Lunch Recipe: Serrano Ham Sandwich

In the weekends I usually eat sandwiches for lunch, whilst on working days I eat salads. This sandwich I eat really often and is super quick and easy!

The ingredients for 1 sandwich:

• 1 slice spelt bread
• Cottage cheese
• Arugula
• 1 slice Serrano ham
• Pepper

Directions:

Just put the slice of bread in your toaster and when done first put the cottage cheese on the sandwhich seasoned with some pepper, followed by the arugula and Serrano ham. Your quick and delicious sandwhich is ready to be eaten!

Enjoy!

Pesto ala Genovese

I like to make as much of the sauces and spreads I use myself. I'm a huge fan of pesto since it's so handy to have it in the refrigerator. You can make delicious sandwiches with it, and by having a nice homemade pesto in your refrigerator you can easily make a quick and tasty pasta when you're in a hurry or late out of the office. I already posted the recipe for the delicious red pesto and now I would like to share with you my other favorite the green pesto or better known as pesto ala Genovese.

The ingredients:

• Large bunch fresh basil
• 1 large garlic clove
• 35 gr roasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (more to taste)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Pepper & salt to taste
• juice of half a lime

Directions:

Very easy: just put everything in your food processor and mix until you have a smooth paste. Make sure you taste it and add pepper, salt & parmesan cheese to taste. 

Enjoy!

20 Minute Butt & Abs Workout

Here is another quick workout that you can easily do from home and this time, no equipment needed! Well, a yoga mat would be handy to make sure you're back doesn't get sore!

This workout combines some plyometric and cardio moves with exercises that are designed to improve your balance!

• Start the workout by doing 10 burpees: stand straight up arms alongside your body, feet next to each other. Bend your knees, to place your hands flat on the floor underneath your shoulders. Jump both feet behind you (plank position), bend your elbows to lower your body to the floor. Quickly reverse the motion by first pushing yourself up with your hands and jump back to the front. Then jump straight up and clap your hands overhead. This is one burpee. Make sure that the movement is quick and fluent. 
• Then do each exercise in order with 30 seconds of jumping jacks between each exercise. 
• Finished with all four exercises? Take 60 seconds active rest by planking: place your forearms on the floor (or on the yoga mat), make sure that your elbows are located right under your shoulders and stretch your legs out behind you. Keep steady and your back straight! 
• Then repeat the circuit two more times for a total of three rounds.
• When you finished the 3 rounds, do another 10 burpees and your workout is finished!

Exercise 1: Side-kick plié

Starting position: Stand with your feet apart (shoulder with), toes turned out and lower into a squat. Bent your elbows and fists in front of your chest.

(a) Stand up and lift your right legg off the floor. Focus on your glutes, drop your left shoulder a little bit whilst you kick your right leg out to the side.

(b) Reverse the movement in order to return to the squat position. That's one rep. Do 10 with your right legg, then repeat with your left leg 10 times.

Exercise 2: Ab roll-up

Starting position: Sit on your yoga mat (or on the floor) with your legs extended in front of you and your handpalms flat on the ground. Roll your back onto the mat and lift your legs straight up over your hips while supporting yourself with your arms.

(a) Use the momentum to roll quickly back to the starting position, but now bend your knees and place your feet flat on the mat. Plant your feet and jump up, whilst reaching your arms straight up over your head.

(b) Land softly and bend your nkees to lower back down to start. That's one rep, make sure that your movements are fluent. Do 10 reps in total. 

Exercise 3:L-stand

Starting position: Place your heels against the bottom of a wall, bend forward and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. Walk your feet up to the wall until your legs are parallel to the floor (your body makes a 90-degree angle.

(a) Raise your right leg straight up.

(b) Bring your right leg back to the wall, raise your left leg up, return to the wall and this is one rep. Make 10 reps total.

Exercise 4:Standing Mountain Climber

Starting position: Get into planking position with your arms extended and your hands flat on the floor.

(a) Quickly alternate bringing your knees to your chest 40 times total.

Good Luck!

