This week we are fortunate to be able to share 3 tasty recipes from Lee Holme’s latest cookbook – Eat Yourself Beautiful. We are giving you a wee sneak peek into some of the delicious dishes on offer. To find out more about the author, watch this space for our upcoming interview with the lovely Lee Holmes.

Need some inspiration in the kitchen? Fancy incorporating some Supercharged Food into your diet? Want to Eat yourself beautiful? Well, read on……

Eat Yourself Beautiful is a guide to achieving inner and outer health and ageless beauty through simple, delicious recipes using nutritionally rich, anti-inflammatory ‘super’ foods. Many of the dishes in this inspiring and practical book are gluten, wheat, yeast and sugar-free, individually identified by at-a-glance icons. Also included are beauty-friendly menu plans and shopping lists; advice on what foods to avoid; how to detox; and advice on identifying hidden food sensitivities, allergies and inflammation. {From Murdock Books}

‘Recipes and images from Eat Yourself Beautiful by Lee Holmes, published by Murdoch Books, rrp $35.00, photographed by Steven Brown’.

Supercharged Breakfast Bars with FSA

Craving a morning energy boost? My breakfast bars are off the scale and a wonderfully safe port of call amid the storm of clichéd healthy breakfast bar options on the market. Plus they’re bursting with skin-saving omega-3s.

RECIPE
unsalted butter, for greasing
125 g (4 1/2 oz/ 1/4 cups) almond meal pinch of Celtic sea salt
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
60 ml (2 fl oz/ 1/4 cup) coconut oil
60 ml (2 fl oz/ 1/4 cup) rice malt syrup, or sweetener of your choice
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
40 g (1 1/2 oz/ 1/4 cup) cashews, crushed
160 g (5 1/2 oz/1/4 cups) combined flaxseeds, sunflower seeds and slivered almonds (FSA)
40 g (1/2 oz/ 1 1/4 cup) dried cranberries (optional)

MAKES 8 BARS

Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F/Gas 3–4). Grease a 20 x 20 x 5 cm (8 x 8 x 2 inch) square ovenproof tin.

Mix the almond meal, salt and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, rice malt syrup and vanilla. Add the almond meal mixture, and mix
in the nuts, seeds and cranberries, if using.

Wet your hands and then transfer the mixture to the tin, using your hands to press down firmly on the mixture.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and cool
before dividing into 8 bars and serving.

These will keep in an airtight container for 7–10 days.

Lettuce Leaf Burritos

Lettuce wraps are the latest trend in gluten-free burritos and homemade ones can be as healthy as all get out. These are perfect served with a dollop of avocado and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) organic minced (ground) beef
1 tablespoon additive-free tomato paste (concentrated purée)
1 bunch English spinach, leaves chopped
2 zucchini (courgettes), grated
3 tomatoes, diced
2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
12 large whole cos (romaine) lettuce leav1 avocado, peeled, stone removed and mashed
130 g (4 1/2 oz/ 1/2 cup) plain, full-fat additive-free Greek-style yoghurt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mince and cook, stirring occasionally and using a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes and spring onions and stir for another 15 minutes. Season to taste.

Place a lettuce leaf on each plate. Divide the mince evenly over the top of the lettuce. Top with a spoonful of avocado and yoghurt, sprinkle with yeast flakes, wrap and enjoy.

Raspberry-Studded Pumpkin Pie

Dig out your pie pans and try this delectable winter warmer. It’s a comforting dish bursting with pumpkin, warming spices and hints of vanilla on a crunchy nut base. The raspberries add a sublime luxuriousness with every mouthful.

coconut oil, or unsalted butter, for greasing

BASE
105 g (3 1/2 oz/ 2/3 cup) raw cashew nuts
40 g (1 1/2 oz/ 1/4 cup) sesame seeds
1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons flaxseeds
40 g (1 1/2 oz/ 1/4 cup) sunflower seeds
60 g (2 1/4 oz/ 1/3 cup) cooked brown rice
60 g (2 1/4 oz/ 1/3 cup) quinoa flakes
6 drops stevia liquid, or 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2–3 tablespoons coconut oil, or 40–60 g (1 1/2–2 1/4 oz) unsalted butter

TOPPING
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) pumpkin (winter squash) or sweet potato, steamed and cooled
1 tablespoon almond milk
2 large organic eggs, beaten
6 drops stevia liquid
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract about 20 raspberries

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5) and lightly grease a 20 cm (8 inches) springform cake tin or pie dish.

Combine all the base ingredients in a food processor, adding the coconut oil last, and process for about 15 seconds or until crunchy.

Remove the dough and, using your hands, press it evenly into the prepared tin, packing it slightly around the edges to make a crust. Bake blind for 10–15 minutes or until the base is firm and lightly golden in colour.

To make the topping, combine all the ingredients, except the raspberries, in a large bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.

Spoon the topping over the base and stud with the raspberries. Return the pie to the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

This is delicious served either warm or chilled. It will keep
for 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

A big thank you to Lee Holmes for sharing these delicious recipes from her new cookbook!

Have a lovely weekend!

Simone @ the Nourishing Hub