TATJANA SMOLIC

With Christmas approaching at the galloping speed, we decided to combine November and December issues into one more padded edition.

Therefore, we padded this issue with some extra easy and yummy recipes and even produced a couple of videos. 

Since we missed worlds vegan day in November couple of our recipes are vegetarian. So, our videos show one of each, a vegetarian and a meat lover’s recipe.  We hope you like how we made Burek and Empanadas with homemade filo pastry

Before finishing the year off, we would like to reflect on some milestones in nutrition practices, community services available to Rotorua residents, events and new knowledge we gained.

The health practitioners practice

The big move in health practitioners practice has been a shift from practitioners to patient-focused approach to health. This means that the patients sit in the drivers’ seat taking an active role on their journey towards their own health.

Diet we eat and our health

This year we saw World Health Organisation’s e...

 If you love falafels, you will love this faster alternative. While the salad keeps the same yum flavor as falafel, it saves you time of having to process and cook it. Finally once you make it, you can serve it in at least three different ways. Serve it as it is, use it to fill the pita pocket add  humus or yoghurt dressing for additional flavour or fold it in a wrap with omelette. However you decide to have it you can be assured that you had filling and tasty meal.

Ingredients

1x 400g chickpea canned rinsed and drained (used Delish)

3 Cup mesculine salad mix (used Pams)

¼ Cup Carrot, thinly sliced lengthwise

¼ Cup Capsicum red, thinly sliced lengthwise

¼ Cup Cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 Orange

1 Avocado, medium

For chickpeas marinade

1 tb virgin olive oil

1tsp cumin powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Coat chickpeas in marinade and leave aside for ½ hour.

Meanwhile chop up carrot, cucumber, capsicum, avocado and peeled orange.

In salad bowl toss mesculine salad mix with chopped veget...

 This super fast and tasty lunch can be done in a  flash. No excuses, just do it and taste it you won't be disappointed. All you need is a little bit of planing in advance, like grocery shopping for example.

Ingredients

1x 86g Chicken in light mayo can (used Pams) or use leftover shredded chicken

1 whole meal wrap (used Nature’s Fresh)

1hand full mesculine salad mix (used Pams)

Carrot sticks, thinly sliced

Capsicum red, thinly sliced

Cucumber slices, thinly sliced       

For curried yoghurt (serves 4)

¼ C plain yoghurt

1tsp Curry powder

2tb Coriander, fresh chopped

Instructions

Heat up the wrap in the sandwich press and place flat on the plate. Toss mesculine lettuce mix onto the wrap, place carrot, capsicum and cucumber onto the lettuce and finally spread chicken on top. Lastly dress the chicken/ salad mix with Curried yoghurt dip and fold into the wrap.

Ingredients

1 Packet of Filo pastry (TIMOS,375g)

1x 500g fat reduced cottage cheese

1x250g fat reduced sour cream

4x Eggs free range

4 Cup Silverbeet without stems chopped and blanched, drained

Feta Cheese  50g

2tb oil (canola or any preferred)

Procedure:

In a bowl whisk eggs and mix in cottage cheese and sour cream.  Into the egg and cheese mixture add blanched silverbeet and roughly chopped feta cheese  and mix well.

Start layering two sheets of filo, brush with oil and add the filling. Alternate the layering of filo and silverbeet mixture until all filling is used up. Finish off  with three sheets of filo pastry. For stunning finish brush the top with oil or glaze it with whisked egg .

Bake in the preheated oven  at 180⁰C for  30 to 40minutes.

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This meatloaf is about to satisfy taste of every meat lover and yet it provides complete and balanced meal to family and their little fussy eaters.

Ingredients

1x 500g Premium mince, beef

1 Onion, medium brown, chopped

4 Garlic cloves minced

1Cup of oats wholegrain

2 Carrots

½  Capsicum red

2 Eggs

1tsp red paprika powder

2 tb oil

Black pepper

2tsp vegeta

2 tbs fresh coriander, chopped

For tomato sauce

1x400g Tomato can

1 garlic clove

1 tsp oregano, dry

1 tsp oil

Instructions

Coat a large heat proof dish with cooking oil.

Process vegetables spices and meat in food processor, add eggs and form loaf shape in the oven dish.

Bake loaf at 180⁰C for 15 minutes take out of the oven and pour tomato sauce over it. Return the dish back to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until meat is done and sauce heated through.

