People often ask me what my favourite recipe is from my new book Eat Yourself Beautiful and although I love them all my special favourite is Smashed Sardines with Avocado on Chia and Flaxseed Loaf.  It’s probably because I eat it a few times and week and always feel so happy afterwards. Clap along if you agree. 

Sardines may not immediately strike you as a happy food, but these little guys are sky high in mood boosting omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin B12 and loaded with minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They can also make your wallet happy because they’re an inexpensive meal to bring the table.  A can of sardines in extra virgin oil will set you back about $1.80 AUD.

A 2012 study reveals that fish oil increases transmission of serotonin in the brain which controls emotion.  Because of their ability to increase serotonin levels this makes fish oils a good mood food to include in your diet.

Hair, skin and nails benefit too; sardines are one of the most powerful beauty boosters because their omega-3 content benefits the circulatory system, hydrating the skin, and helping you to avoid incoming wrinkles.

Omega-3s are brilliant at oxygenating your skin tissue, revitalising and improving your skin tone and giving you a healthy glow.  They're an integral component of the cell membrane and without them the cell membrane becomes stiff and dehydrated, resulting in dry, flakey skin. 

The most intriguing benefit of sardines is that they help to slow the aging process. They’re rich in the vital enzyme CoQ10 which promotes a healthy immune system, restores vitality and is a potent antioxidant. If you’re working towards glowing skin and maintaining skins elasticity, preventing sagging and a more youthful appearance, sardines are a better choice than any toxic skin product that you can buy. Another  good reason to step away from the cosmetics counter. 

Although fresh is best, canned sardines in extra virgin olive oil are a convenient option, as they require minimum preparation.  The good news about sardines is that they’re not mercury heavy like tuna.  You can add them to salads, or combine with lemon juice, olive oil, Celtic sea salt and cracked pepper on a gluten free cracker for a tasty, nutrient dense snack.

But I'm not a sardine fan!

Swap out your oil for flaxseed, chia, or extra virgin olive which are also high in Omega 3 and will give you similar benefits.

For a match made in heaven, pair sardines with avocados, a beautifying tool which has been used for centuries. The high levels of vitamin E found in avocados mean that they work as a skin-soothing, moisturizing agent and the vitamin A helps to remove dead skin cells from the body.  It’s often used as a remedy for dry skin or by those who experience eczema.

Because it’s easily absorbed into the deepest layers of the skin, creating the smoothest skin by restoring nutrients, stimulating new cell growth and improving blood circulation avocado is a wonder-food to add to your diet. The healthy oils found in avocados are also used to increase shine and inject moisture into the hair, and work as a great remedy for dry and brittle hair.

To boost your beauty naturally serve up this dish immediately.

Smashed Sardines with Avocado on Chia and Flaxseed Loaf

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped red chilli (optional)
• pinch Celtic sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 slices gluten-free bread
• small handful of rocket (arugula) leaves
• 120 g (41/4 oz) tinned sardines, smashed
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

 Method

• Place the avocado, lime, chilli, salt and pepper in a bowl and mash together with a fork.
• Toast one or two slices of your favourite gluten-free bread (I use chia and flaxseed loaf the recipe is below).
• Spread the avocado mixture over the bread and top with rocket and smashed sardines.
• Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Chia and Flaxseed Loaf

Makes one loaf

This is my daily bread and what a diva of a loaf it is. Use it for blissful open-top sandwiches or a mouthwatering and satisfying toasted sandwich. The perfect skin food.

Ingredients

• 350 g (12 oz/21/3 cups) gluten-free self-raising flour
• 30 g (1 oz/1/4 cup) ground flaxseeds
• 20 g (3/4 oz/1/4 cup) chia seeds
• 115 g (4 oz/3/4 cup) mixed sunflower seeds and pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 organic eggs
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 80 ml(21/2 fl oz/1/3 cup) tablespoons additive-free coconut milk
• 6 drops stevia liquid
• 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) filtered water

 Method

• Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F/Gas 3–4) and grease and flour a 20 x 9 cm (8 x 31/2 inch) loaf (bar) tin.
• Combine the flour, flaxseed, chia, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and salt in a bowl and mix until combined.
• In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs for about 2 minutes – they should be pale and fluffy.
• Stir in the apple cider vinegar, butter, coconut milk, stevia and water. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir well to combine.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
• Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

This loaf will keep for one week in the fridge or two months in the freezer.

You can find my recipe books here.

