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The Body Retreat

The Body Retreat

Women Only Weight Loss & Wellbeing Retreats

Author: Jabernet

Mexican Bean Stew

A stew may feel a bit hearty for this warm weather but this Mexican bean stew is full of flavour, quick to make and great accompanied with coleslaw and avocado.

As lock down continues in the UK availability and access to food becomes harder. I wanted a recipe that was adaptable for you at home and uses ingredients you already have in your cupboard like tinned beans and tinned tomatoes. The spices can be varied, I choose flavours you would find in Maexican meat stew such as cumin, chilli, clove and bay. Get creative and choose the flavours you like to eat. Keep it simple – chilli, cumin and oregano are great base flavours.

The square of chocolate is optional! Some people think chocolate should stick to sweet recipes but it adds a real depth and richness to the syew. Choose a good quality dark chocolate with over 70% cocoa solids.

Add more vegetables depending on what you can get your hands on. We had celery and I couldn’t resist adding a tin of sweetcorn. Carrot, mushroom, pepper, sweet potato and squash would also work well.

Serves 4

1/2 tin black beans

1 tin of red haricot beans (or red kidney beans)

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 red onion, diced

1 stick of celery, diced

2 bay leaves

1/3 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp whole cumin

1 cinnamon quill

Pinch of ground cloves

1 tsp paprika

1 dsp rapeseed oil

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 small tin of sweetcorn

200ml beef or vegetable stock

1 square of good quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)

A handful of fresh herbs (coriander/oregano/parsley/chives)

Salt and pepper

Method to make Mexican Bean Stew:

  1. Heat the oil in a wide deep pan, add the chilli, bay, cumin and cinnamon and fry for a couple minutes until fragrant. Add onion, coating in the spices and fry for a few minutes before adding celery.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika, ground cloves and stock. Bring to the boil, add the beans and sweetcorn and turn down to simmer. Leave to simmer for 20-30 mins. You want a thick sauce but add a little water or stock if its sticking.
  3. Season, add the chocolate and stir in until melted. Add half the fresh herbs and save the rest for a garnish.

Serve with homemade coleslaw and avocado salsa.

Roasted Rhubarb

This week I thought we all need a sweet colourful recipe to brighten up our day and as it’s rhubarb season what better than roasted rhubarb.

The tartness of the rhubarb will depend on how much honey you will need, start with one dessert spoon and add more as necessary.

By roasting the rhubarb rather than stewing it the rhubarb holds its shape better and you concentrate the flavour. For more intense flavour roast on a lower heat for longer.

Serves 4

400g rhubarb

1 orange

1-2 dsp of honey

2 tbsp yoghurt (optional)

1 tbsp toasted almonds or 2-3 tbsp of cereal/granola (optional)

This recipe is super simple, slice rhubarb to roughly the same size pieces – chop thicker bits in half. Preheat the oven to 170c (160c fan).

Zest and juice the orange onto the rhubarb then drizzle the honey. Roast in the oven for 20-30 mins.

You can freeze the roasted rhubarb but it will loose it’s shape and turn more into a compote once frozen.

Sevre as a dessert or for breakfast!

Moroccan Broccoli & Buckwheat Salad

British purple sprouting broccoli is in season and the highlight of this dish, simply roasted, and topped on a Moroccan inspired buckwheat salad.

You can use raw buckwheat for this recipe but it will need cooking first. To cook the buckwheat I first toast in a dry saucepan before covering at least 2cm in stock. Cook until all the liquid has gone, tasting to check its the texture you want. I like mine to have a bit more bite. If you’re not a fan of buckwheat replace with quinoa or rice.

I love the heat in harissa paste but it can be a bit spicey for some people. You can make the dressing with tahini instead of harissa, you’ll need 1 dsp tahini and 1-2 tbsp of water to thin the dressing down.

Serves 4

200g purple sprouting broccoli

200g cooked buckwheat

1 tin of cooked chickpeas, drained

2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

2tbp fresh parsely, finely chopped

50g almonds

3 tbsp yoghurt

1/2 tsp harrisa paste

Salt & pepper

1 lemon, juiced

1 tbsp + 1tsp extra virgin olive oil

Handful of salad leaves (optional)

2 tbsp sauerkraut (optional)

Method for Moroccan Broccoli and Buckwheat Salad:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the almonds on a tray and toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until fragrant. Leave aside to cool and then chop through.
  2. Spread the broccoli on a tray, drizzle 1 tsp and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, check half way as the broccoli can quickly burn.
  3. Whilst the broccoli is in the oven mix the buckwheat, chickpeas, chopped herbs and almonds. Add the other tbsp of oil, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper.
  4. To make the harissa dressing mix yoghurt, harissa paste and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. If you would like the dressing a little thinner add a tbsp or two of water.
  5. To serve place a few salad leaves on the plate, then add the buckwheat salad, the sauerkrat and top with the roasted broccoli. Finally drizzle over the harissa yoghurt.

