Did you know that eating a pie every day for the 12 days of Christmas brings wealth and prosperity for the future 12 months? Well if you believe folklore then why not put that theory to the test and have a crack at these delicious sweet treats.

Classic Christmas Minced Pies don’t need to be full of unhealthy ingredients for you to get the same festive kick.

Typically traditional pastry cups filled with dry fruit and served on Christmas day are loaded with sugar and gluten but the ones I am sharing with you today have broken free from their shackles and are far removed from their counterparts.

There’s no need to suffer through a mouthful of thick gluey pastry and preservative laden ingredients.  You can include fresh cranberries, apples, sultanas or your own dried fruit mix in this recipe.

Whether you prefer them were topped with stars, finished with a pie lid or crafted with beautiful lattice work these pies will give you the right amount of crumble and a good ratio of delicious filling to casing, the golden rule when on the hunt for a good minced pie.  Dust them off with a sprinkling of stevia to add a touch of Christmas magic.

These yummy Cranberry Mince Pies are cute and fun and you can wash them down with egg nog inspired Chai Custard.

Why not get ahead of the game by making these mince pies now and popping them in the freezer until the big day?  You'll not be disappointed.

Cranberry Mince Pies

Makes 12 mince pies

Ingredients

Filling

• 150 gms cranberries
• 100 gms sultanas
• 100 gms currants
• 100 gms raisins or prunes
• 1 tsp ginger (ground)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• ½ granny smith apple cored and chopped
• Zest of one lemon
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1 TBS apple cider vinegar

 Short Crust Pastry

• 375g gluten-free flour
• 150g butter
• 1 large beaten egg
• Pinch salt

Method

• Place all filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth
• Set aside to ensure flavours can meld
• Set oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Grease and flour a 12 cup muffin pan
• In a bowl sieve flour and mix flour and butter until it resembles breadcrumbs
• Add beaten egg and mix until a dough is formed adding cold water if necessary mould with hands until it resembles a ball
• Chill in fridge for 30 mins
• With a rolling pin, roll out dough to 5mm between two sheets of baking paper and cut into rounds, reserving some for tops
• Place 12 x round in bottom of greased muffin pan and bake in oven for 5-10 mins until almost golden
• Remove from oven and add mince-meat filling
• Top with thin pastry lids or crosses of pastry and return to oven for 5 mins or until top is crunchy
• Remove from oven onto a cooling rack serve warm or cold
• Once cooled they can be stored in an airtight tin

Serve with Chai Custard.

Herbal Harmonic teas are a range of beautiful natural and wild-crafted teas to align and balance the body.  There are eighteen different teas in the range, each with their own unique properties.

Two of my favourites are the painless relief blend and focus blend.

Painless is a natural alternative to using pharmaceuticals for pain in the body, and aligns the body to a healing vibration to aid recovery.  It works by reducing the volume in the pain receptors, and shifting anti-inflammatory factors through the circulatory system.  This assists to calm not only physical symptoms but also mental and emotional disturbances.  When your receptors to pain are diminished, the self-talk and anxious thoughts that that run in your mind are reduced helping to accelerate your body’s natural tendency to heal.

The organic wild-crafted ingredients in this blend include White Willow Bark used traditionally for pain relief, Meadowsweet, Feverfew, Catnip, Chrysanthemum flowers and Lemon Myrtle.

FOCUS, Insight and Clarity Blend is a tea which is calming and nurturing, allowing your energies to focus and bring a renewed sense of concentration to your mind.

The harmonic alignment within this tea enables a shift in the potency of pain held within the skeletal structure, and therefore when the skeleton relaxes, the muscles adhering to it also relax.  By relaxing and releasing this area, your circulatory system and blood flow can be regulated and the electromagnetic fields within your body are aligned. The tea helps to attune your inner voice and is a wonderful grounding tea to drink throughout the day.

The ingredients in Focus blend are organic and wild-crafted and include Brahmi, Gotu Kola, Ginko Biloba, Lemon Balm and Ginger Root, giving it a fresh taste.

