Jody Vassallo
Food writer and wellness advocate Jody Vassallo is on hand to turn winter’s gluttony into springtime zest. Her cleansing recipes – full of fresh in-season greens and tasty, good-for-you extras – will awaken the body, mind and soul.
Top detox recipes full of flavour.
I STILL REMEMBER the first detox I did, I was absolutely terrified that I would starve. Long story short, I didn’t starve, in fact I felt so damn good after it I vowed to do one every year. That was 15 years ago and I now do it annually. Some years I’ll do one week, one month or just a few days, it just depends on how far off track I’ve ventured in winter.
Winter food is my weakness. I tend to overindulge in rich, slow-cooked meals, and desserts, and find any excuse for cheese. Come spring I’m hot, overweight, my joints are stiff and inflamed, my portions are huge and I’m like a bear with a very short fuse. I know it’s time for me to reset.
I start my detox on a weekend, so I can rest if I’m feeling tired and hide when I’m irritable. My cleanse follows the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. I eliminate any foods that aggravate the liver and create inflammation in the body – saturated fats, fried food, alcohol, processed foods and sugar. I add bitter greens such as rocket, dandelion, watercress and spinach to my meals. They are essential ingredients on any detox as they help ease the sugar cravings. The bitter flavours also stimulate the liver. Brassicas are another good source to help the liver detoxify chemicals in the body. I add broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage. Turmeric, the inflammatory policeman, helps to boost the liver’s function so I add that into hot drinks and juices. Cooling foods such as fennel, apple, celery, berries and rice are also included to help balance the heat in the body.
A one-day detox is a gentle way to start. I begin with a celery based green juice to help alkalise the body. Breakfast is congee, a simple rice porridge that is easy to digest and incredibly satisfying. Lunch, such as the soba noodles with peas, beans and greens on page 57, is the biggest meal of the day and is filled with loads of vegies.
The vegetables I used in this recipe are all great for the liver and available in spring which is the ideal time to detox. Dinner is light and includes protein like fish. The steamed fish and ginger five spice broth I’ve featured here is a good choice as fish is easy to digest, and ginger is warming to the body and helps with any tummy rumbles associated with doing a cleanse.
When it comes to completing my detox, I am aware that the first food I reach for will be the food I will crave so I am mindful to choose wisely.
“I’VE ADDED KIMCHI TO THIS CONGEE. KIMCHI IS BENEFICIAL FOR GUT BACTERIA, AND THE CHILLI HELPS TO KICKSTART YOUR METABOLISM.”
“THIS JUICE DOES A GREAT JOB OF HELPING TO DETOXIFY THE LIVER.”
CELERY, FENNEL & APPLE JUICE 750MMAKESMAKES750ML
You will need a cold press juicer or an electric juicer for this recipe.
2 (275g) Granny Smith apples
1 (215g) nashi pear
150g baby fennel
6 (500g) celery stalks, plus extra to garnish Ice, to serve
Wash the fruit and vegetables and dry well. Cut into pieces and push through a cold press juicer (which extracts more fifibre and nutrients from fruit and vegetables) if you have one. Alternatively, pass through an electric juicer. Stir well. Place ice into glasses then pour in juice. Garnish with extra celery stalks to serve.
ROASTED RICE & CAULIFLOWER CONGEE BOWL SERVES 4
Begin this recipe at least 5 hours ahead.
2 small red onions, thinly sliced into rings (we used a mandoline)
4 baby carrots, thinly sliced lengthwise, (we used a mandoline)
1/2 cup (100g) jasmine rice
1/2 (200g) small cauliflflower, thinly sliced
2 tbs smoky seed gomasio (recipe follows)
2 tbs pickled ginger, fifinely shredded
2 tbs store-bought kimchi
50g mixed sprouts
40g picked watercress
1 long green shallot, thinly sliced diagonally
1 tbs organic ghee
SMOKY SEED GOMASIO
1 tbs smoked salt (from gourmet food shops)
2 tbs each white and black sesame seeds, pepitas, and hemp seeds (from health food shops)
ASIAN CHICKEN STOCK (MAKES ABOUT 1.75L)
6 organic chicken drumsticks
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
1 garlic bulb, halved
6 slices ginger
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
For the stock, place chicken drumsticks in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables, bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic, ginger, spices and 4.5 litres of water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface, for 3- 4 hours. Strain the stock through a fifine sieve into a large heatproof jug or bowl. Discard solids. Set aside until ready to use. Stock can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 150°C. Line 2 large oven trays with baking paper. Spread onion and carrot evenly on separate trays and bake for 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes until dry and slightly crisp.
For the smoky seed gomasio, place the salt, sesame seeds, pepitas and hemp seeds in a small frypan over a medium heat, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until the sesame seeds start to brown and pop. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and gently crush to release the oils from the seeds.
