Easy ways to prepare nutrition rich and supercharged food

There is nothing like the satisfaction you get from a good meal and I have found that natural foods are the best way to nourish and energise your body and feed your soul. Many of us are living a low on time and work orientated existence, so I set about making the recipes not only classic and elegant but also simple, quick and easy to prepare to enable everyone to cook nutritious meals from scratch without having to be a Cordon Bleu chef. Here I am sharing two of my nutrient-rich and ‘supercharged’ foods that will help nourish and heal your body.

LAYERED QUINOA TRIFLE

In this layered quinoa trifle, there are layers upon layers of health-promoting ingredients. I’ve substituted sponge for quinoa, giving the dish a distinctive creamy nuttiness. I’ve added a couple of dollops of full-fat Greek style natural yoghurt added in place of cream but if you don’t consume dairy, why not try this cashew nut cream instead. Just sprinkle through some coconut flakes for crunch and texture and your trifle is ready for tasting.

Recipe - Serves 4

Ingredients

l 100 g (31/2 oz/1/2 cup) quinoa

l 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

l Pinch of Celtic sea salt

l 60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) unsweetened almond milk

l 1/2 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract

l 6 drops stevia liquid or 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup

l 1 tablespoon slivered almonds

l 2 bananas, sliced

l 130 g (43/4 oz/1/2 cup) full-fat Greek-style yoghurt

l 4 tablespoons coconut flakes 110 g (33/4 oz/1/2 cup) mixed berries

l 1 teaspoon almond butter, melted

l 1 tablespoon chia seeds, for sprinkling

Method

l Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse with cold running water for 2–3 minutes, moving the seeds around with your hand to ensure that the seeds are well rinsed and any residue is removed.

l Bring 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water to the boil in a large saucepan.

l Add the quinoa, return to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to low for 12–15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

l Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

l Place the quinoa in a bowl and stir through the cinnamon and salt.

l In a saucepan over medium–low heat, warm the almond milk for 3–4 minutes.

l Stir in the vanilla and stevia or rice malt syrup.

l Add a couple of spoons of quinoa to four glass jars, or glasses.

l Mix through the almond milk and follow with layers of slivered almonds, banana slices, yoghurt, coconut flakes and berries. Repeat until the jars are full, with berries as the top layer.

l Top with the melted almond butter and chia seeds.

RASPBERRY- STUDDED PUMPKIN PIE

This is one of my favourite make-an-impression desserts to contribute to a party, or even enjoyed as a family heirloom recipe. It can also be enjoyed cold in summer with delicious banana ice cream or warmed for the cooler months ahead. The crunchy base is nutritionally wholesome and dense using a combination of seeds and nuts and has been sweetened with rice malt syrup, which is a good substitute if you’re trying to cut back on refined sugars.

Recipe — Makes 1 pie

Ingredients

l Coconut oil, or unsalted butter, for greasing

BASE

l 105 g (31/2 oz/2/3 cup) raw cashew nuts

l 40 g (11/2 oz/1/4 cup) sesame seeds

l 11/2 tablespoons chia seeds

l 11/2 tablespoons flaxseeds

l 40 g (11/2 oz/1/4 cup) sunflower seeds

l 60 g (21/4 oz/1/3 cup) cooked brown rice

l 60 g (21/4 oz/1/3 cup) quinoa flakes

l 6 drops stevia liquid or 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup

l 1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract

l 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

l 2–3 tablespoons coconut oil, or 40–60 g (11/2–21/4 oz) unsalted butter

TOPPING

l 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) pumpkin (winter squash) or sweet potato, steamed and cooled

l 1 tablespoon almond milk

l 2 large organic eggs, beaten

l 6 drops stevia liquid

l 1 tablespoon coconut oil

l 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

l 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

l 1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extracts about 20 raspberries

Method

l Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5) and lightly grease a 20 cm (8 inch) spring-form cake tin or pie dish.

l Combine all the base ingredients in a food processor, adding the coconut oil last, and process for about 15 seconds or until crunchy.

l Remove the dough and, using your hands, press it evenly into the prepared tin, packing it slightly around the edges to make a crust.

l Bake blind for 10–15 minutes or until the base is firm and lightly golden in colour.

l To make the topping, combine all the ingredients, except the raspberries, in a large bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.

l Spoon the topping over the base and stud with the raspberries.

l Return the pie to the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Lee Holmes is a Sydney-based writer, nutritionist and Super-food advocate. You can also visit her website www.superchargedfood.com for more recipes