Both teas are extremely drinkable and taste mellow and light and can be taken at any time of the day. You can find out more about the teas on the website or via the facebook page.

Living in Australia means that many of us down under get to enjoy the abundance of seasonal produce throughout the year.  Because we change our clothing to move with the seasons and stay cool in summer or warm through the winter months it makes perfect sense to apply that to our eating habits and adapt our diets to move with the seasons, taking full advantage of all of the fresh and plentiful produce that are so readily available here.

Not only for practical and ethical reasons but whenever I can, I strive to buy food that is in season. I find that I can really notice the difference in taste because produce has had the chance to ripen and develop naturally. It’s also kinder on the hip pocket too if you buy seasonally and in bulk and freeze or dehydrate for the upcoming months when produce may become hard to source and more expensive.

It doesn’t make sense to shell out more money for food that has travelled thousands of kilometres when locally sourced, fresh produce is brimming with more nutrients and minerals that have been lost on long journeys and by hanging about in cool rooms.

Once a week I head down to my local farmer’s market to see what’s on offer.  It’s fun to get to know the growers and producers of your produce, and build a rapport with them.  Buying at farmer’s markets supports farmers to maintain farmland and helps to add more green space in local areas.

Now as we head into summertime in Australia, you’ll notice an influx of the most delicious fruits coming into season and farmer’s market stalls and local grocers are filling their shelves with beautiful and delicious summer berries.

I’m going to share three of my favourite summer berry recipes, my luscious sugar free, fruity, strawberry jam, and two summer drink recipes, a raspberry spritzer and a strawberry granita from my brand new book Supercharged Food, Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian.

There's nothing quite like a enjoying big dollop of strawberry jam on toast and biting down on full, ruby red, sweet-heart shaped strawbs for breakfast.  Preserving is the perfect way to use up seasonal strawberries and avoid wastage.

Commonly known for its antioxidant properties, the little strawberry offers a wide range of health benefits too;

• Strawberries are great sources of Vitamin C, instrumental in supporting your immune function. Unlike most mammals, we don’t have the ability to produce Vitamin C naturally, which is why it’s so important that we meet our daily requirements from the foods we eat. 100gs of strawberries contains 58.8 mg of Vitamin C, which is more than the Australian Recommended Daily Intake (49mg/day).

• As well as being a great source of Vitamin C, strawberries are rich in antioxidants, which are vital in defending the body from free radical damage. Chronic diseases can arise when cellular DNA is damaged, sometimes by free-radical damage.

• Strawberries play a role in reducing inflammation of the joints due to the antioxidants and phytochemicals found in the fruit. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, highlighted that women who ate 16 or more strawberries per week, were 14% less likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a blood biomarker that signals the presence of inflammation in the body.

• According to new research published from Harvard Medical School, women who eat more than three servings per week of blueberries and strawberries, have a 32% lower risk of having cardio vascular disease. This benefit is due to the flavonoids in the berries known as anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that give these fruits their characteristic red and purple hues.

When shopping for strawberries organic varieties are best, look for undamaged fruit with no signs of mould. There can be over sixty types of pesticides sprayed onto strawberries as possible fungus prompts farmers to spray, and pesticide residue remains on the surface.

Whether you enjoy them just as they are, tumbled upon your porridge in the morning, as a long replenishing drink, sweet dessert or a homemade topping such as strawberry jam, make the most of all of the spectacular summer berries this season.

Strawberry Jam

WF, DF, GF, VEG, VG

Makes one jar

Ingredients

• 2 punnets strawberries hulled and sliced in half
• ¼ cup rice malt syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

• Place strawberries in heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat, add rice malt syrup and bring to boil.  Stir for 20 minutes until the consistency is thick and strawberries have cooked through.
• Whilst still hot transfer to sterilised preserving jar and store in cool dry place.
• Jam keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge.

