If you are serious about getting in top health and shape this Summer, then look no further than your salad bowl! This one is not only delicious and full of crunch (the way vegetables are supposed to be before you cook the life out of them lol) but a most nutritious way to munch your way through lunch or the next occasion…chickpeas are just sooo healthy and of course we can’t get enough of our greens.

And in case you are wondering, it’s no coincidence that this dish makes great festive fare with the choice of vibrant red and green (you can thank our in- house master chef Jenny for that!) and will no doubt help us to digest the heavier items on the table.

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Pasta Salad with Asparagus

With the warmer season upon us (well in theory anyway aside from the thunderstorms lol) we thought it might be time to whip up a quick and easy nutritious salad with a gourmet twist. We should all be eating more vegies and foods with colour- and this one certainly fits the bill.

I personally like that this salad features the long forgotten vegetable (don't mind the pun ;)) asparagus, that is oh so healthy and still manages to escape our plates apart from the odd appearance in a fancy restaurant here and there. You know the ones- where you pay more for the large empty plate than what is actually on it. ;- )

Pasta makes the salad more filling and also fun to eat - we suggest to skip the ordinary wheat pasta and favour a brown rice or millet pasta instead for a healthier & lighter alternative that won't weigh you down. As for the nuts, we have chosen pine nuts in the picture which adds a nice flavour or substitute with a sprinkle of your favourite nuts of choice.

Bon Appetit!

serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as a side.

Celebrate the sweetness of Spring and new beginnings with this delicious and surprisingly wholesome Apple Tart!

A healthier alternative to many sweet treats out there and a welcome addition to any dinner function or party. 

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extremely easy – family dinner idea or weekend entertainer 

Need some fresh healthy ideas in the kitchen? Here is an easy one you can whip up and serve for dinner tonight and will have your family begging for more or visitors asking you for the secret recipe!

We all need to eat more vegetables to stay healthy and can all benefit from the healthy goodness of chickpeas. Even the carnivores amongst us will be very satisfied with this dish.

Serves 4

Tomato Soup with Basil

Recent studies reveal that a Mediterranean diet is one of the key secrets to longevity, along with such things as handling stress well, choosing the right parents (LOL) and eating lots of fish like the Japanese who boast high proportions of Centenarians.

So with that in mind and of course the Wintry weather that is upon us, this delicious Mediterranean tomato and basil soup is the perfect recipe for the occasion.

Rich in natural flavour and heart healthy lycopene, the powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes, it's a definite healthy choice for the whole family!

This Mediterranean soup recipe is easy to make in a large pot and freezes well if necessary, making convenient meals ahead for busy lifestyles.

Serves approx 6.

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If you are looking for an easy and delicious dinner idea but want something a bit different for the family or a great entertainer to please your guests every time over the cooler months, then you will love this spicy soup recipe! 

There is nothing like a nice hot pumpkin and carrot soup to delight the senses and warm up the body on a cold Winter's night. Especially when you add delicious aromatic herbs to the mix such as cinnamon stick and star anise. Mmmmmm

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkin contains a powerhouse of nutrients and therefore is an important addition to a healthy diet. Rich in beta-carotene, shown to be protective against developing certain cancers, loaded with potassium for reduced risk of hypertension, zinc for a much-needed immune boost and high in fibre to help prevent cancer, heart disease and other serious ailments.

If that wasn't enough, these orange beauties are the perfect ingredient for glowing skin since they are rich in antioxidants A and C as well as alpha-hydroxy-acids. These are so important for good health and help to reduce the visible signs of ageing!

With so many healthy reasons to enjoy pumpkin, this is a perfect choice for family, friends or just you and your special somebody to enjoy! 

Spice up your dinner with this little star ingredient!

One of the key spices featured in this soup is Star Anise, obtained from a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. It is widely used in Chinese cuisine and in Indian cuisine where it is a major component of garam masala, and in Indonesian cuisine. It is widely grown for commercial use in China, India, and most other countries in Asia. You will find Star anise in the traditional five-spice powder of Chinese cooking. 

Traditionally, Star anise has been used in tea as a remedy for colic and rheumatism, and the seeds are sometimes chewed after meals to aid digestion.

We hope you enjoy this gourmet healthy recipe! We welcome your feedback after you try it! If you enjoy it as much as we did, please feel free to add your comments at the end of this article for the benefit of others and give well-deserved compliments to the chef! Bon Appetit!

Nuts, seeds, legumes and wholegrains should be a very important part of our daily food intake but are often overlooked for meat and potatoes.

I recently watched a program where a 71 year old woman, who looked like a very attractive and healthy 50 year old, said she believed the secret to her youthful and healthy looks were a combination of a vegan diet and exercise.

We all know that processed, high fat, high salt and high sugar foods are quite literally killing us. The only way to be healthy is to eat healthy and exercise.

This means eating a plant based diet with some excellent quality supplements thrown in. Why do we need supplements?

The soil our food is grown in can be very depleted. Not many of us grow our own vegetables and fruit anymore so often what we eat is not as fresh as it should be.

Approximately 75% - 80% of what we eat each day should be fresh food i.e. vegetables, salads and some fruit. The other 20% - 25% should be protein and carbohydrate.

Making salads and vegetables is not at all difficult but it is great to have some good recipes and different ideas for serving healthy, vegetarian meals.

Nuts are a natural food that provide (incomplete*) protein and some nuts even contain omegas. It is best to have a variety of nuts in our diet such as walnuts, cashews, almonds and brazil nuts. Just a very small handful of nuts make a great snack. Make sure you buy nuts with no salt and avoid peanuts (they are not healthy).

Nuts are also great to cook with - nut loaves make a wonderful addition to a meal, dry fried walnuts added to a salad are delicious and savoury nut balls in tomato sauce will please even the most ardent meat eater.

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Curry Korma

This recipe is so appealing thanks to the aromatic flavours of a good curry and it certainly warms the bones on cooler nights.

But far more than that, we benefit from the beans that are just so packed with goodness and here is why…

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All made in one pot - very easy to make 

Serves 4

Raw food is considered by many to be the healthiest way to eat food.

And in summer, and particularly, on those days where the temperatures soar, I find turning a salad into a stand alone meal in itself is a great way to eat.

It's also a fabulous way to stay in shape over the Summer months!

We hope you enjoy this unique recipe with a twist. Rather than spelling out all the exact ingredients as we normally would in our recipe of the month, we give you a number of options and let your imagination run free to create new and wonderful combinations. Thus we have called it a mix'n match super salad!

Then top off the salad with this fabulous "Honey Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette" recipe that you will just love!

Read on and enjoy!!