Category: Recipes

Here we unpack the health benefits of iodine, the important role it plays in our diet and a great iodine-rich prawn pad thai recipe to try.

What is iodine and where do you get it?

Iodine is a type of mineral that’s naturally found in the earth’s soil and ocean waters. You recognise that some salt labels read: “iodised salt” – this is probably the most common source. However, foods like shellfish are rich in iodine. 

So what does it do exactly? It regulates hormones and aids foetal development. 

Too little iodine may cause extreme tiredness, feeling cold, problems concentrating and hair loss. Without enough iodine, the thyroid gland may enlarge to form a goitre. It shows up as a lump in the neck. Low iodine levels could also increase the risk of a miscarriage and other health complications for your baby.
Too much iodine (usually from supplements) can be dangerous for people with thyroid disorders. 

You can get your iodine levels tested. Simply book a consultation with your doctor. Note: It’s important to not just take supplements without knowing your levels. 

Iodine-Rich Prawn Pad Thai Recipe (serves 2)

What You Need:

100g rice noodles

10 to 12 green beans, chopped

4 leaves of savoy cabbage, roughly chopped

12 prawns

Olive oil, for frying

1 tsp chopped garlic

Juice of one lime

1 tbsp tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)

2 tsp sweetener of your choice

2 free-range eggs (optional)

2 tbsp crushed peanuts

¼ cup bean sprouts

Fresh coriander leaves, for garnishing

Method:

1/ Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the rice noodles and cook until soft, about five minutes. Remove noodles and set aside.

2/ Add the beans and cabbage to the same pot of boiling water and blanch for two minutes. Remove veg and add to the noodles.

3/ Blanch the prawns in the same pot until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

4/ Place a non-stick wok over medium heat. Add a little oil and fry the garlic for 30 seconds. Then add the veg and noodles. Pour in the lime, tamari and sweetener and stir-fry until combined. Pour noodle mixture into a bowl.

5/ If using the eggs, whisk and pour half into the same wok. Cook to make a small omelette, then repeat with the remaining egg. Set aside to serve with the noodles.

6/ Top the noodles with prawns, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts and coriander. Serve with a lime wedge (and the omelettes).

This healthy roast chickpea salad recipe is easy to make and vegan and allergen-friendly.

Salads are fantastic in summer, but should also include a mix of nutrients, macros and textures to  not only satisfy those taste buds, but to keep you feeling fuller for longer and nourished. Try this roast chickpea salad recipe. 

How to make roast chickpeas? Click here for the easy roast chickpea recipe and to learn more about their health benefits. 

This is also a great base salad to make and then you can add in any leftover roast veggies as well. Leftover roast butternut, beetroot or aubergines? Toss them in! 

What You Need:

2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

1 red pepper, chopped or sliced as desired

Rosa or rainbow tomatoes, sliced in half or quartered

1 avocado, chopped or sliced as desired

Half a cucumber, chopped into cubes or sliced as desired

1 cup roast chickpeas

Lemon

Olive oil

Pinch salt and pepper

Method:

1/ Combine the salad ingredients with the roast chickpeas.

2/ Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Adding lemon zest to the salad will also give it a great pop of flavour! 

The play of red and green is perfect for the festive season, but this salad is also really healthy, pretty and delicious.

What You Need:

• Two large handfuls baby spinach
• 20 sugar-snap peas, sliced in half
• 20 asparagus stems, chopped
• 20 tenderstem broccolis, sliced into pieces (slightly steamed or sautéed)
• Handful watercress
• Handful basil
• 10 strawberries, sliced into rings

For the strawberry drizzle dressing:

• 5 to 6 strawberries
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• Pinch salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

• 1/ Toss all the salad ingredients, except the strawberries, in a bowl. Plate and add the strawberries on top.
• 2/ Blitz the dressing ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Taste and adjust accordingly, adding more lemon or honey. Dress the salad and serve.

Actually, this meal is great anytime of the year, but for the festive season, we’ll present this healthy fish and fennel dish with a side of smashed baby potatoes – perfect for the whole family.

This dish serves six. You will need a large, wide oven tray for the fish dish.

Healthy Festive Season Baked Fish & Fennel Dish

What You Need:

• 4 large fennel bulbs, with fronds (keep some for garnishing at the end)
• 2 lemons
• 6 cloves garlic (skin on)
• 1 cup vegetarian stock
• 1 cup dry white wine (or extra vegetarian stock, plus 1 tbsp apple-cider vinegar)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 fish fillets (hake, kingklip, trout or salmon will work well), 150g to 200g each (or whole fish)

Method:

• 1/ Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• 2/ Slice fennel bulbs into thick rings (or segments), reserving the fronds. Lay the slices in a large baking tray. Slice one lemon into thin rings and place the slices on the fennel with the garlic, then pour over the stock, white wine and olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, until the fennel has softened.
• 3/ Now, place the fish fillets (or whole fish) on top of the fennel. Squeeze lemon juice from the second lemon over the dish. Top with half the fronds. Return to the oven and bake for 10 to 20 minutes (depending on the fish and thickness of the fillets) or until the flesh is just cooked through. Slice through one fillet to test.
• 4/ Serve the fish with roasted fennel and garnish with remaining fresh fronds (squeeze the garlic out of the cloves and add one to each place, as desired).

