EASY PEASY GRANOLA + SINGLE SERVE COFFEE CHIA PUDDING

When I'm travelling, food priorities go something like this:

1. Protein
2. French pastries
3. Nourishing fats
4. Wholegrains

BAKED KALE + MUSHROOM BURGERS W CUMIN SWEET POTATOES AND FENNEL, ORANGE, CUCUMBER SALAD

Short and sweet today: life is good. So here are some really good things:

Read this, then this, then this. Currently reading this. All highly recommended.

Lusting after this t-shirt, and this tank.

Running to this playlist. Teaching to this playlist.

New timetables at two of my studios: Stretch Yoga and Cultivate Calm Yoga.

We'll be spending the month of October here (!).

Looking fancy here, for this amazing silversmith.

And these burgers. With fancy (but not too fancy) sides. So good that as soon as we'd munched our way through one batch, I made another one pretty much straight away.

BAKED KALE + MUSHROOM BURGERS

makes 10

These burger's aren't going to win any awards for appearance, but they pack a flavourful punch. (And they're even better the next day.) They're a little more delicate than other burgers, which is why they're baked, not fried, but it means that the next day, they maintain their moist insides and chewy outsides.

4 stems curly kale, stems removed
150 g mushrooms
2 tbsp ground chia seeds + 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp tamari
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of ground chilli

In a steamer (or place a colander over a saucepan with an inch of water in the bottom) steam the kale for 5-7 minutes, then the mushrooms for 7-9 minutes. Remove and roughly chop. Place the chopped steamed kale and mushrooms in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined. Line a baking tray with paper, and using your hands, shape the mixture into 10 burgers. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 190C. Once the burgers are chilled, bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn over. Use a thin metal spatula and your hands as these gorgeous babies will be delicate. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, at this stage also adding the sweet potatoes to the oven.

Remove from the oven and serve with sweet potatoes, salad, lime wedges and sauces of choice (HOT, choose HOT). Enjoy.

CUMIN SWEET POTATOES

serves 4

3 sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
drizzle of rice bran oil
sea salt and pepper to taste

Toss the seasoning with the sweet potatoes and bake for the final 30 minutes with the burgers.

FENNEL, ORANGE + CUCUMBER SALAD

serves 4 as a side

1 orange, peeled, halved and sliced
1 small cucumber, halved and sliced thinly
1 small or 1/2 large fennel
1/4 small onion, very thinly sliced
handful of mint leaves
handful of toasted pistachios
sea salt and pepper to taste

While the sweet potatoes and burgers are in the oven, slice all the veggies. Toss them together with the mint, salt and pepper. Top with pistachios.

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The menu for my retreat (in ONE month) is now available for your perusal. And there are only 2 (!) tickets left: 1 couple ticket for the master room (own bathroom, holler!), and a single tickt. Check out the menu and details here.

MANGO SWIRL CASHEW ICE CREAM

Around the corner from my new house is a roadside stall that for the next few weeks will be selling the last of this summer's mangoes. Grown only a few kilometres away, gas free, and only $15 for a whole heap. Needless to say, I have been eating a lot of them. A few weeks ago I finally remembered to share a photo of a mango-macadamia mousse I made for a dinner party with my best ladies ages ago, and decided to recreate it as an ice cream. This is oh so good, and a good base method for lots of different fruits (ahem, blackberry). The creaminess of the cashews, significant flecks of vanilla, and mango's undeniable awesomeness, work together like a song. This is a recipe that requires little consideration beyond whether or not you have enough cashews in the cupboard (I question to be faced daily in my house).

While I've got you here, there are about a bazillion very exciting things to tell you about:

• I'm running a Valentine's Day Partner Yoga workshop for the very wonderful Stretch Yoga. Partner yoga is both hilarious, fun, and like getting a 90 minute massage.
• Every Tuesday from 6 am I'll be running a 1 hour yoga session at the very lovely and high-vibe Sol Natural Foods. $15 snags you yoga + a coconut water OR $20 gets you yoga + a seriously relish and healthy breakfast.
• Cherish Women's Cancer Foundation is running their annual Battle Against Ovarian Cancer, which is a massive volleyball battle, and I'm so stoked to be donating some private yoga sessions to their prizes.
• Coming up in March and June, I'll be holding some workshops to help you transition through the seasons. An Autumn Equinox session on Friday March 20, and a Winter Solstice session on Sunday June 21. Tickets are super affordable -- check out Stretch Yoga for more details and to book your spot.

All of these events are up on my events page, which I keep updated with my latest timetable of classes as well.

