Ayurvedic Green Gram

I haven’t eaten any animal protein (meaning: chicken, fish, pork, red meat, etc.) since I left Australia last Christmas to travel in Asia. I began my meat-free life in India at the Ayurvedic detox center, as animal products (except for milk) were not an option. The wellness retreat in Thailand where I stayed for yoga teacher training served only vegetarian meals. In the Himalayas in Nepal, we learned that no animal is allowed to be slaughtered in the Everest region (the Sherpas who live there are Buddhists) and therefore meat for the trekkers comes to the region either by plane or by road. It is then transported up the mountain to the teahouses on the back of a yak or Sherpa, in a straw basket “protected” from the sun and flies by a tarp over the top. After walking past a few of these yak trains or over-loaded Sherpas, my vegetarianism while trekking was confirmed. From there, we headed to Ubud (Bali) which is like a healthy hippie vegetarian heaven. There are at least a dozen restaurants right in the main part of town serving up incredible and unique plant-based cuisine so I thought choosing the meat option seemed like a waste. By the time I got back to the U.S. in April, I figured I would want to tuck right in to a nice piece of wild-caught Alaskan salmon or a beautiful organic and pasture-raised chicken breast, but I didn’t. There was nothing in my body or mind telling me I wanted meat again. I didn’t feel malnourished, weak, or tired; in fact, I felt light, energetic and wayyy less bloated! The latter being the most exciting for me as I have struggled with my digestion for quite some time. While I’m not saying my digestion is 100% healed with perfect elimination and zero bloating, I am confident that it is much better than it was six months ago. No longer eating animal products may be a large factor or a small factor in that equation, but one thing is for certain - you need a strong digestive fire to digest animal protein and, at the moment, mine is still a little flicker.

RecipesStephanie RomeMay 29, 2014breakfasts, lunches, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, anti-inflammatory, cleanse, detox, ayurvedaComment

Go-To Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

I love this meal. Any time of day, it hits the spot beautifully. I have no qualms about eating breakfast foods for dinner or lunch foods for breakfast. You'll often find me having a bowl of porridge for dinner or a piece of salmon for breakfast. I don't categorize foods or meals as only appropriate for certain times of day. If it's delicious and healthy, I'm down.

Eggs are, in my mind, the perfect food, not only for their nutritional profile but also because of their versatility for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are chock full of high-quality protein, healthy fats, as well as being an awesome source of antioxidants, Vitamin A, D, potassium, folate and calcium.

Strawberry Chia Mousse with Cashew Coconut Cream

I reckon I love coconut more than anyone I know. I eat it every single day without fail in one form or another. There are so many variations of the beloved coconut and I love all of them just about equally. The following are constantly being replenished in my house: coconut oil, milk, cream, yogurt, kefir, ice cream, dried cubes, flakes, dessicated, shredded and, of course, whole fresh young coconuts with their delectable soft flesh and sweet water. Delicious! Just writing about it makes me want to rush out to the shops and get one. Alas, I won't, but I will continue to bang on about my love affair. One of the best things about coconut is the fact that it is has a beautifully sweet taste (without fructose) so it nips sugar cravings in their tracks. It contains saturated fat which is really good for you and fills you up so you don't need heaps of it to feel good and satisfied. Another awesome thing about coconut is that you can go either savory or sweet with your coconut creations. It works well for both! As for savory, I cook all my veggies in coconut oil. I love adding a bit of coconut milk or cream to soups and curries in winter, and often just sprinkle some shredded or flaked coconut over any lunch or dinner meal. As much as I love coconut added to savory recipes, coconut combined with sweet flavors is where the real magic happens! Coconut milk is the liquid base for most of my smoothies. I eat coconut yogurt with muesli / granola many mornings and coconut ice cream on the reg for dessert. You'll often find me sipping on a baby coconut and then digging in to get the fresh out for a snack. Sometimes I even eat the flakes in handfuls right out of the bag. As I mentioned before, I rarely let a day pass without a dose of coconut-something and I don't see this coconut-love fading any time soon.

RecipesStephanie RomeNovember 20, 2013desserts, breakfasts, snacks, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, anti-inflammatory, vegan, paleoComment

Asian Fusion Chicken and Raw Veggie Noodle Salad

I absolutely adore clean, fresh and vibrant Asian flavors. My first exposure to, and subsequent adoration of, Asian cuisine was during my first visit to Asia four years ago with two of my best mates, Anna and Alexandra. "The Asian Crew," to which we are often referred (which is funny, but more strange, considering we went to high school and college together too - not just Asia - ha), backpacked around the southeastern countries of Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore) for two months after graduating from UVa. In addition to visiting temples, getting scuba-certified, hiking through jungles, rafting down rivers in inner-tubes, and drinking vodka from buckets (as you do when you're 22), we embraced each country's slightly different cuisine and were even 'cultured' enough to take a cooking class in Cambodia! While none of us had much of a cooking background, we had such exciting experience learning about and experimenting with all the Asian ingredients which were so foreign to us at the time. I remember being so inspired to get home and cook up for our parents all the recipes we learned during our class. Unfortunately that plan never eventuated (maybe because we couldn't find banana leaves in Richmond?), but hopefully the recipe notes are still somewhere at home that I can dig up now that my Asian food passion has made a resurgence.

