Speedy Quinoa with roasted cod, fresh tomatoes and capers

When I work long hours and I come home around 8pm, the last thing I want is spending ages cooking dinner so I always try and find the quickest way to prepare a meal that will be both delicious and nutritious.. This recipe was a happy discovery one night when I didn't have much left in the house except for some leftover cooked quinoa (I like to cook a batch of it on Sundays and just add different ingredients during the week for a "take away" lunch), two medium tomatoes, garlic and some capers. Plus, I remembered I had one piece of frozen cod left in the freezer (ideally you want to defreeze it beforehand but I was desperate). 

Here's how I did it: with my coat still on I turned the oven on at 180C . Placed the cod in the tray with a squeeze of lemon, some olive oil, paprika and herbs (but you can use anything you've got, only herbs, only paprika, only lemon...), and put it in the oven with my timer on for 20 minutes.

Quickly undressed and put PJ's on (yes, I know, I'm a sexy beast...) then, with 10 min left on the timer I washed and sliced the tomatoes and popped them with a couple of chopped garlic cloves and a little oil in a pan. Medium heat and just stir them once, add some salt, pepper and about two minutes before the end, add your capers.

Now, cod was ready, fresh tomatoes cooked, all you need to do is assemble! I added the quinoa and cod directly to the pan with the tomatoes and mixed everything on low heat for 1 minute, maybe less because I was really hungry.... DONE.

It was a comforting meal, full of flavour and packed not only with proteins from both quinoa and cod, but also the phytochemical lycopene from the tomatoes (great for cardiovascular health and also skin). Finally, and you have read this before on my blog as I use it a lot, Garlic! Natural antibiotic, contains sulphur and is therefore really helpful for your liver!

All of this goodness in 20 minutes. That's right.

Now you go and do it.x

Immune Boosting Mushrooms

These past few days it's been getting pretty chilly and apparently it will be even worse next week, so I intend to keep my immune system strong by eating as many immune boosting foods as possible. 

Mushrooms are immune boosting thanks to the polysaccharides (sugars) beta glucans they contain and they are also a source of both vitamin D and B.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic and also helps detoxification.

Parsley helps with bone health as it contains vitamin K (it also helps with blood clotting, so should you be on warfarin, do not suddenly start eating more or fewer vitamin k foods. Ask your practitioner for advice.)

This recipe is very quick and I grew up with it. my mom used to make it all the time and I absolutely love it and have it very often especially in winter.

You can have it as a side, or you can add some cooked quinoa and spinach to have a delicious and light main meal.

Here's what you need:

4 Flat mushrooms or a pack of chestnut ones.

2 garlic cloves chopped teeny tiny

a handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley.

2 tbsp extravirgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Just take the mushrooms' stalk out and scoop the gills out too. I quickly clean the outside with a wet paper towel, slice them and they are ready to go. 

Add the garlic to a pan with oil on medium heat, when the garlic starts to brown add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and mix it up. Just let it go for about 5 min mixing every now and then, if at any point they seem to become dry just add a little water. After 5 min add the parsley, stir and leave it for another 2 minutes.

They should now be dark, soft, smell amazing and ready to eat!

xxx

Foodolina

Healing Carrot and Ginger Soup

 It's Christmas time and I'm loving every single minute of it! the colourful lights and decorations around town, Christmas carols at every corner and the smell of mulled wine at the markets...
It's my personal Disneyland.
However, with this much happiness and fun, also comes the cold weather and all those people that keep sneezing and coughing around me on public transports. Not the best thing..
So this is my go to meal every single time I feel I'm coming down with something or feel a little nauseous and just generally run down. So far it has made me feel better ever single time.
Garlic and Onions can help boost immunity, in fact, did you know that garlic has antibiotic, antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties? BOOM! And onions contain quercetin, a compound that works as a anti-histamine and can therefore help in the relief of allergies.
In addition to these two immune powerhouses I also use fresh ginger. I love ginger and it's my first port of call when I feel a cold coming on (hot water, boil fresh ginger slices for 15 min, add lemon and manuka honey). This powerful root can work as digestive aid, painkiller, anti-nausea, anti inflammatory and so much more! Finally I add organic carrots to this soup, they are rich in antioxidant beta-carotene which converts into vitamin A in the body, helpful for immunity, skin,
eye health and more. One more thing, you'll also find turmeric in this recipe, the active compound within is curcumin and it has anti bacterial, anti inflammatory, anti viral and antioxidant properties.

