Everyday or so, I am asked- ‘but how do I cook quinoa/amaranth/lentils or brown rice’, so here are the easy tips on how. And yes, they do contain nutrient blocking properties, but are easily removed by simply soaking these crazy high protein grains and legumes. It is best to soak these grains/legumes overnight (6-8hrs) for a number of reasons, one is some have a bitter chemical on their outer shell which will be removed with soaking, the other is easier cooking, and better absorption of minerals and vitamins when eaten.   -Rinse well in morning or after 6-8 hrs. of soaking.   Quinoa, amaranth, Brown rice= Place in saucepan with ¾ full of water, lid on, bring to boil and as soon as reach boil, turn down to a very low simmer for around 15 mins for Qunioa and Amaranth, and 20-25 mins for Brown rice. -You can tell when quinoa is cooked as it’s ‘halo’ will separate from it. Amaranth is cooked when it becomes sort of ‘gluggy’. Strain and serve.   Legumes= After soaking and rinsing, place the legumes in a medium saucepan, with ¾ full of water and lid on. Place on a high heat, and when they reach boil, remove the lid and keep boiling for 20 minutes or until cooked.

-1-2 tbs. extra virgin cold pressed olive oil or coconut oil

-400g lamb, cubed

-1 medium red onion, chopped

-2 tbs. of Madras Curry paste (or make own- see below)

-1 cup beef stock

-600-800mls Organic coconut cream/milk, to

-1 cup chopped broccoli

-1/2 a cup of green beans

-1/4 red capsicum, sliced

-1/2 a zucchini, sliced

-1 medium potato cubed

-3/4 cup of cooked mung beans

-1/2 tbs. raw sugar

-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

 

 

In a large saucepan, heat on high, add some olive oil, and fry ½ the onion until tender, add lamb and briefly brown. Remove contents from heat into a separate bowl.

In the saucepan add more olive oil, the remaining onion, frying until tender. Add curry paste and stir. Add all vegetables, then stock. Bring to the boil, then add coconut milk/cream, place lid on and reduce heat to a low simmer with lid on.

Add mung beans and sugar, stir. Add lamb and stir. Cook for another 10-20 minutes and serve on a bed of cooked brown rice if lunch, and eat as a stew if dinner.

 

Homemade Madras Curry Paste

INGREDIENTS

Makes: 1/2 cup

• 2 1⁄2
tablespoons coriander seeds, dry-roasted and ground
• 1 
tablespoon cumin seed, dry roasted and ground
• 1 
teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1⁄2
teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
• 1 
tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 
teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 
crushed garlic cloves
• 2 
teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 3 -4 
tablespoons white vinegar

 

Place all ingredients, except the vinegar, into a small bowl, mix together well. Add the vinegar and mix into a smooth paste. Keep for up to 4 weeks in an airtight container, and in fridge.

With all these wellness and fitness warriors and bloggers suddenly coming clean as to being either fakes, or not what they appear to be, I’m wanting to ask- ‘where’s the integrity?’

Why pretend to be perfect or someone you’re not, when we’re all only human?

I went into one of my favourite health food shops today, and bought some organic rapadura sugar for the beautiful coffee I was clutching in my hand, and a person who knows I’m a nutritionist asked me: “aren’t you meant to be perfect and not have any sugar or coffee? We all expect you, of all people to be perfect!”

My answer is ‘nope’. I feel it’s quite damaging for people to expect themselves to be perfect, or to believe anybody is, because the truth is- nobody is!!

I eat exactly as I write in my book- ‘A Diet in Paradise’, I don’t pretend to be something I’m not, I eat very healthily for the majority, but I do have treats now and then and I don’t feel guilty over them.

I noticed in myself when I was overweight years ago, and others, that when the bar is set too high for perfection, we stumble- it’s only natural, then guilt and shame pop up and binge eating often follows.

Whereas, if you aim to eat your healthiest most of the time, and allow a treat once a week, there’s less shame, feelings of failure and bingeing,

Work with what you have, and be proud of your small consistent efforts towards health, because it’s the tortoise that wins in the end xox

 

 

 

For decades Swiss and European health experts have sung the praises of eating only foods which were grown local to your area and seasonal.

We have almost forgotten what eating with the seasons means because we simply don’t do it anymore, we have long-term cold food storage and imported fruits and vegetables from overseas, and we have all the foods we want all the time!

Eating seasonally means eating with the seasons, only what is naturally produced in your environment, where what is grown in winter is different to what is grown in the summer months.

The reason why eating seasonally is best is because throughout the differing seasons, our body requires different nutrients- for example- in Winter we usually need extra insulation or foods which are warming and stocky such as potatoes, pumpkins, and the root vegetables. While in summer we naturally want lighter fruits and vegetables such as the hydrating watermelon, lettuces, and tomato’s.

One way to eat seasonally is to eat organic fruit and veg. Not only do you limit your exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides, but you are supporting local farmers too.

In fact once you remove processed foods, takeaways, and expensive out of season fruit and veg from your trolley, the cost of living organically can basically costs no more then eating conventionally, plus its also a major investment into our health for the future.

 

Follow Honor via Facebbok, Twitter, Instagram and at www.honortremain.com.au

In a medium saucepan, drizzel 1 tbs of olive oil, then fry up some red onion and garlic until tender.

Add in 1tsp. of paprika, cumin and 1/4 tsp. hot harissa paste and stir.

