Posts by Nice Asana Wellbeing

The Zinger

The Zinger

Posted on by Nice Asana Wellbeing

The Zinger

Full of potent antioxidants like vitamin C and beta-carotene this flu-fighting machine is great to take at the first indication of illness to boost the immune system. The inclusion of ginger (zingiber officinale) aids antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, reducing severity and duration of that bugger of a cold! Ginger is also great for relieving any nausea associated with flu symptoms, while the lime helps to encourage elimination of toxins. Sold!

Serves 1

NOTE: You will need a juicer to make this recipe.

  • 1 apple, roughly chopped
  • 1 orange, peeled
  • 2 medium sized carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 lime, peeled. Reserve a few slivers of rind for serving if desired.
  • 2.5cm cube of fresh ginger, peeled
  • Ice to serve – optional

Preparation:

Juice the apple, orange, carrots, lime and ginger together. Serve over ice and garnish with a few strips of lime rind. I find this helps me pretend I am on a beach drinking cocktails, rather snuggled on the couch with the sniffles!

The Zinger

Photography by Yasemin Erdodu

 

 

 

 

Best Ever Pear Crumble

Best Ever Pear Crumble

Posted on by Nice Asana Wellbeing

Best Ever Pear Crumble

You will not only be satisfying a sweet tooth with this dessert but actually helping to support the health of your gastrointestinal tract. Both pears and dates are incredibly high sources of soluble and insoluble fibre, which helps add bulk and moisture to waste, allowing smooth movement through the digestive system. Okay, perhaps that won’t be your main selling point to the guests at your next dinner party but it doesn’t make it any less yummy, warming and comforting. Perfecto for a winters night!

Serves 8

Filling:

  • 700 gms pears – not peeled, sliced into wedges and cores removed. Approximately 6 medium pears
  • ½ cup (4-5) medjool dates, chopped
  • 2 Tbls raw honey
  • 1 vanilla pod, halved and scraped (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 small lemon, reserve juice and rind

Crumble:

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup spelt flour (or similar alternative flour)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbls coconut, rapadura or brown sugar
  • a pinch sea salt
  • 3 Tbls unsalted butter, softened and diced

 

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. You will need a 22cm (9 inch) pie dish.

2. In a medium saucepan combine all filling ingredients and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the pears start to soften (this will vary depending on how ripe they are to begin with). They should have a little give but not be mushy as they will cook again in the oven. Remove vanilla bean. Pour the filling into the pie dish and set aside as you prepare the crumble.

3. In a medium sized bowl combine oats, walnuts, flour, cinnamon, sugar and salt and stir to combine. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture comes together into different sized balls. This doesn’t need to be perfect, anyway rustic is totes in!

4. Sprinkle the topping over the pear mixture and bake for 45 minutes. Let it rest for a 5 minutes before serving.

To serve: Serve with any of your favourites like ice cream or cream. Or try a dollop of crème fraiche or Greek yogurt, my fave!


Pear Crumble

Photography by Yasemin Erdodu

Red Lentil & Pumpkin Soup

Red Lentil & Pumpkin Soup

Posted on by Nice Asana Wellbeing

Red Lentil & Pumpkin Soup

Snuggle up with this winter warmer! Lentils are no longer just a great protein source for vegetarians! They are low in calories and high in nutrients which benefit heart health, stabilize blood sugar, balance cholesterol and aid digestive health. While the pumpkin is packed full of vitamin A to assist vision, especially in dim light. This is what gives pumpkin (and carrots) their orange colour and why your mumma told you to eat your carrots so you can see in the dark!

Serves 4

  • 1 Tbls olive oil
  • 1 red chilli, remove seeds if you wish to reduce the heat
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 500g butternut pumpkin, roughly chopped into 2cm cubes
  • 350g sweet potato, roughly chopped into 2cm cubes
  • 125g (1/2 cup) red lentils
  • 1.5 liters vegetable stock (or water)
  • 1 Tbls tahini
  • 50g cashew nuts
  • Salt and pepper to season

To serve: Extra cashews, greek yogurt (or coconut cream for vegans) and olive oil to garnish.

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the chilli and onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until onion turns translucent. Add the coriander seeds and turmeric and toast for a further minute or until fragrant.

