Roasted Tomato Soup is one of my favourite winter recipes. Roasting the tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness and enhances the flavour. You don’t have to add the wholegrain sourdough/ciabatta into the soup although that does make it more filling. I usually double or triple the recipe and stock up the freezer with it so it’s easy to take out the night before for a very quick dinner the following day (all you have to do is pop it on the stove to reheat and it’s ready in minutes) 😊
Serves 6
Ingredients
½ bulb of garlic
2 kgs of ripe tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Litre of vegetable stock
4-5 sprigs of fresh basil + additional leaves for garnish
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Break the garlic up into cloves and slice the tomatoes in half. Lay out the tomatoes (cut-side up) on a roasting tray and scatter over the garlic cloves (unpeeled). Sprinkle over the oregano, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 50-60mins until the tomatoes are soft and sticky.
Remove the tray from the oven and pick out the garlic cloves. Tip all contents of the tray into a large saucepan. Squeeze the sticky insides of the garlic cloves into the saucepan and throw away the skins.
Add stock and roughly chopped basil (including stalks). Tear the bread into pieces and add to saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 10 mins.
Add the red wine vinegar and then blitz in a blender until smooth.
Serve in bowls, drizzle with olive oil and remaining basil leaves.
Enjoy your delicious and nutritious Roasted Tomato Soup.
This delicious and easy to prepare meal is so full of flavour and goodness that you’ll want to make it over and over again!
Fresh Salmon Patties with yoghurt sauce
Makes 12 large patties, to provide 6 serves.
These are a great way to sneak fish and greens into kids or fussy adults who are not usually a fan.
Salmon is an excellent source of protein, as well as omega 3 fats. Try to get Atlantic salmon if possible but otherwise Tasmanian salmon will do just fine.
By cooking and cooling the potato, you turn 50% of the starch into what is called ‘resistant starch’: a high quality fibre that is both good for your digestion, but also lowers the glycaemic load of the potato by half.
These make an excellent main meal, or individual patties make great snacks through the day.
560g skinless salmon fillet
400g potato, roughly chopped
1 celery heart, finely chopped to make about 1 cup
fresh parsley and/or dill, finely chopped to make about 1 cup
1 small red onion grated, or 5 spring onions, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
1 cup fresh sourdough wholemeal or GF breadcrumbs
3 egg, whisked
salt & pepper to taste
flour for dusting
olive oil for frying
Steam salmon fillets until just cooked through. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until tender. Combine in a large bowl, mash together, and season with salt & pepper. Set aside to cool completely.
Once cooled, add celery, fresh herbs, onion, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, whisked egg, and further salt and pepper to taste. Combine.
Form into 12 patties, dusting with flour. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes until firm, and then fry in olive oil over medium heat until golden and cooked through. Rest on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil, and then serve with yoghurt sauce and a large green salad.
Keeps well in the fridge for 3 days, and makes excellent lunches or snacks.
Yoghurt Sauce
Combine greek yoghurt with chopped fresh mint or dill.
Green Salad
serves 2
2 handfuls of rocket leaves
1 medium zucchini, finely chopped (I use the slicing side of a box grater).
large handful of snow or sugar snap peas,
1/2 firm avocado, chopped into 1/2 cm dice
1/4 cup pepitas
handful of picked leaves of fresh herbs of your choice (parsley, mint or dill are all perfect)
Dressing
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
good slug of olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Dress salad and toss.
Toxic exposure is all around us but most people aren’t aware of how they are being impacted, even in their own home. Nicole Bijlsma has delved deeply into this, as she explains in her book Healthy Home Healthy Family:
“As I sifted through the research, three things became apparent: firstly, there was an incredible amount of information about the health hazards in the built environment that was documented in the scientific literature. Secondly, corporations with vested interests had a significant influence in the way exposure standards for chemicals and electromagnetic fields were established and regulated. Lastly, there were various governmental and non-governmental agencies in various countries around the world willing to tackle these issues; unfortunately, Australia was not one of them.”
So how can we avoid it when it’s right where we live? To help us not only become aware of the hazards but also do something about them Nicole has kindly shared her top 10 tips on how to avoid toxins in the home that impact your family’s health.
Nicole’s Top 10 Steps to a Healthy Home
Take your shoes off before you enter the home as this will reduce toxicants like pesticides and traffic-related air pollutants being tracked onto carpets
Get rid of the clutter, because it restricts air flow, increases the dust load and encourages house dust mites and pests
Use a vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA filter and motorised head to reduce the allergen load (house dust mites, mould, pet and pest dander) in the home.
Dust your home with a slightly damp microfibre cloth followed by a clean, dry tea towel.
Reduce the chemical load in your home. Air fresheners, perfume, pesticides, solvents, paints, cleaning and personal care products contribute to poor indoor air quality.
Use the sun to air pillows and mattresses, pet bedding, chopping boards and soft toys.
Store food and beverages in glass, stainless steel and lead-free ceramics. Avoid plastics, pewter, highly coloured ceramics, ceramics with a corroded glaze and leaded crystal.
Ensure electrical appliances are at least 1 metre away from your bed, favourite couch and any other areas where you spend time in order to reduce your exposure to electromagnetic fields.
