GF "CREAMY" VEGGIE MUSHROOM PASTA - LESS THAN 10 MINS

Sometimes all you need a big bowl of comforting carbs! This is a super speedy dish that can be rustled up in less than 10 minutes, so it's ideal for all those who have little meal prep time.

Eating nourishing food doesn't mean you have to spend hours in the kitchen. Being in the corporate world myself, I know only too well how time is precious when you get back from a long day in the office - so simple, speedy, nutritious and delicious is what I aim for in my dishes! 

Carbs often get a bad rep as people associate them to weight gain, bloating, tiredness etc, however the trick is selecting the right carbs in your diet! I avoid most white / refined carbs i.e. white rice, white bread, white pasta and white sugar. Instead I use brown rice, rye bread, brown rice pasta and coconut sugar. Making this switch provides me with way more energy, stops me from binging and doesn't send my tummy into horrendous cramps!

Adding a little natural greek yogurt to this dish also creates a delicious creamy sauce. To make this dish vegan friendly, switch Greek yogurt for coconut yogurt!

Ingredients:

1 cup GF pasta - I use brown rice pasta
1 white onion - sliced
1/2 courgette - sliced  
1/2 cup mushrooms - sliced
1/4 peas
1/2 chilli 
4 spring onions 
1 knob fresh ginger - chopped
3 tbsp natural Greek yogurt / coconut yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon 
Pinch of salt and pepper

Method:

Add the GF pasta into boiling water and simmer for approx. 8 minutes.

Whilst the pasta is cooking, add the white onion and courgette into a pan and sauté until browned - approx 5 minutes. Then add in the mushrooms, peas, spring onion, chilli, ginger, lemon juice and salt & pepper. Sauté for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the Greek yogurt an simmer for a minute or two.

Drain the pasta and add into the pan with the veggies, mix well.

Serve up and sprinkle a few raw spring onions, chilli and salt & pepper on top!

Enjoy!!

MISO AND GINGER SOUP

Winter feels have well and truly kicked in and sniffle season is in full swing! After falling victim to the flu last weekend, I’ve been craving plenty of warming, soothing soups to help build my energy levels up and get my immune system get back on track.

This one really does warm you through and through and offers a number of nutritional benefits to beat that winter bug!

Miso is made from fermented soybeans. Eating plenty of fermented food is a great way to replenish your body with lots of beneficial bacteria which assists with fighting off unwanted invaders and infections. Using ginger is also a great way to strengthen the immune system - it's my staple ingredient throughout the winter season!

Do any of you guys have any immune boosting tips? :)

Ingredients: Serves 2

1 pak choi

1 white onion

4 spring onions

½ cup chopped asparagus

½ chilli

1 tbsp olive oil

2 organic eggs

3 tbsp brown rice miso paste

650ml boiling water

Knob of fresh ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of brown rice

Method:

Start by cooking the brown rice in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes before you start prepping the soup.

After 10 minutes, add the white onion into a separate pan with a little olive oil and gently sauté for a couple of minutes.

In a cup, add the miso paste with half a cup of boiling water and stir until the paste becomes runny, then add into the pan with the onion.

Finely slice the ginger, chilli and spring onions and add into the pan.

Then add in the rest of the boiling water in the pan along with the pak choi, mushrooms, spring onions and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Simmer for approx 8-10 minutes, until the veggies have softened.

To boil the eggs, add them into a pan of boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes. Once cooked, remove with a spoon and instantly add to a bowl of cold water. This will cool the eggs so you can peel off the shell quickly and easily.

Once the rice is cooked, drain and add into a bowl. Add the soup and egg on top and enjoy!