Supporting your gut health doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Mpho Tsukudu shares everyday foods that can help nourish your gut with lentils and mussels to sourdough and kimchi. 

 

In Your Health Starts in Your Gut, dietitian Mpho Tsukudu takes a practical approach to eating for a healthier gut. Rather than relying on expensive or hard to find ingredients, the book focuses on everyday foods and simple, yet informative ways to support your health through what you eat. 

 

Rainbow tortillas with lentil ‘mince’ & avocado crema 

Lentils and mushrooms are a budget-friendly way to add fibre to your diet. Lentils, as a legume, provide the kind of fibre that supports a healthy gut microbiome while also being an affordable source of plant-based protein. 

Serves 5 

 

Ingredients

For the lentil ‘mince’: 

1 cup vegetable stock
½ cup dried brown lentils
Salt and milled pepper
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
250g button mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
3 Tbsp chipotle powder
¼ cup olive oil 

For the avocado crema: 

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
3 Tbsp plain yoghurt
125g cream cheese
1 clove garlic
10g coriander, roughly chopped
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 red chilli
Salt and milled pepper 

For serving:   

10 mini tortillas
Pickled red onion
½ baby red cabbage, sliced
4 radishes, sliced
1 block feta, crumbled 

 

Method 

1. Add stock to a pot and bring to a boil. 
2. Add lentils, season and boil for 10-12 minutes. Drain and pat dry. 
3. Pulse seeds, mushrooms, onion and spices in a blender until a rough mixture forms. 
4. Heat oil in a hot pan. Add the lentils and mushroom mixture and fry until cooked and crispy, stirring often, about 10-15 minutes. 
5. Blitz together the avocado crema ingredients. 
6. Lightly char tortillas over a flame or in a dry pan. 
7. Serve warm tortillas topped with crema, lentil mince and the remaining serving ingredients.

 

Recipe & styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography: Zhann Solomons 

 

Mussel hotpot with coconut rice 

Fish is another useful addition to a gut-healthy friendly diet. They’re nutrient dense sources of protein and provide important fats and minerals. Mussels are typically an inexpensive way to add seafood to a meal. 

Serves 4 

 

Ingredients:

For mussel hotpot: 

Glug canola or olive oil
3 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 red chilli, halved and deseeded
Handful fresh coriander, plus extra
¼ cup piri-piri sauce
1 cup fish stock
1 can (400ml) coconut cream or coconut milk
800g fresh or frozen mussels, cleaned (defrosted)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Salt and milled black pepper 

For the coconut rice: 

1 can (400ml) coconut milk
1 cup water
Handful fresh coriander
1 red chilli, halved
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup basmati rice 

For serving : 

Fresh coriander
Desiccated coconut
Chilli flakes
Lemon or lime wedges 

 

Method 

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. 
2. Sauté onions for 3-5 minutes before adding garlic, chilli and coriander, then cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add a splash of water if needed. 
3. Stir through piri-piri sauce and cook for a further 5 minutes. 
4. Pour in fish stock and coconut cream. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring often. 
5. Add mussels, cover with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until mussels have opened up (discard any closed shell mussels). 
6. Add zest, lemon juice and fresh coriander. Season well. 
7. For the coconut rice, bring coconut milk, water, coriander, chilli and garlic to a boil in a separate pot. 
8. Add rice to coconut milk mixture and cook until fluffy (about 10-12 minutes). Place into a colander or fine-mesh sieve. 
9. Remove coriander, chilli and garlic from rice and discard. 
10. Add ¼ cup water into a small pot and bring to a boil. Place rice (in the colander) over the water and allow rice to steam for about 5-6 minutes. 
11. Fluff rice with a fork and stir through extra chopped coriander, desiccated coconut and chilli flakes. 
12. Serve mussel pot with coconut rice and lemon or lime wedges on the side. 

 

Recipe & styling: Chad January
Photography: Zhann Solomons 

 

Sourdough pizza toasties 

Not all bread needs to be off your menu when you’re thinking about gut health. Mpho includes sourdough as a useful bread choice particularly because of the fermentation involved in making it.  

Serves 8 

 

Ingredients  

8 thick slices sourdough bread
¼ cup canola oil or melted butter
½ coil (150g) chorizo, sliced
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken (skin removed)
½ punnet (100g) mixed medley tomatoes, halved
1 cup (100g) grated white Cheddar
1 cup (100g) grated mozzarella 

To serve:  

1 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, sliced (optional)
Fresh basil 

 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking tray. 
3. Brush with oil or butter, bake for 3 minutes. Remove from oven. 
4. Top each slice of bread with cheeses, chorizo, chicken and tomato. 
5. Bake for another 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling. 
6. Top with red onion, avocado and basil just before serving. 

 

Recipe and photography: Fresh Living Magazine 

 

Quick cucumber kimchi 

Fermented foods such as kimchi are another gut-friendly option. Fermentation creates foods containing live microorganisms, making them an easy way to add variety to your diet. Spoon it alongside rice, eggs, noodles or add it to sandwiches for a punchy flavour.  

Makes 2 cup 

 

Ingredients  

1 large cucumber, cut into spears
1 Tbsp salt 

For the kimchi paste:   

1 sachet (50g) red curry paste
3 Tbsp white grape vinegar
1 clove garlic, grated
1 lime, zested
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tsp fish or soy sauce
2 Tsp white sesame seeds (optional) 

 

Method 

1. Toss together cucumber and salt in a bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture. 
2. Drain excess water and rinse cucumber thoroughly. 
3. Combine paste ingredients in a jar, add the cucumber and seal. 
4. Shake jar to combine and refrigerate overnight or serve garnished with sesame seeds. 

 

Recipe & styling: Chad January
Photography: Zhann Solomons