Delicious Healthy Chicken Burgers

I try to avoid eating red meat and minced meat but sometimes I just crave for burgers. So I found a healthier option in chicken burgers! And the recipe I'm about to share with you is really amazing! The burger is mainly based on a recipe from a Dutch cooking book focussed on healthy eating by Amber Albarda, but I made some small changes. It takes some time to make the burgers due to the fact that the meat needs to sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, but when thats done you can easily keep them in your freezer! If you want to eat those just get them out of the freezer the night before so they are defrosted when you want to bake them.

If you have guests over you can also serve these burgers with my delicious Rosemary Thyme Potatoes out of the Oven.

Hope you like it and if you make it please let me know! Would love to see your creations of the recipes I post.

Duration: 45 minutes

The ingredients for 4 burgers:

• 400 gr. minced chicken
• 4 spring onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 egg
• 60 gr (about 2 slices) spelt bread
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried coriander
• 4 whole wheat bread rolls 
• Homemade red pesto
• Arugula or spinach leaves
• 1 sweet pepper
• 1 zucchini
• 1 white onion
• 1 tomato
• olive oil & coconut oil
• Himalayan salt & Pepper

The ingredients for the salad:

• Fresh spinach leaves or any other type of salad you have
• 3 tomatoes 
• 1/2 cucumber
• roasted pine nuts
• parmesan cheese
• white wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Chop the spring onions and put the 2 slices of spelt bread in your food processor so you get breadcrumbs. 
2. Mix in a large bowl the minced chicken (if it isn't minced yet by your butcher you can do this is your food processor), the chopped spring onions, crushed garlic cloves, breadcrumbs, coriander, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, chili powder and the egg until it's well mixed. Put the bowl in your refrigerator for 30 minutes to make sure that all flavors are absorbed by the meat.
3. Meanwhile you can make the homemade red pesto if you haven't already have it in your refrigerator. Slice the zucchini, sweet pepper and onion. Cut up all the ingredients for the salad, roast the pine nuts and mix everything with the spinach leaves or salad. Don't put in the dressing until you're ready to eat!
4. Get the meat out of the refrigerator, make 4 burgers of it, heat up some olive oil in the pan and bake the burgers golden brown within 5 minutes each side (depending on the thickness of the burgers). In the meantime, heat up a little bit of coconut oil in a pan and grill the vegetables. Bring the vegetables to taste with Himalayan salt & pepper.
5. Put the pesto on the bread rolls with some arugula or spinach on top, slice up the tomato and put 2 slices on each bun. Put the burgers on it when their done followed by the grilled vegetables. Place the top of the roll on top of it and serve these delicious healthy burgers with the salad on the side.

Enjoy this delicious meal!

Breakfast Recipe: Overnight Oats in a Jar

I just love oats for breakfast! They make sure that during the rest of the morning you do not feel hungry. But making oatmeal in the morning is just too time consuming when I'm in a hurry. So on those days I now that this is probably going to happen I make sure that I have made some overnight oats in a jar the night before. You can substitute the fruit in this recipe for any fruit you like.

Duration for prepping: 5 minutes

The ingredients:

• 150 ml unsweetened almond milk
• 60 gr oatmeal
• 1 tbs greek yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup
• 1 apple and 1 banana
• Handful of nuts of your choice, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. Cut the apple and banana into small pieces and put about 3/4 of the apple and banana in an airtight jar with the almond milk, greek yoghurt, oatmeal, chia seeds, cinnamon and agave syrup. Mix everything well and put the lid on the jar and keep it in the refrigerator overnight.
2. In the morning get your jar, put the rest of the banana and apple on top with the nuts and seeds en your delicious quick breakfast is ready!

Enjoy!

 

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Codfish on a bed of spinach, quinoa and zucchini

I try not to eat to many pasta, potatoes and rice and so I often use quinoa instead. Quinoa is a complete protein that contains all essential amino acids. This recipe is based on Amber Albarda's cooking book (only available in Dutch) and I added spinach and quinoa to the dish. This recipe is not as quick as some of my other recipes, but it's really easy and you're mainly waiting since everything is in the oven.

