So the word on the street is that lockdown rules are about to ease off and soon we’ll be amongst crowds once again.

 

This is good news for most, but definitely not the time to lose sight of your nutrient intake. 

 

We’ve all been self isolating without exposure to the outside world (a.k.a vital germs that keep our immunity muscle flexing and getting stronger) for far too long.

 

This means that once we are free to roam, we are ALL more vulnerable to diseases (that’s all diseases, not only the virus) than ever before and the only real protection we have is the confidence that we’re consuming immune boosting foods every chance we get.

 

I’ve put together a selection of seven recipes for you to get you started.

 

Enjoy and be well!

 

 

DRINK:  Feijoa & Pineapple Smoothie

BREAKFAST:  Pumpkin Pancakes

DIP: Spiced Pumpkin Dip

MEAL:  Борщ - Raw Russian Borscht

CAKE:  Blueberry Cheezecake

FROZEN SNACK:  Ice Lollie Wedges

BAKING:  Vitamin C Cookies

 

Feijoa & Pineapple Smoothie

 

Just 3 feijoas account for over 50% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, only 1 kiwifruit has 100%+ of RDI of Vitamin C and pineapple has more Vitamin C than oranges (plus a whole added bonus of manganese which helps to suppress coughs and loosen mucous). If you can’t get feijoa, either use guava or extra kiwi.

 

1 cup Feijoa/ Guava pulp (approx. 10-20 feijoas)

1/4 pineapple, peeled and cored

2 kiwi fruits, peeled

1 banana, peeled

Optional: handful of kale leaves

 

1. Blend on high and enjoy.

 

 

Pumpkin Pancakes

 

Pumpkins and squashes are loaded with immunity boosting goodness. For one, they’re seriously high in beta-carotene, which your body turns into Vitamin A. It’s this vitamin that strengthens the immune system and helps fight infections. There’s also lots of Vitamin C, which increases white blood cell production and helps wounds heal faster. Even if you’re not a pumpkin fan, you’d enjoy these soft delicious pancakes, which are practically identical to everyone’s favourite ‘Best Ever Sweet Potato Pancakes’ from Nurtured Books. 

 

1 cup (240ml) milk of your choice

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 egg or 1 vegan egg (1 tbsp flaxseed and 3 tbsp water)

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp Himalayan salt

1 cup (150ml) gluten free flour

1 cup pumpkin dip (or 1/3 pumpkin, peeled and boiled)

coconut oil for frying

 

1. Pour the milk into a blender jug, add vinegar and leave for 7-10 mins. This turns it into sour milk so the pancakes are yummy like buttermilk pancakes.
2. Then make the vegan eggs by combining the flaxseed and water in a bowl, leave to one side for a few minutes.
3. Add the vegan egg (or a whisked hens egg), soda and salt to the jug and blend to combine.
4. Add the flour and boiled sweet pumpkin (or dip) and blend till creamy.
5. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add ½ teaspoon of coconut oil. Make sure the entire base of the pan is greased. Using a large soup spoon to keep size consistent, distribute scoop-fulls around the pan. I get 4-5 pancakes each time. When the surface starts to bubble a little, turn over and fry for approximately 2 more minutes.
6. Remove from pan and store in a warmed lidded pot while finishing the rest. Serve with a berry compote and honey. 

  

 

Spiced Pumpkin Dip

 

 

Refer to notes above because the pumpkin benefits are worth reading about twice :) I’ve made this dip more times than I can count over the lockdown period... it’s been incredible as a warm dip with pita breads (kids’ favourite!), as a soup blended with extra mylk and veg stock and of course as pancakes (recipe above). 

 

For roasting:

1/4 pumpkin, peeled and seeds scraped out

1 apple, peeled and cored

4 large garlic cloves

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

 

For blending:

1/3 cup milk of your choice

2 tbsp lemon juice (approx 1/2 lemon)

2 tbsp olive oil

Optional: 1-2 tsp camu camu powder

 

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Roughly chop the pumpkin and apple into 3cm cubes and place them into a large bowl, along with whole garlic cloves.
3. Sprinkle with spices, give it a shake, then drizzle with oil and shake again to ensure even coverage. Distribute evenly over a baking tray and use a soft spatula to collect the oily seasoning from bowl to drip over the pumpkin. Roast for 30-40 mins until edges caramelise.
4. Transfer the roasted ingredients into your food processor, add the ‘blending’ ingredients and whiz until well combined.
5. Serve warm with vegetable dippers, corn chips, pita breads or anything you like. 