The best thing about this soup is that is crazy easy and quick to prepare,.I always make a big batch and freeze it so I can have a healing lunch at work throughout the week.

Let's get cooking!

INGREDIENTS

1 large garlic clove (crush it and chop it in tiny pieces)
2 medium onions (thinly sliced)
1 thumbsize piece of fresh ginger root peeled and sliced thinly
4/5 large carrots (possibly organic, I used rainbow ones), peeled and thinly chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dried mediterranean herbs
1tbsp extravirgin olive oil
vegetable stock
salt (I use pink Himalayan salt but you can easily use sea salt)
pepper

Pour the oil in the pan and add your ginger, onions and garlic. Leave on a low/medium heat until the onions soften. Add carrots, herbs, spices, salt and pepper and mix it up. Cover with hot vegetable stock and bring to a boil then take it down to a simmer and leave for 25 min.
After that, I like to use my hand blender to make the whole soup really really smooth but you can just leave it like it is if you prefer a chunkier consistency.

Merry Healthy Happy Christmas!

xxx

Foodolina

A creamy smoothie for Ffleur..

I love dedicating recipes to girlfriends I love and who inspire me, it creates a special connection that makes the whole blogging experience much more personal and dear to me.
I met Ffleur through my ex boyfriend turned super best friend Patch. Since i first met her, Flleur has moved back to Wales, met her Prince Charming and together they now have the two most beautiful children I have ever seen. On top of that, she is one of my biggest supporters since i started blogging and that means so much to me. She loves my smoothies so this one is for her.

This is the creamiest smoothie I have ever made and it looks and tastes like a pudding you can have for breakfast which sounds pretty good to me. I have twicked the recipe this morning by adding some extra protein in the form of Tahini (sesame seed paste) and a little antioxidant boost with a sprinkle of cacao nibs (I have been using the fantastic organic Of The Earth Superfoods ones and really like them. They also have really yummy porridges pots to go you should totally try them!). Be aware that cacao nibs are yummy and oh so good for you but they do come from raw cacao, so if you are used to eating milk chocolate, do not expect the same sugary flavour. They are the real deal and can be added to your very homemade trailmix (mmm...new post idea!) or to smoothies and many other recipes.

I believe it's important to add protein to all my meals and snack to help balance my sugar levels and keep my energy going strong  throughout the day and my tummy full and satisfied! Trust me, give it a try.
But enough talk, let's get this recipe down!

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 1 SMOOTHIE JAR)
1 small banana
1/2 frozen banana
1 handful raw almonds
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 full tsp tahini ( I use organic light tahini)
1tsp Organic Burst Maca Powder (at least this the one I use because of its delicious malt like flavour)
1 tsp 1/2 Organic Bee Pollen (make sure you try one grain first to check for possible allergies)
1 vitC capsule (optional)
 vit D3 (optional)
vit B12 (optional)
1 cup Brown Rice Milk (I use Rude Health and love love love all of their products!)
1 tsp cacao nibs

Pop everything in your blender and whizz for a couple of minutes till smooth and creamy...
Pour in your favourite jar and top with bee pollen and cacao nibs!

Have a fantastic Sunday.

Love,

xxx

Foodolina

A Beauty Salad for Lilith..

I met my friend Lilith years ago, when I was offered a role in a short film she was directing.

Over the years, we kept in touch and I have seen her blossom into one of the smartest, strongest, most beautiful and inspiring women I know. Last week she saw a photo of this salad I made for lunch at work and she fell in love with it. So this recipe is dedicated to her.x

It's a very simple and tasty salad, packed with delicious beauty foods that will help you to glow inside out!

