MISO STEAK with VEGE STACK

Steak is something that I didn't used to really love to eat, but I know I need to eat to keep my iron levels from plummeting to an anemic level. Therefore I am often searching for ways to make red meat appetising for myself. On a lunch and movie date with my mother a few years ago she suggested that I try marinating steak with miso paste. I was intrigued and went home to do just that. The steak marinade was salty, moreish and light and before I knew it the meat had disappeared from my plate. I think my partner was secretly upset, as it was the first time that he was not begged to help me finish my steak. What a catch-22 for him; nicer steak but less for him to eat! 

INGREDIENTS

Miso Steak

• 350-400g lean eye fillet steak, cut into two even sized pieces (or approx. 150g for a woman, 200-250g for a man)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped 
• 1 heaped tablespoon miso paste 
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• al foil 

Vege Stack

• 1 green capsicum, membrane & seeds removed, cut into 6 slices
• 1 large tomato, cut into 6 slices 
• 1/2 an avocado, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• Optional - fresh basil leaves 

COOKING 

1. Combine all the steak ingredients except for the oil and al foil and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 10 minutes. 

2. Whilst the steak is marinading, assemble your vege stacks. 

3. Heat the oil in a medium frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the steak for around 3 minutes on each side, allowing a little more cooking time for the bigger steak on each side. Remove from the pan and loosely cover the steak with al foil for 5 minutes. 

4. Steak the two steaks alongside the vege stack, which can be drizzled with balsamic vinegar and topped off with a fresh basil leaf or two, if desired. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes plus 30 minutes refrigeration time 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

PILATES CURES AFL CARLTON PLAYER JARRAD WAITE'S BACK PAIN

Carlton forward Jarrad Waite suffered debilitating back problems during the 2012 AFL season, however he has an annoucement to make; he is fitter than ever and ready for the 2013 season. When asked what the secret to his recovery was, Waite revealed that it was none other than the exercise regime Pilates! 

Jarrad has worked hard to strengthen his core muscles with twice-weekly Pilates classes. The Blues forward informs that this form of exercise and rehabilitation has been able to correct the abdominal weakness at the heart of his severe disc injury. 

"My core wasn't the strongest (and it) basically put a lot of force through my back and then it just sort of gave up," Waite told the Herald Sun recently. 

"It was very disappointing because I've had a frustrating few years with hip injuries and it will be good to get through a season without any issues...I know I have a lot to offer for the team and when you are on the sidelines you are useless."

"Pilates is going well and it's something that I enjoy doing".

After the 29-year-old 'squashed' a disc in his spine during Round 8 of the 2012 AFL competition forcing him out of the rest of the season, he may have thought his AFL days were numbered. Due to his committment to Pilates, however, Waite has been able to take on a "full-on" training load as the 2013 AFL season gets closer. Jarrad remarks that this is his first full pre-Christmas training schedule in about five years, due to the nightmare injuries he has dealt with in the past. 

 "It's (training) is going really well, and I just can't wait for the season to start". Hopefully this year will continue to be injury-free for you Jarrad! Keep the Pilates up! 

Suffering from a debilitating injury that does not seem to get any better? Want to improve your sport? Try Pilates today! Call Premium Pilates Studio on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatestudio.com today! 

x Emily 

ORANGE, CINNAMON & CHIA SEED BALLS

Another balls recipe! My ‘Vegan Date Ball’ recipe in January was my very first hand at trying to make this sweet natural snack that is swiftly popping up everywhere. The second time around I wanted a moister mixture with a little more flavouring, hence the orange juice and orange zest. Once again, a good friend gave me this idea when she suggested I add some citrus into the date mixture – lemon juice and zest or even lime would also go nicely. A small amount of juice and zest goes a long way and whilst you can taste the citrus hints it is by no way overpowering. Chia seeds are my flavour of the month- they are going on my muesli, salads and sweets. If you haven’t heard about them have a look at the January ‘Antipasto Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella’ which lists some huge benefits of consuming these little seeds.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 300g dates
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons almond meal, plus extra to cover balls
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 heaped tablespoon chia seeds 
• 40g macadamia nuts, finely chopped

PREPARATION 

1. Process the dates in a food processor until minced. You may need to add water if the date mixture is too thick, however only add a dash of water at a time. Add cinnamon and almond meal and gently process until just combined. Mix the chia seeds, orange juice, orange zest and macadamia nuts into the date mixture by stirring. Roll the mixture into even shaped balls and have a separate plate ready to roll balls in almond meal. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours until set. Store in the refrigerator. 

Makes / 15-16 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

RAMEN NOODLE SOUP

Continuing on my noodle journey, I explored the Japanese noodle dish Ramen last night. As the weather has cooled down ever so slightly at night (for this week at least) I decided some soup would be delightful to slurp whilst sitting in the wind on my patio. Ramen is a wheat noodle which is usually served as a broth or soup and is flavoured with miso soup or soy sauce. Adding broccoli to a ramen dish may have the Japanese turning up their noses, as green onions, seaweed, sliced pork and even corn are the most popular toppings. But to hell with convention. My broccoli’s expiration date was coming up and it added so much-needed vitamins and iron to the dish. This was an extremely simple soup to make and one of the stand out dishes I have made recently. If the weather is cooling down where you are, give it a try!

