Superfood is the buzzword when it comes to health and healthy cooking. You see it everywhere. But what does it actually mean ... and which foods have super qualities?
Rena Patten has written many cookbooks and after 20 years in the kitchen has plenty of understanding of what's good and how it works.
She has just put together her own superfoods book, Superfoods: 7 essential ingredients for living well.
Rena's seven ingredients didn't look appealing to me at all -- until I opened her book.
I asked Rena some questions.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A SUPERFOOD?
To me a superfood is one that is packed with lots of highly powerful anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and other nutrients that are not only supposed to keep you healthy from the inside out but may also help ward off diseases.
It's a term given to foods that are considered to be beneficial to health by providing nutrients that nourish the body, without having any side-effects or using supplements or drugs.
Superfoods are natural and pure foods that are not packed with preservatives, additives, colours or enhancers.
YOU HAVE SELECTED SEVEN ESSENTIAL SUPERFOODS. WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THEM?
Quinoa, broccoli, kale, chia, amaranth, seaweed and raw cacao. I picked food that I was familiar with and that I was comfortable cooking.
Quinoa was always going to be an automatic choice as I have already written three cookbooks on quinoa, which these days is considered a major superfood.
With that in mind I wanted to include other ancient grains as well as other foods that we are all familiar with, such as broccoli, as well as other foods that people may not necessarily associate as having such powerful anti-oxidants and other nutrients.
WHERE DID YOUR COOKING CAREER BEGIN?
I had an interest in cooking from a very young age. I feel I grew up in the kitchen as that's where my mother and grandmothers seemed to spend most of their time.
WHO WAS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION?
I would have to say my mother; I just loved the food that she cooked.
Having a Mediterranean background I was brought up eating delicious food from that region.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE RECIPES IN THIS BOOK?
As with all the recipes for all my books, it all starts off with an idea which I may get from just looking at or noticing a particular ingredient, then it grows from there.
I also draw on a lot of family favourites.
TO LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE WHAT TYPES OF FOODS SHOULD WE AVOID?
I believe that everyone should try and keep a good balance of food that they eat. For me I like to avoid foods that are processed whenever and as much as possible.
WHAT MAKES YOUR BOOK STAND OUT FROM THE OTHER 'HEALTHY' COOKING BOOKS?
I think my book is different because of the combination of superfoods covered in the book, from ancient grains to greens to pure chocolate. My recipes are easy to follow and prepare. I have used ingredients that are readily available from the local greengrocer, supermarket or health food store. Each chapter is dedicated to one particular superfood, making it even easier to refer to.
HAVE YOU PLANS FOR ANOTHER SUPERFOODS BOOK?
I am always thinking of and creating new recipes so there are always plans for more books. But what exactly the next one will be on I'm not quite sure just yet.
TELL US THREE THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WOULD SURPRISE US
I have written or should I say cooked five cookbooks in four years and I have been blessed with five grandchildren in four years. I love going grocery shopping and would be more than happy to go every day. The greengrocer is my favourite.
As much as I love to cook - and those that know me know exactly just how much I love to be in the kitchen - I'll admit that if I had to I would have no hesitation in buying a ready prepared meal.
• Superfoods: 7 essential ingredients for living well by Rena Patten, with photography by Sue Stubbs. New Holland, $39.99.