Strawberry Spacebeam

Healthy living is not astrophysics. Word.

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Today, pizza goes square.

It also looks suspiciously like bruschetta.

It may not be round, contain cheese or have tomatoes (all required as per the google definition of pizza) but, by jove, it has inarguable Italian origins so I am granting it honourary pizza status. Plus it is delicious, and really, that is all that anyone wants. 

Using The Force i.e. the sandwich press turns a 10 minute recipe into a 5 minute one - does it get any better than this?!

I used this recipe by Jamie Oliver but I cut the oil riiiiight down (I only want enough to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, no more thank you!) I thinly sliced 1 eggplant and went for 1 tablespoon of lemon-spiked olive oil with 3/8ths of a tablespoon of vinegar. I omitted the salt, stuck with the pepper and garlic clove and went hard on the parsley and mint. Served on Vogels!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/aubergine-mint-bruschetta/#pPkSgYIwQVPx5Wf2.97

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So, call me crazy but I think I’ve just decided to embark on a pizza-thon. Is this the best thought I have ever had? In a word, yes. I JUST LOVE PIZZA. There has to be room for it in a healthy life.

Up first is round one of The Breakfast Pizza. Enjoy in your bed for ultimate happiness.

Toast 2 mini wholemeal pita breads in the toaster. If you’re feeling particularly awesome, roast up some garlic cloves and then spread on the inside of the pitas for an anti-vampire base. But that takes time so if you’re short on it, SKIP. It is the morning, afterall, you want to avoid peaking too early in productivity because where would that leave you for the rest of the day???

Anyway, I digress. Heat a mini frying pan on a low heat, crack in an egg and leave to go sunnyside up. Chop up about 1/2 cup of roasted vegetables into tiny pieces in the meantime. By now the pitas should be done so whip them out of the toaster and spread with some tasty but healthy topping. I went for a thin slice of avocado on one and a smear of hummus on the other. The pitas might have gone puffy in the toaster - this only increases the awesomeness so don’t let that phase you. Top with the vege bites making sure you leave an edge of the topping around the outside à la ultimate pizza tradition.

Check your egg - has the white gone all opaque (that means you can’t see through it anymore) and it looks set? Good. Ease it out of the pan onto a chopping board and crack the next egg in its place. If you break the yolk in this one (like I did), briefly lament its loss of perfection and then move on. It’s 6am in the morning people, you ain’t got time for broken-yolk-induced depression.

Get a small glass with a circular rim and place over the yolk making sure its big enough to capture a bit of the white too. Carefully cut around the cup so that you are left a small round of egg. Place on top of veges on the pita pizza base. Do the same for the other egg when it is cooked and top with freshly cracked black pepper and Italian herbs (it’s a pizza, duh). 

EAT!

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Mexcellent Monday strikes again! Try this for a super quick, D-E-L-I-C-I-O-S-A lunch idea. Bang a medium-sized kumara in the microwave for 3 minutes on high, flip over, then cook for another 3 minutes. While it's cooking, chop up 1/4-1/2 a capsicum. Scoop a v-shape out of the cooked kumara and mash with 1/4 of an avocado + a spritz of lemon. Mix in the capsicum then fill kumara. Top with freshly ground black pepper and black sesame seeds! Place any extra filling on the side as a salad.

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Eat My Lunch​ is a stunning initiative to help ensure that all New Zealand children get lunch everyday. It is also not too bad on the nutrition front when compared with the usual quick fix lunch options available in the city. I really recommend looking into this if you are wanting to make some changes to your health but do not want to cook. http://www.eatmylunch.nz/#our-lunches

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Balsamic Tomato + Avo Breakfast Muffins. 

Blister a handful of tiny tomatoes in a saucepan with 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, a handful of basil leaves + 1 (or more, depending on the vampire density of your neighbourhood) cloves of garlic, sliced.

While that’s happening, grill two large portobello mushrooms (in a sandwich press of course!) until liquid runs out. If you want to go a step further, sprinkle with thyme leaves before grilling.

Then assemble: mushrooms, rocket, a nice slice of avo + then top with the tomatoes! If you find rocket too strong, you can substitute for wilted spinach or a bunch of fresh coriander, or a mix!

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I'd been hankering for beans on toast for a while now, not that neon sweet-spiked twaddle in a can, Actual Beans On Toast. So I googled + found this Cuban recipe by Martha Stewart. Pretty good! It's super mild though so I ramped it up with some extra chilli and served it up on a wholegrain bagel with blistered tomatoes. Yeeee.

