Category: salads

Happy Valentines Day! Hope you have a sweet one. It’s typically a (justifiable) day of indulgence, so why not detox tomorrow with this super-healthy dessert I prepared ?! It simply contains the following 5 ingredients:

1) Blueberries – apart from providing a much-needed splash of blue colour to this dish, they’re incredibly rich in antioxidants for healthy cell regeneration, with massive amounts of vitamin K (c.25g per 100g, for healthy clotting, bones and brain function), vitamin C (immune boosting), and manganese (c.16g per 100g, used for calcium absorption which makes for healthy bones), and they are low GI (regulates blood sugar).

2) Raspberries – my favourite a wonderfully sour-sweet flavour that complements the fructose in the cherries and blueberries, but plays off the tangy kiwi – yum! Plus this superfood also contains plenty of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese, (all as in blueberries) whilst increasing heat production in certain fat cells (to maintain the liver and reduce risk of obesity by decreasing production of the fat-digesting enzyme Lipase in the pancreas – the body should absorb & digest less fat!).

3) Cherries – they’re delicious yet low in calories, very rich in the stable anti-oxidant melatonin for relaxing the nervous system, potassium for heart and blood pressure regulation, and are a really bold source of amino acids for muscle rebuilding.

4) Kiwi – just an impossibly dense source of vitamin C, with each large kiwi fruit providing c. 154% of the daily intake, whilst the little black seeds are hidden sources of Omega-3 fatty acids to help lubricate the heart functions. It’s also packed full of the usual vitamin A, K, E, soluble dietary fibre etc, and happens to taste gorgeous!

5) Total 0%-fat Greek yoghurt – this brand is deliciously rich-tasting without the guilt-inducing fat, and is a good source of protein to fuel muscle repair, potassium to condition the heart / brain / kidney, zinc to regulate testosterone, and vitamin B12 to encourage haemoglobin production.

Enjoy! Faya x

Ingredients:
1 x bar of Lindt 90% dark chocolate.
2 x 30g scoops Whey protein powder – I used vanilla-flavoured ‘Impact Whey Isolate’ from MyProtein in the pictures.
Optional Flax Seed, Pumpkin Seed, Sunflower Seed, Sliced Banana.

How to:
– Slowly heat the chocolate in a saucepan (or better still, in a bowl over some boiling water in a saucepan). It’s crucial not to let the chocolate burn so have patience and use a heat-mark of 4-5 (c. 50% intensity).
– Once the chocolate has melted add the 2 scoops of protein powder – stir in for 30 seconds (again timing is of the essence to ensure it doesn’t burn or stick to the saucepan)
– Turn off the heat and use a tablespoon to scoop out the mixture to make small balls in your ‘cake template’ tin. Top it off with your ‘decoration’ of choice. I suggest using nuts & seeds, fruit or berries, as below. You can stir in some of the nuts to become part of the cake proper.
– Once decoration is completed, let the mix set for an hour. I leave it for an additional hour in the fridge to set and solidify as I prefer the taste of very cold, solid chocolate.
– Serve & enjoy with a cup of tea!

For decoration and added goodness:
– Chopped nuts – think hazelnuts, brazil nuts or almonds. They are energy-rich, protein-dense (to promote muscle repair & growth) and a good source of omega 3 fatty acids (essential for brain function, reducing inflammation and anti-carcinogenic properties).
– Seeds – try flax seeds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. They’re an excellent source of vitamins and packed with protein and bone building calcium. See my muesli post for more on these.
– Sliced fruit or berries – why not go for some banana, orange, blueberries or strawberries. All bursting with flavour making it the perfect treat for the sweet tooth whilst being relatively low in calories. Fruits and berries are full of vitamins and minerals for example 100 grams of strawberry contains 58,8 mg of immune boosting vitamin C, which is c. 98% of your daily recommended allowance.

Hope you enjoy this little ‘chocolate cheat treat’ with a clean conscience for those days when chocolate cravings take over !!

x Faya

1) MANGO
Has zero saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, is a great source of dietary fibre (aids digestion) and Vitamin B6 (helps in maintaining normal nerve function). It’s also been shown as important for neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which will make you feel happy! Admittedly, very sweet and therefore a large portion of the 200 calories in a mango are from sugars (15 g per 100g is sugar) – so caution, to be eaten in moderation.

