Tag: pregnancy recipe

Recipes

MEXICAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Alasen Zarndt

This stuffed pepper recipe is a great way to use leftover rice. Serve these with a side of roasted veggies for a healthy and delicious dinner option!

Ingredients:

• 4 bell peppers
• 14 oz. (400g) lean ground beef
• 1 x 14 oz. (400g) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 14 oz. (400g) can black beanss
• 1 cup (160g) cooked brown rice
• 2 tbsp. Mexican spice blend (taco seasoning)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Heat a large pan over a medium-high heat and cook the beef for 5-7 minutes until browned. Add in the tomatoes and, rice and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, for around 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans, then mix into the pan and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut off the tops from peppers and remove the seeds from the inside. Place the peppers on a baking dish and fill the peppers with the beef mixture.

Cover the dish with kitchen foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

   

Recipes

BEEF AND ROASTED EGGPLANT STEW

Alasen Zarndt

This hearty stew makes a perfect dinner for postpartum recovery. It’s packed with the veggies your body needs and gives you a good amount or iron from the beef and chickpeas. This is a great one to send to a friend or relative who wants to bring you a meal! Bonus: it also  freezes well, so you can prepare a double batch and save half for later.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb (450 g) lean  ground beef
• 2 medium eggplants, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups (330g) cherry tomatoes
• 14oz. (400g) can chopped tomatoes
• 14oz. (400g) can chickpeas, drained
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 tbsp. tomato puree
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. mixed herbs
• handful parsley, chopped

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the cut eggplant into a baking dish and drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt. Cook in the oven for 40 minutes until soft.

In the meantime, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown  the ground beef.

Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft—then add in the mixed herbs, tomato puree, and cook for another 2 minutes.

Next, add in the chopped tomatoes, vinegar, chickpeas, and cherry tomatoes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and continue simmering until the eggplant is ready.

Once the eggplant is soft, add into the tomato sauce and mix well. Serve with rice and chopped parsley.

   

Recipes

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Alasen Zarndt

This warming soup is a perfect postpartum recovery recipe; send this page to a friend or relative when they ask you what they can bring you! Flavorful and hearty, it gives you a ton of nutrients needed for recovery. It also makes an excellent soup for fueling your day while breastfeeding or in general.

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cauliflower head
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 cup. (190g) red lentils, dry
• 3 tbsp. yellow curry paste
* salt and pepper
* 2 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Separate the cauliflower head into small florets. Drizzle ¼ of the cauliflower with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with 1 teaspoon of the fennel seeds and salt and pepper. Place in a roasting dish and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot, adding the chopped onion and the remaining 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Cook for 3-4 minutes until onion has softened. Add in the remaining cauliflower and lentils to the pan. Stir in the curry paste and add in 1 litre of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes, until cauliflower is tender and lentils are cooked.

In the meantime, place the roasting dish with cauliflower into the oven and roast for 20 minutes, until browned.

Once soup is cooked blitz it with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. To serve, divide the soup between bowls and top with the roasted cauliflower.

   

Recipes

Leek and Pea Soup with Basil

Alasen Zarndt

When optimizing postpartum recovery, don’t miss out on this soup. This fresh and delicious soup is perfect for anytime of year. It’s another great option to batch make in advance and freeze for when you have a busy week ahead.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. coconut oil
• 3 ¼ cups (400g) leek, chopped
• 4 cups (1L) water
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• 3 cups (450g) garden peas
• ½ cup (15g) fresh basil, chopped
• 1 ¼ cup (150g) light feta, crumbled

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the leek for 2 minutes. Add the water and the stock cubes. Bring to the boil and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add in the garden peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Put three-quarters of the basil into the soup, turn off the heat and puree with a hand blender until smooth.

Divide the soup over 4 bowls and sprinkle with the crumbled cheese and the rest of the basil to serve. Season with freshly ground pepper.

   

Recipes

ROASTED SWEET POTATO, KALE & QUINOA SALAD

Alasen Zarndt

This sweet potato kale quinoa salad is an amazing way to get your dark leafy greens in for lunch. Perfect for postpartum recovery, pregnancy, and breastfeeding mamas.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ cup (85g) quinoa, uncooked
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch curly kale, destemmed and torn into pieces
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. thyme

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Place sweet potatoes in baking dish and drizzle with 1 tbsp. oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until tender. Then set aside to cool.

In the meantime, cook quinoa according to instructions on the packaging. Once cooked, set aside to cool.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic, for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Stir in the kale and continue cooking until wilted. Transfer the kale mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Once all the ingredients have cooled, add in the sweet potatoes and quinoa to the large bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and ground pepper. Stir to combine and serve.

sweet potato kale quinoa salad    sweet potato kale quinoa salad