Place the rice in a large saucepan over a low heat and roast for 5- 6 minutes until lightly golden. Add the cauliflower and stock to the saucepan, increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, then cover and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 45-50 minutes until the rice has broken down and the congee is thick and creamy. Season to taste.
Divide the congee among serving bowls, top with roasted onion and carrot, gomasio, pickled ginger, kimchi, sprouts, watercress, long green shallot and ghee.
FENNEL SEED, ALMOND & TURMERIC CRACKERS MAKES 16
“These crackers are so simple to make. They use almond meal as the base, which is a source of good fats.”
2 cups (200g) almond meal
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbs flflaxseeds (linseeds)
2 tbs pepitas, roughly chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbs fennel fronds (optional), to serve
Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the almond meal, turmeric, flflaxseeds and pepitas, fennel seeds, coconut oil and ¼ cup (60ml) water into a bowl and mix well until combined. Season to taste. Place dough in between two sheets of baking paper and roll out to a rough 5mm thick rectangle. Sprinkle with salt flflakes and cut into rough large triangles, about 13cm long and 5cm wide at the base. You should have about 16 crackers.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until crisp and golden. Allow to cool. Scatter over fennel fronds to serve.
CHILLED ZARU SOBA WITH PEAS, BEANS AND GREENS SERVES 4
“This recipe is quick and easy, and the dressing makes extra so I have it on hand in the fridge. Try to get green tea soba noodles if you can – green tea is full of antioxidants.”
180g green tea soba noodles shops((fromAsianfoodshops)
1 cup (130g) fresh podded peas 300g broad beans, peeled
1 bunch asparagus, thinly sliced into long pieces
800g bitter leafy greens ( such as rocket,
dandelion, watercress), leaves picked
1 sheet organic roasted seaweed, shredded (from Asian food shops)
2 long green shallots, thinly sliced
1 tsp chilli flflakes (optional)
ZARU SOBA DRESSING
1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
1/4 cup (60ml) mirin
1 cup (250ml) dashi stock (from Asian food shops) or water
1 tsp wasabi paste
1 tbs fifinely chopped preserved lemon
For the zaru soba dressing, place the soy sauce, mirin and dashi or water, into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, then stir in the wasabi and preserved lemon. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Place soba noodles in a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes until just soft, then drain well. Rinse under cold running water then transfer to a bowl of iced water and chill in the fridge.
Blanch the peas, broad beans and asparagus in a shallow frypan of boiling water over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes until bright green and just tender. Rinse under cold running water and drain well.
Place leafy greens onto serving plates and top with soba noodles and blanched greens. Scatter with roasted seaweed, long green shallot, and chilli flflakes if using. Serve with zaru soba dressing which can be placed in bowls and noodles dipped in.
STEAMED FISH WITH GINGER FIVE SPICE BROTH SERVES 4
You will need a steamer basket for this recipe.
4 x 150g boneless, skinless kingfifish fifillets
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs each lemon juice and fifish sauce
2 small inner cabbage leaves, trimmed to fifit in steamer basket
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed
2 long green shallots, thinly sliced Freshly ground white pepper, to serve
100g sunflflower sprouts (substitute bean sprouts)
GINGER FIVE SPICE BROTH
2 cm piece (10g) ginger, sliced into matchsticks
1/ 2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp fifive spice powder
2 tsp each organic ghee and fifish sauce
For the broth place all ingredients with 1 cup (250ml) water into a small saucepan and slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 3- 4 minutes. Keep warm until ready to use.
Place the kingfifish in a shallow non-reactive bowl. Add sesame oil, lemon juice and fifish sauce, and mix to combine. Toss to coat both sides of the fifish.
Line a large bamboo steamer with the cabbage leaves. Place the drained marinated fifillets onto the cabbage leaves and arrange the broccolini around the outside of the fifillets. Place the steamer over a large pan or wok of simmering water, cover and steam fifish over a medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes until the fifish and broccolini are tender.
Serve the fifish on cabbage leaves, topped with shredded ginger strained from the broth, long green shallot and sprinkle with white pepper. Scatter the broccolini and sprouts on top and serve with the hot ginger fifive spice broth.
BERRY KOMBUCHA JELLIES MAKES 4
“Kombucha is full of good gut pro- and prebiotics, and chia is a good source of fifibre. Rosewater is cooling and great to include in meals when doing a cleanse.”
250g blueberries, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp vanilla powder (from health food shops)
1/ 2 tsp rosewater (from Middle Eastern food shops and select supermarkets)
400ml berry kombucha
125g raspberries, plus extra to serve
1/ 2 cup (80g) white chia seeds Baby mint, to serve
Place half the blueberries into a bowl with vanilla powder and rosewater, and gently mix to coat the berries. Divide blueberries among serving glasses.
Meanwhile, place kombucha, raspberries and white chia seeds into a blender and whiz until smooth.
Pour kombucha mixture onto the blueberries. Chill for 2-3 hours until the just set. Place remaining 125g blueberries, extra raspberries and baby mint on top to serve.