Phew. Enough of the self-promotion: go forth and make delicious ice cream! xx

MANGO SWIRL CASHEW ICE CREAM

makes about 3 cups

flesh from 2-3 mangoes (about 300 g)
2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
1 tsp ground vanilla pods or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
pinch of sea salt
2/3 cup cashew/coconut/almond mylk
1/3 cup maple syrup
extra chopped cashews, to serve

In a blender, puree mango flesh until smooth. Reserve just under 1 cup for swirling, keeping the remaining puree in the blender. Add the cashews, vanilla, salt, mylk, and maple syrup to the blender. Blend on high for a few minutes, scraping down the sides at intervals. Resist the urge to add more liquid -- you want the cream to be really thick (otherwise it will be very icy when it freezes). Pour the cashew ice cream mixture into a rectangular container (I use this amazing silicone one). Spoon the mango puree over the cashew ice cream in two rows. Using a toothpick or cake skewer, trace across the surface, dragging the puree through the cream and vice versa. Seal the container and freeze for 2-3 hours -- at the point the ice cream should be at perfect scooping consistency. If you freeze any longer, make sure to thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving, as it will be less scoopable than commercial versions. Top with more chopped cashews and enjoy!

CHICKPEA FARINATA + SALSA VERDE

To say it's been a big month would kind of be an overstatement. I've submitted my thesis. Prepared to move house. Christmas. Went to the beach for a week (where there were lots of walks, hikes, and headstands). New Year's. Actually moved house. Taught a lot of beautiful yoga. So suddenly I find myself in 2015, having achieved so much and grown so much in 2014. It's kind of crazy. I like to think I'm the sort of person who sits down to take stock, but I find that it's only when I come to actually sitting down to write this, that I realise just how big everything is at the moment. How big, and amazing, and challenging the year ahead will be.

This chickpea farinata is a go-to dinner party magic trick for me. Don't let its simple ingredients make you think that it's simple tasting. Nope. It's so good. Savoury, comforting, somehow creamy. I'm going to be outrageous and suggest that it's even better than polenta. (I know. Big call.) I originally found this recipe over at we golden (check it out, such a gorgeous blog), and since then I've made it more times than I can count. Here, I've paired it with the herby lusciousness of salsa verde, though not a traditional one by any means. It's more pared back, but I really can't go past the combo of mint, dill, capers, and olive oil.

Versatility is one of my favourite characteristics in food and both the farinata and salsa verde deliver that in spades. The farinata can be: served with salad, as tapas, with a tomato salsa, with guacamole, alongside a chilli, or soup, reheated and toasted, with dukkah(!). Salsa verde is: perfect drizzled on soups, salads, avocado toast; is delicious with eggs, or tofu; is guaranteed to make you smile.

There is also no need to equivocate on the healthfulness of these two goodies. Chickpeas = good. Herbs and olive oil = good. Enjoy lovelies! Wishing bright, beautiful new year's to you all. X

CHICKPEA FARINATA + SALSA VERDE
enough farinata for 8 + 2 cups salsa verde

for the farinata:
2 cups chickpea (besan) flour
2 tsp sea salt
625 ml/2.5 cups water
1/4 cup/60 ml olive oil

for the salsa verde:
1 large handful dill, washed and stems removed
1 large handful mint, washed and steam removed
1-2 tbsp capers, rinsed
1-1.5 cups/250-375 ml olive oil

Combine all the farinata ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk for a few minutes, until all the lumps have disappeared. Cover with a clean dry cloth and allow to sit for at least 3, up to 8 hours. This allows the chickpea flour to absorb the liquid.

Meanwhile, make the salsa verde by finely chopping the mint and dill and place in a small, non-reactive bowl. Chop the capers and add according to taste (they can be a little strong - start with 1 tbsp and increase if you like). Add enough olive oil to completely cover the herbs, give a few stirs, then cover and allow to sit at room temperature to infuse while you continue with the farinata.

Preheat oven to 200 C/390 F. Oil a 4 x 8 in baking tray (or 8 in circular pie dish) really well, or line with baking paper (you can scrunch the baking paper up, wet it, then open in out to make it fit easily into a difficult dish). Pour the farinata batter into the dish, and place in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes. The farinata should be firm and set in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Serve warm with a spoonful of salsa verde. Leftover farinata can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer. Salsa verde can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks (the olive oil may harden in the fridge but this is normal).

BREAKFAST BASICS: CASHEW CREAM + MYLK + BASIC CHIA PUDDING

Breakfast is easily the most important meal of the day for me. It sets the whole tone for what is to follow, allowing a moment to create the space I want to go into the day. It sounds a bit hippy-dip, but honestly, breakfast rituals are SO sacred in our house. Always a big glass of water on waking, followed by tea (green at the moment, often peppermint too), then breakfast. Adam hasn't wavered from his bowl of yoghurt and blueberries, followed by a cup of freshly-made coffee, for years. It's something I treasure, these little micro-movements of the morning, knowing they'll be there for me when I wake up, marking the start of another (often) glorious (sometimes not) day.

