Josh and I are having a Hallowe’en party this year… well just a few of his friends and the parents. I went a little bit overboard on decorations this year- Belfast is not known for being the biggest Hallowe’en party town! But I love the occassion as it marks Autumn, my favourite season and is a week before my birthday (gotta love that) and well you get to dress up and enjoy spooky and supernatural things which we love in our house (big fans of vampires, superheros and magic!) So, I didn’t know what to make at the party to counteract all the sugar so here is one of the two savoury items I will be preparing this year. And what better recipe to make to use up the insides of the pumpkins we will be carving! Pumpkin and ginger soup serves 4 ingredients • 1kg pumpkin, chopped • 2 shallots, chopped • 75g grated ginger • 1 litre vegetable stock • 125ml coconut milk • ½ tbsp chilli powde 1. Sauté the pumpkin, shallots and grated ginger in a good splash of olive oil in a large pan till soft. Add the vegetable stock, coconut milk and chilli, season,…
Black bean & lentil salad 3 cups (1.4 L/47 fl. oz.) water1/4 cup (50g/1.8 oz.) red lentils1/4 cup (50g/1.8 oz.) green lentils200g (7.1 oz.) tinned organic black beans2 roma tomatoes, diced1 English cucumber, sliced1 handful of rocket (arugula)1/4 tsp. red chilli flakes1 tbsp. (15 ml/0.5 fl. oz.) extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp. (30 ml/1 fl. oz.) white wine vinegarCoconut nectar, to balance flavours1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped1/4 tsp. pink Himalayan saltGround black pepper, to taste Place the lentils in a large pot and cover with the water.Once shimmering cook the lentils for about 15-20 minutes, or until tender.Once tender, drain the red and green lentils in a strainer and rinse with cold water.Drain and rinse the black beans and then combine with the lentils in a large bowl.Add the other ingredients and then toss to combine.Enjoy! This salad will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you prepare it the night before the flavours will become more notable.
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Red cabbage & apple slaw 1/4 head red cabbage, finely shredded1/2 onion, thinly sliced1 rib celery, sliced1 medium carrot, shredded1 medium green apple (optional) chopped or finely sliced50g (1.8 oz.) feta cheese, crumbled25g (0.9 oz.) natural walnutsDressing1 tbsp. (15 ml/0.5 fl. oz.) extra virgin olive oil1 1/4 tbsp. (20 ml/0.7 fl. oz.) lemon juiceSteviaPink Himalayan salt, to tasteBlack pepper, to taste1 small clove garlic, minced1/4 tsp. dried oregano Prepare the vegetables and then place them in a large serving bowl.Add the feta cheese and then scatter over the walnuts.Prepare the dressing by mixing together oil, lemon juice, stevia, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper.Add additional flavouring to taste.Pour dressing over salad, mix and enjoy!
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Bean Lettuce Tacos & Guacamole Taco “meat”1 onion, sliced6 tbsp. (90 ml/3 fl. oz.) water200g (7.1 oz.) tinned organic kidney bean2 tsp. taco seasoning (cumin, coriander powder, chill flakes, chili powder, smoked paprika)Vegan Guacamole1/2 avocado flesh, mashed1 tbsp. onion, finely diced1 clove garlic, minced1 tbsp. fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped1/2 lime, juicedPink Himalayan salt, to tasteBlack pepper, to tasteSaladBaby gem lettuce turned into boats2 roma tomatoes, chopped1/2 cup (15g/0.5 oz.) fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped Add sliced onion and water to a mediumsized frying pan.Heat on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, until onions are softened.Drain and rinse the kidney beans and then add them and taco seasoning to the pan.Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for another few minutes, until heated through.Meanwhile, add the ingredients for the guacamole to a small bowl.Mash with a fork to combine the ingredients.Serve by placing taco ‘meat’ on to lettuce boats, add guacamole and tomato and lettuce and fresh coriander. Add 1 gluten-free wrap to your dinner.
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The Push Up exercise has been around for hundreds of years. It’s a great conditioning exercise for most muscles of the body and requires no equipment. In this post I’m going to break down this excellent exercise and show you not only how to perform it effectively but how to design your own push up workouts to get to that magical 100 push ups in one go! Muscles Involved During the Push Up The Push Up is a full body exercise that works lots of major muscle groups including: Pectorals – these are your fan shaped chest muscles and are heavily used in all pushing exercises. Triceps – another pushing muscle attached to the back of the arm. The triceps work hard at straightening the arm. So if you don’t fully straighten the arm you won’t get the most out of these muscles. Deltoids – the shoulder muscles play a large role in all pushing exercises but also in the stabilisation of the upper body to maintain alignment during the exercise Serratus Anterior – these muscles on either side of the rib cage attach to the shoulder blade and prevent it from winging during movement. Well developed serratus anterior muscles...
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