 

 

Борщ - Raw Russian Borscht

 

This absolute beauty is a recipe from The Uncook Book, and since it’s jam packed with Vitamin C and Antioxidants among many countless other benefits, it belongs on the list of immune boosting recipes! I was never interested in Borscht while growing up in Russia, and now watching my own children put up their nose to it, I was determined to find a way to get even a little of this nutrient powerhouse into them. That’s when I started to blend it with avocado which they love to drink like a smoothie or mash it with boiled sweet potatoes which they can easily finish a whole bowl of.

 

For the liquids:

1 beetroot, peeled and chopped

1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped

1 stalk celery (about 100g), chopped

1 inch ginger

2-3 garlic cloves

1 cup orange juice (about 2-3 oranges)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Optional: 1 avocado or cooked sweet potatoes

 

For the solids (optional):

Sauerkraut (another recipe in The Uncook Book), herbs and walnuts, or carrot, beetroot, cabbage, herbs and walnuts

 

1. Transfer all the ‘liquids’ ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. This may require 3-4 minutes of blending and pulsing for the vegetables to really break down.
2. If you’re feeding children, add 1 avocado to your blender and let them dip it like a smoothie. Alternatively boil 1 large peeled and chopped sweet potato, discard the water, add 1 cup of borscht and mash it for their meal.
3. For adults: Sauerkraut is just insane in this recipe and makes for a truly authentic dish. Scoop a large spoonful into a soup bowl, pour over with the liquid Borscht, sprinkle with herbs and walnuts, then serve. Alternatively, thinly slice peeled carrots, beets and cabbage to use instead of Sauerkraut. 

 

 

Blueberry Cheezecake

 

Blueberries are no rookie to the superfood scene. In fact, they were the original superfood, that’s how potent they are in their health, healing and immunising properties. I also used honey here instead of other sweeteners and if I had access to manuka honey when I made this recipe, I would’ve totally used that! This is a decadent dessert, which happens to be nutritious enough to eat for breakfast! (And all the equipment you’ll require is a basic blender).

 

 

For the base:

1.5 cups shredded coconut

3/4 cup oats

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 tbsp runny honey

 

For the Cheezecake:

2 cups dry cashews, soaked overnight (will yield 2 3/4 cups)

3 punnets (375g) frozen blueberries, thawed

1 cup coconut oil, gently melted

1/4 cup runny honey

1 pod or 1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

 

1. Stir all of the base ingredients, except coconut oil and honey, in a bowl. Drizzle with remaining ingredients and stir well for even distribution. You may need your hands to really massage everything in.
2. Transfer the mix into a 20cm cake tin with adjustable base and press it in using your fists. You can try using a soft spatula to press it in at the end if your hands become sticky. Place the whole tin into the refrigerator to set.
3. Rinse the cashews and transfer all of the Cheezecake ingredients into a blender jug, then blend on high until creamy. You may need to use a tamper or pulse a few times to ensure the ingredients are always touching the blade. Pour over the base (use spatula to scoop out every last bit) and tap the cake tin to even out the surface. Transfer to the fridge to set for a minimum of 4 hours or to the freezer for 2 hours (do not leave in freezer!). 

 

 

Ice Lollie Wedges

 

How adorable are these frozen treats?! They are so easy to make and kids of all ages (read: 70 year old kids included) looove them! Plums are packed with Vitamin C and also contain phytonutrients, particularly phenols, which have antioxidant effects. Antioxidants prevent cell damage that may lead to every disease including good ol’ covid. 

 

3 oranges

3 plums, de-stoned

3 tbsp manuka honey

1 banana or papaya, peeled

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

 

1. Slice each of the oranges into halves and very carefully scoop out the orange, while keeping the skin in one piece. 
2. Transfer the orange without its skin into a blender jug, add the remaining ingredients and blend on high.
3. Fill all of the orange skin bowls with the purée and use the back of a butter knife to smooth out the surface.
4. Transfer to the freezer to completely solidify, then slice each orange ‘bowl’ into 2-3 wedges and enjoy. 