Happy Cooking

Lee xo

Today I’m super excited to be sharing details and a recipe from Sarah Wilson’s latest e-book, I Quit Sugar Kids Cookbook, aimed at helping parents and care-givers encourage their children to eat healthier food.

As someone who has written a kid’s recipe book Supercharged Food for Kids, I was thrilled to be asked to contribute one of my recipes to Sarah’s new book, which is full of so many delicious sugar free recipes that kids will enjoy eating again and again. The book also has a lot of helpful information for parents about how to make savoury foods fun and exciting.

There’s a section on navigating the school tuck shop which can be an area where many parents struggle with their children’s choices.  But kids will be pleased to know that the IQS Kids Cookbook is not suggesting a full ban. They provide a real canteen order list and the foods which are IQS approved.  There are ways to steer your kids’ choices in a healthier direction whilst still letting them have the thrill of ordering from the tuck shop.

Speaking of the school yard, I’m sure there will be much playground envy when kids start to open up their lunchboxes to reveal the yummy and fun recipes that are included in this fantastic book.

One of the chapter’s in the book is aimed at fructose free party recipes, an area where many parents struggle to find party food that isn’t going to send their kids through the roof on an artificial high.  (more…)

It’s almost time to send the kids back to school, which means for many parents and caregivers busy schedules and challenging lunchbox fixing.  If you’re looking to reboot worn out and tired lunch box ideas and get creative then here are some of my simple tips.  Giving kids nutritious meals can really make a big difference to their mental clarity, focus and behavior in the classroom.

(more…)

There’s no time like the present for a bit of self- reflection.  How did last year shape up for you? Was it smooth sailing or were there things that you would have done differently given the opportunity?

Many of us start to the New Year with a resolution or two, whether it involves assessing our relationships, financial decisions, deciding to clean out your proverbial closet or vowing to never drink again after one too many cocktails!

What are some of the changes you’d like to see happen in the year ahead?  I’d like to do some more travelling this year and experience life a bit more, instead of being chained to my computer and also start a restorative yoga class for people who want to do gentle yoga to help give them more energy and recover from illness.

Whatever it is you choose to do this year, if you’re ready to wipe the slate clean, start afresh and ring in the New Year with a resolve to be happier and healthier, then setting yourself a realistic resolution to make gradual changes to your eating habits and lifestyle will be a lot easier to maintain.  Making small changes might not seem like much at the beginning, but soon, these small changes really do become significant larger changes that you will notice.

In a dietary sense, a few examples of small changes might include swapping your daily coffee every second day for dandelion or herbal tea, or cooking with brown rice instead of white. Or it may even be that you will become less restrictive with your current eating habits and allow yourself the occasional treat without feeling guilty.

You might start becoming a bit more interested in inspecting the back of labels on your groceries and finding out what ingredients are used, or deciding to pack healthy lunches for work instead of purchasing them.

It’s good to them see how you feel after making small changes and check in with yourself. Do you have more energy? Do you feel happier? Is your digestive system working more efficiently? By making these small changes, and listening to our bodies, we really can achieve good health.

The recipe I’m going to share with you today is all about alternatives and it’s from my new cookbook Eat Yourself Beautiful.

Buckwheat pasta with flaked trout, is a recipe which is a healthy substitute for a number of ingredients, swapping out traditional, white pasta and add it nutrient rich eggs. Buckwheat, despite the confusing name, is not a grain, but in fact a seed that is related to the rhubarb family. It boasts many health properties, which you can read about in a previous post here, and enjoy another recipe buckwheat risotto with spinach and mushroom.

Buckwheat pasta gives the dish a beautiful earthiness, complementing the trout fillet exceptionally well. Adding crumbled Goat’s cheese, gives a luxurious creamy taste and is freshened up with zesty lemon and chopped chives.

A simple dish, wonderful for a hearty dinner or filling lunch and perfect for a healthy lunchbox to keep those resolutions in check.

Recipe: Buckwheat Pasta with Flaked Trout

Serves 2

Ingredients

•  1 generous-sized fresh trout fillet
• 125 g (41/2 oz) uncooked buckwheat pasta
• 2 organic egg yolks
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Celtic sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 11/2 tablespoons salted baby capers, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to serve
• 2 large handfuls of baby rocket (arugula)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 90 g (31/4 oz/3/4 cup) crumbled goat’s cheese

Method

• Line a bamboo steamer with baking paper and steam the trout over a saucepan of gently simmering water for 5–6 minutes, or until the fish flakes when gently touched with a fork. Remove from the steamer, flake the flesh apart with a fork, removing any bones, and set aside.
• Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
• Strain using a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water in the saucepan.
• Return the pasta to the saucepan and quickly stir through the egg yolks, lemon juice and zest, and a generous pinch of Celtic sea salt and pepper. Gently stir through the flaked trout and capers and add the olive oil.
• To serve, mix the rocket, chives, goat’s cheese and extra olive oil, if desired, through the pasta and pop a wedge of lemon on the side. It’s delicious served with a simple green salad.

