Mayo and Aoli Worth Chirping About

Especially if you want it sugar-free and nasty-number free! Inspired by the I Quit Sugar Mayo recipe and a recipe by our friend, Rosanne Martin.

A stick blender and its mixing glass are the perfect tools for making this recipe.  It can also be made in an ordinary blender though you may need to use a spatula every so often to scrape the ingredients back down onto the blade. If you’re extra keen you can make this with a hand whisk.

2 Tblsp lemon juice

1 egg

1 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ -½ tsp salt (taste test after adding ¼ tsp)

About 1 cup good olive oil (don’t add yet)

1 Tblsp Whey (optional) will give the mayo a fantastic probiotic boost.  If you use whey, leave the mayo out on the bench for 8 hours to allow for a slight fermentation before storing in the fridge.

Now choose your flavouring:

•  Either 1 handful fresh Sweet Basil leaves
•  OR other fresh herbs
• OR 4 sundried tomatoes

Whizz the ingredients including the chosen flavouring (but not the oil) for 30 seconds to mix.

Pour your olive oil into a small lipped jug or easy-pouring bottle. While you have your blender running gently pour the olive oil in a thin stream into the mix. This slow pour will cause an emulsion to form which means the mayonnaise thickens. The mix will begin to thicken at about ½ to ¾ of a cup of oil. You choose how thick you want your mayo or aoli. You can thin it down with a little water if you accidentally go too thick.

6 Things to Note:

• Aoli is mayo with garlic.
• The Mayo with Sweet Basil version makes a nice pasta salad and also pairs well with eggs.
• The plain mayo is great with salad or if you add chopped cornichons (gherkins) and a little chopped tomato and parsley it makes a nice Tartare sauce for fish.
• You can collect your own whey by taking a jar of plain yoghurt and leaving it to drain hanging in a muslin cloth overnight. The whey will drain out and leave you with a firm yoghurt or cream cheese.
• An emulsion is the result combining fine droplets of an oil with another liquid by mixing to make a cream. This is essentially how face creams are made. Oooh mayo moisturiser…!
• All easy to make at home AND free of nasties. Keeps for 2-3 weeks in a glass jar in the fridge. If you use whey in the making your mayo will keep for 2-3 months in the fridge.

Top 10 Reasons to Filter Your Tap Water

Who else is sick of tasting chlorine in their drinking water and somehow knowing, deep down, that you're probably consuming harmful toxins? You’ll never regret filtering your tap water, even for the simple reason of making a decent cup o’ tea! Up for a little easy educating? Here are 10 reasons to filter your tap water along with a link to our awesome Bio Mineral Pot which is on SALE and also a customer review of the product. Ready, set, go!

1. Water filtration can provide better tasting and better smelling drinking water by removing chlorine, chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals and bacterial contaminants.

2. Point-of-use water filters remove lead from drinking water immediately prior to consumption, thus preventing this harmful substance from entering the body.

3. Use of clean, filtered water can reduce the risk of certain cancers including: rectal cancer, colon cancer, and bladder cancer by removing chlorine and chlorine by-products such as Trihalomethanes (THMs) from drinking water.

4. A carbon water filter can selectively remove dangerous contaminants from drinking water while retaining healthy mineral deposits that balance the pH of drinking water.

5. A water filter provides clean, healthy water for cooking, as well as drinking, at the convenience of tap water.

6. Water filters reduce the risk of gastrointestinal disease by more than 80 percent by removing Cryptosporidium, E-coli and Giardia from drinking water.

7. Drinking pure water is especially important for children. Water filters provide the healthiest water for children’s developing immune systems.

8. Filtered water is a source of clean, healthy water that is much less expensive than buying bottled water in plastic. Use of a water filter helps to reduce toxic waste in the environment.

9. Water filters offer the last line of defence between the body and over 2,100 known toxins that may be present in our drinking water.

10. A countertop filter is easily used in rental accommodation where an under-sink unit can’t be installed.

>>> Have a look at the Bio Mineral Pot HERE (glass - 5 or 10 litre capacity). Was $680, now $499!

This bench top filter system has 13 stages of sterilising, filtration & activation. The main filter lasts for approximately 12,000 litres, equating to three years of normal use. The new BMP 500 can now remove up to 99.99% of fluoride in your water! Have a read of the review below, sent in by one of our customers after purchasing the first version of the Bio Mineral Pot. (The new version is even more sophisticated!)

Review: “As we have a large household, we bought the Bio 1000 (10ltr) water filter 3 years ago and we are so glad we did. The water tastes really good and when you drink it, you know you are getting those trace minerals that nature intended – I’ll never make a cup of coffee or tea from the town supply ever again (I don’t know how I put up with the chlorinated taste in my hot drinks for so long)…!