Duration: 35 minutes

The ingredients for 1 serving:

• 1 zucchini
• 200 gr codfish
• Handful spinach
• 50 gr (precooked) quinoa
• Butter
• 2 lemons
• 2 slices Serrano ham
• Fresh dill
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees of Celsius and boil some water in the kettle and cook the quinoa as stated on the package (if you haven't prepped some quinoa during your meal prepping!).
2. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into long slices of about half a centimeter thick. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper and rub them lightly wit half a tablespoon of olive oil. Put them into a baking dish and bake them for 20 minutes in the oven.
3. Sprinkle the codfish with pepper and put a thin slice of butter on top of each filet. Put the codfish on the zucchini, squeeze the juice of one lemon over the fish and put the baking dish back into the oven for about 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked. 
4. Meanwhile bake the Serrano ham in a frying pan without any oil or grease and break into little pieces.
5. Bring the quinoa to taste with the juice of one lemon. Put a handful of spinach on your plate with the quinoa on top. When the fish is done put the zucchini with fish on top of the quinoa. Sprinkle with the small pieces of Serrano ham and serve with some lemon wedges. 

Bon appétit!

Meal Prepping

On Sunday's I always do some meal prepping which saves me a lot of time during the week and on Monday! Since I get lots of questions related to what I prep and why I do this I decided to write a post about it because I really belief that, although it takes some time, it is really beneficial! But you can only prep when you have proparly planned your meals!

On any given Sunday (or Saturday when I now I won't be home Sunday) I prep all the things in the picture which takes me about one and a half hours. What you're prepping depends on the meals you have planned for the upcoming week.

First, I always make sure I have enough homemade granola for breakfast and raw food bars in stock. This really helps me not to cheat during the week because by already having it made it's there and just as easy accessible as an unhealthier option.

Second, I find it really handy to have my homemade red pesto or pesto ala Genovese in my refrigerator. These are perfect to pimp up your sandwiches but it also allows you to make a quick pasta when you're unexpectedly late out of the office. Also make sure that you have some pasta sauce or homemade healthy lasagna in your freezer!

Third, I make sure that I have some pre-cooked quinoa or brown basmati rice in the refrigerator. You can use this in your lunch salads or add it to your dinner so the only thing you need to do is steam some vegetables and grill some fish and you have a quick and easy meal!

Fourth, I make sure that I boil 5-6 eggs so I have a boiled egg every day for in my lunch salad (which I also prep on Sunday's for Monday) or just as a healthy snack! You can keep the boiled eggs in your refrigerator up to a week.

Fifth, I roast a bunch of pine nuts which I can put trough salads and pasta's which I also save in a bowl in the refrigerator! 

And last but not least I made some clean & healthy banana oatmeal chocolate cookies which I can have after dinner with a cup of green tea and I cut some fruit for my breakfast tomorrow morning. I'm planning to have my yoghurt with fruit and by already cutting up the fruit and keeping it in airtight containers in the refrigerator I only have to put everything together in a bowl in the morning!

Good luck! If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask! You can put them in the comments under this message, send me an email, or ask me on instagram!

Recipe: Strawberry smoothie

I love smoothies in the weekends! I think they are a great way to make sure you eat you're 2 pieces of fruit a day and this one is dairy free!

The ingredients for 1 glass (if you want more just double the ingredients):

• 10 medium size strawberries
• 1/2 banana
• 100 ml unsweetened natural almond milk 
• 1 tablespoon of grated coconut
• 1 teaspoon chiaseeds

Directions:

Just put all the ingredients (besides 2 strawberries) in your blender and blend until smooth and yummie! If the smoothie is too thick just add a little bit more almond milk until it has the consistency you like!

Enjoy!

Couscous salad

This couscous salad is one of the simplest and fastest dinner recipes. I make this at minimum once every two weeks! I always make a little bit extra so I can have it for lunch the next day. It's also delicious when it's cold since all the flavors are extra intense!

Tip: by replacing the chicken with tofu you have a great vegetarian couscous!