Smashed Baby Potatoes

What You Need:

• 1kg baby potatoes (large ones halved)
• Olive oil
• Sea salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Italian parsley, for garnishing
• Lemon Juice

Method:

• 1/ Boil baby potatoes in a large pot until just tender.
• 2/ Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• 3/ Drain potatoes and pat dry with a towel. Place onto a large baking tray (lined with baking paper) and gently press down on each potato so that it looks “smashed”.
• 4/ Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and season.
• 5/ Bake until the edges are crispy and golden.
• 6/ Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

We are launching a series of hearty summer salad recipes, like this healthy salad Nicoise, to inspire you to get more greens into your diet, while also providing nutrient-rich, balanced meals that are easy to make and perfect for the warmer weather. 

This healthy salad Nicoise recipe serves four people. If you’re keeping the meal low-carb, leave out the potatoes (you can always add grilled courgettes instead).

What you need:

4 x 150g fillets of fish, such as yellowtail or tuna

4 boiled eggs

1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

400g baby tomatoes, chopped

200g green beans, steamed, sliced

8 to 12 baby potatoes, boiled or roasted, and sliced in halves or quarters

Fresh parsley, for garnishing

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

3 tbsp olive oil 

3 tbsp red-wine vinegar 

1 tsp Dijon mustard 

1 tsp honey 

4 anchovies, finely chopped 

Pinch chilli flakes

Method: 

1. Grill the fish fillets in a hot pan or under the grill in the oven until just cooked through (time will depend on the size and thickness of the fillets, but you want the flesh to be cooked through and opaque-looking) 
2. While the fish is cooking, slice the eggs and set aside. 
3. Mix the olives, tomatoes, beans and potatoes together in a bowl. 
4. For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together and dress the tomato mixture. Set aside to marinate.  
5. Divide the tomato mixture between four plates, place a piece of grilled fish on top, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and season

For a healthy Fish-and-Chips recipe, click here. 

We are launching a series of hearty summer salad recipes, like this healthy Oyster Mushroom & Tofu Millet Salad, to inspire you to get more veggies into your diet, while also providing nutrient-rich, balanced meals that are easy to make and perfect for the warmer weather.

Oyster mushrooms look beautiful when sliced, grilled and added to salads, but you can use any large or exotic mushrooms for this salad. As a vegan salad, this is packed with protein thanks to the tofu and millet. You could also use couscous instead of millet, or quinoa.

What You Need:

250g oyster mushrooms

Olive oil

A few sprigs thyme

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 red onions, sliced into wedges

2 cups cooked millet 

100g firm tofu, cut into cubes

Flat-leaf parsley, chives or dill leaves, for garnishing

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1 tsp sweetener of your choice (maple syrup)

2 to 3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 200 ̊C.

2) Slice the mushrooms lengthways and lightly score them in a criss-cross pattern.

3) Sauté the mushrooms in a large pan with olive oil, thyme and the cumin seeds. Once cooked, remove from the pan and set aside. 

4) In the same pan, sauté the tofu until golden on the edges. Remove and set aside. 

5) Now sauté the onion wedges, adding a little more olive oil, if necessary. 

6) In a large bowl, add the cooked millet, mushrooms, tofu and onions.

7) To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together and pour over the salad. Toss everything together. 

8) To serve, garnish with the herbs and season. 

We are launching a series of hearty summer salad recipes, like this healthy Beef Tagliata, to inspire you to get more greens into your diet, while also providing nutrient-rich, balanced meals that are easy to make and perfect for the warmer weather. 

A classic Italian recipe, this healthy Beef Tagliata is served with roasted rosa tomatoes and fresh rocket. This recipe is also great as a starter platter for a dinner party (serves serve) otherwise, is designed to serve four. Add some toasted ciabatta on the side to finish it off. Want to get more greens in? Layer the base of each plate with baby spinach and then top as described. 

What You Need

800g fillet good-quality grass-fed beef

600g baby or rosa tomatoes

Olive oil 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Four handfuls rocket (one per plate)

⅓ cup pine nuts, dry-toasted (or try sunflower seeds for a more affordable option)

For The Marinade:

2 tbsp rosemary leaves

A few bay leaves

4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For The Dressing:

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp honey 

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

2 tbsp olive oil

1/ To make the marinade, pound all the ingredients in a pestle and mortar until roughly smashed. Massage into the meat and leave in the fridge, covered, for at least four hours or overnight. Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature. 

2/ Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 ̊C. Place the baby tomatoes onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for

25 minutes or ever so slightly charred.  

3/ To cook the beef, you can either grill it over a hot fire or in a large griddle pan over high heat (you may have to do it in two batches, depending on the size of your pan). Ideally, you should serve it medium-rare and cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the fillet. To start cooking, let the excess marinade run off the fillet before placing it over a high heat to cook. Resist the urge to move the meat around – you want a perfect sear, so let the steak grill for at least four minutes on one side before turning over. Once your fillet is cooked to your liking, set aside to rest for around five to seven minutes before slicing thinly. 

