Perfect for Sunday Night "Soup Night"

This hearty vegetarian soup will warm up cold winter nights and tastes especially good served with crusty gluten free bread. Perfect for Sunday night "Soup Night!"

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 140 g (5 oz) sugar-free tomato paste (concentrated purée)
• 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes (sugar and additive free)
• 150 g (51/2 oz) green beans, topped,
• tailed and cut into 3–4 cm (11/4–11/2 inch) lengths
• 1/4 cabbage, coarsely shredded
• 1/2 cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 2 zucchini (courgettes), diced
• 1 red capsicum (pepper), diced
• 1 green capsicum (pepper), diced
• 1 bunch kale or 1/2 bunch silverbeet
• (Swiss chard), stalks trimmed and leaves coarsely shredded
• 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) additive-free vegetable stock or filtered water
• 1 handful herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary and basil, chopped

Method

• Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and lightly brown the onion, garlic and celery over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute or two.
• Add the beans, cabbage, cauliflower, zucchini, capsicums and kale, and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Add the stock or water and, if necessary pour, in enough extra filtered water to cover the vegetables.
• Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
• If you prefer a smoother soup, transfer to a blender or use a hand-held blender and whiz until the desired texture is reached.
• Serve hot, sprinkled with the herbs.
• Serves 6–8

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Golden Quinoa

If you sweet on Superfoods then this recipe is a powerhouse of nutrition.

First things first, Quinoa (which is pronounced keenwah), it isn’t a grain. In fact is a relative of my other favourite supercharged ingredient, spinach. When cooked, Quinoa resembles couscous with a slightly al dente texture to it. As it cooks and tastes just like a grain it is wonderful for tired tummies that find grains difficult to digest.

While this humble dish is perfect for the occasional vegetarian in you, the addition of Quinoa is a wonderful source of protein to boot, containing all nine essential amino acids that the body requires for hormone and muscle production. Interestingly, Quinoa also contains magnesium, a wonderful mineral that allows muscles to relax…the perfect ingredient for dinner after a long and tiring day.

Pesto Zoodles

My favourite culinary herb is basil, by the way, you should really try this delicious pesto zoodle pasta dish whilst I'm on the subject… Pesto is a bonus for me as it is a highly antiseptic and antibacterial herb. Basil has traditionally been used as a digestive aid for upset tummies. Most herbs, given their pungency and intensity, often impart great healing properties; most if not all are wonderful internal cleansers.

For this reason, I make it a ritual to use my home grown herbs or buy fresh organic herbs every time I do a fruit and vegetable shop. It’s so easy to tear a few leaves here or there to garnish over your breakfast, lunch or dinner. And given our need to eat more raw green veggies, the simple act of garnishing with herbs takes you one step closer towards your journey in health, whole foods and healing.

To intensify the creaminess of this dish I’ve added the wonderful, deep orange hue of butternut pumpkin. The tangerine tone indicates another stellar property of this supercharged dish, carotenoids. Carotenoids are shown to protect against heart disease and can assist in preventing macular degeneration, amongst other wonderful things! To sweeten the deal, just a cup serving of butternut is almost half your daily need for vitamin C!

I like to dose my dish with generous servings of heart healthy fats. Taking a lead role in this incredible heart-warming dish are walnuts. With a handful of walnuts containing twice as many antioxidants as an equivalent amount of other common nut varieties, walnut will up-the-anti when it comes to nutrients and provide you with long lasting energy.

It’s such a simple dish to make too, just whip out your casserole dish, make a pot of tea and meditate on the swirling of quinoa, the browning of onions and the act of eating wholesome and good-for-you foods.

Quinoa with Winter Squash & Yellow Pepper

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• ½ cup basil leaves torn
• 1 butternut squash peeled and chopped into 5 cm chunks
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 2/3 cup yellow pepper, sliced
• 1/3 cup brown onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup raw walnuts
• ½ tsp sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Shredded coconut to garnish

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat
• Add garlic, yellow peppers and onion and sauté until browned
• Add squash and cook for about 10 minutes
• Meanwhile rinse quinoa thoroughly
• Stir stock, rinsed quinoa, walnut, coconut milk and salt and pepper into the pan
• Cover with a lid and reduce heat, simmering for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed
• Spoon into wide bowls and garnish with shredded coconut and torn basil

No Bean Hummus

I adore hummus… seriously adore it.  My preferred vessel is a scoopable cracker or crudité to ensure maximum consumption per bite.  But you know what?…it just doesn’t love me back.

