FLOURLESS SWEET POTATO BROWNIES

This recipe of the week is coming a little soon after the previous one, however I just had to share these delicious brownies! I brought a few into the studio yesterday and they were very well received! It was my first time experimenting with sweet potato as a brownie base and I was thoroughly pleased at the result. I have opted to make this recipe dairy free however you could use cows milk and I encourage you to if you are not intolerant or allergic. Whilst this recipe isn't uber sweet as the only natural sugar added is maple syrup and vanilla extract it is a very healthy alternative to the classic brownie. If you are a doubter of sweet potato with chocolate I dare you to try this, as the potato adds a level of creaminess that flour does not! Lastly, make sure you READ STEP 6 (the last step) very carefully or your brownies could not turn out properly! You have been warned! 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g sweet potato, peeled & cut into small (around 3cm), even chunks
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for greasing 
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon regular or gluten free baking powder
• 2 eggs, preferably free-range, beaten
• 1/2 cup desicated coconut
• 3 tablespoons organic / natural maple syrup (not flavoured)
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Bring a medium saucepan filled halfway with water to the boil over high heat, covered. Whilst the water is boiling, peel & cut the sweet potato. Once boiled, add the sweet potato and boil for around 12-13 minutes or until the potato is tender. Remove from the heat and drain under cold running water in a colander. 

3. Whilst the potato is boiling, grease a baking tray with the oil and then line with baking paper. The baking tray I used was around 29 cm x 20 cm. 

4.  Whilst the potato is boiling, pour all the remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to combine. 

5. Once the potato has been cooked and drained, mash well in a large mixing bowl. I don't mind there being a few chunky bits in my brownies, however if you do you can spend a few extra seconds mashing for a smoother consistency. Add the prepared batter from step 4 to the mashed potato and stir well to combine. 

6. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking tray. It will be quite thick! Spread out the batter evenly with a wet spatula. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top of the brownie has just started to brown. This next part is SO IMPORTANT: remove the tray from the oven and leave the brownies to cool completely before cutting up into individual brownies. If you try to handle the brownies before they have completely cooled, they will fall apart. Remember that there is no flour holding the brownies together! The brownies need this cooling time to continue to cook! 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 50 minutes plus cooling time!

x Premium Pilates Studio 

ZUCCHINI, CARROT & PEA FRITTERS

I have made fritters a few times, however never without corn. I was initially concerned about how these fritters would cook, as all I had in my pantry was chickpea flour (besan flour). I was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out and how little oil I needed to use (just 1 tablespoon for around 19 fritters, therefore 4 batches in the pan). I've turned down a bit of a vegetarian path recently and whilst I am still cooking and eating meat, I am loving getting creative with vegetables, herbs and spices. These vego fritters are a great option for lunch, dinner or a healthy snack. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g or 3-4 medium zucchini, grated
• 300g or 3 carrots, grated 
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 50g reduced-fat feta, crumbled or finely chopped
• 3 eggs, preferably free-range, beaten
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped, such as chives, basil, parsley, corainder
• 3/4 cup of any type of flour other than self-raising, such as plain, gluten-free plain, rice, millet, besan etc - I used besan flour (chickpea flour) 
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat cows milk, or if intolerant or allergic opt for lactose-free milk, unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, rice milk. 
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• Optional sides / toppings - avocado, baby spinach, extra herbs, tomato, cucumber, etc. 

METHOD 

1. Wrap the grated zucchini in a thin tea towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess moisture into a bowl or sink. 

2. Place the zucchini, carrot, peas, feta, eggs, herbs, flour, soy sauce, milk and a pinch of ground black pepper in a large bowl and mix well to combine. 

3. Heat in a large frying pan over medium heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat. Scoop a heaped 1/4 cup of mixture out of the bowl for each fritter. Place each scoop of mixture in the pan and pat down well with a spatula. Make sure not to crowd the fritters or you will have trouble flipping them. I cook four at a time in a large frying pan. Cook on each side for around 3 minutes or until quite brown in colour. Remove from heat and repeat until all the fritters are cooked, only adding the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil if needed. Serve warm with any or all of the toppings listed above in the Ingredients section. 

