Start by making a simple syrup. Combine stevia and water and bring to a boil. When the mixture is clear, it is ready. Cool to room temperature.
Bring 3 quarters of water to a boil. Add tea bags. Steep for about 3 minutes. It will be pretty dark. Cool completely.
When both the tea and simple syrup are cool, pour in enough simple syrup until it as sweet as you like it. I usually start with half and go from there. As much as I love sweets, I do not like overly sweet tea. It is completely up to your taste as to how much stevia water you use.
Pour some tea into a glass and add your freshly squeezed orange juice. I like lots of ice in my drink. And a squeeze of lemon if you like too.
A wonderfully simple and healthy way to enjoy chicken that will also fill your kitchen with exotic aromas, this spice-braised chicken is a real crowd pleaser. It gets better with time, so it’s worthwhile preparing it in advance or making a big batch to ensure leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon coconut oil
907 g bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (whatever kind you please) or (680 g) boneless chicken breast
Sea salt
24-mm piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
79 ml Chinese rice wine (in a pinch you could use dry sherry or sake)
118 ml low-sodium canned chicken broth, or water 1 tablespoon runny honey
1 star anise
60 ml light or low-sodium soy sauce (trust us you really want to use low-sodium soy sauce here)
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh clementine or orange juice, if desired
2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
METHOD
To make the Star Anise and Ginger Braised Chicken in your slow cooker, see the Slow Cooker Variation below.
To make the Star Anise and Ginger Braised Chicken on your stovetop, heat the oil in a large saucepan. If desired, remove the skin from the chicken. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, being careful not to crowd the pieces. (You may need to work in batches.) Cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and season lightly with salt.Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add the ginger, garlic, rice wine, stock or water, honey, star anise, and soy sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the clementine juice and the chicken, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Then turn the chicken pieces and continue to simmer gently until cooked through, about 5 minutes more, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a plate.Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce. Take a sip of the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Return the liquid to a simmer and reduce slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. (Be mindful that reducing it too much could cause the sauce to seem quite salty.) Remove and discard the star anise. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat it in the sauce. Sprinkle with the scallions.
SLOW COOKER VARIATION
We invariably rely on skinless chicken for the slow-cooker rendition of this ginger-infused recipe—after all, nobody likes flabby chicken skin, do they? Place the chicken in the slow cooker and combine the remaining ingredients, except for the scallions, in a bowl or a large measuring cup and stir to combine. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. Transfer the chicken to a platter. If a thicker sauce is desired, slowly stir a little cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the stock pot, place it on high and let it simmer until thickened to the desired consistency (to make a cornstarch slurry, we tend to use 1 tablespoon cornstarch stirred into 1/4 cup cold water). Return the chicken to the sauce just until warmed through, then transfer the whole shebang back to the platter and sprinkle with the scallions.
[Editor’s Note: Bear in mind, no two slow cookers are exactly alike, just as no two cooks are exactly alike. This slow-cooker approach worked really, really well for us, although if you have a different slow-cooker cooking technique you want to try by all means, do so.)
INGREDIENTS VEGETABLES 2 cups roughly chopped fennel bulb 1 cup roughly chopped green pepper 1 cup roughly chopped red pepper 2 tsp freshly minced garlic salt to taste 1/4 tsp black pepper
CHICKEN SAUSAGE 100 gms ground chicken salt to taste 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp freshly chopped basil 1 tsp dijon mustard 1 tsp freshly chopped sage 2 tsp fennel seed ground fine
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together fennel, peppers, garlic, salt and pepper. Add mixture to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 10-20 min until vegetables are crisp-tender.
While the vegetables are cooking, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken, cooking for approx. 5 to 6 min, breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks. Stir in basil, Dijon mustard and sage. Remove from heat.
Add sausage to the roasted vegetables in a large serving dish. Serve immediately.
Two teaspoons coconut oil 500 grams steak strips (LEAN) 1 green pepper One punnet mushrooms 1 cup sherry 1 can coconut milk low carb low fat 1 cup fat free yogurt Salt and pepper and paprika
METHOD
Fry onions green pepper and steak add herbs and spices Add meat and fry for 10 minutes add sherry Add coconut milk and cook for 10 minutes Add yogurt Serve with shiritake noodles
NOTES
This recipe feeds an entire family 🙂
If you don’t know Cathy Walder, she can be contacted on +27 82 674 5575 and she is our Natal Ambassador.
ONE OF THE YUMMIEST SALADS I’VE EVER TASTED IN MY LIFE….
INGREDIENTS
198.45 g chicken breast ) boneless, skinless 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp dried parsley 1/8 tsp black pepper 4 Tbsp Poppy Seed dressing (you can make your own from our awesome salad dressing recipes OR just use Lemon Juice) 150 cl baby spinach 187 1/2 ml Clementine segments, chopped fine
INSTRUCTIONS
Dip the chicken breasts in lemon juice and let sit in the juice for 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with onion powder, salt, parsley and pepper.
Grill the seasoned chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Dice into bite-sized pieces. I like mine small for this one.
In a large bowl, toss spinach, clementines and dressing together.
Divide the salad between two bowls and top with grilled chicken pieces.
RECIPE NOTES
Marinate the chicken in 2 tablespoons of the lemon poppy seed dressing overnight rather than seasoning it with the lemon juice and herbs.
Apple slices are a good substitute for clementine segments
1 cup black coffee 1/4 cup almond milk 1/32 tsp peppermint extract 1/4 tsp chocolate extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare 1 cup of coffee the way you prefer.
In a separate mug, pour almond milk and heat in a microwave for 8-10 seconds till room temperature. Add in 1 scoop stevia powder and use a milk frother to foam the milk for 1 minute.
Pour the frothed milk on top of the coffee. Enjoy with a spoon!
Boil up and us sparingly as a lovely refreshing drink
Reduces Stress
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Why does cortisol increase Weight Gain
Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Whenever you experience something your body perceives as a threat, like a large dog barking at you, a chemical known as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is released in your brain. This triggers your adrenal glands to release cortisol and adrenaline.
Cortisol is the main hormone involved in stress and the fight-or-flight response. This is a natural and protective response to a perceived threat or danger. Increased levels of cortisol result in a burst of new energy and strength.
In the fight-or-flight response, cortisol suppresses any functions that are unnecessary or detrimental to that response. During a fight-or-flight response, you can have:
