All posts by holisticwellnessforlife

Holistic Nutrition and Wellness Coach with a focus on food as medicine and life balance. My website is a reflection of the health journey l have been on and the importance that l place on achieving wellness in life. I am a Primal Blueprint Certified Expert and have a special interest in Paleo Nutrition and Primal Living. A clean eating diet and lifestyle where your health is at the centre of everyday decisions. I am sharing this passion and journey with like minded people who are empowering themselves with knowledge and challenging the traditional medical system and health model and who desire to contribute whole heartedly to their own wellbeing.

No shell tacos

A colourful dinner of tasty spicy mince on a bed of home made coleslaw and shredded lettuce. Simply delicious. 

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Method:

Making the coleslaw:

You will need some raw cabbage, carrots, capsicum, cold pressed olive oil, organic apple cider vinegar and sea salt.

Slice the cabbage finely with a knife or in the food processor. I like to use 1/4 of a small cabbage and then you add about 3 medium carrots which have been grated. Add a finely diced capsicum and use any colour variety that you like. I try to use the red or yellow ones just because they taste nice being eaten raw. Add in a good splash of olive oil, a bit less of apple cider vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. Give it all a good mix and taste. Adjust the seasoning as desired then cover and refrigerate. You can also add in some finely diced green ends of spring onions. This will add some extra flavour. You can just sprinkle these on top for a decoration. A dash of lemon juice can also add a zesty flavour.

Making the mince:

1kg of grass fed beef mince, olive oil, onion, sea salt, cumin and tamari sauce.

Place the olive oil in a pan and brown the mince. Add the diced onion (to taste) and then a sprinkle of salt, cumin and tamari sauce. You will add as much of these spices to suit. I like the recipe quite mild so use about 1/4 of a teaspoon of cumin. You could also add some tomato paste and garlic depending on your needs and likes. If you have some bone broth or stock add that in and put the lid on. Stir regularly until it looks really golden and delicious.

Serve on a bed of sliced lettuce, topped with the coleslaw and then the meet. You can have some roasted veggies on the side such as potato wedges.

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This will be a family favourite, is quick to prepare and not too expensive. Lay everything out on the middle of the table and the family can help themselves. This encourages exploration and discussion.

Enjoy. Best wishes

Carolyn

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Market fresh baked tuna

Fresh tuna gently pan fried and baked in the oven. A light meat that can be teamed with a salad or vegetables with the key to the flavour and texture being in the cooking. It is  different to the canned tuna and has a flavour quite similar to chicken. Most of my family don’t normally eat fish but they do love this home cooked tuna that is bought fresh from the local wholesale markets. 

Ensure you purchase a lovely fresh piece of tuna. This piece will serve 3 or 4 people depending on serving size. I like to serving size small and fill the rest of the plate with baked vegetables and fresh salad.

Place your washed tuna into a hot pan that has a drizzle of olive oil in it. Sprinkle the top of the tuna with sea salt and black pepper. Let the tuna sizzle for just a couple of minutes and then turn over and cook the second side for the same amount of time.

Now place the tuna into an oven dish and cook uncovered in a 180 degree celsius oven for 10 to 15 minutes. It will depend on the oven you have and once you have cooked the tuna for the first time you will know how long to cook it for. Remove the tuna from the oven and place on a lovely serving plate or board. Slice the tuna gently as in the picture above and let it sit for 5 minutes as it just finishes cooking. It should be quite pink in the middle when it is removed from the oven and then when it is rested and ready to be served it will just have a small amount of pink in the centre.

I hope you enjoy this lovely dish. We have it only about once a month and it is a real treat for everyone.

This is a lovely fresh coleslaw that you could serve with the tuna.

These are examples of delicious vegetable dishes that would go nicely with the freshly cooked tuna.

Flavoursome roasted veggies

Roasting vegetables helps to caramelise them and bring out the flavour. Adding herbs, spices, garlic and healthy oils supports the development of colour and texture.

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Use a variety of in season vegetables. I have used sweet potato, pumpkin, kohl rabi, beetroot and cauliflower. Cut all of the veggies into chunks and place in a baking dish with chopped onion, fresh garlic, olive oil, black pepper, sea salt and mixed herbs (dried or fresh). Another option instead of mixed herbs is to use dried herbs such as paprika, cumin and turmeric.

Give the veggies a good mix with a large spoon or spatula so that all the veggies are coated with oil, herbs and spices. I purposefully haven’t put measures for the spices and herbs as everyone has different tastes and experimentation is required to obtain the flavour combination that is perfect for you. Garlic and onion are also optional as some people cannot eat these. A general guide is a couple of cloves of garlic, one onion and a 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper to suit and a good handful of mixed herbs (parsley and chives would be ideal).

