FEED ME ... TUESDAY?

A delayed post but loving and nourishing none the less.

Do you ever get major food cravings? Ones that are so strong, you are tempted to drop whatever it is that you're doing and head straight out to get you some o' dat?!

It struck on the weekend and I was totally and utterly consumed by thoughts of it. The texture, the smell, the taste ... oh sweet baby James. So rather than fork out the $18 that my local charges to make it happen - I decided to take matters into my own hands. 

Avocado smash. Oh I how I love thee. 

Avocado Smash with Greens and Feta Crumble

1 tspn lemon juice
1/2 avocado - 'smashed' with fork

Feta to serve

Handful of baby spinach leaves

Salt, pepper and chilli flakes to season

Bread of choice

Easy as pie. Use a fork to mash the avocado. I seasoned it with the salt, pepper and chilli at this stage but you could just as well season at the end. I toasted some rye bread and added a rough layer of baby spinach leaves and a dollop of avocado mixture to each piece. Spread the mixture and lightly crumble feta over the top nice and evenly. Add a squeeze of lemon to each piece - the zest just cuts through the avocado and compliments the saltiness of the feta really well. So yummy. Simple, healthy and amazing. Craving be gone and $18 be stay. 

Blessings and avocado smudged kisses x

FEED ME MONDAY - The 'Hardest Post I Have Ever had to Write' Edition

Ok - sort of but not really - I'm being a little over dramatic.

Today's recipe was created and tested for you yesterday. Stop the press - from creation to your minds in less than 24 hours! Incredible. But as well as the 'creation' and 'cooking' went - the wheels kind of fell off when it came to 'testing'. Ridiculosuly delish, don't get me wrong, so that 'taste test' portion was deemed a great success but the 'quality control' portion did not. It's with a heavy heart that I share with you that I, Emily Meagher ... have a quinoa allergy.

I'm in the 'denial' stage of grief following my at-home diagnosis but after severe cramps for the fifth or so time of eating this delicious and nutritious little grain - I can no longer put it down to coincidence. Since writhing on the couch last night in pain because my gut felt like it was on fire & inflamed to the shiznit, I went to my good ole friend Dr Google for advice. Turns our quinoa allergies, sensitivities and intollerances are far more common than I previoously thought. It's so unfortunate that I will have to bid adieu to this mighty grain - because it's such a fantastic gluten-free alternative to serve up for lunch! The symptoms that I experience post quinoa deliciousness are far more severe than any I have experienced from gluten, which is usually a moderate discomfort with cramping and bloating. THIS is more indigestion pain and burning, whole body aching and severe stomach irritation. 

Nonetheless, I will be damned if this incredible dish doesn't get enjoyed by somebody so I am sharing with all you lucky son-of-a-guns who can eat it up sans death. It's a fabulous nutrient dense dish for a quick lunch or dinner option.

Keen-as Quinoa Bowl 

1 cup quinoa (preferably a certified organic variety)

1 head brocolli

1 ear of corn

1 zucchini

1 eggplant

1/2 sweet potato

Wash thoroughly and chop all vegetables into small bite size pieces. Bring 2 cups liquid (I used a nice homemade vegetable stock) and 1 cup quinoa to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa 'sprouts' its little tail! While simmering, start to lightly steam your vegetables. Starting with the heartier root vegetables, sweet potato, and then moving on to those veges that take near no time at all, like the humble little zucchini. Shave the corn kernels off the cob using a sharp knife and mix all vegetables together. Once the quinoa has plumped and is ready, add it to your veges and mix thoroughly to evenly spread the love. Season with sea salt, pepper and nutritional yeast for additional taste explosion!

Blessings and a heavy heart from my impending quinoa ban x

*If you want to find out more about Quinoa intolerance and its symptoms - click here to have a read of this helpful Livestrong article that I came across during my panic-driven search saga. 

FEED ME MONDAY - Whoops it's Late Edition

Another Monday, another recipe post. Can I get a wha’ what? I hope everyone had an enjoyable, food and love filled, weekend. I had the most incredible time and got a year’s worth of beautiful bubby cuddles.

Over the weekend, and first noted on Friday, I started feeling a bit spacey and faint. Every now and again I would have an ‘out of body’ sort of sensation, Initially I just thought it was fatigue or overwhelm, after a pretty big week at the clinic. But last night I fast came to realise that it was in fact the beginning of a cold/flu. So I am spending today in bed, determined to get well again asap.

