Roasted Autumn Veg, Quinoa, Humus & Honey Lemon Dressing

Its that time of year. The leaves are going burnt ocre and red and the woolly jumpers are coming out of hiding. We’re all loving focusing on our #environment pillar, going on windy walks and secretly wishing that soon we might see a little snow.

It’s at times like these we feel connected to the seasons and our bodies crave new types of food. Interestingly we had a Strength Temple Board meeting today and amongst celebrating the growth of our amazing community we decided to lunch on some seasonal root vegetables with an inspired dressing using local raw honey.

We posted a story about this to our Instagram profile and immediately had many requests for the full recipe, so here it is... 

Ingredients:

These quantities will make enough to feed 4 people with a healthy appetite :-)

For the roasted Vegetables

1 Butternut Squash
1 Sweet Potato
3 Red Onions
Brussels Sprouts
7 Cloves Garlic (leave skin on) 

Home Made Hummus

1 tin Chickpeas (or you can soak dried peas overnight)
Lemon Juice
Garlic
Malden Salt
Good Olive Oil

For the Dressing

Fresh Lemon Juice
Good Olive Oil
Chilli Oil
Malden Salt
Wholegrain Mustard
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Local Raw Runny Honey

Additional

Quinoa

Method:

Chop your veg into bite sized pieces and leave the garlic cloves with their skins on (after they've been roasted you can squeeze unctuous sticky garlic paste out of them.) Throw them into an oven proof dish and drizzle with olive oil and chilli oil. Add a dusting of salt and pepper and cover with silver foil then pop them into the oven preheated to 180 degrees C/  350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Whilst that’s cooking blend all your humus ingredients together and set aside in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Next add 2 tablespoons of good olive oil to an old clean jar along with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard, 2 teaspoons of honey, salt and pepper. Shake together vigorously to emulsify and set aside.

After the vegetables have had 30 minutes under the foil remove from the oven, take off the foil and mix them together. Then place them back in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they get a little colour. 

Whilst you are waiting, wash a portion of quinoa in cold water and rinse. Cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil in a sauce pan until it sprouts and is done. Drain and set aside. 

When everything is ready, place some roasted veg in your favourite bowl, sprinkle some quinoa on top and add a large spoon of hummus in the middle. Then drizzle your dressing over the top and serve!

Let us know what you think. We love to get feedback.

Avocado & Poached Egg on Toast Masterclass

Yo!  Good morning!  I'm feeling awesome.  Why - because I've just found a taste sensation that's taken my Avo and Eggs to the next level.

There's no denying it.  Avocado and Poached Eggs are a poster child for the wellness industry at the moment.  It's such a great combo of protein, healthy fats and nutrients that it's genuinely a massive winner and tastes amazing to boot.  It leaves me feeling satisfied till lunch - it's one of my go to breakfasts.

However, not all Avo and Eggs are the same.  I've been searching and trying various different combos recently and feel moved to write to you all and tell you about this morning's masterpiece as it was a flavour bomb that needs to be tried by everyone!

So enough with the build up.  There's only a few extras in here that make the difference between something that's good and AMAZING and it literally only takes an extra 2-3 minutes to make than your regular / relatively boring looking habit!  Here's the recipe....

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 Ripe Hall Avocado
1 Ripe Plumb Tomato
1 Red Chilli (of your favourite heat variety)
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
Pomegranite Vinegar
Malden Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Small Ciabatta cut in half and toasted
2 or 4 Free Range Super Fresh Eggs (Hen or Duck)

Method:

Cut your Ciabatta in half and pop in the toaster.

Cut the Avocado in half and spoon out the flesh into a bowl.  Make sure you scrape ALL of the really dark green stuff out as well - that's where the magic is.  Then chop up your Plum Tomato into small cubes and add to the avo.  Chop the chilli (as much as you like to get your heat right) into tiny dice and add.  Add 2 teaspoons of Pomegranate Vinegar, a pinch of Malden Salt and a good grind of black pepper then mix.  I personally like a chunky smash to maintain some of the texture of the Avo.  Have a taste, check seasoning etc and set to one side; the vinegar will prevent your avocado going brown.

Next poach your eggs to the desired consistency.  I like a runny yolk, so mine get just over 3 minutes in boiling water.

The build is super simple.  Start with your piece of Ciabatta toast.  Spoon some of the Avo mix onto the toast and press a little well into the middle to take the egg.  Add your egg and then finish with some Flat Leaf Parsley, some extra slices of chilli (if the mood takes you), a drizzle of your favourite oil (I used local rapeseed oil) and a grind of Hawaiian Black Sea Salt.

BOOM!  The parsley, chilli and pomegranate vinegar make this an absolute winner.  Try it out and let us know how you get on.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Inspired Super Porridge!

Here’s the thing.  We passionately believe that the times of missing out on treats and delicious food and snacks because you choose a healthy diet are gone.  There are so many ways to get ultra good tasting nutrition using fresh, local, organic, real food ingredients that there’s really no excuse once you’ve handled your bad habits.  This recipe is a perfect example.  Yeh so it’s a bit more calorific than some cardboard cracker with low fat cottage cheese and a watercress leaf, but if you’re enjoying some good excercise as part of your #movement pillar there’s really no need to get all unnecessary about it.  Live a little!

