Summer recipes

The weather is heating up and sometimes we don't feel like really heavy hearty meals so today I'm going to share some lighter meals we can have which are just as filling and packed full of vitamins and minerals. Firstly there is breakfast and I've already said how much I love eating breakfast of late and have been obsessed with oats but coming into the warmer weather I don't feel like a hot breakfast and I'm not one to really eat cereal, at least not the healthy kind anyway. So smoothies it is! Smoothies are so easy to make, refreshing and you can have them on the go or as a smoothie bowl where you can sit, relax and enjoy. 

I was given a nutri bullet for Christmas last year and it is one of the best gifts I've ever been given. Makes smoothies extra easy, just put all the ingredients in and blend. Smoothie bowls have become increasingly popular of late with a number of restaurants and cafe's now adding them to their menu. I have attempted a few at home and this morning was my most successful. It's an easy way to get your daily fruit requirements plus pack in some veggies and protein as well as other nutrients. I'll put the recipe for the one below which is mixed berry. Depending on how big your appetite is will depend if it is 1 serve or 2. I had this as a post workout meal and only needed half the serve of the recipe below.

Recipe for Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl - serves 1-2
2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 cup coconut water
2 scoops protein powder
1/2 cup baby spinach
Place all ingredients in blender and blitz

topping:
handful of goji berries
1 tbls chia seeds
2 tbls shredded coconut

Another of my favourite meals at the moment is zoodles. For anyone who has not tried these it is substituting pasta for zucchini. All you need is a veggie spiraler which you can pick up at kmart for $15. You can then use this to turn vegetables into noodles. I've only done zucchini but you can do carrot, sweet potato or any vegetables that can fit in the spiraler. I find that the zucchini's make the dish lighter and you can add any sort of pasta topping you like. I prefer a vegetarian topping but depending on if I am making this meal for me or my whole family determines the type of topping I put on. In the picture above I have put a bolognase sauce (with extra vegetables) and in the one below which I will put the recipe for I have a vegetarian topping. 

Recipe serves 4
4 zucchini's 
3 cups mixed chopped vegetables - I use whatever I have in the fridge and it is usually the meal I make prior to market day
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbls tomato paste
Pepper to taste

Chop up all the vegetables and spiral the zucchini's 
Put water in a saucepan and bring to boil
While waiting for the water to boil heat oil in another saucepan and throw in all the vegetables, brown slightly
Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and pepper to the vegetable mix
Simmer away
Place zucchini with a pinch of salt into the boiled water
Cook zucchini for 5-8 minutes
Drain zucchini and split into 4 bowls
Place vegetable sauce on top

Enjoy

Simone xx