4/ Divide the rocket among four plates and scatter the cooked tomatoes (with the juice

from the tray) all over the leaves. Layer the steak slices among the tomatoes and rocket.

5/ To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients together. Drizzle it over the steak before scattering over the toasted pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

We are launching a series of hearty summer salad recipes, like this healthy Hawaiian-Style Poke Bowl, to inspire you to get more greens into your diet, while also providing nutrient-rich, balanced meals that are easy to make and perfect for the warmer weather. 

This healthy Hawaiian-Style Poke Bowl can be adapted to suit your needs and what’s available locally. We recommend using yellowtail or tuna, but of course salmon will work perfectly too, just make sure that your fish is as high-quality as possible. The fresher the better. This recipe serves two.

What You Need

300g tuna

Small red chilli, finely chopped

4 spring onions, finely sliced

1 avo, chopped into cubes

½ cup shredded carrots (or grated)

½ cup cucumber slices

1 cup cooked basmati rice

2 nori sheets, torn

Half a handful alfalfa sprouts

30g toasted almonds, chopped

Zest of one lime

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

For the dressing:

1 tbsp sesame-seed oil

2 tbsp tamari

Juice of one lime

Tiny drizzle honey

Method:

1/ Slice the tuna into one-centimetre cubes and place in a bowl.

2/ Add the red chilli, spring onions and avo.

3/ Mix the dressing to taste and pour over the fish mixture.

4/ Divide the rice among two bowls. Divide the carrots and cucumber slices and portion to the sides of each bowl. Place the fish mixture on top of the rice. Garnish with nori, sprouts, almonds, lime zest and sesame seeds. Serve with an extra lime wedge.

The weather is getting warmer and braai season is here. This vegan mushroom potjie dish is the perfect dish for those spring evenings, which can still get cool once the sun sets. It’s delicious, easy to make and healthy. 

While this recipe is designed to slow cook in a potjie for a few hours, it’s also totally doable in a large Dutch-oven-style dish. 

Notes:

1. Like a good curry, it’s better the next day. 

2. This potjie recipe is totally allergen-friendly – no gluten or dairy.

3. You can swap out some of the veg for others that you have lying around at home, like aubergine, cauliflower, patty pans etc.

What You Need:

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2-3 large carrots, grated, 

4 large celery stalks, thinly sliced

Olive oil, for sautéing

Fresh rosemary twig (or a tsp of dried) / thyme

Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 to 1 red chilli, sliced (it’s just a little bite and isn’t meant to be “spicy”)

3 to 4 large brown mushrooms, torn into pieces
10-12 shiitake (or regular brown or button mushrooms), torn or slighted into quarters

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

4 large courgettes, cut into large chunks

10 to 12 baby potatoes, quartered

2 tins chopped tomatoes (400g each)

1 TBSP tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)

1 litre vegetable stock

Handful of green beans, top and tiled and then sliced into thirds

2 TBSP miso

Lemon zest / juice for garnishing 

Fresh Italian parsley for garnishing

Method:

1. Sauté the first three ingredients together in olive oil until softened. 

2. Add the garlic and chilli and sauté for another couple of minutes. 

3. Deglaze with a good half cup of red wine (the wine adds a depth of flavour) or some water if non-alcoholic.

4. Add all the veg, tinned tomatoes and tamari and stir to combine. 

5. Add the stock and place the lid on and allow to slow-cook for two to three hours, depending on your heat (oven temperature around 150 degrees celsius). 

6. When you think the potjie is ready and cooked to perfection (sauce has reduced and vegetables are cooked tough), add the green beans and cook for just 10 minutes more. 

7. Remove from the heat, stir in the miso (extra umami). Garnish and serve with rice or on its own. 

Whether you’re a chocoholic and looking for something healthier than your store-bought brownies or you’re looking for a new, tasty way to eat oats, these ‘Breakfast Oat Brownies’ will be a great addition to your kitchen. Plus they’re great for lunchboxes! 

These ‘Breakfast Oat Brownies’ can be easily sliced, kept in the fridge for a few days, popped into kids – and adult – lunch boxes and are a great way to enjoy a chocolatey snack that’s also healthy. They’re not that sweet (intentionally), so you may want to add more maple syrup or honey if you prefer sweeter treats or if you’re slowly weaning off sweeter items. 

What You Need:

Dry:

2 cups oats 

1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

1 tsp baking powder

4 heaped tbsp dark cocoa powder (or raw cacao)

Pinch Himalayan salt

Handful organic dark baking chocolate 

Pinch good-quality cinnamon

Wet:

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup nut butter of your choice

2 cups oat milk 

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut oil for greasing the pan

Pecan nuts (or nuts of your choice for garnishing)

Method:

1. Add dry and wet ingredients together. Stir to combine. Pour into a greased (and lined) brownie tray. Dot/garnish with nuts. 
2. Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 30 to 35 minutes. 
3. Remove and allow to cool before slicing.