Turbo-charge your immune system with these simple recipes designed for Sunday People readers by Body Rescue Plan author Christianne Wolff.
For 20 years, the celebrity trainer has been putting people on a healthier path through clean eating.
Her tasty recipes are packed with immune-boosting red peppers, ginger, citrus fruits, broccoli, garlic, spinach, yogurt, almonds, seeds and turmeric.
“You’ll get these foods into your body without even having to think about it,” Christianne says. “These key ingredients can help lower the inflammation and stress in your body, which is key to wellness.
“Booze and a lot of processed sugars reduce your effectiveness at warding off colds and viruses.”
So get the online shopping order in – and let your meals give you a lift.
BREAKFAST
Homemade muesli
Immune booster: Sunflower seeds
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 4½ oz / 128g oats
- 3½ oz / 90g chopped dates
- 3½ oz / 90g chopped walnuts and pecans
- 1½ oz / 40g milled flax seeds
- 1½ oz / 40g sunflower seeds
- 2½ oz / 75g raisins
- plain yogurt or fromage frais to serve
Method
1. Melt the coconut oil in a wok or frying pan.
2. Place all the ingredients into the pan and cook, stirring continually, for six minutes.
3 Store your muesli in an airtight container.
4 Serve a handful on some plain yogurt or fromage frais.
Recipe note
Milled flax seeds are high in omega 3, and have been proven to help you lose weight.
Carrot, apple and citrus smoothie
Immune booster: Apple and orange
Serves 1
Ingredients
2 large carrots, 1 apple, 1 orange, 1 banana.
Method
1. Process the carrots and apple through a juicer and squeeze the orange
2. Put the juices in a blender with the banana and blend into a delicious smoothie
LUNCH
Roasted red pepper soup
Immune boosters: Red pepper, garlic
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 red peppers, olive oil
- 2 pints vegetable stock or water
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
- 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
- large handful of fresh basil leaves, salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas Mark 6 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Remove the stalks from the peppers, cut into quarters and remove the seeds.
Brush with olive oil and put on the baking tray. Bake for five minutes or so until the skins begin to char.
Remove from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle, put them into a plastic bag and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, put the stock and the prepared vegetables into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for five or six minutes then turn down the heat and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
4. By now, the peppers should have cooled. Take them out of the bag and peel off their charred skin.
It should come away easily. Then roughly chop the flesh.
5. Add the chopped peppers and the tinned tomatoes to the saucepan. Simmer for a further five minutes or so until the vegetables are tender.
6. Remove from the heat and add the fresh basil. Allow to cool, then puree until smooth. Reheat as necessary and season with salt and pepper.
Broccoli, raisin and nut salad
Immune boosters: Broccoli, ginger
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz / 400g green beans, ends cut
- 20oz / 560g broccoli
- 7 oz / 200g cabbage, shredded
- 1.6 oz / 50g raisins
- 2 oz / 60g spring onion
- 3tbsp peanuts or almonds, chopped
For the dressing
- 2oz / 60g peanut butter
- 2tbsp coconut oil
- 2tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1tbsp soy sauce
- 1tsp agave syrup
- ½tsp ginger, minced
Method
1. In a medium saucepan, boil water over high heat. Once boiling, place the green beans in the pan and let boil for five minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat, drain, and let sit for a few minutes to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients.
3. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.
Recipe note
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flavours develop.
DINNER
Sweet potato, lentil and coconut curry
Immune boosters: Turmeric, lemon, ginger
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- a handful of fresh coriander leaves
- 2 large cans of coconut milk
- 2 large cans of tinned tomatoes
- 1tbsp of turmeric
- 1tbsp cumin
- 1tbsp of ground ginger
- 1lb / 500g of lentils
- 20 black olives (or however many you would prefer)
- salt and pepper
- juice of 1 lemon
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes into small bite-sized cubes and finely chop the coriander.
3. Place the coconut milk, tomatoes, turmeric, cumin and ground ginger in a large saucepan (or even better, a Le Creuset-style cast iron casserole dish). Allow the ingredients to heat until they begin bubbling. At this point, add the sweet potato cubes, lentils, olives and coriander, plus salt and pepper.
4. Once everything is mixed, simply place the lid on the pot and place it in the oven to cook for about an hour, until the potatoes are soft and everything tastes delicious. Squeeze in the lemon juice, then serve.
Recipe note
If you are making rice, put it on to boil while the pot is in the oven. Time it so the two finish cooking at the same time.
Salmon steaks and green salad
Immune boosters: Salmon, lemon, fennel
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 salmon steaks
- juice of a lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Little Gem lettuce, washed, dried and chopped
- ½ cucumber, finely sliced
- 2 stalks celery, finely sliced
- 1 bulb fennel, sliced
Method
1.Place the salmon steaks in a baking dish lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 200C/390F/Gas Mark 6 for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Combine the ingredients and the dress it with lemon juice.
4. Serve your salmon steaks with the green salad.
SNACKS
Blueberry bars
Immune boosters: Blueberry, almonds, chia seeds.
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 12 dates, pitted and halved
- ½ cup warm water
- 4 tbsp almond butter
- 3½ oz / 90g rolled oats
- 1½ oz / 40g dried blueberries
- 1.3 oz /35g almonds, chopped
- 1 oz / 30g desiccated coconut
- 1 oz / 30g chia seeds
Method
1. Line a square baking pan with parchment and grease the paper with coconut oil.
2. Combine the dates and warm water in a small bowl. Leave to stand for 10 minutes until the dates are soft. Drain and dry with a paper towel.
3. Place the dates and almond butter in a food processor and mix until a paste is formed. Transfer this to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the oats, blueberries, almonds, coconut and chia seeds to the date mixture and mix well.
5. Transfer the mixture to the baking pan and spread it evenly. Place in the refrigerator for one hour to chill.
6. Once chilled, lift the mixture from the pan and cut into eight bars.
Sweet potato brownies
Immune boosters: Cacao, honey, almonds, sweet potato
Makes 5 brownies
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
- 7 dates
- 1 handful sesame seeds
- 4oz / 120g of ground almonds
- 2 oz / 60g of buckwheat flour
- 2 tbsp raw cacao
- 2tbsp honey
- 1 pinch of salt
Method
1. Put the oven on at 180C/350F/Mark 4.
2.Peel and cut the sweet potatoes and cook till they are soft (steam or bake). Then add the dates and sweet potato to a blender for a yummy mix. Tip into a bowl.
3. Now add all the other ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
4. Divide into 5 patties, place on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes. When you take them out, let them stand for at least 10 minutes to cool down or they may fall apart.
