Recipes from The Menopause Diet: Recipes to reset the body and blast body fat, by Faye James.

The Menopause Diet: recipes to reset the body and blast body fat is a comprehensive guide to nourishing your body during perimenopause and menopause, a time when hormonal changes can make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight and feel your best.

Ingredients

1 cup wholewheat couscous

500g skinless chicken breast fillets, fat trimmed

2 tbsp Moroccan seasoning

300g can sweetcorn, drained and rinsed

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut into thirds, blanched

handful parsley leaves

handful mint leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp ground cumin

1 garlic clove, minced

60g feta cheese, crumbled

Method

1. Cook couscous according to packet instructions. Fluff with a fork and set aside

2. Meanwhile, rub chicken with Moroccan seasoning. Pan fry chicken for four to five minutes each side over medium-high heat or until cooked through. Set aside to rest for five minutes. Thickly slice chicken.

3. In a large bowl, combine couscous, corn, chickpeas, asparagus, parsley and mint.

4. In a jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, cumin, and minced garlic. Shake well to combine.

5. Drizzle couscous salad mix with dressing and toss to coat. Top with chicken and sprinkle with feta to serve.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 basa fillets

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp dukkah seasoning

4 red cabbage leaves

1/2 carrot, julienned

1/2 cucumber, julienned

1 tbsp tahini

1 lemon wedge

Method

1. Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill pan over medium heat.

2. Rub both sides of the basa fillets with the oil and dukkah. Grill for about two to three minutes on each side.

3. Remove from the grill and slice into pieces.

4. Fill the cabbage leaves with the fish, carrot and cucumber and drizzle with tahini and a squeeze of lemon.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

50g butter

1 small brown onion, diced

2 sticks celery, diced

250g mushrooms, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

50g cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup soy milk

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

200g tin salmon

salt and pepper, to taste

1 stale sourdough roll

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a casserole dish with a little butter.

2. Place a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat and add the remaining butter, onion and celery and saute for about five minutes until translucent. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for a further five minutes.

3. Add the sour cream, cream cheese and milk and bring to a simmer. Stir through the mozzarella cheese and remove the pan from the heat.

4. Add the salmon to the pan and stir through to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then spoon into the casserole dish. Top with the torn sourdough roll and sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top.

5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bread is golden brown.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups almond meal

100g vegan butter, melted

500g vegan cream cheese

300g vegan sour cream

1/2 cup silken tofu

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup passionfruit pulp

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

passionfruit and coconut flakes, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C

2. Process the almond meal and butter in a food processor, then line a 30cm springform pan with the mix.

3. Clean the food processor bowl then process the cream cheese, sour cream, tofu, maple syrup, passionfruit pulp and vanilla paste until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour the mix into the shell. Bake for 50 minutes. Allow to cool and refrigerate overnight.

5. To serve, top with more passionfruit and toasted coconut flakes.

Serves 8.