Even if I practice the art of moderation I still appear to find the whole process gut wrenching so to speak. And yes, I am a foodie…I know how to properly prepare beans.

The bean thing isn’t a new phenomenon…nor is it unique to me. Beans, often hailed as a vegetarians wonder food because they combine starch and protein is held back by the very fact it contains both nutrients.

Generally, if you combine starch and protein you get a boatload of gas, bloating and other digestive issues.

Here’s why:

When you eat protein your stomach produces hydrochloric acid and an enzyme called pepsin to create an acidic environment to break them down.

When you eat a starchy vegetable, grains or beans, an enzyme called ptyalin is secreted, which develops an alkaline condition ready for starchy foods to be digested.

What happens then when you eat the two together? Well…the acid and alkaline enzymes can’t do their jobs as they neutralize each other. Digestion falters and the food we consume begins to ferment.

I won’t elaborate…but needless to say I stay away from beans as I personally feel they do me wrong in the nicest possible way.

This is where my no bean hummus comes into play. Hand on heart…it tastes identical…. I’ve just snuck in a raw zucchini and almonds for creaminess…tempted?

Do try.

No Bean Hummus

Ingredients

•  3/4 cup sunflower seeds or soaked almonds
• 3/4 cup tahini
• 2 zucchini peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled
• ½ tsp. Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. fresh basil
• ½ TBS ground cumin

• In a blender combine all ingredients
• Blend until smooth and add a little filtered water if necessary
• Serve with green veggies, as a dip or topping with your favourite gluten free cracker

Good nutrition and what you put into your body is the foundation for good health. “Food is Medicine” is a term which was originally coined by Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine; it was his belief that eating wholesome food is the basis for good health.

Hippocrates said almost 2500 years ago “Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food."

Centuries ago the earliest known doctors and health practitioners across the world imparted the benefits of using food as medicine to heal the body and now based on research it is clearly evident that food plays a major role in health and how you feel on a day to day basis.

Hippocrates believed that illness stemmed from inadequate nutrition and bad eating habits and that if people were to learn good eating habits then optimum health would be restored.  Long before doctors and medicine was commonly used, wise tribal elders would seek out healing herbs and plants for their community and food would be applied prescriptively to bring about healing.

Slowly through the years man has moved away from the healing power of nature and towards prescribing packaged synthetic drugs and artificial remedies to deal with illness.

The reality is that because we have shifted away from natural remedies and many of us rely on a diet of processed, fatty and sugar-laden food the consequences are that rates of obesity and disease have increased significantly.

If food has the power to prevent much of the chronic illness we experience today then it makes sense to alter our diets to use it to our own advantage to not only heal and restore the body but also to prevent illness.  Although taking pharmaceutical drugs for ailments may be useful, they often come with short and long term side effects and contribute to the toxic build up in our bodies.

While drugs are important in life threatening situations, if long term conditions can be managed with diet and lifestyle changes then using food as medicine must be considered as an initial way of tackling the issue and preventing future health problems.

Health practitioners and scientists are now uncovering the benefits of Nutrigenomics and the whole notion that food is information that speaks to our genes and triggers messages that create health or disease.

There are many factors that culminate to bring about disease such as stress, nutrition, hormone balance, the health of our gut, and the importance of detoxification and food.

Thinking about what is at the end of your fork can help you to avoid specific illnesses that arise due to years of unhealthy eating. The good news is that these can be reversed with the help of a good diet. Even if you live on takeaway you can make healthier choices.

More and more food services, restaurants, and other institutions are recognizing the healing power of food and are including healing foods as part of their menus so nutritious food is not as hard to find as it once was.

Being healthy means putting the right fuel into your body and having your internal engine run smoothly. Every meal that you consume influences the way that you feel one way or another so the more nutritious foods you choose, the healthier you will be.

Whole foods act as medicine to heal and protect your body and give the immune system a break from dealing with toxins, preservatives, additives and chemicals that are included in so many of today's processed foods.

If you are eating junk food everyday with little or no nutrition, your body will not be receiving all of the nutrients it needs to function properly and health issues can arise.

All that your body can operate on are the foods that you choose to put into it. Healthy nutrient-rich and alive foods help to heal the body at cellular level and build strong defenses enabling you to combat illness and environmental toxins.

The first thing to think about if you’re planning on giving your diet an overhaul is to ensure that you have a healthy digestive system. This is a vital ingredient and essential to guarantee that you’re efficiently burning your food and effectively extracting the nutrients from it.

