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Fetta and bean salad

• Consumereports editorial team

Bored of the traditional salad? Try this fetta, bean and almond salad.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 10 long green beans

• 10 long yellow beans

• 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced

• 2 tbsp Danish fetta cheese

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 tbsp flaked almonds

• Cracked black pepper

 

Method

Boil water in a saucepan.  

Trim beans and add to boiling water. Cook for about one minute before removing from the heat and refreshing them in ice-cold water. Arrange the beans lengthwise on a plate.

Add sliced tomato over the top of beans. Crumble fetta over beans and tomatoes. 

Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar over salad.  

Top with almond flakes and cracked black pepper.

Recipe from Light & Delish

NEXT: Browse more healthy recipe ideas or join the chatter on Facebook. 

 

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Healthy fats are KEY to a good diet

• Consumereports editorial team

Healthy saturated fats are KEY to a good diet, says doctor Anastasia Boulais.

Didn’t you get the memo? Fat is officially back. Anastasia Boulais is a medical doctor and spokesperson for the Ancestral Health Society of New Zealand, which considers healthy saturated fats to be important within a good diet.

“I prefer to steer people away from focusing on a single nutrient and encourage them to concentrate on real foods,” Boulais says.

“For example, eggs are vastly superior in nutritional value and keeping you full compared to industrially processed products like cereal.” According to Boulais, here’s a day’s healthy diet – non low fat-style.

Breakfast

Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and avocado

OR

Omelette with ham, tomato and spinach

Morning/afternoon tea

“I believe that if you need snacks between meals you are not getting enough nutrition with your main meals,” says Boulais. “In no point of our evolution did our ancestors eat five to six meals a day. The reason why you are hanging out for your morning-tea office break is because you had high-sugar cereal and low-fat milk for breakfast.”

Lunch

Beef mince fried in coconut oil with a side of green vegetables tipped with butter

OR

Leftover dinner meat with roast vegetables

Dinner

Baked fish with kale chips baked in coconut oil and salad

or

Lamb chops with sweet potato mashed with butter and two other vegetables

NEXT: 3 more reasons you should eat fat.

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Coconut soup with seafood

• Consumereports editorial team

Looking for healthy soup ideas? We love this low-fat coconut soup recipe.

It may smell like your favourite Thai takeaway, but don’t be fooled. Based on stock and coconut water, rather than coconut cream and oil, this aromatic broth is low in fat and KJs.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

Time: 20 minutes

Cooking times: 25 minutes

 

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 2 celery stalks and leaves, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks

• 2 large carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks

• 1 tbsp sliced ginger root

• 1 tbsp sliced galangal root

• 2 sticks of lemongrass, sliced

• ½ head of broccoli, broken into florets

• 2 zucchini (courgettes), sliced

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced

• Juice of two small limes

• 500g fresh cleaned prawns, scallops, mussels or marinara seafood mix

• 2 cups (500ml) frozen fish or seafood stock, thawed

• 2 cups (500ml) pureed fresh young coconut flesh and water (puree in a food processor)

• Natural salt

Garnish

• Finely grated zest of one lime

• 2 tsp coriander leaves 

• Freshly cracked pepper

• 2 small chillies, sliced

What you’ll do

Heat the coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently until they begin to soften.

Add the celery, carrot, ginger, galangal and lemongrass and cook for another five minutes.

Stir in the broccoli, zucchini, lime leaves, juice and seafood, then add the stock and coconut puree and a little water if needed.

Simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and seafood is just cooked.

Season to taste with salt, then top with the garnish and serve immediately.

TIP: Try a base of fish or seafood stock, or use chicken bone stock and add chicken thigh fillets instead of the seafood. The fresh coconut and aromatic herbs and spices offer antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and healing benefits.

kJ 804 | Fat 7.1g | Carb 9.4g | Protein 20.3g

Recipes from I am food by Anthia Koullouros (Lantern, $39.99); Photography: Chris L. Jones and Chris Chen

NEXT: Curried carrot and apple soup>>

 

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Chocolate cloud cake

• Consumereports editorial team

Cake without added sugar sounds like an oxymoron, but the nutritious whole food ingredients and dark chocolate provide ample sweetness.

Ingredients

• 350g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

• 50g butter

• 2 tbsp raw honey (optional)

• 10 eggs, separated

• ½ tsp vanilla bean powder

• Thick cream, to serve (optional)
  

 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

 

What you’ll do

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper and oil the side with coconut oil.

First melt the chocolate and butter. Quarter fill a saucepan with water and heat until simmering. Place the chocolate pieces and butter in a heatproof bowl, then set the bowl over the simmering water, but do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water or any water to get into the bowl. Stir until the chocolate and butter have melted. Stir in the honey (if using) and set aside to cool slightly.

 In a bowl beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Place the egg yolks and vanilla in another bowl and blend well. Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until just combined (make sure it is not hot as you don’t want to cook the eggs). Gently fold in one third of the egg whites, keeping as much lightness and air in the mixture as you can, then fold in the rest. The purpose of folding is to retain the air you have beaten into the whites – use a light touch, and never use an electric mixer for this step. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place the tin on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a dollop of cream, if liked.

The cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

kJ 1203 | Fat 18.2g | Carb 30g | Protein 2.5g

Recipes from I am food by Anthia Koullouros (Lantern, $39.99); Photography: Chris L. Jones and Chris Chen

NEXT: Chocolate and almond torte recipe>>

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10 winter feelgood foods

• Consumereports editorial team

Don’t blame your blah mood on the rain. Winter misery might have more to do with what you put in your mouth. Here are 10 winter foods to boost your mood.

Spinach: Containing folic acid, it helps to protect the brain. Low levels of folic acid can impair concentration

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Oats: Traditionally used to sooth nervous exhaustion and fatigue and jam-packed full of nutrients, oats also help reduce cholesterol, improving blood circulation to the brain.

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Ginger: Stimulates circulation and, according to traditional Chinese medicine, keeps the good chi flowing.

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Avocado: Rich in potassium, it promotes stamina. A deficiency may cause fatigue and 3 o’clock itis. 

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Tomatoes: High in lycopene, an antioxidant necessary for optimum mental functioning and resilience.

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Eggs: A source of complete protein and powerhouse of neurotransmitter precursors, an egg is ideal within any meal.

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Cashews: High in iron, cashews also contain some tryptophan and the other healthy brain fat –  omega-9.

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Beans: You can’t always hunt down wild protein for dinner, so utilise the vegetarian protein of choice, which is crammed full of nutrients, fibre and complex carbs.

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Parsley: The sprig that makes everything gourmet is a great mood-boosting addition, packed with B vitamins that promote better memory and mental alertness.

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Dark Chocolate: Contains magnesium, tryptophan and anandamide, a chemical produced by our brains when we are happy. It also increases mnotivation!

 

NEXT: 6 healthy winter soups>>