TOASTED HOMEMADE MUESLI with RICE PROTEIN POWDER

I have gotten sick & tired of looking for muesli in supermarkets or health food stores and seeing such a high percentage of sugar in each serve. I have come across some brands that have up to 25 grams and call themselves the ‘low-fat’ muesli choice...not cool. Also if you let your eyes wander to the Ingredients list you will find some pretty shocking and artificial sugar items there. So I decided to make my own muesli with some very helpful tips from a good friend who is a homemade muesli expert. Feel free to experiment and change the types of dried fruit and nuts you use - I find the ‘breakfast sprinkle’ at Coles in the cereal aisle works well as it is only $3 for 500ml of dried fruit & nuts. I added more nuts, seeds and sultanas in my own muesli to give it more body and to accompany the many cups of oats.

Rice protein is something I was just introduced to just yesterday, from my health nut of a father. Rice protein is a supplement made from brown rice, found in powder form. As I follow a strict dairy-free diet, I cannot consume whey protein as it is made from dairy and soy. Rice protein powder is a healthy alternative for anyone who is lactose and gluten intolerant. In addition, it is lower in calories than other types of protein powders, making it an excellent choice for weight loss. Typically rice protein is less expensive that other protein powders on the market and is also completely acceptable for vegans to consume. This fine powder can be added to smoothies, date balls or sprinkled over muesli or cereal for a protein boost. As many people struggle to consume enough protein in their diets, protein powder is a sneaky way to get closer to our recommended daily intake. To figure out how many grams of protein you should be consuming on a daily basis, multiply your body weight in kilograms by 0.8. The amount may surprise you!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups oats
• 1 cup breakfast sprinkle (available at Coles in the cereal aisle, consists of dried fruits & peanuts) or your own combination of dried fruit & nuts
• 1 cup sultanas
• 3-4 tablespoons pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1 heaped tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup silvered & chopped almonds, walnuts, or any type of nut (do not include if have made your own nut mixture with the second ingredient above)
• 1/4 chia seeds (white, black or a mixture)
• 6 heaped tablespoons rice protein powder
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup 

COOKING 

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

2. Whilst oven is preheating, place all of the ingredients except for the maple syrup into a large bowl. Mix well to combine. 

3. Spread 2 cups of muesli evenly on the prepared baking tray. Gently drizzle 1 tablespoon maple syrup over the muesli, trying to cover as much muesli as possible. Place in the oven for 2-3 minutes or until very lightly toasted, then remove and place in a large cereal container. Continue toasting the muesli 2 cups at a time until all muesli is toasted. 

Serve 1/2 cup of muesli with lactose-free, soy, rice or almond milk. If not dairy-free serve with regular milk or natural yoghurt. Lightly drizzle more maple syrup or honey if desired on top of muesli but use sparingly. 

Makes  / 6 1/2 cups

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 - 12 minutes 

x Emily 

STEAMED CHICKEN SALAD with SESAME SAUCE

I have been fighting dizzy spells and pounding headaches all weekend, however funnily enough I found myself irrationally hungry, even 10 minutes after just finishing a meal! And for some unexplained reason, when I am feeling under the weather I crave Japanese food. Udon, ramen, soba and rice noodles beckon to me. I desire ginger and chilli and all other food disgusts me. So I was consuming a lot of noodles, grated ginger, sesame seeds and rice on the weekend. One such dish; Steamed Chicken Salad with Sesame Sauce made the blog cut. A simple and quick recipe to prepare, which involves cooking chicken in the microwave (I was skeptical too at first) results in less cleaning up and more time to enjoy the freshness of the ginger, spring onions and sesame seeds. Believe it or not, this dish made me feel much better! A unique take on salad by the Japanese. Recipe from ‘Japanese’ cookbook by Australian Women’s Weekly. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 2 medium lebanese cucumbers (250g), halved lengthways & cut into chunks
• 2 spring onions (50g), finely chopped and white & green pieces separated
• 250-300g chicken breast fillets, cut into even sized pieces (around 5cm) 
• 1 tablespoon mirin seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2cm (1 inch) fresh ginger, finely grated 

