A New Year, A Shepard's Salad & Fava Bean 'Meze'
Photography by Elisa Watson, Styling by Kate Bradley (Kenkō Kitchen) for Nourish Magazine. Bowls and plate from op shop. Napkin by Fog Linen. Turkish tea glass from Mediterranean Pantry.
My first post and recipe for the year and I am so excited. 2014 was a very big year - I contributed to nation wide magazines, I started taking my own cooking classes based on the whole foods plant based diet, I wrote my first ever cookbook which is entirely gluten and sugar free as well as vegan. Alongside this I became a lot healthier. Not just healthier in my body but healthier in my mind. 2014 was the first year I really learnt to appreciate myself for who I was and the way my body was, instead of beating myself up for not being 10kgs lighter.
Like many young girls (and boys) growing up I had a lot of insecurities and body image issues. When I first made my blog these insecurities and issues heightened. I wasn't like all the other health bloggers. I wasn't posting photos of myself in a bikini. I didn't have abs. I couldn't do flexible yoga poses. I didn't fit into the same size clothes and couldn't afford all the latest and hottest Nike wear. All these things started making me question and doubt myself. Maybe I wasn't good enough for this industry. Maybe I wasn't thin enough or beautiful enough to make it in this industry. I would constantly bring myself down that I wasn't the same as so many of these amazing, beautiful and talented women and men out there.
Then something clicked. I realised that I was fine. My weight didn't matter! My appearance didn't matter! I worked out 4-5 times a week, I ate well 98% of the time and I enjoyed myself. I still appreciated and was in awe of these other women as I knew how hard they have worked for their bodies but my body just wasn't there and it was OK. I didn't have to be posting selfies every day, or photos of myself in a bikini as It just wasn't who I was and it isn't who I have ever been.
So this year instead of setting myself self deprecating and self shaming resolutions like "I must lose 10kg", "I must go to the gym every single day", "I mustn't eat a single bad thing" convincing myself of how happy I would be if I was thinner, then beating myself up for when I slipped and ate a cookie with a friend or missed a day at the gym, or just didn't lost weight. This year I would set myself resolutions which would make me feel good and inspire me. This year I want to become an even healthier version of myself, I want to help to make others healthy, happy and feel confident in their bodies no matter what they look like, I want to spend more time on things I love and not spending them on things that make me feel like I am worthless.
2015 is going to be a big and powerful year for many of us and I feel very happy that my mindset is where it should have been years ago. Bring on the new year!
My first recipe for the year is a recipe which featured in Nourish Magazine last year. They are the perfect sides or starters to a meal. A delicious traditional Turkish salad which can be found on every menu in Turkey and the insanely yummy Fava - a fava/broad bean, olive oil and dill puree which is the perfect accompaniment to so many dishes.
I hope you have all had a relaxing and great holiday period and I look forward to working towards a happier and healthier community with you this year!
Enjoy these recipes and I look forward to sharing more with you! xx
FAVA (FAVA/BROAD BEAN PUREE)
Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups dry fava beans 3 cups water
3 big onions (diced)
1 tsp salt
3 tsp stevia or xylitol
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 bunch dill
Method
In a frypan, heat up the 1 tbsp rice bran oil and add in the chopped onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent and remove from heat.
In a medium saucepan bring the water to a boil and
add in the fava beans. Reduce to a low heat and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the beans have softened and begun to “melt”.
Place the cooked onions, softened fava beans, dill, salt, stevia and olive oil into a blender. Blitz until smooth, remove and move into a pyrex dish. Let the lava set in the fridge and enjoy with any meal or on it’s own!
ÇOBAN SALATASI (SHEPHERDS SALAD)
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 cucumber (sliced)
250g mixed lettuce
1/2 red onion (sliced)
2 tomatoes (chopped)
1/4-1/2 green capsicum (diced)
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped)
For the dressing
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sumac
1 tsp pomegranate molasses
juice 1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup feta (crumbled)
1/4 cup walnuts halves
Method
Place all salad ingredients into a bowl and toss together.
To create the dressing, simply mix all ingredients together and set aside.
Just before serving toss the salad with the dressing, sprinkle on the walnuts and crumble with the feta.