Nice and Light Apple Pie

March 21, 2018 Belle Amatt

This is a perfect recipe to hand over to the kids when they come in from school. Kids love a bit of space and freedom when they get in from a long day of rules and restrained behaviour.

Very little supervision is required depending of course on the age of the kids. With my two 11 year old assistant chefs I could just pass them the recipe and the rest was an excited hour of peeling, slicing, mixing and important delegation. There is plenty of room for creativity and hands on scrunching so just step back and allow the process to unfold. Of course, they will be involved in the cleaning up process too!

The Thermogenic Chilli Recipe

March 12, 2018 Belle Amatt

Daily energy metabolism can be considered as having three elements: basal metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis and the energy cost of physical activity.

If we are looking to increase energy use in order to feel more satiated by foods or to shed a little excess weight then we need to consider rebalancing energy in and energy out. Alongside eating lower density foods and ramping up the physical activity we can look at which food increase thermogenesis – the converting of calories into heat.

One of my favourite contenders is the wonderfully sleek and visually pleasing chili pepper. Researchers have found that it is capsaicin, the active chemical in chili peppers, that can induce thermogenesis, and increase feeling of satiety thereby reducing hunger.

This Is Me

February 26, 2018 Belle Amatt

It’s quick and easy to tell kids we are proud of them. But they also need to be proud of themselves.

I asked, “What makes you proud”? “I make me proud she said”.

Kids and Self-Belief

February 23, 2018 Belle Amatt

We can’t always say the right thing as parents but what we can do is listen with empathy and praise with enthusiasm. It’s tough, sometimes, growing up. Kids have so many doubts and worries about themselves and their surroundings. So what can we do?

Half Term Baking

February 15, 2018 Belle Amatt

Fig and Walnut Flapjacks with an Orange Zing

This is a family favourite and wonderful for days spent cooking with the kids. So important to invest time in encouraging kids to cook, to blend and to play with flavours in order to keep them interested in food and comfortable in the kitchen.

Parents often ask me for ideas on what to put in lunch boxes – this works well for kids and adults alike. To be eaten in moderation of course.

A Restful Retreat in Good Company

February 8, 2018 Belle Amatt

When we require time out, we need just that – time out. But holidays do not always provide the promised image we have created in our heads. Our holiday companions need to be entirely on the same page as if there is a clash of itinerary or we are moving at different speeds to our partners, friends or children this is when things go haywire. A holiday can easily morph into another juggling act.

Butternut and Blackbean Burritos

January 25, 2018 Belle Amatt

'Restriction, hunger, cutting back, being good, dieting' ..... none of this language is at all helpful, healthy or therapeutic.

Does a Dry January Really Make a Difference?

January 9, 2018 Belle Amatt

foodiesfeed.com_toast-with-white-wine.jpg

“Are you one of the smug thousands who gave up alcohol last January then downed a glass of wine or beer as the clock struck midnight on January 31?”

Christmas Chutney Making

December 24, 2017 Belle Amatt

A favourite moment of the lead up to Christmas has been making festive fare with the kids. Teaching them how to be fluid, creative, intuitive and generally OK with all types of food. Here we chopped onions without the worry of runny eyes (goggles helped),

.....joyfully poured 250 g of sugar into a pot of gently cooking onions and tomatoes without the worry of high sugar content, shook in some chilli and watched the mixture bubble away happily.

Ingredients:

500 g mixed onions, red and white

1 kg cherry tomatoes

6 garlic cloves crushed

1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)

250 g brown sugar

150 ml of white wine vinegar

15 cardamom seeds

1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

Boil for one hour with no lid, keep an eye on this, the consistency should be jam-like, when cool spoon into jars which have been sterilized, should keep for around 4 weeks

We waited for it all to cool then scooped into jars, licking fingers along the way.

We made cheesy biscuits which resembled shortbread (but without the sweetness) with heaps of butter and cheddar cheese. Traditional Christmas cooking.

Lots of laughter and lessons that life's not all about quinoa and sprouted seeds. It's about balance, calm, fun and sharing. Merry Christmas!

Festive December - A Time to Cook with Prosecco

December 1, 2017 Belle Amatt

In true Nigella style, I decided to get a touch indulgent with this festive December recipe. A wonderful excuse to crack open a bottle of Prosecco as you cook and the end result will taste all the better with a slight level of merriment! The Prosecco in this dish is added to increase the flavour and produces a syrupy and fragrant sauce. To note, alcohol evaporates after 20-30 seconds of cooking so this dish is suitable for all ages.

The Best Diet for Weight Loss?

November 13, 2017 Belle Amatt

Weight loss can be a frustrating game. Headlines tell us that ‘Over 1/3 of Brits are Unhappy with their Weight’ and ‘90% of Teens are Unhappy with their Body Shape’. So what drives this obsession with weight loss and how to approach it are clearly hot topics.

Roasted Romanesco

October 24, 2017 Belle Amatt

This beautiful lime green brassica, also known as Broccoflower, lies somewhere between broccoli and cauliflower in flavour: milder than broccoli, more exciting than cauliflower and a little nutty. The brassica family are a firm favourite at my cleanse events and a regular feature of many of my liver-friendly, health boosting recipes. This is one from a collection of recipes demonstrated during my ‘Nutrition Soirée’ Cooking Workshops. It is perfect as a main for those dabbling in a touch of vegetarian cooking or as a side dish, working well alongside a roast, fish or sausages.

Nutrition without Sight

October 5, 2017 Belle Amatt

Amongst us we had a gentleman of 99 years who shared his secrets of old age – be calm and enjoy cooking. He also held his wife’s hand throughout indicating that great companionship had a part to play.

