A (7)

48

july 2016

yogajournal.com.au

I’ve grown from an artificial-cheese-

nibbling girl to a balanced home chef

influenced and mentored by the pros. My

magical cooking abilities weren’t inherited –

they were learned. I taught chef Giada De

Laurentiis private yoga regularly for years;

we would stretch, strengthen, and talk about

everything and anything food. Giada

answered all my questions, from what I

should cook on a first date to how to make the

perfect birthday cake. Her encouragement

and tutelage pushed my cooking from a mere

hobby to a full-on love affair.

“Cooking can be a direct

gateway to the heart, but it’s

also the highway to health.”

This journey has expanded the

ingredients in my pantry, and it’s opened

my mind and heart. Cooking can be a direct

gateway to the heart, but it’s also the

highway to health. I want not only to help

people love their food, but to help them

understand it, where it comes from, and

how it serves them. The body and its

cellular makeup function just like a

machine. Think of yourself as a race car: If

you do not supply it with good fuel, it isn’t

going to function well. You need to fuel

your body properly, with organic,

nonprocessed food. Cut out processed

sugars and fillers. Focus on using ample

amounts of vegetables, fruits, good fats,

and proteins.

I must warn you, though – it’s easy to

get in over your head. Once you board the

healthy train, you may find yourself

wanting to eat only superfoods. You’ll feel

guilty if you eat a piece of cheese that isn’t

organic. This is when you should remember

the word ‘balance’.

While it’s my dream and wish to get

everyone to eat better and become educated

about where we get our food and how we

consume it, I don’t want it to consume us. I

want you to love your food without fear.

You shouldn’t feel guilty if you snack on

something that came out of a box. Be

healthy, make good choices, but don’t feel

bad about yourself when you decide you and

pizza are majorly overdue for a good date

night.

I’ve filled my new book,Aim True, with

tonnes of healthy recipes inspired by all of

my teachers, travels, and experiences to

make your life easier and more delicious.

Whether you make dinner at home on the

regular or use your oven for sweater storage

(bless your water-boiling heart), it’s time to

listen up and seduce your inner chef.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

1 bunch carrots, juiced

(or 1 cup carrot juice)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

½ cup savoury yeast flakes

1 Tbs. ghee

5 spring onions, diced

2 (400 g.) cans crushed tomatoes

2 Tbs. tomato paste

340 g. O-shaped pasta

Sea salt

In a juicer, juice carrots. In a blender,

blend almond milk and savoury yeast flakes

for 20 seconds. In a fryingpan, heat ghee

over medium heat.

Sauté spring onions for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, carrot juice, and tomato

paste and stir well; adjust the heat to

maintain a simmer and cook for an

additional 5 minutes. Add almond milk

mixture and simmer for 5–10 minutes.

Cook pasta as directed on package; drain.

Season the sauce with salt to taste and

serve it over the pasta. Remember,

you want an almost-soupy consistency,

so pour heavy.

NUTRITIONAL INFO 520 calories, 8 g fat

(3 g saturated), 92 g carbs, 13 g fibre,

25 g protein, 528 mg sodium

Not Your Childhood Pasta-Os

(pictured on page 46)

SERVES 4

SpaghettiOs was my favourite food growing up. I now think about that can of processed

pasta and quiver, yet still breathe a sigh of nostalgia for the good old days. Determined

not to let those little inner tubes of joy be deflated, I headed to the kitchen, armed with

organic ingredients. The resulting recipe will keep every child (and adult) on cloud nine.

Seriously, go make this right now.