2) FIGS
Luscious little fruits, rich in texture and flavour, boasting a chewy flesh and a crunchy seed, are high in dietary fibre (11% of each fig), high in potassium (which helps normalise blood pressure), and have been shown to lower triglyceride (fat) circulation in the blood.

3) RAMBUTAN
Super-exotic, it’s very high in vitamin C (a 100-gram portion contains c.40 percent of your RDA). It’s also a great source of niacin (also known as vitamin B3). Inside this hairy fruit, aside from a high concentration of vitamin C, you’ll find other vital compounds required by the body every day – iron, phosphorus, protein and carbohydrates.

4) PAPAYA
Fantastic for healthy, glowing skin since it’s a very dense source of Vitamin A and ‘Papain’ – an enzyme helpful in digesting proteins, which help remove dead skin cells, and break down the inactive proteins whilst keeping skin hydrated. Also, a vast 700g papaya contains an impossibly small 300 calories, and mounds of dietary fibre.

5) JAPANESE APPLE PEARS
Crisp and crunchy in texture, they’re refreshingly light, and are void of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Plenty of vitamin/mineral benefits too, such as potassium, magnesium, folate and vitamins C and K.  Each mid-sized fruit is c.100 calories, which makes it 15% less calorific than its traditional cousin, the conference pear! Again, moderation is required due to the *natural* sugar content. Either way, the skin of pears contains at least three to four times as many phenolic phytonutrients as the flesh, which bestow them with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The skin’s also been show to contain about half of the pear’s total dietary fiber (30% of the carb content).

6) LYCHEES
A great source of copper (helps the body utilise iron and reduce tissue damage caused by free radicals), weighing in at just 60cals per 100g with a very low glycemic load, and with each 100g serving representing 120% of your vitamin C RDA!

7) NECTARINES
A very good source of beta-carotene (antioxidant that turns into Vitamin A when metabolised). It’s often found in fruits and vegetables with bright red, orange and yellow colours – great for bone development and healthy eyes. Also, they taste great. As do all of the above! Just buy them ripe or leave them on a shelf above a radiator for a few days!

Enjoy!!! Faya x

1) MAIN COURSE:

a) Griddled Yellow-Fin Tuna Steak with Mango and Avocado

Yellow-fin tuna ticks the all-important ‘lean protein’ box, sporting additional omega fatty acids as well as being utterly delicious, if I do say so myself! The sauce is what makes this dish though; it’s an exotic salsa of avocado and juicy mangoes, which transform an otherwise somewhat mainstream fish dish into significantly more exciting! It involves a fair bit of time spent chopping all the salsa ingredients but the tuna takes a mere 3 minutes to grill medium-rare! All in, production time is c. 15 minutes, and it weighs in at 365 calories with healthy fats (just 1.5g saturates) and some exotic-tasting natural fructose from the mango.

Ingredients:
2 Keitt mangoes, peeled, stoned and cubed
2 x ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and cubed
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
½ x 20g pack fresh mint, roughly chopped
½ x 25g pack fresh basil, roughly torn
½ x 20g pack fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes and grated zest of 1 lime
4 yellow-fin tuna steaks (900g total weight), about 2cm thick, from the fish service counter
1 tbsp olive oil

How to?
Place the mango, avocado, chilli, herbs, lime juice and zest in a bowl and season. Mix together and set the salsa aside.
Meanwhile, place a griddle or frying pan over a high heat. Brush the tuna steaks with the oil and season. Place them on the griddle and cook for 1-1½ minutes on each side for rare, or 2 minutes on each side for medium.
Serve with the salsa, lime wedges and a bag of Waitrose Red Butterhead Salad.

b) Quinoa Bean Salad to accompany the Tuna:

The perfect accompaniment to the Tuna; quinoa is a seed which provides all 9 essential amino acids (a complete protein – great for veggies), plus it’s cholesterol-free, very low sodium, and it’s almost always organic! Beans are also a fantastic and filling source of high quality vegetable protein with very low saturated fats. The Kidney beans are a great source of cholesterol lowering fibre. The moral of the story is include beans in your diet if you can!

Ingredients:
150 grams of white quinoa
1 tin of kidney beans (in water).
1 tin of chick peas (in water).
1 tin of Lentils (in water).
1 pack of shelled edamame beans
c. 25 grams of fresh mint,
c. 25 grams of fresh basil
c. 25 grams of fresh coriander
Juice from 2 limes
90g Pine nuts
1/2 x 375g steamed broccoli
1/2 pomegranate
A small sprinkle of Goats cheese or Feta (optional).

