Every now and then I go through a phase of not being able to get to sleep or waking up in the night and not being able to drop back off. I’ve recently come up with this hot milk recipe which really helps me to relax and send me off – mainly because of the very clever ingredients within….
Turmeric is known for many health benefits, it’s a powerful anti-inflammatory and has antioxidant properties helping your body to repair itself as you snooze. Nutmeg helps insomnia and vanilla soothes anxiety. Finally, honey promotes relaxation, raising our insulin slightly to release tryptophan which makes us sleepy.
Ingredients
Cup of milk (nut milk, coconut or cows milk)
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
½ tsp honey
½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Add everything except the milk into a sauce pan and add a little milk to make a paste then add the rest of the milk and heat through and serve.
I went to the health food store yesterday to replenish my stocks and I can’t wait to start using these goodies! Health Food Shop Loot
I bought Vegan Hemp Protein powder for a pre- or post-work out boost. It’s slow releasing and contains no chemicals which is very important to me. Hemp Protein Powder
I also got some apple cider vinegar which on the label says ‘with the mother’ I found this quite amusing and baffling in the shop but have since found out that this is a good thing! It includes strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the product a murky appearance and people believe this to be the reason that cider vinegar is so good for you although this hasn’t yet been supported with scientific studies.
Apple Cider Vinegar
I got some more raw extra virgin coconut oil, mainly because it was on special offer. It is so versatile to use in most meals and has some great health benefits – helping to burn fat, increase energy, defending against bacteria and viruses, lowering the risk of heart disease and cholesterol – there is a lot! You can do your own further research to find out more, I don’t cook with anything else these days.
Raw Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
I bought some Moringa superfood powder to put in my smoothies, granola and soups. Moringa is a tree grown in sub-Himalayan areas. It is used medicinally to treat a multitude of ailments (anaemia; arthritis; asthma; cancer; constipation; diabetes; diarrhoea; epilepsy; stomach pain; stomach and intestinal ulcers; intestinal spasms; headache; heart problems; high blood pressure; kidney stones; fluid retention; thyroid disorders; and bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections).
Moringa Powder
I use chia seeds in everything from overnight oats to salad toppings and on top of toast, its a good source of calcium, iron, omega-3 and zinc. Chia seeds are part of the mint family and the seeds can be black, brown or white – the darker seeds have a slightly higher antioxidant concentration.
Chia Seeds
I can’t wait to get using them, first stop will be a berry smoothie with the Moringa. I fully recommend paying your nearest health food store a visit, have a slow wander round and chat to the staff there – they’re usually very helpful and knowledgeable.
Obviously, please do your own research before making a purchase, just because the items I’ve purchased for my particular needs may not match yours. If be happy to discuss further, feel free to get in touch with any questions or comments.
I’ve recently started a new job hence the radio silence for a week or two but I’ve got some beauties for you this morning and more to come soon, including (hopefully) a wonderful guest blog from my lovely friend Nicola French!
Cashew cream on toast
Breakfast this morning is gluten free toast with cashew cream, which you’ll know having read my ‘Game Changer‘ post, this is my new and most favourite sweet treat!
Its been a pretty busy week as I’ve also started going back to the gym. I’m like a kid in a sweet shop with all the class options and had my first PT consult with one of the trainers, I’m really looking forward to getting fitter and leaner over the coming months, make sure you follow my Laura_of_London Instagram to track my progress!
Vietnamese Prawn Rolls
We’ve had a couple of nice new recipes this week as well as some good classics – my Vietnamese prawn rolls went down a storm last night with the family, they always taste so clean, healthy and fresh and adding a bit of spice to the dipping sauce makes all the difference!
I’ve made another meal plan for you to try, I really would urge you to try these for a week or to – most of the recipes are available on my site, they’re all clean eating and I’m always available to help chat through any questions you have. I’d love to have any feedback from people who have tried them as I want to make sure they work!
Have a super fantabulous weekend everyone, if you’re in London, it looks to be a nice hot BBQ-tastic one!
Trust me, I’m not using that title lightly! I’ve just made something quite amazing from a ridiculously small number of ingredients leaving me in a state of shock!
So this week I’ve been researching the benefits of soaking nuts and grains etc to remove toxins and make proteins and other good nutrients more easily absorbable by the body.
During the research I came across quite a few posts about ‘cream’ substitutes – especially when looking at vegan sites.