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Bake in a 200 degree celsius oven until golden and delicious. Give the veggies a turn over half way through cooking when they are starting to crisp.

Serve on a platter and enjoy!

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Summertime Juice

A refreshing and cooling juice to support your wellbeing.

Ingredients:

Carrots

Celery

Whole lemon or lime

Fresh ginger

Fresh mint

I like to have quite a few carrots in the drink as a base. I use about 5 large ones and several stalks of celery. One whole piece of citrus such as a lemon, a small sliver of ginger to taste and a generous handful of mint. Each person will like these flavours differently so it may take some adjusting to suit you.

Wash all ingredients well. I do not peel the carrots of lemon. Place in the juicer and then mix slightly when juiced. It can be cooled and then enjoyed. Often l will also add bok choy for a variety in the flavour but of course you can add any other vegetable that you enjoy.

Beef Stir fry with Asparagus and Chickory

A hearty and nutritious gluten free stir fry dish. Lots of chopping to prepare the ingredients but worth the wait! Filled with greens, lots of flavour and sesame seeds adding a nice touch. 

Ingredients: Beef Preparation

Clean piece of grass fed beef (Chicken would be ideal as well)

Tamari sauce (dash)

Maple syrup (1 tablespoon)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Tapioca Flour (1 heaped tablespoon)

Method:

Thinly slice the meat and place in a bowl with all ingredients to marinate. Add enough olive oil so it has a wet looking consistency. Mix well and leave in the fridge to marinate. An hour or so would be ideal.

Cooking the stir fry:

Ingredients needed are veggies, tamari sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper, sesame seeds, fresh ginger and garlic.

Use a hot wok to cook the stir fry. The vegetables that you add are infinite in variety but for this stir fry l used fresh chickory, asparagus, green capsicum, spring onion and carrot. I sliced all of the veggies and had them ready to add to the pan.

The starting point is to add the beef mix to a hot wok and gently brown the meat. When browned remove from the pan and place close by as you cook the veggies. Add all the veggies to the wok and continuously stir. When starting to soften add the browned meat, further tamari sauce, sea salt, black pepper, ginger and garlic to taste. I used one clove of garlic and a sliver of fresh ginger and it was perfect. Finish off with a generous addition of sesame seeds. Stir and serve. Delicious!

Fresh chickory. It has a consistency of celery and bok choy. It can be a guessing game for those eating the dish to work out this ingredient.

Tasty meatballs!

A delicious and versatile meatball recipe that can form the basis of many meal options. Have with veggies or salad, mash to top a healthy pizza base or use as a filling for an omelette. #cleaneat #fitfood #glutenfree #homecooking

Ingredients: Meatballs

1kg grass fed beef mince

Tamari sauce (approx one tablespoon)

Tomato paste (one tablespoon)

Flat leaf parsley (Half a cup finely chopped)

Free range or organic eggs (two)

Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)

Ingredients: Sauce

Pasata sauce (one large jar)

Fresh or powdered garlic

Sea salt and black pepper

Oregano or other herbs (fresh or dried)

Method:

Place the meatball ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Roll into small balls. If the mince isn’t really cold then you can place the meatballs back in the fridge for a while to firm up. Gently fry in a fry pan with olive oil. Just lightly brown.

Place the browned meatballs into a baking dish. Add the sauce ingredients and gently toss the meatballs through it.

Bake in a 200 degree oven covered in foil for around 20 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for a further ten minutes until the meatballs are browning, the sauce is sizzling and it is looking delicious.

Serve with your favourite veggies or salad.

 

Roasted pumpkin and greens puree

Are you living the gluten free life and looking for a healthy way to add flavour to your home cooked meals? This sauce is so delicious and easy to make. Consisting of natural and clean ingredients it will enhance your whole food ingredients and nourish you with a food as medicine approach.

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Ingredients:

Fresh pumpkin (I use 1/4 of a softer pumpkin in season so it was really sweet).

Bone broth (Home made is best from grass fed bones. I used a beef one but a chicken base would be ideal as well) (1 cup)

Spring onion green tops (1/4 cup)

1 cup of fresh rocket. This will add a peppery flavour.

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley.

Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Method:

Take the skin off the pumpkin and roast. When it is nice and soft remove from the oven and place into a high speed blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend well & serve.

That is it! The sauce will still be warm from the heat in the pumpkin.

If you have it a second night then gently warm in a saucepan. Please do not microwave any of your food.

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As you can see from the picture above l have lathered this sauce over steamed brussel sprouts. It was magic!