This recipe is inspired by the flavours of peanut butter and jelly on toast.  My old habit?  White bread (basically processed high GI cake full of preservatives) toasted with some sort of spread that’s an excuse for butter with a load of Peanut butter and cheap jam (jelly for our American friends) on top.  The peanut butter would have been any old brand which was about 95% peanuts (with some added sugar, stabilisers & emulsifiers).  The jam was basically a shed load of processed sugar with colourings, flavourings and a little fruit (from concentrate) thrown in as a gesture!

So what am I doing now?   Well I’ve found the Meridian brand of Peanut butter.  It’s super tasty and it’s ingredients list is just the way we like it - 100% organic peanuts - nothing else!  They also do some great other varieties as well like Almond and Cashew Butter (we’re not endorsed my Meridian by the way, we just think their stuff is great.)  Anyway - which ever brand of nut butter you choose make it organic and check the ingredients for hidden nasties 😃

As far as Jam is concerned, well I just don’t bother with any processing for this recipe and get the flavours from fresh fruit.

So enough spouting on about all that stuff, let’s get to the recipe.  This is my way of kick starting my day after I’ve done my fasted HIIT workout at 6am.  I’m feeling alive and awake and I’ve worked hard and showered so enjoy it even more.

Ingredients:

Organic Porridge Oats
Organic milk and coconut or almond milk (basically which ever is your favourite or preferred milk)
Malden Sea Salt Flakes
1 desert spoon of Peanut, Cashew, Almond or preferred nut butter
Half desert spoon of extra virgin coconut oil (the best you can find)
1 teaspoon of local honey (just spikes a little sweetness - optional)

Fresh fruit Salad
You can top with any fruit, but for the jam vibe i’ve gone with:
Strawberries
Ginger
Lemon Juice
Red Grapes
Green Grapes
Cherries
Conference Pear

Additional Toppings
Chia Seeds
Bee Pollen
Pistachio Nuts

Method:

Make your porridge.  I use the oats with half and half regular milk and half coconut milk.  When it’s done add a pinch of Malden Sea salt flakes, the coconut oil, nut butter and honey and stir it all to your desired consistency by adding more milk if you need to.  By the way, this is a great spring / summer breakfast or treat if the weather is warm by serving it cooled.

I like to serve my porridge on a plate instead of a bowl.  It tends to cool it down to just the right temperature so I can eat it straight away without a load of blowing and waiting if I’m on a schedule.

After you have your nutty porridge ready it’s time to add the toppings.

To make the fruit salad above (I do this in advance usually the night before), I start with the cherries.  I use a knife to slice the cherries open like i would an avocado and remove the stone, so I’m left with 2 beautiful half cherries.  This takes a little patience, but it’s part of the ritual for me of eating beautiful fresh food and I love it.

By the way, when it comes to fruit salad, it’s worth making a batch of the stuff as it’s a great go to snack attack muncher to keep in the fridge as well as a really good way of getting some of your fruits in for the day.

Next I cut my grapes in half and add them in with some thin flat strips of ginger.  I don’t eat the ginger in the dish, but adding it to my batch of fruit salad imparts some of the ginger vibe into the whole medley and gives it a special something that’s always missing when I forget to do it.  I slice my strawberries too and throw them in.  Finally i dice up some conference pear.  The grainy texture of a perfectly ripe pear in this combination is great with the other ingredients and they taste amazing.  To finish I put in a good squeeze of lemon juice from half a fresh lemon and pop the lid on, give it a good shake and keep it in the fridge.

So when it comes to add the toping it’s as easy as grabbing your fruit salad snack attack box from the fridge, putting a nice pile of loveliness onto your porridge and then finishing with a sprinkle of bee pollen, chia seeds and pistachios.

The taste is amazing.  The peanut butter still has a slightly sticky vibe and if you don’t stir it in too much you get the odd lump as a surprise.  The fruits go so well with the whole thing and the occasional salty crunch from a pistachio just makes it perfect.

If you make this, post a picture to us on social media.  We love to get feedback from our community.  If you change the fruits and find something amazing let us know.

We hope you enjoy making this super kick starter and wish you love in your quest for a better and more nutritious you.

Above all though, don’t forget to…..

#respectyourtemple
 

Thai "Temple" Green Curry

OK folks - this is becoming my signature dish.  Everyone loves it.  You can modify it very slightly to make it Vegan (just leave out fish sauce and chicken), but my personal favourite is with chicken.

It’s also the most awesome way to get your greens.  A lot of people associate eating greens as a healthy chore that isn’t particularly pleasurable.  I’m here to tell you that I don’t care what your relatioship with greens is like, in blind taste tests EVERYONE likes this recipe - even my young children!  If you only make one of our recipes it has to be this one.  It’s incredible!

