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Watercress pesto

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pesto

There are so many things I love about this pesto, it’s a powerhouse for nutrition, the colour is amazingly appetising and it pairs up perfectly with so many different dishes.  I love a generous scoop on salmon, a pork chop, chicken or even just with a salad.

“Superfood” usually represents a new trendy food that we all feel we should be eating and are not quite sure why but if I was to quote a superfood mine would be watercress.  More iron than spinach, more calcium than milk and more vitamin C than an orange, it’s packed with health giving properties.  Watercress is also full of antioxidants, it has even been shown to halt cancer development.

I like to add macadamia nuts to my pesto because they contain plenty of healthy monounsaturated fats, they are literally 85% good / nourishing fats.  They also have a really buttery texture when added to this dip.

I make this pesto frequently and store it in the fridge, with a little olive oil drizzled on top it keeps for about 3 weeks.

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Watercress pesto
Author: 
Recipe type: Dip
Cuisine: Dip
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
A dip to go with meats, fish and vegetables
Ingredients
  • 1 large bag of watercress
  • 1 cup of fresh basil
  • 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • Squeeze of half a lemon
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • ½ cup of finely grated parmesan
  • ½ cup of macadamia nuts
  • 2 tablespoons of lightly toasted pine nuts
Instructions
  1. Lightly toast the pine nuts in an empty frying pan, toss in the pan gently and watch to make sure they don't burn. When just starting to colour remove from heat.
  2. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or use a hand mixer to blend.
  3. Transfer to an airtight container and add olive oil to the top to keep it fresh.
  4. Take a generous spoonful and add to meats, fish or just use with raw or roasted vegetables.

Chocolate slab with sea salt

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chocolate-slab

 

Ahhh the decadence of chocolate!!  Not many days go by when I don’t treat myself to a piece of chocolate.  I’ve transitioned over the years to healthier chocolate and when the quality of your chocolate improves so do the health benefits, yes you heard me right, chocolate can actually be good for you.

The higher % of cocoa beans you have the more antioxidants and minerals it contains.  Dark Chocolate also contains high levels of phenylethylamine, the chemistry of LOVE (think pulse-quickening excitement!), which is why it is pretty addictive and really is the food of happiness.

If you’ve always chosen to eat a big bar of Cadbury’s, then you’re likely missing out.  You probably want to try a 60% dark chocolate to start and as your tastes evolve you soon get used to the richness.  It’s pretty difficult to finish a whole bar of dark chocolate and believe me I’ve tried.  Small adaptations to your chocolate over time will have a big impact on your health but as your tastes change you’ll eventually end up finding Cadbury’s too sweet.

Eventually you might even be able to eat just pure cacao – no sugar added and unrefined, this superior chocolate is packed with goodness, including the highest dietary source of magnesium, great for nerve and muscle function and even improving sleep.  You could start with cacao and add your own version of sugar so some raw honey, maple syrup or a little liquid stevia are all healthier alternatives to refined sugar.

Improve the quality of your chocolate and not only do you reap health benefits but it literally becomes a guilt free pleasure.

Here is an interesting fact.. the oldest recorded living woman Jeanne Calment, lived to 122 years old and ate 1 kilo of chocolate a week!!

So make a chocolate slab and experiment with toppings, I use macadamia and walnuts because they contain the highest quantities of healthy omega 3 fats but you might also like to try some of the following

  • Almonds
  • Brazil nuts
  • Cashews
  • Raisins
  • Pine nuts
  • Apricots

Or you can even use some fresh ingredients if you’re going to eat the chocolate straight away

  • Bananas
  • Raspberries
  • Blueberries
  • Mango
  • Apple
  • Raisins

In mexico, where chocolate originated, it is used frequently in savory dishes so you could even try it with some cayenne pepper or add it to your chilli.

Have some fun with it and send me some of your ideas and recipes in the comments below.

