Grilled vegetable and beetroot flatbread

Cooking is about joy and bringing joy into your life with something that fuels your body is a little act of kindness. Within that joy, I want you to experience play. Play with flavours, play with ingredients, and connect to this child-like quality that is often lost in our day-to-day lives. Start with little steps and then expand by creating your own recipes based on intuition. This recipe is all about play with pink flatbreads and delicious vegetables! Make the flatbreads for this recipe or for your next curry night!

---

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 medium beetroots 

180 g spelt flour or gluten-free flour of your choice

1 teaspoon salt 

2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

juice and zest of 1 lemon

½ cup water 

2 red peppers, seeded and sliced

olive oil

salt and pepper 

3 medium courgettes, ribboned 

Coconut oil

6 tablespoons Greek yoghurt or substitute of your choice

1 handful fresh dill leaves, finely chopped 

1 small handful fresh mint, finely chopped 

1 handful fresh rocket 

---

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. 

Place the beetroots in a roasting pan and roast for 35 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork. Remove and set aside. (I usually do a bigger batch and save the rest for salad or other meals and snacks.)

To make the flatbread dough, place the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a medium bowl and mix together. Set aside. 

Using a blender, blend the beetroots until smooth, 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, and the water.

Make a well in the middle of the flour and gradually add the beetroot mixture while mixing until a dough begins to form. Tip the dough out onto a flat surface and knead until well combined. Return to the bowl, cover, and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place the red peppers in a separate mixing bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and season to taste. Toss until evenly covered with oil. In a grill pan over medium heat (the pan must be hot), add the red peppers and grill for roughly 5 minutes until grill marks start to appear. Repeat the process with the courgette ribbons and cook for 1–2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables.  

Once the dough has rested, remove from the bowl and divide into four fist-size balls. Roll out the balls of dough on a floured surface until they are about the size of your frying pan base. Lightly rub a little coconut oil on each side of the dough circles. Fry in a medium frying pan over medium to high heat for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. 
While the flatbreads are frying, mix the remainder of the lemon juice with the yoghurt, dill and mint in a small bowl. Season to taste. 

Once the flatbreads are ready, remove from the heat. Serve with a generous smear of the yoghurt dressing, topped with the rocket and grilled vegetables. Season to taste with a little extra black pepper and drizzle with olive oil. 

Enjoy - Melissa

Stuffed peppers with mint yoghurt dressing

This is a fun and healthy take on an old classic. It is such a hearty dish that always offers a beautiful pop of colour when you add it to your plate. Eating colourful food means more nutrients and health. You can get creative and try it with different spices and serve them as the main affair or as a side. It’s also a great do-ahead dish so you can grab a stuffed pepper when on the run.

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

4 medium red or yellow peppers, tops cut off and saved for later, and seeds removed

Dressing

1 cup plain Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt

juice of 1 lemon

12 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons maple syrup or 2 teaspoons unrefined brown sugar

80 g goats milk cheese

salt and pepper

Filling

1½ cups spelt, cooked

1 cup vegetable stock

2 teaspoons coconut oil

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

4 medium-sized courgettes, grated

2 teaspoons caper berries

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

olive oil

1 handful fresh coriander or parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions:

Prepare the peppers and set aside. You want to keep them intact as you will be filling them later.

For the dressing, mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Season to taste and set aside.

For the filling, cook the spelt as per the packet instructions, adding the vegetable stock to the water that you use to do so. Once ready, set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, turmeric and cayenne pepper and sauté for a further 5 minutes, stirring often. If it dries out, add a splash of water to help it along. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Once the tomatoes have cooked down, remove the pan from the heat and add the courgettes, caper berries, nutritional yeast and spelt and fold through.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

Using a spoon, fill the peppers to the top with the tomato and spelt mixture. Drizzle with a little olive oil, making sure the sides get some oil too. Use your hands if need be. Pop the peppers onto a roasting tray and roast them in the oven for 10 minutes. Change the setting to grill and grill them for an additional 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them so that they don’t burn.