Duration: 15 minutes

Amount of servings: one dinner and one lunch

The ingredients:

• 180 gr spelt couscous
• 1 chicken breast or minced chicken
• 1 zucchini or egg plant
• 250 gr mushrooms
• 1 sweet pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 125 gr cherry tomatoes
• 40 gr feta cheese
• Fresh parsley and mint
• Juice of one lime
• Handful raisins
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cm piece ginger
• Coconut oil and olive oil
• Pepper & Salt

Directions:

1. Cut the vegetables and cook the couscous as directed on the package.
2. Cut the chicken breast into small pieces and toss them with the crushed garlic, pepper, salt, cumin seeds, smoked paprika, grated ginger and cinnamon. Make sure everything is covered.
3. Put some olive oil in a frying pan and bake the chicken until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Grill the vegetables in coconut oil.
5. Put the couscous, chicken and vegetables in a large bowl. Mix with the cherry tomatoes, raisins, fresh parsley & mint and the juice of one lime. Finish the dish by sprinkling the feta cheese on top. 

Enjoy!

15 Minute Arm Workout

When your late out of the office you don't always have time to hit the gym or do a long run. So I like to do some short workouts at home and this 15 minute arm workout is one of my favorites! The benefits of this workout is that your core is involved in every exercise so you also work on flattening and tightening you abdomen.

You need:

• Set of dumbbells: start with light weights (2,5 to 4 kg) and when your progressing take a heavier set.
• Optional: Yoga mat 

The workout consists of two supersets each containing two exercises. Start with the first superset (1A & 1B) and repeat each exercise 10 to 20 times (10 if your just getting started and raising that number when you're getting stronger!). When you finished both exercises (1A & 1B) without rest in between , take 30 seconds rest and repeat Superset 1. Do this 3 times. 

Superset 1:

1A: Planking push-ups

Starting position: Place your forearms on the floor (or on your yoga mat), make sure that your elbows are located right under your shoulders and stretch your legs out behind you. Keep the palms of your hands flat on the floor. 

(a) Keep your back straight and come in a push-up position by first extending your right arm followed by your left arm (so you lean on your palms).

(b) Come down back on your forearms by first placing your right forearm back on the ground followed by your left forearm. This is one rep! Repeat, but now extend your left arm first. Keep repeating until you have reached the predetermined amount of reps.

1B: Combined shoulder lift

Starting position: Get your dumbbells. Keep them both at hip height, the palm of your right hand points at your hips and the palm of your left hand facing forwards. Make sure that your knees remain slightly bended and your back is straight and your shoulders down. 

(a) In a smooth movement, extent your left arm to the side and your right arm straight ahead. Make sure that both your left and right hand are in one line with your shoulders.

(b) Maintain this position for a minimum of 3 counts. Keep repeating, whereby you switch sides every time. When you finished both side this is one rep.  

Superset 2:

2A: Alternating shoulder press with a twist

Starting position: Hold both dumbbells fixed at shoulder height. You elbows now bent and your palms are facing your face (so your wrists are in line with your forearms). Make sure that your knees remain slightly bended and your back is straight and your shoulders down. 

(a) Turn your upper body to the left whilst you push the dumbbell in your right arm straight up.

(b) Come back to starting position en repeat the exercise to the other side. This is one rep!

2B: Plank front raise to rotation

Starting position: Start in a push-up position with feet shoulder-width apart a dumbbell in each hand keep your back straight. 

(a) Raise one arm with dumbbell straight out in front of you. Bring your arm back down to the floor.

(b) Rotate your right arm up in the air whereby you also rotate your upper body to the side. Bring your arm down and repeat (a) and (b) with your left arm. 

If you finished the movements with both arms you have one rep!

Smoked Salmon Sandwich

Sandwiches are easy to make and delicious. This smoked salmon sandwich is one of my favorites! Just put another slice of spelt bread on top to take it with you to the office!

The ingredients for 2 sandwiches:

• 2 slices Spelt bread
• 100 gr smoked salmon
• Arugula
• 1 avocado
• Cottage cheese
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Put the slices of bread in your toaster and cut the avocado and shred the salmon.
2. When the bread is done start with putting the cottage cheese and pepper on it. Then put the arugula and avocado on it and finish with the salmon.
3. If you want to take it with you to the office, put another slice of bread on top of it, slice them in half and your ready to go!

Enjoy!

Tip: Fruit as a healthy snack

Often I hear from people that they experience difficulties with healthy snacks around 10.30 - 11 AM and 15.30-16 PM. However it can be really easy!!