 

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Chocolate slab
Author: 
Recipe type: Chocolate treats
Cuisine: Chocolate
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 5 servings
 
A pudding or snack to be enjoyed guilt free.
Ingredients
  • 100 g Chocolate aim for 70%+ dar chocolate or even pure cacao (with some natural suagrs, see above sugggestions)
  • Selection of nuts, I like macadamia and walnuts
  • Seeds
  • Goji berries
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Melt chocolate on a bain marie to avoid the chocolate splitting from too much heat
  2. Once fully melted pour on to a plate covered in greaseproof paper
  3. Place nuts and seeds randomly over the chocolate so it is covered with a nice even spread.
  4. Sprinkle salt using fingers evenly on top
  5. Refrigerate for 30 mins
  6. Peel off paper and snap into pieces, store in a tin ready to eat.

10 Reasons Why Healthy Eating Gives You so Much More than Weight Loss

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I use the term healthy eating and not dieting with a distinct purpose.  Dieting is normally associated with willpower, restricting foods that you ultimately crave and a roller-coaster of weight loss – weight goes on, weight comes off and repeat in a frustrating cycle. Healthy eating to me is different, it’s about gradual adaptations to your diet that result in slow weight loss (typically 1-2lbs a week) but that’s sustainable, it becomes your lifestyle.

Healthy eating is about so much more than weight loss, yes you lose weight but what you gain in the process is ten fold, I’ve experienced this personally but also had this supported by many people who I have worked with.

  1. Feeling happy – 90-95% of your hormone serotonin (the happy hormone) is produced in your gut.  Providing the right environment for these hormones to thrive is key to feeling happy.
  2. Heightened energy and vitality – for me it has become limitless or certainly as much energy as I need to satisfy my exercise addiction. There were days when I didn’t think I’d have enough energy for another Zumba class, now I feel energised for all my classes and I’ve added crossfit and yoga to the mix.  The world can literally become your oyster and it may not be that you want to add lots more exercise to your life (although I highly recommend it for so many reasons) you might just not want to be breathless going up the stairs or have more energy to play football with your children.
  3. Brain power – good nutrition can actually increase your number of brain neurons making you sharper whilst at the same time providing improved focus and concentration.  Recent research has also found that the larger the waist circumference the more brain shrinkage occurs, which is never a good thing!
  4. Turbo charge your immune system – if you’re fed up with getting colds and flu all through the winter then putting the right combination of amino acids, vitamins and minerals can really help.  Over the last few years, nutritional science has developed further to include probiotics to improve the gut flora and nurture what is now being herald the second brain.  Further blogs to follow and probiotic recipes.
  5. Enhanced sleep – as your healthy eating improves, your ability to sleep solidly for 8-9 hours (if you’re lucky to get that much)  a night improves.  Adequate sleep is imperative for weight loss but you’ll also notice that you can jump out of bed in the morning and tackle what life throws at you if you’ve had a decent nights sleep, anyone with children can empathise here.
  6. No more 3/4pm crashes of energy – if you experience that lethargy in the afternoon that can normally only be abated with a super strong hit of caffeine, chances are it’s diet related and can be avoided.
  7. No more bloated feeling – if you’ve regularly gone to bed feeling uncomfortably full and having to undo the top button of your jeans you know what I’m talking about.  Eating the right foods will make you feel totally satiated without the bloated feeling.
  8. Improved strength – whether you’re weight training or just want to be able to lift yourself out of bed that little bit easier you will notice the difference.
  9. Youth – it’s not quite the fountain of eternal youth but you can actually improve the appearance of wrinkles with living enzymes in raw food and when your 30+ who doesn’t want to look a bit younger.
  10. Blemish free skin and thicker hair – this is not an exaggeration, the tone of your skin evens out, you will no longer experience breakouts of spots.  Your hair becomes thicker, (not sure if this applies to men!!) the only time I have had hair this thick was when I was pregnant and now enjoy long luscious locks.

Being healthy doesn’t mean depriving yourself of all the food you love, it means switching it up a little.  It means eating real food as nature intended because that’s what was meant to power our bodies. You can still eat a piece of chocolate, cheesecake, crisps or even sweetened beverages it’s just knowing how to use real food to provide healthier substitutes, keep an eye on my recipes!  It might mean you have to cook a little but I happen to think the payoff is worth the investment of your time.

This is why I am so passionate about food… it is about so much more than just maintaining a healthy weight (although important too!). Feeling healthy and happy literally sneaks in to infiltrate every part of your life – at work, family life and in all your relationships.  Life is far from perfect but you will be so much better equipped to handle what life throws at you if you eat healthily.

Food of Happiness