It might not be super authentic (whatever that is), but it’s my version of a Thai Green Curry.  I will back up my conviction with the fact that I have been to Thailand and lived with a Thai family in Bangkok for a short period of time.  I sampled all sorts of amazing dishes and this is my adaption of the green curry.

Enough already out the waxing lyrical on it, and let’s get to it!

Ingredients & Method:

Enough for 4 (with a portion or two to save for later - it’s great as a quick snack from the freezer).  Preparation time 10 minutes. Cooking time 1.5 hours.  Actual time in the kitchen approximately 20 minutes.

For frying:
Coconut oil (extra virgin)

For the green Curry Paste:
3 large bunches fresh corriander
2 large bunches fresh basil
5 birds eye green chilli (or enough for your desired heat)
two thumb sized pieces of ginger (skin on)
4 sticks of lemon grass
8 cloves of garlic
4 Kafir Lime Leaves
12 fat spring onions (wash them and use the lot - especially green bits)
thumb sized piece of Galangal
3 teaspoons of Coconut Blossom / Palm Sugar

To add to make sauce:
2 tins coconut milk

To finish:
1 Roast Free Range Chicken
Seasoning (salt, pepper, fish sauce)
Bag of spinach
French green beans
(Basically your favourite greens - any will do.  Other ideas are Kale, Rocket, Watercress)

Method:
Put your chicken into the oven to roast.  I usually do mine for about 1.5 hours at 190 degrees. Meanwhile….

Here’s where your blender comes into action again.  Place all of the ingredients for the curry paste into your blender and blend to a paste.  Don’t blend to a super smooth smoothie consistency, but do blend well.  It should look like the greenest paste you’ve ever seen 😃

Heat some coconut oil in your favourite frying pan and add the paste.  It will probably make your eyes water a little (especially if you like hot and spicy and have added extra chilli) so be careful and turn on the extractor fan if you have  one.  Cook the paste for about 5 - 10 minutes.  It will lose some of its moisture and go a dark green colour.  When you get to this stage you know it’s ready for the neXt stage.

At this point add the coconut milk.  Stir the whole thing together and you have your green curry sauce.  Add some fish sauce (about 2 table spoons) and some pepper.  This just needs to be simmered gently for about 10 minutes to allow all the flavours to get to know each other.  Have a taste to check seasoning and add some extra salt to taste if needed.

When your chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.  Then pull the chicken from the bones and reserve the bones to make stock (not required for this recipe, but we never waste our chicken bones.  See why here.)

Add the chicken to the curry sauce along with your greens.  Cook the whole thing through until the greens are tender (probably about 5 minutes) and then check seasoning before serving with sticky rice, or just on its own.

Let us know how it makes you feel and what you think!

#respectyourtemple

Rich Davis

Salad Vibes

One of the habits that we've all got into at The Strength Temple is around making extra food.

If we’re making a yummy roasted vegetable dish, a pasta bombshell or some Eastern inspired rice, we make an extra 2 portions for the fridge.  That way if we’re short on time, but need something big on flavour, it’s quick to prepare something awesome without reaching for the danger zone snacks.  You know the ones; pastry, chocolate, crisps YUK!

All you need to do is start with some fresh salad ingredients and then throw in your choice or leftovers for an amazing energy hit that's full of great nutrition.

We’re not sure what to throw into this salad, but it’s guaranteed to make you feel fabulous!

Try this little bad boy combo….

• rocket leaves • spinach • mint • spring onion • sun-dried tomato • avocado • cherry tomato • chilli • blue cheese (not for the diary-free crew) • sunflower seeds • S E A S O N E D with olive oil & balsamic glaze to taste. 🍃YUM!
 

More Plants, less Pants & Green Smoothies

The Vitamins and Minerals in Green Vegetables are imperative for so many metabolic functions within the body that whenever a client asks me for weight loss advice, I will always increase their greens. Especially leafy greens. It makes a difference to their body composition, energy levels, complexion ... the list goes on.

However...

I wasn't always a vegetable eating, pantless saint.

I used to really struggle to get the veggies down. Most of the time it would be all about Protein and Starchy Carbs, oh and avocado ... that's green right? (FYI Avocado is green in colour but isn't classified a vegetable. It's actually a single seeded berry, so no it doesn't count towards your green intake; but still eat them, they are awesome).

When I realised that I really needed to get more greens i, I started eating more salad (clever move right?). I still didn't get the same joy out of a salad as I did out of Pizza. However, what I did start to realise was that after eating a salad I felt amazing. I felt light in my tummy. I felt nourished, refuelled and energised. I obviously didn't get the same feeling after eating pizza, no matter how much I enjoyed the process of eating it; it was never worth the feeling of bloat and heaviness that followed. 

I have since then grown to love veggies as much as pizza. So much so, I actually feel it when I've haven't hit my greens target. When that happens, I make one of these;

More Plants - Less Pants Smoothie

1 x big handful kale

1 x big handful of baby spinach

1 x small handful frozen mango

1 x small handful fresh mint leaves

1 x half cucumber

1 x half kiwi fruit

1 x Glass unsweetened almond milk

sprinkle of cinnamon.

Blend.