Basic (in ease of preparation, not flavour) Baked Beans

1 Tbspn olive oil

1 onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 Tbspn Dijon mustard

1 tspn Oregano (dried)

2 tspn Cumin

1 Tbspn coconut palm sugar

1 Tbspn tomato paste

700g basic tomato sauce (or 2 x canned tomatoes)

2 x tinned Butter/Cannelini/Mixed beans or Chickpeas

Kale or Rocket to serve

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add oil to pan, med to high heat, and add onion once heated. Stir until onion becomes softened and transluscent. Add garlic, mustard, tomato paste, spices, sugar, tomato sauce and beans. Stir until all combined and reduce heat to low. Simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes. Serve with rye toast and dish beans atop steamed kale or fresh rocket. Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy this delectable midweek meal from our humble Dunsborough kitchen!

Blessings, beans and inevitable ‘tummy toots’ (dang beans!) x

FEED ME MONDAY - Tempeh and Mushroom Bolognese

I have been the busiest of all the busy little chickens trying to tie up a few projects and loose ends this week - as well as balancing study, clients and new exciting projects/ventures. So I apologise profusely for the delay in this post but do not despair for I'm-a feed you a delectable dish this Monday!

Last week, caught up in the lure of feeling like I was on school holidays despite the giant pile of work on my desk, I treated myself and dined at Samudra. A lot. Pouring over menu choices was easy, but deciding what to first devour was tricky. They have just launched their new Spring menu which meant farewelling my favourite ever raw pizza dish and hello-ing an incredible new cast of organic eats. Something on the menu jumped out at me, but not because my rumbly wanted to devour it asap, but instead it leapt off the page as a potential culinary challenge and something for me to recreate at home. Tempeh bolognese. Holy tolitoes - I was excited. I also had a sample pack of black bean spaghetti from my birthday delivery of a notox box - synchronous and well timed universal message to get in that kitchen and whip up a feast? Shyyyeah.

Tempeh and Mushroom Bolognese

Adapted from recipe at PCCnaturalmarkets.com

1 packet organic tempeh

1 Tbspn organic coconut oil

1 medium brown onion

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tspn oregano

2 tspns basil

2 tspns thyme

275g mushrooms (chopped into 2cm cubes)

1/2 cup red wine

1 tin organic chopped tomatoes

1 Tbspn organic coconut palm sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

First up, process the tempeh by adding it in large chunks to the food processor and pulsing 5-6 times. In a pot on medium heat, combine oil and tempeh and saute for approx 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, herbs and mushrooms and saute for a futher 5 minutes. Add red wine and simmer, allowing the red wine to be absorbed. Then add the tomatoes and sugar, stirring and combining, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes on low-medium heat, covered. Season to taste and optional addition of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavoursome addition is also encouraged here! Serve with your choice of pasta (we used black bean but next will be trying it with zucchini noodles!). Enjoy!

Happy Monday my beautiful friends.

Blessings, bolognese covered smiles and big sloppy kisses x

FEED ME MONDAY - The 'Shine Bright Like a Kale Salad' Edition

Now don’t fall over in absolute shock and horror – but yes, it’s FINALLY a Feed Me Monday post for you. I apologise and will continue to do so until I am blue in the face that I haven’t been so diligent, with this segment if the blog in particular, in getting posts up and out to you. But it has always been my rule that I would never write if I felt I was ‘forcing it’ to come. I write because I feel inspired to share or create or document or learn – and when I’m not feeling it, it just cannot be forced. Chu’ know man?

Last night I looked down the barrel of my weekend of food related indiscretions (nothing terrible by any stretch, but luckily my body lets me know when it has had enough and a few sneaky chips here and there, alongside nibbles and a busy weekend overall makes for an irritated tummy and a body yearning some hearty nutrition).  So I wanted to create the biggest bowl o’ goodness that I could come up with, using only ingredients found in my fridge so it didn’t mean venturing out in my daggy ‘round the house’ pants o’ course! And so this dish was born – boasting a total of 4 au naturelle colours and therefore a shittonne of vital nutrients (“count colours and not calories”) this dish was the perfect end to a blissful Sunday. And o’ so easy to prepare. If having a plate of veges for dinner isn’t your thing just yet, you can serve this baby as a side salad alongside some grilled fish, chicken or meat of choice. Just make wise decisions when purchasing your meat and exercise caution – conventional meats are often bathed in chemicals, preservatives, hormones and even sometimes ‘bleached’ to create a more appealing aesthetic.

