food journal - a realization

Ok, so my goal of eating only unprocessed foods for 365 days was a little unattainable.  But I’m still enjoying this journey.  Since I started eating this way I have officially lost 6kg, my skin is clearer and brighter and I have energy like there is no tomorrow.

I like to think back to the weekend that I did the juice detox, I drank nothing but juices on Saturday and then Sunday morning, I got up and went for a huge bike ride, I really didn’t think that I would have the energy to go as far as I did, but I felt great, I felt better than if I had had a big pasta meal for dinner the night before.  Eating a giant meal of pasta made me feel heavy not light and full of beans.

I just want to clarify with you that for 90% of the time I still eat unprocessed, clean food.  It’s just if I go out for dinner, I still order the best thing on the menu for me, the least processed meal, and I’m just not worrying so much about the sauces that might come with that meal.  It just means that if my partner and I want to go and get gelato from the new little Italian grocers down the road, I’m not going to say absolutely not, but yes I can have this once in a while.  So essentially I’m giving myself two meals a week that might not be as clean.  But I’ll never go back to having a super creamy pasta dish, or eating heaps of chocolate biscuits, that stuff still makes me feel awful.

Ok so here’s what my food journal looks like today:

Breakfast: 1 handful of fresh cherries

Snack: nectarine, snack dates, 85% cocoa green and black’s organic chocolate (about 3 squares)

Lunch: avocado

Dinner: quinoa with goats cheese
Desert: banana ice cream (its sooo hot here today and i needed to cool down)


Exercise: rode to and from work, 15 min pilates :)

Watch this space also, I'm working on 10 min Pilates video sessions, hopefully will launch the videos this sunday - yay!


NK x

chicken skewers with satay sauce

this meal is a great source of protein, and doesn't skimp out on flavor.  i've tried to buy organic as much as possible for this recipe.  my one tip is that if you can't buy organic chicken, make sure that you remove the skin because that's where many of the toxins are stored.  here's how to make it:


for the sauce:
ingredients
half red onion
clove of garlic
1 stalk of lemon grass
1 cup peanuts 250ml coconut milk
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 chilli chopped up finely (if desired)


directions
place the chopped red onion, clove of garlic crushed and stalk of lemon grass finely chopped into the fry pan.  cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes; remove from heat.  In food processor, crush the peanuts; add the onion mixture, the coconut milk, cumin, fresh lime juice, sea salt, soy sauce and chilli.  Process until smooth.  (you can also make this in a blender)

not much for left overs... had to be good :)

for the chicken skewers:
ingredients
1 double breast of chicken
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of coriander leaves crushed
1 large clove of garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 stalk of lemon grass, chopped lengthways in half.


directions
in a bowl, place the fish sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, coriander, garlic, cumin and lemongrass; stir to mix well.  place cut up chicken into the mixture and allow to stand covered for at least 20 mins - the longer that you leave it marinating the better the flavor.  Once you've let stand, thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers.


Cook chicken under a hot grill, i used my george forman to cook mine.  make sure that the chicken is cooked through so its not pink inside.


serve with the satay sauce and enjoy.  o and there wasn't much for left overs, that's gotta mean it was good - yay.



NK x 

sweet potato hummus

the humble sweet potato is an ideal food for dieters to ward of hunger.  its orange flesh is high in carotene's and cholesterol-lowering compounds.

sweet potatoes are richer in nutrients than potatoes and lower on the glycaemic index, and so are of benefit for diabetics and dieters and for regulating blood sugar levels.  They also contain plant sterols and pectin that can help lower 'bad' blood cholesterol.  They are extremely high in beta-carotene as well as being an excellent source of vitamin E, magnesium and selenium.

this sweet potato hummus tastes great and is really easy to make.  this is what you'll need:

ingredients

• 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

directions

1. set a steamer basket in a large pot. fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. transfer to a food processor.
2. combine chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, oil, cumin, and garlic in the food processor. puree, about 1 minute; thin with water if necessary. season with salt and pepper and let cool; refrigerate, in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

why not give this a go over the weekend, its great to have in the fridge to snack on with celery, carrot and capsicum sticks.

NK x

happy australia day

i hope everyone enjoyed their australia day celebrations yesterday.  we did have a trip to fraser island booked, but due to the crazy rain that we had early this week we decided to post pone that trip till easter.  i have my fingers crossed for great weather at easter.


know i have today off and i'm super keen to do some cooking today and try out some new things. i've been very busy lately, and i have actually found some time today to tell you all about some things that i have found and been trying.

breakfast

on my list of things to cook today is sweet potato hummus, this sounds so delicious and i think will be a nice alternative to the traditional hummus.  i'm hoping that the taste of this one will be a little more crowd pleasing than the traditional hummus as well.


i'm also going to try chicken skewers with a nutty sauce for dinner.  i'll make plenty of these so that we have heaps to eat over the weekend.