When I say I love Asian food, what I mean is that I enjoy certain flavors and styles of cooking, rather than any particular country's cuisine. If I had to choose, though, I would say I favor Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese the most, over Chinese, Malaysian or Indonesian. When you consider that many of these Asian countries share borders, and inevitably, common ingredients, it's no wonder Asian Fusion cuisine, which is just combining flavors from different countries, has become so popular.

RecipesStephanie RomeNovember 6, 2013lunches, main dishes, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, spring/summer, anti-inflammatoryComment

Work Lunch + Quinoa and Chicken San Choi Bow Recipe

Wanna know the secret to cutting the office afternoon snack attack?

Eat an amazing lunch!

So simple, but so crucial.

When we eat the same ol' unsatisfying meal day after day, or simply don't eat enough, for lunch, it's no wonder we find ourselves raiding the kitchen in the break room or, worse, the vending machine come 3 o'clock. Instead, if you make your mid-day meal delicious and satiating by including some good fats and protein, those heavy eyelids and uncontrollable sugar cravings will become distant memories.

RecipesStephanie RomeOctober 23, 2013lunches, main dishes, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, spring/summerComment

Five Favorite Clean Desserts

From time to time (every night?), I like to indulge in a bit of sweetness. Most often, however, I don’t have the time or energy to whip up something fancy. When it comes to making an at-home dessert, I have three main criteria: 1. it doesn't require me to turn on the oven, 2. it doesn't entail too much prep work or clean up, 3. it's made from real foods without refined sugar or any other nasties. I want it to be simple, clean and sweet-tooth-satisfying without being loaded with a bunch of heavy ingredients devoid of nutrients. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

Free from gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, and refined sugars, these are my five favorite plant-based (and mostly raw) desserts which are all guilt-free ways to treat yourself when the sweetness craving strikes.

I’ve broken them down into categories: Easy, Easier, and Easiest. Easy recipes involve a bit of pre-planning and/or delayed gratification while the easiest recipe is for when you need that sweet hit immediately!

RecipesStephanie RomeSeptember 23, 2013desserts, gluten free, dairy free, kid-friendly Comments

Maui-inspired Acai Bowl

I recently returned from one of the best weeks ever in Maui. The second-largest of the Hawaiian islands, Maui is also known as the 'Magic Isle' for its rolling hills, misty mountains, and best-in-the-world beaches. While the topography of the island is incredibly stunning and there are endless adventures to be had, the company was certainly the highlight of my vacation.

RecipesStephanie RomeSeptember 2, 2013breakfasts, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, vegan, spring/summer, healthy travel Comments

5 Must-Try Smoothies

I've had some really nice feedback on my recent post How to Turbo-Charge your Smoothie (thank you!) so I figured it might be helpful to showcase five of my current faves to get you started with your newly-purchased Awesome Extras.

Here goes...

Skincare You Can "Eat" and a Raw Cookie Recipe

I recently organised a little 'party' to showcase an organic, local, and hand-made skincare range which I love, called Vanessa Megan. I invited about ten girls over to have a play with some of the products and hear first-hand from Vanessa why it is so important to feed your skin with natural ingredients instead of all the harsh chemicals found in most products on the market today. Vanessa Megan's motto is: "You should never put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat." LOVE THAT! Her products are 100% natural and organic, free from mineral oils, SLS's, parabens, PEG's, artificial preservatives and fragrances. Not to mention, they smell and feel divine! The night was lots of fun and very informative. I think it served as a good catalyst for the girls to go home and read the labels on all those (probably expensive!) products in their bathroom cupboards. Also known as the Bathroom Challenge! I did this challenge a few months ago and was completely astounded by how many toxic chemicals and synthetic ingredients were in my beloved beauty regime. When we spray and lather these chemicals on ourselves every day, they undoubtedly seep through our skin (our largest organ) and directly into our bloodstream. I know many of us take such care with what we put in our mouths but few of us think twice about what we are putting on our skin. It's all going to the same place - into the bloodsteam! The first step to a beauty detox is self-education so I would definitely recommend reading labels and checking for the Big 9, as per the Bathroom Challenge. For those other ones you don't know (and probably can barely pronounce!), this cosmetic database is brilliant for searching a product or ingredient and learning about safety ratings and other health information.

