Recipes: Heal by Melissa Delport

Following the success of her debut book, WHOLE – Bowl Food for Balance , Melissa Delport delves deeper into health with her latest book, HEAL – Begin with Food . This book explores the reasons behind detrimental food choices, emphasising the link between emotions and nutrition. With nearly 100 recipes, the book advocates for mindful eating, providing delicious, guilt-free options crafted from nutritious whole foods. Whether vegetarian or vegan, the recipes can accommodate meat preferences. Each chapter includes health insights and reflective questions to enhance awareness of food choices. HEAL  serves as a guide to transforming one's relationship with food, promoting lasting change, and fostering vitality.

 

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JUMP TO RECIPE

Summer Slaw

Garden Haul

Veggie Casserole

Ultimate Veggie Curry

Cold Collective

 

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Summer Slaw

Mango, tomato & avo salad

 

“Combining textures and flavours can result in amazing salads, with this one being a prime example. The mango tastes like summer and its sweet taste is delicious in combination with the acidic tomatoes. The avocado adds a delectable creaminess.”

Serves: 2

Prep: 20 minutes

 

¼ red onion, finely sliced

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 medium-sized mangoes, peeled, pips removed, cut into chunks

300 grams cherry tomatoes (a variety of colours if possible), sliced and/or quartered

1 handful fresh coriander leaves, finely sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

juice of 1 lime

1 medium-sized avocado, peeled, pip removed, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 handful watercress

50 grams raw almonds, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

 

Place the onion slices and vinegar together in a small mixing bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.

Place the mangoes, tomatoes, coriander, garlic, lime juice, avocado and olive oil in a separate mixing bowl. Add the onion slices, season to taste and gently toss everything together.

Transfer to a salad bowl and serve topped with the watercress, almonds and sunflower seeds. Garnish with edible flowers, if desired.

 

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Garden Haul

Roasted Tomatoes & Chickpeas

 

“In terms of Ayurveda, brown rice was recommended to work for my digestive system, and as I delved in, I learnt it did. I feel satisfied after eating this dish because adding rice to a salad can make a meal that is often associated with light or small portions more substantial. Play around with different grains and pair them with fresh ingredients for a more dynamic and hearty salad.”

 

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

 

250g chickpeas, cooked

300g courgettes, cut into 2 cm pieces

400g cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon coconut oil

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper salt and pepper

1 cup uncooked wild brown rice

2 handfuls rocket

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pip removed, sliced

1 tablespoon buckwheat

1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

 

DRESSING

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon tahini

1 teaspoon honey

juice of 1 medium-sized lemon

 

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

Place the chickpeas, courgettes and cherry tomatoes into a large roasting tray and coat them with the coconut oil. Add the turmeric and cayenne pepper and toss until evenly covered. Season and pop into the oven for 35-45 minutes or until all the veggies are golden brown and soft. Keep an eye on them so that the chickpeas don't burn and toss the veggies at the halfway point.

Cook the wild rice as per the packet instructions. Once ready, set aside. Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

Once the veggies are ready, remove them from the oven. Add the wild rice to the roasting tray along with the dressing, rocket and nutritional yeast. Mix together until well combined.

Transfer the salad to your serving dish. Top with the avo and sprinkle over the buckwheat and pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.

 

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Veggie Casserole

with spinach and cashew cream

 

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

 

Place the onions and tomatoes onto a large baking tray and toss them with the coconut oil. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes, add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Pop the tray into the oven and roast for 30 minutes until the tomatoes are golden and gooey. (Leave the oven on, to roast the potatoes a bit later.)

 

Meanwhile, add the potatoes to a large saucepan of salted boiling water and boil for 12  –  15 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. You don’t want to overcook them so that they are too soft. Once cooked through, drain and set aside.

 

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a griddle pan over medium heat until hot and then add the aubergines. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes per side until charred. You’ll need to do this in batches. Once they are ready, pop them onto a plate, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

 

Place the boiled potatoes into a deep roasting dish and squash them flat with the back of a fork, forming a solid layer. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with the oregano and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Pop the potatoes into the oven and roast for 15 minutes while you make the cashew cream.

 

For the cashew cream, add the cashew nuts and 3 tablespoons of the soaking water to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until you get a thick creamy sauce. You can add an extra tablespoon olive oil to help it along if need be.

 

Now you are ready to assemble your veggie bake. Remove the potatoes from the oven and add an even layer of the broccoli on top. Sprinkle the kale over the broccoli to create the next layer. Overlap the aubergines for the next layer. Add the tomatoes and onions and smooth them out with the back of a wooden spoon, making sure all the veggies are covered.