But, as someone who regularly gets up (very) early to help people ring in the day with their yoga practice, prep-ahead breakfasts are definitely my vibe. Chia pudding is one of my most regular (and favourite) breakfasts - it has so many applications. Mix it up the night before (sometimes even topping with the berries then too) makes an irresistible grab-and-go breakfast that does not compromise on convenience, taste, or good health. I'll often make up 2-3 breakfasts at once, if I know I've got a particularly busy week ahead. (They also make excellent snacks.) I love the recipe as given here, simply topped with some fresh fruit and nuts. Alternatively, if I want a more fancy breakfast parfait, I’ll halve the recipe to make room in my jar for other layers. The flavoured variations are almost endless, but I’ve given some of my favourites below.

I've also included a recipe for vanilla cashew cream and mylk, which thought not mind-blowingly original, is the recipe I now know by heart. It is so versatile and simple. I have the lovely Hannah to thank for the idea of blending some of the cashew cream with extra water to make cashew mylk — not only do you get two delicious products, but your blender is easier to clean — genius!


CASHEW CREAM + MYLK
makes about 1 cup of cashew cream + 1 litre of cashew mylk

1 cup/115 g raw cashews
pinch of ground vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cover the cashews with water and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Strain and rinse thoroughly.

Scoop the cashews into the blender and add the vanilla. Add a dash of water. Blend slowly, then stop and scrape down the sides, blend again on a higher speed.

Add more water 1 tbsp at a time, until cashew cream has reached the desired consistency. Continue blending until the cashew cream is silky and smooth. This should take 2-4 minutes, depending on the speed of your blender.

Pour cashew cream into a clean glass jar, but don’t scrape out the blender. Add 800 ml fresh water to the blender, and blend with the remaining cashew cream to make cashew mylk. Pour mylk into a glass bottle. Refrigerate both the cream and mylk. Keeps for up to 1 week.

Variation: For cacao cashew cream, take ¼ cup of your cashew cream and mix in 1 tbsp raw cacao powder. This can also be done with mesquite and maca powders for even more options.

BASIC CHIA PUDDING
serves 1 as a meal or 2 as a snack

4 tbsp/40 g chia seeds
1 cup/250 ml mylk of choise (cashew, almond, coconut, etc)
to serve: cashew cream, fresh berries, coconut chips, bee pollen

The night before, mix chia seeds and mylk together, giving them a few good stirs before storing in the fridge overnight. A 400-500 ml (about 2 cups or 16 oz) glass jar is ideal (especially if you need to grab and go). In the morning, serve with your favourite toppings.

Variation: add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp maple syrup to the soaking liquid, serve with chopped banana, strawberries and a sprinkle of pepitas.

Variation: add 1 tbsp raw cacao powder and 2 tsp maple syrup to the soaking liquid for a luscious chocolate pudding.

Variation: reduce amount of mylk to ⅔ cup/165 ml and blend ⅓ cup berries of choice (frozen is fine) into the mylk for a berry flavour.

Variation: gently warm the soaking liquid and infuse with your favourite blend of tea for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding chia seeds.

LIME + SESAME CUCUMBER NOODLES W MANGO

This salad is what happens when you take all of the goods things and put them in a bowl. Because cucumber noodles are delicious. And mangoes should be eaten at every meal possible when they're available. And that means celebrating how DIVINE mangoes pair with the fresh flavours of mint, lime, sesame and chilli. I was inspired by Laura's divine recipe about a year ago, and I've been making variations on it ever since. This version here, with mango and nutty sesame vibes, is by far one of my favs. Everything about this dish oozes summer, even the fact that it takes 5 minutes to pull together.

We've had some wild weather this week, so 24 hours without power (which involved hosting a candlelit but very fun dinner party) combined with a tummy bug earlier in the week has me craving these simple to throw together, light but deeply nourishing meals. I almost can't believe that November is nearly over! Enjoy, lovelies! Stay cool and calm x

LIME + SESAME CUCUMBER NOODLES W MANGO
serves 2

1 large cucumber or 2 small
1 mango, cheeks removed
1/3 cup (2 handfuls) mixed sprouts
handful fresh mint, sliced
0.5-1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of ground chilli
juice and zest of 1/2 lime
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp tamari
1 avocado, halved, peeled and pitted

Use a julienne peeler or mandolin to (carefully) turn the cucumbers into noodles. Score the mango cheeks in a cross-hatch pattern and turn out (see picture). In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, chilli, juice, zest, seeds and tamari, whisking to combine. Toss the dressing with the noodles, most of the sprouts, and mint.

Place the mango cheek in the bottom of each serving bowl. Place the noodles partially over the mango, pouring any remaining dressing or sprouts evenly between the bowls. Top with more sprouts, avocado, and extra lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately.

