Cook Like a Naturopath

By Ghada El-Semaani

About the Author

Ghada has been practising naturopathy for over 20 years and has helped hundreds of people take control of their lives by setting them on the path to better health and longevity.  Ghada’s passion is in helping people take control of their own health, empowering them with the tools and advice they need to make a huge difference in their lives and those of their loved ones. Ghada’s straight forward and simple recipes are not only tasty and nutritious, they are easy and quick to make and will give you all the right nutrients to get you started on your journey.

Just like her recipes, Ghada takes a simple and effective approach to health. Her emphasis is on empowering you, putting you back in control and supporting you. She loves nothing better than hearing all about the positive improvements that her clients go on to make in their own lives and in those of their loved ones and their communities.

Enjoy the recipes, experiment, add your own flair and remember to love yourself and your body enough to give it exactly what it deserves – beautiful, healthy, nutritious food made with lots of love.

You can connect with Ghada via her facebook pages and her website listed below.

Facebook: Cook Like a Naturopath and Tree of Life Naturopathy

Website: www.treeoflifenaturopathy.com.au

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Salads, bread and snacks

Warm Quinoa and Kale Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 leek (diced)
450 g of firm tofu
Olive oil
5 carrots
1 Broccoli hip?
1 bunch of kale
Cashews (handful)
Quantity Broccoli florets
Salt and Pepper to taste (Sea salt or Himalayan)

Method:

Boil quinoa in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes or until water is absorbed and grains are tender. Drain excess water. Set aside.

Put oil in a pan and stir fry in the following order the leek, tofu, carrot, Broccoli hips,
kale, cashews and Broccoli florets.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm

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Main, Entree and side dishes

Onion and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

1 kg onions
Olive oil
2 litres water
500g mushrooms (diced)
Salt and pepper (Sea salt or Himalayan)
Cayenne Pepper

Method:

Dice and caramelise the onions in 2 tbs of olive oil until tender and golden.

Pan-fry the sliced mushrooms in 2 tbs of olive oil until golden, set aside.

Add the water to the onions and boil for half an hour.  Remove from heat and blend with a stick blender until creamy.

Add mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes.

Season with salt, pepper and chilli

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Hummus

Ingredients:

1kg of chickpeas (dry)*

 5 to 6 fresh lemons

½ cup of tahini

1 whole head of garlic

100 ml of olive oil

 1 whole onion
Salt to taste (sea salt or Himalayan)

Method:

Chickpeas: Cover chickpeas with cold water and soak overnight. Rinse the next day then cover with water and cook until tender (around 1 hour).

Sauce:  Roughly dice the onion then add garlic and olive oil. Blend with a stick blender until creamy. Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until you reach a texture you like (some like it smooth, some like it a little granulated). Add the lemon juice

Pour into air tight containers and keep in the fridge for up to a week (cover with a layer of extra virgin olive oil to seal from air).

Tips:

Use dried chickpeas (not canned) to avoid additives, plus they will taste much better!

Great for an afternoon snack with some vegetable sticks, rice cakes, sourdough bread, Lebanese bread or organic corn chips.

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Lubieh Bzeit (Green beans in Olive Oil)

Ingredients:

2 onions (diced)
Olive Oil
1.5kg Fresh green beans
1 tsp dried mint
Salt and Pepper (Sea salt or Himalayan)

Method:

Sauté onions in olive oil for a few minutes.

Add the beans and cook, keeping on a low heat until the beans are tender.

Season with the mint and salt and pepper.

Serve.

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Veggie Burger Patties,

Tip: Don’t throw your vegetables juicing fibre! Turn it into delicious patties!

When you juice vegetables you are left with large amounts of fibre as a by-product. This recipe is a great way to utilise the fibre into a healthy yummy recipe: Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 cups of juicing fibre
1 cup of chickpeas (cooked)
1 onion (roughly diced)
50g Besan flour (chickpea flour)
Salt and pepper to taste (Sea salt or Himalayan)

Method:
Mix all ingredients together in a food processor.

Cook evenly in a fry pan with a little coconut or olive oil. Easy and delicious!

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Beetroot Flatbread

Tip: Don’t throw your juicing fibre!  Turn it into a yummy flat bread!

When you juice vegetables you are left with large amounts of fibre as a by-product. This recipe is a great way to utilise the fibre into a healthy yummy recipe.

Ingredients:
4 cups of juicing fibre
1 cup of Coconut Flour
3 cups of fine Semolina
½ cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste (Sea salt or Himalayan)

Method:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and form a flat bread.
Cook evenly in a fry pan with a little coconut or olive oil.

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Frijoles Negros

Ingredients:
1 kg black beans (soaked overnight)
1 whole head garlic
2 medium sized onions
Olive oil
Salt and pepper (Sea salt or Himalayan)

Method:

Rinse beans with water.  Put in a pan and cover with fresh water.

Add garlic and onions and cook until tender.

Once cooked, add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: These beans go great with boiled eggs, brown rice and salad (traditional Costa Rican dish).

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Rice Paper Rolls

Ingredients:
Rice papers
Lettuce (Cos works well) Sliced
Carrot (grated)*
Finely sliced spring onions
Thinly sliced Lebanese cucumber
Thinly sliced red radish
Tofu
Prawns (optional)
Chopped hard boiled eggs, free range (optional)
Turmeric Powder
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper and Cayenne pepper to taste

There are no quantities listed here as it really depends on how many you want to make and what your preferred choices are.

Sauce:
50ml of tamari sauce (or reduced  salt soy sauce)
Sprinkle of dried chilli
50ml extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Tom yum paste (so yum) 1 tablespoon

Tip: To soften up your veggies a bit and add tangy flavour, mix them with a dash of vinegar. Apple cider will do wonders!

Method:
Cut tofu into juliennes then heat in a pan with a tsp turmeric powder, extra virgin olive oil, a hint of pepper and a sprinkle of chilli. Pan fry until golden and firm. Do the same with the prawns if using them.

Chop vegetables. Mix up the ratios and spices according to the flavours you desire!

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Berlotti Bean Soup

 Tip: Enjoy with some brown rice and your favourite salad.

Ingredients:
1kg Berlotti beans (soaked overnight)
2 Garlic heads
400ml tomato salsa (recipe given prior) or your favourite organic passata (from a glass jar)
Salt (Sea salt or Himalayan)
Cracked pepper to taste
Cumin powder to taste
Chilli or cayenne pepper to taste
dash of ginger powder, to taste.

Method:

Drain beans and rinse.

Put in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil.

Add 2 whole garlic heads (peeled), tomato salsa (or passata), Himalayan salt and cracked pepper (to taste), cumin powder, chilli, and ginger powder.

Bring to the boil, then simmer on a low flame for 60 to 70 minutes.

After cooking crush the garlic and add some olive oil.

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Aadass-be-hamod
(Aka: Lemon and Lentil soup)

Ingredients:

5 Litres of water:
1kg of red lentils
1kg of carrots (diced)
1 bunch of silver beat (dice stalks)
1 head of garlic
Juice of 6 lemons
100ml Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper (Sea salt or Himalayan)
Cumin powder

Method:

Put water in pan and add the lentils, carrots and silver beat stalks. Bring to the boil.

Add the silver beat leaves last along with the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.

Add cracked pepper and Himalayan salt and cumin powder to taste.

Leave on a low flame for 15 minutes.

Tip: Start with a big soup pot, army size!

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Walnut and Potato Kebbeh

Tip: How can you make potatoes healthier? When mixing carbohydrates with walnuts (high in good fats and protein) you will slow down the sugar influx in the body so you produce less insulin!

Ingredients:
1kg of potatoes (boiled)
350 g of walnuts (crushed)
1 cup of olive oil
1 bunch of Mint (diced)
1 bunch of Parsley (diced)
1 onion (diced)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp Cumin

Method:

In a food processor blend all ingredients.

Present on a flat plate with olive oil topping

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Barramundi Tajine

Ingredients:

1 Barramundi
tbs Pomegranate sauce (from Middle Eastern Shop)
handful  of soft Prunes
handful Cranberries
1 tsp Capers
handful Olives – any kind

Method:

Bake the barramundi topped with the following sauce:
Pomegranates sauce ( found in  middle eastern shop), prunes, cranberries, capers and olives.
Garnish with coriander.

