These roast veg and tuna-stuffed pita pockets are a nutritious recipe you can whip up time and time again and makes for perfect work lunches.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 35 min

INGREDIENTS
For the roast vegetables
1 red pepper and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 onion, quartered
1 brinjal, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chopped rosemary
For the tuna mayo
2 tins tuna, drained
3 tbsp plain yoghurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp ground coriander
To serve
4 wholewheat pita breads
1 cup rocket
½ wheel feta, crumbled

METHOD
For the roast vegetables
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and rosemary and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft.
For the tuna mayo
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with pepper to taste.
2. To serve, heat the pita breads according to package instructions and fill halfway with roast vegetables. Spoon in some tuna mayo and top with fresh rocket and crumbled feta.

Recipes & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Check out more exciting and delicious work lunch ideas here!

The post Roast veg and tuna-stuffed pita pockets appeared first on MyKitchen.

If you’ve always wanted to give sushi a go but weren’t sure about raw fish, then we have the perfect healthy alternative: our yummy tuna and veggie sushi.

MAKES 16 pieces // COOKING TIME 1 hour 15 min

INGREDIENTS
For the sushi rice
1 cup short-grain white rice
3½ cups water
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp white vinegar
To assemble the tuna and veggie sushi
1 bunch spinach leaves
1 tin tuna, drained
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 carrot, finely chopped
¼ cucumber, finely chopped
½ cup shredded cabbage

METHOD
For the sushi rice
1. Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear.
2. Add the rice and water to a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, until the rice is sticky.
3. Dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar. Pour into the hot rice and stir until combined. Cool to room temperature.
To assemble the tuna and veggie sushi
1. Cover a clean tea towel with a layer of cling wrap.
2. Place the spinach leaves in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover. Set aside for 1 minute, then drain.
3. Arrange the leaves on the prepared tea towel on top of the cling wrap, overlapping them. Pat dry with paper towel.
4. Top with an even layer of rice.
5. Mix the tuna and mayonnaise together and season with pepper. Spread evenly on top of the rice, leaving a 3 cm border from the bottom.
6. Top with the carrot, cucumber and cabbage.
7. Using the towel and cling wrap to help you, fold the bottom 3 cm of the rice and spinach over the bottom of the filling. Then roll up tightly.
8. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
9. Remove the towel and cling wrap and slice into pieces.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

These sushirittos are more like the real thing, but combined with the yummy style of a burrito!

The post Make this nutritious tuna and veggie sushi from scratch appeared first on MyKitchen.

We turned this classic chicken minestrone soup into a full nutritious meal with a helping of toasted pearl barley. Enjoy this winter favourite!

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 15 min

INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup pearl barley
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 tsp apple-cider vinegar
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 rosemary sprig
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 chicken breasts
2 baby marrows, ribboned
½ tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup spinach, torn
¼ cup Parmesan, shaved, to serve

METHOD
1. Heat a pan over medium heat and dry fry the pearl barley, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Set aside most of it to add to the soup. Keep 1 tbsp to sprinkle over when serving.
3. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, celery and carrots and fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the vinegar and stir for 1 minute.
5. Pour in chicken stock, water and tomatoes and add the bay leaf, rosemary and herbs. Bring to the boil, then add the barley (see right) and chicken.
6. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with a fork. Return chicken to the pot, add the baby marrows and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the beans and spinach, and heat through. Remove from heat and season to taste.
8. Divide soup between bowls and top with Parmesan shavings and toasted pearl barley.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

Do you know what else is a delicious pairing with chicken minestrone soup? Our gluten-free sprout bread.

The post Chicken minestrone soup with toasted pearl barley appeared first on MyKitchen.

It’s hard to focus on eating well when the most exciting part of your day is moving from your couch to your fridge. And it’s even harder to stay active when you’re cooped up in a small space for long periods of time. Here are our top three ways of staying healthy during lockdown.

1. NOURISH TO FLOURISH

Ditch the colourants, additives and processed nasties by turning your attention to real food with real health benefits. Eating well shouldn’t feel restrictive, and fortunately, there are wonderful alternatives to your old favourites that come with all the added health benefits you need – it all comes down to making simple swaps.

