MIXED SALAD with POMEGRANATE and SUMAC DRESSING

An oldie but a goodie: I posted this recipe on November 24th last year, whilst in the middle of a violent Brisbane storm! It's a salad that I go back to time after time. 

Thank goodness for the Brisbane storms, as I had no choice but to hang up my renovators' hat this afternoon and come home and cook. We all have something in our lives that helps us relax, that rejuvenates us and makes us feel like US again. For some people it is sex, for some it is reading, for some it may even be playing Playstation (oh my Chris you fall straight into this category). For me my way to unwind is cooking (and exercise). But when you can’t run or walk outside or drive to your Pilates studio, cooking quickly becomes the best option. I have sorely missed blogging about my daily dishes over the past few months and I will try my hardest to continue with at least a few dishes a week as my life continues to spin in crazy circles. Hope you enjoy this vibrant salad as much as I truly enjoyed creating and eating it. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 2 generous handfuls of mixed 4 leaf lettuce
• 1 large tomato, finely diced
• 1/2 heaped cup red cabbage, roughly shredded
• 1 x 400ml tin of brown lentils, washed & drained
• 1 medium ripe avocado, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 large pomegranate, little jewels removed and insides discarded 
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lime, cut into quarters

Dressing

• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon crushed garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• juice of 1/4 of a lemon 
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons water 
• sea salt 

COOKING / PREPARATION 

1. Combine the lettuce, tomato, cabbage, lentils, avocado and pomegranate in a large bowl and toss well to combine. 

2. To make the dressing combine all ingredients in a small screw-top jar and shake well. Depending on how runny you want your dressing you can chose to add either 1 or 2 tablespoons of water (I used two). 

3. Pour the dressing over the salad, sprinkle the parsley and squeeze lime juice over the vegetables. Toss well. 

Serves / 2 as a main / 4 as a side 

Total Preparation / Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

EM'S FAVOURITE GREEN SMOOTHIE

I love this smoothie and make it most days for myself and Chris. I often use frozen mango (when fresh mango is not in season) however I recently substituted this for pineapple which tastes just as nice. I like buying bananas in bulk, removing their skin and glad -wrapping them individually to use for smoothies, ice cream and other sweet treats. I use Hawaiian Coconut Energy sachets as it contains no sugar, is extremely low in calories and is full of calcium, minerals, potassium and electrotyles. You can buy this coconut water at Premium Pilates Studio or at alohahealth.com.au

Ingredients

• a large handful of washing baby or english spinach 
• 2cm knob of fresh ginger, grated 
• 1 stalk of celery, washed & chopped
• 1 kiwi fruit, skin removed 
• 1 mango, cut into small pieces or a handful of pineapple pieces
• 1 frozen banana
• 250ml no sugar coconut water 

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients into a blender and blend for a minute or until combined. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency. 

Serves / 2 

from the PPS team 

GRATED BEETROOT, EDAMAME & BROCCOLI SALAD

Another grated salad for this week, this time featuring one of my favourite vegetables: Beetroot. I used to think that beetroot was a bit of a bitch to cook, however the health benefits of this root vegetable make its cooking time well worth it. 

Beetroot contains magnesium, iron, potassium, fibre, protein, antioxidants, vitamins A, B6, C and folic acid, among other vitamins and minerals! This purple vegetable plays a part in reducing blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and strokes due to its high content of nitrates, which create a gas called nitric oxide in the blood that increases the size of blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Beetroot also reduces the risk of osteoporosis, as it contains the mineral silica that supports the body to use calcium. This wonderful vegetable is basically fat free, low in calories and has a very low GL index, which means that it transforms into sugars very slowly in the body, hence stabilising blood sugar levels. Beetroot is comprised of soluble fibre, which has been shown to lower cholesterol. Beetroot also contains carotenoids and flavonoids, which prohibit bad cholesterol from accumulating in arteries. And an astounding benefit: a recent study revealed that the immense amount of nitrates in beetroot may be responsible for fighting the advancement of dementia, as one of the functions of nitric oxide in the blood is to increase blood flow to the brain.

So after that considerable list of only a few of beetroot's numerous health benefits, I suggest you get some in you!  

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 medium beetroot, skin peeled and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• al foil
• 1 broccoli head, chopped into even-sized florets & stalk chopped
• 200g edamame, shelled & pods discarded
• 20g coconut flakes, toasted or raw
• 15g sunflower seeds
• 15g pepitas

Tahini Sour Dressing

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 heaped tablespoon tahini
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Wrap each beetroot half in foil and place in a medium deep baking tray with 2-3cm of water and 1 tablespoon olive oil in it. Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the beetroot halves are tender (that is, a knife can easily slide through them). Remove from the oven, remove from foil when cool enough to handle and leave to cool for a few more minutes. Once the beetroot is cool, grate the beetroot using gloves. 

