Warm salads are a great tasting alternative to your traditional cold raw salads, and there are many ways to have them. Try using cooked potato, parsnip, pumpkin, beans and broccoli.

Ingredients:

• 1 small sweet potato, diced into small cubes
• 3 asparagus spears, chopped in pieces
• ¼ red onion, diced finely
• ½ handful baby spinach
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp pepitas or sunflower seeds
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp probiotic yoghurt (Jalna)
• ½ tbsp stone ground tahini
• squeeze of lemon juice
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Steam sweet potato until softening, then add asparagus and cook for another minute.
2. Place the onion, spinach, garlic, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the hot vegetables and stir gently. Add the premixed dressing and pepitas and stir through gently.
3. Serve immediately.

Serves 1.

This breakfast will give you sustained energy release, being high in protein and nutrients. Change ingredients to your liking but try to always include onion or garlic. Serve with dark rye or organic sourdough bread topped with avocado or tahini.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 Organic Eggs
• 1/4 cup rice, oat, BONSOY or organic dairy milk
• small handful fresh herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary all work well) or 1 tsp dried herbs
• 1 lg garlic clove minced
• Sea or Himalayan salt and pepper
• 1 onion diced
• 1/2 zucchini diced
• 1/4 capsicum diced
• 4 average mushrooms roughly chopped
• 1/2 cob fresh corn removed off cob
• 1 tbsp coconut, olive or rice bran oil

Directions

1. In a bowl, whisk eggs with a fork until well mixed. Add milk, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
2. In a small heavy based frying pan heat oil on medium heat. Add chopped vegetables and fry until lightly cooked through.
3. Add egg mix and stir through. Using an egg flip, lift and turn occasionally from bottom of pan until cooked through. do not turn too frequently unless you want your eggs crumbly.

Eat on its own or serve with rye, kamut, spelt or sourdough bread topped with avocado.

This dish is simple but delicious as long as you like your eggs runny. Asparagus is high in fibre and chromium which is balancing to blood sugar levels. Use only a cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, and use the eggs straight from the fridge to retain their shape.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp white wine vinegar (or regular will do)
• 4 eggs straight from the fridge
• 12 Asparagus spears woody end bits removed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. At the same time two thirds fill a frying pan with water and add the vinegar. Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and gently break the eggs into the water.
2. Cover the pan and cook the eggs for 4-5 minutes, so the yolks have just set but are still runny so that you can use them as a sauce. Use a slotted spoon to remove the poached eggs and place on a some paper towel to help absorb the water from the eggs.
3. While this is happening, put the asparagus into the boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes in a rolling boil then remove them into a sink half full of cold water. After a few seconds remove and drain well.
4. Put the eggs onto a plate, place the spears to one side, drizzle some olive oil on and add sea salt and plenty of pepper.

Eat with your fingers, dipping the asparagus into the yolks.

Adapted from Cooking Under the Influence.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cob corn, removed from cob
• 1 green capsicum
• a handful of baby spinach
• a handful of fresh basil leaves
• a handful of macadamia or pine nuts (soak for at least 2 hours)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• pinch sea salt
• 1/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender
2. Blend until smooth

Serve immediately!

NB: This soup can be heated very gently, but try not to let it steam or boil to retain the nutrients!

Ingredients:

• 2 smoked trout (about 800g)
• 300g trimmed snow peas
• three small Lebanese cucumbers
• 2 baby cos lettuce
• 1 peeled, seeded and thinly sliced avocado
• salt flakes and cracked black pepper
• 3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise (sugar free and preferably homemade)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 4 peeled and quartered hard-boiled eggs

Directions:

1. Remove skin and bones from 2 smoked trout (about 800g) and flake flesh into medium-sized pieces.
2. Blanch 300g trimmed snow peas in boiling lightly salted water for 20 seconds, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain well and spread on paper towel to dry.
3. Thinly slice three small Lebanese cucumbers length ways and place in a large bowl with one finely sliced stick of celery. Add leaves from 2 baby cos lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces.
4. Add trout and snow peas to cucumbers and 1 peeled, seeded and thinly sliced avocado.
5. Season with salt flakes and cracked black pepper and toss gently with 3/4 cup good quality mayonnaise.

