Do you want to wake up feeling the best you have ever felt? I guess the answer would be yes! Well, it’s totally possible and let me tell you how
It all started back during the Covid lockdown in 2020 when I was looking through a cookbook and came across a chef called Chef Cynthia Louise. After a Google search, I discovered that she was Plant-Based and lived in Bali, Indonesia.
I sent her an email not expecting to hear back, however much to my surprise she not only responded to my email but we struck up a friendship over time. She now mentors my business LOTTA LOVE and has helped me to develop my business which is based in my home in Whitianga. I have a registered kitchen with MPI for Plant-Based Food only and I am working on expanding into take-home meals as well as ice cream and other goodies. If you have been down to the local markets in town you probably would have seen me – and thank you if you have stopped by to purchase a product or just stopped for a chat.
I visited Cynthia Louise in Bali and it was lovely to meet her in person! I attended a Nourish Retreat with two other ladies, one from Australia and one from the US and we learnt so much about the culture of Bali as well as cooking classes and field trips where I got to taste the most amazing Plant Food that just blew my mind.
Good health is not only about good nutrition but also physical health and emotional well-being – when all of these elements are working optimally we are #thriving and our potential is endless. I get excited knowing that summer is coming and all the beautiful fruits and vegetables that are in season. There’s a rainbow of salads and fruits on offer!
A recipe that I learnt to make at the Nourish Retreat in Bali is a lovely simple salad that is not only refreshing but good on your gut. A great dish for a summer barbecue or a simple dinner and so easy to make.
Coconut is a feature in this recipe, which is especially high in manganese, an essential mineral for bone health and the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and cholesterol. Coconuts are also rich in copper and iron which help to form red blood cells as well as selenium, an important antioxidant that protects your cells.
LAWAR
250g long green beans or standard green beans finely chopped
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2 red shallots or ½ red onion sliced thinly
1 red chilli cut into long strips
1 cup of freshly-grated hard coconut
1 tsp salt
1 fresh lime, juiced
¼ cup of coconut oil for frying
Handful of bean sprouts
Method
1- Add the coconut oil to a pan on medium heat, allow this to heat up then add the slices of garlic, chilli and shallot and cook till a little golden in colour (do not over brown) then remove and drain on kitchen paper.
2- Blanch the beans until just cooked and the bean sprouts
3- Add all your ingredients to a bowl and mix well with clean hands, season with a little bit of salt and pepper, squeeze lime juice over the top.
Serve and enjoy.
Serves about 4 to 6, depending how hungry you are.
Tanya Arnold – lottalove.co.nz