Power Plants (with a hint-a-pink)

Kale bunch (washed and roughly cut)

½ small sweet potato (skin thoroughly washed and cut into large chunks)

Small zucchini (skin thoroughly washed and cut into large chunks)

½ corn cob

Beetroot Dip/Dressing

410g tinned beetroot (drained) (READ YOUR LABELS WHEN BUYING TINNED, avoid those with added sugar or preservatives/additives in the ingredient list)

½ cup greek yoghurt

1 tspn cumin

1 tspn dried coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing/dip – simply pop all ingredients into a food processor and turn that sucker on until your ingredients and combined into an incredible pink concoction of flavour. Steam all veges starting from those taking the longest to the least (sweet potato, corn, zucchini and finally kale) and arrange beautifully onto the plate. Drizzle with the beetroot mix and then eat that son of a gun. Nom nom nom.

How our food is prepared is SO important, almost equally as important as the type of foods we are eating.  As is how you eat it. You can prepare an incredibly nutrient dense salad, but eat it at Ussain Bolt speed and mindlessly as you dash between meetings or appointments, and all of that energy and high vibration quality of the food absolutely goes to waste in your stressed and busy butt. But if you lovingly prepare and arrange your food, sit down and mindfully savour every bite, the process of eating is firstly more enjoyable and you’re also maintaining the loving energy and high vibration, nutrient rich qualities of the food. Maybe a bit fru fru for you but you know the old saying ‘you are what you eat’, well I’d rather be a vivacious, high energy chickita than a no thanks giving fast food eater. Start to make little changes in your life that will benefit you and your health, there truly is nothing more important than our health and happiness guys.

Love, blessings and a pink stained kitchen bench x

FEED ME THURSDAY - The "just like Baba's" Edition.

David's Baba, his grandmother, makes a frikkin mean fish soup. She makes it from scratch, simmering it for hours on her little stove and then having her cute little face light up when her blow in granddaughter (me) devours bowl after bowl of it. Dave and I have, unsuccessfully, attempted this incredible family recipe to no avail. We suck. It turns out either too stocky; too starchy or too dang fishy.

So with a fail-safe plan in which I can blame all erroneous kitchen activities on the Thermomix - I decided to give it another go. Dinner was all on me and I decided I would serve up a nostalgic bowl o' piping hot fish soup for my love and I. I used a recipe that I found on the official thermomix forum (which, by the way, is teeeeeming with information, recipes and support) and it could not have been simpler. Really. Approx 5 mins prep time (getting the vegetables and ingredients out of the fridge and pantry and organising them on the bench top...) and approx 25 mins cooking time. Oh hot dang. 

Fish and Risoni Soup - Thermie Styles

3 cloves garlic

1 large leek

2 carrots

20g olive oil

350g (1.5Cups) fish stock

1 Tbspn tomato paste

350g water

400g chopped tomatoes (I used fresh)

160g risoni pasta

600g barramundi fillets (cut into chunks)

1.5Cups parsley and/or coriander to serve

1. Chop garlic for 3 seconds on speed 7

2. Chop leek and carrot for approx 10 seconds on speed 7 (I think this could have been less if you wanted to maintain a 'chunkier' mixture

3. Scrape down the sides using TM spatula and add oil. Saute at 100 degrees, for 3 minutes on speed 1.5

4. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and water and cook at 100 degrees, 10 minutes on speed 1.5

5. Add risoni and cook at 100 degrees, 10 minutes on speed 1.5 in REVERSE setting.

6. Add fish and cook at 100 degrees, 8 minutes (recipe calls for 3 minutes but that was a sashimi-like fail...) on speed 1 in REVERSE setting.

7. Garnish and stir through fresh herbs to serve. David sopped up his soup with fresh bread and loved it - so crusty bread is a favoured option for that little Croat.

Blessings from my partly Croatian inspired mid week dinner x

MID WEEK BREAK TIME!

Whattup my little homies and homettes? The thermomix is still whirring its little butt off in our kitch but, as I had an intense game of netty to win last night (and yes, we did win, thank you for asking), David was on dinner duty. The boy done good. He made a beautiful authentic 'slow' cooked Indian curry with brown rice and it was amazing! Absolutely delish. But not being as 'click happy' as his other half, he forgot I was documenting everything for the blog and he didn't take any photos! 

So enjoy this midweek break in posts and cruise around the blog scoping out past recipes and I promise you I will give you your fix tomorrow my darlings!