 

Pour the cashew cream over the tomato layer and spread out evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pop the bake into the oven for 30 – 35 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.

 

Top with the toasted pumpkin seeds and a crack of black pepper and serve.

 

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Ultimate Veggie Curry

Butter Chickpea and Tofu

 

“Tofu is made from fermented soya beans, and you can find it at Asian supermarkets or your local health store. For this recipe, I recommend buying a GMO-free, firmer tofu as you want to fry it up so that it gets crispy. Not all tofu is created equal, so try them out and find the one that works best for you. Tofu will take on the flavour of what you cook it in, so although it can be perceived as bland if not cooked correctly, it can also be absolutely incredible when submerged in surrounding flavours. It is also naturally high in protein and a wonderful substitute for many meat products.”

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 min

 

 

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 Tbsp coconut oil

250 grams tofu (or paneer), cubed

¾ cup raw cashew nuts, roasted

1¾ cups coconut milk

3 Tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup Greek yoghurt or coconut cream

½ red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 tsp curry powder

3 Tbsp Massaman or red curry paste

2 Tbsp Garam masala

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

½ teaspoon salt

250 grams chickpeas, cooked

250 grams tender-stem broccoli

1 handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

 

Cook the rice as per the packet instructions. Once the water has evaporated, remove from the heat and set aside with the lid on to steam.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook for roughly 3 minutes per side until crispy. Once ready, remove from the heat, drain on paper towel and set aside.

Place the roasted cashew nuts, coconut milk, tomato paste, yoghurt or coconut cream and ½ cup water into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Using the same frying pan from the tofu, heat the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 5 minutes until the onion starts to caramelise.

Add the curry powder, curry paste, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt and cook for another minute to release the fragrance of the spices. Once ready, pour in the cashew sauce and mix well. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water to help it along.

Once the flavours have developed, stir in the tofu and the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the broccoli and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Serve a generous ladle of curry with a helping of rice or naan bread and top with fresh coriander leaves and a crack of black pepper.

 

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Cold Collective

A Nest of Nice Creams

 

“Nice cream is my go-to indulgence. I always have frozen banana in the freezer and using that as a base means that you can really go wild with different flavours. From chocolate and peanut butter to fresh fruity flavours there is a little something for everyone. They are also wonderful to share with children as they are sweet and high in potassium, so you are winning either way with nutrients and happy smiles.”

 

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Freezing time: 2-3 hours

 

DRAGON FRUIT

1 cup pink dragon fruit, cubed

7 bananas, peeled and frozen

2 medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon cacao nibs or dairy­ free dark chocolate chips

 

PASSION FRUIT

7 bananas, peeled and frozen

1 small handful fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup coconut milk

pulp from 8 passion fruit

 

MANGO AND BERRIES

1 cup frozen mango

2 bananas, peeled and frozen (optional - if you wish to omit the banana, add 1 more cup of mango)

½ cup frozen raspberries

1/5 cup frozen blueberries

squeeze of fresh lime

1/4 cup coconut milk

 

TAHINI PINEAPPLE

6 tablespoons tahini

7 bananas, peeled and frozen

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

½ cup almond milk

2 medjool dates, pitted

60 grams dried or fresh pineapple, chopped into small pieces

 

DRAGON FRUIT

Place the dragon fruit, bananas, dates, coconut milk and maple syrup into a high-speed food processor and blend together. Once creamy, add the cocoa nibs or chocolate chips and pulse until evenly distributed in the nice cream. You don't want to chop these up too finely. Spoon the nice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours.

 

PASSION FRUIT

Place the bananas, mint and coconut milk into a high-speed food processor and blend until creamy. Fold through the passion fruit pulp and spoon the mixture into a freezer-safe container. Smooth the top of the nice cream and pop it into the freezer for 2 hours. Serve with a dollop of passion fruit pulp, if desired.

 

MANGO AND BERRIES

Place all the ingredients into a high-speed food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Spoon the nice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours.

 

TAHINI PINEAPPLE

Place the tahini, bananas, maple syrup, vanilla paste and almond milk into a high-speed food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the dates and pineapple and pulse until bits of fruit are mixed in. Don't blend them completely. Spoon the nice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours. Sprinkle over some chia seeds when serving, if desired.

 

Recipes extracted from Heal - Begin With Food  by Melissa Delport, out now.

 

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