Serve with soup, salad, on open sandwich or in pita bead

As unbelievable as it may sound in today’s environment when obesity is becoming a norm and we witness ever growing reduced quality of life, because of the obesity,  there are people out there  who are struggling to keep their weight on.

So what is the best diet for those wanting to keep their weight on?

The brief answer is:

The best diet for keeping weight on is the diet which includes foods and drinks high in energy.

While I am saying this, the junk food and fizz are not even remotely entering my mind.

And the reason for this is because people with small appetites need lots of energy and nutrients from their foods.

Where does energy come from?

Foods like potato, steak and peanuts, provide us with energy. In those foods energy is hiding in carbohydrates, proteins and fats. When those foods are eaten whole, and not heavily processed they deliver many other goodness to our body.

Those good bits from whole foods are fibers,  vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids fatty acids and phyto-che...

Ingredients

Tofu, 340g soft in brine, drained

1 Cup Chickpea, canned, rinsed and drained

½ Onion, brown chopped

3 Garlic cloves, minced

½ Chilli paper

4 Carrots

5 Mushrooms, white button, roughly chopped

4 Potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes

1-2 Capsicum Red

1 tsp curry powder

3 tb fresh Coriander, chopped

1 tb oil

1Cup Coconut milk/cream

4 Cups water or salt reduced stock of your choice

Salt to taste (omit if using stock)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large sauce pan. Add to the pan onion garlic, and chilli. Cook stirring, occasionally until onion is soft. Add curry powder and continue stirring for couple of minutes.

Add chopped up vegetables and chickpeas with 4 cups of water/stock and let it simmer till all vegetables are cooked.  Carefully cut up tofu into cubes and add to the vegetables. Lastly add coconut milk or cream and coriander. Bring to the boil, turn the heat off.

Serve with brown rice.

This soup is very easy to make as it has only few ingredients. And it doesn't lack in nutrients or taste. This soup contains protein, carbohydrate and fibre packaged in a nice warm meal. It takes no longer than 30 minutes to make and satisfies vegan, gluten free and diabetes friendly categories. And if you add some olive oil, you can name it your Mediterranean fast food.

Ingredients

2 medium brown onions, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

2Tb olive oil or oil spray

2x 400g can Roma tomatoes, chopped

2 cups water

2 vegetable stock cubes (reduced salt)

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce (optional)

2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

2 x 400g can of beans (any preferred variety), rinsed, drained

Instructions

Coat a large pan with cooking spray, or add 2Tb of oil, heat and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until onion is soft.

Stir in tomatoes, keep stirring and cook until tomato softens. Stir in the combined water, stock and sauce. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Blend the tomato mixture u...

Ingredients for rolls:

1packet of large rice paper (22 cm in diameter)

1 carrot chopped in sticks

1 cucumber chopped in sticks

1 red capsicum chopped in sticks

1 avocado sliced

1cup cabbage, white grated

1carrot, grated

1/2 red onion sliced

1cup sprouted beans

Ingredients for dip:

1tb peanut butter, smooth

1-2 lemon, juice only

1-2 garlic clove

1tb ginger

1/4-1/2 tsp dried chili flakes

1tb soy sauce (use gluten free if serving this dish to people with coeliac disease)

1-2tsp honey (omit if preparing vegan dish)

Procedure:

To make dip add dip ingredients and blend in good quality blender until sauce is smooth consistency.

To make rice paper rolls wet dry rice paper in warm water and place on the hard even surface. Fill the rolls with sliced vegetables and fold to create a roll. Place finished rolls on the serving plate making sure that rolls do not touch each other. Serve rice paper rolls with prepared dip.

This quantity will make at lease 16 big rolls

Polyphenols are a large and diverse group of plant-based compounds. Based on their chemical make-up polyphenols are divided into different groups and sub-groups (see diagram 1 below).  Some polyphenols have health benefits such as antioxidant activity fighting free radicals. Other polyphenols have anti-inflammatory activity redirecting metabolic pathways that cause inflammation processes. And another class of polyphenols acts as prebiotics, which cannot be digested by our small intestine, but they promote the growth of gut-friendly bacteria called probiotics, ultimately leading to healthy gut flora.    

One group of polyphenols is called flavonoids, which have been extensively studied for potential health benefits for the last two decades (see diagram 2). The research suggests that flavonoids play a key role in promoting cardiovascular, anti-cancer, cognitive, gastrointestinal, anti-inflammatory and urinary tract health. Whilst flavonoid research has shown promising resul...