Add Spinach, diced tomato’s, asparagus, carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, cooked lentils, cooked brown rice and stir.

Add 1L of water or stock and place lid on saucepan, bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until all veggies are tender.

Place all ingredients in your Vitamix blender and whizz until a smoother texture and serve =)

 

 

 

Raw Cacao Chia Pudding

By Honor Tremain

Gluten free, Dairy free, egg free, soy free, vegan.

Ingredients:

 

-1/4 cup chia grain

-3/4 cup filtered water, add and stir straight away, so no clumps form.

-1 ¼ cup organic coconut cream

-1/4 cup raw cacao powder

-1/4 cup of agave nectar or maple syrup

 

Instructions:

-Pour water over chia seeds in a glass or porcelain bowl, stir and soak for ½ hr for best results.

-Add coconut cream, stir. Then agave and mix, the cacao and mix.

-Blend all ingredients thoroughly with bar mix or blender.

-Place pudding mix in a container, or bowl and in fridge until cold.

-Serve and enjoy!

After an awesome interview with Professor Lindsay Brown and Dr Sunil Panchal from USQ, they discovered that chia seeds can literally move fat away from the abdomen, and be burned as fuel. It can make you look younger and can even change how well the heart and liver work!!

 

 

Did you know common cooking spices could help diabetes, fight fungal infections and potentially even prevent cancer growth? Delicious spices have been used traditionally in the East for hundreds and thousands of years, not only for their taste but as medicine too. Here in the West, we are only just discovering some of their exotic secrets.

 

Turmeric is a common spice, used for flavor and colour in many Eastern dishes. It contains the active plant chemical ‘curcumin’, which has high antioxidant activity, stops free radicals from aging or damaging our cells and skin, can decrease pain, inflammation and swelling, and is thought to have a great role to play in treating cancer. Dr Timothy Moynihan from the Mayo clinic says that laboratory studies have found curcumin to “prevent cancer, slow the spread of cancer, make chemotherapy more effective and protect healthy cells from damage by radiation therapy.”

 

Cinnamon, yes-simple cinnamon you sometimes add to porridge or on top of fancy coffees, has been used for centuries to relieve nausea and diarrhea. It helps circulation and can warm the body. It improves the digestion of fats. It can be used to stabilize blood sugar in diabetes, and can help with weight loss as well as fighting fungal infections.

 

Hot and spicy cayenne pepper has many health properties, whilst being high in Vitamins A, bioflavonoids, and containing more Vitamin C than an orange, it can kill many fungal and bacterial infections, and can strengthen capillary walls and decrease blood clots. Cayenne is great for fighting off a cold or sore throat and has been seen to be very valuable in treating arthritis, psoriasis and type II diabetes. It also activates turmeric, so having them together is always good.

 

Visit Honor on Facebook, Twitter and instagram, or at www.honortremain.com.au for recipes using these ingredients.

Monster Chocolate Amaranth Protein shake

By Honor Tremain

 

–Use full cream milk, rice, soy, quinoa or almond milk as base.

 

–1/2 tbs. cooked amaranth = slow burning carb, high protein for long lasting energy.

 

–1tbs. lecithin granules= Cholesterol lowering, brain function, protein.

 

–1 tbs. LSA powder= (Linseed, sunflower and almond meal)=Healthy fats for skin, hair and nails. Keeps you regular to the bathroom, high in protein.

 

–1/2 tsp. green food (chlorella, spirulina, or barley grass)=These are like having the nutritional equivalent to a big bucket of veggies, great for energy, high protein, keeps you full, slightly detoxing and analyzing. Synergy is one of my favourite brands.

 

–1 tbs. honey, Maple syrup or agave=to sweeten if needed, extra fuel for energy.

 

–1 tsp. raw cacao powder= Raw cacao is how chocolate coco is before being processed, so is still a chocolate powder but contains many more minerals, vitamins and antioxidants for boosting health, energy and much more.

 

–Shake and serve. Great for a quick breakfast or a snack in between meals.

 

-Optional=Can blend in banana, mango, and berries to make it more nutritious.

Find these recipes and much more in my new book A Diet in Paradise at http://www.honortremain.com.au

With our population ever growing, and the environment under more pressure each day, which foods are more sustainable than others?

Let’s take a look, I’m not going to give you the answers now because that would be way too easy, so what do you think?

-Beef, feedlot vs. free range

-Cheese vs. chicken

-Lentils vs. tofu

-Farmed fish vs. Fresh

-500g premium mince

-2 rashes of bacon sliced

-1 red onion diced

-2 garlic cloves

-1 purple carrot grated

-1/2 head broccoli chopped

-1/3 red capsicum diced

-100g green beans halved down length

-100g mushrooms sliced

-Large handful of rocket

-500g-750g of Macro organic Bolognaise pasta sauce

-Salt to taste

-1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

-1/2 tsp. dried basil

-Spring fresh parsley for serving.

Heat oil in saucepan, fry onion till soft, then add garlic. Stir for 1-2 mins. Then add bacon, and stir for a further 2 mites.

Add mince and brown. Add vegetables, stir through. Add tomato paste, stir through, bring to boil, lower heat, lid on and simmer for 15-20 mins.

Add salt, vinegar and basil, stir through for 2-3 mins, and serve on either a bed of rocket if you want to achieve weight loss, or over gluten free pasta if it’s lunch time.

 

Serves 2-3