How to?
1. Boil the quinoa.
2. Steam 1/2 a broccoli, let it cool off. Cut the broccoli into smaller pieces and throw it into a large bowl.
3. Empty each tin of beans and lentils into a sieve and give them a quick rinse.
4. Put all the beans into the bowl with the broccoli along with the remaining ingredients – pine nuts, edaname beans, herbs and pomegranate.
5. Add the lime juice.
6. Finally (optional) add a small sprinkle of feta or goats cheese.
7. BON AP!

2) DESSERTS:

a) Frozen Berry Landscape with a Molten Dark Chocolate Lava

This is my healthy take on one of my all-time favorite desserts, served at Le Caprice restaurant; theirs is ‘Frozen Summer Berries with Hot White Chocolate Sauce’. Given its spine-tingling deliciousness, I have a suspicion that it’s packed full of butter, cream, sugar and other naughty ingredients! Regardless, you can’t make a Valentine’s dinner without a scrumptious dessert, so this is my healthier heart alternative. To top the winter berries, I’m using 85% Lindt chocolate which has no cholesterol, is very low in sodium, is high in dietary fiber and iron. Each person’s consumption from this dessert should range to c. 210 calories, plus a mere 40 calories for 150g of the berries (which are packed with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants).

Ingredients:
1 x pack of Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa
1 x bag of essential Waitrose frozen berries
1 x unsweetened Alpro almond milk

How to?
Empty a bag of Waitrose Frozen Berries onto a plate.
Within a ‘water bath‘, break the squares of Lindt 85% cocoa chocolate apart, and keep stirring it. Add some unsweetened almond milk if the consistency looks too much like cement! It is crucial to keep the stirring going though.
Pour the molten chocolate over the icy berries and serve!

b) Berry Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:
1 x 450g bag essential Waitrose frozen berries
200g Total 0% Greek natural yogurt
2 tsp Manuka honey
5 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

How to?
1. Allow the fruit to defrost slightly at room temperature for about 1 hour.
2. Place in a food processor with the yogurt, honey and mint leaves, and whizz until smooth.
3. Scrape into a rigid container or 6 ramekins and freeze for an hour or more, until firm. If freezing overnight, place in the fridge for an hour before serving to soften.

Ingredients:
5 x organic apples (I used Pink Ladies)
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp manuka honey
Sprinkling of Granola

How to:
1. Smear an oven dish with the coconut oil.
2. Chop the apples into 1cm chunks and then deposit them in the dish.
3. Sprinkle a healthy portion of cinnamon onto the chopped apple.
4. Sprinkle a thin layer of granola on top
5. Finally drizzle some manuka honey over the dish.
6. Bake in oven for 10-15 mins on 200, to ensure a nice bronzed surface!

As a little aside, the reason I love apples so much is that whenever I need something sweet, I’ll have an apple close to hand. They’re low in calories, are a rich source of antioxidant compounds (for cell and tissue repair), bursting with vitamin C, and contain heaps of dietary fibre – plus they weigh in at only c. 80 calories per apple (!!!). Enjoy!

expand up to 9x their original size when they encounter water – making you feel fuller for longer, and it takes the body longer to remove the water and therefore keeping you hydrated for longer too. They also offer a very high antioxidant content, are a great source of protein, as well as an almost-impossibly rich source of Omega 3 (8 times more than salmon! Yes 8, no that’s not a typo. I know!). Chia seeds are also great for digestion and ensure sustainable energy throughout the day; plus did I mention they’re a good source of iron and are great for healthy skin, hair and nails?!

These versatile little giants are incredibly easy to use and can be thrown into almost any meal to up the nutritional quality. I sprinkle them on salads, in fish/meat dishes, into my batches of muesli, into smoothies, or even include them in healthy desserts! Since I’ve been receiving quite a few emails requesting a healthy little dessert idea, here are my 3 favourite variations of chia seed puddings – pick the one that tickles your fancy, and enjoy

1) ‘WAKE ME UP!’ Matcha green tea! – (more on matcha tea in my previous post here)
Ingredients. 
C. 13 tbs almond milk or water
1 tsp matcha powder
3 tbs chia seeds
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of vanilla extract
handful of raspberries & blueberries for delicious decoration on top!