To Serve:

• Divide salad among 4 serving plates and top with 4 peeled and quartered hard-boiled eggs.
• Scatter with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and serve with lime cheeks.

Serves 4

Summer is a great time to make salads part of your daily diet. Salad doesn’t have to be boring!

Try some of these ideas for salad ingredients to keep your salads fresh and exciting!

Leafies

Mesculin lettuce, romaine lettuce, rocket, baby spinach, red cabbage

Raw veggies

Grated carrot and beetroot, tomato, grape tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, corn, mushrooms, onion, green beans, snow peas, radish

Cooked veggies

Roast pumpkin, sweet potato and parsnip, steamed zucchini, carrot, peas or any other veggie

Sprouts

Alfalfa, mung bean, bean, onion, garlic, lentil, snow pea or any other sprout.

Nuts and Seeds

Raw almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, macadamias, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds, poppy seeds

Proteins

All nuts and seeds, boiled organic eggs, canned salmon, sardines, fried tofu, beans, chickpeas, lentils (rinse canned ones very well).

Yummy extras
Olives, feta, ricotta cheese, red dulse seaweed, anchovies (for the brave!)

For yummy healthy dressing ideas, click here!

This is a great recipe to whip up at the last minute and is wheat, dairy and sugar free.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole cauliflower roughly chopped
• 1 small sweet potato roughly chopped
• 2 small potatoes (skin on) roughly chopped
• 4 celery tops (the leafy bits) chopped finely
• 2 onions diced
• 1/2 cup split red lentils
• 1tbsp rice bran oil
• 1 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt or himilayan salt
• 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs

Directions:

1. In a large pot, fry onion with herbs and celery tops until softened.
2. Add remaining ingredients, then add enough filtered water to cover.
3. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Let cool slightly and blend with a stick blender (be careful not to splash yourself).
5. Serve with toasted organic sourdough bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 small pumpkin, roughly chopped
• 1 small sweet potato, roughly chopped
• top half of a whole celery, roughly chopped
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1tbsp coconut or rice bran oil
• 1/4 cup barley
• 1/2 cup split red lentils
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaf, fresh or dried
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 5cm piece fresh ginger,chopped finely
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• water
• Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, to taste (about 1 1/2 tsp)

To Serve:

• coconut milk & coriander leaf

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan,place oil, onion, ginger, chilli and spices. Saute` until soft and aromatic.
2. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover completely.
3. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, or until barley is tender.
4. Turn stove off and allow to cool slightly.
5. Using a stainless steel stick blender, carefully blend soup to a smooth consistency.
6. Add more water if required. NB: Once you have blended the barley will thicken the soup further.
7. Place soup in bowls and top with a splash of coconut milk and some chopped coriander.

I love lentils. Although they take a long time to cook this soup is very easy. It is a great source of iron and protein – enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green or brown lentils
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme, or 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 2 large portobello mushrooms (about the size of your hand), diced
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 1tbsp butter or rice bran oil
• filtered water
• sea salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cover lentils with water and soak for 24 hours. Discard water, rinse and place in a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 90 minutes with the lid on.
2. In a large saucepan, fry onions and thyme in butter or oil until softened. Add mushrooms, tomato and capsicum. Cook on low for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add lentils (and the water they were cooked in), plus 1 extra cup of water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
4. Take off heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. With a stainless steel stick blender, blend to desired consistency.
5. Serve with sourdough bread drizzled with olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 2 large roasted or boiled beetroots, peeled after cooking
• 100g organic feta cheese
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach
• 1/2 red onion
• sunflower seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil – cold pressed
• Balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Cut beetroot into 5 – 10cm cubes, and finely slice red onion.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add a large glug of olive oil and a generous splash of balsamic vinegar
4. Gently toss together and serve now or later.

Serves 2