It’s the start of a new year and we’re all coming off of a holiday filled with heavy, rich foods and indulgent celebrations. January is a chance to start fresh and detox a little.
We’ve got a few simple recipes that we created at Zest & Zing that embrace fresh ingredients, fewer steps, and healthy, detoxifying spices. That way, you don’t feel deprived as you kickstart a healthy 2019.
While elaborate, calorie-filled recipes might give you flavour, they’re often not as delicious as simple recipes with fewer, better ingredients.
Spices are packed with health benefits (we've written about them before) and they can help you detox from the holidays and add flavour to your meals with just a sprinkle.
Here are a few of our favourites:
If you try any of our recipes, snap a photo and be sure to tag us on Instagram or Facebook!
Warm soups are perfect for January and this one is filled with healthy vegetables that will leave you feeling satisfied and full. Not only will you get the benefits of tomatoes, lentils, and olive oil, but the spices make it a more nuanced and elevated dish. The fresh garlic contains antioxidants, detoxifying properties, and helps fight the common cold, while chilies are said to help detoxify cells and delay aging with their potent antioxidant properties (and perhaps even promote weight loss). This particular spicy soup contains the Calabrian chili, known for its unique fruity and spicy flavours.
Try this unlikely pairing if you’re looking for an easy side dish. Sumac is a ground red berry that ranks super high on the antioxidant chart, meaning that it has the power to fight free radicals that can cause heart disease, cancer, and signs of aging. Best of all, if you don’t love asparagus, you can try it on other vegetables or even roast chicken or fish. To get more of its effects, sprinkle it on your dips and spreads like hummus too for a tangy, lemony flavour. This simple sumac roasted asparagus is a great way to get started!
(By Joudie Kalla, from her new recipe book Baladi).
If you like mouthwatering recipes like this one, then we would recommend Joudie's new book, out now and available to buy from www.palestineonaplate.com. Buy the book to see what other spices from our collection you can use!
PIC © JAMIE ORLANDO SMITH
Everybody knows we should be trying to eat more sustainable fish and less meat these days, so we’ve got a few recipes to get you inspired, starting with salmon. These Salmon Skewers with Pomegranate Marinade give you sweet, spicy, and tangy flavours with all the benefits of a healthy fish and spicy chilies like Aleppo Pepper. We recommend serving them alongside a fresh salad of rocket, parsley, and preserved lemon with a healthy sprinkling of fruity sumac. For more salmon inspiration, you can also try our recipe for a simple Tandoori-Spiced Salmon Fillet.
It doesn’t get more simple and flavourful than this recipe for Cajun Spiced Cod Filets. Our Cajun seasoning blend contains garlic, chilli, paprika, white pepper, thyme, and oregano, so you'll get plenty of flavour with only one jar (rather than having to reach for multiple spices). This recipe only contains three other ingredients - the fish, lemons, and olive oil. If you’d prefer to try these flavours with shrimp, have a look at our Cajun Shrimp recipe which is just as simple but contains more flavours like ginger - a cleansing and anti-inflammatory spice - along with the addition of healthy cherry tomatoes.
This simple recipe is packed with healthy, aromatic spices to help you get 2019 started on the right foot. Turmeric - one of the most universally acclaimed spices for its health benefits - contains curcumin which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties to help cleanse the blood and liver. This delicious non-dairy latte recipe also contains cinnamon and ginger, both of which are packed with antioxidants. Aside from those spices, you’ll only need three ingredients - a nut butter and nut milk of your choosing and a little honey. It’s a great way to start off your day!
If you’re a breakfast person, this recipe for overnight oats is a great way to begin your day - and you can prep them ahead of time! You’ll get your antioxidants, iron, calcium, and manganese from the cinnamon, and our vanilla bean powder also provides amazing flavor and fragrance. Scientists also believe vanilla might be an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and it could even help boost mental health. Mix these spices with your favourite oats, almond milk, maple syrup, cashew butter, and chopped nuts if you like!
For more spices to help you with your New Year detox and healthy, simple recipes, shop Zest & Zing’s collection or browse our recipe collection!
