Be Nourished, Fitness, Nutrition, Recipes

IMMUNE BOOSTING SHITAKE MUSHROOMS WITH SPAGHETTI, LEMON ZEST AND PARMESAN

Christmas can take its toll on our immune system as a lot of us eat more and move less.

If you are tired of cooking and entertaining I have the perfect recipe using shitake mushroom that’s not only quick and easy but nutritious and delicious too.

Shitake Mushroom’s are known not only for their great taste but they’re packed with B vitamins and have the power to fight cancer cells, cardiovascular disease and infections. They have anti bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. During the winter months they are one of the few foods that provide vitamin D and they also help to boost energy and brain function.

As we move into January our food becomes even more important as many of us struggle with low mood and feel a bit of a crash post Christmas. It’s important to remember that January is a month for selfcare and not crazy resolutions. It’s still the middle of winter, which is the gestation period for both nature and us. It’s a month for inward reflection as we prepare for the year ahead.

To do this we need nourishing food, nourishing thoughts and nourishing rest. Pop in some movement and air and you will be ready for Spring where you will emerge stronger ready for the year ahead.

Try this simple recipe, which is great for all the family and it will help you to ease into the new-year with comfort and calm.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

3 Cloves garlic

Large handful of shitake mushroom’s (see video)

1 Lemon

Handful of Basil

Fresh Parmesan

Salt/Black pepper

Barilla Spaghetti

DIRECTIONS

Boil water and put in pasta with some salt

Heat the pan and add oil and garlic
Add chopped shitake mushrooms and cook until softened (5-8 mins depending on mushrooms)
Add in ½ a lemon zest
Squeeze in ½ juice of lemon
Save a cup of water from the pasta
Add pasta and then parmesan and stir through
If it’s a little dry add some of the water
Plate and serve with fresh black pepper and parmesan shavings

Barilla calling on students to unlock their inner TriHero

Primary and secondary schools are being encouraged to register for TriHeroes, a schools triathlon programme which brings together the lifelong activities of swimming, cycling and running to inspire, motivate and challenge children to participate in a healthy and active lifestyle.

The TriHeroes programme, delivered by Triathlon Ireland and supported by Barilla, a family owned Italian food company and advocate for a healthy lifestyle, helps teachers introduce triathlon activities in a safe and positive environment.

Delivered by Triathlon Ireland’s development team, the programme is typically run over six 90-minute training sessions with students taking part in a mini triathlon at the end of the programme giving students a taste of this hugely popular sport and exposing them to three sports that could see them excel in the Leaving Cert and later life.

Primary and secondary schools can find out more about the TriHeroes programme at www.triathlonireland.com and register their interest at schools@triathlonireland.com.

A gourmet selection of recipes, perfect for budding triathletes and prepared with seasonal ingredients for vegetarians, as well as meat and fish lovers is available at www.barilla.co.uk.

December 29, 2017/0 Comments/by Alison

Be Active, Recipes

WHAT DO BARILLA HAVE IN COMMON WITH TRIATHLONS?

Things can get hectic in the run up to Christmas so along with Barilla I have put together some healthy and nutritious quick and easy dishes.

I have been working with Barilla the past few months to help promote their TriHeroes campaign. There are so many reasons why this campaign is of interest to me. As I work in the area of mental health awareness and health coaching its so important to understand the real benefits of sport. When I was in school a lot of us dropped out of gym class and ate bad food. This affects your performance academically, mentally and physically.

RESEARCH

Recent Sport Ireland research has shown that students who play sport achieve, on average, higher points in the Leaving Cert than those that do not. It also highlighted that swimming; cycling and running are the most likely sports to be continued into adult life.

The workload is school can be overwhelming and very often exercise can be dropped early on. This schools triathlon programme gives students the chance to participate in a healthy and active lifestyle and have fun.