Instructions
1. Start by blending/whisking the almond milk, vanilla extract, and matcha together.
2. Add the chia seeds to the mix. Stir and keep stirring every 10 minutes or so for 20 minutes
3. Let the chia seeds absorb the liquid and expand for at least an hour or over night in the fridge.
4. Pop some berries of your choice on top and Voila!

2) ‘NAUGHTY BUT NICE’ – 80%-cocoa chocolate, coconut water & coconut flakes!
Ingredients
1. One square 80%+ dark Lindt chocolate
2. 2 tbs shredded coconut
3. 3 tbs chia seeds
4. 6 tbs water, 6 tbs coconut water (preferably fresh from a coconut).
5. Sprinkle some coconut and chocolate flakes on top for decoration and added texture

Instructions
1. Start by pouring the coconut water and regular water into a bowl.
2. Add the chia seeds to the mix.
3. Shred the one square of chocolate and with the coconut flakes add it to the mixture.
4. Stir and keep stirring every 10 minutes or so for 20 minutes
5. Let the chia seeds absorb the liquid and expand for at least an hour or over night in the fridge.
6. Pop some berries of your choice on top and Voila!

3) ‘MANGO & ALOE VERA MOJITO’ – Aloe Vera, Mint & Mango!
Ingredients
1. 1 mango
2. 3 tbs of Chia seed
3. 5 tbs Aloe Vera juice,
4. 7 tbs water
5. a handful of fresh mint

Instructions
1. Start by cutting the mango into small pieces.
2. Press half the mango into a sieve to extract the juice into a bowl. .
3. Mix the water, aloe vera and mango juice into a bowl.
4. Add some chopped mint, and small mango pieces to the juice
5. Finally add the chia seeds to the mix. Stir and keep stirring every 10 minutes or so for 20 minutes
3. Let the chia seeds absorb the liquid and expand for at least an hour or over night in the fridge.
4. Pop some chunky mango pieces and fresh mint on top for decoration and Bon Ap!!

I spontaneously decided to give it a try and bought them all. Mango, banana, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries (personal favourite) and apple. A restrained sprinkling of each, on top of 3 generous tablespoons of Total 0% Greek Yoghurt , with a tactically-placed purple flower, and then a dusting of cinnamon for some extra flavour… voila! If it takes you more than 1 minute to compile this, something’s wrong!

This particular yoghurt brand is deliciously rich-tasting without the guilt-inducing fat, and is a good source of protein to fuel muscle repair, potassium to condition the heart / brain / kidney, zinc to regulate testosterone, and vitamin B12 to encourage haemoglobin production.

I’d caution against eating too much of the baked fruit at any one time, as the sugar content, whilst natural, is still high (it is ripe fruit after all), and I think the baking process will slightly simplify the sugars given the use of heat. I would still stress that it’s a natural and convenient way to give your body nutrients, and makes for an easy, tasty quick dessert! Just a thought:) Faya

As always this is recipe is quick and easy, and only makes use of fresh, organic produce. It’s naturally sweet and thanks to some clever spices, it’s bursting with flavour. It’s a yummier, more adventurous, and far healthier dessert option than a chocolate bar! Below are just some of the health benefits of the ingredients (FYI: the recipe itself is right at the bottom of the post, after loads of pretty pictures)…

1) APPLES; low in calories (they weigh in at only c. 80 calories per apple !!!), and a rich source of antioxidant compounds (for cell and tissue repair), bursting with vitamin C, and with heaps of dietary fibre!

2) NUTS AND SEEDS: full of essential (good) fats that work wonders for the skin, hair, training results and general systemic well being. They can help to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease. Plus they add taste and texture to complement the sharp sweetness of the apples.

3) COCONUT OIL: This oil houses unique healthy properties and are significantly different to those fats found in many meats and vegetable oils. Plus coconuts have 0 cholesterol (which is quite unusual for fatty foods), very little sugar (with a glycemic load of just 1!), and practically 0 salt, as well as being a great source of manganese (for strong bones, blood sugar regulation, & healthy metabolic function). It also really helps to balance your digestion. The oil has been shown to help those who suffer from digestive disorders, both mild and severe. It may also help to improve conditions such as candida. In addition to the oil, the fatty acids have also been shown to help the body absorb other nutrients as well.