Blessings from my very full and happy tummy x

FEED ME TUESDAY - Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Well the thermie is definitely feeling quite at home with us I believe. It's been whirring and clanging and buzzing ever since it graced our counter top. I was given a few of the official Thermomix recipe books (everyday essentials; vegetarian; seafood; wheat and gluten free and raw) but have also been consulting websites and blogs for more inspired dinner ideas. Last night's dinner came from a website that I'm afraid I didn't jot down so if anyone has any objections to it being featured - please let me know and I'll remove it. I'm fairly certain it was one of those self-submitted recipe pages that people can source a huuuuge pile of recipes from.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup - Thermie Styles

1 onion (quartered)

1 clove garlic

1/2 leek (white part only)

20 grams oil

500 grams water

1 heaped tablespoon stock (I used the vege stock from the essentials recipe book)

1 carrot (roughly chopped)

1 handful pumpkin (roughly chopped)

1 potato (cubed)

1 celery stick (roughly chopped)

1/8 cabbage (roughly chopped)

1 handful brocolli florrets

1 tin lentils

3 free range chicken thighs

1. Put onion, garlic and leek in TM bowl and hit turbo until all ingredients are finely chopped.

2. Scrape down sides, add oil and cook for 2 minutes, 100 degrees on speed 2.

3. Place all veges (except lentils) in TM bowl and hit turbo until desired consistency achieved.

4. Add water, stock, chicken and lentils. Cook for 15minutes on 'reverse', 100 degrees, speed 2.

5. Remove lid and take out chicken, slicing or shredding it, and pop it back in.

6. Cook for a further 3 minutes on 'reverse', 100 degrees and speed 2. 

7. Serve and ENJOY!

Emily's 'Two Cents'

+ Ok so far I am ridiculously impressed with the capabilities and POWER of this baby. It is processing like a boss - and I am oh so very grateful that I haven't had to chop one onion or garlic since it arrived!

+ I babymashed the shit out of this recipe completely unintentionally which altered the presentation and potentially the taste as it all amalgamated to one giant vegetable mash soup. This is obviously an error of my own and not the machine's but still worth noting.

+ It is LOUD son. Obviously it's stirring and chopping and sauteeing and I did not at all expect it to be a whisper quiet appliance but it's loud.

+ It is faster than Ussain Bolt. I had soup on the table in 20 minutes including prep and cooking time. Ridic.

+ It has a 'cult' like following. As soon as I type 'thermomix' and 'recipes' on Google. Oh holy hell am I bombarded with "I LOVE my Thermomix!" and "Changed my life". And I get that, I totally get that.

+ It's made me WANT to cook more. I was always worried that having a machine that could 'do it all' would make the whole cooking process seem so clinical and take the love out of it. But I have found myself wanting to play around with it; making some yummy lunches for David (mashed potato and beef stew thank you very much!) and then having more time to do the other things that I love like taking pup for a walk; watching a movie with David or whatever!

+ So far ... I love it.

Blessings and continued and ever enhancing Thermomix infatuation x

FEED ME MONDAY - The 'Post That Never Ends' Edition

This week is likely going to be a whole lot o' "Feed Me Monday" like posts. 'Why are you all about food this week Emily?', I hear you ask. Well. It is because yesterday afternoon the skies parted, there was joyful music and exultation and jubilation as our humble Dunsborough kitchen was blessed with a THERMOMIX. This little baby is our pride and joy for the next five days or so as I push this little devil of a machine to its limits and spend the week reviewing its ins and outs!

So far - and sans pictures I'm afraid - we have made a vegetable stock (no preservatives and a whole lot o' veges means that Emily is super happy already) and I whipped up a fresh batch of almond butter in no time at all to refresh my sad little supply. I'll be sure to take oodles of photos as I go but for the purpose of today's post, and for my fellow thermies out there, I will post the Almond Butter recipe below.

Au Naturalle Almond Butter - Thermie Styles

250g almonds
4 tspns coconut

Put almonds in TM bowl and process on speed 9 for 1 minute.
Scrape down sides.
Add coconut oil and process on speed 9 for a further 30 seconds.

Blessings and a budding thermomix infatuation x

FEED ME MONDAY - The Warm and Green Edition

Happy Monday e'rrybody! I hope your weekend was filled with as much love, laughter and cuddles as mine was! Filling my house with such beautiful souls left a buzzing, heart warming vibe around the place and now it feels all happy and snuggly. Best.snuggy.fuzzies.ever.

I know how you like your Mondays, short and sweet, so that's how I'll keep it today and jump straight to the feeding part of Feed Me Monday.

It ain't no secret that Winter is just about upon us. Just ask all the scantily dressed young ladies that frequented a festival down south this weekend, come nightfall they were freezing their underage toocus's off! So, being an advocate for food as thy medicine, what is my prescription for beating the winter blues? Belly warming dishes of course! And after everyone disappeared on Sunday morning, so too did my motivation for cooking/cleaning and all other exciting domestic duties that now make up my daily agenda. But come 6pm the tummy was grumbling and I was freezing. I looked in my seemingly empty fridge and came across two broccoli that I had picked up during the week, with a sudden burst of inspiration I set off to make dinner and today's Feed Me recipe - Soup-er Broccoli Soup.