Spring Clean Yourself and Boost Your Immune System

Spring Clean Yourself and Boost Your Immune System

The world is griped right now by the fear of the global pandemic of Coronavirus. 

While there is currently no cure for coronavirus, there are some steps you can take to help boost your immune system and support your natural defences against viruses, colds and flu.

The body’s immune system is what helps to fight off the pathogens which cause illness.

As the seasons begin to change it’s a great time to give your body a bit of spring clean. So right now seems a great time to make some positive changes to Spring Clean Yourself and Boost Your Immune System.

Top Tips For A Spring Clean Detox to Boost Your Immune System

  • It will come as no surprise that increasing your water intake is No1 on the list.  Aim to drink at least 1.5 litres per day
  • Start your day with the juice of half a lemon with hot water to give your liver a boost.
  • Cut out or cut down on Alcohol, Caffeine, Dairy, Meat, Processed Foods from your diet.  Your meal plans should be 80% veggie based, go organic and local where possible.
  • Eat your Plant Proteins.  Beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, tofu,  tempeh.  Start to experiment…but steer clear from very processed Plant Based Foods, like burgers, bangers and the like.
  • Go Green… green veggies are packed with chlorophyll helps flush out environmental toxins.
  • But also Orange.  Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash and beetroot are rich in beta-carotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. Other foods to include are orange and red fruits such as oranges, mango, apricots and melon.
  • Garlic in almost everything, it activates liver enzymes that help filter out wastes. Counteract the garlic breath issue by eating lots of fresh parsley, which also happens to be a great detoxifier 😉
  • Keep the good fats in, Avocado, rapeseed oil, seeds and nuts all in small quantities
  • Get into the fresh air for at least 15 mins every day and breath fully and deeply.  When you breath in inhale through the nose long and slow, really let your belly inflate. 
  • Spend at least 5 mins every day in quite contemplation or practice mindfulness
  • Don’t forget to move.  Your lymphatic system has no pulse so it relies on your cardiovascular system to help to pump those toxin to your lymph no0des to be excreted. Even better combine your movement with being outdoors.
  • Get into the habit of dry skin brushing daily, it will take a bit of time to begin with but you will soon find a rhythm and you will be amazed at the difference in your skin tone as well as support that lymphatic drainage.
  • Get your hands on The Detox Plan by Jane Alexander, this great book will take you through a weekend or month long safe detox programme

Of course this advice is to boost your immune system and your general health and wellbeing, you should of course follow guidelines on protecting yourself from Coronavirus at this time

Yellow Split Pea Dip

This bright coloured yellow split pea dip is a great alternative for hummus. The roasted carrots have a lovely sweetness which is balanced by the earthy flavour from the cumin.

You can make this dip super smooth by blitzing for a long time or blitz only a few times for more texture. I like to reserve some of the lentils and carrots to top the dip but this is optional.

Makes 6-8 portions

2 carrots

1 dsp cumin seeds

2 dsp rapeseed oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1 cup yellow split peas

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 1/2 cups water

1 dsp tahini

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt & pepper

Chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Method for Yellow Split Pea Dip:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Chop the carrots into sticks, place on a baking tray and coat in 1 dsp of the oil, the cumin seeds and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 mins or until carrots are soft.
  2. Whilst the carrots are roasting, cook the lentils. Start by heating 1 dsp oil in a sauce pan on a medium heat, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and once fragrant add the yellow split peas. Stir for a few minutes before adding the tomato puree.
  3. Add the water to the pan of lentils, stir, bring to boil and then reduce to simmer. Cook with a lid on, stirring occasionally to make sure its not sticking until all of the water has been absorbed, about 20-30 minutes.
  4. Taste the lentils and make sure the are soft (they will have a some bite), you may need to add a little more water if they need more cooking time.
  5. Once the carrots and lentils have cooled slightly put aside a tablespoon of the lentils and two carrot sticks. Put the remaining in a food processor along with the tahini, lemon juice and seasoning . Blitz until smooth, taste and adjust the tahini, lemon juice and seasoning to your taste, add more of the roasted cumin from the baking tray for an earthier taste.
  6. Serve in bowl topped with the lentils, the cooked carrots chopped into small chunks, a drizzle or oil and fresh coriander.

I like to serve the yellow split lentil dip on a thin slice of wholegrain toast with a crumbling of feta.

The dip will last 5 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.