How to Live to 100

September 15, 2017 Belle Amatt

Of late I’ve spent much time reading up on Longevity. Fascinated by this topic for over a decade, my bible is the well-thumbed book The Okinawa Way which details not only the diet of this island off mainland Japan, but it is a study of the life style, social connections and belief system of this long-lived population. What are their secrets to a long life?

Okinawa is sort of a Japanese Hawaii — a tranquil group of islands with temperate weather, palm trees, white beaches and famously fabulous levels of longevity. Okinawans over the age of 65 enjoy the world’s highest life expectancy: for men, 84 and for women even longer – 90. It is not all about length of life but living well into old age. The diseases that kill Americans and other Western populations are only seen in a slight proportion of cases, for example, the rate of breast and prostate cancer and the incidence of heart disease is only a fifth of what we see in the West. Dementia rates stand at around 50%.

During my Longevity workshops we consider the diet of Okinawans not only today, but more importantly I am interested in what they ate in their earlier years. All Okinawans age 100 or more who are alive today were born between 1903 and 1914. During the first third of their lives, roughly before 1940, the vast majority of the calories they consumed — almost 70 % — came from one food: the imo, or Okinawan sweet potato.

Croatian Style Lamb Stuffed Peppers

August 15, 2017 Belle Amatt

Last month I spent a few weeks tasting the delights of Croatian cuisine. Being by the Adriatic Sea, this focussed mainly on sea-food; squid, clams, lobster and the ubiquitous octopus salad. But one of our favourite dishes was the Croatian take on stuffed peppers. Having looked into the traditional method of boiling these vegetables I’ve chosen to offer you a baked version due to ease of preparation but still with the authentic sauce poured around them during the cooking process for optimal flavour and consistency. Try these peppers with mashed potato for a genuine sense of Croatian cooking.

Young Teens Pleading for Alcohol - A Modern Dilemma

July 21, 2017 Belle Amatt

Alcohol and young teens can be a tricky parent dilemma. In the interests of arming ourselves with some solid advice for those fast growing kids I’ve been doing a touch of research. Let’s be clear I am talking about early teens, post 16 is an entirely different ballgame.

So the big question is – if we, as adults, drink alcohol then why shouldn’t they?

Longevity Brownie Recipe

July 4, 2017 Belle Amatt

How can we live well into old age? This is a question posed in my current workshop ‘Longevity Nutrition’. We can’t put it all down to what we eat but careful nutrition certainly ups our chances of long term health. One of the foods of focus in my talk is the humble sweet potato with its high levels of fibre and immune enhancing nutrients, so I have chosen this recipe in order that we can have our cake and eat it.

Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Dressing Recipe / Turmeric Or NSAIDs?

June 6, 2017 Belle Amatt

Berry Salad with Turmeric Dressing

Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Sun Dressing

We discussed the wonderful spice turmeric during my Longevity workshop in Gozo last month. Turmeric has many well researched health benefits. Curcumin is the active ingredient; this is an antioxidant which demonstrates anti-inflammatory properties. I've used it myself for a hip bursitis issue with great results. The running injury occurred last year, and being restricted to limping I sought a natural approach knowing that pill popping is not a safe long term option for pain. With a well-rounded nutrition and supplement plan I no longer limp and avoided a steroid injection.

Interested in natural pain relief, take a read or get in touch for further information - "Although nonsteroidal medications can be effective, herbs and dietary supplements may offer a safer, and often an effective, alternative treatment for pain relief, especially for long-term use."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3011108/

This beautifully vibrant green salad dressing is one way to include turmeric on a daily basis.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice + zest of 1 Lemon
¼ avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ground turmeric
1 Tbsp. raw local honey — if not vegan
pinch of Himalayan sea salt (to taste)
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Add more avocado if you desire a thicker consistency.

Longevity Workshop at Amchara Gozo

May 31, 2017 Belle Amatt

Turmeric Root, pictured above, featured in my Longevity Nutrition workshop at the Gozo retreat. We explored the research surrounding Okinawa and the other Blue Zone - areas of the world with the largest number of centenarians. Of course, it's not all about the number we live to but the propensity to live well into old age. We discussed not only nutrition but social connections, faith, respect, exercise and surrounding ourselves with people who have a healthy approach to life too. We found that this is what Amchara is all about - sharing a desire to feel good, eating optimally, exercising without over-exercising and working on the respect we have for ourselves and others.

It is very easy to think - why on earth would you fly across Europe to drink only juice, do yoga and avoid all the usual holiday naughties - booze, caffeine, sugar, lethargy ....do we really feel well rested after this. I'd say no. I have never felt so well rested. A retreat such as this may well extend your longevity - only, of course, if you take home some of the health strategies and place them with commitment into your routine.

Cleanse days 6 & 7 Amchara Gozo

May 29, 2017 Belle Amatt

Love it all, lapping up the healthy living in every way possible. Started the day yesterday with a restorative yoga session then breakfasted on chia pudding.

Every day I've woken around 6 am but it's got earlier each day. I can't sleep. There's a morning call from the rising sun to get going as each day is precious.

My energy is still boundless. Today began with a coastal bike ride before collapsing in the 8 am morning gentle rays of the sun.

Amchara provide health talks each day. Yesterday I presented my Longevity workshop in which we explored The Okinawa phenomenon of having the highest number of centenarians. I'll be blogging on this later in the week as the group are keen to use the turmeric and sweet potato recipes discussed. I made fresh turmeric tea which was well received (nice change from juices).

This place is magical ... it's 3 pm I'm off for my juice. More later ...