Bircher Muesli

Finally I have come to the end of a very busy final year at university. I am proud to say that I have now completed a double degree! I am now qualified to be a Nutritionist and a Media and Communications Advisor. I've been quite slack with my blog lately and I apologise for that. This recipe is for delicious Bircher Muesli. This breakfast dish is high in fibre and will give you a great start to the day. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup bran
1/2 cup dried fruit, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw unsalted nuts, roughly chopped
400mL milk
200g low-fat vanilla yoghurt
1 tbs honey
1 granny smith apple, grated
berries to serve

Method:

1. Combine oats, bran, dried fruit, nuts, milk, yoghurt and honey in a large bowl.
2. Mix well. Cover. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove from fridge before serving. Stir in grated apple. Spoon into bowls and serve topped with berries.

Bean Wrap

Last week I was lucky enough to volunteer with Nutrition Australia as part of Seniors Week 2012. The dietitian I was working with was lovely and so full of knowledge. I helped her out by demonstrating some healthy recipes to a big group of over 55 year olds. It was an enriching experience because I was able to help out with answering peoples nutrition queries and I was able to pick up on trending topics within the nutrition industry at the moment. As part of the program at Seniors Week I was able to pick up some delicious healthy recipes that the dietitian provided. So here's the first one... Bean wraps.


Bean Wraps

Ingredients:
1 round 13cm wholemeal pocket bread
800g canned red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 egg
oil spray
1 pita wrap or mountain wrap
2 tomatoes sliced
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 avocado, sliced


Method:

1. Roughly tear 1 pocket bread into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. process until fine breadcrumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Reserve 400g of the red kidney beans and place the remaining beans in the bowl of the food processor. Process in short bursts, until roughly mashed.
3. Add the mashed beans, onion, coriander, egg and reserved whole beans o the breadcrumbs and stir until well combined.
4. Use damp hands to create patties.
5. heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray with oil if needed.
6. Add the patties and cook, uncovered, for 4 minutes each side or until golden brown and heated through.
7. Serve patty in pocket bread with tomato, lettuce and avocado.


In my picture above I used chickpeas because I didn't have red kidney beans at home. I prefer the red kidney beans to be honest. I think it gives a better texture and flavour. I served the patties with a bit of tzatziki, tomato, lettuce and cucumber. Get creative and add whatever salads you want in there. This recipe tastes awesome with avocado.

Skin healing face mask

I know what you're thinking... that looks gross. I agree with you, however it is a miracle worker when it comes to your skin. No, you don't eat it - it goes on your face. It has three very simple but effective ingredients for making your skin soft and smooth.

1. Avocado - they are full of goodness and are mother natures skin moisturiser. Avocados contain good fats and vitamin E, which are important for healthy skin.

2. Manuka honey - comes from bees that pollinate the Manuka tree which is found exclusively in New Zealand. Manuka honey is quite rare, which makes it a bit expensive. This honey has a reputation as a "healing honey" because it has antibacterial and antiviral properties. You can eat it when you feel sickness approaching or you can use it on your skin for antibacterial and healing purposes.

3. Wheatgrass - has detoxifying properties and will make your skin feel super smooth. I use it in a powdered form (available from most health food shops)

To make a face mask out of these three ingredients, you basically mash a quarter of an avocado with a fork, mix in a teaspoon of Manuka honey and a teaspoon of wheatgrass powder.

Before applying the mask, you will first have to cleanse your face. Then soak a small face towel in warm water and pat on your face for a minute to open up your pores. After you have done that, you can apply the face mask for 5 minutes and wash off with warm water and your done! If you want to make this into a face scrub then add some raw sugar crystals to the mixture and rub on your face.

Gluten-free vegetarian spaghetti

I'm finally back in action after a crippling month of uni assignments and exams. I thought a delicious and nutritious vegetarian gluten-free spaghetti recipe would be the perfect way to make a comeback. This recipe is packed full of so much goodness, I don't even know where to begin. It contains carrot, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, chilli, garlic, onion and oregano. So it covers almost all bases except for protein. Give it a go, it's pretty easy to make and is a definite crowd pleaser. If you're worried about not liking the vegetable component of it, don't worry because the carrot and zucchini are finely grated and you won't even notice them! It's such a great way to add vegetables to your day.

