Lemon and aubergine risotto

Smoky aubergine and the strong freshness of lemon and basil are used here to offset the stodgy tendency of some risottos Read More

Lemon and aubergine risotto

Smoky aubergine and the strong freshness of lemon and basil are used here to offset the stodgy tendency of some risottos.

Serves 4
2 medium aubergines
130ml coconut oil
Salt and black pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g cauliflower rice
750ml hot vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
1 lemon, zest grated
2 tbsp lemon juice
50g parmesan, grated
10g basil leaves, shredded

1 Start by burning one of the aubergines on a gas hob/fire. Line the area around the hob head/fire with foil, and put the aubergine directly on to a moderate flame and roast for 12-15 minutes, turning frequently with metal tongs until the flesh is soft and smoky and the skin is burnt all over. Keep an eye on them the whole time so they don’t catch fire. The aubergine needs to deflate completely and the skin should burn and break.

2 Remove from the heat and make a long cut through the aubergine. Scoop out the soft flesh while avoiding the skin. Discard the skin, roughly chop the flesh then set aside.

3 Cut the other aubergine into 1.5cm dice. Heat 80ml of the coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine dice in batches until golden and crisp. Transfer to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Leave to cool.

4 Make your cauliflower rice first. After it is made put the onion and rest of the oil in a heavy-based pan and fry slowly until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Turn up the heat and add the cauliflower rice, stirring to coat it in the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

5 Now start adding the hot stock to the cauliflower rice, a ladle at a time, waiting until each addition has been fully absorbed before adding the next, stirring all the time. When all the stock has been added, remove the pan from the heat. Add half the lemon zest, the lemon juice, chopped aubergine flesh, most of the parmesan and salt. Stir well, then cover and leave aside for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if you like, plus some black pepper.

5 To serve, spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and sprinkle with the diced aubergine, the remaining parmesan, the basil and the rest of the lemon zest.

Lemon and aubergine risotto

Smoky aubergine and the strong freshness of lemon and basil are used here to offset the stodgy tendency of some risottos Read More

The importance of a good dinner on our mental health

There is importance placed on meal-times; breakfast with its ability to kick-start the day and lunch as an opportunity to take a break to re-fuel and re-focus the mind. So what about dinner? Well it is just as important as dinner has a number of essential functions.

Fuel for the body

Since it’s the last meal of the day it is important to make the right choices because you won’t eat again for the next 10 ten hours or so. Ensuring that there is a steady supply of glucose for the body to use as fuel for essential processes whilst we sleep is critical.

A common cause of waking in the night, often seen in insomniacs is when levels of sugar in the blood fall. The body then has to release stored glucose and this action can cause you to wake and oftentimes it may be difficult to get back to sleep.

To counteract this, it’s essential to eat a good dinner which combines both protein (meat, eggs, vegetables and fruit which will ensure a steady release of glucose to the blood stream – helping to prevent disturbed sleep.

Eat to sleep

As well as eating to balance blood sugars, we also need to eat correctly to get the right amino acids. Part of the building blocks of the body, they also work as neuro transmitters, transporting messages around the nervous system, and they play an essential role in promoting well-being and mood.

One such example is serotonin. Deficiency is associated with mood disturbance, sleep problems and aggressive and compulsive behaviour. We get serotonin after it has been converted in the body from eating foods which contain the amino acid tryptophan. It is worth remembering that tryptophan is carried into the brain via what you eat – another reason to have your protein for dinner as well. Good sources of tryptophan include: chicken, turkey and tuna.

Feed the mind

With busy lives these days it’s easy to overlook some of the simple pleasures in life – and one of these is making time for friends, family and loved ones. Dinner offers a great opportunity to do just that, although here in the SA sobering statistics show that not all families are eating together – with 26% of teenagers eating in their rooms or before their parents. This practice can encourage poor eating habits and choices and it also, just as importantly, means that parents, kids or partners don’t really get a chance to ‘check-in’ with each other.

Families who eat together every day eat a better range of important nutrients such as calcium, fibre, iron, vitamins b6 and b12 and vitamins C and E.

So there are the reasons to eat dinner but remember these too:

Relax and eat slowly– when we’re stressed the body can’t digest nutrients properly so take time to chew – carbohydrates begin to be broken down in the mouth by saliva. Taste and enjoy your food. It takes about 20 minutes for the body to register that we are full so by slowing our eating we are less likely to eat too much
Don’t eat too late in the evening – the longer you wait to eat the more likely you are to overeat as you may be more hungry.

Try to avoid too many stimulants with your dinner i.e. alcohol, caffeine (coke, coffee, tea) as these can prevent you from getting to sleep. If you are sensitive to stimulants leave at least 6 hours between drinking/eating them and sleeping
Avoid fatty foods late at night – it’s harder to digest and break these down and so may lead to poor quality sleep, especially if you suffer from indigestion

The importance of a good dinner on our mental health

There is importance placed on meal-times; breakfast with its ability to kick-start the day and lunch as an opportunity to take a break to re-fuel and re-focus the mind. So what about dinner? Well it is just as important as dinner has a number of essential functions.

Fuel for the body

Since it’s the last meal of the day it is important to make the right choices because you won’t eat again for the next 10 ten hours or so. Ensuring that there is a steady supply of glucose for the body to use as fuel for essential processes whilst we sleep is critical.

