SUGAR FREE NUTELLA

This sugar-free sweet recipe is adapted  from the ‘I Quit Sugar’ cookbook. A healthy take on the super processed Australian childhood staple Nutella. I remember coming home after a few particularly tough high-school days and eating Nutella with a sizeable tablespoon right out of the jar. Either my very observant mother never noticed or just let me indulge in this unhealthy habit as she knew I was going through tough teenage years. This Nutella addiction did cease as I got older and now makes me sick to think of it, however I am certainly not immune to chocolate cravings nowadays! This sugar-free chocolate condiment has been a lifesaver in my fridge, as it satisfies my sugar cravings by spreading itself over just a couple rice/corn thins. If you want the spread to have more of a sauce consistency, add a splash more coconut milk in the processing stage. You’ll never want to eat store-bought Nutella again!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup (125ml) unsweetened almond milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 heaped tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a medium baking tray with baking paper. Roast the hazelnuts in the tray on a single layer for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat and leave to cool for a few minutes, then rub off the hazelnut skin as it can be bitter (You do not have to be too meticulous with this). 

2. Place the roasted nuts in a food processor and process until smooth (you will need to scrape the edges of the processor a few times to make sure the nuts grind evenly). Pour the milk, vanilla, the cacao and the syrup into the processor and process until well combined. Leave in the refrigerator for several weeks. 

Makes  / approx 1 1/2 cups 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes maximum

x Emily 

BERRY, CACAO & COCONUT MILK SMOOTHIE

Another day, another smoothie. This smoothie is a good choice for the chocolate lovers out there, as the slight teaspoon of cacao powder really gives the drink this flavour. Fresh berries would be ideal, however frozen will work too, just make sure they are thawed. 

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 scant teaspoon raw cacao powder
• a generous handful of mixed frozen berries, thawed 

PREPARATION

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender with a handful of ice and blend until smooth. 

Makes  / 2 servings

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes max

x Emily 

VIETNAMESE RICE PAPER ROLLS

Vietnamese cuisine would have to be one of my favourite cuisines to eat. It never fails to be light, refreshing and scrumptious. I love making my own rice vermicelli bowls and rice paper rolls at home. Here is my standard rice paper roll recipe, with a few tips of how to structure these wholesome rolls, of course. I am a very white girl and therefore wrapping these rolls does not come easy to me, but I've learnt a few things from trial & error (and friends!). I've also learnt that whilst hoisin dipping sauce may taste amazing with rice paper rolls, it is FULL of sugar, so I make my own dipping sauce (below). 

INGREDIENTS

• 100g rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 500g chicken breast, preferably free range, cut into thin even slices 
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce 
• 1/2 a large ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• fresh lemon juice (gently squeeze on avocado slices to avoid browning)
• 1 medium lebanese cucumber or 1/2 continental cucumber, cut into fine sticks 
• 1 medium carrot, cut into fine sticks 
• 1 green capsicum, deseeded & core removed, cut into fine sticks 
• 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
• a handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped or intact 
• 12 large rice paper sheets

Dipping sauce 

• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• Optional- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (if not available, substitute for more white sesame seeds)

COOKING

1. Soak noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain noodles well with cold water. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat and swirl 1 teaspoon sesame oil to coat pan. When the pan is hot add the chicken and the fish sauce. Stir frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked. Remove from the heat. 

3. Arrange the avocado (make sure you have drizzled lemon juice on top), cucumber, carrot, capsicum, spring onion and coriander on a large plate. 

4. Prepare a deep medium bowl with hot water. Soften each rice paper sheet by individually dipping in the water and rotating the sheet with your fingers for one rotation only; the paper will feel moderately wet but not completely softened. The consistently of the rice paper should be pliable and slightly tacky. Have a flat surface such as a large clean plate or your bench top to place the paper. Just work with one softened rice paper sheet at a time, as it is much less fiddly. 

5. To wrap - I use the Two End Method. Centre the ingredients vertically, using 1/12 of all of the above ingredients, and position them about 4cm from the lower edge of the rice paper. Bring the lower and upper edge of the paper up towards the filling, then roll up the rice paper from one side to the other (I roll from left to right) and seal. Continue until no ingredients and rice paper remains. 

6. Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients and stir to combine. 

Serve with extra coriander & spring onions, if you wish.  

Makes / 12 large rice paper rolls / 3 each / serves 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking / Rolling time / 30-45 minutes 

x Emily 

LADY GAGA RECOVERS AFTER HIP SURGERY with PILATES

After undergoing hip surgery just last month due to a severe joint inflammation and a tear in her right hip, Lady Gaga is recovering...with Pilates! The 27-year-old shock singer was sighted working out at Reform Pilates studio in Chicago just last week. It appears that Gaga is making quick work of her rehabilitation with Pilates! 