Chlorine and fluoride in drinking water are associated with health risks. Use a water filter.
Mould is caused by dampness and moisture. Find the moisture first and then remove the mould with a damp microfibre cloth.
Inspired by her own fertility health issues, Nicole Bijlsma has spent the past 15 years researching health hazards in the home. She has become a building biology expert and she shares her knowledge in her best selling book, Healthy Home Healthy Family. But Nicole is not just stopping there. She’s on a mission to help millions of people by developing a Healthy Home Tool as part of her current PhD. You can help her by buying a copy of her book or donating.
by Sarah Harris, FGHG Paediatric and Family Naturopath
The hot weather traditions of building sandcastles at the beach, jumping in the pool and having family BBQ’s in the park can bring a few common summer illnesses for children. Going back to school and daycare can also have an impact on children’s wellness. As our children return to their learning establishments, I begin to hear parents comment on how healthy their child was over the holidays, only to be sick again now they’re back at school.
Prevention is always best and there is much that can be done to strengthen your child’s immunity to avoid some of the common childhood infections and ailments in Summer. Some of the most frequent infections you may encounter this season are discussed below along with an understanding of how to treat the symptoms, avoid reoccurrence and when to seek help.
Swimmer’s ear
An infection of the ear canal can occur with increased exposure to ocean or pool water. The ear canal may become inflamed due to moisture which brews bacteria, resulting in a very painful condition commonly treated with painkillers and antibiotics. To avoid the side effects of these medications, prevention of swimmers ear can be as simple as keeping the ear canal dry after exposure by shaking water out and drying ears with a towel, or using ear plugs to prevent contact with water. Other prevention strategies include boosting the immune system with vitamin C and zinc rich foods or supplements and including probiotics in your child’s diet. Reducing mucous forming foods such as sugar and processed foods, banana and dairy, whilst increasing warming foods such as ginger, onion and garlic will also help to support a healthy balance of mucous in the body and aid quick recovery.
In the case of an infection it is important to seek professional advice and obtain a prescription for a more powerful remedy. A quickscript consultation is a 10 minute chat with a naturopath for acute conditions. Symptoms of swimmer’s ear can be treated naturally using potent herbal formulas that support antimicrobial defences and provide symptomatic relief, clear nasal congestion and infection, then promote immune balance to prevent reoccurrence. Herbal ear drops of calendula, St John’s wort, mullein flower and garlic have been shown to be as useful as medicated ear drops for pain of ear infections.
Warts, fungal and viral skin infections
Changes to our natural defences that include fungus and bacteria occur when we are exposed in a swimming pool or common areas during bare foot fun. A few common ailments include molluscum contagiosum, athlete’s foot and swimmer’s foot.So do we need to apply antibacterial gels and anti-fungal creams that contain cortisone? Such conditions can be prevented if we restore immune control and boost under active immune responses using key nutrients for immunity such as zinc and vitamin C. Rest during an infection and build your child’s immunity with nutrient dense foods; protein – like salmon with high omega 3 levels and eggs, nuts and seeds, a rainbow of fruits and vegetables (like berries and broccoli) with antioxidants. Also, foods beneficial for good gut health, like yoghurt and fermented foods containing probiotics that are shown to stimulate immunity, thereby promoting resistance to infection. Topical treatments using herbal medicine that soothe inflammation and have anti-microbial properties that resolve infection can be tailored to each type of infection by prescription from your naturopath.
Food poisoning – well a good barbie can create great leftovers but generally speaking, leftovers create a prime opportunity to share in bacteria and viruses, such as salmonella when food is left out, reheated or inadequately cooled in your child’s lunchbox. Best to be clear about the common symptoms – tummy pain, diarrhoea and general unwellness, possibly fever and vomitting. Antibiotics can be avoided with supportive dietary and lifestyle interventions such as keeping up fluids and rest. A low reactive diet is key for recovery, so keeping foods simple and nutritious, using fresh produce can improve energy, immunity and wellbeing.
When symptoms of food poisoning or slow recovery from food poisoning seem to much to manage, it is recommended to seek professional advice. It is critical to eliminate infection and recover without side effects. Natural medicine can be of assistance to support rehydration and gut healing using anti-infective medicines and nutrient dense food choices that assist healing. Elimination of infection, improving digestive functions and building better microbiota (good gut bacteria & immunity) through using probiotic foods and supplements is the approach your naturopath would take to aid recovery and strengthen the gut of your child.
When deciding what is best for your child’s health remember that safe and effective natural medicines provide ease of symptoms for any immune affliction, can improve recovery that has been long term and importantly, can offer prevention of recurring immune concerns. Herbal medicine, homeopathy and nutritional supplements for children can be tailor made and taken in child friendly creams, liquids, powders and even jelly icypoles!
Sarah Harris is a qualified and experienced naturopath, herbalist and nutritionist with more than a decade of knowledge and practice in complementary medicine. As a mother of three children and highly skilled in providing naturopathic care, Sarah has a special interest in treating children of all ages. Her empathetic and kind nature instills comfort and confidence when providing advice to parents about their child’s health and she works well with families and individuals to find solutions for health concerns.
