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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Fluro power! Rainbow Chard

Spending time in Australia literally changed my life.  I met so many influential people and had so many adventures.  One of the most awesome things I encountered was a movement called “One Wave is all it Takes”.

OneWave is a non-profit surf community tackling funks like depression, anxiety and bipolar with a simple recipe; salt-water, surfing, good mates and Fluro Fridays.  They are some of the most awesome people that I’ve ever met and I regularly don my fluro gear (even in London) to raise awareness and spread their messages.  Yep - I get a few crazy looks, but I get more smiles and that’s what it’s all about!

Here’s an extract from their website www.onewaveisallittakes.com

It doesn't matter whether you're riding a wave for the first time or the hundredth time…you never forget the feeling of being on a wave, letting everything go and enjoying the moment. OneWave is all it takes... To free the funk. To give you hope.

OneWave holds weekly Fluro Friday sunrise sessions up and down the coast to raise awareness for mental health. We dress up in the brightest outfits possible and surf/swim/do yoga. Fluro makes people smile and it gets people asking important questions, which are normally avoided about mental health. Everyone is welcome and it is a free event.

Fluro Friday are started by everyday people in your community. We would LOVE to see the stigma reduced in your local community. Find your favourite beach and start your own.

So here’s a funky recipe with some cool Fluro colours that will smash a load of Vitamin C into you and protect you from those winter bugs!  I had this for breakfast and it literally turbo charged my morning!

It features one of my all time favourites: Rainbow Chard.  Not only does it look cool, but you can eat it raw so it’s great for pimping up your salads and virtually fat-free.  It’s an awesome source of dietary fibre and a wicked way to get your vitamins A, K, E, & C.  It’s also packed with iron and full of phytochemicals (good for health & healing).

Method:
Take 3 whole stems of chard • coconut water or filtered water • coconut flesh • whole kiwi • small hand full blackberries • fresh basil • hand full spinach • 2 frozen bananas • chia seeds • 1 tbsp flax seed • small chunk of ginger - BLEND!!!

Oh - and if you see some crazy dude in Fluro gear on his bike or in a coffee shop in London - it's just me flying the flag for my brothers and sisters at www.onewaveisallittakes.com 

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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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Foods to Fight Inflammation

Firstly the boring bit.  Please seek advice from your Doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.  The Strength Temple 121 clients have access to our Doctors and authorised advice, but others should seek advice before embarking on any intensive psychological, nutritional or exercise plan.

Inflammation is an important part of our response to injury and trauma, however when out of control or caused by disease can cause increased pain and stimulate processes in the body which are not desirable. One of The Strength Temple 7Pillars - Nutrition -  advocates a diet that creates an environment for a healthy immune system and inflammatory response.

"Anti Inflammatory" diets are a bit of a buzz word at the moment, and we do not advocate any temporary and extreme diets.  Eating is an amazingly beautiful part of being alive and we encourage you to eat the right foods and enjoy preparing and consuming amazing meals every day.  We encourage you to feel satisfied from eating - life's too short to go hungry!

So firstly let's look at what NOT to eat.  Well you guessed it - foods high in sugar and saturated fat can spur inflammation.  We are talking all the usual suspects from plain old cup cakes to refined carbohydrates such as white bread and white pasta.  These are the foods that we already know we should only eat in moderation - if at all.  Their impact on your inflammatory response is just another reason to avoid them.

The good news is that there are a whole heap of tasty, nutritious and beautiful looking foods that we CAN eat that will help with inflammation.

1.  Fatty Fish

The cornerstone of any diet looking to combat inflammation will contain a suitable dose of OMEGA 3 fatty acids which have been proven to help reduce inflammation.  The only issue is that to get the benefit you would need to eat fish several times a week and it should be cooked in a healthy way such as sous vide, steamed, poached or grilled.  A good addition to make is to take a supplement for Omega 3.  Be careful as a diets too high in Omega 6 can cause inflammation, so look for an Omega 3 only supplement.

