Had a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend at Glenbrook in Margaret River for a Dru yoga retreat.   I find yoga and meditation really help with my digestion issues as sure they are stress related.   I urge you to check out the High Aspirations website here for Dru Yoga retreats or Dru Yoga Australia website for further information.

Yoga Art!

We also did some art with Chris Skeggs, check out her website here.   Some of my thyroid issues can be related to stifled creativity so the art work focusing on the throat chakra and colour blue were very releasing!

Gluten Free Lemon & Almond Cake

Thank you also to Nirala for the wonderful, nourishing gluten free food over the weekend.   Delicious Indian food, delectable Green Goddess salad dressing and my favourite a Lemon and Almond Cake which was delicious with a spoonful of greek yoghurt.   Visit Nirala’s blog “From Potions to Pesto” here for the recipe.   A wonderful blog that embraces all the philosophies that I would like to adopt for my health.

Yoga gals at Yahava!

On the way home from the retreat we stopped off for a coffee at Yahava in Margaret River and while there checked out Cookies Galore right next door.   I sampled some very delicious and crisp gluten free biscuits and by far my favourite were the lemon yo-yo’s.   Check out Cookies Galore website here.

Aubrey had the need for some lasagne and I am doing Weight Watchers so as a compromise made the Vegetarian Lasagne from Cyndi O’Meara cookbook using the Thermomix.   It is delicious and makes plenty of leftovers!

Gluten Free Vegetarian Lasagne

150g Mozzarella
85g Parmesan
650g Ricotta
1 tbsp Butter
250g Mushrooms
1 Onion
4 Garlic cloves
1cm Ginger
1 Red Chilli deseeded
3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 x 400g Tinned Tomatoes
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 Sweet Potato
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 400g Tinned Kidney Beans drained & rinsed
400g Gluten Free Lasagne sheets

Peel and thinly slice the sweet potato and place on Varoma tray and set aside.
Place Mozzarella and Parmesan into TM bowl and grate for 10 seconds on speed 5. Set aside.
Place mushrooms in TM bowl and chop by pressing turbo button once or twice. Add butter and saute for 3 minutes on 90 degrees celsius on reverse + speed 1. Set aside.
Place onion, garlic, chilli and ginger in TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7.
Add olive oil and saute for 3 minutes on 90 degrees celsius on speed 1.
Add tomatoes and salt to bowl and place the Varoma with sweet potato into position. Cook for 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 3.
Add the mushrooms, kidney beans and herbs into the sauce and stir with spatula.
Assemble lasagne in layers in a baking dish begin with sauce followed by lasagne sheets, sauce, sweet potato and cheeses.
Bake in preheated oven at 160 degrees celsius for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden.

Thank goodness coffee is gluten free!   We bought a new Nespresso machine this weekend.   Made myself an iced coffee as too hot for cappuccino today.   Nespresso has some new flavours, check out the website here, so made a couple of shots of vanilla and caramel coffee and put in fridge too cool.   Added ice cubes, coffee and 250ml of skim milk to the Thermomix and made a coffee slushy!    Tasted delicious and cold.   If like iced coffee sweeter added some organic raw sugar when blending.

Weight Watchers ProPoints = 2 (without the sugar!)

New Nespresso CitiZ machine

Went down to Busselton to kayak in the bay near the jetty.    Worked up an appetite for Goa Curry, visit their website here.   I had a thali meal with lamb rogan josh, vegetable korma, kuchumbar salad and basmati rice.   Delicious!   Most items on the menu except the naan bread are gluten free.   There is a shop in Dunsborough and I hope one opens in Bunbury sometime soon!

Gluten Free Thali

Mash Brasserie has a new menu and team of chefs and despite being a brewery and no gluten free beer there is gluten free options on the menu.   We went out for midweek dinner and I had the Cajun Kangaroo Loin with Sun Dried Tomato, Cashew Butter, Kumara Chips and Smoked Chilli Hollandaise.   It was delicious and beyond my expectations!   There were a number of other gluten free options including salmon and paella.   Check out Mash website here.

Cajun Kangaroo!

I felt like a tart today!    Used the Pastry Pantry shortcrust gluten free pastry that you can buy at Coles.   Check out Pastry Pantry website here.

1 sheet of pastry (thawed)
1 bag baby spinach (washed & drained)
1 block fetta cheese (crumbled)
4 spring onions (sliced)
1 spanish onion (chopped finely)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
dill (snipped)
caramelised onion
salt & pepper to taste

Visit Pastry Pantry site here to learn how to blind bake the gluten free pastry.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
In frying pan melt butter and saute garlic, onion and spring onion.
Add baby spinach to pan till just wilted.
Stir through fetta cheese.
In separate bowl whisk eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper.
Add baby spinach mixture to the pastry shell and top with egg/milk mixture. Top with dill and caramelised onion.
Bake tart for 20 minutes. Leave tart to cool slightly and set before serving with a garden salad.

Gluten Free Tart

I finally got around to making a cocktail in the Thermomix.    It has been very hot in Bunbury and need something refreshing so made Mango Margaritas

1 frozen mango cheek
1 shot of tequila
1 shot of grand marnier
1 shot of lime juice
orange juice to taste
handful of ice cubes

Blend all ingredients in the Thermomix on speed 8 for 20 seconds.   Add more orange juice if too icy.   Garnish with lime wedge.

Mango Margarita

It is hot and I am back to work tomorrow and had enough carrot and celery sticks with hummus so was searching for some else light and healthy.   Thanks to Gluten Free Scallywag for reminding me about rice paper rolls.   I made mine with prawns and smoked salmon.   Visit Gluten Free Scallywag here for the recipe.

Gluten Free Rice Paper Rolls

Check out Gluten Free Aussie Girl’s blog for her top 10 tips on being gluten free here.  It is a great list and I agree wholeheartedly especially about making naturally gluten free food and cooking quality food as opposed to junk and processed food.

I have discovered I love nougat and they can often be gluten free, of course always check the ingredients.   Two of my favourites are Nougat Limar and Rochelle Adonis nougat.   Over Christmas I bought some Rochelle Adonis Rose Petal Barberry Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Macadamia Orange Ginger and they are beautifully presented in their boxes and look exquisite  – almost too good to eat!   While they had good flavour I found them a little dry and crumbly and too sweet but still were very nice with a short black!

GF Nougat Selection!

I definitely prefer the Nougat Limar and my favourite is the Cherry Cranberry Pistachio but I was given a gift from work of the Chocolate Pistachio and it was also delicious.   The nougat is a creamy french-style soft nougat and is less sweet than most nougat and also low in saturated fat and crammed with nuts mainly almonds or pistachios.

Both nougats can be bought locally in Bunbury at Tastefully Yours.