Take pants off.

Consume.

Enjoy.

x

Shona.

#respectyourtemple

Spicy Coconut Rice with Poached Eggs

OK so it’s a real quick recipe today.  I’ve just knocked this up for breakfast and it was absolutely amazing.  I’m planning on doing a pretty intense workout this morning and needed some carbs to get me in the mood!

The rice base is an excellent ingredient to use in many dishes, so I've made a little extra here to save for later and have with some fish.

Ingredients:

2 sticks of Celery
1 large carrot
1 green pepper
1 baby leak
3 spring onions
1 large clove of garlic
coconut oil
4 eggs (2 per person)
wild rice (as much as you would cook for 2)
1 tin Coconut milk
1 teaspoon freshly ground chilli powder
Watercress
Freshly cooked beetroot
Salt, Pepper, Fish Sauce (optional)

Open your tin of coconut milk and pour into a saucepan.  Add your wild rice and start to simmer.  Whilst this is cooking….

Take your celery, carrots, green pepper, leak, spring onions and garlic and cut into very small cubes.  If you haven’t done this before it’s quickest if you cut them into strips them take the knife across them to get your cubes.

Heat some coconut oil in a large pan and gently sweat off the vegetables with the teaspoon of chilli powder.

By this time the rice will have been been cooking for about 10 minutes and will have reduced in volume a little as the rice absorbs the coconut milk.  Add this rice and milk mix to the vegetables and stir.  If you're using fish sauce, add about a table spoon at this time.  If not then season with salt as you usually would.

Leave this on the heat until the rice is cooked.  It’s a little bit like a risotto, but because I used wild rice, there is less starch so it’s not as sticky as you’d usually expect with a risotto.

When the rice is nearly ready (it will take about 20 minutes if using wild rice) get some water on the build and poach your eggs.

To serve place the rice on a plate and top with some fresh watercress.  Add the eggs in the middle and then place a quartered cooked beetroot around the edges.

Hey presto!  A delicious breakfast that will keep you going all morning.

Enjoy!

#respectyourtemple

Immune Boosting Eastern Soup

This soup has just gone down an absolute STORM on our social media platforms.  I guess it’s that time of year (in the UK) where we need this stuff to fight the bugs and fortify our bodies against the cold.

Having said that, this would be awesome in the summer served chilled from the fridge with some crushed ice mixed through as a type of gazpacho.  We’ll definitely be doing that in 6 months!  In the mean time, here’s a note from Richie Norton on this awesome concoction.  ENJOY!……..

 🤒🌿 After my little stint in the Middle East, the adjustment to the UK winter weather and germs being sneezed all over the place, I've somehow picked up a cough that won't shift (yes I'm human after all)! 🤒

If you've been feeling a bit under the weather or hoping to fight off the winter lurgy, I'd recommend you try some homemade veggie super soups like this green beast 🌿It’s full of antioxidants, vitamin C, E and fibre necessary for a healthy body.  It’s really simple to make. Go on - get your apron on and don’t hold back.

Ingredients:
 
• Rainbow chard (dietary fibre/fat free) • broccoli • spinach • carrots • ginger • bunch of coriander, basil • spring onion • clove of garlic • S&P (chilli if you fancy some heat and coconut cream to garnish.)

Method:

Heat through you vegetables in homemade stock.  It’s important that you don’t boil them to death and destroy many of the nutrients.  Just a gentle warm through is sufficient.  When it’s just right,  pop it all in a blender and take it to your desired consistency.  With some blending practice you can go from super smooth to slightly textured.  We sometimes split the soup into two batches, and blend some to super smooth and mix the rest in to leave some variety - it’s up to you and we’d encourage you to experiment.
 
This one got drizzed in coconut cream (naughty) as our final garnish!

Enjoy, let us know how you get on and don’t forget to…..

#respectyourtemple ;-)
 

Anchors & Healthy Chocolate Thick Shakes!

Interview with Shona Vertue on Anchors and her Thick Choc Shake for health!

TST “So Shona.  Great to have you with us today.  We want to explore anchors and how they may affect our eating on a subconscious level.  Tell us about some of your food memories from when you were at school."

Shona "Well, when I was little, one of my favourite things to do with my Dad was to have a Chocolate thick shake from Macdonald's. I became really attached to this Thick Shake because it reminded me of the time I would spend with Dad. It was comfort food."

TST “Ok, so that’s a perfect example of how we can create anchors which associate a particular thing with a feeling.  Over time this can mean that we crave that thing when we need to go to that same feeling.  Do you still drink them?"

Shona “Well I gave up MacDonalds some time ago, and I have to say it’s the only thing I really missed.  I guess it’s because of the thoughts of the great times I had with my father.  I think I was searching for comfort, but I found that replacing it with something better for me hit all the Anchors and kept me healthier and feeling better."

TST “OK cool!  So you effectively used the anchor that you’d already developed, but replaced the old habit with an empowering new one?"