2.  Eat your GREENS!

Here's another no brainer.  We just know that green vegetables are good for us.  We know this because of science, but probably more relevant because of the way they make us feel, the effect they have on our skin and our general feelings of wellbeing!  That said leafy greens are a winner in a diet looking to decrease inflammation.  Try steaming some Cavolo Nero or cabbage for a hit of pure goodness.

3.  Nuts

Nuts are full of food fats, calcium, fibre, Vitamin E, selenium and a whole bunch of other great stuff.  Nuts are also part of the Mediterranean diet which is widely endorsed as health promoting.  A handful of almonds in your next smoothie will assist in your quest for a lower inflammatory life!

4.  Fruit

Strawberries, cherries, oranges, blueberries.  Bet you didn't know it could last that good!  Add these to your smoothies or use them to pimp your porridge.  As well as high doses of vitamin C these fruits will deliver valuable additional vitamins and minerals.

More to follow in next week's article.....

Pimp your porridge!

So there are a few things to consider when making your porridge, but before you do anything else, we always say #GOORGANIC

Organic food has no chemicals used to kill bacteria and pests.  It costs more because the yields are lower, but the quality for your body is ALWAYS better.  Look for Steel Cut or Regular Organic Porridge Oats to form the base of your awesome snack!  If you are Gluten free then you can get gluten free oats too.  Our members get access to our shopping lists and food services so if you're one of them, don't worry - this is taken care of :-)  #redcarpet

Then it's really up to you.  If you are OK with Lactose, milk is a winner.  Organic milk.  Other alternatives to milk as a liquid for porridge are coconut water, coconut milk, filtered water, almond milk, soya milk - the list is really endless.  Combinations of any of these are also wirth experimenting with.  We made some awesome gloop recently with 50/50 Almond Milk and Coconut Water.

A few staples I always include in the mix are:

• Cinnamon (teaspoon)
• Organic RAW Honey (as much as you like for your taste)
• Himalayan Salt (pinch)

Toppings (go crazy):

• Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Cashew Nuts - Any nuts!
• Cashew butter
• Fresh fruit - try dragon fruit, mango, strawberries, blueberries
• Chia seeds
• Bee Polen

Relax when you eat.  Have a glass of filtered water 10 minutes prior to set the scene for your digestion.  Take your time and enjoy.  Smile a little.  Ready for anything!

Here's a few of our recommended ingredients below.  They link to Amazon UK if you'd like to stock up.

Smoothie Strategies for Dips in Energy

We've all been there.  Hectic lifestyle, not had time to grab enough to eat, tempted by a quick fix of the wrong food that will crash us later.  Here's a great habit that will make sure you always have something to reach for to keep your fire burning.  Stack some smoothies in your fridge..

First thing you need to do is start saving your jam jars.  I have a whole stack of them.  My favourite ones are my used jars of extra virgin coconut oil and raw honey.  The lids fit really well and I can throw them through the dish washer to keep them sparkling. I use them for everything:  tea cups for my Yogi teas, leftover storage for the fridge (a used honey jar is the perfect size for a snack of risotto or just for keeping spare boiled eggs) and of course for keeping smoothies.

So make a little extra of your next smoothie and pop a couple of jars in the fridge for later.  You could give some to your friend in need of some smoothie love, your favourite client or just a stranger.  They will all thank you for it!

Secondly - when you make smoothies use frozen stuff to make them super cold.  You can of course use ice, but if you have bananas ripening, chop them up and pop them on a tray in the freezer.  When they have frozen (they won’t stick together so easily), store them in handy zip lock bags for use in smoothies later.  One of my favourite things to do is to hunt for wild food.  There tends to be a bit of a glut of blackberries in the summer in the UK, so I freeze them.  That way I’ve always got a stash of natures best ready to go in my berry smoothies.

The next area I think warrants attention is sweetness.  We all have differing tolerances to sugars and most of us like something a little sweet.  Th golden rule is look to get your sweetness from natural sugars.  We love dates in The Strength Temple kitchen as well as raw honey and ripe fruits.  NEVER add processed sugars to your smoothies.  It’s simply against the law!

So there’s a few to get you started.  Get blending :-)

Check out our smoothie recipes for inspiration and start stockpiling  your smoothies!  You can use the search bar at the top of our Welcome page.  Just type smoothie.

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