Living and Eating Seasonally + Winter Veggie Soup Recipe

Do you feel cold and dried out in winter? Puffy and congested in spring? Overheated and lethargic in summer? If so, listen up!

As I have mentioned before, Ayurveda is all about living in harmony with nature. When we live our lives attuned to nature's rhythms and cycles, there are profound benefits for our health and sense of well being.

Why?

Because our internal landscape mirrors Mother Nature's. This is where paying attention to seasonality becomes important.

Rhubarb and Oat Porridge

Usually rhubarb is inextricable from sugar. Because of it's strong, tart taste, most people try to balance, or mask, this taste with sweetness in the form of white sugar (gasp!), or other sugar alternatives such as honey or maple syrup, when making jams or cooking pies and other desserts. I personally love the tart taste and don't find that this recipe needs sugaring of any kind. See how you go. You can also add a little upon serving, if you feel so inclined.

RecipesStephanie RomeJuly 14, 2013breakfasts, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, fall/winter Comments

Gung-ho Green Smoothie

As implied by the title, this smoothie is not for the faint of heart. If you're just getting into making smoothies, experimenting with superfoods, and toying with the idea of adding vegetables to your breakfast, then perhaps you should hold off on giving this one a go, just for now. Better to ease your way in...and I don't want to be the one responsible for scaring you away. For those of you seasoned smoothie-makers, this green smoothie is particularly awesome because it's fruit-free (meaning, minimal fructose) but still tastes great.

'Shroom Soup

I try to get to the farmer's market every Saturday morning. There is this guy there whose stall is always piled high with all these crazy looking mushrooms. I usually saunter over and have a bit of a gas bag, for no other reason than the fact that I like to tick the box on getting some face time in with the Fungi Man. I often walk away with maybe a handful of white buttons or perhaps some Swiss browns, without delving too far into the array of exotics he has on offer. This was primarily because I had no idea what to do with them...until it dawned on me that I could chuck them in a soup and not have to worry about the optimal cooking method for each variety. So, this past Saturday I got Mr. Mushroom to pack me a brown bag full of a little bit of everything and thus spawned this creamy and delicious mushroom soup.

Creamy Avocado and Cacao Smoothie

This is a smoothie I made on the weekend and put up for all my (50! Getting there...slowly but surely!) 'gram followers. I love experimenting with smoothie ingredients, and Saturday and Sunday mornings are really my only time as it can take a couple of blends to get the right combo. My kitchen cupboard is seriously overflowing with superfoods - every time I read about a new one I have to buy it - so it's just a matter of pairing the right ones together so that the end result doesn't turn into some revolting shade of green-y brown. This one is a winner.

Healing Bone Broth

For anyone who knows me all, he/she is aware of the fact that I am on a fervent quest to heal my gut and sort out my digestion issues. I consider myself a pretty ardent person, so when I want something fixed, I use every tool in my toolbox to make it happen. I have been on this journey for quite some time now. Many stones have been unturned over the years, but I still can’t say with conviction that I have fully solved the mystery of my gastrointestinal tract. Having read many books, engaged in countless hours of personal research, consulted with conventional and alternative medicine doctors and practitioners, and spoken to anyone and everyone who happens upon my war path, I certainly have made some progress and am fairly confident with my theories. A deleterious combination of years on antibiotics and BC pills plus a high sugar / alcohol diet left me with an overgrowth of candida. Candida is actually a fungus (lovely!) which is a form of yeast. Everyone (even those steel gut lucky bastards!) is supposed to have a very small amount of the candida yeast in his/her mouth and intestines. Its job is to aid with digestion and absorption but, when overproduced, candida breaks down the wall of the intestine causing Leaky Gut Syndrome (how delicious does that sound?). In Leaky Gut Sydrome, the “glue” between the cells that line the intestines is destroyed and spaces open up between the cells. With holes in the protective barrier, pieces of undigested food, microbes and toxins are able to slip through and into the body. The immune system responds and attacks these ‘foreign’ invaders causing food sensitivities to develop.

Winter Remedies + Quinoa Breakfast Bake

Whether you're a snow bunny or a sun worshiper, we all feel the effects of the cold, heavy, damp, cloudy weather during winter in our bodies and minds. We spend less time outside getting sun on our skin and more time curled up under blankets in hibernation mode. This is completely natural considering the days are shorter and everything in winter slows down, including our bodies. As a particularly cold and dry person myself, I have to take extra care in winter to avoid further aggravation of these qualities and maintain my health. Even if you find that your body responds well to the colder temps outside, everyone can benefit from keeping an eye on these qualities to prevent colds, flu, sore throats, congestion, and other respiratory problems. The key to health in winter is ensuring the body’s lymphatic and circulatory systems are working efficiently. If you’re feeling a little less-than-awesome, try one or some of these winter remedies:

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