But, before we delve into eating broccoli, I have quick few facts on the incredible benefits of this delectable vege:

+ Rich in calcium and vitamin K for bone growth
+ Oodles of potassium for muscle repair
+ Beta-carotene for immunity
+ High in fibre for improved digestion
+ Contains glucoraphanin, a cancer kickin' compound
+ Boasts plenty of vit C
+ This is literally just to name a few - broccoli is a miracle vegetable. Ka-pow!

Soup-er Broccoli Soup

2 Brocolli (cut into florets and stalks cut into small 1cm pieces)

1.5 - 2 Litres of good quality vegetable stock

2 Tbspns olive oil or coconut oil

1/2 onion (or a whole one if you're an onion lover, I just ain't)

1 clove garlic (finely minced)

Salt, pepper and nutritional yeast to taste

This recipe could not be easier if it tried. Seriously. Heat oil in a large saucepan on med-high heat. Saute onion and garlic til onion becomes translucent and aromatic. Add the stock and broccoli  stirring to mix all ingredients. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Leave on stove until broccoli is cooked through (tender stalk and easily mooshed). Remove from heat and using a stick mix blended or a fancy new blender (if you too were lucky enough to be spoilt with one as a pressie this weekend from your beautiful friends) and blend until soup is deliciously lump free and velvety. Season with salt and pepper (as needed) and top with nutritional yeast or parmeson for a beautiful rich flavour kick to this already amazing dish!

Blessings from my green stained smile and the whirrings of my amazing new blender x

FEED ME MONDAYS - The 'Chili NON Carne' Edition

Found here.

Why oh why is this crazy woman saying 'thank God it's Monday'?! Has she gone completely bonkers? It's Monday, not Friday! The start of another working week; the daily grind; the ole mealticket maker... But I'm here to challenge your preconceived notions of what a 'Monday' is and replace them with all the fabulous things that a Monday can bring you -

+ a fresh start

+ a chance to set your intentions and goals for the week

+ a blank canvas to work upon

+ a new episode of My Kitchen Rules (... seriously)

+ a whole week to plan your active and social lil weekend!

and most importantly Mondays bring you the very best thing of all

+ a new recipe to try out brought to you by yours truly

With David having flown out for a short (but annoying none-the-less) stint of work up north, I was free to play around in the kitchen to my hearts content and be my very own 'rawesome' guinea pig. I have been experimenting more and more with raw dishes. Raw desserts are beautiful, simple and satisfying but there are only so many raw carrot cake balls and cacao brownies you can make before you start to crave a little somethin' more. Raw savoury dishes are where it's at. An abundance of vegetables in their most pure and natural states, bursting with nutrients and enzymes and minerals, alkalinising and detoxifying your body and leaving your tastebuds doing a gyrating happy dance - what's not to love!? 

I love chili con carne. On a baked potato; on rice; with corn chips; on its own... I freakin' love it. BUT I haven't eaten it in probably about 18 months now (mama bear made it best and it's been almost a year and a half since I left the nest!) because as I wise up and have learnt to really read labels and watch out for nasties - I realise that this humble dish isn't really boasting all that many benefits to my body and health. Not necessarily detrimental but there's room for improvement. 

If you're a meat lover and can't stomach the thought of a bowl of chilli without mince - go for it. But look for grass fed, NON factory farmed, lean beef mince (or whatever mince you prefer); swap packet sauces and flavoured packets for the real deal with fresh or canned organic tomatoes, 100% ground chilli powder, fresh onions, fresh or organic tinned beans and a whole lot o' love as you store that pot of goodness!

For my vege loving amigos who are happy to have a midweek dinner sans meat - you are in for a treat my lovers. This dish is vegan, raw and pee-my-pants delicious. Not for the faint hearted as it definitely packs a punch, if you have a sensitive tummy or aren't a chili lover I would advise at least halving the *suggested quantity!

Raw Chili NON Carne

Recipe from This Rawesome Vegan Life

Serves 4

1 cup green lentils, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

4 large carrots, diced

2 cups mushrooms, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons nama shoyu or gluten free soy
2 tablespoons Raw Vegan Coconut Crystals 
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 dates

4 medium ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder*

1 tablespoons coconut crystals
Himalayan salt
1 tomato, diced

In a large bowl, stir together diced carrots, onions, and mushrooms. 

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, nama shoyu, and coconut crystals. 

