FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

SO YOU WANT TO EAT HEALTHY? Quinoa is one of the latest healthy seeds which can be cooked or sprouted, if you want a totally raw food.  It is supposedly a "super food" but then again, half the "new" foods that are brought out, are said to be "super foods". Quinoa is said to be a great source of protein, and even  includes nine amino acids.  Quinoa is also low in fat and carbohydrates, making it great if you are on a diet! In this recipe I have used another "super food" - Chia seeds.  So this, my lovelies, must be a SUPER recipe! I also used almonds which have wonderful health properties, and this recipe tastes excellent, as well as being easy to make and obviously healthy. You could eat it as a main if you are vegetarian, or have it as an accompaniment to a meat or chicken meal. Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Makes: 3-4 servings Ingredients 2/3 cup quinoa (any colour) 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced 2 ...

Salads are a favourite of mine, my lovelies!  However I do perhaps say many things are my favourites, as I love to eat. Which reminds me, do you eat to live, or live to eat?  Guess which one I am! Although this is a salad, I will sometimes have just a salad as my main meal as it is healthy and if you eat enough, quite filling. In this instance however, I  have eaten it with leftovers I had from my chicken filled with apricots , and the two meals married very well together. If you want to be really healthy, cut out the chorizo and make it vegetarian! Chorizo is a Spnash type pork sausage, and is not the healthiest of foods, as it is so processed, however once in a while I think Chorizo is fine, and it IS delicious. You could also use bacon instead of the Chorizo - well that is just as unhealthy and also very good.  I always use Short Cut bacon as this cut has little fat on it - so you see, even if you do eat bacon, you can buy one that is healthier! Pr...

Lovely ladies and men - Do you ever get tired of having plain salads with tomatoes and lettuce, and similar ingredients?  I certainly do and am therefore always looking for great combinations that are both easy to make, as well as healthy, and this recipe ticks both those boxes. This recipe also gives you sliced beetroot, or you could always increase quantities to keep more of this healthy snacks or accompaniments. I used a green apple (a Granny Smith which I believe is only available in Australia) as these, although slightly sweet, are the most tart apples we can buy.  This goes very well with the slightly sweet vegetable, beetroot. Although it takes longer to make, I usually always make my own beetroot as I find the tins or jars of these are just too sweet, and my recipe included no added sugar whatsoever! This is probably a European salad, or possibly even Israeli, and it turns out a bright pink, though I didn't put in a lot of mayonnaise. You could serve it as a ...

Potato salad makes a perfect side dish, or snack, however I ate this one with bread and some raw salad as a main meal. I often eat potato salad and you will find several recipes on my blog for different versions of potato salad. I like anything with potatoes in it and my recipes will reflect this - I far prefer potatoes to the sweeter, more healthy sweet potatoes! Potato salads are also great to take on a picnic with some thickly sliced buttered bread! This recipe has no mayonnaise in it like a conventional one, and is a nutty version of a conventional potato salad. Once again, I have used one of my favourites, peanut butter and I now always buy the "no added sugar" version of this amazing ingredient. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes: 3 servings, as a main Ingredients 3 medium potatoes 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (I used a natural one which is not as sweet as supermarket ones) ½ tbsp whole grain mustard ½ tbsp vinegar 1 tbs...

This is a simple, yet quite filling, salad that works as a main meal too.  I often have a salad as a main especially when the ingredients are a balanced meal.  This is especially good in summer and I like to eat it on my back patio area on a hot night, as it is refreshing. It tastes better with fresh peaches however it also works just fine with canned peaches, as I've used in this case. Using tinned peaches means you can make this salad at any time of the year, and they are far cheaper than fresh ones.  Note:  If you use tinned peaches, the recipe is slightly sweeter than if you use fresh peaches. This is also a fast recipe which requires no cooking, so can be made at the last minute as it is so quick! Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Makes: 4 servings Ingredients 225g cottage cheese ¼ cup sour cream 1/3 cup raisins ½ cup chopped, canned pineapple 1 tbsp lemon juice 4 fresh, or canned peach halves 2 carrots, grated Meth...

I love potatoes in any form, and particularly my potato salad which I regularly make.  As the weather was slightly cold, I felt like a warm potato salad, so checked in my pantry what I could add to this, and the result was I added a tin of smoked oysters, mushrooms, and an avocado. All these ingredients "married" very well together with the textures of the potato being very good with the avocado and the saltiness of the oysters. However, if oysters are not your thing, or you do not like tinned oysters, just leave them out as this recipe could have many other things added that would also be nice teamed with this warm potato salad. However, please note that these oysters taste nothing like real, fresh oysters, and I sometimes eat them in a sandwich, and like both kinds.  Fresh oysters are very expensive nowadays and hence these tins are somewhat of a substitute if you have a craving for oysters! Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Makes: 3 serv...

This is an unusual salad and is has all healthy ingredients in it. Eat it as a whole meal or as an accompaniment with a meal. If you don't have both sorts of mustard in your fridge, just use all Dijon. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour minutes Makes: 2 servings Ingredients 1 large beetroot, washed 1 avocado, not too ripe 3 tbsp chopped walnuts 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp grain mustard 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp Apple Cider vinegar 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ tsp agave nectar (you could use sugar) 2 tsp chia seeds Method Preheat oven to 200°C/180° fan forced. Wrap the beet in foil and bake for about an hour, until tender.  Set aside to cool, and then remove skin. To prepare the dressing, combine olive oil, two mustards, vinegar, lemon juice, agave and a bit of salt in a jar with a lid.  Shake vigorously, add chia seeds and let sit for a few minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the beetroot and arrange slices on 2 salad plates....

Ever have one of those nights when you just do not feel like cooking a large meal? I have this quite regularly, and in this instance I decided to make this salad and use it as a main meal instead of an accompaniment. Although it IS a salad, we had it one night as a full meal, as it has vegetables, fruit and cheese and is therefore quite balanced. The combination of these ingredients is unusual and very good.  It is also very healthy as beetroot has many health qualities as they are high in immune boosting Vitamin C, figre and essential minerals, all of which are important for overall health.  Beetroots also contact folate which is a Vitamin  B.   No cooking required for this recipe! Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Makes: 3 servings as a main Ingredients 2 Large beetroots 2 ripe pears 100-150 g feta cheese Lemon/oil dressing Pepper ½ bunch mint (optional) ½ handful sunflower seeds (optional) Method Peel the raw beetroots...

Many of us go on different diets, however I am slim and do not need to go on a diet, so it was with hesitation that I went on this "new beaut" 5/2 diet.  I did this, not to lose weight but for the various health gains it supposedly had. I found this diet worked for these problems however, in my case, I lost too much weight, so eventually I had to stop this diet! I was on the 5/2 diet for several years, and this recipe is one that I used to make on my "fast" days where I could only eat 500 calories for the whole day.  This tuna salad would be about 150 calories - add a boiled egg for another 70 calories, and it is still a very low fat, low calorie meal. It is very quick and easy to make and requires no cooking - and best of all - IT TASTES VERY GOOD - I also sometimes add olives and chilies to taste. A good recipe for one person or double it for more. Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Makes: 1 large serving Ingredients 95 g tin ...