Strawberry Granita

WF, DF, GF, VEG, VG

Ready for a transcendental experience?  As your granita starts to melt it will became half slushy half granita and the flavour of the berries will burst through onto your taste buds with vigor.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 punnets of strawberries, stems removed (frozen)
• 1 TBS rice malt syrup or sweetener of choice
• 2 TBS coconut milk
• coconut flakes to serve

Method

• Place frozen strawberries in a blender and add rice malt syrup or sweetener of choice
• Blend until smooth, and then place in the freezer until hardened up
• Remove from the freezer and return to the blender and process to icy flakes
• Spoon coconut milk into a tall glass
• Add granita and decorate with coconut flakes to serve

Raspberry Spritzer

WF, DF, GF, VEG, VG

To think that only multinational fizzy drink corporations can create a bottom-kicking beverage is the misconception of the century. The proof is in this delicious homemade sparkling swill which will dazzle drinkers with its bright pink hue and zinging flavours of raspberry and coconut. Place it on the summer lunch table and wow your friends and guests.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 2 cups sparkling water
• ¼ tsp liquid stevia or sweetener of your choice
• 6 coconut water ice cubes

Method

• Place raspberries in a bowl, squish with a fork and set aside for 15 minutes
• Pour them into a fine mesh strainer add lemon juice and then using the back of a spoon push through into a jug, scraping the outside of the strainer as you go
• Add stevia and stir
• Pour in sparkling water and then add ice
• Stir carefully with long handled spoon
• Drink with a straw, the raspberry may settle at the bottom of your glass so just give it a quick stir

Read more about my new book Supercharged Food, Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian here.

Gliding in through the open gates to the Golden Door Health Retreat in the Hunter Valley, I felt an enormous sense of calm envelop my body.

It must have been something to do with the surroundings, the vineyards and the Brokenback mountain range.  It really is so incredibly beautiful you have to catch your breath as you cast your eyes over the vast countryside with trees dotted about and hills with purple hues and perfect blue dappled sky before you.

As I looked around and took in the splendor it reminded me of an Albert Namatjira painting I fell in love with in Alice Springs once.

 See what I mean!...

Once I had arrived, and completed orientation and check in, I was shown to my room which was a beautiful villa.  The first thing I noticed was that it smelt so heavenly, and it was elegant and luxurious. And then I saw the bath.  All I can say is wow!  I knew right then that I would be soaking in relaxing bubble baths in the evening.

My villa overlooked the beautiful landscape where I would find my afternoons spent on the balcony just listening to the sounds of nature and the animals and insects doing their thing.  It’s funny how when you have time in nature it makes you highly attuned to the sounds that are going on around you, there were kangaroos hopping around and dragon flies filtering past, I saw birds and insects building their nests and all of these new cacophony of sounds became the chorus that gently lulled me to sleep at night.

During my time at this spectacular retreat, as well as taking the opportunity to completely unwind, I got involved in some of the activities that were offered, the stretch classes and yoga were fantastic and I also played tennis too.  I must admit that it was the first time since the eighties, so I was a bit rusty.  Luckily the coach was an ex Australian tennis champ and she was fantastic with a good sense of humour and it was such a fun exercise to do with everyone.  By the end of it we had all gotten to know each other better. Just in time for lunch!

There are a plethora of optional activities on offer at Golden Door so you really can do what suits you, whether it’s high impact or low impact even golf or deep running in the pool.  There are two pools one indoors and one located outdoors to soak up the springtime rays.

In the mornings at sunrise I took part in tranquil Tai Chi Qi Gong, which was such a spectacular way to start the day.  We practiced up on meditation hill and took in all of the incredible scenery.

This is what early morning looked like. I love how you can see the clouds and mist across the top of the trees and feel the stillness in the air.

What I loved about Golden Door whilst I was there was that I never felt compelled or obligated to get involved in anything if I didn’t want to.  I also found that there was no pushy up-selling or trying to get you to fork out on spa treatments if you didn’t want to do them.

There are a wide variety of treatments and spa activities you can enjoy if you so wish.  Golden Door has its own wellness experts, at your fingertips and you can have sessions with a naturopath, fitness coaches, massage therapists, hypnotherapists, reflexologists, healers, nutritionists and spa therapists.