Pour over carrot mixture and let sit at least an hour to marinate.

To make the chili sauce, in high speed blender, blend sundried tomatoes, olive oil, dates, tomatoes, raw apple cider vinegar chili powder and coconut crystals until smooth.  

Add lentils to veggie mixture, pour chili sauce over veggie/lentil mixture and stir. Add a dash of Himalayan salt to taste and top with diced fresh tomato, if desired. 

World Rocked? YOU.ARE.WELCOME.

Happy Monday my darlings. Grab it by the balls and make it yours! 'Everything you can imagine the universe can deliver'.

Blessings from my Monday and chili loving self x

FEED ME MONDAYS - The 'Shroomin Edition

It turned out to be quite serendipitous that I posted on Friday about 'trusting the process'; having no worries about the outcome and being comforted by the knowledge that the universe (the fabulous diva that she is) has completely got your back. I have a big complex now about making sure I walk the walk. I strive to not be someone who advocates for positivity and self love but instead gets caught up and lives a negative and 'fraudy' lifestyle. 

So you can imagine my anxiety when, after posting this on Friday, I started having a few mini panic attacks over the weekend about ev-er-y-thing. Finances, career, weight, health, family, relationships and anything else you can imagine! I was most certainly not walkin' the walk - I was drunkenly pretending to walk in a straight line but wobbling all o'er the place! These thoughts and worries were lovingly squashed and doused with a big dose of optimism and positivity after chats with one of my dear and darling friends and after a chat with an amazing lady who I was fortunate enough to cross paths with. On Saturday I met a lady who works as an intuitive and reiki therapist - her work includes energy readings and connecting with higher energies to convey and deliver messages. Over the past few months (mayyyybe 6 months) I have become really open and interested in spiritual development and ensuring my life is overflowin' with positive energy and light. So meeting this incredible woman was a complete blessing. She did a card reading for me and I drew a black panthar. This panther represented resolving fear in the unknown and that the panther would lead you fearlessly into the dark. The ultimate message was to not worry about the future and trust that everything is happening in perfect synchronicity with where I am meant to be. 'Does this resonate with you?' she asked. Um, freakin' nail on the head sufficiently and completely hit lady! But the incredibly profound and most touching part of the experience was having her approach me later and having a one on one chat with her. She told me that I have an incredibly positive energy around me and that I should NOT be afraid of anything ahead of me as it is all unfolding exactly as it is meant to and I am perfectly capable of achieving all of my goals and dreams. I felt like she gave me a voucher for a 'fail free existence' and basically a big ole bag of tokens that I can cash in to ensure that I live carefree, successfully and without anxiety. What an absolute BLESSING.

It was also serendipitous that I posted about 'trusting your experiences' as, despite all my efforts and planning to ensure I had meals organised for the week - come Friday night I suddenly realised that I was out of vital ingredients for my planned mushroom soup. What theeee devil to do? I winged it - i winged it good. And what came from this likely culinary disaster? A tasteless soup? A boring bowl of mushies and water? Berm bermmm. Out of this 'mistake' was born a freakin' incredible dish. A beautiful soup that packed so much flavour and love and creativity that I melted a little when I ate it. And, nothing would please me more, than sharing this recipe with you and having it remind you that - what seems like a 'failure' or 'mistake' or 'flaw' is provides the perfect environment for something incredible to come about.

Thick Mushroom Soup

This recipe was adapted from 101Cookbooks

500g mixed mushrooms (enoki, oyster and portabello) + 500g field or button mushrooms chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 brown onion finely diced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup barley
2 Tbspns sesame oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbspns coconut oil

Heat the coconut oil over med-high stove top and add mushrooms. Stir occasionally and wait for the beautiful mushies to release some of their liquid and become browned and aromatic. Set aside in separate bowl. Heat up another dash of coconut oil and add onion, sautéing them for a few minutes until onion becomes translucent. Then add your sesame oil and barley. Stir for a minute or so to heat the barley and develop its 'nutty' flavour. Then add your vege stock and pop on the lid. Turn the heat down to a low/simmer and allow the barley to slowly cook and take it the beautiful flavours. After approximately 25minutes - check on the soup and do a taster. Season with salt/pepper and add additional sesame oil if need be. To maximise your experience and enjoyment of this dish - pop on your ugg boots, grab a good book and snuggle up on an old rocking chair whilst treating your body to this clean and fabulous soup!

Blessings from my mushroom lovin' tummy x

FEED ME MONDAY - So Fresh and so Clean Edition

After a weekend of frivolities, food and friendly socialising I know just what your body needs, what your body is cravin'. And that, my darling little foodies, is a raw delight. An alkalising dish that will invigorate your cells and leave your tummy satisfied, not grumbly or bloated. 