Shona “Yes, that’s right.  I invented my own recipe for a thick chocolate milkshake and I have to say I actually prefer it to the old one so it’s a massive step forwards.  I still get the lovely smooth chocolate hit and feelings of comfort, but also some great fuel for my body which doesn’t have the crash effect of the old version packed with processed sugars."

TST “Thank you Shona.  So it’s a great lesson for all of us.  When you crave a certain food, just stop to think for a moment why that might be happening.  What feelings are you craving?  Try and find another “vehicle” to satisfy your needs.  This can be a food, but it can also be a number of other activities or things.  Maybe even a nice glass of filtered water to replace a bad habit.  Perhaps go for a walk in the fresh air.  Or invent your own healthier version like Shona did!

Here’s Shona’s recipe for her Healthy Thick Chocolate Shake.  We’ve tried it and it comes highly recommended.  As usual go organic with all your ingredients and enjoy!"

MacShona's Thick Superfood Shake

1/2 - 1 Avocado (depending on size)

1 Tablespoon Raw Cacao Powder

1 ripe Banana

1 cup rice or oat milk (maybe more if you like a more runny consistency)

1 teaspoon Manuka Honey (If you like it a little sweeter try adding a couple of dates as well)

3-5 Ice Cubes

Sprinkle of Bee Pollen

Place everything in a good quality blender and hey presto!  MacShona’s thick Superfood Shake.

Shona Vertue xx

#respectyourtemple

Protein Banana Loaf

Let's face it, we're not quite there yet.  Finding health food cafes with gluten free & sugar free treats is not an easy task for most of us & certainly not cost effective once you do find them….

Get your baking hat on, get the kids involved, make it fun & make you're own tasty creations.  Personally I find it significantly more satisfying; you know what's gone in it & tastes better when you make it yourself!

This Banana loaf is great as a slice with your breakfast smoothie or after a workout when you’re body is craving some nutrition love.

Recipe:

1 cup coconut milk • 1/2 cup protein powder • 2 ripe bananas • 1/2 cup egg whites or 2 eggs • 3 tbsp coconut flour • 1 tbsp vanilla extract • 3 tbsp coconut flakes • 3-4 medjool dates (depending on your sweet tooth) • hand full of smashed walnuts • 1/2 tsp baking powder.

Directions : blend together • pour in loaf tin (greased with coconut oil) • sprinkle shaved almonds on top • bake 180c for 45-60mns (until browned)

Can't wait for the coffee run!

#respectyourtemple

Chia Pudding & Removing bad habits

As you know our Director Richie Norton has been on the road recently training some exciting new drivers in Abu Dhabi looking to enter the world of F1.  Getting hold of some of the ingredients we usually take for granted was a real challenge and it’s brought home to us the amazing access we have to Superfoods in the UK.

Bio Science and investigations into natural superfoods is teaching us so much, but we still see so many ignoring the facts and continuing to poison their bodies with junk.   We understand it's not easy breaking habits.  To get started you can simply be open to a healthier set of choices that look amazing and are absolutely delicious.

We've been duped by advertisers pushing that massive greasy pizzas or cupcakes towering with frosting make us feel good when they absolutely DO NOT!  When you get on the track to eating cleaner and really listening to your body after you’ve eaten junk you’ll get it. We promise!  By the way; we love this ad.  We are not endorsing Weightwatchers and don’t necessarily agree with their philosophy, but we do LOVE THIS AD.  My son studied it in his media classes and came home excited to tell me all about it.  It’s extremely powerful.  Watch it and see if it highlights the fact that what we all do is purely habitual.  The great news is that once we realise this we can change it :-)

So how do we move forwards?  Well it’s a gradual thing.  We need to create an empowering alternative to make it easier to win this game of improvement.  Make better choices when you're shopping and play around with some new superfood creations.  Start to learn how to cook clean (there’s plenty of inspiration here on this website) & get your kids involved. They are the future after all.

We deal extensively with replacing bad habits with new empowering ones as part of our programs.  There are also loads of tips here in the website to keep you motivated and on the right track.

So let's start with a beautiful superfood - Chia seeds.  You can use them to sprinkle on all sorts of dishes.  They are relatively tasteless, so you can go savoury or sweet.  They are a great source of soluble fibre and extremely nutritious:

28 grams (1oz) of chia seeds contains:  11 grams of fibre, 4 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat (5 of which are Omega 3), Calcium 18% RDA, Manganese 30% RDA, Magnesium 30% RDA, Phosphorous 27% RDA.  They also contain Zinc, B3 (Niacin), Potassium, B1 (Thiamine) and B2.

Recipe:

Chia pudding.

Method:

Get yourself a big jar and cover the bottom with a tablespoon of chia seeds (available in all health food shops or via Amazon UK in the link at the bottom of this article).  Then you can try either of these methods or make some up yourself.

The awesome looking purple one at the top of this article is Chia with coconut water, blueberries & some fresh mint leaves.  Just add the blueberries and mint to the chia in the jar and top up with the coconut water.  Give them a good stir and pop the lid on.  In time they will exude their halo of goodness and fill up the jar - it's magic and simple!

The one we used to top our porridge is Chia with coconut water, sunflower seeds and goji berries.  Use the same method.