Serve with a big dollop of dressing, and a drizzle of olive oil, and top with the coriander or parsley

-Melissa

Salad jars for on the run

Finding a daily routine is important and will set you up for success. Why? Because routine offers us structure and when achieved it creates a positive and healthy headspace. For example, bringing in routine when making work lunches means you will have healthy meals at work that don’t leave you stressed or in the queue at the coffee shop ordering something sugary and unhealthy. Find a routine that works for you both morning and night and schedule it into your time management. Honour this and see how things change over the space of two weeks. Setting time aside for yourself is important in achieving health goals. Why not try setting ten minutes aside every evening to meal prep these salad jars for work and tune into your energy levels for the week. You might find that your 3PM slump disappears with a nutritious lunch rather than a sugar crash. Other suggestions on routine are to try and bring in five minutes of meditation in the morning and a bit of light exercise. At night why not create a wind down routine such as switching off technology, having a hot bath, reading a book with chamomile tea and preparing for bed? Carving time out for yourself allows your body to heal.   

Salad jars are a great way to make sure you have food on the run. Being prepared is a critical part of healthy eating. You can take them with to the office, or pack them for the beach. If you’re going to be out and about where you won’t be able to find healthy meals on the go, these are perfect for you. Putting them in jars and layering the ingredients appropriately means the leaves won’t wilt and the ingredients will stay fresher than if they were placed in a Tupperware.

Serves: 1

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Dressing

zest and juice of ½ lemon 

½ red chilli, finely chopped 

1 teaspoon honey 

1 tablespoon tahini 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

Salad

½ cup chickpeas, cooked 

½ cup quinoa, cooked 

1 handful baby spinach

¼ cup red cabbage, finely chopped 

1 tablespoon kimchi 

1 small handful fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds 

Place all the dressing ingredients into your salad jar and mix well with a fork. 

Layer the salad on top of the dressing, starting with the chickpeas and followed by the quinoa, spinach, cabbage, kimchi and basil. Finish off with the pumpkin seeds. Do not shake the jar as you don’t want to incorporate the dressing until you’re ready to eat. Seal the jar with the lid and store it in the fridge overnight. Before serving, shake the jar to combine all the ingredients. 

You can play around with different fresh combinations and get creative making lunch at work healthier and easier. 

-Melissa

Sweet potato and Acai smoothie bowl

Guilty as charged! I promised you guys more recipes and to be honest, with the launch of my cookbook WHOLE - bowl food for balance, it has been crazy! I am hoping that this insanely delicious smoothie makes up for it. If you haven't shopped my book yet then click here to get your hands on a copy! 

As you guys know I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) This is an endocrine disease that stops me from having a regular cycle. I used to feel really ashamed about sharing it with others. However, I have since learned that 8-10% of females at childbearing age have it. I have also learned along the path of discovering my health that it is a solvable problem through healthy eating and lifestyle changes. 

It can be overwhelming when you look at the whole picture and you have so many people telling you what not to eat and what to eat. I have learned that the only way I am going to succeed is to make one small change a day or even in a month. All the little changes eventually add up and before you know it you will be leading a healthier lifestyle. 

This smoothie bowl is unique because I recently discovered that banana isn't ideal for me to be having as someone with PCOS because it is higher in sugar and sugar triggers hormonal acne. It's not to say a banana is bad. It's just to say that it isn't necessarily good for me as an individual right now. The problem is though, is that I love creamy smoothies. I mean duh, who doesn't. I went down the rabbit hole to find out what solution and I found it. Steamed sweet potato. Yes, you heard me. I steam it, then I freeze it, then I blend it and it is glorious! It makes the smoothies super decadent and delicious and it doesn't overpower the flavours. It's a healthy carb and a great kick starter to my day! I steam the sweet potato then I freeze it placed out on a baking tray so that it doesn't stick together. Once frozen I add them to a freezer safe Tupperware.

If you do this you end up with at least a weeks worth of supply and you can give the bananas a break. Try it and see how you feel. Does your body love it or not so much? It's about listening to what works for you. For now, I am on a mission to make as many small changes as I can in order to achieve normal health and hormonal balance! 

---

Ingredients:

1 1/2 steamed and frozen sweet potato (about 2 cups) – white or orange sweet potato
1 cup of frozen berries of your choice (I used blueberries) 
1 teaspoon acai
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/2 ripe avocado
1 serving of pea protein powder or protein powder of your choice
2 majool dates, pitted
1 tablespoon of almond butter + extra for drizzling on top
1/4 cup almond milk, you can add more if needed. 

toppings all optional:

chia seeds
raspberries
sliced banana
coconut
strawberries
almond butter
pumpkin seeds
buckwheat
sunflowers seeds
 

---

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Decorate with toppings and serve! 

