low–medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until golden brown and nutty. Set aside to cool.

3. Place the dates and any remaining liquid, cacao powder, coconut, almond butter, tahini, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest and salt in a high-speed blender. Blend until the mixture begins to
bind together.

4. Transfer into a medium bowl. Add the cooled toasted buckwheat, raisins and cacao nibs and
stir to combine.

5. Divide the mixture into 18 even portions. Roll into balls. Roll six balls in cacao powder, six in desiccated coconut and six in finely ground pistachios to coat.

6. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.

NOTE
These can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.

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Creamy millet porridge with honey-roasted figs

This recipe is pure comfort food: both for our senses and also for the good bacteria in our gut as both millet and figs act as prebiotics – food for our healthy bugs.
Ingredients - serve 2

• ½ cup (100 g/3½ oz) hulled millet, soaked in water overnight and drained
• 2 cups (500 ml/17 fl oz) water
• 1 cup (250 ml/8½ fl oz) almond milk (or any nut milk), plus extra to serve (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
• Almond and seed toffee
• 2 tablespoons almonds
• 3 teaspoons raw honey
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Honey-roasted figs

• 2 ripe figs
• 1 teaspoon raw honey

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two small baking trays (baking sheets) with baking paper.

Place the millet in a medium saucepan, add the water and milk, cinnamon and vanilla and bring to the boil.

Decrease the heat and gently simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes, until the millet is tender, with a slight bite remaining, and most of the liquid has been absorbed to make a creamy porridge consistency.

Meanwhile to prepare the almond and seed toffee, scatter the almonds on one of the prepared trays. 
Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the honey and bake for 5 minutes. Scatter the pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds over the almonds, drizzle with the remaining honey and bake for a further 5 minutes, or until the almonds and seeds are golden and the honey is caramelised.

Set aside to cool, until the honey toffee hardens. Break into shards or coarsely chop.

To prepare the honey-roasted figs, tear the figs in half from the stem to the base. Place, torn side up, on the remaining tray and drizzle with honey.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until softened and juicy.

Serve the porridge hot topped with warm honeyroasted figs and shards of almond and seed toffee.

Serve with additional milk, if desired.


 

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Pho with healthy hoisin

The Bondi Markets have the most exquisite pho we have ever had the pleasure to eat, but we feel this version does this restorative Vietnamese soup justice.
Often, it’s the commercially made condiments that we eat that have the most additives, so here
We have made a delicious, healthy version of hoisin.

Ingredients (serve 4)

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 6 cups (1.5 litres/51 fl oz) beef bone broth
• 1 small carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 spring onions (scallions)
• 5 cm (2 in) knob of ginger, bruised
• 2 strips mandarin peel (optional)
• 150 g (5½ oz) beef fillet
• 250 g (9 oz) dry rice noodles, or zucchini (courgette) noodles
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 large handfuls (approx 1? cups/150 g/5½ oz) bean sprouts
• 2 large handfuls Thai basil leaves
• 2 large handfuls Vietnamese mint leaves
• 2 large handfuls coriander (cilantro) sprigs
• 2 red birds-eye chillies, thinly sliced
• lime wedges, to serve
• chilli sauce, to serve 

Hoisin sauce (Makes ¾ cup/185 ml/6 fl oz)

• 3 medjool dates, pitted
• ¼ cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) boiling water
•  90 g brown (Genmai) miso paste
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (unpasteurised)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 cm (¾ in) knob of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder

Method
Place the spices in a medium saucepan and toss overlow heat for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant. Add the bonebroth, carrot, spring onions, the ginger and mandarinpeel, if using, and bring to the boil over high heat.

Decrease the heat and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Wrap the beef fillet tightly in plastic wrap, to make a nice round shape. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until partially frozen, firm but not solid. This helps to make it easier to slice thinly, for serving.

Meanwhile to prepare the hoisin sauce, soak the dates in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Combine the dates and their soaking liquid with the remaining ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.

Soak the noodles in boiling water, or according to the packet instructions, until softened. Strain.

Strain the broth, discarding the solids. Return to the pan. Add the tamari and lime juice. Unwrap the partially frozen beef. Using a sharp knife, slice into very thin rounds. 

To assemble, divide the noodles among four serving bowls. Top with slices of raw beef, bean sprouts, fresh herbs and chilli. Ladle over the hot broth. Serve with lime wedges. Drizzle with chilli and hoisin sauces, as desired.



NOTE
The hoisin sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. It makes a wonderful marinade for meats, especially pork and beef.

 

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