There are many versions of Shakshuka and, whichever one you choose, it is a meal or even a hearty snack that will not leave you disappointed.
One of my clients has recently sent me one of Ottolenghi’s recipes that was featured in his column in The Guardian earlier this year.
Firstly, I absolutely love Ottolenghi and his creative and modern twist on Middle Eastern cuisine. Secondly, I had some aubergines and did not want to see go to waste. And, to make it slightly more balanced and adopted for my clients needs, came out a delicious twist on a Shakshuka favourite, inspired by Ottolenghi.
Aubergine, Goats Cheese & Spinach Shakshuka
Aubergine, Goats Cheese & Spinach Shakshuka
INGREDIENTS:
2 Aubergines, peeled & cut into 1 cm round chunks
2 cans of chopped tomato
200 gr of goats cheese cut into 1 cm cubes (alternatively, use same amount of tofu/ tampeh or 3 eggs per person)
1 tablespoon of olive oil,
4 gloves of garlic, finely chopped,
100 gr of spinach, washed and chopped
season with cumin or garama masala, chilli flakes, black pepper, salt
garnish with coriander or basil
METHOD:
Heat the oven to its highest setting.
Peel and slice aubergines into 1 cm thick circle chunks, put on a baking tray, spray with olive oil and season with black pepper and little bit of salt. Roast for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized, oven proof frying pan on a medium – high heat. Once oil is hot, add garlic and cook stirring occasionally for up to 2 minutes.
Turn down the heat and add tomato, stir for 10 minutes and season with cumin or garama masala, black pepper and salt.
Once the sauce has thickened, stir in spinach and add aubergines. Top with goats cheese and then grill for 10 minutes or until cheese has softened.
Top with some basil or coriander and serve.
Enjoy and feel free to let me know how you found it!
I have recently read a quote “Success is never owned, it is rented and rent is due each day!”
This can not be more true when it comes to health as for most things in life.
While I have always managed my weight, with a little help of Herbalife Nutrition after my first pregnancy back in 2004, it was only in 2018 when I got myself into truly the best shape I have ever been in through increasing my exercise efforts (nothing too drastic, just effective) and zeroing-in on my nutrition even further.
My progress inspired many of my clients to take the same journey.
But, as I found out, nothing is ever final, we never reach a goal and are able to just keep it forever. We may reach a milestone, but we still need to do the work to stay there!
Has
it ever happened to you that You got to your goal and then took your
foot off the gas thinking it will last forever and it did not?
Or has life just happened?
It was the latter for me…
It is 10 months since my mum passed away as I write this. Her passing has triggered emotions and thought processes that went beyond her passing as I started questioning everything in my life… and, in the process, I lost myself as well as my health focus.
It is only now that I do feel like I am taking control back, voluntarily, happily.
Out of love for myself, not fear.
There is a need in me again to be the best version of me. For me.
I
finally have a vision again how I wish to come up in the world. It is
clear that I finally am able to stop myself from eating what does not
serve me, what I did not manage last few months. I was hoovering
everything in sight.. healthy and… not so much!
I took an honest look t myself and decided to do my 21 Day Challenge, starting on 1st Dec.
What a month to start, season of parties and events, but it was clear to me I was not prepared to do any more damage and, luckily, I do have the know-how to get back there.
What
is even more important is that I am more clear on what matters in life
and where I need to direct my energy for my family and myself to thrive
in all areas, starting with health.
Health & Fitness, or lack of it, is where everything else starts breaking down too.
My finances, relationships and mental health suffered as a result in a short few months o losing my focus, but, the moment I started taking care of myself – everything else starting mending very quickly, which is when I knew I was going towards a good place again.
Energy flows where focus goes…
I do not regret anything I went through last 10 months. It was an important part of my journey. I have allowed myself a time to grieve and it was an an experience that has taught me so much about myself.
Sometimes you have to break things before you are able to build something new, something better.
I love Japanese art of Kintsugi.
It is a skill of fixing broken pottery with lacquer and powdered gold. It is meant to embrace the flaws and imperfections, and to treat breakage and repair as part of the beautiful history of an object rather than something to be disguised.
It is about choosing to embrace our struggles and to repair ourselves with love as we become more beautiful for having been broken.
And
being broken and hurting, then dusting yourself off and getting up
again is what makes the climb to the best version of you incredibly
satisfying.
When
you are inspired by the quiet voice within you to take action and use
all your know-how to climb back up again and act in your own best
enlightened interest is exciting. An adrenaline in itself that pushes
you forward.
Everyone
is looking to be motivated. The truth is, unless you are your own best
motivator, everything and everyone else is just a crutch that can be
taken away any moment.
It is an illusion that someone can motivate you.
The truth is, someone CAN inspire you, but taking an inspired action comes from you, from deep within.
That is so clear to me now, in case it has not been before.
My wish for you is to never stop growing towards the best version of yourself, whatever that is for you.
Because you are worth it. Because it is worth it.