1 piece of fruit of your choice and a handful of unroasted and unsalted nuts makes a perfect healthy snack!

The combination of fruit with unroasted and unsalted nuts prevents a rapid rise of your blood sugar levels due to the essential fatty acids in the nuts. By making sure that your blood sugar levels remain stable during the day you avoid low blood sugar levels that cause tiredness and hungry feelings. Additionally you avoid high insulin production which actually stimulates fat storage and prevents the breakdown of fats.

My favorite Red Pesto Pasta! (V)

On Tuesdays I always have Bootcamp so it is essential that I eat well and that it's a dish that is simple and quickly made after work. This pasta is my all time favorite pre-Bootcamp meal and really easy to make. As a bonus it's vegetarian!

Duration: 20 minutes

Amount of servings: 1

The ingredients:

• 80 gr whole wheat spelt pasta
• Homemade Red pesto
• 125 gr cherry tomatoes
• Handful fresh spinach leaves or arugula
• 40 gr feta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Handful roasted pine nuts
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius and boil 1 liter of water in your kettle.
2. Slice the cherry tomatoes in halve, put them in a baking dish and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, the oregano, some grated parmesan cheese and some extra virgin olive oil.
3. Put the baking dish with cherry tomatoes in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes so the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are soft and cook the spelt pasta for as long as it says on the package. (During this time you can make the red pesto if it isn't already in you refrigerator)
4. When the pasta is done, pour out the water and add your homemade red pesto to the pasta and mix it up until everything is covered. 
5. Add a handful of spinach leaves to your plate and put the pasta on top of it. Finish it of with the cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, some grated parmesan cheese and the roasted pine nuts and your delicious quick and easy vegetarian pasta is ready to be eaten!

Bon appétit!

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Nederlandse recept - Rode Pesto Pasta:

Tijd: 20 minuten

De ingrediënten:

• 80 g spelt pasta
• zelfgemaakte rode pesto
• 125 gr cherrytomaatjes
• Handje verse spinazie of rucola
• 40 g feta kaas
• 1/2 tl gedroogde oregano
• Handje geroosterde pijnboompitten
• Geraspte Parmezaanse kaas
• Olijfolie
• Zout & Peper

Bereiding:

1. Verwarm de oven voor op 175 graden Celsius.
2. Snijd de cherrytomaatjes door de helft en leg ze op de bolling in een ovenschaal. Besprenkel deze met zout, peper, oregano, geraspte Parmezaanse kaas en olijfolie. Zet de schaal in de oven voor zo’n 10 minuten (tot de pasta klaar is).
3. Kook de spelt pasta zoals aangegeven op de verpakking (Ik kook het water altijd in de waterkoker, scheelt hoop tijd)
4. Maak ondertussen de rode pesto
5. Giet de pasta af en roer de pesto erdoor heen.
6. Leg spinazie of rucola op het bord, pasta erop, tomaatjes uit de oven erop, rasp Parmezaanse kaas eroverheen en brokjes feta kaas en klaar om te serveren.

Eet smakelijk!

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Lunch Recipe: Kind of Greek Salad

This Greek salad is perfect to prep one day before so you can easily take it with you to the office! I like to do my salad prepping while I'm making my dinner so it doesn't take a whole lot of extra time!

Duration: 5-10 minutes

Amount of servings: 1

The ingredients for the salad:

• 50 gr corn salad
• 25 gr arugula
• 6 cherry tomatoes 
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1 sweet pepper
• 40 gr feta cheese
• pine nuts
• 1 boiled egg

The ingredients for the dressing:

• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch of salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Put the corn salad and arugula in an airtight box with cover so you can take it with you to work. 
2. Cut the tomatoes in four and the cucumber and onion in small pieces. Deseed the sweet pepper and cut into small strips and add everything in the box. Crumble over the feta cheese and put in the pine nuts.
3. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a small preserving box. Then put everything in the refrigerator.
4. When it's lunchtime drizzle the dressing over the salad and your ready to have lunch!

Enjoy!

