Roz Purcell's Blog, page 37

Simple Protein Pancakes

This is a recipe I came up with years ago even before #naturalbornfeeder. I’ve kind of kept this recipe to myself for a very long time but I’m finally going to share…. I make it after gym sessions or as a dinner sometimes, it’s so satisfying and simple. The key to this recipe is not to over cook the pancake, so ladies and gents…. follow the steps below and you won’t be making any other protein pancakes again :)

Quick Hazelnut Fudge

This 5 ingredient recipe for hazelnut fudge is a serious game changer! Perfect for prepping and storing in the fridge for when you’re craving something sweet or have friends calling over. They couldn’t be any easier to make and taste AMAZING!

 

Tag me in your pics on social #naturalbornfeeder

Creamy Coconut & Blackberry Oat Pot

Looking for a nutritious breakfast on the go? This breakfast is full of omegas and foods to help you think on your feet! This overnight oat recipe with added creaminess (thanks to Alpro) is one you will want to make daily! Plus how good does this look, I love making my breakfast not just delicious but also aesthetically bright and mouth watering because let’s be honest, waking up early before a long day of work needs its perks. Don’t forget you can alter the recipe to suit your preferences like exchanging the blackberries for other berries or switching the medjool date for a 1 tsp. of raw honey or maple syrup. Enjoy this quick fix breakfast and don’t forget to tag me in your recreations!

This post is sponsored by Alpro

Fermentation by Dearbhla Reynolds

The microbiome is big news, it’s really, really big news, and yet we still don’t even know how big it is!

 

What this has to do with you is fundamental, as a healthy microbiome, which is your body’s bacterial profile, helps your body with just about every process, including helping you to digest your food, think clearly, have strong immunity and even maintain a healthy weight. Unfortunately, today, most of us have a microbiome which is out of balance. Many years of diets high in processed foods and sugar, vegetables sprayed with pesticides, consuming intensively raised meat and dairy products full of hormones and antibiotics, not to mention our own pill popping habits. It’s no wonder our gut health is imbalanced.

 

The good news is that you can change your gut microbiome literally within a day.  With every forkful you have the opportunity to begin to change the population of your gut microbiome. For some more than others, this may be a more managed protocol. But there are some simple guidelines to improve your gut microbiome starting today.

 

It all starts with eating the right foods…and not stressing about it! Stress will undo all the lovely healing work proper nutrition will offer. Removing the sugar and processed foods from your diet will have to take centre stage if you wish for any efforts to come into effect.

 

Refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods get absorbed quickly into your small intestine without any help from your microbes, except for one. It feeds organisms like Candida Albican (one of the gut bad guys) which also attacks your intestinal wall and can lead to a systemic Candida infection. The empty energy of these processed foods means your gut microbes stay hungry so they begin snacking on the cells that line your intestines, causing what is called Leaky Gut.  When your intestinal wall becomes leaky, particles of food enter your bloodstream, causing your immune system to attack them, and ultimately your own tissues. This leads to inflammation and whole cascade of conditions, including autoimmunity.

 

Get your carbohydrates from vegetables and low-sugar fruits. Eating a lot of leafy green vegetables will help plant your gut with healthy and diverse bacteria. Radishes, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, jicama, asparagus, carrots, garlic and turmeric are all wonderful examples of prebiotics.  Probiotics are good food for the bacteria hanging out in your gut. This leads me to my favourite topic of fermented foods.

 

Fermented foods introduce additional beneficial flora to the body, which helps bolster our existing colonies.  It is important to include a variety of fermented foods, as it improves the diversity of flora living in your gut, which further bolsters gut health. The bacteria present in fermented foods provide helpful enzymes – which support digestion – they are essentially pre-digested having done a little of the work for us. Foods that have been cultured arrive to us slightly broken down which less work for the GI tract.  This is digestion made easier.

 

Kimchi, Saurekraut, Kombucha, Kefir are all marvelous ways to eat your probiotics. My current favourite is miso, as I eye up a 1L jar of homemade miso which will take most of the year to ferment in my kitchen! It’s made by fermenting soybeans, rice or barley with a fungus called koji, which produces a silky smooth paste for use in soups and sauces.  Miso makes everything taste better, especially eggs.

 

Try this recipe below and make half a dozen in one go and have them to snack on during the week.