This dish came about on a night when motivation and energy was low but my cravings for crazy nutritious food were high. I looked in the pantry and saw rice paper. I looked in the fridge and saw an array of vegetables, every colour of the rainbow, boasting live enzymes and poppin' full o' nutrients. And ... wollah! A raw dish was born. 

Raw Rice Paper Rolls with marinated tofu and vege sticks.

Marinated Tofu

300g firm tofu

5 Tbspn soy sauce or tamari

5 Tbspn sesame oil

2 Tbspn rice wine vinegar

1 clove garlic (finely diced)

1/2 chilli (finely diced)

1/2 tspn minced ginger 

Mix all marinade ingredients together. Cut tofu into 1- 1.5cm wide strips and lay in flat dish. Cover with marinade, cover with glad wrap and set in fridge for an hour.

Vege filling

1/2 cucumber

1 carrot

1/2 capsicum

Fresh coriander

Fresh rocket

Wash, peel and prep carrot, cucumber and capsicum into long, thin strips. Wash coriander and rocket and put aside.

Rice Paper 

To use soak each piece in warm water for approximately 10seconds, remove and lay on a plate. After about 2 minutes, the rice paper should be completely softened and ready to fill! Start by layering a bed of rocket, a strip of tofu and all the vege pieces scattered beautifully atop the glorious mound of heavenly produce. Finish with some fresh coriander. Now for the fun and always very awkward part of rolling these babies up! This recipe makes about 8-9 rolls and feel free to eat until your heart and tummy's are content! I had three rolls for dins and was left absolutely satisfied and it sat so amazingly in my tummy. 

I hope you love and enjoy this dish as much as I loved inventing (and ingesting) it!

Blessings from my phallically shaped dinner creation x

FEED ME MONDAY - L'edizione Italiana

Buongiorno mi amici and welcome to little Italy! I'm taking you on a magic gondola ride and feeding you a delicious, healthy, nutritious and satisfying dish that settles your pasta cravings and ensures your cells are given a variety of alkalinising and oxygen carrying nutrients.

Benefits and Nutritional Properties of this Dish
+ Zucchinis help to - lower choesterol; fight/prevent against cancer; boost a healthy prostate; reduce inflammation; fight/prevent against heart attack/stroke; lower blood pressure; high in manganese (helps to metabolise protein and carbohydrates)
+ Rocket - cancer prevention; high in antioxidants; high in vitamins C, A and k; boosts eye health; rich in minerals calcium, iron. manganese, phosphorus and potassium; promotes bone health and aids weight loss
+ Spinach - fights/prevents cancer; anti-inflammatory; loads of anti-oxidants; lowers blood pressure; improves vision; boosts immunity; high in vitamin A; promotes strong, healthy bones; assists in calcification; promotes a healthy brain and nervous system
+ Walnuts - lowers blood pressure; lowers cholesterol; fights/prevents cancer; boosts brain health and function; good digestion; promotes healthy hair; encourages better sleep; strengthens bones; assists in weight management
+ Basil - boasts cardiovascular benefits; fights/prevents cancer; promotes healthy skin and hair; reduces symptoms of joint inflammation and/or arthritis; promotes digestive tract health; anti-bacterial properties;  assists healthy immune function

Guilt free second helpings? Hells yeaaaaah!

Zucchini Pasta with Walnut Pesto

Serves 2

Pasta
2 zucchinis

Pesto
1/2 cup spinach
1 cup rocket
1/4 cup basil
1/3 cup walnuts
1 clove garlic
2 Tbspns lemon juice
1/4 tspn sea salt
3 Tbspns cold pressed olive oil

Wash zucchinis thoroughly and chop the top/tail off. Simply create 'pasta like' strands with the zucchinis by either cutting thin, julienne strips; using a spiraliser; or using fancy food processor blades (like I was fortunate enough to have come across!). Set aside in two separate bowls - pasta component is ready people!
Combine all ingredients for pesto into a high speed food processor and 'hey pesto' it's ready to go! (Hehe see what I did there?). 
Top each bowl of pasta with a serve of pesto, season with salt/pepper and top with cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for my vegan peeps!) and/or any of your favourite raw toppings that you so desire. Go crazy! Get wild! Experiment! Relish in health and enjoy!

Blessings from my much loved and most overused kitchen tool - the buzzzzzing food processor x

FEED ME MONDAYS - The Basic Meal Edition

'Ello 'ello!