Sesame sauce 

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli paste
• 2cm (1 inch) fresh ginger, finely grated 
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed 
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted & roughly ground in a mortar & pestle into a paste
• 1 heaped teaspoon sesame seeds

COOKING 

1. Place chicken pieces in a medium heatproof bowl and toss well with mirin and sesame oil. Scatter ginger and white part of the spring onion over the chicken and cook, covered, in the microwave for 4 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove, cool for 5 minutes and reserve the cooking liquid. 

2. Whilst chicken is cooling, make the sesame sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients and 2 tablespoons of the reserved chicken cooking liquid and whisking together. 

3. Shred cooled chicken with your hands. Halve the chicken and cucumber pieces and place in two medium bowls. Drizzle with green part of the spring onion and sauce and serve. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily 

DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS? PILATES TO THE RESCUE.

Bad gut? You are not alone. 

Research has revealed that over 90% of Australian women experience problems such as bloating, diarrhoea and cramping at least once a month, and a massive 55% experience these symptoms on a weekly basis.  When this happens to you what is your treatment plan? Do you go through your medicine cabinet for pills to numb the pain, seek a doctor for advice or change your diet? How about this time around you try Pilates! 

Pilates has created quite a name for itself over the past decade. Celebrities love it, pre & post-natal mothers swear by it and athletes are seeing its importance for building core strength. Apart from toning, strengthening and leaning your entire body, Pilates can also provide several other lesser known health and well-being benefits. 

Australian Pilates guru and owner of Pilates International Sally Anderson reveals that Pilates also has internal benefits to offer its followers. "The ability of Pilates movement to restore function to organs, muscles, joints and bones is not shared by drugs and surgery. The best way to gain the benefits of movement for health is in a preventative capacity. Movement is incredibly powerful in preventing disease processes, and the Pilates method offers the ultimate science-based, low impact way to move in all ranges and for all needs."

Sally goes on to break down exactly how Pilates can help prevent digestive problems: 

1. By massaging your muscles - Many Pilates exercises arouse a natural massage effect on the muscles, which assists in improving the removal of toxins and waste matter in the digestive tract. This results in a more efficient intestinal system. 

2. By reducing stress - Stress is like poison to our body and muscles. When we get ourselves wound up, our digestive systems in turn become anxious and stressed. Women will usually reach for sugary items, alcohol or caffeine  when stress rears its ugly head. These unhealthy foods and drinks contribute immensely to poor digestion. Pilates focuses on controlled breathing, which assists in reducing stress, anxiety and worry and therefore decreases the likelihood of you reaching for junk food. 

3. By stretching - All Pilates exercises focus on lengthening the spine and several focus on extending the torso, which stretches the digestive tract and encourages the processing of food. So start stretching today! Besides the fact that stretching can assist you in achieving longer and leaner muscles and decrease the chance of injury, it can also keep your digestive system healthy and efficient. 

Sick of dealing with an uncomfortable gut? Try Pilates today and start reaping the health benefits listed above plus many more. Call Premium Pilates Studio on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com today! 

x Emily 

LEMON PEPPER RISOTTO with CALAMARI & BABY SPINACH

Another Coles food magazine recipe. I have never cooked with calamari before as I tend to not be too adventurous with food from the sea. I just think of it as unknown territory. But I put on my beautiful matryoshka (Russian doll) apron this afternoon and felt brave, therefore I decided to give calamari a try. It’s common knowledge that lemon and seafood go well together and this recipe is proof of that. If you love lots of lemon with your seafood, add more than 1 tablespoons of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Risotto can sometimes be bland, so a good sea salt & black ground pepper are a necessity here. I was lacking fresh herbs in my kitchen today, but some fresh finely chopped parsley, basil or dill would go nicely stirred into this risotto at the step 4 stage. All in all, a very satisfying ending for my first calamari cook off.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups vegetable stock, preferably Massel brand 
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 a brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups arborio rice 
• 1/2 dry white wine 
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest 
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 250g cleaned calamari rings, cleaned & ready to cook (can be frozen as long as they are thawed)
• 25g crumbled goats cheese, finely grated sheep's pecorino cheese or finely grated parmesan
• a generous handful of baby spinach, washed, drained & roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