 

 

Miso Eggs Recipe

 

Ingredients (*per egg)

2 tbsp white miso (I like clear springs or source foods miso)
1 tsp maple syrup
1 egg

Method

Place your chosen number of eggs into a saucepan and completely submerge them in water. Include a good few centimetres of extra water. Turn the heat to high and wait for the water to boil. As soon as it does, cover the pot with a tightly fitting lid. Turn off the heat and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and cool them off immediately by placing them in very cold water. The cold water not only makes them easier to peel, but it also stops the cooking and will prevent a grey ring from appearing around the yolk. Peel the eggs and leave whole.
Mix the miso and maple syrup together very well to form a smooth paste. Spread the paste over the middle of a piece of cling film or a ziplock bag that’s big enough to wrap the egg in. Put one egg in the middle of the cling film and wrap it around the egg. Twist the plastic shut at the top and squeeze until the miso is completely covering the egg. Place in the fridge for at least five hours but up to one week.
When you’re ready to use an egg, take off the cling film. The white of the egg should be a light to medium beige and the surface will be covered with a bit of miso. You can leave this on or wipe it off gently if you prefer.

 

Miso Eggs

Getting busy in the kitchen making your own fermented foods is something of a mental shift and definitely something to wedge into our already busy lives and in my case, messy kitchen.  However, more products are accessible and readily available to buy which will get you started and give your gut flora the craving it really needs. When looking for a fermented food to purchase, it is only beneficial if they are unpasteurised and bursting with there healthy bacteria.

 

Here is what to look for:

Fermented foods are full of live organisms that must be kept cool to survive, so buy only fermented items in the refrigerated section of the store.
Fermented foods will have the phrase “fermented” printed somewhere on the label, so make sure it says so.
Be sure the label does not say “pasteurized” — because the pasteurization process wipes out the cultures you need.
FERMENTED is NOT PICKLED: Pickled foods are pickled in liquids like vinegar or brine, usually with added sugars.  They are not fermented, just preserved, and will deliver no beneficial bacteria at all.
Look for fermented foods that are made from the best raw materials possible, namely those made from organic, non-GM or locally farmed produce. Miso is a great example, as most soy beans are GMO.
It is best to support small batch producers to ensure quality and uncompromised for  production methods.

 

To read more, check out www.theculturedclub.com

 

The Cultured Club, owned and run by Dearbhla Reynolds, is reviving a lost tradition of cultured and fermented foods. Eating fermented foods has been shown to benefit a number of health conditions including IBS and digestive difficulties, sugar/carb cravings and other inflammatory disorders.

Mussel & Zoodle Bowl

So, I’ve teamed up with Bord Bia to encourage some mussel flexing :) Yes, that is a pun for the recipe you are about to see. I’ve created some fun, easy nutritious recipes featuring mussels as the main ingredient to entice you to cook mussels.

 

As you know, I do keep my sponsored posts to a minimum and I only get on board with ideas and concepts I feel are wholesome, healthy and well… Irish, hence this collaboration. Now, before you ask, no, they’re not difficult to cook, prepare or purchase. Mussels are one of our greatest treasures on these shores and buying Irish means you can have traceability paired with great quality. Mussels is a great way to pack some protein into a meal and a nice change from the regular protein sources. This recipe is a mashup of my quick go to dinner. Firstly, zoodles are a perfect quick fix dinner component. I always have some prepped and keep in zip lock bags for a fast fix. Along with mussels which take only a short time to cook, you’ll be eating your dinner in under 10 minutes! Check this recipe out and be sure to comment below with your questions or let me know if you try out this dish! Enjoy and don’t forget to tag me in your recreations and #flexyourmussels

Ps. Dont forget to check out the 6 o’clock show this Monday night (20th Feb.) where I will be making my super delicious squash almond mussel curry

 

NBF Afternoon Tea – 4 Days to go!

Due to demand I have added 20 more tickets to my Natural Born Feeder afternoon tea in The Strand Hotel Limerick this coming weekend (Sunday 19th Feb. 2017). On the day, there will be an exclusive afternoon tea menu I have created full of tasty healthy goodness. I will also be doing a cooking demo on the day sharing my favourite healthy snacks for on the go and to help you stay on track.  You can buy tickets here https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/natural-born-feeder-afternoon-tea-cooking-demo-tickets-30392163780

 

I’ve partnered with some amazing brands to provide goodies for the goodie bags at the event. The bags are full of products I use myself and love so hopefully you will love them as much as me :) I also have lost of spot prizes to giveaway on the day!