And so begins another week. These Mondays seem to come around so fast don't they? I've been busy fighting a bloody cold over the weekend but it seems I am winning (yes!) so glad to see the tail end of a very sore throat, sniffly nose and night sweats!

Mondays are short and sharp. You guys are busy, hungry people so I try my best to cut to the chase. I can hear you shouting 'just give us the recipe!' all the way from my little velvet chair in the South West!

So I wish you all a wonderful day filled with productivity, healthy food, a good dose of sweatin', kind words and lots o' cuddles and will jump straight to today's recipe.

It's a quick, simple, flavoursome and healthy dinner that is probably one that I treat myself to every couple of weeks when I'm ridin' solo and preparing meals for one. I really should not label this dish as a 'recipe' - I'm merely sharing a dinner option with you guys but its honestly one of the easiest and quickest things to prepare! It's my crispy skinned salmon and big ol' dose of veges dinner!

Crispy Skinned Salmon and Veges

Perfect for date nights for all my single ladies and fellas out there. Yes - it's a solo dish!

1 piece salmon (150-200g)

Peanut or coconut oil (coconut oil has a higher smoke point so can be heated fairly high without becoming rancid and carcinogenic - it also gives the salmon a lovely flavour!)

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 170 celsius and pop a piece on an oven proof pan. Get yo' salmon and rub a little oil (not much as it's already a fairly oily fish) over both sides of the fillet. Grind a little salt and pepper and rub into the skin. Cook for 3minutes each side on med-high heat in a small fry pan. Remove from pan and transfer to the oven pan. To ensure a crispy skin - place skin side up or on it's side. Bake for approximately 10minutes and add to the side of your big ol' salad or plate of veges and prepare for an omega 3 HIT!

I use the kale salad from the first ever 'Feed Me Mondays' post here and have since adapted this dish by taking out the feta, substituting kale for silverbeet from time to time and adding a sprinkle of chia seeds or 4-5 walnuts to the veges. Nom Nom Nom.

Blessings from my romantic dinner for one x

FEED ME MONDAY - The Kale Edition.

* NOTE - I am having a wee bit of trouble with the formatting of these posts (techno tragics represent!). My main aim is to get the content to you - please hold tight and I will figure all this techy shiz out along the way! 

Ok – so the aim is to schedule my posts in a beautifully predictable order – it will adopt a sort-of weekly schedule so that you can tailor your visits to the blog based on your interests! Mondays are ‘Feed Me Mondays’ – where I will post num nummy recipes that I’m loving sick. So if food isn’t your bag (you crazy person) silently say ‘I don’t want none of your hippy food woman’ and hold out your visit until a Tuesday or Wednesday!

Food most certainly IS my bag. I’m not a super chic foodie who can describe in detail the difference between camembert and brie (does one have a skin?) but I am a girl who loves to cook and eat healthy, nutrient dense, good fo’ my body food.

My recent dish of choice, and weekly staple, is my Kale ‘salad’. Invented on a random night in, with no plans for dinner but a big ole pile of kale in the fridge, this spontaneous creation has gotten me through manyyyy nights where a long night in the kitchen was just not alluring.

You are welcome - eat and enjoy!

Blessings from my messy kitchen x

_______________________________________________________________

Emily’s “Get In My Belly” Kale Salad.

Serves 2 with yummy leftovers for next day lunch!

1 bunch curly kale (washed thoroughly prior to consumption – dirt hides in those beautiful curly leaves!)

1-2 beetroots (boiled and chopped – discussed below)

1 small-medium sweet potato (peeled and cubed)

50g greek feta

1 Tbspn flaxseed oil

Small handful of pepitas and sunflower seeds

1.    Place beetroots in saucepan of boiling water – ensure that these are fully emerged. Cook for approximately 20-30minutes – check with a fork and the beets should be soft enough for the fork to go through relatively effortlessly but not falling to bits! Remove from heat and drain. Once cool – use a paper towel to gently rub the skin off from the beets. Gloriously glossy red beets remain.

2.    Steam the sweet potato – again checking with your fork but generally takes approximately 5-10minutes. Remove from heat and put to the side.

3.    Now for the kale. Add washed and chopped curly kale to the steamer and watch the colour POP! It should only take a minute or two and its recommended you taste test as you go – yum! Kale should wilt and become a vibrant, deep green.

4.    In a serving bowl – tong out some kale, cubed beetroot and sweet potato. Add some roughly chopped feta and your pumpkin/sunflower seeds. Drizzle ½-1tbsp of flaxseed oil over entire salad. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

5.    EAT AND SMILE! This salad does your body a hellova lot of good and it’s a delicious midweek meal.