i've started my day off with roasted cherry tomatoes and sauteed herb mushrooms, absolutely delightful.  to make this, i chopped in half about 8-9 cherry tomatoes and sprinkled a little pink rock salt on top and popped them into the oven, set at about 180 degrees.  i then chopped the mushrooms in half and placed in a fry pan on medium heat.  i added some different herbs and spices, be creative add which ever herbs and spices that you like best, then added about a tablespoon of water, or enough to just coat the bottom of the pan, then covered the pan with a chopping board, leaving just enough room for the steam to come out.


i always use water to cook my mushrooms now, and stay away from any oils and fats, as this cooks them a lot nicer and holds a lot more flavor and moisture.


be back with you shortly with some recipes.


yours in health


NKx

Ride to Conquer Cancer

a good friend of mine is embarking on a great mission to raise money for cancer awareness.  i know that cancer has touched the lives of almost everyone in some way or another.  i feel as though we can never give enough to support funding for this disease.


you can click through to the links below to help support her and you can also follow her journey buy clicking through to her blog here.  here is a little about rebecca and her story:

Please Support My Ride to Conquer Cancer™

Recently I found out that a family friend has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour at the age of 13!

Feeling rather helpless, and also feeling very guilty for taking my 'health' for granted, I decided that enough was enough.

As most of you know, I am certainly not the fittest nor am I the most sporty person you will come across, but I plan to reach my goal regardless.

It is time for me to get fit, and I am excited to be raising funds for ALL cancer related research in the process.

My challenge!!

To be fit enough to ride 200+ kilometres by the 18th August 2012 over two days, and to raise a minimum of $2,500 to be able to participate in the ride.

The Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer is a cycling journey throughout Queensland's scenic countryside that I’m embarking on to fight cancer. 

It will be a challenge in a number of ways, but with my bike, my helmet, and your generosity, a real impact will be made! 

To give you an idea of what 200+ kilometres LOOKS LIKE, below is a rough map of my journey ONE WAY!!!

So what I am asking of you......?

Please cheer me on if you can, hold me accountable if I slacken off with my training...and most importantly... PLEASE DONATE to this excellent cause!!!

Funds raised in The Ride to Conquer Cancer will support breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research,
a worldwide leader in cancer research and discovery and one of the largest research institutes in the southern hemisphere.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Rebecca Andrews

life is a sport - make it count

ok, i know, i kinda have a nike crush at the moment.

i love this video as well!

think about all the incidental exercise that you do in a day,

are you making the most of your days?

are you making it count?

get off the bus a stop further away from your home/work.

ask oh&s if you can have a fit ball for your desk chair.

take a walk around the block at lunch.

life is a sport!

make it count!

NKx

o and i can't wait to get my hands on a fuel band

it's going to make me so much more hardcore everyday ;)

pizza party...

i made pizza for dinner tonight - yum!  i made everything from scratch, the pizza dough and the sauce.  it was so simple, i can't believe that i've never made pizza bases before.  when i embarked on this challenge i thought that i would never eat pizza again.  o how wrong i was.

ta-dah pizza time

i'm pretty sure that you should all throw out the number for dominoes and start making this instead.  there is something so empowering about making your own pizza, and it tastes so much better.

my little pizza dough resting

i made the base using spelt flour, click here to find out more about spelt, it was really simple, and only required 4 ingredients.  because of the time limitations i had (with working and everything) i made the dough last night and then let it sit in some glad wrap in the fridge until i needed it this evening.  i'm not sure if this is the best way to store the dough, but it seemed fine when i cooked it tonight.  this is the recipe for the base:

spelt pizza dough

3.5 cups of spelt flour (you can get this from your local health food store)

3/4 cup luke warm water

1.5 tablespoons of dry active yeast (the non-instant kind)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

directions:

1. sift the flour into a large mixing bowl

2. dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup luke warm water, add to flour and stir in with the oil

3. continue stirring until you have a uniform texture, then start kneading by hand in the bowl, or on a large, clean surface.  knead for about 5 mins.

4. cover ball of dough with flour and place underneath a damp towel for 1-2 hours until the volume is approximately double.

5. divide dough for 4 small pizzas, 2 large or 1 party size

the tomato sauce

1/4 cup of olive oil

400g can of organic crushed tomatoes

3-4 cloves of garlic

a squeeze of lemon juice

directions:

1. heat the oil and garlic in a cold saucepan over medium heat, while stirring

2. sauteed just until fragrant - do not brown the garlic and do not let the oil smoke

3. add the can of tomates and heat until it reaches a gentle simmer

4. add the squeeze of lemon into the pot and stir

5. add salt and pepper to taste

get creative with your toppings, tonight i did the tomato sauce with chopped up red onion, goats cheese and green olives sliced; and the second pizza had a basil pesto, green olives, sliced quarts of red onion and goats cheese.

once you've got your toppings on the dough, place on a pizza tray lined with baking paper and then into a preheated oven, around 180 degrees.  bake for around 20 mins, or until the base feels cooked through.

i was accompanied by a great friend who helped me taste test my first ever home made pizza. i think it went down a treat.  followed by some fresh made banana ice cream, click here for the recipe, with beautiful fresh passion fruit pulp added.  it couldn't have been a better night!

get cooking my lovelies, i want to hear all about the different pizza toppings that you try.

NK xx