I tried to make Cashew Cream today and I’ve pretty much polished it off standing in the kitchen cooking dinner!
It’s super smooth as a result of soaking the cashews and the maple syrup is a great partner in crime. I’m going to have this as ‘Strawberries and cream’, it could easily be a ‘buttercream’ on top of GF cupcakes and might even work with my morning granola/compote concoction.
If you make anything from my blog, please make this.
Ingredients
1 cup plain cashews
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp maple syrup
Small pinch of sea salt
Soak the nuts covered in boiled water for 15 minutes.
Drain and add to a blender with all other ingredients and blitz for 3-4 minutes.
Add more water and blitz again if you want a thinner ‘cream’.
Hello all, I thought I’d share with you another meal plan to try to kick-start your clean eating habit, give it a go – you never know how clean eating might change your life 🙂Read More »
This is a really nice change for a smoothie, replace the usual banana or avocado thickener you use for oats. It seems more filling which is good and the oaty flavour is a nice change.Read More »
Summer is just around the corner, I can almost touch it! So I’m testing out lots of new salad ideas, packing as much nutritional punch as I possibly can. I try and add lots of additional beneficial extras – things like mixed seeds, nuts, bee pollen, flax seeds – you barely notice they’re there but they do heaps of good for your insides! You can easily omit the chicken in this recipe or replace it with rare cooked tune or steak or seafood – its really versatile.
Oriental Chicken Salad with Nutty Dressing
I’ve used a spiraliser on my salad vegetables to get nice long thin curly pieces but you can easily just use a peeler to shave them into your salad bowl.
The vegetables in my salad, using a spiraliser
Ingredients
1/2 pack of bean sprouts
Buckwheat/Soba Noodles
500g Chicken mini-fillets
Mixed seeds or nuts
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Finely chopped coriander, basil and mint – it doesn’t matter if you don’t have all of these
Herbivores unite! Basil, Coriander and Mint
any or all of the following
Carrots
Cucumber
Mooli
Peppers, sliced
for the dressing
2 tbsp Tahini
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp Fish sauce
1-2 tbsp dark soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp chilli flakes or fresh chilli
1 tbsp honey or agave
You can also add a bit of fresh chopped ginger and garlic to the dressing, if you want/have it in
Nutty Dressing
Method
Ok a lot of this is going to be prep work for the vegetables and then pulling it all together at the end.
Put some coconut oil in a pan and add your chicken mini fillets – I cook just a couple at a time on a high heat – this means that they will get super crispy on the outside which is lovely for some added texture to your salad – you can’t have a crowded pan to do this. Once it is all cooked, chop it up into bitesize pieces. Set the chicken aside to cool.
Prep all your vegetables, using a peeler or a spiraliser and set aside. This may take a while – play some music, dance around, get family to help.
Boil your noodles for 5 minutes, drain and run under a cold tap to cool quickly. Mix with your salad vegetables and bean sprouts.
Pop all the dressing ingredients into a saucepan and warm through gently until the sesame paste (tahini) has melted down. I add my spring onions to the dressing because I think warming them through takes away that sharp bite they can have when they’re completely raw.
Now just put it all together, its nice to put this on a big serving platter or a chopping board and everyone can get stuck in at the table. Lay out the veg, bean sprout and noodle mix first, then put the chicken over the top, drizzle over your dressing and then add seeds/nuts and your mixed herbs.
I really enjoy this salad, we’re having it once a week at the moment because everyone likes it so much. I think this would be lovely as a side salad for a BBQ – one for me to test further down the road.
Let me know what you think xxx Have a great weekend all xxx
I had a pretty full on day today at work – back to back meetings and then some crappy traffic to slow us down on the way home. I didn’t really have much patience for cooking so chose this quick Italian salad that’s ready in 10 minutes
Perfect for those nights when you need something fresh and tasty super quick Ingredients
3 slices of Prosciutto
1 beef tomato cut into slices
1-2 organic mozzarella balls
5-6 sprigs mint
10(ish) basil leaves
Asparagus
Lambs lettuce or rocket
Juice of 1 lemon
5tbp Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Ten minute meals are the way forward
Method
I split the asparagus lengthways and put them under the grill for 3-4 minutes on high, turning them over half way through.
I finely chopped the mint and basil and put it into a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Mix well.
Arrange your tomato, mozzarella and lettuce on a plate, drizzle over some of your dressing then add the prosciutto and the asparagus and add a final drizzle of the dressing.
Laura of London 