Total Prep time / around 20-25 minutes (need to grate the vegetables etc)

Total Cooking time / approx. 25 minutes 

Makes / around 18 - 20 

Serves / 6 / 3-4 fritters each 

x Premium Pilates Studio 

VEGETABLE BURRITOS

The inspiration for these vegetable burritos comes from a very charming cafe / bar we visited a few times in San Francisco last December. It was called 'Sweet Woodruff' and served delicious food for very reasonable prices. It was a cafe until mid afternoon, when it changed over into a bar until 11 or 12am. These vegetable burritos were a favourite of mine, however they were made quite a bit spicer than how I made mine! For some reason this cafe stayed in my mind after we left San Fran and once I returned home I felt an urge to make my own 'soft veges tacos' as they called them. 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g pumpkin, deseeded, skin removed and chopped into small pieces
• 175g zucchini, chopped into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• Optional- 1/4- 1 teaspoon ground chilli
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 100g red capsicum, finely chopped
• 100g green capsicum, finely chopped
• a large handful of baby spinach 
• 80g reduced-fat feta, crumbled or finely chopped OR 80g reduced-fat grated cheese
• 8 low-carb wraps (around 45g each) or 8 Mountain bread wraps 

COOKING

1. Once you are almost done prepping the vegetables, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil, covered. Once boiled, remove the lid and add the pumpkin. Cook for five minutes before adding the zucchini to the water for a further two minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and drain the vegetables in a colander over cold running water. Once drained well, pour the vegetables into a medium bowl and gently stir in the taco seasoning, chilli if using and a sprinkle of ground black pepper. Take care stirring or the vegetables may become mushy. 

2. Return the now vacant saucepan to the stove over medium heat and swirl the oil. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring often, for two minutes or until onion has softened slightly. Add the two kinds of capsicum to the pan and stir well, cooking for three to four minutes or until the capsicum has slightly softened. If the vegetables start to stick to the pan, add a splash of water. Add the baby spinach to the pan and cover, reducing the heat to low. Once the spinach has wilted, remove the pan from the stove and gently stir in the feta and the pumpkin mixture. 

3. Have the wraps ready. Divide the vegetable filling into eight, scooping the vegetables into the middle of each wrap. Wrap each burrito by wrapping the bottom of the wrap over and then closing in each side to meet. 

Serves / 4 / 2 wraps each 
Total Preparation time / 20-25 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x PPS

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JOSEPH PILATES

Whilst millions of people do Pilates everyday, many of them probably do not know much about the origins of this very on trend form of exercise. Pilates may not date back as far as yoga, however its history is incredibly interesting and involves a very confident and quirky yet caring German. Here's 10 fun facts for you about how Pilates came to be a worldwide phenomenon. 

1. Joseph Pilates was born in Mönchengladbach (a little town near Düsseldorf, Germany), on December 9th 1883. In his early childhood Joseph was a very sickly child; he suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. He was often bullied at school and was too sick and weak to fight back or run away. As a result of these early experiences, Joe made fitness and health his life journey and tried to help as many people as possible through Pilates to improve their lifestyle. 

2. Joe designed his fitness regime of Pilates with the image of the 'classical Greek ideal of a man who is balanced equally in body, mind and spirit'.

3. Mr Pilates was a Hospital "Nurse-Physiotherapist" during World War 1 and was posted to an internment camp. Joseph requested that he be given permission to help the sick patients with exercise. He was told that bed rest was prescribed to all patients but that he could "do anything you like with them, as long as they stay in bed". Hence Joe removed the bed springs and connected them to the bed posts to make the apparatus now known as the 'Cadillac' or 'Trapeze'. Joseph was said to have a very caring and helpful disposition with his patients. His exercise regime must have done some good, because when the 1918 flu epidemic swept the world and killed millions (and many from internment camps as these places were optimal for the spreading of illnesses), not one of Joseph's patients became ill! 

4. After the war Joe trained with the Military Police as well as continuing to instruct Pilates with personal clients. Mr Pilates was asked to train with the New German Army in 1923, however he refused as he was unhappy with the new political direction that Germany was heading towards. He had several relatives living in the USA, who persuaded him to travel over to America.

5. Pilates was originally called Contrology. Joseph Pilates came up with this name for his exercise regime as he intended the practice to be all about control of the body, mind and muscles. However his initial clients and the general public started calling his fitness regime 'Pilates' and it stuck!