A common cause of waking in the night, often seen in insomniacs is when levels of sugar in the blood fall. The body then has to release stored glucose and this action can cause you to wake and oftentimes it may be difficult to get back to sleep.

To counteract this, it’s essential to eat a good dinner which combines both protein (meat, eggs, vegetables and fruit which will ensure a steady release of glucose to the blood stream – helping to prevent disturbed sleep.

Eat to sleep

As well as eating to balance blood sugars, we also need to eat correctly to get the right amino acids. Part of the building blocks of the body, they also work as neuro transmitters, transporting messages around the nervous system, and they play an essential role in promoting well-being and mood.

One such example is serotonin. Deficiency is associated with mood disturbance, sleep problems and aggressive and compulsive behaviour. We get serotonin after it has been converted in the body from eating foods which contain the amino acid tryptophan. It is worth remembering that tryptophan is carried into the brain via what you eat – another reason to have your protein for dinner as well. Good sources of tryptophan include: chicken, turkey and tuna.

Feed the mind

With busy lives these days it’s easy to overlook some of the simple pleasures in life – and one of these is making time for friends, family and loved ones. Dinner offers a great opportunity to do just that, although here in the SA sobering statistics show that not all families are eating together – with 26% of teenagers eating in their rooms or before their parents. This practice can encourage poor eating habits and choices and it also, just as importantly, means that parents, kids or partners don’t really get a chance to ‘check-in’ with each other.

Families who eat together every day eat a better range of important nutrients such as calcium, fibre, iron, vitamins b6 and b12 and vitamins C and E.

So there are the reasons to eat dinner but remember these too:

Relax and eat slowly– when we’re stressed the body can’t digest nutrients properly so take time to chew – carbohydrates begin to be broken down in the mouth by saliva. Taste and enjoy your food. It takes about 20 minutes for the body to register that we are full so by slowing our eating we are less likely to eat too much
Don’t eat too late in the evening – the longer you wait to eat the more likely you are to overeat as you may be more hungry.

Try to avoid too many stimulants with your dinner i.e. alcohol, caffeine (coke, coffee, tea) as these can prevent you from getting to sleep. If you are sensitive to stimulants leave at least 6 hours between drinking/eating them and sleeping
Avoid fatty foods late at night – it’s harder to digest and break these down and so may lead to poor quality sleep, especially if you suffer from indigestion

If you like fennel, then you will thoroughly enjoy this side dish Bettabods.

INGREDIENTS
6 Tspn Coconut Oil
1 herb stock cube dilutd in a little water
3 bulbs fennel, sliced into 5 pieces
10 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 lemon, cut into wedges
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pan. Arrange the fennel, garlic and lemon in the pan, pour over the diluted stock cube then cover tightly with foil and a lid. Cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes, then place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and lid. The fennel should have a charred base and a soft, caramelised texture.

If you like fennel, then you will thoroughly enjoy this side dish Bettabods.

INGREDIENTS
6 Tspn Coconut Oil
1 herb stock cube dilutd in a little water
3 bulbs fennel, sliced into 5 pieces
10 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 lemon, cut into wedges
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pan. Arrange the fennel, garlic and lemon in the pan, pour over the diluted stock cube then cover tightly with foil and a lid. Cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes, then place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and lid. The fennel should have a charred base and a soft, caramelised texture.

Why is eating lunch important?

As much as eating a healthy lunch, it’s important to actually take a break from the morning’s activities to consolidate your thoughts, particularly if your work demands concentration. Eating at regular intervals, and eating lunch, is vital to a healthy, balanced daily diet Read More

Why is eating lunch important?

As much as eating a healthy lunch, it’s important to actually take a break from the morning’s activities to consolidate your thoughts, particularly if your work demands concentration. Eating at regular intervals, and eating lunch, is vital to a healthy, balanced daily diet Read More

Why is eating lunch important?

As much as eating a healthy lunch, it’s important to actually take a break from the morning’s activities to consolidate your thoughts, particularly if your work demands concentration. Eating at regular intervals, and eating lunch, is vital to a healthy, balanced daily diet.

If you’re working in an office environment then it’s even more important that you step away from your desk.

A recent study suggests that as many as one in four people is too busy to take a break for lunch, and one in three people eat lunch at their desk. The average person takes less than 20 minutes each day for lunch away from their desk. Why? According to research, many people work through lunch in order to save time and avoid working late; in reality it rarely works out that way.

Lunch to reduce stress

Taking a lunch break and nourishing the brain with food, oxygen and water will lead to better work in the afternoon than continuously staring at the computer screen. In fact, I’d say taking small breaks frequently is key to keeping the brain as active as possible and avoiding the build-up of stress in tiny amounts. So, if you habitually eat whilst you’re working, or at your desk, elevated stress levels lead to increased cortisol, which leaves fat accumulation in the body. There is also more chance of you overeating, and eating the wrong food types because the distractions from work cause you not to realise that you’re full until you’ve eaten way too much.

The key is: look forward to lunch as another activity and plan what you’d like to eat, as it is going to affect your performance for the rest of the day. It’s important to pack healthy foods into your lunch box and to keep it fresh and lively is vital. By swapping some of the usual lunchtime suspects for colourful and healthy alternatives, you could significantly change the way you feel in the afternoon and – critically – your energy levels for the rest of the day see ‘good food for lunch’ for some great ideas.