-Rocket is a great alkaline choice and helps your liver's detoxifying process.

-Pomegranate contains polyphenols which may help with antioxidant (its juice is a more powerful antioxidant than green tea and red wine!), anti carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects.

-Wild Alaskan Salmon is a good source of protein and (can be swapped for any oily fish of your choice such as mackerel, sardines etc..) Omega 3 Fatty acids with anti inflammatory properties.

-Avocado is a great source of healthy fats and will make your skin, every time I add more avocados into my diet I can see the results on my skin within a week!

-Tahini (sesame paste) is another fabulous and delicious source of protein and it's high in minerals and vitamin E and B.

-Lemon is very alkaline in your body and helps detox

-Orange contains beta caroten to help with vision and immunity, it's a source of vitamin C, contains polyphenols that make it a helpful antioxidant

-Extravirgin Olive Oil : great source of monounsaturated fat, one of the main ingredients in the healthy Mediterranean diet,  best eaten raw (use coconut oil to cook at high heat instead!). Antioxidant source, anti inflammatory.

-Raw, cold pressed honey contains enzymes, antioxidants and has antibacterial properties.

Now that I gave you all these yummy infos let's make this salad!

INGREDIENTS (serves 1 person)

For the salad

1 bag of organic rocket leaves

1 roasted/steamed wild alaskan salmon fillet (click here to see how I cook mine)

seeds of half a pomegranate

Half a large avocado or 1 small avocado in cubes 

For the dressing (original recipe by Naturally Sassy, i just amended it to my taste, looke her up she is truly inspiring)

2 tbsp Light Tahini

Juice of half lemon

Juice of 1/2 orange

1tbsp extravirgin olive oil

1/2 tsp raw honey

I break up my salmon in bits and sprinkle it on rocket leaves, do the same with the rest of  the ingredients.

Grab a small bowl and mix all the ingredients for the dressing, then pour on your salad and mix it up!

You can choose to sprinkle pumpkin seeds to add an extra protein and mineral (such as zinc, great for immunty) boost.

Hope you'll love this recipe as much as I do.x

Leftovers smoothie surprise!

Last week has been a very busy one!

As I knew it was coming, I have managed to prepare my meals in advance and eat really well and healthily all week. No gluten or dairy, plenty of liquids, proteins, good fats and vegetables. then Sunday at uni came.. the night before I didn't manage to get any sleep so I was tired in the morning and craving some starchy food.. Ham and cheese toastie? Sure! Then lunch, all the soups at the cafe were finished and I had to settle for a white falafel wrap.

In a few hours I had managed to pack both gluten and dairy in. 

I wasn't surprised when, half way through the afternoon lecture, I felt sluggish and could barely keep my eyes open but I made it through and that night I also went to the movies and shared popcorn and a coke with a first date..

By 10 pm my energy levels were non existent..

On morning I woke up with my body craving a gigantic glass of water to rehydrate it and a smoothie to nourish it.

 I do love adding bananas to my smoothies as I love the creamy consistency and the potassium boost..Sadly no bananas were available..but I thought there was at least one left? No. Nada. Fine! 

Undefeated, I looked around for leftover yummy and nutritious ingredients I could use.. 

I grabbed some frozen blueberries (TIP: always have frozen fruit in your freezer, easiest thing to pop in your blender and they can often be fresher than fruit in supermarkets, as they are frozen very quickly after they have been picked). I also found a pomegranate I didn't manage to use during the week ( cut pomegranate in half, hold it with the seeds bit laying on top of your palm and spank it with a wooden spoon! Seeds will fall out easily through your fingers and into the blender, while the white bitter bits will stay  in your hands) and used all of its delicious red gems in this smoothie. 