DIRECTIONS AND STEPS FOR PASTA DISH

PESTO PASTA WITH CHICKEN, BROCCOLI AND GREEN PEAS

SERVES 2

Enough pasta for 2 people (I used Barilla pasta which really grips the sauce)
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
¾ broccoli florets
1 avocado
125ml single cream
3 generous Tbsp. Barilla basil pesto
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Copped basil to serve

DIRECTIONS

Boil water and put in pasta with some salt

Pour oil into a hot pan and then add garlic and onions until they are softened.
The add chicken cooking slowly and when half cooked
Add in Broccoli
Add in peas just a couple of minutes towards the end
Pour in the cooked pasta and
Spoon in 3 large spoons of pesto
Stir well and serve with a half sliced avocado and garnish with chopped fresh basil

Barilla calling on students to unlock their inner TriHero

Primary and secondary schools are being encouraged to register for TriHeroes, a schools triathlon programme which brings together the lifelong activities of swimming, cycling and running to inspire, motivate and challenge children to participate in a healthy and active lifestyle.

The TriHeroes programme, delivered by Triathlon Ireland and supported by Barilla, a family owned Italian food company and advocate for a healthy lifestyle, helps teachers introduce triathlon activities in a safe and positive environment.

Delivered by Triathlon Ireland’s development team, the programme is typically run over six 90-minute training sessions with students taking part in a mini triathlon at the end of the programme giving students a taste of this hugely popular sport and exposing them to three sports that could see them excel in the Leaving Cert and later life.

Primary and secondary schools can find out more about the TriHeroes programme at www.triathlonireland.com and register their interest at schools@triathlonireland.com.

A gourmet selection of recipes, perfect for budding triathletes and prepared with seasonal ingredients for vegetarians, as well as meat and fish lovers is available at www.barilla.co.uk.

December 15, 2017/0 Comments/by Alison

Healthy body, Nutrition

THE LO-CAL KITCHEN POWERHOUSE SALMON

This powerhouse salmon salad is versatile and tasty while also wedged full of vitamins and minerals.

Salmon itself is one of the most nutritious fish, packed full of iron, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6 and 12 along with a whole host of other nutrients for good health. As well as the mixed grain salad this dish is superb for heart and brain health, bone health and improving thyroid function. Grains such as buckwheat, quinoa and cous cous are high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. We named this the Powerhouse Salad because it would be hard to find a vitamin or mineral that’s not in this dish!

It’s a very adaptable dish. If you don’t like salmon just simply change your meat or skip the meat altogether. It is super filling and my kids love it so it’s a family favourite. If you don’t fancy making it yourself just pop into The Lo-cal Kitchen and give it a try, you can get the salad without the salmon if you wish too.

You’ll need:

150g fillet of salmon
1 tbsp buckwheat
1 tbsp red quinoa
1 tbsp giant cous cous
½ cup of kale
½ cup mixed salad leaves
1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
¼ avocado
1 tbsp pearl barley

for the dressing:

1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tbsp. maple syrup

Ovens vary so this is just a guide: Preheat the oven to 180c Place the salmon on an oven proof dish skin side up and cook in oven for 10 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until cooked through but juicy and not dry.

With the grains I will often make a larger batch as is done in the Lo-cal Kitchen. Cook buckwheat, quinoa, cous cous and barley according to package instructions. This usually means simmer or soak in warm water but products vary. Once cooked allow the grains to cool and combine.

Whisk the dressing ingredients and toss with the grains and chopped kale, making sure to coat the kale well to help it soften slightly. Top with sliced avocado and salmon before sprinkling with pomegranate seeds.

One salad portion with salmon 492 calories 24g fat, 36g carbs, 37g protein

One salad dressing: 131 calories 13g fat, 2g carbs, 0g protein

June 13, 2017/0 Comments/by Alison

Nutrition

DELICIOUS CREAMY HOMEMADE ALMOND MILK

I love my nut milks and once you get used to making them it takes no more than 5 minutes to make creamy fresh delicious almond milk.

I always buy organic nuts in bulk from the green door market THE GREEN DOOR for my almond milk as it’s more cost effective.

I always soak my nuts to activate them as nuts contain enzyme inhibitors and phytates making the digestion and absorption of nutrients difficult to digest as the phytic acid binds to minerals in the digestive tract. So by soaking them in water with a pinch or pink Himalayan salt they can be neutralized. I soak mine for 8-12 hours and then I rinse and freeze. You can use straight after soaking, as the nuts are nice and plump from the water. I soak large batches of nuts so I always have some to hand from the freezer.