COOKING 

1. Heat coconut oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, stirring for one minute or until transparent. Add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes or until just softened. Add rice and stir well to coat. Add the wine and stir until it has evaporated, then stir in the lemon zest, lemon pepper seasoning and dried basil. 

2. Meanwhile, combine stock and 3 cups water and cover to keep warm. After step one reduce heat to a medium simmer and add 1 cup of hot stock and water at a time to rice mixture. Stir consistently until liquid is absorbed, then add another cup of stock and water. Repeat until stock and water mixture is all absorbed and rice is creamy; this will take around 16-18 minutes. 

3. Stir the calamari in the rice mixture for around 4 minutes or until calamari is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and add baby spinach, cheese, lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. Stir well to combine and serve warm, with extra lemon zest and baby spinach on top, if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

POACHED GINGER CHICKEN with COCONUT RICE

Who would have thought such amazing recipes could be found in the free Coles food magazine every month? Not I. March’s edition has a beautiful Chicken & Spring Onion Stir-fry on the cover and inside Asian cuisine, figs, grapes and spring onions are explored passionately, not to mention some melt-in-your-mouth cakes. After eating a delectable Wagamamma Ginger & Udon Stir-fry today at a celebration lunch with my partner & business partner, I decided that I needed something just as light and flavoursome for dinner. Poaching chicken is not something I do often, but it is an excellent low-fat way to cook poultry. As I mentioned in the cooking steps below, you just have to make sure that you check that no pink flesh remains in the chicken breast or disaster can strike. The coconut rice is a bit of a splash out, however if you use light coconut milk the fat content reduces dramatically. A perfect meal for a rainy Monday night.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 spring onions, trimmed & washed 
• 4cm piece of ginger, peeled & sliced into thin pieces 
• 600g chicken breast fillets, either similar size or cut into even large pieces 
• 1/3 cup gluten-free soy sauce 
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 2 cups jasmine or doongara rice
• 400ml can light coconut milk 

COOKING 

1. Place 4 whole spring onions in a large, deep frying pan with ginger slices and chicken (if the spring onions are too long for your pan, cut them in half). Pour enough water in to cover the chicken pieces by 2cm. Finely cut the 4 remaining spring onions into fine long strips, then place in a medium bowl filled with ice and water (this will make the onions curl at the tips). 

2. Cover the frying pan with a lid (or use a baking tray if you do not have a lid). Bring the chicken mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, then leave the chicken to simmer for 10 minutes, partly removing the lid. Remove the largest piece/fillet of chicken from the pan and cut into it, checking that no pink flesh remains. Cover the chicken loosely with foil for 5 minutes to rest, then remove and slice into even slices. Reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid and combine in a small bowl with soy sauce and sesame oil. 

3. Meanwhile, make coconut rice. Place rice in a sieve and drain well with cold water. Place drained rice in a medium saucepan with coconut milk, 1 cup water and a pinch of sea salt. Cover the saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then simmer for 8-10 minutes or until no liquid remains. Turn off the stove and let the rice sit for 5 minutes before removing the lid and fluffing it up with a fork. 

4. Drain the spring onions in iced water and combine with chilli flakes and sea salt, if you desire. Drizzle soy sauce mixture over the top of the sliced chicken and spring onions. Serve the coconut rice on the side. (Discard the ginger, water and spring onion liquid in the large pan). 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes

Total Cooking time / 35 minutes 

x Emily