Because it has a positive effect on others around you too who may be in a desperate need for some inspiration. And this feels incredibly good.
Remember, whatever the challenge – you matter, you are enough and you are worth it!
If your idea of losing weight is still stuck on the old-fashioned calorie control approach – think again! Or worse – if you rely on your will power – think even harder (that is an exhaustive topic in its own right)!
Weight loss science has long evolved and weight loss has become what it always should have been – a lot more than a number on your scales, for sure.
World is slowly realising that successful weight management starts from within… from nourishing your body as well as mind. By being kinder to yourself from the thoughts and beliefs you have about yourself to being kinder to your body by giving it the nourishment in the right balance so it can thrive instead of being deprived.
We are finally learning, or at least appreciate that we need to educate ourselves, about our bodies and how it functions so that we can eat for health and longevity – and weight management will sort out itself. These days, we can literally abandon the scales knowing that we are good!
Good for our body’s health and that shape is nicely coming along too.
How about that for body positivity! Loving our bodies just the way they are whilst we are building them healthier and better so this vessel can serve us well in whatever our purpose in life is – to raise a healthy, happy family or change the world – which is, kind of, the same thing, don’t you think?
By focusing on what IS – we only perpetuate its existence. Focus on health and becoming the best vision of you – you may be surprised how far THAT takes you instead of being obsesses with the number on the scales!
If you are not there yet and feel you are somehow behind this attitude towards your own health and wellness, don’t worry. It is never too late to start the journey the right way. Perhaps, keeping on reading for starters…
So, how do you get from that place of feeling heavy, lethargic, knowing you are not taking good care of yourself to actually not only losing weight, but also having energy, feeling good about yourself, having spring in your step?
The answer is as simple as – to make your wellness goals a reality – nutrition is the key and, more importantly, eating to balance your hormones related to weight management and metabolism. In the process, it is about repairing diet-related inflammation that exists in the body. Quality over quantity, right? Equally, quality of food is not measured in calories, but what it does within the body – does it feed & nourish your cells or does it damage them.
When our hormones are unbalanced – we age faster, develop disease as well as put on weight as they play a critical role in how body gets energy from the foods that we eat, which is known as metabolism.
Achievement of any goals in our lives come down to our mindset. Health goals included. I have been working on this article a while, bit by bit, until it came together. It is a message to those who perhaps struggle at this point in time with their health and choices they make. I have seen a lot of struggle and I wish to tell you that you are not alone and there is hope.
If it was enough to just be told to “eat healthy”, advice we are given all the time (ambiguous as it is as it means different things to different people), everyone would be at their ideal weight and peak health. No, it is not easy, because it is a science and we are only human, so, try to feel less frustration and let’s focus on what we can do.
We all know we should choose, buy, eat healthier foods, however, unhealthy options can have such huge grip on us, until unhealthy habits are all we have. No wonder food gives us such anxiety.
Part of it, to a certain extent, is not necessarily even our fault. Do you know that the food companies employ food scientists who design foods with the exact ratio of fat, sugar and salt that gets us to the so-called “bliss point”? It is a point at which foods have such an appeal that we are begging for more. Foods with too much salt will cause us crave foods with sugar as body is seeking balance. And vice versa. Simple carbohydrates will make us crave just more of the same.
So, that is one issue and “easily” taken care of when we just decide not to touch foods we know are not good for us. Think cakes, biscuits, chocolate, sweets, crisps, ice cream, etc… Easy peasy, right? Well, it is not. It is much easier said than done because foods with a “bliss point” can make a food addict out of us. Sugar addiction is real. But so is smoking and there are people who decide to stop, smoke their final cigarette and never smoke again.
Being a great Health Coach is more than just possessing the knowledge to help others improve their health and sharing health quotes and pretty looking plates of food.
Those looking to make changes in their lifestyle are looking up to our profession for inspiration, so, our work needs to be “true love made visible” so it can have the power to make an impact on others, to touch them and inspire them to self-betterment and becoming better versions of themselves.
For me, Health Coaching is a calling.
People are looking up to us not just for our knowledge, but how authentic we are in our message. We need to be relatable, honest, real, with compassion and kindness for those who are struggling and yet have strength to tell them the truth, the way things are and reality of the journey ahead, not just give a lip service.
And we also need to have integrity to show up every day and be first in line who take inspired action in our own lifestyle to show what is possible, commit to our own self-betterment so we indeed can be great in our profession. Integrity is when we do the right thing when no one is watching. People can spot a fraud. We give it away in our energy or lack of it.
You can not fake authenticity. Authenticity is beautiful. There are people I follow because they are honest and authentic. It also takes skill to be able to communicate it right, but energy is always there and can not be faked.
This article is not just about to show what I do on a daily basis, something I am asked about all the time. Following Get.Healthy.With.Sanela on Instagram would pretty much answer that. I also wish to communicate something much deeper than my “dear diary”while I also give those who asked me what they were looking for.
