This pesto sauce is so good and versatile that it deserves its own post. A great way to sneak in some extra vegetables and healthy foods, you can use it as a pasta sauce, salad dressing or even sandwich/burger sauce!
My first attempt at making pesto last year was a miserable fail. This second time around, however, was a huge success and even sibling approved! Mixed with some spaghetti or pasta of your choice, it’s the perfect cozy meal for a night in.
Have this spaghetti topped with cheese, vegan cheese, nutritional yeast or some chickpeas to keep it vegetarian and vegan. Alternatively, you could add some tuna or shredded roast chicken!
Savoury muffins are a great on-the-go breakfast or snack option, as well as an excellent way to sneak in some veggies! Make up a larger batch and store in the fridge or freezer, then simply reheat and go!
There was a time when I strongly disliked scones. The dryness, the lack of taste… But then I was introduced to fruit scones and the combination of scones with jam. Whilst traditional scone lovers may find this controversial, fruit scones were a game changer for me.
These blueberry and pumpkin seed scones combine the sweetness of the blueberries with the nutty, roasted flavour of the pumpkin seeds to make a crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside version of this traditional afternoon tea.
Makes 4 – 6 serves (depending on the size of your scones!)
When you’re tasked with making a last minute salad but have limited fresh ingredients at home, what can you do? Improvise with some pantry staples!
A common myth is that canned or frozen fruit and vegetables are not as nutritious as fresh, but this is not true! Canned and frozen foods are generally cheaper, convenient, and are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts! Since they’re shelf stable, I love to keep them in stock to use as back up or on those days when I’m time poor!
This crunchy and juicy Mediterranean-inspired side salad is one example of what you can do with some pantry staples when you’re short on time (takes less than 10 minutes)!
Simply mix all ingredients together and serve! You can top with your favourite cheese or Halloumi or a pinch of salt ☺️
You may have heard of the Meat-Free Monday movement by now – an initiative to encourage everyone to eat less meat and eat more plant-based meals throughout the week. There are many benefits to a plant-rich diet, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and improved gut health.
Recently, some studies showed that reducing red meat intake in particular reduced risk of heart disease compared to other types of meat.
Whether you’ve been doing Meat-Free Monday’s already, or you’re already fully vegetarian or vegan, or you’re still eating meat but just want some ideas to have more plant-based meals, this recipe is simple, tasty and nutritious!
This bolognese uses textured vegetable protein (TVP) as a substitute for regular minced meat. TVP is essentially soybean meal – it’s packed with almost as much protein as regular meat, but with little to no saturated fat!
LET’S GET FISHY! A little Q&A with some frequently asked questions about how to include more fish/fish oils into your diet.
A: To put it simply – if you’re eating enough fish throughout the week, then no. There are so many fish oil supplements on the market these days it can be hard to know which types to take, how much to take etc. That’s another conversation for another day… What you need to know here is that fish oil supplements typically contain EPA and DHA, two types of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are typically extracted from fish or seafood, particularly oily fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. If you’re eating enough of these types of fish, then there’s no need to supplement (think of the money you could save!).
A: Eating 2-3 meals of fish (about 100-120g per uncooked portion) per week has been shown to benefit heart and mental health!
A: Frozen, canned and fresh fish are all great sources of omega-3! Frozen and canned options are convenient, readily available and generally a bit cheaper than fresh too!