Green tea with lemon and coconut oil

Start your day with a warming tea that is satisfying, calming, alkalising and filling. An all natural drink that will help support your wellbeing, kick start your metabolism for the day and support the detox systems within your body. Not such an unusual flavour combination once you taste it and the inclusion of the coconut oil helps you to feel energised for hours. A great way to care and nourish your body at the start of a busy day. 

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Simple and quick to make on a busy day.

Ingredients:

A good quality green tea of your choice

Filtered Water

A fresh lemon

One teaspoon Organic Coconut Oil

Your favourite Mug

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Simple and natural ingredients

Fill your mug with freshly boiled filtered water. Place the tea bag in and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag and add the juice of a small lemon and the coconut oil.

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Adding the lemon using my favourite kitchen gadget.
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Just a small teaspoon of coconut oil.

Gently stir the coconut oil into the drink.

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The coconut oil will slowly melt.
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Stir the drink gently with a spoon until the oil has melted. Sip slowly and enjoy. Once the drink is 2/3’s gone fill the mug with more hot water and enjoy another cup that will still be fragrant but not quite as strong.

This is a really soothing and lovely drink that will sustain you for many hours so you can enjoy a late breakfast and focus on doing other things when the mornings are so busy. Drink this tea mindfully and think about the goodness that is going into your body and plan the day ahead of you.

Tangy lime and walnut dressing

A zesty dressing to add to your fresh and colourful salads. Quick to make using healthy ingredients. 

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Ingredients:

One small fresh lime (peeled)

A small handful of activated walnuts

Cold pressed olive oil

Organic apple cider vinegar (a dash)

Sea salt and black pepper (a pinch of each)

Method:

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Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and puree. Add enough olive oil so the dressing has quite a liquid consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper as required. If you would like the dressing thinner just add more olive oil. Pour over your salad before serving and mix through.

 

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Add to your salad and mix through.

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Enjoy your lovely fresh salad.

Red Sweet Potato Chips

Crunchy, salty and sweet! Absolutely delicious baked red sweet potato chips. A gorgeous gluten free snack or side dish.

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Red sweet potatoes have a lovely flavour and when the skin is left on there is a lovely crunch and chewiness that adds to the texture.

They can be a bit more expensive than the orange sweet potatoes but if l buy the really large funny shaped ones they are often quite cheap.

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Wash the outside of the potato really well and then slice into chips with a sharp knife. I like to slice them length ways so the chips are really long. Place on a tray line with baking paper and drizzle with olive oil. Top with a generous sprinkle of sea salt. Place in a hot oven (200 degrees celcius) and bake until golden. You can turn them once while cooking if desired. Serve straight away and top with extra salt if desired.

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Enjoy your golden and delicious chips.

Potato and spinach bake

A delightful vegetable based main or side dish with a satisfying flavour. An easy meal option being both gluten and dairy free.2017-04-01 08.42.29

The way l measure my ingredients is somewhat random for a dish like this as the size of the potatoes and dish will vary. It really is up to you when mixing the ingredients to determine exact quantities so please use my ingredient amounts as a guide only.

Ingredients:

8 large free range eggs (beaten)

6 medium potatoes washed well with skin on (l like the red skinned ones)

2 cups of fresh spinach (roughly chopped)

One large onion or two smaller ones (Use half a leek as an alternative)

2 stalks of celery finely chopped

One handful of parsley finely chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Method:

Roughly dice the potatoes into small squares and place into a pan with olive oil and the onion. Cook until the potato is just soft. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and gently mix. Pour into a largish baking dish and smooth out with the back of a spoon or spatula. Top with pumpkin seeds if desired.

Bake in a 180 degree celsius oven until golden.

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Have you had a listen to my podcast? Visit http://www.thewellnessbuzzpodcasst.com.

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Colourful vegetable bake!

A delicious and hearty vegetable bake with layers of colour and flavour. Use your favourite root vegetables to create a meal or side dish that is both gluten and dairy free.

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Ingredients:

A range of root vegetables. I used potato, sweet potato and beetroot but also try parsnip, turnip or carrots as examples.

One large onion

One cup stock

Sea salt and black pepper

Other seasoning to suit your own tastes such as garlic, herbs or spices.

A baking dish. Glass or ceramic is ideal.

Method:

Slice all vegetables into thin slices. You can do this by hand or use a mandolin.

Peel the onion and finely slice.

Place the first layer of vegetables in the baking dish ie potato then sprinkle with some onion and seasoning. Continue with the layering using a different vegetable each time. When the final layer is complete add seasoning and add the stock to the dish.

Place in a 180 degrees celsius oven for 30 minutes with the dish covered with foil. Uncover and continue to bake until the top is a golden and crispy texture.

Use as a side dish or main. Enjoy!

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You can vary the size of this dish depending on the number of vegetables used and the size of the dish.