Diseases are often associated with vitamin and mineral deficiencies or food senstivities so having healthy digestion and knowing what foods work for you is really important.

You may want to consider a food elimination diet to find out which foods you may have a sensitivity or allergy too.  For some people raw food although perceived as healthy, is way too hard on their inflamed and delicate digestive systems and they may need to begin by incorporating a liquid diet such as juicing and eating soups and easily digestible foods until their gut heals. Fish oil is a great way to naturally combat inflammation too.

Numerous foods have specific healing properties such as garlic and onions which include antibiotic and antifungal properties.  Particular chronic conditions such as arthritis and celiac disease benefit from a specialized diet and avoiding particular foods.

There are foods which reduce inflammation and ones that help lower cholesterol such as fish and omega 3 fatty acids. Doctors recommend eating at least two servings of fish a week. It’s always good to try and get the nutritional benefits from your food and not rely on synthetic supplements.

Fuelling up on super foods is a great way to provide the body with nutrients and not over eat. Individual foods have their own unique set of nutrients to meet the needs of your body so eating a wide variety of foods ensures that you are getting a diverse range if nutrients vitamins and minerals that you need.

Incorporating the seasons into your menu planning will benefit you so that you can enjoy fresh and in the moment foods that are abundantly available.  There is also a cost saving when you buy in season.  Shop at local growers markets or co-ops and talk to the sellers about what’s in season.

When it comes to buying healthily the best way to shop is to think about where the food you are buying actually came from, is it traceable, fresh and at its best? Or is it housed beneath layers of packaging? Even though it takes a little longer when shopping get used to reading labels and finding out exactly what is in the food.  If it has more than six ingredients it’s probably not going to be that good for you.

Shop in season and choose foods which are as close to their natural state as possible. Remember that your body will love you for it!

For more gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free recipes visit supercharged.wpengine.com

Don’t you just love a meal that you can sit down to with the complete assurance that what you’re eating is bringing health, vitality and healing to your body?

In the state of the busy world today, it seems that our priorities are so focused on the high speed rhythms of work and priorities, that we don’t have any time to think about what we are feeding the very body that is endlessly chugging us through a life of almost impossible demand.

Those demands require nutrients and that is the key for a functioning body and a healthy life.

Nowadays we are fully immersed in a society where fresh wholesome food is available, yet unfortunately our biggest killers are preventable diseases.  In my opinion we need to get our aprons on, our skillets a-sizzling, and link arms to tackle these issues head on, with enthusiasm and joie de vere.

The idea of preparing nutritious meals at home can seem like a pain to many people. But really there’s no need to feel daunted, it just takes a little practice in the kitchen, planning, and an appreciation of the nutritional value of wholesome ingredients.

The Supercharged Food website and blog are a perfect starting place, providing you with nutrient packed, easy recipes complimented by research that will educate you on the very ingredients you’re cooking with. You can prepare and enjoy disease fighting food knowing exactly how the ingredients are bringing your body into a state of health and wellness. Win-win!

This exotic vegetable quinoa curry is a wonderful meal to include into your transition to a lifestyle of health. Cook up a massive double portion and freeze the leftovers for those busy weeknights or work lunches. I promise that your body and tastebuds will be jumping for joy!

The base of this mouthwatering curry is quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), technically a fruit seed that seems to be growing and growing in popularity due to its versatility and significant health benefits. Quinoa conveniently has a quicker cooking time compared to brown rice and other grains, and accompanying flavours are absorbed beautifully, making it a great option for sweet or savoury cooking.

The uses of quinoa are remarkably diverse, and it can be used in pilaffs, gluten free risotto’s, soups, salads, or as an interesting addition to stuffed capsicums, tomatoes or mushrooms.  I personally love to use fluffy royal white quinoa to make a satisfying gluten free breakfast porridge.

One very important thing to remember before cooking with quinoa is to wash the seeds, as they contain a naturally occurring outer coating called saponin, a defense mechanism of the seed that is toxic to humans. This can be easily removed by placing the seeds in a fine sieve, washing under a tap and using your fingers to scrub off the residue. Saponin has a bitter taste, so a taste test before cooking will ensure that it has been removed.

So why is quinoa really selling out in supermarkets? What are its real claims to fame besides being a convenient grain substitute? The rage for quinoa has its roots in the knowledge that unlike other grains, it is a complete protein. The superfood uniquely contains all nine essential amino acids required for protein utilization. Vegans and protein junkies rejoice!