Breakfast Recipe: Banana-Apple Oatmeal

For breakfast I really like to have oatmeal! So I wanted to share with you my favorite combination. Of course, making oatmeal takes a little bit longer than a simple yoghurt or slice of bread for breakfast but my trick on working days is that I cook the oatmeal and when it's time to let the oats soak for about 10 minutes I jump into the shower and my breakfast is done when I'm finished!

Duration: 15 minutes

Amount of servings: 1

The ingredients:

• 200 ml unsweetened almond milk
• 60 gr oatmeal
• 1 apple
• 1 banana
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• small handful of hazelnuts (about 6 grams)
• handful sunflower seeds (about 6 grams)
• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds

Directions:

1. Put the almond milk and oatmeal in a saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile slice up the apple and banana into small pieces and put 3/4 of the apple, 2/3 of the banana and the cinnamon in the saucepan with the oatmeal (after approximately 2 minutes).
3. After 5 minutes, turn of the heat and let it soak for about 10 minutes (and jump into the shower).
4. Crush the hazelnuts, put the oatmeal in a bowl, top off will the rest of the apple and banana, the crushed hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and flaxseeds.

 Enjoy this delicious breakfast! 

 

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Dinner Recipe: San Fran Quinoa Salad with Chicken

On workingdays I really prefer quick and easy recipes and I believe that Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals are perfect! Yes, the first two times you make the meal it takes a little bit longer than 15 minutes but practice makes perfect! What I also like about Jamie's recipes is that he uses fresh and organic products and with some small changes they make a perfect clean meal. I find his San Fran Quinoa Salad with chicken a perfect way to eat Quinoa! You can also leave out the chicken and then it's a delicious vegetarian recipe! 

Duration: 15-20 minutes

Amount of servings: 1

The ingredients for the quinoa salad (1 person serving):

• 100 gr white quinoa
• 100 gr spinach leaves
• 2 spring onions
• 1/2 bunch of fresh coriander
• 1/2 bunch of fresh mint
• 1 lime
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ripe avocado
• 50 gr feta cheese
• 1 tray cress
• 2 tbs natural yoghurt

The ingredients for the chicken:

• 1 skinless chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• olive oil
• 1 yellow paprika
• 1 sweet pepper

Directions:

1. Rinse the quinoa and put into a pan with boiling water and put the litt back on. 
2. Put the spinach, trimmed spring onions and coriander (reserving a few leaves) into the food processor, add in the torn mint leaves and chop everything fine. 
3. Slice the chicken into 2 cm parts and toss them with pepper, salt, allspice and smoked paprika untill everything is covered. 
4. Put the chicken into a frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and bake until 'blackened' and cooked through. 
5. Deseed the paprika and sweet pepper and cut them into stripes and add to the frying pan, toss regularly.
6. Pour the quinoa and put on your plate.
7. Toss in the chopped spinach mixture, sqeeze over the juice of the lime, add the extra virgin olive oil, mix well and season with salt & pepper to taste. 
8. Spread the baked paprika, sweet pointed pepper and chicken over the quinoa. 
9. Halve and destone the avocado and use a teaspoon to scoop curls of avocado over the salad.
10. Crumble over the feta and scatter over the remaining coriander leaves and the snipped cress. Serve with 2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt. 

Enjoy your meal!

Snack Recipe: Raw food bar

When I first started eating clean I found it very difficult what type of snacks I could eat in the morning and afternoon at work and I noticed that many other people have the same problem! After a long search I now found the recipe of a great raw food bar thanks to one of my friends. I make this on sundays' when my homemade granola is in the oven!