~ Lee-Anne

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Adapted from a recipe by Dr.Libby

Place all ingredients for cashew milk (below) into your blender (a high speed blender gives the best results):

1 cup raw cashew nuts. (Can also use 1 cup soaked almonds)

2 cups water (good filtered water without the additives)

Sweetener - 2 tablespoons maple syrup or rice syrup or date puree

the seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 1/4 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla essence

2 Tbsp cacao powder

Small pinch salt

Now blend until smooth and creamy. Place the blended chocolate cashew milk into a bowl.

1/3 cup black or white Chia Seeds

Add the white or black Chia Seeds to the cashew milk. Stir in with a whisk.

Leave to set in the fridge. The longer this sits, the firmer it becomes. Less seeds results in a more liquid pudding.

Serve in decorative glasses or jars. Add fruit and sliced almonds to decorate.

You can find many other delicious recipes using Chia Seeds. Check out Recipes Hubs here.

Mango Chia + Rhubarb Chia

Did you know that:

• If you run out of eggs or if you’re making a vegan recipe, you can mix 1Tbsp Chia Seeds with 3 Tbsp water, let the mix sit to create a gel and then substitute it in for eggs in your baking.
• Chia is actually in the mint family and is native to parts of Mexico and Guatemala.
• You shouldn’t eat more than a few seeds without water.  There is a danger that taking, say a tablespoon of seeds and crunching them up in your mouth without having previously soaked them in water, can cause a serious blockage in your inner piping!  But seriously, who would do that?

Chia Seeds - not just another trendy super-food

You might be thinking, “Here we go, another health food trend.” And you’re right... well, not exactly. Not all trendy “super-foods” are really super, but I’d say that Chia Seeds most definitely are! 

Why are Chia Seeds so good?

Chia Seeds are high in protein and fibre, packed full of many nutrients and have a very low carbohydrate content. If you want some more nutrition info, click here.

28 grams (about two tablespoons) of Chia seed contains:

High calcium - in fact, 18% of our daily calcium needs. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and protein are important for bone health as we age.

High protein - 4 grams of protein in 28 grams of seed. That’s about 14% of our daily need, which is high for plant material. This protein is also called high quality protein because it contains many of the amino acids required to make protein in our bodies.

High fibre - 42% of your daily need – just under 1 tablespoon of fibre in 2 tablespoons of seed.  This is what allows chia seeds to absorb 10 – 12 times their weight in water. They become like a gel when soaked, theoretically making your stomach feel full which is why they feature in the weight loss category.

Good amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2, Phosphorous.

Very good antioxidant levels – have a read of some current research here.

High in Omega-3 fatty acid ALA – However, our human digestive system is not as efficient in converting this plant source Omega 3 for use in the body as it is at using the Omega 3’s found in fatty fish.

7 Ways to use Chia Seeds

• Sports drinks - Chia seeds can improve sports performance as much as a sports drink can. Some people include chia seeds with their sports drink or just add them in their water bottles to drink as they run (you don’t necessarily have to chew these seeds to absorb their ingredients).
• In smoothies – add 1 or 2 tablespoons to your ingredients. Stir in at the end.
• Sprinkle on your morning cereal, yoghurt, or fruit for a crunch.
• Add to baking – in energy seed bars, muffins, or on top of bread. 
• Mix into pancakes, stir fries, and lentil casserole.
• Make coatings for fish and tofu using egg whites, whole grains, flavouring spices and chia seeds.
• Chia puddings for breakfast or dinner - chocolate, mango, pecan, rhubarb, raspberry are all popular flavours. Check out our Chocolate & Chia Seed Pudding recipe here!

Easy-Peasy Pocket Bread Recipe

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Lebanese Pocket Bread

This recipe makes 8 pocket breads

2 cups wholemeal flour

3 tsp dried yeast

1 tsp honey

1 cup lukewarm water

1 Tbsp oil (good olive oil)

½ tsp sea salt, sprinkled on top of bread not mixed into dough

Flour for rolling out
Butter or baking paper for tray

1) Put all the water, dried yeast, and honey into a large bowl.  Mix well. Do not add any salt to the mix yet.

2 & 3) Add oil, stir again.

4) Add flour.

5) Stir.

6) Then knead with your hands. This can take between 5 and 10 minutes. Dip your kneading hand into a bowl of cold water before you start and periodically throughout. This will help keep the dough from sticking to your hand. Form the dough into a rounded lump and let it rise for 20 – 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees C while the dough is rising.

7) I actually let it over-rise here. The dough is better if its surface is actually rounded not flat.