Gluten-free Vegetarian Spaghetti

Ingredients:

(serves 4)
1 packet gluten-free spaghetti
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
150g spinach
200g mushrooms
1 carrot, finely grated
1 zucchini, finely grated
2 400g cans diced-tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine (optional, but it makes a world of difference in flavour)

1 tsp ground chilli flakes

1 tsp oregano

Method:

Heat a little bit of olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Finely dice the onion, mushrooms and garlic then cook them in the pan until golden. Add the spinach to the pan and allow it to wilt. Toss through the grated carrot and zucchini for about 30 seconds until all ingredients are combined. Add the tomatoes and stir through. Add in the red wine, chilli and oregano and reduce heat to a low temperature. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 30-40mins until it has thickened. 

Fill a medium-sized pot 3/4 full with water and put it on a stove with high heat. Allow the water to come to the boil then add in the spaghetti. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Serve the spaghetti topped with the sauce.

Morning tea

This week I was feeling inspired by the cool weather and the new bone china teapot that my aunt brought me from England. Isn't it cute? Nothing screams English to me more than morning tea. So I brewed myself a cup of Ginger Spice tea from T2 (yum) to compliment the wholemeal banana and date loaf that I baked. I love this loaf because its a little bit sweet without being too high in sugar and it's very low in fat. Like anything though, its all about moderation.

Banana and Date Loaf recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp ground nutmeg

125g pitted dates, chopped

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 cup low-fat milk

2 eggs

1 cup of mashed banana (the riper the better)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line a loaf pan with baking paper. Sift the flour bicarbonate soda and nutmeg into a large bowl. Stir through the dates and the sugar. 

Combine milk, eggs and banana in a separate bowl. Fold into the date mixture until well combined. Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

Recipe adapted from www.taste.com.au

High on E (Vitamins)

Rich in Vitamin C. A good source of fibre for healthy gut function.

Avocados are one of my favourite foods to snack on and they have so many benefits for your body. One of these benefits is Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that protects your precious body from damage by free radicals. Free radicals are substances that can harm your body's cells, tissues and organs. It is believed that free radicals are linked with aging. So forget those expensive face creams. It's what goes inside that counts, so get some avocado in your system. Spread it on your toast with a little lemon and pepper or make a delicious avocado dip to serve with your favourite vegies.

All images are taken by me :)

Banana and strawberry smoothie

This recipe is so easy to whip up! I promise it will only take 5 minutes. If you are a busy person, this is a great breakfast accompaniment. It is high in calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, antioxidants, is low in fat and has no need for added sugars! If you're lactose intolerant or don't like cows milk, this recipe also tastes great with soy milk. It's also refreshing and tastes great, so go for it!

All images are taken by me. I hope you enjoy your smoothie :)

Recipe below.

Banana and strawberry smoothie recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of low fat milk

1 small banana

1/4 cup strawberries

1 tsp honey

1/4 cup ice-cubes

Method:

Chop the banana and strawberries into small pieces. Combine milk, banana pieces, strawberry pieces and ice-cubes in a blender. Blend for about three minutes until ingredients have smoothly combined. Pour in a glass with ice-cubes and enjoy!

Email me for more information picniclane@gmail.com

Guilt-free Pleasure

So I've finally started a food blog. It took me forever to decide the subject of my first post but finally... it's here! Since it's Easter holidays, I'm sure many of us are indulging a bit more than we should. Here's my alternative to unhealthy sweets - apple crumble with rolled oats. It's sweet and tasty and you can eat it as a snack between meals without feeling guilty about adding unnecessary kilojoules to your day. 

All of these photos are taken by me! I hope you enjoy them. Please don't use my photos without my permission. Email me if you have any questions picniclane@gmail.com

recipe below...

Apple crumble with rolled oats

Ingredients:

1kg Granny Smith apples

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

4 whole cloves

2 tbs raw sugar

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup water

1 tbs polyunsaturated margarine spread

1/4 cup sultanas 

Method:

Peel and core the apples then cut into wedges. In a saucepan add 1 cup of water, apples, cinnamon, cloves and sugar. Simmer on low heat until the apples are tender. In a separate saucepan, melt the margarine. Add in the rolled oats and coat them in the melted margarine. Spread the cooked apples in a round pie dish then sprinkle the rolled oats on top until the apples are completely covered. Sprinkle the sultanas on top of the oats. If you like, you can sprinkle a bit more cinnamon on top for more flavour. Bake in a fan forced oven at 180ºC until the oats are golden and toasted.