Soaking them brings them to life releasing all the nutrient benefits.  A jar should last you all week.

Try adding a spoon full to your smoothies, use it to top your porridge, eat it with some fresh yogurt or simply eat it from the jar.  It packs a nutritious punch & they keep for up to 2 weeks if refrigerated.  The featured picture is Organic Porridge topped with Banana, Kiwi, Chia Pudding (the goji and sunflower one), bee pollen and a flavour bomb of passion fruit in the middle!  It’s currently in my tummy and has fuelled the writing of this article :-)

If you like what we’re talking about and want to make sure you don’t miss anything you can subscribe to our newsletter here.

#respectyourtemple

Sevenhills Wholefoods Raw Chia Seeds 2kg Buy on Amazon

Zen Valley Big Goji Berries 1KG, 250gx4 packs, Free from Preservative&Sulfite Buy on Amazon

Morning rituals to kickstart and detox

Some of you may already know about this magic morning potion, but either way you may need a reminder to kick off your day in the right way so you're ready for action.  It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but we highly recommend you give it a try!

Method:

Take a nice clean glass and fill with warm water.  If you use boiling water it will destroy many of the nutrients and if you use cold water it will take longer to hydrate you.  Trust me - warm water is like baby bear's porridge - just right!

Add the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of raw, unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar.  Drink to hydrate and stimulate your body’s natural detox processes.

Here's a few reasons why you should try this...

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LEMON

• Boosts your immune system
• Flushes out unwanted materials
• Flushes out unwanted toxins
• Helps aid in weight loss
• Is a natural blood purifier
• Balances your pH level
• Helps relieve respiratory issues
• Helps aid in throat infections
• Decreases blemishes
• Decreases wrinkles
• Naturally energizes you
• Hydrating
• Alkaline in the body
• Aids digestion
• It even oxygenates the body so you feel revitalized and refreshed.
   

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

• Very rich in enzymes and potassium
• Helps clear up acne
• Helps relieve allergies
• Lowers blood pressure
• Lowers cholesterol
• Reduces inflammation
• Helps aid in weight loss by breaking down fat
• Balances pH level
• Helps relieve muscle pain from workouts
• Helps dissolve kidney stones
• Helps prevent sinus infection
• Helps prevent acid reflux
• Helps prevent arthritis
• Lowers levels of fatigue
• Aids digestion
• Helps control and prevent candida.

Give it a try.  If you can't find our favourite Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar you can buy at at Amazon in the UK via the link below.

#respectyourtemple

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Vegetable Roast Up!

Colourful roasted vibes right here!

It’s so easy, trust me on this one.  Get some vegetable love into your body with this super tasty Roasted Vegetable Dish.

Ingredients:

Kale, sweet potato wedges, parsnip chunks, capsicum strips, whole garlic cloves, coconut oil, rosemary, malden salt, freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice.

Method:

So simple you can do it blind folded (be careful of the sharp knives of course).  Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees C, chop up your roasted goodies, throw in an ovenproof bowl (exclude kale at this stage), add coconut oil, add your seasoning.   Massage the coconut oil into the veg so it’s all covered and then pop them into the oven.

After about 15 minutes take them out and give them a shake to move the brown bits around and baste in their own juices.

Kale goes in at the end with 5 mins to go; leave until it browns up and goes super crispy.  After 20-30mins ish they will be ready.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice for extra ZING!

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Breakfast Porridge Jars

Breakfast on the move!

We would usually recommend you get up 30 minutes earlier and enjoy a steady and un-rushed breakfast experience, but we’re also realists and know that some of you like to fly about like a pinball.  If you can’t beat em, join em!

The fact is that eating breakfast is so important and if you can’t manage to make some time in the morning to have a proper feed, we’re going to encourage you to get your nutrition in one way or another.

This is a great breakfast hack and doesn’t take any time to make.  For those of you that get up, get in the shower and get out, you can do this the night before and leave it in the fridge.  Just don’t forget to take it with you.  Perhaps leave your keys with it 😉

Breakfast Porridge Jars

Make your porridge which takes a few minutes in the microwave - there’s no excuse!  We like organic gluten free, steel cut porridge oats.  Make it just how you like it, but if you are leaving it in the fridge overnight, make it slightly thinner as it will thicken up as it gets cold and the oats swell.

Put your porridge in an old Coconut Oil jar, or similar and top with your favourite toppings.  Breakfasts like this are an ideal time to get your nut and seed intake on board as well as a great opportunity to smash some fresh fruit into your body.  We’ve gone for berries here, but you can go with what’s in your fruit bowl.  Strawberries and mango is another top choice of ours.  Sprinkle your favourite seeds (chia, poppy, sunflower, pumpkin etc), muesli or trail mix on the top and pop the lid on.

Oh - and don’t forget to take a spoon 😃 

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Green Smoothie Quickie

Our founder, Richie Norton, is working in the Middle East at the moment. He’s been running a very heavy schedule working with some exciting new drivers and the changes in temperature from red hot track to ice cold air con have been playing havoc with his body.  He's been craving some greens goodness amongst the sweet treats available everywhere. We just got this message from him, so thought we’d share it with a picture from The Strength Temple kitchen in the UK with the amazing @shonavertue modelling these health promoting breakfast smoothies for us.