 

 

Vitamin C Cookies

 

We don’t go anywhere without superfoods (top faves include Cacao powder, Spirulina powder & Algarroba) and since we couldn’t go anywhere at all during the lockdown, Lake and I have been doing aaaaalot of baking with superfoods. Whatever we baked, I made sure it contained a good amount of camu camu powder during these days. This magical powder is made from Amazonian berries which are ultra high in Vitamin C. So high in fact that only a 2.5g spoon provides 375% of the RDA. Here is a simple cookie recipe, which everyone in the family will love whether you keep it plain or add choc powder.

 

1/2 cup milk of your choice

3 tsp chia seeds

1/2 pod vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 + 3/4 cups flour (I used a mix of coconut flour and standard flour)

1 cup coconut or brown sugar

3/4 cup dairy free spread or coconut oil, soft but unmelted

2 tsp camp camu powder and/or 2 tbsp cacao powder

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Stir seeds of vanilla pod with chia seeds and mylk. Continue to stir periodically for 10-15 mins until the chia seeds expand and soak up the liquid.
3. Transfer everything into a cake mixer or the food processor with a ‘dough attachment’, then mix on high to combine ingredients.
4. Taking a spoonful of mixture at a time, roll it into a ball and press between your palms to create a pancake. Spread the ‘pancakes’ over a lined baking tray and transfer to the hot oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges caramelise. 

 

 

Do you plan to try one of these out for yourself? Which recipe will be the first? Tell me in the comments!

 

Do you want even more scrumptious plant-based, nutrient packed recipes? Here’s more:

 

FREE:  24 hour on raw recipes >>

 

FREE: 10 most popular recipes from Nurtured Books >>

 

PAY WHAT YOU CAN: Nurtured - plant based recipes for kids >>

 

Today marks one week since we returned from our Sri Lankan adventures.

This destination has been on our list of places to visit for a long time (anything with tropical fruit for me and surfing for Elliot is on that list), but there was always something- either wedding planning, opening of Tanya’s, retreat in Ecuador or The Uncook Book deadline- which made it impossible for us to get away for more than 3 consecutive days.

The baby wasn’t going to be a reason though.

We decided early on that we’d have a travelling family and that our children would grow up learning about different cultures, foods and adventure. Why not start when they are still inside you, right?

So at six months of pregnancy, a big growing bump and really the final month I’d be covered by insurance while flying, we finally took off for the honeymoon that was 18 months overdue. I learned a new word: babymoon!

[Sri Lanka was magical and there is soooo much I can write about it, but I’ve already posted a daily highlight on Better Raw social channels and if you are on Instagram, I even tagged all the locations we stopped at. Just look up the hashtag #BetterRawTravels to follow along].

Then after 10 blissful days of swimming, tanning, eating and relaxing like champions, I wake up aching all over, throat too sore to speak, nose too blocked up to breathe and eyes so watery, we had to head for the airport with my sarong instead of a hanky.

In complete denial that I may have my first cold after 7 whole years of doing the proud raw food walk and intuitive eating, we landed back in London and I headed straight for my speaking appearance at a NZ Business Women’s Network event held at Tanya’s.

That was last Monday and then on Tuesday I attended a bunch of meetings regarding the cafe and our recent pop-up in Selfridges, a preggie hospital check-up and even a magazine interview.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, I was well and truly lacking all sense of desire, getting out of bed was suddenly the most tedious chore and worst of all, I was feeling so deeply sad and down, I couldn’t recognise the person experiencing any of this.

Could this be post-holiday blues?

Surely not, I felt so satisfied with this much-needed break and I truly looked forward to getting back to work and applying all the awesome ideas to my business which came up in Sri Lanka. And I’m also one of those super lucky/weird people that doesn’t experience jet lag.

Could this be pregnancy blues?

I doubt that, I’m loving every single day of being pregnant, the tiny ninja-turtle-alien dancing and bouncing inside me, observing how she reacts to various voices, the light and the positions I’m sitting or laying in, I’m loving how good my skin feels, how rarely my hair gets oily these days, how fast I tan, how full my breasts feel, how much energy I have, how peaceful I am and how natural it feels to be feeding and growing a happy little miracle.

Then what could be making me so deeply sad?