2. Whilst the beetroot is roasting / cooling, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and whisking well. If the tahini is still clumpy after whisking, add a splash or two of water. 

3. Use the beetroot cooking time to shell the edamame from their pods, as well as cutting the broccoli and steaming it; bring a medium half full saucepan of water to the boil and place the broccoli florets and stalks in a sieve or colander on top of the pan. Steam for around 5 minutes, covered, or until the broccoli is just tender but not soggy. Remove from heat. 

4. Place the grated cooked beetroot, cooked broccoli, edamame, coconut, sunflower seeds and pepitas in a large serving bowl and toss to combine. Drizzle the tahini dressing over the top. 

Serves / 4 as a light meal
Total Preparation & Cooking time (as the preparation can be done whilst the cooking is happening) / around 1 hour. 

x Emily 

GLUTEN-FREE PASTA with PUMPKIN, ALMONDS & SPINACH

Not every healthy meal plan allows one to eat pasta, however I believe in moderation. Deprivation of all the foods you love often results in some pretty intense binging. Luckily, Michelle Bridges allows a few pasta recipes throughout her body transformation program. This recipe was kept quite simple to its original, however I used gluten-free pasta as I find it less heavy than regular pasta. No cheese was used in my dish as compared to the original (which allowed for 115g ricotta), which gave way to slightly more pasta per serve for the same calorie amount. Roasted sweet potato would also go wonderfully here in the place of pumpkin. I've made this dish three times in the last few weeks and the only problem I've encountered with it is that you want to eat more than your serve! 

Ingredients

• 300g peeled pumpkin, cut into 1-2cm cubes
• 5g (1 teaspoon) olive /rice bran oil
• 150g gluten-free pasta shells/spirals
• 30g almonds, chopped in half or flaked
• 2 large garlic cloves (10g), peeled & thinly sliced
• 50g baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 210 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Toss the chopped pumpkin with 1/2 of the oil (1/2 teaspoon) and a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper. Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on the prepared tray. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden and soft. 

3. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the pasta is just tender (or al dente (slightly hard) if you prefer). Remove from the stove and drain the cooked pasta under cold running water. Reserve (keep) a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to use in step 5.  

4. Meanwhile, toast the almonds over low heat in a small frying pan for a few minutes until they become fragrant. Shake the pan frequently to allow all almonds to toast evenly. No oil is required. 

5. Once the pasta is cooked, use the same pan to add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil and stir to coat over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until just soft. Add the baby spinach and the reserved pasta water to the pan and cook, stirring, until the spinach is just wilted. 

6. Combine the pumpkin, the pasta, the almonds and the garlic & spinach in a large serving bowl. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top and toss well. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Approx. calories / 515 per serve 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO CHIPS with LIME

I’ve made sweet potato chips numerous times since I first started cooking. The problem is that I usually make way too many and then proceed to eat the equivalent of 4 servings. This recipe serves 2 as a side dish and is approximately 188 calories per serve. These delicious chips accompanied tomorrow’s recipe, Kale & Quinoa Mix up. I’ve never made sweet potato chips with lime rind before, instead opting to use spices such as ground coriander, cumin, chilli, lemon pepper, etc…I was pleasantly surprised by how well the tangy lime flavour complimented the sweetness of the potato. My poor sweet potato chips look a tad deflated, as they were cooked about 4 hours prior to this photo being taken, however I urge you not to judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a side dish by someone’s tardy photography.

Ingredients

• 600g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm-thick chip shapes
• 1 free range eggwhite (33g)
• 1 tablespoon lime rind, finely grated
• pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. In a large bowl, toss the potato, egg white, lime rind and salt & pepper until well combined. 

3. Place the chips in a single layer on the prepared tray. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the chips are golden. 

Serves / 2 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35-40 minutes 

Calories per serve / 188 calories approx. 

x Emily 

95 CALORIE ANZAC BISCUITS (POST ANZAC DAY)

Who doesn’t love a good anzac biscuit? Especially one that you can eat without feeling guilty whilst following a healthy eating plan! These anzac biscuits are super cute and very moreish. Be mindful that they are 95 calories each, so only 1 per day as a treat. 

After giving away all of my Mini Cacao Fudge Treats that I made last week, I decided that it was time for another treat. Michelle Bridges recipe for these biscuits calls for ¼ cup brown sugar, however if you use granulated stevia you save a massive amount of calories overall. I always like to bake with gluten-free flours, however you can use plain flour if it is more accessible to you as it contains the same amount of calories. I added more cinnamon than Michelle, as I love this spice and like to really taste it in desserts. I replaced golden syrup with honey as honey is slightly lighter in calories and I am not a big fan of golden syrup, even though theres a very neglected bottle of it in my pantry that desparetly needs to be used! No doubt I'll be sharing these bad boys around so I can clear my kitchen of sweets and be able to make another treat recipe next week! 

