Fennel, Coconut & Mint Salad

The sun has been shining in London and we had a barbecue to celebrate! Here is my contribution … In a large bowl toss together finely sliced fennel, baby gem or cos lettuce leaves with lots of shredded coconut and fresh mint leaves. The dressing is lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and vanilla powder. Simple recipe with so much flavour! Continue reading Fennel, Coconut & Mint Salad

Coconut & Almond Truffles

I had a lovely lunch last weekend with Alex and we were discussing how much sugar impacts on how much we eat. We’ve both had a similar experience – by reducing sugar we have reduced the craving for more food. It’s like sugar runs another program in my brain that overrides my ‘satisfied’ belly. We have both found that by cutting down on sugar of any kind, the feeling of ‘enough’ could truly be felt and over-eating is no longer a driving force at meal time. Inspired by this conversation, I’ve created a ‘sweet treat’ that is lovely to offer … Continue reading Coconut & Almond Truffles

Simple Vegetable Supper

This week was really busy at work. I have started to integrate into a new department to take over from a lady who will be going on maternity leave in three months. So in addition to my usual work, I am picking up more tasks and spent Friday focussed and busy. I love being busy so it wasn’t exhausting or stressful. When I got home at 7.30pm, I was hungry and tired, so I wanted to have something super nutritious and light that would send me to sleep in harmony. In a large fry pan I melted some coconut oil. … Continue reading Simple Vegetable Supper

Sarah’s Luscious Laksa

Laksa is a Malaysian soup that was my favourite when I lived in Australia. There aren’t many in London, so I have created my own. I made this Laksa paste from a few recipes that I found – it’s been ‘Sarah-fied’ – and verified – it’s amazing! 4 shallots 6 garlic cloves 2 tbls crushed macadamia 4 tbls soaked dried shrimp 6 bulbs fresh lemongrass 2 teas chilli flakes 2 teas turmeric 4 teas coriander seeds 1 teas fennel seed 1 teas cumin seed 1/2 teas cinnamon 4 cardamom pods 6 kaffir lime leaves Fresh mint Fresh coriander stalks Blend … Continue reading Sarah’s Luscious Laksa

Julie’s Team Lunch Meeting

Julie has asked me to come up with some fresh ideas for a work lunch meeting she is holding for 17 people. A great idea is to ask everyone to choose his or her protein the week before, then you know how much you will need to buy and prepare. Keep it simple and buy a few BBQ Chickens already cooked (no stuffing) and cut them into quarters with some good quality shears/scissors so they are easy to manage. Drizzle with olive oil after cutting and cover to keep in the moisture. Here’s a twist on the protein with a … Continue reading Julie’s Team Lunch Meeting

Emotional Eating

There were some gentle and soothing tears shed this morning on my way to work as I realised I had been hiding from some grief. I connected with feeling that some people in my life had let me down, they hadn’t been there for me when I needed them. Walking in my own love to the tube, I felt that grief and allowed it to express, tears rolling down my face. I felt really vulnerable and fragile in the crowd as I walked and rested in my seat. I was surrounded by scores of people all pressing against one another … Continue reading Emotional Eating

The Dark Side of Wheat

This is a fascinating research study article abour wheat, it’s history and present impact on our bodies. Worth reading the whole article – The Dark Side of Wheat “Below the tip of the “Gluten Iceberg,” we might find these opiate-like peptides to be responsible for bread’s general popularity as a “comfort food”, and our use of phrases like “I love bread,” or “this bread is to die for” to be indicative of wheat’s narcotic properties. I believe a strong argument can be made that the agricultural revolution that occurred approximately 10-12,000 years ago as we shifted from the Paleolithic into the Neolithic era … Continue reading The Dark Side of Wheat

Black Cherries & Soy Coconut Cream

In a blender put: 1 x 350g pack of silken tofu with 1/2 a cup of coconut cream 1 heaped teaspoon of vanilla powder A sprinkle of ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar Put the misture in the fridge to set. Heat a saucepan and add: 2 cups frozen black cherries (I always keep some in the freezer, they’re so handy and really good for you!) 1 star anise 1 stick of cinnamon A splash of water. Cover and simmer till just warmed through. Remove the star anise and cinnamon stock and serve in bowls with a dollop of … Continue reading Black Cherries & Soy Coconut Cream