The Poker Face singer was photographed just a few weeks ago getting around town in a wheelchair (which was made of real gold!) but appears to now be getting back on her feet. The owner of Reform Pilates studio informs the press that Gaga's people "emailed us and asked if they could rent out the studio. Gaga scheduled private Pilates lessons for herself on two occasions. She (Gaga) seemed to be in good health. She was walking around totally fine. But her range is limited on her right side. She didn't seem to be in pain...she seemed to be in good shape" reveals the studio owner. Decked out in very unusual clothes for the eccentric signer (Gaga was wearing black stretch pants, a black T-shirt and barely any makeup) she seems to be serious about the rehabilitation of her right hip. 

Gaga is no stranger to being in the limelight. Her body is constantly making news headlines and magazine covers for being 'too thin' or 'too fat'. The young singer tries to ignore the tabloids and revealed some of her health & fitness secrets in a recent interview. Gaga exercises consistently; a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio, Pilates or Yoga five times a week. She does copious amounts of abdominal curls to keep her tummy toned and trim. 

Gaga also eats a healthy, balanced diet and swears by a 5 Factor Diet, which involves eating five times a day (two meals and three snacks). These five meals must fall into these five categories: low-glycermic carbs (low GI), lean protein, fibre, healthy fats and sugar-free beverages. Gaga is also allowed one treat day a week. The famous singer loves to snack on salsa with grain chips, turkey slices, coconut water, hummus and tofu. 

Lady Gaga had no choice but to cancel 22 dates of her US 'Born this Way' tour in February this year so she could undergo hip surgery. The singer announced this news to her 34 million followers on social media site Twitter (where else?) and revealed that she had previously tried to keep it a secret so as not to upset her fans who had bought tickets for the cancelled shows. If Gaga continues her Pilates rehab the way she is going just mere weeks after undergoing surgery, she may very well be able to decrease her recovery time (the singer was reportedly advised to take six months) and get back on tour. 

Having trouble rehabilitating after undergoing surgery? Injured and getting frustrated as you cannot improve your recovery time? Come try Pilates today! This form of exercise is low impact, therefore no stress will be placed on your joints whilst you work out. Pilates is recommended by physiotherapists all around the world for its rehabilitation benefits. Call Premium Pilates Studio on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com to find out more! 

x Emily

GREEN LEMON-LIME SMOOTHIE

As my dad so eloquently said when he saw a picture of this smoothie; ‘it looks much more appetising that the darker green one!’ (which I posted a few days ago). This green smoothie was indeed lighter in consistency and flavour than my first attempt and helped me greatly in reducing a rare hangover last Sunday morning. Either green smoothie works well, my advice is to try both and see which one your palate favours (I'm currently torn between the two!). I really enjoyed the lemon and lime zing and the freshness of the cucumber. I still cannot believe I’m drinking vegetables! It really is an inspired way to increase your vegetable intake. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lebanese cucumber, roughly chopped
• the juice of 1/2 lemon
• the juice of 1/2 lime 
• 1 large red apple, core removed & roughly chopped
• 1 medium pear, core removed & roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut water 

PREPARATION 

1. Throw all ingredients into a blender with a handful of ice and blend until smooth. 

Makes / 2 servings

Total Preparation time / 6 minutes 

x Emily 

PUMPKIN, BROCCOLI and COCONUT MIXUP

I have been trying to incorporate more vegetables into my daily intake recently. It’s been a bit of a struggle. Don’t get me wrong, I do honestly like vegetables, but as they can take some time to prepare I find myself reaching for rice or corn cakes or plain gluten-free crackers to curb my appetite. And whilst these aren’t bad for you in moderation, I think if someone measured my weekly vegetable intake I would be unpleasantly surprised. Hence the vegetable revolution this blog is going to undergo! You may have seen the last blog post on a Green Smoothie; expect to see much more of this in the future. As some of my readers may know, I seem to go through food phases and right now its all about vegetables to ward off those nasty autumn-winter flus. Because no one has the time for these. I hope you enjoy this pumpkin, broccoli and coconut dish as much as I did…throw in some walnuts and/or another herb if you want added flavour. And don't throw away the broccoli stalk- they taste so good in this dish. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium pumpkin or 1/4 large pumpkin, skin & seeds removed and cut into even pieces
• sea salt 
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into even florets & stalk cut into even slices 
• 1/2 cup gluten-free vegetable stock 
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut 
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, pumpkin and a pinch of salt to the pan and cook, stirring frequently to sauté, for 4-5 minutes or until pumpkin is almost tender and slightly golden. Add broccoli and chicken stock and keep stirring often for a few minutes or until stock has reduced completely. Remove from pan and place in a medium serving bowl. Place shredded coconut in the pan and cook for just 30 seconds to a 1 minute or until coconut is toasted and just golden. Remove from heat and sprinkle over the pumpkin and broccoli and scatter fresh parsley on top. Serve warm. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily