Roar Recipes

Spirulina

It may not look or taste particularly appealing, however this blue-green algae is a truly impressive superfood and will do wonders for your health. In fact it is one of the richest and most complete food sources available in the world! Packed full of protein, minerals and vitamins, spirulina is best known for its immune-boosting and cholesterol-lowering properties. But believe me, its capable of much much more! While I am a little hardcore and tend to drink my spirulina simply mixed with water, a more pleasant way of getting your fix can be achieved by mixing it into fruit juice or smoothies.

Cacao Powder

Believe it or not chocolate, particulaly the dark kind, can actually be good for us. Cacao, chocolate's key ingredient, has one of the highest levels of antioxidents found in any food and can help boost energy levels, fight free radicals in the body and improve carviovascular function!

But before you reach out for the confectionary shelf its important to point out the different types of chocolate available. Typically commercial chocolate brands will use cocoa powder, not cacao. This means the cacao has been roasted to release stronger flavours. However, this also destroys a lot of the enzymes within the cacao and significantly reduces its nutrional value. 

Next time you feel the need for your next chocolate fix, try looking out for the raw chocolate bars. You can find these in most health stores. Alternatively, pick up some raw cacao powder and try to make your own or add it to yours smoothies. I love the rich, dark flavour you can achieve with cacao!

Protein Powder

Not just for the gym junkies, protein powder is a great way to boost the protein content of your favourite meals and smoothies. 

As smoothies are usually made with fruit or fruit juice which contain lots of sugar, I often add a small scoop of protein powder to my smothies to slow down its digestion and also to improve the texture.

With a veriety of proteins availbale from whey to hemp to pea, you can also add protein to your foods. For example add some pea protein to your soups, or whey protein to cakes or pancakes! 

If you prefer the flavoured protein powders, try and stick to the natural ones which are sweetened with stevia!

Coconut Flour

Coconut flour can be substituted for up to 1/3 of regular flour in standard recipes, but as it is very dry and absorbs a lot of water you may need to add a little more water and egg to help the mixture bind. This tasty flour varies from its grain alternatives in its extra high fibre content, lower levels of carbohydrate and also being gluten free. Coconut flour is great for cakes and other sweet baking as well as in South-East Asian recipes.

Quinoa

While strictly speaking this food belongs to the same family as spinach and swiss chart, its often referred to as a pseudocereal for its resemblance and similar uses to grains and cereals. Quinoa seeds can be cooked much in the same way as rice, boiled and simmered with water or stock to produce a light and tasty accompaniment to curries, stir-fries and can even be used in salads. I regularly substitute in quinoa instead of rice or pasta due to its much lower carbohydrate content and richer nutrient and protein content.

This food is so fantastic UN named 2013 International Quinoa Year for its incredible nutritional properties. Who can blame them when these tiny seeds are a great source of calcium, magnesium, numerous vitamins while also offering omega-3 fatty acids and being Gluten Free! 

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a wonderful oil for all sorts of cooking from frying to baking, and for health reasons it is often my oil of choice. Due to its high saturdated fat content, this oil has a much higher smoking temperature compared to other oils. This means its composition doesn't change when heated. Other oils, such as Olive Oil and Sunflower Oil have lower smoking temperatures. Therefore, when heated to high tempertures, the oil can break down and many of its health benefits are lost. These oils, if repetedly or continually heated at high temperatures, can also turn into nasty Trans-Fats!