recipe – Stylishly Zen

Pineapple Ginger Lemonade

Published on August 31, 2017August 30, 2017 by soreiya2 Comments

I realize that summer 2017 is coming to an end, but I am planning to enjoy every day that we have left. Lemonade is a summer favourite for most people and there is a cool coffee shop in my neighbourhood that makes the best honey ginger lemonade. Unfortunately, treating myself to a glass often can get pretty pricey so I have been making my version of this delicious beverage at home to enjoy on a regular basis. The other day I had some leftover pineapple in my fridge so I decided to make a variation of my summertime favourite beverage. A quick Google search taught me that I was not completely original in my thinking, as it turns out that pineapple ginger lemonade is a popular Indian beverage but I am quite fond of my variation so I still wanted to share it with all of you.

This recipe is super simple and is very easy to tailor to your own taste. Naturally sweetened with raw honey it also has some great health benefits (you can learn more about the benefits of raw honey here). Overall this recipe is refreshing and great if you are suffering with a summer cold as the ginger, lemon and honey will help you on the road to recovery.

Pineapple Ginger Lemonade

Makes 4 cups

1 inch piece of peeled ginger

2 lemons + more for garnishing

1/2 cup of pineapple chunks

1 1/2 tablespoon raw honey

3 cups water

Directions:

Juice the 2 lemons and pour into a high speed blender
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend on high speed until completely blended
Strain (optional – I prefer to not to)
Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate until cool
Pour into glasses (add ice if needed) and enjoy!

I hope that you have a wonderful day! XXS

Beat The Heat With Watermelon Mint Limeade

Published on August 10, 2017August 9, 2017 by soreiya8 Comments

When it comes to beverages I am pretty boring – I stick with plenty of water, teas or all kind and the occasional cup of coffee. Lately though, the temperatures have been soaring and I found myself wanting to mix it up a bit. The juice options at the store just didn’t sound appealing or the sugar content was way to high for me to justify, so I decided to create a few easy recipes that would help me beat the heat without sending my blood sugar level skyrocketing.

The first recipe that I will be sharing today is actually one of my favourite creations – watermelon mint limeade. It only requires five ingredients! It can be enjoyed on it’s own, mixed with sparkling water for a bubbly treat or as a base for a boozy summer cocktail. The watermelon offers extra hydrating benefits, the mint makes it extra refreshing and the limeade offers an enjoyable tartness without being too sour.

Consider the recipe below just loose directions – I suggest that you modify the quantities to your own specific tastes.

Ingredients

4 cups of chopped watermelon

1 cup of fresh lime juice (aproximately 4 limes) + lime to garnish

3 cups spring water

1 sprig of mint (remove from stem)

2 tablespoon raw honey

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on medium speed until completely blended.

Strain if necessary (I prefer not to)

Serve chilled or over ice

Enjoy!

I hope that you have a beautiful day! XXS

Watermelon, Cucumber and Halloumi Salad

Published on July 20, 2017July 20, 2017 by soreiya10 Comments

As a holistic nutritionist, it would be easy to assume that I eat a lot of salads. But the reality is, that it depends on the time of the year and the weather outside. While I eat a ton of vegetables year round, the idea of digging into a crisp cold salad when it is -40 outside doesn’t seem remotely appealing to me. It is during the warmer months that salads become a staple in my diet, and it would seem that I am not the only one that hones their salad making skills during the warmer months. If your Instagram feed looks anything like mine, then you are probably being inundated with tons of pictures of salads on a daily basis, the most popular being watermelon and feta cheese salad. While I consider watermelon and feta to be a delicious combination, lately have I wanted to kick things up a notch. Enter Halloumi cheese. For those of you that are not familiar with Halloumi, allow me to introduce you. Halloumi is a Cypriot unripened brined cheese that is normally made from goat or sheep’s milk. More recently, it is also made with cow’s milk so be sure to check the ingredients list if you have any difficulties with digesting cow’s milk. Halloumi is often used as a protein replacement by vegetarians in a variety of dishes, but it’s salty delicious flavour makes it a popular cheese among many, regardless of whether they eat meat or follow a vegetarian diet. Halloumi cheese with watermelon just makes sense to me – the salty and sweet flavours pair perfectly together in my opinion. Adding cucumbers to the mix elevates the water content of the dish and helps to meld the stronger flavours of both the watermelon and the cheese together.

Watermelon and cucumbers are both hydrating nutritional powerhouses in their own rights. Watermelon is a good source of Vitamin A, B6 and C, lycopene, antioxidants and minerals and is helpful in neutralizing cellular damage and cancer prevention. Cucumbers are high in enzymes, B vitamins, nutrients and electrolytes along with minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium. The skin of a cucumber contains silica which is helpful in boosting your skin from within to help you achieve a glowing complexion. When purchasing cucumbers, I strongly encourage you to purchase organic ones (if your budget allows) so that you can eat the skin without having to worry about any pesticide residue that may be left on the skin after cleaning it.

To call this a recipe would be comical. Consider them loose guidelines on how to assemble a delicious, refreshing and simple summer salad. Both cucumber and watermelon are great to eat when you are feeling a little bloated. Skip the cheese if you want to up the anti-bloat factor of this meal.