I couldn’t make sense of my own feelings and after various attempts to cheer myself up either with an uplifting film, feel-good-quotes, a cup of hot melted raw chocolate, switching off all wifi devices, bonding with the cutest little reptile, going for a walk to breathe in my favourite time of the year or taking a bath full of healing oils and herbs, it wasn’t until I sat down to meditate, when the answer landed on my head like a brick!

I didn’t like the answer, but at the end of the day ‘the truth will set you free’ and my truth was simple: I am sick. I used to proudly stand up in my classes, demos or talks and tell everyone that if they ate like me, they too will stay immunised. And now I am sick. I failed.

Ouch. That brick is going to leave a bruise.

It’s a pretty shitty realisation to be feeling like a complete failure at what you supposedly do best.

But I know better. I know that the toughest job of getting out of your slump is to work out what the cause is, because a problem well defined is a problem half solved. Then once you work it out, the next step is not to turn your back on it but to acknowledge your feelings and to properly ‘feel’ them out, to let yourself get as low as those feelings will take you and to stay in that space until you have no more tears to cry and nothing else left to feel.

That’s the power of release.

No bottling anything in, because it’s when you hold on to negativity that it might eat at you like slow-releasing poison, breaking you down like acid.

It’s the most liberating experience that will stretch beyond your own imagination. It’s also the moment, you will know what to do next. It’s not the step to be missed because the process itself is a divine intervention and only when you surrender to the truth, that you are able to hear guidance so clearly, your whole world becomes an effortless playground.

In my case, when the time was right, I got up, walked into the kitchen, opened up the cupboards and after going through stashes of herbs and remedies which I’ve been saving up for a ‘rainy day’ like this, I was guided to the only thing that my body must’ve been needing at the time: Cinnamon oil.

The very next day I was well again.

So I wanted to share with you my top 3 remedies and how to apply them next time you have a nasty cold or a flu, but hopefully before they even get a chance to develop, because…

NEXT TIME YOU’RE UNDER THE WEATHER, USE ONE OF THESE METHODS AND YOU’LL BE BACK TO NORMAL THE VERY NEXT DAY:

1. CINNAMON BARK OIL.

What helped me rid of my full blown cold also happens to be something I bought in Sri Lanka, as if the angels told me I’m going to need it in a few days. There are many places you can buy it online, just make sure it’s top quality, for example Young Living brand. Cinnamon oil promotes healthy cardiovascular and immune function, relieves symptoms of sore throats, colds and congestion and is an excellent antibacterial and anti fungal agent, great for treating infections or supporting you during detox. It’s very very strong to taste and may cause irritation for some, so I’d urge you to use it with caution, however what worked for me was putting a drop into my hot herbal tea, adding slices of ginger and dried cinnamon bark to this infusion, then deeply breathing in the aromatic steam before taking each sip.

2. OLIVE LEAF EXTRACT.

This remedy has been a favourite of my entire family’s and something I would’ve definitely gone for this time to help with my cold if I only had it at home. As you’ve heard, I haven’t been ill for many years so I stopped buying it a while back. What it is is a pure extraction from olive leaves and you just swallow it by the dessert spoonful straight up or diluted in cooled down herbal tea or freshly made juice. It’s a potent liquid tonic, absolutely packed with antioxidants and contains 5 times the antioxidant activity of Vitamin C and 30 times the polyphonic content of extra virgin olive oil, which fight free radicals and help destroy bad bacteria. My trusted brand is a New Zealand company called Comvita, but you can find Olive Leaf Extract is produced by many others.

3. BEE POLLEN AND CAMU CAMU.

These two key superfoods, particularly when taken together, are truly a God-send. We always tend to have them at home, because whenever I feel that my body is working hard to fight something or Elliot feels a bit under the weather, we mix a heaping tablespoon of Bee Pollen with a tablespoon of Camu Camu and chew this powdery mix with a cup of herbal tea. Usually once or twice is enough to wake up the next day feeling back to normal. Bee Pollen is a complete superfood, packed with amino acids and trace minerals, while Camu Camu is a sour berry containing the highest amount of vitamin C in comparison to any natural plant food. You can find both on DetoxYourWorld.com or many other online superfood stores and physical health shops.

 

Have the best healthiest week!