B-well have created a deliciously nutritious reduced oil mayonnaise that it is bursting with flavour. With 47% less fat and heaps of omega-3, this is the perfect addition to any dish, and it’s vegan-friendly!

Bonus, it’s also so easy to ramp up the flavour of your favourite condiment so that you can use it for a whole host of dishes and treats. Check out our 4 flavoured mayonnaise recipes here.

2. MOVE IT, MOVE IT

The number of workouts available online is endless. Surf the internet for new ideas that will see you breaking into a healthy sweat in no time. Get your heart rate up with HIIT routines, strengthen your core and tone up with at-home pilates classes or work on your flexibility with some yoga. Want to up the ante, but don’t have weights available at home? You can get creative and fill you empty B-well mayo containers with water to use as dumbbells.

And remember that any kind of physical activity is good, so cleaning your home, dancing and stretching before are all great low-key options.

3. REMAIN SANE IN THE BRAIN

A massive part of keeping your mental health in check is about eating well and getting enough physical activity. If these two points aren’t being maintained, it can become easier for stress and anxiety to manifest.

Keep your blood sugar levels in check with a balanced diet and get those endorphins pumping with a good workout. B-well’s Reduced Oil Mayonnaise is packed with essential omega-3 fatty acids, which have been known to help ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression over time.

Avoid processed foods, caffeine and watching too many negative news stories, especially before bed or while you’re eating. You can also take the time to practice meditation, get in touch with your inner child by playing games, or just get creative in any way you know how. Setting goals and sticking to a daily routine is also highly recommended.

B-WELL is passionate about health and wellness and what better way to communicate this than by
creating a cookbook that aims at improving your immune system. This fun and informative cookbook will empower the entire family with its easy-to-follow guide in promoting effective immune response. Many recipes include a lot of these essential macronutrients, like Omega 3 & 6 which is packed in our B-well canola products.

Check out the B-WELL website here to find the cookbook or find them on Facebook or Instagram.

Words: Robyn Simpson
Photography: Courtesy images, Pexels

The post 3 ways to keep your mind and body healthy during lockdown appeared first on MyKitchen.

Chicken, lemon and broth are super nutritious ingredients for a winter soup, which is why this delicious lemony chicken and brown rice broth is a powerful immune-boosting recipe.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
5 cups chicken stock
Juice of 2 lemons
½ tsp lemon zest
1 bay leaf
2 chicken breasts
2 thyme sprigs
1½ cups cooked brown rice
1 cup Swiss chard, torn
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
1 lemon, sliced
2 tbsp chopped dill

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the onion, carrots and celery for 5–7 minutes or until soft.
2. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Add the chicken and boil for 15 minutes until it is cooked through.
3. After 15 minutes, remove the soup from the heat and carefully take out the chicken, allowing it to cool before shredding it with a fork. Return the soup to the heat, add the thyme and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pot and add the brown rice and Swiss chard. Simmer for about 2 minutes until the Swiss chard has wilted and the rice is warmed through.
5. To serve, heat a pan on high heat, add the lemon slices and dry-fry for about 1 minute until they start to brown. Spoon the lemony chicken and brown rice broth into bowls and top with lemon slices and fresh dill.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Bone broth is another nutritious and gut-healing dish where you can use up your leftover meat bones.

The post Immune-boosting lemony chicken and brown rice broth appeared first on MyKitchen.

A bowl of warm oats on a cold winter’s morning is food for the heart, but a nourishing warm pear gingerbread oatmeal smoothie is food for the body.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
4 cups milk
⅔  cup oats
1½ pears, chopped
1 banana, chopped
1½ tbsp nut butter
1½ tbsp honey
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice

METHOD
1. In a pot, heat 3 cups milk until just before boiling. Remove from the heat, then add oats and cover. Soak for 10 minutes.
2. Blend the rest of the ingredients, with the remaining cup of milk, until smooth. Add the soaked oats and pulse again.
3. Pour into glasses and enjoy.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Sean Dollery // HMimages.co.za

Still love some good old fashioned oats? Try our oat breakfast bake with honey and berries.

The post Warm pear gingerbread oatmeal smoothie appeared first on MyKitchen.