-Melissa 

How to bust a sugar craving with my blueberry smoothie

I used to get extreme sugar cravings. Mostly when I was a sugar addict. I never admitted to myself that I was but if I look back, yup, I had a problem. I had to have something sweet after dinner or a chocolate at lunch. When I hit a slump at 3 pm at my desk then I would need something sweet to 'pick me up'. Sugar in my tea and syrup with my peanut butter toast. All loaded with refined sugar and SO not good for me. 

I learnt that in life balance is possible and it has since become my mantra. It has taken time, practise and patience with myself. It's a journey and one that I am still working on. I want freedom with food and to have a healthy relationship with food. This blog post is not here to promote extremes but by all means, if it works for your body to completely cut out sugar then listen to that. The reality is that sugar is an inflammatory food and it isn't good for you in a refined form and studies have shown that it is responsible for diseases such as diabetes, chronic migraines, obesity and cystic acne. The scary thing is how many products have hidden sugar in them or label the sugar as something else. Make sure you read the ingredients on labels, not how many calories you are consuming because not all calories are created equal. Sugar is highly addictive and sends more serotonin to the brain than cocaine. Here is a list of few names to look out for and avoid:

• Corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup
• Dextrose or crystal dextrose
• Fructose
• Maltose
• Lactose
• Sucrose
• Glucose
• Evaporated cane juice or fruit juice
• Caramel
• Carob syrup
• Brown sugar
• Raw sugar
• Dextrin and maltodextrin
• Rice syrup
• Molasses
• Evaporated corn sweetener
• Confectioner’s powdered sugar
• Agave nectar (really spikes blood sugar even though it’s natural)
• Other fruit nectars (for example, pear nectar) - be careful of this as most orange juices will claim 100% fruit juice but if you read the ingredients you will soon realise this is not the case. 

I personally do not have a problem with fruit. I don't eat too much and when I do; I feel like I am indulging. Fruit can be packed with vitamins and fibre and can help bust a sugar craving. I try to have my fruit with a handful of nuts such as almonds since the combination of fibre and fat keeps my blood sugar stable and satiates me. 

When you first undertake to quit sugar it is going to be hard. You might even experience physical reactions such as headaches and nausea. The detox is real and I suggest that you commit to breaking through this barrier. I upped my water intake during the first week (a good habit to adopt in general) and I focused on taking in high protein foods with high fibre dark leafy greens and veg. Having meals that are nourishing helped me be 'full' and happy. I also learnt that allowing myself to get hungry was not a good idea. Catch yourself before you are hungry and invariably end up in a space where you'll make bad decisions. Focus on what your triggers are and what makes you feel weak at the moment, then focus on avoiding it. Set yourself up to succeed.

Here are a few things I do that help me when I am craving sugar:

1 - I enjoy a big cup of herbal tea without sugar or milk. I find that peppermint helps me bust a craving or chai tea. The spices let the brain think you are having something sweet. 

2 - I indulge in a piece of good quality dark chocolate. Paired with a cup of peppermint tea - its a match made in heaven. 

3 - I keep fresh majool dates in the fridge. I don't overindulge in them as they are still sugar but they are a natural sugar and when they are cold, they go like fudge. Give them a try! One is usually enough. 

4 - I up my dark leafy greens when I am craving chocolate. Especially around my period. I find that it not only helps with cravings but it also helps with bloat. 

5 - Have a big glass of water and if you can add a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar. Make sure it is unfiltered with the mother. More often than not when I am craving food - its actually thirst. Did you know that one of the first symptoms of dehydration is hunger? Before I would just go for the fridge and binge on everything in front of me. Now I am more connected to my body and I have a glass of water when I feel like snacking on sugar, give it twenty minutes then see how I feel. 

6 - Eat a high protein snack instead of the sugar. Try having some carrot sticks and hummus or a boiled egg. This helps me and often fills me up until my next meal. 

7 - If I feel for a treat, I have some sliced apple drizzled with almond butter. I try to have this mid-morning not later in the afternoon. Focus on high protein food in the afternoon rather than sugar. This also helps me with over eating at dinner.  

When I find myself craving something super decadent and indulging, I make myself this smoothie. It's better than any milkshake out there and filled with natural goodness that won't leave you feeling awful about it afterwards. 

---

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries 
• 1/2 frozen banana 
• 1 tablespoon almond butter 
• 1 tablespoon pea protein powder 
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds 
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds 
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened 
• 2 blocks of ice
   

---

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If it is too thick then add a little almond milk to thin it out. I personally like it thick. Serve cold topped with a drizzle of almond butter and berries. 

-Melissa