Recipe here:

http://www.marthastewart.com/337366/cuban-black-bean-stew-with-rice

I skipped out on the rice since I had a bagel on hand but rice is a perfect pairing here for vegetarians as it and the beans contain complementary proteins for maximum absorption. WooO!

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Sugars were not created equal! This is a super clear clip on the good and the ugly. Worth 2 minutes of your life. :)

https://www.facebook.com/preventionmagazine/videos/vb.87494991468/10153234850631469/?type=2&theater

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Celebrate sour with this tart raspberry pot.

Blitz frozen raspberries. Add a few tablespoons of chia seeds and leave to partially set in the fridge then stir through plain, unsweetened yoghurt.

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These COOKIES take breakfast to a new level. Super easy to make too! (I'd have posted pics of the ones I did last night except they do not do them justice at all...I'm blaming the lighting :P) For the jam I used 2 cups frozen raspberries blitzed with 3 Tbs chia seeds + 1/4 cup of water all left to set in the fridge. Mmmm!!!! http://ohsheglows.com/2014/10/24/flourless-thumbprint-breakfast-cookies-vegan-gf/

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Saturday Spotlight: Al's Deli​

Price: 4/5 Health: 3/5 Alty diet-friendly: 4/5 Service: 3/3 Design: 4/5

+ 1 bonus point because I sprinted from here to the Academy to see Mad Max (for $5!!!!) and that movie just enhances everything.

Rating: 68% awesome.

Above is their vegan falafel burger with red capsicum and hummus on an onion bagel. Basically only fault-able (apart from the obvious issue of the frying that is just a con of commercial falafel) on the fact that there was no wholegrain bagel available. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of the onion bagel, but a wholegrain onion bagel would have been even better!

There are A LOT of unhealthy options here: poutine, moose ear fries and boozy shakes but if you’re wanting to be pretty healthy you can do that here, too. And if you do opt for the more indulgent options there are a tonne of vegetables that you can order as sides. :) 

1/492 City Road, Auckland 1010

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Saturday Spotlight: Raw Power Cafe​

Price: 3/5 Health: 4/5 Alty diet-friendly: 5/5 Service: 3/3 Design: 2/5

Rating: 61% awesome.

Ohhh man I love this place. A little pricey but SO filling. Where else can you get a hulk of a tofu slab, more mushrooms than you can wave a shoe at AND hashcakes??? The windows need a bit of a wash and the adorable salt and peppers (corn, baked potato, capsicums, yoghurt drinks...) could do with a wipe down but, as far as food goes, you likely won't be able to move after you eat here.

Pictured: The Vege Big Breakfast, Tofu Hash Mushroom, Blue Moon smoothie & Elvis juice.

10 Vulcan Lane

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A bit of deep thought for your Friday.

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Far out this evening was successful. First of all I found out that I am not the only person in the world who craves broccoli. Second of all I found out the proper way to make tofu. Third of all, dinner was freaking boss - a stir fry with a sugar-free sauce that wasn’t too heavy on the salt. 

The secret to puffy, BAKED tofu is here!!! https://minimalistbaker.com/tofu-that-tastes-good-stir-fry/ I am so happy right now. Use all your favourite cookbooks to help dry it out.

I followed this recipe for my stir fry, adding 1/2 an onion, an array of vegetables to complement the broccolini (green beans, courgette + brussel sprouts) and the puffy tofu that I was ridiculously excited about.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/broccoli_stir_fry_with_ginger_and_sesame/

OHMAGAWSH THE GREENS. <3

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FINALLY, CURRY EVERY NIGHT.

Toast 3 TBs of curry powder until fragrant (this happens super quick - watch out!) Then chop up all the vegetables in your fridge going for a mix. I used just under 2.5kg of kumara, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, brussel sprouts, green beans, leek, onion, garlic, eggplant + mushroom. Shake in a bag (or two bags) with 1/2 cup oil (total) and the curry powder, spread on a baking tray and roast at 200 Celsius until soft, about 30 minutes, rotating them after 15. Serve with hummus, smoky paprika + black sesame seeds.

So this isn't actually a curry but it gives you the hit and the warmth and the total satisfaction without going hard on the fat. A very good weekly alternative.

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The super lazy way of boosting your veggie intake: take whole vegetable, cut in half, drizzle with sesame oil + chilli flakes then cook in your sandwich press. Chuck beside whatever else you have found (today it was dumplings ♥). Minimal effort, big returns... ahhh life is good.

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QUICK! Feijoas are only forecast to hang around until early June - THAT'S NOW. Buy up large, scoop out and freeze for year-round awesomeness.