There’s a wonderfully relaxing spa area where you can jump from steam room to pool to spa, I loved getting a pummelling in the spa and then lying out on a lounger in the private female only garden. As part of my stay I indulged in the soul awakening session which was very cosmic and provided me with a deep sense of renewed energy and a peaceful haven to explore.

I would highly recommend it as a way to unravel and remove old patterns from your life and restore your sense of self. This is done by way of source field energies whereby your body is immersed with quantum based frequencies which then triggers the body to heal itself.

Another treatment I enjoyed was the Watsu Golden Door Signature Treatment which takes place in a private heated pool. Combining the therapeutic benefits of shiatsu with warm water, a therapist supports your body in the water, relaxing your spine in different ways and creating a deep sense of relaxation with gentle gliding and flowing movements. Watsu can assist with acute and chronic pain, postural imbalances and stress related disorders. I felt extremely zoned out afterwards and a complete sense of peace.

One of the highlights of my stay at Golden Door was the very simple yet extremely delicious meals.  Simplicity was the key in the kitchen and the combination of ingredients were so beautifully chosen that you could taste every single ingredient in each dish, it wasn’t overpowering or fraught with competing tastes.

I’m recollecting one of the most delicious meals I experienced and that was the Thai Fish Cakes with Quinoa.  Lucky for us the chef was very kind enough to share his recipe so here it is!

Thai Fish Cakes On Quinoa

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 160 g snapper fillet, bones and skin removed
• 160 g salmon fillet, bones and skin removed
• 160 g peeled raw prawns
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh coriander
• 3 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons chilli sauce
• 3 egg whites
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 kaffir limes leaves, shredded
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 100 g (1/2 cup) quinoa
• 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
• small handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves chopped

Method:

Finely chop the snapper, salmon and prawns in a food processor. Add coriander, fish sauce, chilli sauce, egg whites, garlic, lime leaves, lemon zest and juice and avocado oil. Mix together briefly. Shape into 8 patties.

Lightly oil a non-stick frying pan and cook the patties in batches for 3 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, wash the quinoa in plenty of cold water and drain. Put in a saucepan with 250 ml (1 cup) of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10-12 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then mix with lemon zest, juice and coriander. Serve the fish cakes on a bed of quinoa.

Nutrition per serve: Energy 1168 kj (279 Cals); Protein: 31 g; Total Fat: 10 g; Carbohydrate: 15 g; Fibre: 3 g; Sodium: 591 mg.

My time at Golden Door was memorable and very special and I will most definitely be going back again.  I would recommend it for anyone who wants to escape the daily grind and enjoy a peaceful and nourishing break.

To book and find out more about The Golden Door Health Retreat click here.

It’s that time of the year again in Australia. When spring comes around, everybody seems to be “going on a detox”. It’s on the cover of every magazine, a billion celebrities are bestowing it's virtues and it’s very tempting to want to “spring clean” your body and jump on the band wagon.

Although I don’t advocate going on a strict juice detox, I like to naturally support and assist my body's detoxification process by eating specific detoxifying and digestion-enhancing foods.

So today I'm sharing a recipe that will improve your digestion and cleanse your body once you have Healed Your Gut, so you can enjoy for vibrant and energized spring, as opposed to a depleted, post fad detox one!

This recipe is a delicious, fresh salad of daikon and endive, two very powerful vegetables when it comes to digestion and I have topped it off with a spoonful of creamy spiced dressing.

Daikon, a giant white radish and a cousin to red radishes, is used abundantly in Japan and Korea to aid digestion and cleanse blood.

Raw daikon is rich in digestive enzymes, similar to those found in the human digestive tract (amylase, diastase and esterase), which makes it the perfect addition to any meal, especially for people with a weak digestive system as the enzymes assist with the digestion of heavier foods, such as oils and proteins.

To reap all of its super powered digestive benefits, raw daikon is best eaten grated and consumed immediately, as almost half of the enzymes are lost after just thirty minutes.

