This Creamy Avocado Dressing is a really easy and delicious way to turn almost any dish into something special.

I like to drizzle it on a salad, use it as a dip or as a side condiment for my main dish. The opportunities are endless. One thing is for sure, it will make almost anything you serve with it more interesting.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Avocados
• 50 ml taste-neutral olive oil
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• Juices from half a lemon
• A small handful of herbs – I used basil

 

METHOD:

1. Boil a little water and pour it over the garlic. Leave for 5 minutes. This will take the sharpness out of it.
2. Add all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

 

Anything special to remember:

• You can use any herb you like. For variations, try it with parsley or mint, these also make a delicious version.
• Make sure to use a taste-neutral olive oil. If you don’t you will end up with a bitter taste.

 

BENEFITS OF THE DISH:

• Avocados are a healthy way to get good fats and they are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.
• Olive oil is also a healthy way to get good fats and it contains large amounts of antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats.

 

 

 

I love salmon but for years I told myself that I didn’t know how to prepare it and only had salmon when going to a restaurant. It always ended up being overcooked or raw.

One of the secrets to a successful salmon is to get good quality salmon and prepare it on the skin side. Loads of olive oil and high heat. This way you get a crisp skin, that gives the dish a delicious crunchiness.

This time I accompanied the salmon with my Creamy Avocado Dressing and a simple salad with spinach and broccoli florets.

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 3-4 persons:

• 4 pieces of free-range salmon with skin on. Mine were approx. 120 grams each
• Olive oil for cooking, approx. 50ml.
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Simple Salad with broccoli florets:

• 200 grams of fresh spinach
• 1 broccoli cut in small florets
• Half a lemon
• Olive oil to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

HOW TO COOK IT STEP BY STEP

1. Heat up the olive oil in a pan and once sizzling add the salmon, skin side down.
2. Leave the salmon like this until done, you can check along the way by looking at the flesh. It will change colour and be done when pink all the way through.
3. While the salmon is cooking boil some water and cover the broccoli florets for approx. 5 minutes in boiling hot water. You want the broccoli to have crunch, that’s why we don’t cook them.
4. Toss the spinach and broccoli florets in a salad bowl and drizzle with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
5. If your salmon skin is not crunchy by now give it a little more heat for half a minute.

 

Serve:

Serve the salmon with the salad and my easy Homemade Creamy Avocado Dressing.

Bon Appetit!

Benefits from the dish:

Salmon is a great source of omega-3 Fatty Acids, something we all need more of. Especially we need to raise the ratio between omega 3 and 6. On a traditional diet, we eat too much Omega 6 Fatty Acids which causes inflammation in our bodies.

How to increase omega 3 to omega 6 ratio:

• Avoid vegetable oils high in omega-6 (and the processed foods that contain them).
• Eat fish at least twice a week.
• If needed, supplement with an omega-3 source like fish oil. Choose a clean product preferably wild-caught.

 

This Tasty Artichoke Dip makes a wonderful party starter dip with crunchy raw vegetables on the side or as a side dish for your main. The spiciness from the jalapenos combined with the creamy, cheesy taste is a match made in heaven.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans of drained artichoke hearts, roughly cut
• 75ml Mayonnaise
• 125ml Sour Cream
• 80 grams grated parmesan cheese
• 1 chopped medium-hot jalapeno (I used a green one)
• 1 finely chopped spring onion
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• A pinch of salt and pepper

 

HOW TO COOK IT STEP BY STEP

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Transfer mix into a baking dish and bake for approx. 30 minutes or until light brown on top.

 

Serve:

Serve as a party starter snack with raw vegetables or as a side dish to your main dish. Can be served cold too but surely more interesting warm.

Morning Vegetable Buns

Ok, so let us get this straight. Once you start the Clean-Living Diet you have to say your goodbye to bread and flour in general. If bread is a major factor in your life, that transition can be difficult and because of this, I have invented different recipes you can use as a replacement for bread. Including this Morning Vegetable Bun recipe.

I seldom eat them myself – however, I bake them every week for my husband, Johan. He was not a big bread eater before he changed his diet to the Clean-Living Diet. He has not eaten bread for many years as he is gluten intolerant and as such, he simply accepted a life without,  until I started to experiment baking breads without traditional flour. Instead, I use Psyllium-Husk powder, almond or coconut flour. I have found these alternatives are much kinder to the gut and do not have a negative effect unless if you have allergies to fibres or nuts. They also contain a relatively low content of carbs, which is what we are aiming for on this diet. Psyllium-Husk has 0 carbs so that is a perfect substitute for flour while working wonders in your gut.

Do not expect to get a traditional bun out of this recipe but be open-minded and see it as an alternative and a way for you to still get access to “bread”.