A: Canned and smoked fish are great in salads, sandwiches, scrambled eggs or as a snack on its own. Frozen and fresh fillets can easily be steamed, baked, grilled or crumbed (yay to homemade fish and chips) – you’re only limited by your imagination! You could even have it for breakfast…
Here, I added some smoked salmon on sourdough, topped it with avocado and cheese, then baked it until the cheese was melted 🤤
What are some of your own favourite fish recipes? 😋
經常會有人資訊很多關於魚和魚油的問題，今天就分享一個問答環節，解答大家的疑問 🤓
答：簡單說如果你平常有吃足夠的魚或海鮮其實不需要再吃魚油保健品。現在市面上有很多魚油類的保健產品，花多眼亂，都不知道該吃哪一種(這個話題我改天再解釋)，但其實大部分的魚油產品都是含有EPA和DHA。這兩種奧米加3脂肪酸最主要從魚類產品提取，特別是多油的魚，譬如三文魚、吞拿魚和鯖魚。如果你每星期吃得夠魚，就已經能攝取足夠的奧米加3脂肪酸，不需要另外吃魚油產品(可以省下不少錢)!
答：每星期吃2-3餐魚(煮前份量大概100-120克/份)就已經足夠減少心血管疾病的風險及改善精神健康!
答：除了新鮮魚，罐頭或冰鮮的魚肉也含有奧米加3脂肪酸！罐頭和冰鮮除了方便和容易買得到還會比新鮮魚便宜!
答：罐頭和煙燻魚可以用在沙拉、三文治、炒蛋或單獨吃。冰鮮跟新鮮魚肉一樣可以蒸、焗、煎、炸，只受你的想像力限制！我前幾天的早餐就是煙燻三文魚在一片sourdough麵包，再加牛油果和芝士，烤一烤讓芝士剛剛融化… 🤤
還有其他關於魚或魚油的疑問嗎? 留言或到我的Instagram詢問吧👇🏻
Whoever says that salads are boring simply isn’t doing it right… (Confession: I used to be one of those people!) This salad ticks all the boxes with crunchy textures, satiating grains and high fibre seeds!
This salad is high in protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, omega-3, omega-6 and dietary fibre, and can be served on the side or as its own meal. To make it a main dish, simply add an extra source of protein like tuna, chicken breast or tofu!
很多人不喜歡吃沙拉是因為覺得好像吃草一樣，坦白說我以前也是! 但其實如果配搭得好，沙拉也可以很好吃的！譬如這個烤南瓜核桃沙拉，不僅營養價值高 (含有蛋白質、維生素A、維生素C、奧米加3、奧米加6、纖維素等等)，還很有口感和飽肚感，不妨試試!
I have a history of making terrible baked goods, especially when I try to make recipes healthier or put a ‘creative spin’ on them… Apparently dietitians have a higher tolerance of mediocre-tasting but ‘healthy’ food, which is why I always test things on my family (haha!).
It’s gotten to the point now where my family always look at new creations with trepidation and low expectations…
This lemon cake I made a couple weeks back was met by this same dubiousness, but… the verdict was that it was good!
This cake does take a bit of time to make (approximately 1 hour prep and 1 hour cook time). The end product though is a moist and dense loaf that’s super high fibre and high in vitamin C! The seeds give a crunchy texture and are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fibre for gut health! Best served with vanilla ice cream or plain yoghurt to balance the acidity of the lemons.
Be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram (@rikkyso) if you try it!
Lately I’ve been experimenting with sneaking in chickpeas into my cooking to increase my family’s and my own intake of legumes and fibre. So far there’s been chickpea cookies, roasted chickpea snacks, chickpeas on rice, and chickpeas in salad… Last week I tried chickpeas in dip and you could barely tell they were there.
Blend chickpeas with a bit of water until smooth. Add all other ingredients and blend or mix by hand.
This recipe makes a large enough batch for a few days – use it as a dip or spread in sandwich or as a creamy salad sauce! If the creamy texture and high fibre content isn’t enough to convince you, this dip is also high in protein due to the yoghurt and chickpeas.
扁嘴豆是一個既便宜又營養價值高的食品，含有豐富纖維素和蛋白質。最近在嘗試不同方法把扁嘴豆無聲無色地加到食物裡，目前試過曲奇餅、烤扁嘴豆、還有加到沙拉和米飯裡. 上個禮拜還成功地融入了牛油果醬裡，配上紅蘿蔔和小黃瓜，是一個很健康的零食!