Ingredients:

1 organic baby cucumber, chopped

1 cup of watermelon, chopped

2 thick slices of Halloumi cheese

1 tsp fresh mint, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Cracked black pepper

Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the halloumi cheese until it is golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, combine the watermelon, cucumber and mint

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with black pepper

Top with Halloumi cheese

Enjoy!

The information provided in this blog post is solely for information purposes and not as a substitute for medical advice.

I hope that you have a beautiful day! XXS❤️

Spicy Turmeric Zoodles

Published on June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 by soreiya7 Comments

I may be studying nutrition but there are moments that I really struggle with eating healthy. There are days when I am running on very little sleep and feeling a little stressed out, and I find myself craving a huge bowl of pasta or a cupcake (or three). The last thing that I want to eat is an apple, a salad or a green smoothie. There are times when I indulge my cravings as I firmly believe that life is about balance, but there are many times when I resist or find an alternative solution. Today’s recipe was a happy and spontaneous dish that I created one day when I was particularly hangry (not in the best of moods due to overwhelming hunger and exhaustion). I was craving an indulgent bowl of pasta but I was determined to resist. With a few veggies left in my fridge I decided to put my little spiralizer to good use and created a simple and delicious dish that delivered some guilt free satisfaction.

For those of you that are not familiar with the term zoodles, it is zucchini in the shape of a noodle. Small handheld spiralizers like the one that I have are inexpensive and very easy to use. You can also just use a peeler to cut thick ribbons of zucchini. Zoodles are my favourite of all of the veggie “noodle” variations. The texture and taste is most similar (in my opinion) to a regular noodle, so when I eat them I don’t feel deprived or that I am missing out.

This dish uses two of my favourite vegetables – zucchini and asparagus. I find both vegetables very easy to work with and they don’t require much prep or cook time which makes them perfect when you are short on time. If you are not completely sold on zoodles, you can substitute any noodles that you prefer or mix the zoodles with a regular pasta to create a more hearty dish (just be sure to save a bit of the pasta water to add to to the pan when you putting this dish together). To achieve the rich buttery taste that I was after, I decided to use a combination of olive oil and ghee. When used in moderation, both are healthy fats that will help your body to absorb fat soluble vitamins from the vegetables, as well as give the dish an indulgent taste minus the guilt. Serrano peppers up the heat factor of the zoodles (omit if you are not a fan of spicy food) and turmeric adds beautiful colour and increases the health benefits for this simple and delicious dish. Pair this dish with a simple poached egg, a piece of wild salmon or toss with some shredded chicken breast for a delicious, healthy and well balanced meal.

Spicy Turmeric Zoodles

Ingredients:

1 medium sized zucchini spiralized

1/2 a bunch of asparagus (aprox 6 stalks) chopped

1.5 tsp of high quality olive oil

1.5 tsp of ghee

1 serrano pepper (finely chopped)

1 clove of garlic (minced)

1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

Lemon

black pepper

salt to taste

Directions:

In a medium sized frying pan melt the olive oil and ghee over medium heat

Add the garlic and serrano pepper to the olive oil and ghee combination and gently fry for 1 minute

Add the turmeric and a pinch of black pepper to the mixture and stir to ensure that the ingredients are well combined

Add the asparagus and toss to coat in the oil, cook for 1 – 2 minutes

Add the zoodles and stir to ensure that the zoodles are well coated. Cook to your desired consistency, I like my mine with a slight bite so 2.5 mins is generally sufficient. Please note that the longer you cook the zoodles, the more water the zucchini will release. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze some fresh lemon juice onto the veggies.

Plate and top with your desired protein

Enjoy!

I hope that you have a beautiful day! ❤️XXS

Hot Chia Oats

Published on March 16, 2017March 16, 2017 by soreiyaLeave a comment

I often motivate myself to get out of bed in the mornings with plans about what I am going to eat for breakfast. While I don’t often have a lot of time in the AM, I have developed an arsenal of quick breakfast recipes that are quick, delicious and easy.

Oatmeal has been one of my favourite breakfast foods for a number of years. It is delicious, healthy and filling – a total winner in my book. Recently though I decided to up my oatmeal game. Combined with one of my favourite superfoods chia seeds, lightly sweetened with some raw honey and topped with fruit (blueberries are my favourite) and a drizzle of almond butter, it may be super simple but hot chia oats is my new breakfast obsession.

You can make this recipe two ways – you can combine the ingredients in a jar or bowl the night before and store it in the refrigerator as a ready to eat cold breakfast the next morning, but my favourite way is to make it hot. There is something comforting and nourishing about a hot breakfast (especially oatmeal) in the morning and this hot chia oats dish tastes indulgent but is filled with nourishing and nutritious ingredients. Love! Love! Love!

Hot Chia Oats (serves 1)

1/4 cup of oats

1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons of chia seeds

1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk (or whichever type of milk you prefer)

1 teaspoon of raw honey or maple syrup (you can adjust the sweetness to your own taste)

pinch of cinnamon

Directions

Combine everything but the honey in a small pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally

Once the chia oat mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and stir in the raw honey (if using maple syrup, you can add it in while the oatmeal is still on the heat)

Top with fruit and your favourite nut butter

Enjoy!!!!!

I hope that you have a beautiful day! XXS