You can read more recipes or buy my recipe books here.

Happy Cooking 

Lee xo

There’s no time like the present to be your best self. 

My new book will show you how to build a flawless, fabulous and healthy you with clean foods.

With more than nutritious 100 recipes – many of which are free from gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar Eat Yourself Beautiful is a simple and inspiring guide to eating for optimum health, beauty and successful aging. 

“Spinach and coconut water, it’s a lot cheaper than a cosmetic surgeon”.

My motivation to write the book came from wanting to explore and share with you more foods and recipes which contain anti-inflammatory ingredients to heal the body from the inside out and lower inflammation levels.

I’ve been indulging in anti-inflammatory recipes for over a year now and have never felt better. In fact at nearly forty-seven I feel better than I did in my twenties.  The wonderful bonus about eating this way is that you’ll not only feel healthier, more energized and vital, you’ll notice changes on the outside too, clearer skin, healthier hair, stronger nails and less wrinkles!

Throughout the book you’ll discover secret recipes for juices, snacks and meals, delicious, easy-to-make heirloom recipes which you can cook again and again.  It’s my own personal guide to achieving inner and outer health through simple, delicious recipes using every day nutritionally rich, anti-inflammatory foods to boost longevity and promote vitality. 

The delicious recipes contain everything from the skin-boosting power of plant collagen to the most potent antioxidants on the planet, to jump-start your immune system, boost energy levels and maintain your long term health and well-being.

I’ll also show you how eating the wrong foods can be visible on the outside too.

Edible beauty is the key to a healthy life, so get ready to throw out restrictive fad diets for good, enjoy your food and eat, drink and be beautiful!

Here’s a little bit more about what you’ll discover inside the book;

• Over 100 recipes to lower inflammation and take care of your inner and outer health
• Top secrets to successful, ageless beauty using powerful everyday foods
• How to identify primary aging accelerators and what foods to avoid
• Learn how to rectify common beauty concerns  
• Scrumptious recipes for super skin, hair and nails and a glowing complexion
• Uncover secret anti-wrinkle accelerator foods
• Unearth my top 20 beauty boosting foods and why they are important to include in your diet
• Create delicious recipes for smoothies and drinks, healthy snacking, breakfasts, lunches and dinners and mouth-watering desserts
• Get stuck into a  seven day beauty meal plan and shopping list

Click here to order your copy today and it will be posted to you in mid-January. 

Some of the delicious recipes you can indulge in are, Buckwheat pasta with flaked trout, Raspberry studded pumpkin pie, Layered quinoa trifle, Gado Gado, Immune-boosting garlic soup, Seaweed and sesame salad, Supercharged breakfast bars, Cranberry and walnut granola and many more.

Happy cooking 🙂

Lee xo

Orange and Juniper; Mandarin and Cinnamon; Tangerine and Vanilla…No I am not describing the latest gourmet mocktails…I 'm listing the new 100% natural lip balms from Luk Beautifood.

This Australian boutique beauty brand is based on the premise that beauty is created from the inside with fresh, healthy food providing the essence of a beautiful woman. Brimming with delicious, fresh ingredients we should be eating, the Lip Nourish range supports your body’s natural processes to deliver stunning results. It's geared towards the modern woman who looks after herself nutritionally, who lives a healthy lifestyle, but struggles to find a matching beauty product without nasty additives and without compromising style and sophistication.

Enter the all-natural, edible Lip Nourish range, rich in antioxidants, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. The range comes in 7 delicious sounding and tasting flavours incorporating citrus and spice pure plant oils. They are super sheer shades, which add a luscious lustre for that healthy, natural glow!

Cindy from luk beautifood has created a sheer natural lipstick collection made from superfoods and has them wrapped and gift tagged ready for Christmas gift-giving. There’s also a Go & Glow Natural Beauty Kit in the range too so you can truly go naked this silly season!

For more information about the range and for your Christmas shopping needs visit the store here