"Today was a right treat, managed to find some ingredients this morning, borrowed the chefs blender and showed the kitchen crew how to rustle up a brekky super smoothie #thestrengthtemple#style 👉🏽🌿spinach • mixed with a green apple • melon • cucumber & a coconut 🌴 bosh! 🙏🏼Looking forward to some home comforts...missing my bed & my kitchen. 

Happy Thursday!! 💚” Richie Norton

So start with some ice in your blender and get these incredible ingredients in there to start your day.  Add some coconut water or filtered water to get your desired consistency and enjoy 😃 Make a little extra and stash it in some recycled jam jars in the fridge to give you a hit of goodness later when you need it!

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Vegetable Stew - clean power through colour

So it’s a gorgeous crisp morning in the UK.  Our Brothers and Sisters in the US have just enjoyed Thanks Giving and some may be recovering from a feast or two!  It’s with this in mind that I want to share this simple, but tasty recipe for a vitality promoting lunch that will leave your insides feeling clean and fresh.

Vegetable stews are a staple in The Strength Temple Kitchen.  You can keep them really simple and just add a load of your favourite veg to some stock and simmer, or you can take a little more time and get everything to the right texture by getting your chopping game up to scratch!

They key to our favourite stews is to make sure your veg is all cooked to perfection.  Harder veg should be chopped thinner so it cooks in the same amount of time as softer veg, which should be left larger.

You can see from the insert picture that we’ve chopped our carrots quite thinly where as we have left the cherry tomatoes whole and kept our peppers and courgette (zucchini) slightly larger.  We also don’t like to over cook our veg to maintain it’s awesome texture, taste and nutrient content.

So try this little vegetable medly and let us know your favourite combinations in the comments section below.  We love feedback!

Ingredients:

Makes approximately 4 servings

4 potatoes, cubed (you can leave these out of you are on a low carb day)

2 carrots,  1 courgette (zucchini), 1 red onion, 1 leake, handful cherry tomatoes, 1 yellow pepper, 1 red pepper, 4 garlic cloves,  pinch chill flakes (to your taste)

2 handfuls cavil nero or your favourite cabbage

2 litres of your favourite stock

Malden or Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper.  extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Method:

Place 2 litres of stock in a large saucepan and boil your potatoes until they are about 10 minutes away from being done.  If you don’t want pungent garlic, gently fry it in some coconut oil before adding to the pot, add your vegetable medly and simmer for 7 minutes.  Right at the end add your cabbage, simmer for a further 3 minutes and season to your taste with salt and pepper.

Service in large bowls, drizzle with a dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, slurp away and try not to get it down your chin :-)

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IMMUNE BUSTER! Carrot, Turmeric & Ginger Soup

Ok, so a new soup recipe for you to try.  Our Founder had his wisdom teeth out recently and retreated to Soups for a week.   He literally went soup mad and felt the need to share!

Soups are great all year round; a superfood full of antioxidants :-)

Perfect if you're short on time & want to cram loads of goodness into one bowl to pack a big healing punch!  The key is getting one that's not full of sugar & other junk.  We’re not being “soupist” but you really don’t want that in your body!

Make it yourself so you know exactly what's in it:

• 8-10 large carrots • 1 leek • 2 sticks celery • whole yellow pepper • 6 asparagus stems (lightly fried in butter) • 1 ltr fresh veggie stock or our special chicken stock • tbsp chunk of ginger • 1 - 2 shallots • 2 large cloves of garlic • tbsp coconut oil • pinch of cayenne pepper • palm full of coriander • Malden Salt & Pepper.

Gently fry the asparagus, ginger, leek, shallots and garlic in the coconut oil.  Then add the remaining ingredients.  Blitz them all up in your blender (add filtered water to preferred consistency). Depending on your blender, it might heat it for you, but if not pop the soup in a pan and heat through.  Garnish to make it pretty.

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Magic Potions - The secret to making your own nourishing stock

So it’s definitely that time of year.  Here at The Strength Temple HQ we had our first dusting of snow last night and it’s certainly getting colder.  Some people find they fall prey to a cold or flu around this time of year, and we want to make sure you do everything you can to stay healthy.

Your wellbeing starts with what you put into your body.  You might be craving sugars at this time of year, but don’t do it.  Processed sugars are food for bacteria and not a great idea!  They also cause your blood sugars to spike releasing insulin.  When this happens the amino acid tryptophan is converted to serotonin in our brain making us feel happier, thus perpetuating the cravings.  This is part of the reason that cramming sugary foods is a common habit during the winter months when daylight is less and some people start to be affected in varying degrees by SAD (seasonal effective disorder) sometimes known as the “winter blues”.