6. The very first Pilates studio was opened by Joseph & his wife Clara in NYC in the 1920s. The husband & wife took over a boxing gym on 8th Avenue, which was located in the same building as several dance studios and rehearsal areas. Due to this very close proximity of the dancers, the exercise regime of Pilates became fundamental in the life, rehab and training of dancers! 

7. Mr Pilates was said to have a 'rough but kindly manner' with his clients.

8. While Joseph was considered very healthy, he was well known for his love of cigars, whiskey and women! He attended many parties in NYC and was often seen running around the city in the middle of winter in his skimpy little training shorts (see photos above)!

9. Joseph Pilates died at 83 years old in New York City and his obituary read like an advertisment for Pilates! Pilates is described as "‘a white-manned lion with steel blue eyes and mahogany skin, and as limber in his 80's as a teenager!"

10. As Joseph liked to say, he was sadly '"fifty years ahead of my time". Pilates really took off in the late 1980's and has become increasingly more popular since then. Once considered the workout of purely dancers and the elite, Pilates is now an incredibly accessible form of exercise and is a form of physiotherapy. Millions of people practise Pilates everyday and those numbers are only set to increase as many more people discover the amazing benefits of this form of exercise! 

x Premium Pilates Studio

Info adapted from http://www.contrology-pilates-method.com/history_joe_pilates.asp, images from http://www.mylocalpilates.com/uploads/2/4/0/4/24042723/6200530_orig.png and http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55160801e4b05c72e7f10bf6/55172c60e4b05ede7c5afc3c/55172c8ee4b0413cd5e7351a/1427582094645/jopilates.jpg

VEGETARIAN BUDDHA BOWL

I learnt about this amazing bowls from a vego friend. I love the fact that you can combine any type of grain or bean, lentil or legume and as many cooked and raw veges as you want and call it a 'Buddha Bowl'. It is such a perfect way to use up whatever vegetables that are reaching their use-by date in the fridge. I have made this recipe twice in the last week and each time this dish lasted me 4 plus serves and left me feeling full but not stuffed. I encourage to get creative and use whatever you have on hand. Here's a few ideas: 

Protein - can be a grain, seed, bean, lentil, legume or soy product. You can throw 1 or 2 of the following:

Tofu, Tempeh, Chickpeas, any type of Lentil, Cannellini beans, Four Bean Mix, Red Kidney Beans, Any type of Rice (Brown, Wild, Black, Red), Quinoa, Couscous, Farro, Freekeh, Amaranth.  

Cooked Vegetables: roast pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, mushrooms. 

Raw Vegetables: tomato, cucumber, red cabbage, capsicum, baby spinach, kale, any type of lettuce, avocado. 

And a dressing that you have made or 1 medium avocado, cut into small pieces. I often go for the avocado option, as it really rounds out the salad! 

Heres my recipe: 

INGREDIENTS

• 350g sweet potato, cut into even, small pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 heaped teaspoons ground cumin, coriander or smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 cup water 
• 1 head of broccoli, stalk and florets evenly chopped
• 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed 
• 225g firm tofu in a block 
• 1/2 a medium red capsicum, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 a medium green capsicum, cut into thin strips
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach, baby kale and mixed lettuce
• 1 medium avocado, cut into small pieces 

COOKING

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

2. Place the tofu between two chopping boards or plates with a weight on top (I used a jar of nuts). Raise one end (I placed a small scale underneath one side of the chopping board) and sit for 25 minutes to drain. Once drained, cut into even thin strips. 

3. Whilst the tofu is draining, toss the sweet potato in a medium bowl with one tablespoon oil and one of the spices. Arrange the potato pieces in a single layer on the prepared tray. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender and golden. 

4. Once the sweet potato is in the oven, place the brown rice and water in a medium saucepan, covered, and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to a simmer and leave to cook for around 10 minutes or until all water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and place rice in a large serving bowl to cook. 

5. Return the same saucepan to the stove, filled halfway with water and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled add the broccoli and leave to steam for four minutes before pouring in the peas. Leave to steam for one further minute, before draining in a sieve/colander over cold running water. Pour the cooked vegetables into the serving bowl with the cooked rice. 

6. Swirl the remaining one tablespoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tofu pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, covered. Remove from heat and place in the serving bowl. 