Ingredients

•   1 1/2 cups rolled oats (150g)

•   1/2 cup gluten-free plain flour, plus extra (75g)

•   1/2 cup desiccated coconut (45g)

•   2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (8g)

•   1/4 cup granulated stevia 

•   1/4 cup honey (85g)

•   1/4 cup olive oil / rice bran oil (60g)

•   1 teaspoon bicarb of soda (5g)

Baking  

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon and stevia in a large bowl and stir well. 

3. Pour the honey, oil and 1/4 cup water (60g) into a small saucepan and heat over low-medium heat, stirring until all ingredients are mixed. Stir in the bicarb of soda and once the mixture has foamed, remove from heat. 

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and stir until well combined. To shape the biscuits, make sure your hands are slightly wet (you will need to re-lubricate your hands a few times).   Roll heaped tablespoons of the mixture and place on the prepared tray 2cm apart. Press each ball lightly with a fork covered in flour, just to flatten the biscuits slightly. 

5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on the tray (during this cooling time the biscuits will harden slightly, so do not worry if they are a little soft when you remove the tray from the oven). 

Makes  / 20 

Each biscuit / 95 calories

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Baking time / 10-12 minutes 

x Emily 

MINI CACAO FUDGE TREATS

This treat recipe from Michelle Bridges’s recipe collection (originally from Melissa Ambrosini) I did not need to adapt at all. At 80 calories each, these mini treats seem super indulgent after a day of healthy food. I love that no additional oil is added to these little snacks. I would strongly suggest that you opt for fresh Medjool dates, as they are the king of all dates. These are super addictive so just take ONE out of the fridge at a time and eat SLOWLY. I’m set for my next 30 desserts!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup fresh Medjool dates (235g), pits removed and roughly chopped
• 1 cup walnuts (127g)
• 1/2 cup cacao powder (45g) 

Preparation 

1. Place the dates, walnuts and cacao in a food processor and process for 1 minute or until finely ground. The mixture should look similar to cake crumbs but should be able to easily stick together. 

2. Firmly press the mixture into ice cube moulds, making sure to fill them to the brim. Depending on the size of your moulds, this recipe should make between 20-30 mini treats. 

3. Place in the fridge until ready to eat. 

Makes / 20-30

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes including moulding

Total Calories / 80 

x Emily 

HEALTHY PENANG CHICKEN CURRY

This week Chris & myself embarked on the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Challenge. Whilst we are very health conscious, we recently noticed that our portion sizes have become bigger and bigger during winter. We wanted to get a handle on this quickly! Due to the fact that we own a Pilates studio healthy eating has organically become a part of our lives, however we just felt a need to fine-tune our eating habits. Hence this is the start of several recipes straight from (and adapted) the Michelle Bridges Transformation. To see the whole collection of recipes that I test out over the coming weeks and months you will need to go to soulfulsandwiches.blogspot.com. Premiumpilatesstudio.blogspot.com will feature one weekly recipe and a snapshot of Chris and my improved eating. We hope you follow us on this journey. Remember that weight loss is 10-20% exercise and 80-90% what you eat!!

First up is a Penang Chicken Curry. If you are not a meat eater, substitute the 1500g of chicken for 1150g firm tofu and cook the same way. The recipe calls for 1/3 brown sugar, however I do not think this is a necessity for this curry and by removing this ingredient you save 30 calories a serve (yay!). The name of this curry refers to the island of Penang in Northen Malaysia. Whilst this healthy version tastes creamy and delicious, I am sure the authentic Penang curry tastes quite different! Remember that this recipe feeds six, so divide it into six even serves and refrigerate the remaining serves so that you are not tempted to eat more! 

Ingredients

• 2 heaped tablespoons red curry paste 
• 1500g / 1.5kg free range chicken breast, cut into even strips OR 1150 / 1.150kg firm tofu, cut into even pieces
• 1 x 400g tin light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/3 cup organic peanut butter
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into even-sized florets and stalk chopped
• 200g green beans, trimmed 

Cooking 

1. Heat a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the curry paste to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste is spread across the bottom of the pan. 

2. Add the coconut milk and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Make sure that the liquid does not boil by continually stirring and keeping the heat at a medium range. 

3. Pour in the fish sauce and peanut butter and stir until the mixture is smooth and not lumpy. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked and tender. Make sure to keep the heat from the stove low so that the sauce does not boil, as it will separate. 

4. After step 1, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the greens (broccoli & beans) in a steamer over the water. Cook for a few minutes until the greens are just tender and not soggy. 

5. Divide the chicken, sauce and vegetables into six equal serves. 

Serves / 6 

Total Preparation time / 20- 25 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

Calories / 464

x Emily