2. Reduce the heat to low, add the pumpkin, sweet potato and lentils and toast for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the stock, increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

4. Stir through the tahini. Process the soup in batches in a blender or with a hand blender, until smooth. Add the cashews, return to heat and cook for a further 10 minutes.

To serve: Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with a few crushed cashews, greek yogurt and olive oil.

 

Pumpkin Soup

Photography by Yasemin Erdodu

Raw Lavender and Blueberry Bliss Cake

Raw Lavender and Blueberry Bliss Cake

Posted on by Nice Asana Wellbeing

Raw Lavender and Blueberry Bliss Cake

It might sound kooky to add lavender to your food but it’s actually a relative to the beloved and fragrant rosemary. In herbal medicine lavender is used as a gentle anxiolytic, antidepressant and even helps to relieve insomnia.

 

Serves 12

NOTE: This recipe requires overnight soaking of nuts in preparation.

You will need: A 20cm cake tin with removable base and a food processor.

Base:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup desiccated/shredded coconut
  • 6 medjool dates, roughly chopped
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 heaped Tbls coconut oil

 

Filling:

  • 1½ cups cashews, soaked overnight
  • 1½ cups shredded coconut, soaked overnight
  • 1/2 cup nut milk
  • ½ cup raw honey
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1- 1 ½ Tbls organic dried lavender (I just pick my from the garden…of the local church. Ma bad)!
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 Tbls psyllium husk -this is the binder of the cake and therefore very important.
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
  • ¼ cup water

To serve: Extra blueberries, coconut shavings and lavender flowers – Optional

 

Preparation

Base:

1. Line the cake tin with baking paper. Trust me, this will make your life A LOT easier later on!

2. Process all base ingredients together until evenly combined. Firmly press the mix into the base of your cake tin and set aside to prepare the filling.

Filling:

3. In the food processor add the cashews, coconut meat, milk, honey, coconut oil, lavender, salt, vanilla essence and psyllium husk and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

4. In the food processor, blend the blueberries and water and stir through the rest of the filling. Pour the filling over the prepared base of the cake and set in the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours.

5. When you are ready to serve, remove from the freezer to soften a little before cutting and remove from tin. If you are feeling a little fancy you can decorate your cake with fresh blueberries, coconut shavings and lavender flowers. Serve alone or with a dollop of cream or a drizzle of coconut cream.

 

Raw Cake

Photography by Yasemin Erdodu

Salmon with Vegie Wedges

Salmon with Vegie Wedges

Posted on by Nice Asana Wellbeing

Salmon with Vegie Wedges

Salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids and is readily available for the body to absorb, benefiting heart health and regulating cholesterol levels. Furthermore it’s packed with DHA to assist learning and behavior. Hey, they don’t call it ‘brain food’ for nothing!

Serves 4

For chips:

  • 1 medium sweet potato, washed and cut into fat chips, approximately 2cm thick
  • 3 medium starchy potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbls olive oil
  • Generous pinch of salt
  • Pepper to taste

For fish:

  • 4 x 200gm fillets of fresh salmon, skin on
  • 1 tsp Sumac
  • Salt
  • 1 Tbls olive oil

Dill dipping sauce:

  • 1 Tbls dill, finely chopped
  • ¾ cup of Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbls lemon juice, approximately half a lemon
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preparation

Chips

  1. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius and prepare an oven tray with baking paper.
  2. Combine chopped potato, sweet potato, paprika, oil, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Give it a good shake to coat and pour onto the prepared tray. Bake until golden, approximately 35-40 minutes, turning half way. *

*Tip – If you want super crispy wedges that are light and fluffy on the inside place a small oven proof bowel of ice into the oven with the chips. The steam helps to create the perfect chip!

Fish

  1. While the chips are baking, prepare the fish by rubbing the salt and sumac generously onto the skin.
  2. Add the oil to a medium-hot pan and cook skin side down for the majority of cooking time, approximately 4-5 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 3-4 minutes. You still want it a little pink in the center as this will ensure it is tender and juicy. Set aside to rest for a few minutes while you prepare the dill sauce.

Dill sauce

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

To serve

Evenly dish up the chips and salmon fillets between 4 plates and drizzle with a little dill sauce or simply add a dollop on the side for dipping.

Photography by Yasemin Erdodu