Celebrities from Beyoncé, Jay Z and Pharrell Williams to Jennifer Lopez have turned to fitness guru and nutritionist, Marco Borges, for foodie advice. And he’s sharing his knowledge with a new vegan recipe book that will change your life. Here’s what you can expect…
Borge’s recipe book ‘The 22 Day Revolution’ – which is a plant-based programme with the aim of losing up to 22 pounds in 22 days (!) if you stick with it, includes a foreword by Beyoncé Knowles herself. 'After having my daughter, I made a conscious effort to regain control of my health and my body. But I didn’t want to do a crash diet.' Knowles says. 'So I turned to no one other than my good friend and fitness and nutrition confidant, Margo Borges. I’ve worked with him for years to keep me on-track, motivated, and ahead of the health game.' Well if it works for Beyoncé…
Here are a few of Borges’s totally comforting, vegan recipes that you can find in his new book… Marilyn’s Mini Chocolate-Chip Muffins
Ingredients:
100g gluten-free oat flour 50g almond flour 50g millet flour (or more almond flour) 4 tbsp. flax meal (or ground chia seeds) ½ tsp. baking soda dash of cinnamon 125ml sweetened vanilla almond milk, warm 5 tbsp. maple syrup 3 tbsp. apple sauce 1 tbsp. coconut oil, warm (or rapeseed oil) 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar 1 tsp. vanilla 4 tbsp. vegan chocolate chips Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 160°C/gas 3 and lightly grease a mini muffin pan or line holes with paper muffin cases.
2. In a bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients. When adding the coconut oil, make sure the wet ingredients are at room temperature to prevent the coconut oil from hardening.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until consistency is smooth. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Generously pour batter into 12 mini muffin holes and top with extra chocolate chips (optional)
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until you can slide a knife into the centre and it comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool. Then transfer muffins to a wire rack to completely cool.
7. Store in an airtight container or in plastic wrap at room temperature for a few days, or refrigerate for a week. Can also be stored in the freezer for a few months.
8. Brownie muffin option: Add 2 tbsp. cocoa powder to the dry ingredient bowl plus 2 tbsp. maple syrup to the wet ingredient bowl.
9. Enjoy a healthy and nutritious muffin for a light breakfast or as a snack! Chickpea Sandwich
Ingredients:
2 slices of vegan, gluten-free bread 1 BPA-free can of chickpeas ¼ cup celery (chopped) ¼ cup carrots (shredded) 2 tbsp. canola mayo 1 tbsp. whole-grain mustard 1 romaine lettuce (head) 1 small tomato pinch ground pepper Instructions:
1. Place chickpeas, mayo and mustard in a food processor. Pulse a few times until blended well, but not too smooth. 2. Transfer to a bowl, and mix with the celery and carrots. 3. Place lettuce over toasted bread and top with chickpea spread. 4. Add tomato and a dash of pepper to finish. Gluten-Free Linguine with Tomato and Basil
Sometimes you just want to settle back with a bowl of pasta . . . and basil just makes it better. Basil, a member of the mint family, has been part of the human diet since the Greeks and the Romans discovered its pleasures (and that is just one of the reasons we think they have such great taste). The basil you will find at the market may have tasting notes of lemon, cinnamon or anise. Ingredients:
450g linguine (remember to look for healthier options, such as quinoa, brown rice, or other kind of gluten-free pasta) 4 liters water 6 large ripe tomatoes 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp. garlic, minced 18 basil leaves sea salt, to taste ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a large pan with a dash of sea salt over medium-high heat.
2. Wash and lightly chop tomatoes and basil leaves (half the portion) and add to the pan. Let cook for about 5–10 minutes until soft. Set aside to cool.
3. Place tomatoes in a blender (leaving pan aside for later use) and mix until smooth, or when desired consistency is reached.
4. Pour the sauce back into the pan on low heat, and add the remaining basil. Let cook for about 10 minutes, while preparing the pasta.
5. Bring 4 liters of water to a boil. Add a dash of salt, add the pasta, and stir. Cook for about 6–9 minutes, stirring frequently and making sure not to overcook.
6. Drain and rinse in a colander.
7. Add the pasta to the saucepan and gently toss together.
8. Cover over low heat for a few more minutes, then serve, top with basil, and enjoy. (Serves 4–6.)
All recipes taken extracted from ‘The 22-Day Revolution by Marco Borges,’ out now published by Yellow Kite, £14.99 © Marco Borges 2015