 Scroll down for the Dutch recipe

English recipe:

Duration: 10 minutes

Amount of servings: 5-8 bars depending on the size you like

The ingredients:

• 250 gr seedless dates
• 70 gr unsalted and unroasted nuts (I use a handful of hazelnuts, pecans, almonds and walnuts but any nuts of your choice will also suffice)
• 1 tbs sunflower seeds
• 1 tbs pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbs flaxseeds
• 3 tbs coconut grater

Directions: 

1. Put the seedless dates into your food processor and mince.
2. Place all the nuts and the sunflower and pumpkin seeds in the middle of a clean tea-towel, fold and smash the nuts with a dough roller. Or use a mortar to crush them but this is more time consuming. 
3. Put the minced dates, smashed nuts and all seeds in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of coconut grater and knead everything firmly together. 
4. Place some grease proof paper in a relatively small rectangular baking thin or baking dish. 
5. Put the mixture in the baking dish and make sure that the mixture covers the whole bottom of the dish. Use some extra grease proof paper to flatten the mixture so it doesn't stick to your hands. 
6. Then get the mixture out of the baking dish and cut into bars (5 large bars, or 8 smaller bars).
7. Drizzle each bar with the remaining coconut grater and wrap each bar separately in some aluminum foil.
8. Store them in your refrigerator until it's snack time!

Variation tip: add some cranberries for some sweetness or 2 figs!

Enjoy!

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Nederlands recept:

Duur: 10 minuten

Porties: 5 tot 8 repen (afhankelijk van hoe groot je ze wilt)

De ingrediënten:

•    250 gram pitloze dadels
• 70 gram ongezouten en ongebrande noten (ik gebruik een handvol hazelnoten, pecan noten, amandelen en walnoten. Maar je kan ook andere gebruiken​​)
• 1 eetlepel zonnebloempitten
• 1 eetlepel pompoenpitten
• 1 eetlepel lijnzaad
• 3 eetlepels kokos rasp

Bereiding:

1. Doe de dadels in de keukenmachine en hak deze klein.
2. Plaats alle noten en de zonnebloem en pompoenpitten in het midden van een schone theedoek, vouw en sla de noten met een deegroller klein. Je kunt ook een vijzel gebruiken, maar dit neemt meer tijd in beslag, of in de keukenmachine, maar niet alle keukenmachines vinden dit fijn.
3. Doe de gehakte dadels, gebroken noten en alle zaden in een grote kom met 1 eetlepel kokos rasp en kneed alles stevig in elkaar.
4. Doe een stuk bakpapier in een relatief kleine rechthoekige ovenschaal of brownievorm. Doe het dadel-noten mengsel in de ovenschaal op het bakpapier en zorg ervoor dat het over de gehele bodem verdeeld is. Gebruik het bakpapier dat nog buiten de schaal ‘hangt’ om het aan te drukken zodat het niet aan je handen plakt.
5. Haal het dan weer uit de schaal en maak er repen van in de gewenste grootte. Besprenkel elke reep met de rest van de kokosrasp en wikkel de bars afzonderlijk van elkaar in aluminiumfolie. Bewaar ze in de koelkast.
   

Eet smakelijk!

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Homemade Granola

On Sunday's I always like to do my meal prepping for the upcoming week. So today I want to share with you my favorite part, making my own granola! Of course it's easier and less time consuming to buy it at your local organic store, but I really prefer mine and I think you will too!

This granola is perfect with yoghurt, in your smoothie bowl or to top your parfait. But you can also eat it like cereal with milk and then of course preferable soy/rice/almond/coconut milk.

Duration: 25 minutes

The ingredients: 

• 150 gr oat flakes
• 100 gr buckwheat flakes, rye flakes or spelt flakes (your choice!)
• 60 gr almonds
• 40 gr hazelnuts 
• 40 gr pecans
• 30 gr sunflower seeds
• 30 gr pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed
• 3 tablespoons agave syrup
• 4 tablespoons of flaxseed oil
• 50 gr dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons coconut grater

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees of Celsius
2. Mix the oat flakes with the buckwheat or other  flakes and 3 tablespoons of agave syrup in a large bowl until everything is covered with agave syrup.
3. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet with grease proof paper and put in the oven for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, crush all the nuts into smaller pieces with your mortar and mix with the seeds.
5. After the 5 minutes, get the baking sheet out of the oven and add the nuts and seeds to the flakes and mix well! Cover everything with 4 tablespoons of flaxseed oil and put back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Stir halfway and check after 10 minutes whether it's done and the flakes are golden brown.
6. Cool down and put in an airtight jar and your homemade granola is ready! Preservable for about 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

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Lunch Recipe: Nourishing Salmon Salad with brown rice

For lunch I'm a huge fan of nourishing and delicious salads! Very easy to take with you to the office and keep in the refrigerator until it's lunchtime! Often colleagues of mine ask "Where do you get the time to prep such an amazing looking lunch in the morning?" Well the secret is Meal prepping on one or two nights before. 