 

Brands involved are (click on the names for more information on each brand):

Fulfil Nutrition
Linwoods Health Foods
Nua Naturals
Good 4 U 
Dr. Coys
Sowans
Wyldsson
Kinvara Skincare
Meaghers Pharmacy
IMAGE Skincare

 

Can’t wait to see you all there x

 

P.S. If you already have a copy of my cookbook make sure to bring your copy for me to sign if you would like to :)

Cupid Cookies

Say I love you with…cookies! These cookies will steal your heart.

Lads, you have no excuse! These cookies are so simple to make and if you want to make it even easier, pick up some store bought chocolate so you don’t have to make your own :)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Squash & Mussel Almond Curry

A flavour packed, creamy squash and mussel almond curry that is comforting and seriously satisfying. Mussels are a great source of quality protein, are low in fat and provide several vitamins and minerals!

For tips, videos and recipe inspiration, check out www.bordbia.ie/fish

#flexyourmussels #spon

Chocolate Kisses

Pucker up for Valentine’s Day with these simple delicious chocolates :)

Competition Time!

I’ve got another incredible prize for you, from some of my favourite foodie snacks, beauty products and of course a signed copy of Natural Born Feeder the cook book.

I’ve teamed up with Nourish to giveaway this amazing prize! This hamper is full of my kitchen staples and full of goodness to help you create your favourite #naturalbornfeeder recipes from the book.

To be in with a chance of winning this amazing hamper from Nourish and my cookbook, all you have to do is leave me a comment below letting me know what dessert you would like to create a healthy version of and subscribe to my newsletter (which can be found on the page and on the header on the site). This part is essential for contacting the winner.

 

PRIZE DRAW TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

By entering this free prize draw, you agree to accept and be bound by these terms and conditions.  All entry instructions form part of the terms & conditions of this prize draw.
This free prize draw is open to anyone aged 16 or over who is a resident of the Republic of Ireland.
Entries that are illegible, incomplete, corrupted or which fail to be received by the closing date for any reason, will not be counted. The promoter is not responsible for delayed entries. Automatically generated entries or entries via agents or third parties are invalid and shall not be counted.
Only one entry per person.  No entry may win more than one prize.
To enter, simply leave a comment you would like me to create a healthy version of and subscribe to my newsletter.
All correctly completed ‘entries’ will be entered into a prize draw. The first ‘entry’ drawn at random will be the winner.
The prize is a hamper for the winner, which will be delivered to the recipient’s provided addresses.
The prize is non-transferrable and no cash alternative will be offered.
Events may occur which render the awarding of the prize impossible due to reasons beyond the control of the promoter and the promoter may, at its absolute discretion, vary, amend, suspend or withdraw the prize with or without notice.
The winner must claim their prize within 14 days of the promoter sending notification. If the prize is unclaimed after this time, it will lapse and the promoter reserves the right to offer the unclaimed prize to a substitute winner selected in accordance with these rules.
Other than those specified above, the promoter shall not be liable for any costs or expenses arising out of or in any way connected with this prize and does not accept any responsibility for any damage, loss or disappointment suffered by the winner as result of accepting this prize.
The winner agrees to the promoter’s use of their name, town of residence and photograph in relation to the promoter’s publicity material.
Promoter will use any data submitted by entrants only for the purposes of running this prize draw, unless otherwise stated in the entry details. By entering this prize draw, all entrants consent to the use of their personal data by the promoter for the purposes of the administration of this prize draw and any other purposes to which the entrant has consented.
The winner’s name will be available upon the promoter’s receipt of a stamped addressed envelope requesting the same.
Promoter may disqualify any entrant whose entry does not comply with these terms and conditions (in promoter’s sole opinion) or who, in promoter’s sole determination, has acted in a manner that is fraudulent, dishonest or unjust to other entrants including, without limitation, tampering with the operation of the prize draw, manipulating or rigging votes, hacking, deceiving, using multiple accounts to submit multiple entries, cheating or by harassing or threatening other entrants, the panel or a representative of promoter
This prize draw is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by or associated with Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.  You acknowledge that all information and material that you submit to enter this prize draw is submitted to the promoter and not Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and you agree that neither Facebook, Instagram nor Twitter shall not be liable to you in any way in respect of this prize draw.
The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to the prize draw.
The promoter’s contact details are: Natural Born Feeder, Dublin 2