Quinoa is the perfect substitute for animal protein, therefore a lunch ingredient of high biological value that will fill your tummy and protect you from the haunting idea of eating that sugar laden doughnut during your 3 o’clock slump. Quinoa is also rich in iron and magnesium, and provides fibre, vitamin E, copper and phosphorous, as well as some B vitamins, potassium and zinc.

Studies confirm that quinoa is a very good source of flavanoids, particularly in its high levels of quercetin and kaempferol antioxidants.  Quercetin has been found to be valuable in cases of allergic reactions due to its ability to inhibit the production and release of histamine.  It has also been linked to an improvement in the health of capillaries and connective tissues, as well as having important antiviral and immune support benefits.

Kaempferol is known for its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Evidence has indicated that kaempferol is one of the most important flavanoids that inhibit heart, spinal cord and brain disease, and studies have shown that it can help the treatment of cancers, cardiovascular disease, neuron disorders and cholesterol.

I could go on forever. There is so much valuable evidence out there showing the countless benefits of this superfood. Try out this delicious, hearty curry as a way to include quinoa’s wonderful benefits into your life.

Vegetable Quinoa Curry

Serves 4

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups baby green beans
• 1 head cauliflower chopped into florets
• 4 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped coriander
• 1 1/2 TBS coconut oil
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 2 cups vegetable stock or water
• 1 large onion, cut into strips
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. ground coriander

Let’s Get Cracking:

• Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add quinoa cooking for 5 mins
• Add green beans and cook for a further 5 mins
• Now drain and set aside in a colander
• In a frying pan sauté garlic, ginger and onions in coconut oil push to one side and toast cumin and coriander and turmeric for a couple of minutes, stirring consistently
• Add cauliflower, cashews and carrots and stir fry for a couple of minutes then add stock and bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer and stir through coconut milk cook for 10-15 mins
• Remove from stove and stir coriander through and then fold in quinoa and green beans

Vibrant Eggplant

Eggplants are a funny vegetable, a bit like coriander, I think you either love them or hate them. For me, it needs to be cooked right and given the attention it deserves. If you do give it that extra love and attention, eggplant becomes wonderfully rich and nutritious vegetable that is particularly versatile in adding bulk to gluten free diets.

So unique is Eggplant that it contains a rare antioxidant known as Nasunin. Found under the peel of Eggplant’s intensily purple skin, Nasunin has been shown to protect brain cells from free radical damage.

Eggplant also has vitamins and minerals in spades, rich in manganese, folic acid and the ever-important thiamine, the mineral that helps convert blood sugar into glucose for energy. More importantly is the fibre content of eggplants, with a single cup serving of eggplant containing 3g of beautiful, filling, detoxifying fibre. Load up on the stuff guys, when you think your reaching your target (30 grams a day) look at the fibre you’ve eaten and double it!

The addition of Tahini in this Middle Eastern spread is a vital component for texture and taste. Thankfully it comes with a dose of goodness to boot. Did you know that just 2 tablespoons of the stuff gives you a whopping 130mgs of calcium? Not bad for something that tastes so good.

Baba Ganoush

Tahini is a nutrient dense food source containing Vitamins E, F and T as well as broad spectrum of B vitamins. It also contains a true treasure trove of essential minerals and amino acids. Indeed one serving of tahini is 20% complete protein. This makes it a denser form of protein than milk, soybeans and most seeds and nuts!

And now onto one of my favourite spices….cumin.

Cumin is an essential ingredient in my kitchen spice draw; it’s been used extensively in many cuisines throughout history. In Ayurvedic medicine particularly, it's seen to be increasingly helpful with digestive disorders. Cumin seeds appear to stimulate the pancreas to release valuable enzymes and allow nutrients to be absorbed into our bodies.

Baba Ganoush makes a wonderful topping or dressing for salads, or a dip for crunchy veggies.  You can also team it with quinoa and use as a chunky sauce to add flavour.

Here's how...

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant 9 TBS tahini
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• Sea Salt to taste
• ½ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Chopped parsley to garnish

• Preheat Grill
• Prick the eggplant with a fork to allow steam to escape
• Grill eggplant for 15 mins turning frequently until eggplant skin is charred
• Remove and let cool
• Split eggplant in two lengthwise and remove pulp discarding the skin
• Squeeze out excess moisture
• In a bowl combine pulp, tahini, garlic, sea salt, cumin and lemon juice and adjust seasonings if need be.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley
• Serve with gluten free crackers