4) SOME OTHER SPICIER COMPONENTS: Manuka honey, Aniseed, Nutmeg, Cinnamon… (ingredients & ‘How To’ can be found below the next salvo of pictures from the market)…

INGREDIENTS: 

1. 5 apples, (ideally red colour).
2. ½ cup of your nuts/seeds of your choice. Or perhaps a mixture of all of them. (Pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds/pecan nuts/hazelnuts/cashews etc)
3. ½ cup almonds.
4. Manuka honey or coconut oil.
5. 2 pinches of pink Himalayan salt.
6. Spices – aniseed / nutmeg / cinnnamon. Or mixed together.
7. (Optional) Alpro soya single cream/ Total 0% greek yoghurt

HOW TO?

1. Preheat the oven to 150 ° .
2. Crush the seeds and or nuts into small pieces.
3. Mix the nuts/seed together and add a pinch of pink salt. Add manuka honey or coconut oil.
4. Grate some cinnamon/nutmeg or some vanilla seeds to the mix.
5. Core the apples, put them in a greased dish and fill them with the nuts and seed mix.
6. Bake the apples in the oven about 20-30 minutes or until soft.
7. Serve with plain or vanilla alpro cream. Or use some Total 0% yoghurt.

As with everything, moderation is key; you wouldn’t to eat three bananas in one sitting, so likewise, don’t eat all of these at once! The ingredients are organic but there’s still sugar, albeit natural. However, I’d like to think that because they are quite full in flavour and quite dense, you won’t want to eat them all in one go anyway! What’s in these little treats that’s so good?

1) PEANUT BUTTER
Often referred to as a ‘super sports food’ it’s a superb source of healthy fats (mainly Mono & Polyunsaturates) and has a good amount of protein (circa 2 tbps = 7 grams of protein). The combination of protein and fibre makes PB perfectly satiating. And to my mind, oh so delicious!

2) 90% DARK CHOCOLATE
Super-high in antioxidants (which work to combat the activity of free radicals in our bodies and aid cellular repair). Dark cocoa, being densely calorific, is also said to improve energy levels without the need for sugar, and thus help to boost focus and concentration. I aim for a minimum of 70% cocoa, but if you can tolerate it 100% cocoa is optimal, as it has an incredibly low amount of milk, fat and sugar. It takes some time to really enjoy it though, so perhaps stick with 85-90% for this recipe!

3) BANANAS
With their creamy, rich flavour, they’re perfect for this recipe, as they balance the bitter taste of chocolate with a source of natural sugar. They also contain that fabulous, natural mood-enhancer, Tryptophan, which helps to lift the spirits, compounded yet further by that yummy chocolate! Also, they’re a good source of vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber, and help to reduce swelling as well as promoting the production of white blood cells thanks to their high vitamin B6 content. Did I mention they go well with chocolate?

4) RASPBERRIES:
Next to chocolate, they’re my favourite A superfood containing mounds of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese, which supposedly increases heat production in certain fat cells (to maintain the liver and reduce risk of obesity by decreasing production of the fat-digesting enzyme Lipase in the pancreas – the body should absorb & digest less fat!). They’re also a source of very low GI sugars, meaning you get your sweet kick without the spike and crushing trough!

Ingredients
– 3 x organic ripe bananas
– 1 x Bar of Lindt 90% chocolate
– Below are 2 options for fillings;
/A jar of Organic crunchy/smooth peanut butter
Berries I opted for raspberries
– A bag of organic chopped dried coconut pieces / A bag of crushed hazelnuts (optional toppings)

How to?
1. Heat a saucepan on very low heat with hot water inside.
2. Pop a bowl on top.
3. Break the dark chocolate into small squares and pop them into the bowl.
4. Whilst your waiting chop the bananas into equally sized, relatively chunky slices.
5. Spread peanut butter or put some berries in-between two sandwiched banana slices.
6. Dip the sandwich in the chocolate and set aside to cool
7. (Optional) If you like, sprinkle some coconut or hazelnuts on top.
8. Finally leave these bad boys in the fridge for circa 30min
9. Devour responsibly!

PROTEIN POWDER: If you want to add some protein powder to this snack, add it to the melted chocolate mix before dipping the banana

PS. If you prefer without toppings they are pretty too (second picture from the top!)