If, for example, you have brown basmati rice for dinner one evening, just make a little bit more rice and when cooled down keep in the refrigerator and you can add it to a lunch salad any time that week!

Tip: on Sunday’s I roast a lot of pine nuts which I also keep in the refrigerator so I can add it anytime to a salad or dish during the upcoming week.

Duration: 10 minutes preparation

Amount of servings: 1

The ingredients for the salad:

• Left over brown basmati rice
• 50 grams corn salad (or the salad you prefer)
• 100 grams salmon fillet
• ½ avocado
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cucumber
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon of roasted pine nuts

The ingredients for the dressing:

• Bunch of basil
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon agave sirop

Directions:

1. For the dressing, add the basil, anchovy fillets, juice of the lemon, the extra virgin olive oil and a splash of water to your blender and blend until smooth. Put it in a small bowl and stir the red wine vinegar, mustard and agave sirop through. Store airtight in the refrigerator until the day you need it (max 2 days later).
2. Cut the cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Shred the salmon and mix this with the rice and salad in a bowl and also keep airtight in the refrigerator with the avocado.
3. When it's time to lunch slice up the avocado, add the pumpkin seeds and roasted pine nuts to the salad and finish off with the prepped dressing.

 Bon appétit!

Red pesto

The first recipe that I post on this blog must, of course, be my all time favorite homemade red pesto! I find it very handy to have this in my refrigerator because it is simply delicious on sandwiches but also makes a great super simple and easy pasta for day’s I’m late out of the office.

Duration: 5 minutes

The ingredients:

• 16 sundried tomatoes
• 40 grams pine nuts
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 15 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 table spoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Pick the thyme leaves and put them in your food processor together with the sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, garlic clove, dried oregano and 2 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil until it’s a relatively smooth puree.
2. Then add the remaining table spoon of extra virgin olive oil to the puree and mix until it’s a smooth paste!

The pesto will be preservable in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks in an airtight jar. Make sure you put a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on top!

Enjoy!

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................................................................................................................

Nederlandse recept - Rode Pesto :

Tijd: 5 minuten

De ingrediënten:

• 16 zongedroogde tomaten
• 40 g (geroosterde) pijnboompitten
• 1 teen knoflook
• 1 tl gedroogde oregano
• 15 takjes verse tijm
• 2 el extra vierge olijfolie
• zout & peper

Bereiding:

1. Pluk de blaadjes van de takjes tijm en doe deze in je keukenmachine samen met de zongedroogde tomaten, geroosterde pijnboompitten, teentje knoflook, oregano en 2 eetlepels extra vierge olijfolie and meng totdat het een relatief glad geheel is. 
2. Voeg dan de derde eetlepel olijfolie toe en meng nog een keer tot het een gladde pesto is.

De pesto is zo'n 2 weken in een weckpot houdbaar in de koelkast. Zorg dat je een klein laagje extra vierge olijfolie bovenop doet. 

Eet smakelijk!

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First post! About me

Hello! I'm Debbie, 25 years old and successfully combining a busy workweek with a fit and healthy lifestyle!

I live in the Netherlands (nearby Amsterdam) and I'm currently working on my PhD project in which I evaluate the implementation of multiple lifestyle interventions at the worksite. I studied Biomedical Science and Health Scienced so my interest (both personal as professional) has always been in the area of healthy living.

I always worked out for at least 2 times a week, but about 2 years ago I started with bootcamp twice a week which I find very addictive! Besides bootcamp I run once a week and do 15 minute exercises at home. In January of 2013, inspired by one of my best friends, I decided it was time that I started to eat healthy and clean. Now I'm really noticing the benefits thereof! I feel much fitter and my skin and concentration levels have improved. An additional advantage is that I lost some weight and got more muscle definition!

In this blog I want to share with you my secrets of healthy living besides work, my home workouts and my favorite clean recipes which are often quick and easy so perfect for after a long working day!