HEAVENLY & HEALTHY
THE BROOKDALE EXPERIENCE

Brookdale celebrates their 15th anniversary of one of South Africa's most fulfilling health hydro experiences. For Tony and Wendy Somers- Cox and their dedicated staff, Brookdale has become a way of life; sensible, balanced and sustainable. Embracing the hydro's philosophy of sharing, encouraging people to take control of their health.

Eating food in a whole and natural state is a substantial part of the Brookdale message. Having less refined, processed, preserved, coloured ingredients, keeping it as pure and simple as possible, remembering that the most severe loss of nutrients results from food refinement and cooking. 

Tempting fresh and stewed fruit, salads and vegetables, cooked lightly to retain nutritional value. These are packed with health promoting goodness. 

A fruit and vegetable habit is one to cultivate. 

Basically the Brookdale approach to diet is introducing you to an all round healthy approach to eating that is sustainable.

The straight talk from the Brookdale team is that breakfast is an essential kickstart for the day, this means choosing from fresh fruit, low fat yoghurt, wholegrain toast, oats porridge, cottage cheese, a meusli muffin or an egg and herbal tea.

BREAKFAST OAT CAKE

3 cups of oats
½ cup dried apricots
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
½ cup oil
2 eggs
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup flaked almonds
(Serves 12)

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the milk, oil, eggs and brown sugar. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir well. Pour into greased baking dish and allow to stand overnight. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake @ 180ºC for 20 minutes. Portion and serve with yogurt.

Note the oil content is high in this dish so practice portion control. This must be refrigerated and can also be frozen in portions.

Smoothies are a great meal for people on the run. Add a few nuts and seeds to help sustain you through the day.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS WITH CHEESE OR CREAM CHEESE

1 ¼ cups self –raising flour
1 cup bran
½ cup wholewheat flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
¼ cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup fresh blueberries
(Makes 12 muffins)

Sieve the self-raising flour and mix with the bran, wholewheat flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and sugar. Add the milk, oil, eggs and blueberries, mixing well. (This mixture keeps for days in the fridge.) 

Spoon the mixture into a muffin tray and bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 190ºC in a pre-heated oven.

Serve freshly baked muffins with grated mozzarella or cream cheese. You can also pipe the cream cheese on the muffins like icing.

CHARRED RED PEPPER & TOMATO SOUP

1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 red peppers, blackened, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 whole peeled tomato, chopped
1 sprig thyme
¼ cup cream cheese chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste
(Serves 4)

Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic, peppers, tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, stock and thyme. Cook for a further 15 minutes, season and blend.

Serve topped with a tablespoon of cream cheese and chives.

An important point to remember is that 80% of their calories is eaten after four in the afternoon, unless we are exercising this is the time we slow down and relax so people skip breakfast and lunch and start collecting kilos as their only meal of the day. This is a time where you can end up consuming more calories than if you had three

MARINATED OSTRICH FILLET

4 ostrich medallions approx 120 g
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
2 - 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced coarsely ground black pepper fresh rosemary
sea salt to taste

Combine the ingredients and marinate the ostrich, preferably overnight. Rub with salt. Sear the ostrich by placing on a heated griddle pan and cooking for a minute on both sides. Transfer onto a baking tray and cook at 200ºC for a couple of minutes.

This could be served with almost anything from salad to roast sweet potato purée.

ASPARAGUS

8 - 10 asparagus spears per person

Blanch asparagus then season slightly. Cook this at the last minute to keep the colour bright.

MUSTARD MASH

3 large boiling potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
½ cup skim milk
salt and pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Boil in salted water until soft, drain well. Mash together with mustard and milk.

Yo-yoing of blood sugars causes short term problems of tiredness, mood swings and poor concentration leading to long term health problems. Avoid this by changing your eating patterns using more grains, pulses and certain fruits that release sugar more gradually into the blood. In general, at Brookdale, they aim at a variety of food, particularly whole foods and 35 portions of food and vegetables per week, less animal fat, less sugar, less salt and alcohol in moderation. And most importantly you are encouraged to drink water, about 8 glasses a day!

GRILLED POLENTA WEDGES

3 cups of water
2 cups milk
1 packet polenta (550g)
1 ½ cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
(Serves 6)

Bring the water and milk to the boil. Add the polenta, salt and pepper. Let the polenta simmer for about 10 minutes or until cooked, then take off the heat and add the parmesan cheese. 

Pour the polenta into a prepared baking tray and let it set. Cut the polenta into wedges and grill on a griddle pan. Arrange on a plate with the pickled cucumber and yoghurt dressing. Roast some cherry tomatoes to use as garnish.

This dish can be served with honey and mustard marinated chicken or vegetable kebabs and a fresh green salad. For the marinade, just mix together olive oil, wholegrain mustard, pepper fresh herbs, lemons juice and honey.

PICKLED CUCUMBER

1 cucumber, seeds removed and shredded or grated
¼ cup raspberry vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chilli, chopped and seeds removed

Mix all the ingredients together and let them infuse for about 2 hours.

SPRING ONION &  MINT YOGHURT DRESSING

2 cups plain low fat yoghurt
1 cup mixed Italian parsley, mint and spring onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together. Easy!