Immune Boosting Tea for Dispelling Colds and Flu

I thought you might enjoy this simple yet effective tea to help strengthen the immune and soothe colds and flu.

It's super easy to prepare, uses 4 ingredients and is ready in a jiffy.

Here is the recipe

Immune Boosting Tea for Dispelling Colds and Flu

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic

Few slices daikon or 2 radishes cut into quarters

Few slices fresh ginger

2 spring onions sliced

2 cups water

Few grains sea salt

Preparation

Place the water into a pan and bring to a boil.

Add the garlic, ginger, daikon and spring onions. Cover with a lid.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the sea salt.

Strain the vegetables.

Drink the warm broth only.

Enjoy this tea throughout the day if you feel a cold coming on or for a boost of energy.

Love Chef Mel x

Tantalising Watermelon Salad

 

This super easy salad is absolutely delicious on a hot day. 

Light and refreshing with a sparkle of flavors.

Tantalising Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

3 cups watermelon cubed or balled

1 medium cucumber

2 tablespoons fresh mint

1 cup tofu diced

2 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar

 

Dressing Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of a small lime

Generous pinch sea salt or to taste

½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Sprigs of mint

 

Preparation

Place the tofu and umeboshi vinegar into a small bowl and mix well. Set to one side and allow to marinate.

Score the skin of the cucumber with a fork. Cut into cubes. You can remove the seeds if preferred. I usually leave them.

Place the cucumber and watermelon into a salad bowl. Mix gently.

Place the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine.

Add the tofu to the salad. You can include any juice from the umeboshi vinegar.

Add the dressing and mix gently.

Right before serving, finely slice the mint leaves and sprinkle over the salad. If added too early, the mint can become brown.

Serve garnished with a few sprigs of mint.  Enjoy!

 

 

Spicy Lentils

  

I decided to share this lovely dish as it is easy to make and is super nourishing. Lentils come in different sizes and colors - red, yellow, brown, green, and black. They are a powerhouse of nutrition including fiber, magnesium, iron, calcium, protein, and folic acid. Lentils are wonderful for the bones and help to strengthen immunity. They are stamina producing, and soothing for the emotions. You can add lentils to salads, stir fry's, soups or stews. This recipes adds a gorgeous zip with a variety of vegetables and spices. You can change the vegetables choice if there are ones that you prefer. 

Happy Cooking!

Spicy Lentils

Ingredients

1 cup french lentils rinsed (these ones are smaller and black in color)
1 onion diced
1 tomato diced
1 celery stalk diced
1 cup pumpkin or sweet potato cut into chunks
1 carrot diced
3 inch strip kombu
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinammon
Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely chopped
1 tablespoon white miso diluted in a little water
Olive oil
Spring water

Preparation

Warm the oil in a heavy pot. Add the onion and saute for a minute.
Layer the tomatoes, celery, pumpkin, and carrot on top of the onions.
Place the kombu and lentils on top of the vegetables.
Cover the lentils with spring water.
Bring to a boil and add the spices. Do not add the sea salt or fresh ginger at this point.
Simmer, with a lid, on a low flame until the lentils are soft. It should take around 30 minutes.
Mix gently and season with the sea salt.
Continue to cook for another minute, mix again and turn off the flame.
Add the miso, fresh ginger, and cilantro and mix through.
Serve hot with freshly cooked brown rice and a lovely salad.

*You can add more or less of the spices depending on your taste

Enjoy!
Love Chef Mel xx