7. By now the sweet potato should be cooked. Remove from the oven and place in the serving bowl. Add the raw vegetables; in this case the capsicum, baby spinach, kale and lettuce and avocado pieces or dressing, if using, and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / around 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 30-40 minutes 

x Premium Pilates Studio 

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOSE YOUR PILATES FITNESS?

I find that many clients feel like they have lost a lot of their Pilates fitness and muscle tone after just one or two weeks away from their practice. Below I share my views on how long I think it actually takes to lose all that hard work you put in! 

I personally find that dedicated clients who attend classes two, three or more times a week will regain their Pilates strength quite quickly if they have been away from class for around two to three weeks. Muscle memory is an incredible thing and if you are consistent with your Pilates a few weeks off will not drastically reduce your fitness or your muscle tone. The muscle you have gained from Pilates will continue to speed up your metabolism whilst you are not practising. That being said after more than three weeks off your muscle tone will stay to slowly lessen and you may notice little changes in your arms, abs, bottom and legs. So if you do have a holiday coming up, or have just had one over the festive season, don't be scared to get back into class! Yes it may hurt quite a bit initially but the longer you put it off the more work you'll have to put in to get back to your fitness level prior to having a break. 

 Personally I find that if I have more than 3 days off my mid and lower back start to ache and my thighs feel 'heavier' and tighter. My stomach also starts to feel a little less toned. Pilates is like my own version of Yoga; I feel relaxed during and after my practice, I feel stretched out and lengthened even when I've done a tough class and I feel like I am on a natural high! Hence why I can't seem to stay away from the mat, the reformer or the barre for more than 3 days (even when I'm on holidays!). Of course many of us cannot attend classes every 3 days and that is completely understandable; I am just sharing how my body works. 

Clients who attend less than two classes a week, therefore one class a week on average, will see a decrease in their fitness and muscle tone if they miss one or two classes, that is one or two weeks. 

Lastly, we can all agree that the key with any type of fitness practise is CONSISTENCY. If something comes up and you have to cancel your usual Pilates class, make time to schedule another in that same week! Your body will thank you - in the form of some beautiful muscle tone! If you are going away for a holiday or have to travel for work, ask your Pilates instructor to make you a mobile program to do in your hotel room or gym. We want to help you, as we know first hand how hard you have worked to get your fitness and Pilates body to this point! 

x the Premium Pilates team 

MODEL ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITLEY WORKS OFF HER THANKSGIVING FEAST AT PILATES

It's nice to know that even genetically blessed supermodels need to work hard to stay in shape! Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, one of the top models in the world, was spotted leaving a Pilates class in LA on Monday. We reckon she was trying to work off the Thanksgiving feast she would have eaten over the weekend! 

The 28-year-old looked very long and lean as she left the Pilates studio, wearing all black which showed her off her amazing figure and very toned and tight derriere. The Victoria Secret model 's trainer, James Duigan, reveals that when Rosie is not attending Pilates classes, she is working on her core by doing core-strengthening exercises instead of the traditional setup or ab crunch, which sounds just like more Pilates to us! 

 “It’s not sit-ups that get you a flat stomach, it’s planks and twists, where you actively practise pulling your stomach in – this is a habit that needs to be learned,” Duigan says.  He adds it is also important to manage your stress, as the stress hormone cortisol stores fat around your stomach and makes you crave sugar because your body thinks you need it. 

In addition to Pilates, Rosie works on her cardio with hiking and running. She also likes to go to Yoga classes when she has time. Her trainer advises her to take a fish oil tablet, which burns fat around the mid-section and reduces inflammation in the body.  “Rosie makes a mean guacamole, which is a filling and nutrient-dense snack,” Duigan says. “About half an avocado a day is the perfect way to include fat-fighting food in your diet.”

The famous Brit model has learnt over the years how important being fit is for her health. Rosie says: “It’s so simple to get into shape, have more energy and glowing skin by eating the right food. James has taught me that looking your best comes from having good health. Health reflects in your skin, body and hair and gives you a natural glow.”

Want to work on your stomach so that you feel confident at the beach? Eager to lengthen your muscles without bulking them? Call Premium Pilates Studio today on 0402 680 724, email us at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com. 

Images by http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/elle-australia-rosie-huntington-whiteley2.jpg, www.dailymail.co.uk, http://www.thecelebritydresses.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/650x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/r/o/rosie_huntington-whiteley_sexy_blue_satin_prom_gown_formal_evening_dress._jpeg.jpeg.jpg.