SEEKING BALANCE THIS CHRISTMAS?
Dr Megan Rossi shares her favourite recipes… DIY GRANOLA
‘After searching high and low, I still couldn’t find a granola that ticked the boxes for both flavour and nutrition. So I decided to make my own gut-loving mix, and I haven’t looked back! I make a batch every fortnight on a Sunday and use it as both a breakfast and as a snack, adding that all-important crunch to my yogurt. You’ll also be getting close to a third of your daily fibre needs from each portion.’
SERVES 7
BASE
110g jumbo oats (or l muesli mix of your choice) 20g coconut flakes l
70g mixed seeds (linseed, l sunflower, pumpkin, sesame) 70g almonds, chopped l ½tbsp olive oil l
½tsp cinnamon l
½tsp nutmeg l
½tsp vanilla extract l 2 Medjool dates, stirred l into a paste with 1tbsp boiling water, or sweetener of your choice
2tsp ground ginger, l optional
TOPPERS, OPTIONAL
400g tinned lentils, l drained and rinsed
1 raw beetroot, grated l 25g goji berries l
45g dried figs, sliced l 55g dried apricots, sliced l
1 Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/325°f/gas mark 3.
2 In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut flakes, seeds and almonds. 3 In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and date paste, and the ginger, if using, before pouring over the dry ingredients. Using your hands, mix together to coat evenly. Set aside. 4 Thinly spread the mix across 2 baking trays lined with baking paper. Pop in the oven for 10min, toss, then continue baking for a further 10min, or until golden. If you are including the lentils or beetroot, pat dry before laying on separate trays and placing in the oven alongside the granola mix (20min for the beetroot, 30min for the lentils, or until dry and crisp). 5 Remove granola from the oven and sprinkle over your toppers of choice. Allow to cool before placing in an airtight container. Serve with some live yogurt and milk of your choice, if you like.
Options
Like a chunkier granola? Add 30ml l water and double the oil and dates, press into the tray and bake for an extra 5–10min.
Experiment with different grains, l nuts and dried fruits to introduce more diversity into your diet.
SAUTÉED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI WITH PESTO AND WILD RICE
‘Whoever thinks “greens” means boring needs to try this. Full of prebiotics, this cruciferous duo is good enough to convert any anti-greens advocate.’
SERVES 4
TOPPER (PESTO)
40g fresh basil l
2tbsp pine nuts (20g) l 2tbsp walnuts (20g) l 60ml extra virgin olive oil l 3tsp Parmesan (approx l 10g), grated
1 garlic clove l
Pinch of salt, more to taste l
BASE
400g wild rice or grain/s l of your choice, cooked (approx 140g raw, or use pre-cooked grain) 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil l
2 garlic cloves, chopped l
280g firm tofu, or protein l of your choice, cut into strips 125g Brussels sprouts, halved l 200g tenderstem broccoli, quartered l 250g mushrooms, halved l
1 Place all the pesto ingredients into a food processor and blitz roughly until combined to your preferred texture. You may need to scrape down any mixture that has risen up the sides a few times.
2 Cook the rice (or grains) according to packet instructions.
3 Meanwhile, place a frying pan over medium heat and add the oil and garlic from the base ingredients. Fry for 1–2min, then add in the tofu (or protein of choice). Fry on both sides for 5min, or until light brown.
4 Remove from the frying pan, then, in the same pan, place the Brussels sprouts, broccoli, mushrooms and a dash of water (approx 30ml). Sauté until tender.
5 Remove from heat, then add the tofu back in and stir in the pesto to warm. 6 Plate the warm rice and top with the pesto-coated tofu and vegetables.
PREBIOTIC CHOCOLATE BARK
‘I always make these for my friends and family, wrapped up in tissue paper and tied with craft string – I’d hate for their microbes to feel left out of the celebrations!’
SERVES 10
BASE
200g good-quality white chocolate l 2tsp extra virgin olive oil l
50g good-quality dark l chocolate, 70% plus cocoa solids
TOPPERS
50g dried mango, diced l 50g crushed pistachios l
1 Place the white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 40-60sec, stirring vigorously every 15sec, until melted.
2 To the melted white chocolate, add the oil, followed by half the toppers, and stir in. Pour the mixture on to a lined baking tray, thinly spreading the chocolate coated mix and dotting over the rest of the toppers. Place in the fridge for 5min to set.
3 Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave, as described above.
4 Once the white chocolate is firm, using a fork, drizzle over the dark chocolate with whipping movements. Place in the fridge for 30min, or until rock solid, then remove and break the bark into pieces.
Eat Yourself Healthy (Penguin Life) by Dr Megan Rossi is out now