Not only for breakfast

I bake once a week and freeze any spares. This way Johan can have 2 buns for his breakfast each day. Occasionally I will have a bun too, however, I actually prefer to eat the same thing every morning. My morning routine is usually 2 slices of zucchini loaded with cheese or avocado, a soft-boiled egg and a bulletproof coffee. That is my “go-to”.

These are great for any time of the day. Today I had 2 of the buns for lunch. Popped them in the toaster with cheese and a piece of leftover chicken. So yummy – you see, they can be used in many different ways.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs
• Half a big broccoli
• 100 grams of cottage cheese
• 30 grams of melted butter
• 50 grams of plain almond flour
• 30 grams of Psyllium-Husk
• 55 grams of sesame seeds + for some for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

 

HOW TO COOK IT STEP BY STEP

• Preheat oven to 190 degrees.
• Grind the broccoli and set aside in a bowl.
• Blend the eggs with cottage cheese and melted butter until the lumps have disappeared. Pour it all into the bowl with the broccoli, add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
• Let the dough rest for approx. 10 minutes.
• Shape the dough into buns with wet hands and place them on a baking sheet with baking paper and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden

 

ANYTHING SPECIAL TO REMEMBER?

It is important to let the dough rest because the many fibres in the dough will make it firmer and easier to shape into buns.

If practising the Clean-Living Diet without diary you can change cottage cheese into mayo. Make sure to use a smaller amount. And exchange butter for olive or coconut oil.

Almond flour can be exchanged with coconut flour or Psyllium-Husk. If you use Psyllium-Husk use about 30 g.

Broccoli can be exchanged with cauliflower. sometimes I add green cabbage as well.

BENEFITS FROM THE DISH:

Psyllium: has many health benefits. It helps relieve constipation, lowers blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol levels and it has prebiotic effects.

Cauliflower: is a vegetable that is naturally high in fibre and B-vitamins. It provides antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Broccoli: Broccoli is a great source of vitamins K and C, a good source of folate (folic acid) and also provides potassium and fibre.

 

Vitamin K – refers to a group of fat-soluble vitamins that play a role in blood clotting, bone metabolism, and regulating blood calcium levels.

Vitamin C – builds collagen, which forms body tissue and bone, and helps cuts and wounds heal. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and protects the body from damaging free radicals.

Fibre – diets high in fibre promote digestive health. A high fibre intake can also help lower cholesterol.

Potassium – a mineral and electrolyte that is essential for the function of nerves and heart contraction.

Folate – is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells in the body.

 

In all honesty, Indian food has never been my favourite, for years I found it boring and missing colour. To me, food is not only about satisfying my taste buds and filling me up but also needs to satisfy my eyes. It took me a while to understand, but once I realised how a little spring onion or chili can easily change the look of a dish, voila! Easy like that.

Cauliflower rice, really?

Yes, really. Since traditionally rice is high in starch and carbs, cauliflower is the perfect alternative. After a quick boil, you will get the feeling that you are having rice while you are actually stuffing yourself with vitamins like vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, iron and magnesium.

It is simple to make, and you are almost guaranteed, never to burn it in the pot like traditional rice tends to do.

Do you like it spicy?

Depending on how spicy you like your food you can adjust the amount of chilli and garam masala. I use a rather mild chilli since my daughter, Anna, is not into spicy food. I always put some extra chilli on the side for me and Johan.

INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken breast approx. 1200 grams
• 1 Cauliflower
• 1 Chilli, diced, remove seeds (choose the colour of your liking, I used red)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled & grated
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons of garam masala
• 3 tablespoons almond flour
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 30 grams of butter
• 125 ml crushed tomatoes (without sugar and additives)
• 125 ml cream
• 1 spring onion, for garnish

 

Chicken Marinade

• 125 ml Greek yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt

 

HOW TO COOK IT STEP BY STEP

1. Mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, turmeric, cumin and salt for the marinade in a large bowl and add the chicken pieces. Mix it all really well to ensure the chicken pieces are well coated and marinate it for at least an hour.
2. Blitz the cauliflower in a food processor or blender.
3. Boil approx. a litre of water and pour over the blitzed cauliflower. Add a little salt and place a lid on top, set aside.
4. In a blender add the chopped chilli, garlic, and chopped ginger and a little bit of water and blend until smooth.
5. Melt butter and oil and add the paste you just made along with the crushed tomatoes and stir well for five minutes.
6. Add the marinated chicken into the sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes.
7. Add the heavy cream, tomato paste, garam masala, almond flour and continue to cook for a further ten minutes (with the lid off).
8. Pour out the hot water from the cauliflower. Make sure to get as much water out of it as possible or it will be very wet.

 

Serve:

Serve hot with the cauliflower rice and garnish with chopped spring onion.