Nadisunshine goes Michelle Bartolo Yoga Retreat
Before we all dive into the yearly xmas craziness it’s time to share some of the recipes I cooked at Michelle Bartolo’s yoga retreat in Gozo earlier this month. Whenever you feel like you’ve overindulged, which happens to most of us at this time of the year, take a day or two (or three ;)) in between to balance it out again and get rid of all the acidity and toxins in your bodies. Keep it really light, avoid all processed sugars, dairy, alcohol and caffeine and stack up on veggies, fruits and grains. Start your day with warm lemon water, prepare yourself some healthy meals, drink lots of teas or water, do some yoga and mediation in the morning and/or evening and give your body and soul a little axtra love and time to recover.
Thanks again to my friend Michelle for giving me the opportunity to bring my cooking to you lovely yogis and yoginis! It was a pleasure to meet you and cook for you all 🙂 If you’re interested in one of Michelle’s retreats, check out her website or Facebook page. I’ve been to many of her retreats in Gozo and can’t recommend this gift to yourself enough.
But now let’s get started with some of the healthy recipes of our yoga weekend.
Boosting Basil Smoothie
(serves 2-3)
What you need….
1 apple
1 orange
2 hands full of fresh basil
1 TS of maca powder
1 TS of spirulina or wheatgrass
500ml of water (or coconut water)
A tiny bit of coconut oil
Optional: if you like to give it some extra protein add some hemp or pea protein powder
Wash the apple and basil, peel the orange. Start filling the blender with the softer ingredients and then add the harder ones on top, like this it blends easier. Top up with water, add the rest and blend until smooth.
More smoothie inspirations you can also find in my blog post Soulful Smoothies
Morning muesli mix with with pomegranates & oranges
Making your own muesli mix is not only a healthy breakfast option but also very convenient in daily life. Get a big jar and prepare the mix once, it will last you for several weeks and you always have it handy in the morning 🙂
What you need….
(amounts depending on the size of your box, play with it!)
Oats (about 50% of the box, that’s the base)
Chia seeds
Whole almonds
Flax seeds
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Goji berries
Dried cranberries, mulberries, apple etc. (whatever you have and like)
Possible superfood additions
Cacao nibs
Maca powder
Baobab powder
Bee pollen
Possible toppings:
Cinnamon
Coconut flakes
Raw cacao powder
To prepare it:
A tiny bit of oil (I use cold pressed flax seed oil cause of the great amounts of omega 3)
Fresh fruit (I mostly try to go for local and seasonal)
Hot water or dairy free milk
What to do…
Mix all ingredients in a big box or jar (apart from the toppings). When you want to have breakfast, take out 3 table spoons per person in a little bowl (seems little but soaks up nicely), top it up with hot water or dairy free milk, let it stand for a bit (10min minimum, no maximum) and finally add some fruit, a drizzle of oil and toppings of your choice.
As I said, play with the mix – you can add or skip ingredients and see what you like best. Only the oats and chia seeds I wouldn’t skip as they are the base for a nicely soaked up muesli. Enjoy and have some great energetic mornings!
This recipe with some extra info you can also find in my blog post Our special morning muesli mix
Nadisunshine’s choco chia seed pudding
Glutenfree choco chia pudding
(1 portion)
What you need…
1 empty jar (e.g. from jam, about 200ml)
2 table spoons of chia seeds (black, white or mixed, they all work fine)
Daily free milk like coconut or almond
1 small handful of goji berries (also other dried fruit works fine)
Some drops of organic vanilla essence (you can also play with different essences like
Orange blossom water or rose water another time 🙂
1 tea spoon of desiccated coconut
1 tea spoon of raw cacao
A tiny bit of your favorite natural sweetener like raw honey, agave sirup or maple sirup
Pear (or any other fruit you like) & cacao nibs as a topping
What to do..
Use any old jar with a lid. Mix the chia seeds with the milk and add all other ingredients apart from the pear. Close the lid tight, shake it well and let it rest for at least 60min. Shake it a couple of times in between to avoid clumping. If you find a clump, loosen it with a spoon/fork. After 30min you can already see how the seeds swell. The pudding gets thicker and thicker over time. I normally even put it in the fridge overnight so I have it ready for bfast.
As a result you’ll get a creamy pudding which can now be served in any kind of way. I warmed it up for you in the morning which is nice and comforting, especially in fall and winter. Garnish with pear and sprinkle with cacao nibs and enjoy your probably healthiest pudding ever!
Chia pudding can also be a yummy desert or snack at any time of the day. Some more info and a different chia pudding recipe you can also find in this blog post
Butternut squash coconut curry soup
(2-3 portions)
What you need…
1 butternut squash
1 can of coconut milk (thick)
Curry
Tumeric
Cumin
Some ginger
A tiny bit of cayenne pepper (careful, it’s super hot!)
Yeast free vegetable stock
Best quality salt (I prefer pink Himalayan salt)
1 table spoon of coconut oil
For the topping:
Mixed seeds (flax, sesame, pumpkin)
Coconut oil
Quarter of a lemon
Tamari Sauce (the healthier alternative to soy sauce)
What to do..
Peel pumpkin, remove the seeds and chop up roughly. Melt the coconut oil in a pot and start roasting the pumpkin. Top up with stock, coconut milk and add all spices. Let it simmer on medium heat for about 20min (or until soft). Switch off the heat and puree directly in the pot with your hand-held blender. If it’s too thick add a bit more stock. Season to taste with salt.
For the topping heat up a small frying pan on medium heat and start roasting the seeds with a tiny bit of coconut oil. After a little while squeeze the lemon and add tamarin but just enough so it’s soaked up. You don’t want it too liquid. Turn off the heat and sprinkle on the soup.
Additionally you can also roast some butternut squash slices in the oven and use them as a topping for your soup or on a nice side salad. I always love a bowl of greens with my soup. Just coat squash with a bit of coconut oil, sprinkle with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and roast it for about 20min at 190°Celsius.
More soup recipes you can find here…
If you wish any other recipes of our weekend retreat, just let me know and I’ll happily post them at a later stage!
Lots of love & sunshine and may you get healthy and happy through the festive season!!!
N xx
Nadisunshine 