INGREDIENTS

• 270g ramen noodles
• 1 head broccoli, cut into even-sized florets
• 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably Massel brand 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 2 heaped tablespoons sesame seeds, plus 1 teaspoon sprinkled on each serving 
• 20g dried shallots

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add ramen noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Drain noodles with cold water in a colander, reserving boiling water in a large serving bowl.  After making sure that the boiling water equals 6 cups water, add stock powder and stir well. Place noodles in the hot stock (if using ready-made stock, you do not need to reserve the boiling water- but note that ready-made stock is much dearer to buy!). 

2. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until just tender. (If you have a steamer this is very easy, however if you do not bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, place a colander above the water with the broccoli florets and cover with the saucepan lid. Steam until just tender. Add broccoli to the soup. 

3. Add bean sprouts, chilli flakes, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and soy sauce to the soup. Stir gently to combine. Pour soup into four deep bowls and sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and 5g dried shallots. Serve warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes maximum 

x Emily 

NIKKI REED GOES NEON AT PILATES

Nikki Reed has a very impressive resume. At the young age of 24 she is a well-known movie & TV actress, screenwriter, singer-songwriter, model and is happily married. Not to mention that her body is fit, fabulous and flawless. Nikki burst onto the Hollywood scene 10 years ago, at the tender age of 14, as she co-starred and co-wrote the controversial movie 'Thirteen'. She found fame again starring in the Twilight saga and is by no means slowing down, as she has four films in the pipeline. 

Nikki was spotted twice in the last week starting her day with a Pilates class in Sherman Oaks, California. The actress debuted some very quirky neon footwear when she departed from her Pilates session. Known as 'barefoot' trainers, Nikki's bright pink shoes added a fun splash of colour to her otherwise all black workout attire. Perhaps Nikki used these sweet sneakers when running her very first half marathon (21 kilometre) run for charity in December. The toned actress & her husband Paul McDonald donned their futuristic sneakers and completed the race in under 2 and a half hours! What a fit chick! 

Nikki informs that this athletic feat was a great achievement for her,as being a longtime smoker she was unable to keep up any level of fitness. 'Smoking kept me from being able to run, swim, hike and participate in sports as I was always out of breath. 'Being active is really important to me because it wasn’t an option before,' reveals Nikki.  'I gave myself a disability by smoking'. As Nikki celebrates her half marathon milestone and three years smoke-free, I'm betting that she has never felt fitter or more toned in her life. 

Besides her running training and regular Pilates classes , Nikki also enjoys hiking, water-skiing and windsurfing and says that she finds running on a treadmill 'boring'.The newlywed likes to follow a vegan eating plan too, calling carbohydrates her friends. 'I eat tons of quinoa, tons of brown rice and tons of avocados. I eat like two avocados a day! I'm all about fuel foods.'

Want to change your life and become physically fit and active like Nikki? Keen to participate in an exercise that does not bore you silly? Call Premium Pilates Studio on 0402 680 724 or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com and start your fitness goal today! 

x Emily

SOBA NOODLES WITH VEGETABLES & FRIED EGG

I have always wanted to cook with soba noodles, but never had the chance as I strictly stuck to gluten free rice noodles. Finding out that I can tolerate some gluten was very exciting for me; interestingly my mind instantly flickered to all the Asian noodles I could consume, instead of all the bread, pastries and pasta that were now available. Soba noodles are a very popular Japanese dish and are thin noodles made from buckwheat flour. These noodles are either served with a dipping sauce, like the recipe below, or in hot broth as a soup. As the steamy summer weather does not lend itself kindly to warm soup, I made a sauce that can be served with the noodles in the stir-fry or alongside the noodles and vegetables. My inspiration for this dish came from an Instagram idol of mine; GourmetGirlfriend, a mother of 5 boys in Melbourne who manages to cook beautifully presented and delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners whilst raising her little men and tending to her vegetable garden. Some people follow Justin Bieber, NBA stars and models, I follow cooks! 

INGREDIENTS

• 270g soba noodles
• 2 cups red cabbage, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced 
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus 1 tablespoon extra to serve 
• 1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce 
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons mirin seasoning or rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce 
• 4 free-range eggs, fried
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• 1 small lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced 
• Optional- coriander leaves, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water twice. 

2. Meanwhile, combine sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, mirin seasoning, fish sauce and tamari/soy sauce in a small bowl and whisk well. 

3. (You can start this step whilst you are completing step 1). Heat sesame oil in a wok over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add carrot and cabbage and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until just tender. Add noodles and sesame seeds to the wok and stir well. Pour in sauce from step 2 and toss well to combine the stir-fry. When noodles are warm and sauce is combined, remove from heat. Serve with cucumber, the last of the sesame seeds, one fried egg and coriander leaves if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 18 minutes (not including frying the eggs) 

x Emily