If you’re feeling in a bit of a funk, just recognise and acknowledge the feeling, check in with how you are talking to yourself internally and know that it will pass.   Make sure you take regular walks and runs in the fresh air.  When you're out, take time to bring yourself to the present moment.  Listen to your environment and focus on the birdsong - it's a wonderful thing.  If you think you’re not getting enough sun - perhaps take a vitamin D supplement.  Finally follow our ritual and start to make your own stock.  It really is very therapeutic.  Indulge yourself.

There’s something amazingly pleasurable about taking a load of ingredients that many people will just throw away and creating something absolutely delicious from it to raise your food to another level.  We love making stocks and watching them blipping on the stove is a magical thing and adds to the anticipation of what’s to come.

Our risottos, noodle soups, stews and sauces would all pale into insignificance if we didn’t take time to make great stock.  We never purchase a whole chicken without turning what’s left of the carcass into amazing stock and you should do the same!

As far as health promoting benefits are concerned there are many.  Some are based in science and some more mythical as stock has been made for thousands of years.  Home made stocks contain a load of minerals (magnesium, calcium, phosphorous etc) easily absorbed by your body.  They also contain broken down material from cartilage and tendons such as chondroitin and glucosamine.  Yep - that’s the stuff you spend money on in your joint supplements!  Finally don’t forget that it’s hydrating.  You just can’t go wrong.

Remember to experiment a little with your ingredients and you will gradually get a “feel” for what makes a great stock that’s exactly to your taste.

If you want to make vegetable stock, just leave out the meat.  It's that simple.  For fish stocks we will write a whole new recipe.  Stay tuned.

The only think we’d advise against as a rule are brassicas such as broccoli, cabbage, sprouts etc.  They are a bit smelly and don’t make great stock!

(If you want to go Eastern)
Include half a Star Anise
1 Clove
3 large pieces of Ginger
3 Stalks of Lemmon Grass
Handful of Coriander stalks
Chilli to taste

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken carcasses
2 Carrotts
1 Onion
2 sticks Celery
6 peppercorns
5 garlic cloves
Filtered Water

Place your chicken carcass (carcasses) into a large pot.

Note:  If you are using raw carcasses cover them with filtered water and bring them to the boil before adding the remaining ingredients.  As soon as they are boiling, discard the water and continue as below.  Raw Carcasses produce a lighter coloured stock with a slightly different flavour.  This process removes a bitter note from the stock and is often forgotten.  Also, ensure you maintain good hygiene if using raw carcasses, washing your hands and paying attention to your work surfaces.

Add the remaining ingredients roughly chopped.

Finally fill the pot with filtered water to just above the level of the contents and put on a high heat to bring to a boil.  When at boiling point, turn down the heat so the surface just “blips” with bubbles and allow to simmer for 1 hour.

Strain the resulting liquid into a suitable container and don’t forget this next step.  TASTE YOUR STOCK!  If it tastes at all watery, then place the liquid back on the stove and reduce it by boiling off some of the liquid.  Flavourful stock is what we are looking for.

Let the stock cool in a container before you cover it and store it in the fridge.  We keep our stocks for up to 4 days and if we think we won’t use them in time we freeze them.  Freezing stock as ice cubes is a great way to have handy amounts on hand to add to sauces.  If you have a dog and some left over stock give it to them for a treat.  They will absolutely LOVE YOU FOR IT!

Try using your stock in the following ways:

Drink a mug of warmed stock when you return from your windy walk :-)
Use it as the liquid to make your next risotto.
Use it as the liquid to make your next spicy rice.
Add it to your next casserole or stew.
Use it as the base for your next gravy.
Use it to make noodle soup.

Stay tuned for some of the recipes above as we add them.  If you'd like to make sure you don't miss them subscribe here and we'll send you loads of cool stuff.  ff you’re having a roast chicken today don’t throw the carcass away!

With love from The Strength Temple.

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Our Best & top secret Guacamole Recipe

We don't tend to snack too much at The Strength Temple. This is because we believe in eating 3-4 full, nutrient dense meals a day.  We also believe in allowing for digestive enzymes and acids to redevelop between eating times ensuring sufficient nutrient breakdown and absorption.  However, this homemade guacamole is just too good to not have and is a great way for us to hit veggie targets.  If you don't snack on it, try it as a starter for your main meal.

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:  2-3 Ripe Avocados, 1 Chilli (as hot as you like), 1 lime, Handful of Coriander Leaves, Garlic Clove, 4 small Cherry Tomatoes, half a Red Onion, Himalayan or soft sea salt such as Malden (there's a link to our favourite Himalayan salt below), Pepper, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Method:  Cut your avocados in half and reserve the seed (see our blended avocado seed article).  Remove the soft flesh and place in a bowl (put the skins in your compost bin).  Finely chop the garlic, red onion, chilli, coriander (leave the stalks in if it's young and fresh and not woody) and tomatoes.  Place in the bowl with the avocados.  Use the back of a fork to smash up the mixture leaving some chunks for texture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and add about a tablespoon of the olive oil and the juice of the lime.  Give it a final stir and serve with your favourite crunchy veg.  We had carrots and cucumber in the fridge, but celery works well as do multicoloured peppers :-)

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