8) Now knead the dough for 3 or 4 minutes.  

9) Form it into a sausage shape.  Lay it on the floured bench and cut into 8 even-sized pieces. I made double recipe here so I’ve cut it into 16 pieces.  

10) Roll or shape each piece into a circle.  Make the top surface of the bread smooth^*   

11) Transfer to the buttered baking tray and let the pocket breads rise for about 15 minutes. Now it’s time to use the salt. Generously sprinkle salt evenly over each bread.  

12) Bake in the top half of a very hot oven (250 degrees C) for 5 minutes or until the breads puff up.  As soon as they’re slightly brown take them out and cool on a rack.

13) Done.  

14) Now all you have to do is clean up!  

15) Mouthwatering to eat straight away.

A couple of notes:

Sometimes pockets in the bread are not formed. However the bread is still very nice anyway. Three reasons why pockets may not have formed in your bread: 1) The bread is not totally smooth on the top surface but has some cracks in it* 2) Not enough salt on top 3) The oven is not hot enough.

Eat fresh from the oven for best taste! 

Recipe shared with permission from Karin Putner, nutrition consultant.

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Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet...

Coming into the New Year we're starting to think how we can replace those cravings for Christmas mince pies and Lindt chocolate we acquired over the holidays... It might help to first have some knowledge about that very ingredient we're so addicted to. SUGAR.

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“Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Sugar is Sweet and it’s killing you!”

At least this is what the nutritional tabloids would have us believe. It seems that if you want publicity in today’s health market, all you have to do is point an accusatory finger at those sweet little crystals which are being blamed for the current health crisis. Despite my firmly held belief that we should be minimising our consumption of this addictive ingredient, I am usually suspicious of hype. So I have been following with wary interest the various claims that are currently circulating regarding the forms and amounts of sugar that we should (or should not) be consuming. It can be overwhelming and often confusing to make sense of the myriad of articles, research, and sometimes unfounded nonsense being conveyed about sugar.

Enter, ‘That Sugar Film’ http://thatsugarfilm.vhx.tv : a humorous and down-to-earth look at the effects of our apparently disastrous dependence on sugar. The documentary follows Damon Gameau’s experiment on himself, in which he spends two months consuming the current estimated daily intake of sugar in Australia. The alarming thing is where Damon gets all that sugar from. Contrary to common belief about the main contributors to our sugar-laden diet, he consciously shuns all soft drinks, candy and ice-cream in favour of what are considered “healthy” options. For two months he eats the equivalent of forty teaspoons of sugar per day, through foods like cereal, fruit juice, yogurt, and various other ‘low-fat’ options. He also joins in the modern hype of juicing – a supposedly healthy choice which, in actual fact, leads to downing the sugar from more fruit than you could ever eat whole in one sitting (minus the good fibre).

The impact on Damon’s previously healthy body (from a very low sugar diet based on whole foods) is dramatic and swift. His health is monitored by a doctor, pathologist, nutritionist and even psychologist who are all amazed at the effects in such a short time.  As well as fatty liver syndrome, pre-diabetes, increased blood pressure and an 8 kilogram weight gain, he suffers mood swings, brain fogginess and constant lethargy. Because of the constant ‘hits’ of sugar he is getting which cause temporary highs followed by major slumps in energy, he notices an ever-present craving for more sugar laden foods so that his brain can receive its next burst of fuel – a vicious cycle. Thankfully, as noted in the conclusion, all the effects on his poor body are reversible and, with the experiment over, he returns to his normal healthy state through whole, natural foods.

Well worth watching, ‘That Sugar Film’ highlights the widespread misunderstanding around sources of sugar and exposes its more subtle hiding places. To me, it was a reminder about the responsibility we must all take for our own health, and the importance of being well informed consumers.  That sweet, and slightly sinister, stuff we know as sugar has such an impact on our health that it probably deserves all the limelight it has been getting. Though we may be sick of hearing stern admonitions about our sugar consumption, it seems we will be worse off if we do not take heed. ‘That Sugar Film’, through one man’s drastic experimental measures, aims to raise a red flag of caution to all who may think that the sugar debate is simply another melodramatic act trying to get attention in an overcrowded health scene.

“Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Sugar is Sweet, So beware what you chew!”

About the Author: Tessa McGeorge has a great interest in people and in healthy living.  She has a degree in counselling and is currently studying for a degree in nutrition science.  She enjoys writing from her own experiences with healthy living and likes to base her conclusions in scientific research.

For some excellent (and delicious) ideas on how to replace the sugar in your diet and avoid the cravings, check out the famous I Quit Sugar blog! Many of the ingredients mentioned can be found at happyhealthy.co.nz. 

Remember, not fanatical, just wise!