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Zucchini Pasta with Pesto Sauce (No carbs pasta)

Ingredients:

Pasta:
1kg shredded zucchini (use a food processor, grater or mandolin)

Sauce:
½ head Garlic (crushed)
Bunch of Basil (finely chopped)
Handful of pine nuts
Olive oil and salt mixed together

Method:

Stir fry the zucchini with the pesto sauce ingredients for 5 minutes.

Serve warm

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Vegetable Quiche

Tip: Delicious warm or cold and great for a snack or for lunch boxes.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 red capsicum, diced
10 asparagus, trimmed, diced
6 eggs
¾  cup soy milk
3 tbsp besan flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp thyme
pepper
3 handfuls baby spinach

Method:

Sautee onion over med to low heat for 10 minutes or until soft.

Add capsicum and asparagus and continue to cook for another 5 mins. Take off heat to cool and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, flour, baking powder, besan flour, soy and spices.

Stir in vegetables including spinach.

Pour into oven proof pie dish or greased muffin trays

Cook for approximately 45 minutes in oven at 180 degrees.

Cool slightly before cutting.

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FALAFEL with TAHINI SAUCE

Tip: Delicious with wholemeal Lebanese mountain bread, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers and garnished with tahini sauce and chopped parsley

Falafel Ingredients:

1 kg of chickpeas soaked in water overnight
1 garlic
1 onion
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of dry coriander
Fresh coriander bunch chopped
Salt and pepper (Sea salt or Himalayan)
2 tablespoon of olive oil

Method:

Drain and rinse chickpeas

Process all ingredients in a food processor until everything is mixed

On baking paper form light balls and spray with olive oil. (Can drizzle with sesame seeds)

Bake for 10 minutes (180 degrees)

Tahini Sauce Ingredients:

2 tbs tahini
1 small garlic clove (crushed)
Juice from 2 lemons

Method:

Mix together until has consistency of yoghurt

Drizzle over food!

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Abu shushi (Delicious Taro and Spinach Soup)

Ingredients:

1kg of taro (peeled and diced)

500g of baby spinach

200 g of button mushroom (sliced)

1 clove of garlic (crushed) Add more if you want to.

1 tbs olive oil

2 lemons

Salt, black pepper, chilli (to your taste).

(Sea salt or Himalayan)

Method:

Sautee the taro in crushed garlic, black pepper an d extra virgin olive oil.

Add the spinach and about 1L of boiled water and season with sea salt.

Simmer for 10 minutes

Squeeze in the lemon juice

Tip: Taro is a low GI food making it great for hypoglycaemic people as it sustains energy.  It is also high in fibre, so you remain full and satisfied for a longer time.  It reduces blood pressure, is very high in vitamin A, B, C, and E and a good source of zinc, copper, magnesium and selenium!

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Dawood Basha ( Stuffed aubergine), Turkish dish

Ingredients:

1 kg small aubergines sliced in half

2 large Shallots

1 cup TVP (soy meat) soaked 5 mins

7 spices (Lebanese 7 spice mix)

1 bottle Tomato passata

Handful of pine nuts

Salt and pepper to taste (Sea salt or Himalayan)

2 tbs pomegranate sauce

 Method:

Base:

Slice eggplants in half.

Sprinkle with olive oil and salt and place on a baking tray and put in the oven for approx 20 mins or until cooked

Once they are semi baked, set aside.

Put mix on top of the aubergines then put passata around them.

Filling:

In a sauce pan, sauté shallots, TVP (soy meat), spices, salt and grenadine molasses.

Pour over the top of the eggplants and garnish with pine nuts

Bake for 10 minutes.

Tip: Serve with cooked black, purple and brown rice mix and your favourite salad. You’ll love it!

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Khebayzeh (aka: Mallow)

 

Tip: This tea has great anti-inflammatory properties

Wash greens and then barely boil greens in water.  Then use the water as tea (anti inflammatory and great for tooth ache!).

See recipe below on how to use the greens in a dish.

Ingredients:
Stems
Olive Oil 50g
Salt and Pepper to taste (Sea salt or Himalayan)
Garlic 2 crushed, one diced onion

Method:
Toss the stems for less than a minute in boiling water.

Khebayzeh two ways:

First: In a non-stick frypan caramelise a diced onion in olive oil until tender, add the khebeyzeh stir for less than one minute, add salt, black pepper to taste.

Second: Crush the garlic in a hand wiz with the olive oil, mix with the khebayzeh add salt.

Enjoy 

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