Both blueberries and pomegranate are fantastic beauty foods, packed with antioxidant properties to fight off free radicals in our bodies. pomegranate also contains Ellagic acid which helps fight collagen breakdown and therefore giving it powerful anti aging properties..Blueberries instead, contain phytonutrients such as anthocyanins which are thought to help reduce risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Not too shabby ah?

There was a little peach left as well so I cut it in chunks and popped that in as well, why not?

On top of these delicious fruits I added  some rocket leaves ( remember that bitter leaves help liver detoxification processes) which, I assure you, you will not be able to taste so remember this as a good way to add some powerful vegetables into your diet.

Now it was time to add all my cupboard staples, vitamin c ( antioxidant and helps collagen production), vitamin D3 ( vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium my friends so get out in the sun any chance you get and add that baby into your meals!), I use it instead of vitamin D as studies have found that the D3 form is absorbed better by the body. Now, for all of you out there who are scared of fats, you need fat into your diet!!!Good fats!! example: vitamin D is fat soluble so it means that my body needs to have fat in order to absorb it. Which is why I also added  1tbsp of coconut oil into this wonder smoothie. 

Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid which the body does not store as fat but uses straight away for energy, baby! It tastes insanely good. There's a thousand uses for coconut oil but more about that in a future post. I added 1 tbsp of chia seeds, so small and yet these seeds are packed with proteins, antioxidants, omega3 and fibre. I opened my probiotic capsule and poured the powder in as well to help the good bacteria in my gut. Finally, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp of Organic Burst maca powder, helpful to restore your adrenal glands which are often battered by releasing too many stress hormones, so perfect for me now that I'm back in school. I chose to use almond milk to add even more protein and blended everything together.

1 minute and this beauty powerhouse was ready!

Extra tip: add a 4-6 almonds or your favourite type of nut to increase protein content.

PS: the supplements I added are well tolerated by my body but please do check with your gp or practitioner before taking supplements, especially if you are currently taking drugs for any specific health conditions.

So, to recap:

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

1 cup of blueberries 

1 small peach in chunks

A handful of rocket leaves

1 tbsp coconut oil

1tbsp chia seeds

1tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp maca powder ( optional)

1probiotic capsule( optional)

1vit c capsule ( optional)

1 vit D3 drop ( optional) 

Pop everything in your blender and whizz it up, baby! 

Broken Heart Healing Soup....

This soup was born because recently, a very dear friend of mine had her heart shattered into a million pieces.. So..I invited her and her cutest doggie to my house for the weekend in order to give her some cuddles, a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on but mostly, I wanted to make sure she'd eat some proper yummy and nutritious food that would be good for her tummy, her soul and her mood.

As she was making her way over I decided to ditch all the cookbooks I was browsing through, headed to the farmers market and got the greenest vegetables I could find.. Going for alkaline options is always a good choice when your body and your mind are out of balance..

I made her some baked kale crisps as an appetiser and then this soup as a main. it was very quick to make and she absolutely loved it, so I gave her the leftovers to take to work the following day!

I won't lie, I also got her some raw chocolate ice cream.xxx

INIGREDIENTS

2 courgettes chopped into thin quarters

2 cups of organic spinach

1 1/2 cup of frozen peas

1 big red onion sliced very thin

3/4 cup of quinoa ( make sure you rinse it first!) 

1 tbsp vegetable stock 

Salt and pepper to taste ( I use pink hymalaian salt) 

1tbsp extravirgin olive oil plus a little to add at the end

Put olive oil and onion to a pan and leave on medium heat till the onion has softened. Add courgettes, peas, stock and pour boiling water on it until it reaches half pan. It definitely has to cover the ingredients and a bit more, because towards the end you'll add the spinach.

Leave to to simmer for 5 minutes, then add your rinsed quinoa and leave for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the spinach leaves and leave it for another 2-3 minutes. 

Take it off the heat, pour it in your favourite bowl and add a little swirl of oil on top ( this was my mom's tip, she always told me to add a little olive oil on top of my soups and it really does add a little something!). Get comfy on a couch and enjoy it with your best friend.x