Here are some nuts soaking and then frozen ready to use along with a nut milk bag

SWEETENED OR UNSWEETENED

You can have sweetened or unsweetened almond milk. I sweeten mine with dates. Dates are a good source of energy, iron, potassium, vitamin A, fiber and antioxidant flavonoids. I always have some soaking in a jar of filtered water in my fridge ready to go. You will also need a nut milk bag, which you can buy from Down To Earth and a bowl.

You will need a blender for this, I use my nutribullet

Ingredients and method for almond milk:

Place a small handful of nuts in the blender
A Pinch of Pink Himalayan salt
Dates to sweeten if desired. I use 2-3
Fill too the line with water

Blend for a couple of minutes till creamy and frothy. Play around with nut quantities and consistency. I find around 12-15 nuts perfect. Pour into a nut milk bag and squeeze through. This is possible the most satisfying part! Transfer into a jug or bottle and serve.

I use the almond milk for oats, muesli, matcha lattes and as a base for soups.

#TastyTuesday

May 9, 2017/0 Comments/by Alison

Be Beautiful, Newsletter, Nutrition

ROZ PURCELL’S LEFT OVER TURKEY RAMEN

For this weeks Tasty Thursday we look at what to do with all the left over turkey after Christmas day?

This recipe from Roz is simple and quick to make and great to store in the fridge for a couple of days.

Ingredients

4 Servings

Left over torn Turkey (4 portions)
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 large onion – cut into rings
2-inch piece ginger peeled and grated
4 scallions diced
4 small garlic cloves diced finely
2 tsp. tamari
750ml chicken stock (try go low sodium if possible and organic)
1 tbsp. honey
1 medium carrot- grated thick cut
15 g fresh coriander roughly chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs (halved)
2 large courgettes (washed & spiralized)

Method

In a large saucepan, add the coconut oil over medium- low heat, once melted toss in the onions giving a quick stir before placing on the lid and letting them sweat for 8 minutes, until translucent and soft.
Stir in the garlic, scallions, ginger, tamari and cook for a further 2 minutes turning the heat up to medium.
Pour in the stock, giving a good stir to scrap up any onion stuck to the bottom of the saucepan.
Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring in the courgetti, grated carrot and honey, continue to simmer for 6 minutes until the courgette is wilted slightly. Taste to check the flavor and add more honey or seasoning if necessary (you shouldn’t need much as there is plenty of sodium in the stock and tamari).
Using a ladle, spoon into a bowl and garnish with the left over cooked turkey, a sprinkling of fresh coriander and an egg.

December 17, 2015/0 Comments/by Alison

Nutrition

CINNAMON ORANGE SUPERFOOD SQUARES

I popped into Maria yesterday in Life Cleanse on South William Street and as we sat down for tea she asked us would we like to taste her new raw cinnamon and orange superfood squares. Well taste them I did and then I devoured the whole bowl and I just knew I had to share the recipe for todays #TastyThursday

Cinnamon Orange Superfood Squares

These little chocolate squares are packed full of antioxidants from the acai powder and the wild orange essential oil. (Caroline@honestabouthealth.ie)

Makes 10 small squares.
Ingredients:
Half a cup raw organic coconut oil (I used Vita Coco)
Half a cup raw organic cacao powder
2 tbsp raw organic honey
2 tsp raw organic acai powder
3 tsp organic ground cinnamon
3 drops wild orange essential oil (I used doTERRA)
2 tsp organic vanilla extract

Method:
Warm the coconut oil in a small measuring jug or cup over a bowl of warm (not hot) water until it becomes liquid. Once the coconut oil has melted add the honey, vanilla and wild orange essential oil. Mix well with a small whisk or a fork. Slowly add in the dry ingredients mixing well to blend the flavours. Pour the mixture into a small rectangular baking tray or glass pyrex dish. Leave to set in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Top Tip: It helps to trace out the squares with a hot knife after about 40 minutes to avoid cracking them when they have fully set!

Take it from me they are divine and it looks like this is what I’ll be doing this evening!

Maria is also having and urban retreat this weekend which is a one day workshop on all you need to know about detoxing and living a healthier life. If you are interested in joining her for a full day of yoga classes, detox and nutrition talks, juice and a healthy lunch.
BOOK HERE LIFE CLEANSE WORKSHOPS

November 19, 2015/0 Comments/by Alison

Posts