ICED GREEN TEA TWO WAYS

HYDRATE ME. This tends to be the first thought that makes it way into my mind these summer mornings. (Yes, our summer begins in spring. It's that hot.) My first go-to is always a HUGE glass of water. As much as I love regular water, the level of hydration this weather mandates means that drinking 3-4 litres of plain water can get a little tedious. This is doubly compounded by the fact when you put me in hot weather my desire to eat anything beyond cold watermelon and mangoes all but disappears.

Enter: iced teas! These do a few things for me.

(1) They provide an alternate hydration mechanism to water. Because iced tea is FUN.

(2) For me, proper hydration = appropriate appetite. I so often confuse thirst for hunger. So being properly hydrated not only manages my appetite, but I often use iced teas as a gateway to eating when I don't feel like it (read: so nauseated from heat that eating anything other than cold fruit or some form of salty potato just doesn't seem feasible). I often find that after a glass of iced tea I'm feeling more ready to eat.

(3) They're an awesome opportunity to pack in more nutrients during a season where I know I naturally eat less. This means that my iced teas are usually packed with chia seeds (brilliant source of protein, fats, antioxidants), coconut water (my ultimate hydration fluid - helloooo potassium and magnesium!), or whatever plant mylk is in the fridge (again, more healthy fats and minerals). Green tea is definitely my iced tea preference (more antioxidants!), but I also love peppermint, chamomile and rosehip versions. Here I've given two versions: a jasmine green tea, and a matcha mylk tea. Matcha alone is an incredible source of chlorophyll and so many other nutrients!

If you become as addicted to iced tea making as I am (there may, or may not be, three different types currently in my fridge), I would highly recommend this iced tea jug. Game changer, for sure.

I would love to hear about your favourite iced tea concoctions - any flavour recommendations? Say fresh and hydrated, lovelies! x

JASMINE GREEN TEA FRESCA
makes ~3 litres

2 tsp (heaped) chia seeds
2 litres/8 cups water
750 ml/3 cups coconut water
8 bags/8 tsp jasmine green tea
fresh mint, to serve

In a large jug (or iced tea jug) combine the tea and room temperature water. Let steep for 3-4 hours, then remove tea bags/leaves. Add coconut water and chia seeds, then decant into glass bottles. Seal and shake to stir up the chia seeds. Serve chilled with a sprig of mint. Keeps in the fridge for 1-2 days.

MATCHA CHIA MYLK TEA
makes ~1.5 litres

1 tsp (heaped) chia seeds
1 litre/4 cups water
250-500 ml/1-2 cups mylk of choice
2 tsp matcha powder
pinch of ground vanilla

Combine water, matcha and vanilla in a glass bottle. Seal and shake to combine, then chill. Serve over ice, adding the mylk when you're just about to serve, adjusting to preferred level of milkiness. Keeps in the fridge for 1-2 days.

BLUEBERRY CHIA BOWL

Breakfast is probably my favourite meal of the day. The day is fresh and young, full of possibilities and potential. I can think of nothing better for setting the tone for my day than by enjoying a breakfast that is delicious, fun, and nourishing.

I'm also a big fan of raw and fruit-based breakfast, as first thing in the morning, hydration is my number one priority. So besides drinking nearly a litre of water within ten minutes of waking up, loading up my breakfast with hydrating foods is crucial. Chia seeds are a brilliant way to do this -- their ability to absorb so much liquid is incredible, and so good for your body (also all of their fibre, good fats, protein!). So these superpowered little seeds make an almost daily appearance in my diet, whether that is thrown into a smoothie, soaked for a chia pudding, or blended into a breakfast bowl like this recipe.

This bowl is refreshing and super satisfying -- and in the morning, comes together within 5 minutes. I've given some ideas below the recipe for variations you can try, but the general theme here is simplicity and ease. It's not anything revolutionary or radical, rather a ritual I thoroughly enjoy.

BLUEBERRY CHIA BOWL
serves 1 as a meal, 2 as a snack

1/4 cup/40 g chia seeds
1 cup/250 ml water or coconut water
1 cup/115 g frozen blueberries
1/4 cup/60 ml mylk of choice
pinch of ground vanilla
squeeze of lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey (optional)
fresh blueberries, sliced peaches, coconut chips, to serve

In a bowl, stir together the chia seeds and water. Store in a glass jar in the fridge overnight, stirring twice before you go to bed. In the morning, combine the soaked chia with the blueberries, mylk, vanilla, lemon and maple (if using) in a blender. Blend on high for a couple of minutes, until smooth and silky.

Pour into a bowl, top with fresh blueberries, sliced peaches and coconut chips.

More topping ideas: activated buckwheat, dried figs, almond butter, goji berries, seasonal fruit, cacao nibs.

More flavour ideas: use nearly any berry or non-acid fruit in place of the blueberries (blackberries, mango, raspberries, peach, pear, banana).