Other benefits of daikon include:

• diuretic properties (daikon activates the kidneys tor release excess fluids)
• decongesting properties
• good source of vitamin C, and other anti-oxidants to help fight free radicals and boost immunity

Endive, also known as witlof, is another interesting vegetable that will gently cleanse your body and improve your gut function.

As its rich in fiber it helps to flush waste and toxins out of your body to support the detoxification process.

Its bitter taste will enhance the body’s digestive function by stimulating the bile production in the liver, which in turn will help the digestion of fats.

The yoghurt and tahini dressing, with its Indian and middle-eastern spices, turns this salad into a bowl of creamy deliciousness.

Try this recipe and let me know how you like it...

Daikon and endive salad with a creamy spiced dressing

Serves 4

Salad, ingredients:

• 4 cups daikon, peeled and freshly grated
• 2 endives, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon rice malt syrup
• ½ teaspoon Celtic Sea salt

Dressing, ingredients:

• 1 cup goat’s or sheep’s milk yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt for dairy free)
• ½ cup tahini
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
• zest of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• crushed hazelnuts, fresh coriander and fresh mint to serve

Method:

• In a bowl, mix daikon, endive and carrots.
• In another small bowl, whisk together lemon, rice malt syrup, salt, coriander and mint.
• Mix together with the daikon, endive and carrots and let marinate for 15-30 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the dressing. In a bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice and zest, apple cider vinegar and rice malt syrup. Add the cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Combine well. Store in the fridge.
• When ready to eat, serve over the daikon, endive and carrot mixture.
• Mix well.
• Serve with some crushed hazelnuts, fresh coriander and mint.

To find out more about my Heal Your Gut four week program, click here.

Welcome to all of our lovely vegetarians on the program, I know there are a large number of you so I wanted to address the protein elephant in the room 🙂

If you’re vegetarian and want to increase your protein intake whilst on the elemental diet you have a few options that you can implement to help you during the first four weeks:

• Add one cup cooked quinoa to your soups, which will provide you with adequate protein (8g per cup) and nine essential amino acids.
• Remember to choose protein rich options such as green peas (one cup contains 7.9g), broccoli (8g per cup), artichokes (6g per cup) and leafy greens.
• Use nut milk in your smoothies (almond, cashew and pistachios are the highest in protein).
• Take spirulina tablets or add spirulina powder to your smoothies. Spirulina is one of the highest known protein sources on Earth, containing 70% complete protein. Steak consists of only 25% protein once cooked!).
• Add hemp powder to your smoothies, which has 10g of protein per 3 tablespoons.
• If they agree with you, and your tummy can handle them, why not add a sprinkle of chia seeds to desserts (you will get 5g per 2 tablespoons).
• Make the Chocolate mousse in the recipe section of the portal, as the cacao will provide you with protein, but please remember that cacao contains caffeine so should be eaten in moderation while on the program and earlier in the day is best.
• If you’re not vegan, bee pollen can be sprinkled on top of smoothies, porridge or desserts for a healthy protein boost.

Also, if you can tolerate them and don’t have candida symptoms, after the first couple of weeks you can add lentils, chickpeas, white beans and pinto beans, which are high in protein.   Please always remember to soak them overnight and rinse them well so that they are easy to digest.  Adding some seaweed like kombu in the cooking water, will make them more bio-available and easier on the tummy. Add to soups with ¼ cup of quinoa for maximum protein absorption and blend.

Did you know that a little less than one tablespoon of nutritional yeast supplies the adult recommended daily amount of Vitamin B12. So enjoy a warm bowl of Turnip and Cauliflower or Broccoli, Kale and Mint soup.  I also want to let you know that if you have candida symptoms, eat nutritional yeast in moderation and monitor your reactions.

Animal protein can be hard to digest for many of us, so, even if you’re not vegetarian, consider limiting your consumption of meat, fish and eggs in the next few weeks and see how you feel. You may be worried about removing those foods from their diet but very often feel great when limiting them to two to three serves per week.

Lee xo